Meet the New Generation of Nontoxic Beauty Mavens
This summer I was invited to give a talk to a bunch of teenagers at an amazing program here in New York called YCTeen. I was excited! I was also a little nervous because teenagers, let’s be honest, can be a little intimidating. The invitation was irresistible, though. The kids are part of an program that “helps marginalized youth develop their full potential through reading and writing, so that they can succeed in school and at work, and contribute to their communities.” Sounds pretty great, right? And it is.
They spent the summer putting together magazines, and their latest issue is out—with a cover story about toxins in personal care products written by the very bright Kiara Ventura.
She read No More Dirty Looks, and she and her cohorts asked me smart questions—and follow-up questions when my answers were vague or when they wanted to know more! The resulting piece has my heart aflutter. Please read the whole thing here. It’s very well done: interesting if you’re well-versed already, and a great primer for people who are new to the topic.
Oh, and they also made that video. It’ll make you giggle. Show some support for the next wave and give ’er a watch, would you?
And if you have thoughts or reactions, we’d love to hear them in the comments!
This is absolutely amazing! Well done Kiara and YCTeen!
Go Kiara! You’re article so is well written, I think you’ve made it nice and easy for everyone to understand what is bad and why it’s bad.
I love that a whole new generation is now becoming much more interested and aware of what they are buying and using – I desperately hope the industry grows to include a lot more accessible and budget-friendly options! I love my Kahina and Tata Harper products, but as a teen I couldn’t even have considered buying them. Sure, at my age I need more than a cleanser and a moisturiser, but I was a gal who discovered very early on how much I adored lotions and potions, so I was definitely in the market for masks and scrubs and everything else I could find on the shelf and afford to try. I want to know that clean, safe, effective products are readily available to everyone, regardless of where they live or what their budget allows.
Speak up Kiara – there are TONS of lines out there aimed specifically at your demographic! The industry is full of clever people who are paid to listen to what you and your friends say. Companies like Neutrogena have plenty of money to develop safe products, and much better resources to develop cost-friendly production programs (a key driver to the high price point products on the market is the relatively small scale production they currently have) so let’s put the “demand” back in the age old concept of “supply and demand”!!!
Cute!
Great work!! The article is super well written!
Fabulous. Keep spreading the word Kiara. You certainly did your homework.
How absolutely fantastic! It must be ressonating with so many young people already.. And how awesome to get to know the facts so early on , avoid being poisoned for years… Congrats on a job well done Kiara!
I wish I had known about avoiding chemicals and treating my skin better when I was a teenager! So clear and easy to understand, Kiara and gang will help pave the way for the new generation of people who will demand clean, affordable products. Don’t fall for the hype! Eat really well, exercise, treat your skin gently, smile a lot, enjoy your life.
Thank you for all the support and positive feedback! I feel so honored! It feels very great to know that people are reading my article including a fabulous author such as Siobhan! It feels even better to know that there are people out there listening. Most teens these days don’t know what they are getting into even when it comes to their daily products. Hopefully the teenage community can be aware and I will absolutely recommend the book \No More Dirty Looks\ to my friends. Once again thank you and special thanks to Siobhan for spreading the word. I am truly grateful.