It is claimed that women who use make-up daily are absorbing nearly 5lb of chemicals a year into their bodies.

Many use more than 20 different beauty products a day to look their best while 9 out of 10 apply make-up which is past its use by date.

Such use of cosmetics and toiletries means that a concoction of 4lb 6oz of chemicals a year is absorbed through the skin.

Richard Bence, an advocate of organic beauty products, believes that absorbing chemicals through the skin in more dangerous than eating them, he said:

‘We really need to start questioning the products we are putting on our skin and not just assume that the chemicals in them are safe.’

‘If lipstick gets into your mouth it is broken down by the enzymes in saliva and in the stomach. But chemicals get straight into your bloodstream, there is no protection.’

Warnings over using out-of-date make-up have also been issued by the Royal College of Optometrists which believes such items are a “hothouse” for harmful bacteria.

Among the chemicals under scrutiny are parabens which are preservatives that have been linked to cancer.

Also sodium lauryl sulphate, used to help create lather in soaps, shampoo, shaving foam and bubble bath, which can cause skin irritation.

Theorganicsalon.com knows how important the products you put on your skin are, that’s why we only retail completely natural and organic ranges.

BBC Learning has launched StyleSearch, a competition to find the UK’s most stylish and ethical dressers. The competition is part of the BBC’s online ethical fashion magazine which shows people how to get an eco-glam look through a unique mix of affordable fashion, videos and other features.

The online magazine named Thread is challenging fashion lovers to style an ethical look from a mixture of organic, fair trade, vintage, recycled or customised clothes. The winner will have the opportunity to spend a day with a top stylist at London Fashion Week in September.

Entrants are to submit one photograph of either themselves, or a friend, that they have styled, together with a short explanation of why the outfit is ethical.

Konnie Huq, ethical fashion fan and former Blue Peter presenter said: ‘Style Search is for everyone, no matter what their style or budget. It is all about being creative, eco-glamorous and expressing yourself through ethical fashion.’

A panel of industry professionals will judge the entries on their originality and creativity as well as the eco-credentials of the clothes which must contain some organic, fair trade, vintage, recycled or customised items.

StyleSearch is running on Thread, the BBC’s online ethical fashion magazine until Tuesday 26th August.

What a great opportunity to encourage organic, ethical clothing to fashion lovers, theorganicsalon.com only retails all organic and natural beauty products.

An Organic Consumers Association report has revealed that 40% of ‘natural’ products it tested contained 1,4-dioxane, the same carcinogen EWG found can contaminate 28% of all cosmetics.

Many products that are labeled organic or natural still contain many toxins. The average consumer who is unaware of the potential danger would find it difficult identify which ingredients are toxins and which are genuinely natural.
 
On average each of us uses between 5-15 personal care products a day including deodorant, shower gel, and shampoo. The list goes on and so do the toxins.  This wouldn’t matter if the skin did not absorb 60% of what is applied to it.  Unfortunately natural does not mean natural, and organic does not always mean toxin free.  It is up to the consumer, to identify which ingredients to look for.

Here at theorganicsalon.com you can be sure that all the products we retail are completely free of any toxins and nasty chemicals.

When the U.S. Centers for Disease Control found high levels of hormone-disrupting phthalates in women eight years ago, no one had a clue how ugly the beauty industry really was.

The $50 billion cosmetics industry puts lead in our lipstick and chemicals in our shampoo; the industry is so powerful that they’ve been able to keep themselves unregulated for decades.

 Stacy Malkan author of, Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry follows a group of environmental activists, as they ask some tough questions to the world’s largest cosmetics companies.

As doors slammed in their faces, the industry’s toxic secrets began to emerge. The good news is that while the multinational corporations fight for their right to use harmful chemicals, activists, scientists and business owners are giving the beauty industry a makeover!

Stacy Malkan is a media strategist for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a national coalition working to eliminate hazardous chemicals from beauty products.

The book offers an insider’s view of the five-year campaign by environmental and health groups to pressure the US cosmetics industry to use safer ingredients.

‘This is a gripping, personal book by a recovered cosmetics addict with a great factual range on the impact of an unregulated group of companies.’
- Ralph Nader, consumer advocate

Theorganicsalon.com believes in only retailing pure and natural beauty products free from any harmful chemicals.

You’ve probably seen the adverts, the women lathering up in the shower, with the famous catchphrase ‘A Totally Organic Experience’. We’ve all seen it and been convinced by the all natural shampoo, when in fact Herbal Essences is anything but organic and natural.

The brand has recently dropped the catchphrase, which could be due to people questioning how organic it really is. Herbal essences in fact use fragrances, sodium laureth sulfate and other chemicals that are linked with cancer and other health problems.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics advises you avoid products with fragrance on the product label because companies are not legally required to list chemicals that are in the fragrance mixture. They instead recommend you go for unscented or beauty products that are perfumed with essential oils to ensure you get a completely organic and natural product.

Herbal Essences main consumers are girls and young women so with chemicals such as neurotoxins, allergens and phthalates being unlabeled on many beauty products, they are at risk of experiencing health problems.

At TheOrganicSalon.com we only retail brands which don’t put harsh chemicals into their beauty products; you can be assured all our products are natural and organic.

The synthetic musks that give a pleasing scent to perfumes and soaps enhance the effect of toxins on the cells of marine animals, raising the possibility that the same could be true in humans. (more…)

FDA regulators attended a forum in Brussels in which cosmetic industry representatives and international regulators discussed “ways to remove regulatory obstacles among the regions” and other issues related to cosmetic marketing and safety (FDA 2007a). Environmental Working Group (EWG) is writing to express deep concern that FDA officials are excluding public health, consumer, and environmental organizations from this meeting while allowing the regulated industry to participate. (more…)