Natural selection
An increasing number of women are turning to cosmetics with organic ingredients

By Bonna Johnson

The Tennessean
January 17, 2008

Animal byproducts weren't something Holly Tashian wanted to smear on her face. But it was hard to avoid lanolin, a fatty substance secreted by sheep, used in many of the cosmetics in her makeup bag.
 

"I began to realize what I was putting on my face, and it's pretty bad stuff," says Tashian, a Nashville, Tenn., musician and feng shui consultant. "I've just gotten turned off about what is going on in the cosmetics industry."

So she switched to organic lipstick, mascara and eyeliner in the Dr. Hauschka Skin Care line. Tashian, 61, is among a growing number of women who are ditching compacts loaded with chemicals and preservatives for those with natural and organic ingredients.

Makers of natural cosmetics say their products contain plant, animal or mineral ingredients, not synthetics; makers of organic brands say their ingredients are pesticide-free.

These niche cosmetics are gaining in popularity as consumers look for products that are better for their skin and nicer to the planet.

Recently, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics said it had found potentially dangerous levels of lead in lipsticks, saying that lead in one-third of the 33 red lipsticks it examined exceeded the FDA's limit for lead in candy. (The FDA, however, does not set a limit for lead in lipstick.)

What, exactly, are "organic" cosmetics?

Americans spent some $155 million on the top three mass-market natural personal care brands -- Burt's Bees, Jason Natural Cosmetics and Tom's of Maine -- during the 12 months through October, according to Information Resources Inc.

Sales of organic personal care items reached $350 million last year, an increase of $68 million from 2005, according to the Organic Trade Association in Greenfield, Mass. That's an increase of 24 percent, says Holly Givens, a spokeswoman for the group.

But just because a lipstick label says "natural" or "organic" does not mean it makes for a better pucker or is kinder to the planet.

" 'Organic' means nothing on a label. The word 'natural' means nothing. You can't trust anything on a label, and companies will lie," says Ginger Garrett, an Atlanta author who researched scores of articles on the science of makeup in writing a book on the cosmetics used by women in ancient times.

Cosmetics and their ingredients do not have to get government approval before being sold, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. There are no standards for what is "natural" or "organic."

"If a company says it is organic because it uses organic flowers, they might be, but there could be a whole lot of different chemicals inside that product, as well," says Jovana Ruzicic, a spokeswoman for the Washington, D.C., nonprofit Environmental Working Group.

The watchdog group is pushing for federal definitions of natural and organic when it comes to personal care products. "It's hard for us to recommend organic or natural when there is no definition for them," Ruzicic says.

The group runs a database of personal care items from mascara to shampoo at www.cosmeticsdatabase.com to help consumers find safer alternatives. The site lists ingredients, says whether they're linked to allergies or cancer, and suggests alternatives to products that are bad for you or the environment.

Garrett says women should avoid three major ingredients in their cosmetics: preservatives called parabens; phthalates, which often are found in fragrances; and talc.

Parabens have been linked to breast cancer, but they are such cheap preservatives that companies rely on them, she says. One study showed phthalates to be harmful to the reproductive system. And talc has been linked to ovarian cancer, she says.

If you are considering a natural or organic cosmetics line, read the labels, Garrett says. Some may have organic rose petals in them but also contain talc, which aside from being potentially harmful, is not that great as a beauty ingredient.

Tashian has made it a habit to read labels. She has switched to organic shampoo and conditioner. She doesn't use nail polish, which is often filled with phthalates. And, she prefers natural brands such as Burt's Bees and Kiss My Face for body lotion and face cleansers.

"I already buy organic vegetables. So I thought I'd give organic makeup a try."