Certified Organic Cosmetics
Certified Organic Cosmetics Offer A Safer Alternative
Most people use skin care products every day. The list of skin care products is vast and includes shampoo and conditioner, facial soap, moisturizers, makeup products and many more. Even infants can barely go a day out of the womb without being slathered with baby lotion. People in the United States naturally assume that because these products are sold in this country, they have been tested. The unfortunate truth is that this is not necessarily the case.
The fact is that the skin care industry is largely self-regulated; although these products do fall under the umbrella of the US Food and Drug Administration, this area is the least regulated of all. Concerned? You have reason to be!
The solution, however, is easier than you might think. Certified organic cosmetics are slowly working their way into mainstream America and the affects have the ability to save lives. Does that sound drastic? Possibly so, but it is also quite true.
What most people don’t realize about the skin care products that they use, in addition to the fact that the ingredients are not heavily regulated by the government, is that many of them contain ingredients that are known to cause health problems. In the US, there is a list of 10 ingredients that are not allowed to be included in skin care products. That is a pitifully low number, especially compared with the list of 1,200 banned products in Europe.
While it is at least good to know that you can research overseas products and banned ingredients before making your next skin care purchase, the answer to this riddle may be even easier yet. This is where using organic cosmetics comes into play.
Generally speaking, organic cosmetics that are certified are those that meet rigorous standards that apply to ingredients, how they are grown or manufactured, and how they impact the environment. Of course, the guidelines do go into a bit more detail, but the crux of the issue is that organic cosmetic products have to undergo testing in order to be labeled as such.
If this issue is concerning to you, as well it should be, consider looking for items that are marked with a seal from the Bundesverband Deutscher Industrie und Handelsunternehmen, or BDIH. Products with this certification are deemed worthy of the statement “certified organic cosmetics” because of the rigorous testing that must be undertaken by companies wishing to participate in this union of German distributors and manufacturers.
Today’s take home lesson is that as an American, there is reason to be concerned about the products you use on your skin, face, body, and hair every day. Just because something is on the store shelf does not make it inherently safe. If you are concerned about the safety of the skin care products you and your family use on a daily basis, consider shopping for certified organic cosmetics. To take it a step further, look for products that are labeled with the BDIH seal, indicating that they have undergone third party testing and are deemed safe by very high standards.
My personal belief is that our health is priceless and it pays to take every step possible to hang on to it for many years to come. And that includes the health of our skin. Using pure and natural products just makes sense, doesn’t it?
