Global Search
Whole Story
The Official Whole Foods Market® Blog
Holding the Bar High in Natural Body Care
| Meet the Blogger | More Posts by Chris Jensen In part 2 of our 3-part series on our Premium Body Care® standards at Whole Foods Market®, you’ll hear about why these strict natural guidelines are important. You’ll also learn about Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a national coalition of health and environmental groups that are working to eliminate harmful chemicals from personal care products. Stacy Malkan, co-founder and author, sheds light on the pursuit to make personal care safer and greener.
- The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a national coalition of health and environmental groups, parents, nurses, and faith and labor groups working to eliminate hazardous chemicals from personal care products.
- They do this by analyzing products, by educating the public about how much we're all being exposed to toxic chemicals on a daily basis, and by working with companies to raise the bar for health and safety.
- Their goal is to shift the whole cosmetics industry to safe, non-toxic products, and to spur the growth of a vibrant, green, healthy economy.
- That goal is shared with Whole Foods Market’s Premium Body Care® standards, which are a very practical tool for getting companies to reformulate their products to remove toxic ingredients.
- As a teen the expert was prompted to look up the ingredients in her beauty routine. She was shocked to discover that she had been exposing herself to hundreds of chemicals a day.
- This kind of exposure is typical for the average teenage girl.
- There is research that shows that these chemicals may get inside the bodies of teenage girls, and that very low doses of hormone disrupting chemicals can impact the body in negative ways.
- Luckily it is possible to make wonderful products without harmful chemicals.
- The challenge: consumers have to do the research to find the better products.
- Whole Foods Market’s Premium Body Care® seal is great because it makes it easy for shoppers to find products that meet a very strong ecological standard.
- The products can’t contain problematic chemicals that are commonly found in personal care products. (i.e. synthetic fragrances, parabens, formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, or the whole range of surfactants such as PEG and sodium laureth sulfate that are commonly contaminated.)
- It’s a very good standard and it has prompted some companies to reformulate their products, so it’s moving the industry in the right direction.
- It can be a very confusing situation for consumers, because the beauty industry is essentially unregulated. There are no legal standards for words like “natural” “hypo-allergenic” or even “organic” on personal care products.
- It’s up to consumers to do their own research to find the safest products. The best advice is that simpler is better. Choose products that have fewer ingredients, avoid synthetic fragrances and use fewer products overall.
- For example, it may be better to buy one high-quality, non-toxic lotion than to buy several conventional lotions for face, hands and body.
- Check out the free Skin Deep database at www.safecosmetics.org to research products and find the safest alternatives.
- Also look for the USDA organic seal on personal care products.
- We also encourage people to look for the Premium Body Care® label at Whole Foods, and if your favorite product doesn’t carry the seal, contact the company and encourage them to reformulate to meet the standards.
- This sort of consumer activism has a huge impact on getting companies to make healthier choices.
- Consider joining Campaign for Safe Cosmetic’s action list at safecosmetics.org to keep in touch with the campaign's latest research and to help give the beauty industry a makeover.
63 Comments
Comments
Good podcast. I have been enjoying the 365 line.
04/22/2010 8:11:25 PM CDT
I worry about the skin care options or lack there of for my girls. They love lipstick but it drives me crazy because it goes right in their mouth and I know it can't be good for them. Create a cool lipstick.
04/22/2010 8:17:26 PM CDT
It makes sense to me that the smells that come from many body cares are from bad sources.
04/22/2010 8:30:13 PM CDT
Thanks for providing the info in this. I wold like to see the list of ingredient so I know what to look out for.
04/23/2010 5:13:04 AM CDT
I have been seeing this topic up on the web a lot lately. Seems like you all are doing great work here.
04/23/2010 5:15:43 AM CDT
I feel like you are going to have much more of an impact on influencing companies to change their products then the public can. So I am excited you are making this happen.
04/23/2010 5:26:09 AM CDT
Very cool podcast! Thanks to Green Girl for letting me know about this!
04/23/2010 5:38:20 AM CDT
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is truly incredible! I am impressed with how many people have signed their pledge. Thanks for sharing them with us.
04/23/2010 5:43:14 AM CDT
It starts with diaper cream, then kids "make up", I just worry about the things going on my kids skin, and try to limit it but they want to have fun so my interventions only go so far. I really hope for all parents kids standards for body care products drive a better market place.
04/23/2010 5:53:18 AM CDT
Glad to know you have created this standard, and I am a bit surprised that for years there wasn't one. I see that many products you carry don't meet this standard, interesting.... why?
04/23/2010 6:02:17 AM CDT
I just came across this series, good work. I know my wife talks a lot about this subject and I agree, the value of natural bodycare products is vital for health.
04/23/2010 9:03:53 AM CDT
Thanks for taking the lead on this and partnering up with Sage Cosmetic's, they seem like a great organization.
04/23/2010 9:10:15 AM CDT
We've always had our basic standards and continue to offer products at this level to offer our customers more value-driven options. The introduction of the Premium Body Care standards was a move in raising the bar. For more information on these standards, check out: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/premium-body-care.php
04/23/2010 11:34:28 AM CDT
Thanks for making a stand here! It blows my mind that seemingly any brand can claim to be "Natural" and the amount of useless crap they put in products is silly.
04/24/2010 11:15:44 AM CDT
I came across this series through Green Girl, and I have also seen a buzz about the topic over the last 2 weeks. I am proud to know that a store I support supports good work like this. Keep it up and thank you.
04/25/2010 8:36:42 AM CDT
I guess you have to find this on the product labels. I went in the store recently and didn't noticed any way to tell which products meet the standard. I remember some time ago there use to be paper tabs on the shelves noting which products met the standard, that would be very helpful.
04/25/2010 8:46:13 AM CDT
I to am looking for more body care products for my kids. Sunscreen is soooo expensive at your store, but is needed all summer long here. Please help create or bring a lower cost solution to your stores.
04/25/2010 8:48:32 AM CDT
Bravo! Thanks for bring the concern of all of us to life.
04/25/2010 8:51:38 AM CDT
Thanks for this podcast, I really believe in the work you are doing!!!
04/25/2010 10:13:14 AM CDT
I noticed this poster in your store about the campaign. Thanks for taking it up, it is nice to know I can worry less about reading labels when I am on your stores.
04/25/2010 12:05:24 PM CDT
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is doing such good work. I am thrilled to see you two are working together.
04/25/2010 3:16:43 PM CDT
Scary to read about hormones affecting teenage girls. It makes sense that what you put on your skin will get inside your blood stream.
04/25/2010 4:21:26 PM CDT
I have always wondered how/why the USDA could allow people to stamp organic or natural on labels when the products contain chemicals which are far from natural.
04/25/2010 4:24:04 PM CDT
Thanks for Holding the Bar High!
04/25/2010 4:32:40 PM CDT
Good info. I would like to see a list of products/brands that don't make the cut.
04/25/2010 5:44:15 PM CDT