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Beauty & the Toxic Beast: Here's how switching to nontoxic products improves your skin & the environment
Have you been considering making the switch to non-toxic beauty products? Here's why you should take the plunge now!
"I want something healthy", we’ve all said it. As our lifestyle becomes more stressful, we find ourselves seeking means to live healthier. More so because we've discovered that there are different kinds of stressors we need to cope with. But, because some are hidden, we find ourselves asking, “Is it safe?”.
"Is it safe?" is a question that the beauty industry has become familiar with over the past decade. And there’s a pretty good reason for it too.
All About Toxic Relationships
While we're refusing to tolerate toxic behaviour in all aspects of our lives, toxicity has found its way to us disguised in personal care. It's crucial we learn why and how to clean these toxins out of our self-care ritual.
It’s toxic for my body
In the short run, you may find your skin and hair showing visible signs of damage like redness, itchiness, breakouts, fallouts. Some common ingredients to look out for: Sulphates, PEG, PPG, Formaldehyde and more
It's toxic for my mind
On average, we use 10-15 products from our head to toe. They may contain ingredients that can cause hormonal imbalances. Some common ingredients to look out for are: Parabens, Phthalates, Acrylates and more.
It's toxic for my future self
Some ingredients are more insidious in the sense that their adverse effects include suppressing our immune system, causing cancer and even impacting our reproductive health. Some common ingredients: Parabens, Phthalates, Triclosan and more.
But we have to start thinking beyond the label we read. We need to add another filter: is it good for our planet? Indeed, there's a delicate link between our health and our planet's health. There’s a reason why we feel all kinds of amazing when we breathe fresh air surrounded by lush green trees.
Self-care goes hand in hand with Planet-care
Secret Ingredient
Reading the label is one of the better habits you can have. But, it’s also important to ask for the source. Many ingredients that are commonly found in personal care, palm oil being the infamous one, are sourced from monocultures that have endangered previously vast biodiverse areas.
What A Waste
The beauty industry is right behind the food industry in creating the global waste problem. Over 120 billion plastic packagings are produced globally by the beauty industry. This waste comes back to us as microplastics in our food and water.
Water You Talking About
India is water-stressed because of climate change and using overpriced and toxic shampoos, conditioners, lotions that are 70-90% water doesn’t make sense. What’s more troubling is the way these products with non-biodegradable chemicals further go on to pollute our water once they are washed down the drain.
Where to go then?
Don’t worry, you don't have to choose between what works for you and what’s safe for you and our planet. All you need to do is seek:
Plant-based ingredients
Thankfully, these ingredients know how to tame the wild with a little bit of science without burdening our natural resources.
Clean, green and never mean
Instead of making a cocktail using a million toxic chemicals, choose products with handpicked ingredients that have to go through multiple filters in order to make it to our star cast ingredient list. From sourcing till disposal, ingredients have to pass a rigorous test to qualify and tick yes for all the questions you may have: Is it safe? Is it sustainable? Is it effective? All it takes is some research!
Because in a way, looking after our planet becomes an act of self-love. And we really shouldn’t have to choose between what works for us and what works for our planet.
About the authors: Abhishek Kumar and Rhea Shukla are the founders of The Switch Fix, a clean and conscious beauty line.
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