Why Plant-Based Skin and Body Care? – LillyPearlBeautyco.

Why Plant-Based Skin and Body Care?

If you’re looking to improve your beauty routine and go for natural skincare, we’re here to help out.

Truth be told, skincare products can be a major source of toxins for many people. There are a lot of products out there packed with chemicals and artificial ingredients that might have temporary positive effects but long-term negative effects.

What exactly are the benefits of leaving your current beauty regimen in favor of a more natural one? 

The good news is that there are natural options that work better than most commercial products.

Let’s start with the beginning. Going on the natural beauty path means saving your skin from being exposed to harsh chemicals that are harmful to your body and leave a significant impact on the environment. Did you know there are ingredients found in face washes or sunscreens that have been linked to everything from hormonal disruptions to cancer? 

Natural beauty contains superior quality ingredients with vitamins and minerals that the body recognizes and absorbs as nutrients. When talking about a diet with organic, non-GMO food for a healthy body and skin, natural beauty products also feed and nourish your skin in a way that leaves it healthier over time. Since natural beauty, doesn’t usually contain artificial colors, fragrances, and synthetic preservatives, your skin is also less susceptible to irritations and allergic reactions.

It can be a little confusing to make the switch so we’re here to help. A few years ago, if you wanted to go all natural, it used to be a must to create your skincare products at home, because it was hard to find clean products. Yes, the truth is that if you create your beauty products at home, they won’t always smell magical, but they do feel amazing. If you prefer to buy your natural skincare, it’s much easier to find those products today.

Lack of regulation is a huge problem in personal care products so you must protect yourself. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates misbranding or false advertising on packages but not what actually goes inside the packages. There are over 1,300 chemicals banned for use in cosmetics in the European Union due to questions over their safety. The U.S. has banned roughly 30.

Even if with food, specific marketing terms are regulated by the FDA, they aren’t regulated whatsoever with skincare and cosmetic products. Did you know even products labeled “unscented” can contain fragrances? The only way to know for sure if there are harmful ingredients in your makeup or skincare products is to READ THE LABEL.

Bottom line is that you are responsible for what you put on your skin.

So what are the ingredients you should avoid, you might ask us.

  1. Parabens (methylparaben, propylparaben, isopropylparaben, and isobutylparaben)

Parabens are preservatives found in everything from lotions to makeup. The FDA acknowledges several studies linking parabens, which mimic estrogen, to breast cancer, skin cancer, and decreased sperm count, but has not ruled that it is harmful. Some forms of parabens are banned in Denmark (propyl and butylparaben, their isoforms and their salts) in cosmetics products for children up to 3 years. 

  1. Artificial Fragrance/Parfum

Most of conventional skincare and cosmetic products (even the “unscented” ones) contain artificial fragrances. Federal law doesn’t require companies to list on product labels any of the chemicals in their fragrance mixture. “Fragrance” or “perfume” on the ingredients list could actually be a cocktail of carcinogens, allergens, endocrine disruptors, and irritants. 

  1. Toluene

Toluene is a chemical commonly found in nail polish and hair dyes. It is restricted in cosmetics in the EU because it was found unsafe for use in cosmetics by the International Fragrance Association Codes and Standards (IFACS). It is a volatile petrochemical solvent that can be toxic to the immune system and can cause birth defects. 

  1. BHA

BHA can be found in exfoliants and perfumes. The National Toxicology Program (NTP) classifies butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.” The European Union considers it unsafe in fragrances. 

  1. Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde can be found in keratin cosmetics, hair straighteners, nail polishes and treatments for the prevention on bacteria growth. NTP and California EPA’s Proposition 65 (Prop 65) classify formaldehyde as a human carcinogen. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) raises concern that exposure to formaldehyde leads to irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and respiratory system. Standards for cosmetics in Japan prohibit formaldehyde use in cosmetics, and the European Commission restricts formaldehyde in cosmetics to more than five percent concentration in the finished product.

  1. Phenacetin

Phenacetin was used as pain and fever reducer until banned in the US by the FDA in 1983 due to its carcinogenicity. In present times, it can be found in personal care products as a stabilizer in products such as facial hair bleach, hair color and women’s depilatories. IARC and Prop 65 still identify phenacetin as a human carcinogen. NTP lists that phenacetin and analgesic mixtures containing phenacetin are reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens. 

  1. Aminophenol, Diaminobenzene, Phenylenediamine (Coal Tar)

Coal tar, a byproduct of coal processing, can be found in hair dyes and shampoos. Coal tar is a known human carcinogen, according to the National Toxicology Program and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARS). Europe has banned many of these ingredients in hair dyes. 

  1. Benzene

Benzene is derived from coal tar and it is used in the production of plastics, detergents and occasionally in hair conditioner and styling lotion. IARC and NTP classify benzene as a known human carcinogen. Prop 65 identifies benzene as a concern for both cancer and developmental toxicity. The European Commission prohibits benzene use in cosmetics, and it is restricted in the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Altantic (OSPAR). 

  1. Heavy Metals

Heavy metals like hexavalent chromium and cadmium serve as colorants in eye shadow and lip gloss. Metals such as arsenic can be also found in facial lotion, shampoos, and cosmetic ingredients. IARC, NTP and Prop 65 identify cadmium and its compounds, arsenic, and chromium as human carcinogens. 

  1. Triclosan and Triclocarban

Triclosan is an antibacterial agent which became ubiquitous in the 1990s. Triclosan contributes to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, it’s also an endocrine disruptor In 2016, it was banned from soap used in health-care settings, but it is still allowed in personal cosmetics. 

  1. Hydroquinone

The FDA warns that this skin-bleaching chemical can cause a skin disease called ochronosis. Illegally imported skin lighteners can contain mercury, which can poison adults and children and is especially toxic during pregnancy. 

This is only a small list of products that we recommend you avoid. If you want to find out more about safe and unsafe products, please check out this website:

http://www.safecosmetics.org/