BUYING NATURAL
In a world where you have a million options for skin and beauty products at your finger tips, how do you filter out all of those not-so-great products? And, why is it important to spend the energy doing it? Fishing through products can be overwhelming, for sure. Here are a few ways that we like to sift through the noise of consumerism.
Where to start:
Our biggest piece of advice: Read those labels. Sounds like a lot of work, and we aren’t going to lie. It definitely is. Thank goodness for technology! We were just recently introduced to this app by another avid label reader, and we are so glad for it. Yuka is a free app (and there are many others like it) that can be downloaded onto your phone, and it scans food and beauty products, giving you a list of ingredients and possibly dangerous additives. (This is not an ad. We just love it.) It cuts the time it takes to read a label down to mere seconds and calls attention to things most harmful. It is not a perfect science and doesn’t always have every product as scannable, but it will at least help get you to the bottom line faster: what the heck is actually in this product?? It is especially helpful with those words none of us know. It even breaks down why different additives are harmful and the risks associated with them.
All soaps are not created equal. Here is a list of some of the most common additives that can be found in commercial soaps and the harm they can cause you. This content is not meant to scare you, but to educate you on what can be found in your skincare products.
Parabens: The CDC says that one of the many ways this man-made chemical can enter your body is by being absorbed through your skin. They can go by many names and are found in everything from food to cosmetics. Although effective in preservation, these estrogen-mimicking chemicals have been found to interfere with important processes and pathways in our body and may even be linked to breast cancer. There have been very few studies conducted on this as of 2022, but even so, preliminary findings say further research into these chemicals are warranted. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women.
Phthalates: Phthalates are used to make plastics more durable, but are also found in cosmetic products and, in some cases, food through the process of manufacturing and packaging. Similar to parabens, phthalates are known as endocrine-disrupters and have been shown to increase your risk of breast cancer. Again, however, very little research has been done on this connection. You can read more about a study done on Danish women in 2021 here.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS): SLS is commonly used as a cleaning agent. While sulfates are deemed safe to use in household products, SLS can cause skin irritation, especially in people with sensitive skin. Research has found that it can be especially irritating when paired with warm water. Not all of what you read about SLS on the internet has been scientifically proven, but it is definitely something you will want to avoid if you have particularly dry or sensitive skin. SLS is found in the majority of soap products.
These are just a few that we look out for in particular, but the list is definitely long. A common theme that we have discovered is that a large amount of chemicals that are found in our beauty products and food have very little research behind the interaction with said chemicals and our bodies, leaving us to ponder, “why not?” And, wanting to steer clear. And, guess what? You don’t need these chemicals in order to have good soap!
How to move forward:
Buying local and buying things labeled “natural” will push you in the right direction. And that doesn’t necessarily mean they should be priced astronomically. Look out for the products that are only expensive because of their natural label. Use apps like Yuka, and don’t be intimidated by those labels. Try to stick with things that have words that you know, or do a quick Google search. Most of the time, you can get a pretty good idea if that ingredient is safe or not without even having to click on a link.
Our natural products:
At Main Street Naturals, we strive to keep our products as low cost as possible while maintaining that natural label. We don’t use additives, and we keep those ingredient lists as short as possible. Check out our scent free collection below, or our full line of products here.
