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Over the last few years, there's been a lot of back and forth about parabens, especially their possible effects as reproductive hormone disruptors. Now, the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has released an opinion suggesting that, according to the available data, "systemic exposure from typical cosmetic use scenarios will be negligible." The committee found that, at least with Read more
Interesting news on the cosmetic-safety front this week: the President's Cancer Panel has released a report on the thousands of chemicals Americans use on a daily basis. Its conclusion: environmental exposure to some chemicals in air, food, water — and yes, personal care products — is placing people in "grievous harm." The number of cancers linked to these chemicals, the report says, has Read more
April is Earth Month, a great time to think about what you put on your body and how it affects you — and the earth, for that matter. You probably see ads just about everywhere you look promoting 100 percent natural this and organic that. There are many not-so-friendly ingredients you've probably heard listed time and time again, but do you have a good grasp on what they all mean? Take my quiz Read more
While the FDA claims parabens are safe, this chemical preservative is still quite controversial. Used in shampoos, moisturizers, and even toothpaste, parabens are considered hormonally disruptive by many environmental-health scientists. This chemical is known as a weak estrogen mimic and has been found in trace amounts in biopsied breast cancer tumors. There are many alternative cosmetics Read more
Parabens are groups of chemicals used as preservatives in a wide variety of beauty products (up to 90 percent of them, from shampoo to toothpaste to self-tanner) and sometimes as food additives. Some parabens are found in nature, like the antimicrobal fruit of the blueberry shrub, but all commercial types are synthetic. Despite many years of seemingly safe use, studies have begun to suggest Read more
I just read about the amount of chemicals in cosmetics, and it's pretty interesting stuff: Cosmetics contain many different kinds of chemicals, but of particular concern are a group of preservatives called parabens, which by some estimates are found in 99% of all 'leave on' cosmetics, and 77% of "rinse off" cosmetics. These are known hormone disruptors: evidence suggests they can mimic the Read more
With Spring well under way and Summer not too far off in the horizon, it's time to shelf the heavy moisturizers and foundations, all while being cognizant of the importance of SPF. Cover FX's Skintint Treatment and Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 ($42) is the perfect warm-weather makeup trifecta. Not only does it block away both UVA and UVB rays, but special lipid-captors help give skin suppleness, and Read more
When a product makes you feel good not only because of the skin-enhancing benefits it provides, you know you've hit the so-called beauty jackpot. Such is the case with celebrity makeup artist Lina Hanson's new Global Face Serum ($85). The feel-good part? Several of the ingredients used in the oil blend are harvested by women all over the world to help support their economies. Free of parabens, Read more
It's already difficult enough to shop responsibly, given how widely words like "organic" and "natural" are misused. To make things even more complicated, though, there are also tons of ecological certifications products can get. They're designed to tell consumers that a product is more ecologically friendly, but not all certifications are the same, and some are much more strict than others. Read more
In honor of Earth Month, Josie Maran (pictured left) is rereleasing her eponymous brand's cult favorite argan oil with an added charitable element. The beauty entrepreneur even recruited some of her model pals, Petra Nemcova (pictured right) and Angela Lindvall, to design the limited-edition bottles ($52 each) for the line's Model Citizen campaign. Available at Sephora, through QVC, or on Read more
