For those new to the site, one of our kind-of claims to fame is for being early to sound the alarm, if you will, on the dangers of the Brazilian Blowout. Our book opens with a scene of us sitting in a fancy West Hollywood salon, choking on the formaldehyde fumes of this now infamous hair treatment. It marked the beginning of our journey into clean beauty—without the BB, there would be no book and no site.
Behind closed doors, we were later told that the negative attention brought upon the blowout, by us and other clean-beauty and public health advocates, helped serve as a catalyst for the lawsuit thrown down by California’s Attorney General back in November 2010. California has this nifty law called Prop 65 that stipulates products that contain carcinogens must feature a warning label on it. And now it’s been enforced for the first time.
Because not only was Brazilian Blowout not warning consumers and salon workers about the high levels of formaldehyde—as much as 10% according to some lab tests—in their treatment, they were also claiming some versions of the product were formaldehyde free. We’ve covered the story extensively and posted the original filing here. A few days ago the saga reached its conclusion. For now.
In a settlement, GIB, LLC, the company that makes Brazilian Blowout, must stop its deceptive advertising and pay $600,000 in fees, penalties and costs. Remember, though, as Virginia at Beauty Schooled points out: This applies to one brand and one brand only for now. There are countless other companies also making similar Brazilian blowout (lower-case b) formulas, and this doesn’t yank the procedure or the products from salons, either. It just slaps it with a CAUTION label.
Is it enough? No, but it’s something.
For those interested we’ve listed the settlement requirements below.
Requirements as listed by a Department of Justice press release:
- Produce a complete and accurate safety information sheet on the two products that includes a Proposition 65 cancer warning; distribute this information to recent product purchasers who may still have product on hand; and distribute it with all future product shipments. The revised safety information sheet — known as a “Material Safety Data Sheet,” or MSDS — will be posted on the company’s web site.
- Affix “CAUTION” stickers to the bottles of the two products to inform stylists of the emission of formaldehyde gas and the need for precautionary measures, including adequate ventilation.
- Cease deceptive advertising of the products as formaldehyde-free and safe; engage in substantial corrective advertising, including honest communications to sales staff regarding product risks; and change numerous aspects of Brazilian Blowout’s web site content.
- Retest the two products for total smog-forming chemicals (volatile organic compounds) at two Department of Justice-approved laboratories, and work with DOJ and the Air Resources Board to ensure that those products comply with state air quality regulations.
- Report the presence of formaldehyde in its products to the Safe Cosmetics Program at the Department of Public Health.
- Disclose refund policies to consumers before the products are purchased.
- Require proof of professional licensing before selling “salon use only” products to stylists.
To this day we still get letters and comments on old posts about women who have lost their hair, damaged their scalps or suffered in some way from the Brazilian blowout. Have you done it? Please continue to share your experiences. This this is far from over.
Ugh. My lips have been SO chapped, it’s really the pits. First, you can’t wear lipstick, and then, one glass of red makes you look like a wino.
On the plus side, though, my winter-worn lips have allowed me to properly explore the wonderful world of multitasking balms available. As many of you know, when it comes to clean beauty, often what works on your lips also does wonders on your elbows, and maybe even under your eyes.
Does any balm totally cure chapped lips? Not overnight. But they make them feel about a thousand times more bearable, and prettier to look at too.
Also, when you’re using a product with skin-nourishing oils, you’re not only keeping moisture into the lip (without the drying ingredients, like alcohol, and nasty chemicals found in conventional balms) but you’re also feeding the skin with healthy fats and other friendly ingredients.
Here’s a quick look at five of my new new favorite balms. But we know there are others! What do you use?
1. One Love Organics Skin Savior Balm: I’ve been meaning to write about this stuff for a while. Lately I’ve been using it on lips, as well as to cleanse my face (sometimes with my new Clarisonic gadget, which we must discuss in another post). I was also delighted to see that my sister, who lives in cold and windy Toronto, found it at Shop Pretty there—and it’s her new fave for everything. Thing is, it’s on the pricier side. But! We have a Friday Deal in the works with these guys and Futurenatural later in February.
2. Waxelene: We’ve covered this stuff before, it’s the Vaseline of naturals and work great on lips, elbows, dry patches, and even to remove eye makeup in a pinch.
3. Yvonne Ryding Instant Repair: This product reminds me of old favorite, Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream (did any of you use that?). While definitely not vegan—the first ingredient in this product is lanolin (from sheep) and the third is cera alba (from bees)—this stuff is gangbusters. The line is not perfectly chem-free, but this wonderful product is. I use it mostly on my lips, but it also makes for a nice cheek and brow highlighter. And if I manage to hit the slopes before winter is through, I will bring it with and apply to any exposed skin.
4. Zoe Organics Refresh Lip Balm: This simple little lip-only balm comes in a dainty pink tube that I just love using. And because it has lime peel, peppermint, ginger essential oils, it’s all tingly, tasty goodness.
5. DollyMoo Lip Balm: This is a brand-new discovery and I’ve been using these since I got them in the mail last week. I really like the way they feel, taste and smell. Also, because of the black packaging and the not-too girly scents, these are definitely boy friendly. So you can ditch the Chapstick too, guys.
What have you been doing for chapped lips?
Pretty but possibly annoyed model via
Some of you may recall this popular GOOD post from my darling cowriter Siobhan. But because we have so many new readers (welcome!), and some of you are indeed men (yay! welcome!), and also because a few of you specifically requested a repost, voila: the original post for the boys (and the women who love them). Have you (or your boyfriends, besties, husbands) tried these recommends? Coming soon: A real-live guy will review his favorite boysturizers.
Gentlemen, listen up. Whether you think you do or not, most of you use an average of six personal care products a day, which sounds like a lot until you get out your fingers and count: Deodorant, shampoo, cologne, and shaving cream all count—and so does the moisturizer you steal from your girlfriend. With each of these products containing anywhere from 10 to 40 unique ingredients, it’s worth your while to think about what it is you’re actually using every day, and whether those products are even doing your looks any favors—especially when some of it is so toxic it’s getting fines for air pollution in the state of California.
When, in February 2010, Axe Body Spray’s parent company was fined $1.3 million for air pollution, it sounded like an Onionesque joke. Except that it wasn’t, because in California, progressive environmental laws limit the amount of certain chemicals used in consumer products. According to the California Air Resources Board, the fragrance was in violation of the volatile organic compound limits for aerosol deodorant.
So here’s a primer on the stuff in your everyday products, plus what brands and products to buy instead. If you don’t want to do it for the planet, or yourself, do it for your sperm.
Cologne: Most conventional colognes (and “body sprays”) contain a host of synthetic chemicals that can affect your little swimmers. Phthalate metabolites in male urine was shown in several studies to be linked to sperm DNA damage, a lower sperm count, and less mobile sperm. Unfortunately for all of us, synthetic fragrance is used in just about every conventional product on the shelves of pharmacies and Sephoras, so weeding it out can be a bit of a bear. That said, naturals have gotten really sophisticated, and there are countless lines that are either synthetics-free or at least phthalate- and petrochemical free. Diptyque, a high-end candle and fragrance line, makes gorgeous scents for men (and women) that are paraben-, petrochemical-, and phthalate-free. Intelligent Nutrients, Tsi-La, and Honoré des Près also make amazing woodsy fragrances for guys.
Deodorant and Antiperspirant: Most antiperspirants and deodorant contain some if not all of the following: triclosan, aluminum salts, BHT, penetration enhancers, and artificial fragrance. Many of these are problematic from an environmental perspective, and none of them are good for your health. And yet deodorant is a must for modern living, so try a natural one from Soapwalla, a small Brooklyn company that sells on Etsy, which makes a unisex deodorant cream that works like a charm. For store-bought, look for Tom’s of Maine long-lasting deodorant, which is relatively clean and can be found at most drugstore chains.
Shaving Cream: Besides the propellants and butane in many shaving creams, there is also diazolidinyl urea, which is a formaldehyde releaser, triethanolamine, which is often contaminated with carcinogenic nitrosamines, parabens, which are weak estrogen mimickers, and synthetic fragrance. (See the slide on cologne for a reminder on why that’s not desirable for your health.) Instead, we recommend using organic oils, such as olive or coconut, if you can get past the whole oil-on-face thing. For a store-bought option, try Dr. Bronner’s Organic Shave Gel, which is 100 percent free of synthetics. If you break out, get the one with tea tree oil. Weleda also has a nice one.
Aftershave: Most aftershave contains alcohol, the toxicity of which is less a concern than the fact that it can dry out your face when it needs moisture. Cold water is sufficient to close your pores, and a nice organic cologne is a better bet if you are using aftershave as your cologne. Fill up the sink with cold water and put in a few drops of a woodsy scent like cedar, or something minty if that’s more your speed, and splash your face with that instead. That said, if you like the antiseptic sting of alcohol (who doesn’t, really?) go for a natural alternative with other ingredients to soothe your skin. Jurlique’s Calendula Lotion is soothing on freshly shaved skin, and so is pure aloe. For a splurge, Living Nature, which is an amazing line out of New Zealand, has a great one with antibacterial manuka honey, soothing calendula, and witch hazel, and Dr. Hauschka’s spray-on toner is another favorite.
Shampoo and Conditioner: Our scalps are one of the most porous parts of our bodies, and are easily penetrated by the products we lather onto them—which is counterintuitive, because we tend to think of hair as something separate from our skin, and we think shampoo must wash down the drain too quickly to do any harm. Not so. Shampoos and conditioners are both loaded with skin-, earth- and hair-unfriendly ingredients that dry out our locks, necessitating more products, like leave-ins. Instead, try a sodium laurel/laureth sulfate-free shampoo that won’t lather like a traditional one, but gets the job done without stripping your hair. Alaffia, Giovanni, and Aubrey’s all make nice affordable clean shampoos and conditioners. On the higher end, you can’t beat John Masters Organics. If you have dandruff, find a natural shampoo with tea tree or neem oil, or get JMO’s Zinc and Sage Shampoo With Conditioner.
Moisturizer: Whether it’s your body or your mug you’re slathering in cream, this is an important one to make sure is clean—mainly because you probably use it daily (which ups exposure to whatever is in there) and over a large surface area. Instead of a 30-ingredient lotion filled with silicones, penetration enhancers, fake fragrance, and petroleum derivatives, go for something simpler like a pure body oil (coconut from the health food store works well), or pure aloe vera. For a store-bought lotion for your body (and your face, if you aren’t picky or prone to breakouts) Everyday Shea lotion from Whole Foods is just over $10 for 32 ounces. Dr. Bronner’s, which is also shea-based, is another affordable all-over lotion. For your face, there’s the high-end Dr. Alkaitis, which is a unisex celebrity favorite, and Organic Apoteke, which is light and doesn’t smell like girls.
Read other posts from our GOOD series here.
A couple of months ago Siobhan reviewed her favorite new lipstick from Ilia, then I told you about it again when I was playing Mad Men dress up. But I’m getting the feeling that we haven’t quite expressed just how obsessed we are with this brand.
First there are the colors. I’m personally wild for Bang Bang, but there’s something for everyone, from pretty blushing pinks to a deep and gorgeous burgundy. Then there’s the texture, which is ridiculously hydrating, and yet the color still lasts.
Last but not least, there is Sasha Plavsic: the beautiful, cool Canadian founder of Ilia who we feel like we’ve known forever from some distant Degrassi past. She has created a natural brand that competes with the Macy’s counter, and Well+Good is talking to her about it. But first, have you tried Ilia? Which color works best for you (include your skin tone!)?
From Well+Good:
“I wanted to make a natural lipstick that could sit next to NARS at the beauty counter and inspire women to reach for it whether they were natural-leaning or not,” says Sasha Plavsic.
And Plavsic, a package-design maven turned beauty formulator, did just that when she launched Ilia Pure Lip Care last summer.
Skipping ingredients like petrochemicals and the ever-elusive fragrance, Ilia lipsticks are 85 percent organic but have the look and feel of a traditional luxe brand (but are significantly less drying).
The line quickly became a cult favorite, even outside natural circles. That’s great news considering the toxic lineage of lip products.
OK I guess that makes it more of a happy Friday for us, but still. We have buttons! To share and to tweet and to like—they now automatically show up at the bottom of our posts, because the nice guy Josh who helps us with this kind of stuff installed them there.
It’s a bit nuts that it took us this long to up our tech game, but there you have it. Please share, tweet and like stuff at your leisure (some of you already have, woot!), and feel free to go back through old posts and blow them out to everyone you know. Just kidding. :)
There’s no deal today, but if I’m not mistaken, we have an encore from Essence of the Vali next week, which is really exciting. It’s been a fun, hairy, and interactive week here in the land of no dirty, so scroll down if you’re just showing up today.
You know how it goes. One day you’re driving in your car, or the sun comes through the bathroom window. You catch your reflection and there it is: an honest-to-goodness mustache. Not just a little lady stache anymore, but in the right light something closer to the dirty lip you wish teenage boys would shave much sooner than they ever do.
The truth is I’ve been ignoring this Frida Kahlo situation—though truly, has any woman ever looked so beautiful with a mustache?—because I just don’t know what to do. So let’s review the options, shall we? And by golly, tell me what you or your fuzzy friends do too.
Plucking/Threading. My greatest concern is that I’m always accidentally plucking my little blonde hairs, and someone once told me that would make them dark. True or false?
Waxing. I’ve never really understood waxing. It kills, it gives people red bumps (or worse, as a commenter told us yesterday—actually, thanks for the idea for this post Moksha!—break out), the hair grows back funny, and you have to wait until it fully comes in to do it again. Oh, and it’s expensive! Am I missing something here? I know people say over time you have less hair, but that’s taken years for the folks I know, and even my sister—who was a die-hard leg waxer since the age of 13—eventually got fed up and started shaving.
Bleaching. Remember Jolen? Cause I do. I loved that stuff. And thanks to that scene from Reality Bites (remember, she’s going on her first date with Ben Stiller and almost forgets to wipe it off? lol), I actually thought mustache bleaching was kind of cool. Alas, it’s not clean. But should I make an exception in this case? Or will my blonde lip look even sillier? Probably can’t know without trying, but I’m totally afraid of what will happen to my newly sensitive clean-girl skin if I do. Could be rash-o-rama.
Laser. I’ve done it on my legs in the past and the hair stopped growing back for several years. Of course, then I didn’t realize how dangerous numbing cream is (actually deadly in two reported cases, though surely used in some insane excess). But here’s the thing: I know someone who got seriously burned from laser while doing her upper lip and it took ages to heal. And lots of light treatments and ointments and stuff. This friend has extremely pale and sensitive skin, but there’s always a risk. And it’s a big risk when it’s on your face.
Am I missing some other elusive option? What do you do with your lady lip hair?
Last week we posted about synthetic fragrance in the workplace, and a great (but also bummer!) conversation ensued in the comments. Over email though, one reader sent us a longer account of her personal experience working in a fragrance-filled environment, and we wanted to share it with you.
When I read this email I cried. It’s no small thing to be told that you’ve affected someone’s life in a good way, and we always get a little choked when we hear it. But mostly this story is so upsetting (but then redeeming!) that it touched me in a very real way.
Note: By publishing this, we are not in any way saying that one woman’s experience proves a larger trend. We have also removed the name of the store where our reader (who also asked to remain nameless, though she was happy to share the story) was employed because 1) you can guess, 2) we don’t want to get in trouble, and 3) it really could be any store that pumps fragrance in the air.
Hi ladies,
Thank you so much for everything you guys have done. You have made an amazing difference in my life, and I’m trying to pay it forward by raising awareness with all of my loved ones.
First off, I love everything you guys are doing. You both have changed my life with your book. Reading today’s blogpost on synthetic fragrance in the workplace really resonated with me, because synthetic fragrance in the workplace destroyed my thyroid.
It all started about 8 months ago when I was getting some routine blood tests because my husband and I wanted to start a family. When my blood tests came back, my doctor informed me that I have hyperthyroid. I got referred to an endocrinologist who ran a bunch of other tests, included one to see what my thyroid looks like because my different levels were really weird. When my doctor got my test back, he saw that my thyroid had been completely destroyed except for a tiny portion where it looked like it was healing itself. He asked me what had changed in my life that might explain my thyroid repairing itself.
For two years before this, I worked part time at [insert BEAUTY STORE] in order to pay for grad school. I was constantly around synthetic fragrance and a whole slew of nasty products that made me feel and look like crap. I was sick all the time and had terrible cystic acne. After grad school, I quit [BEAUTY STORE] when I got my first real job at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. This was also when I found your book. I got out of the terrible environment that [STORE] provided and switched all of my products to legitimate naturals, not the green-washed ones for sale at [STORE]. In weeks, I felt better, my cystic acne went away, and little did I know, my thyroid began to be able to repair itself.
My endocrinologist is pretty conservative, and didn’t want to believe that changing all my personal care products and being out of [STORE's] contaminated air is what was causing the change. However, two months ago, I had my follow up appointment and my thyroid has completely healed and all of my levels are normal.
I will never go back to [STORE] and will never use dirty products again, because I know that getting rid of all the crap has saved my life. I wish that someone could go in and study employees of places like [STORE] and see how being in an environment with all the toxic products really has a detrimental affect on the human body.
Pretty powerful stuff, no? We so appreciate all the comments and accounts we hear, so keep them coming. If you too have a longer testimonial to share don’t hesitate to email us at nomoredirtylooks at gmail dot com. We would never publish anything without asking your permission, and when we get to the next book, you can bet that we’ll be contacting some of you for your stories.
The natural beauty gods are shining upon us this 2012, we can feel it. Among other things, today NuboNau is offering a rare 20% site-wide discount on everything in their store—as in PAI, RMS, Intelligent Nutrients, Vapour Organics, and so many more favorites. This is really a special opportunity to get some of your beloved staples, and maybe try something you’ve had your eye on.
As usual, all you need to do is use the NMDL promo code and your 20% discount will be applied. Special note! This deal will not run for the full week—IT ENDS SUNDAY NIGHT. So get on this goodness fast.
Also, the discount won’t be applied to sale items (makes sense) but you will still earn loyalty points (oh hello). One more thing: If you spend more than $100 you will still receive the JMO discovery sample set. We love you NuboNau!!!
OK, enjoy the deal and thankyouthankyou for being the best, most insightful, thoughtful readers ever. Really, you make our days with your comments and emails.
xo
It’s totally happened. I’ve become that slightly-loony-bin person: the anti-fragrance zealot. I’m not talking about the wonderful scents we were gabbing about yesterday. And like S, I too occasionally miss a phthalate, especially when I’m longing for lasting power or smell the rare incredible synthetic perfume.
But last week I went to the mall, not my usual stomping ground. It seems like every day I become a little more sensitive: to sounds, to crowds, to gross displays of consumerism (there’s so much stuff at the mall, man), but especially to synthetic scent. I honestly feel like a bit of an ass admitting this. I don’t want to sound precious, because we must live and function in the real world, and I know this is a high-class problem, quite literally, and it’s not like I have a chemical sensitivity. But, there it is. The whole experience made me kind of miserable. Then I started thinking of the people who work there.
Day in, day out, these mall employees have fragrance pumped at them from all sides: from Sephora to the Macy’s counter, from Neiman to Lush. It’s a serious assault on the senses, let alone on lungs and probably hormones. So without getting too activisty, I wanted to ask you: Is there synthetic fragrance in your work environment? And, if so, does it bother you? Have you complained?
Progress is slowly underway: You may recall that one woman actually won $100,000 settlement after suing her workplace for ignoring her chemical sensitivity to fragrance. Not surprisingly that company has since banned all fragrance use. That’s cool. I also noticed just the other day that someone’s work email footer read “this is fragrance free environment.”
As I was leaving the mall, I walked by Sephora. Having a momentary lapse of reason, I thought: Oh, I’ll just pop in and buy some waterproof mascara. Well, I couldn’t even last a minute! I walked in, got one whiff of that place and turned on my heels. Fragrance may force me to abandon my last dirty product at long last.
We know that many of you are seasoned vegetable eaters and all but this challenge is about sneaking in MORE fruits and veggies: like ten servings. That can be a lot even by our crunchy standards.
So, since we’re all in this together, let’s share our best tips. And while you’re at it, tell us how the challenge is going for you (and tell the truth!). Recipes are always welcome, of course.
If you’re having trouble staying motivated, remember the Japanese farmers (!), and also this sort-of-silly-but-also-awesome “study” of how vegetables actually make you look glowy and tanned.
Here are a few ways I’ve been upping my number of servings, and a few other ways I plan to in the coming days (and weeks and months, because the point of these challenges is to help create better habits, right? Right.) Nothing groundbreaking here, and a few things we’ve harped on before, but voila:
- Salads: This is a total duh but I often make pretty simple green salads. You can get five fruits and veggies into a salad in a blink, watch: cucumber, tomato, avocado, grated carrot, artichoke hearts. Done.
- Smoothies: Another no-brainer, but if you really don’t enjoy eating fruits and/or vegetables this is the easiest way to slam a bunch down in one sitting. Spinach, berries, weird stuff from your CSA box, not much can’t be blended into smoothie submission.
- Soups: A.k.a. winter’s smoothies, especially for this girl who can’t stomach too much raw food in the colder months. Even if you’re all thumbs in the kitchen, you can throw some spinach, cauliflower, broccoli (or all!) into a pre-made tomato soup and call it four servings.
- Omelettes: Onions, spinach, red peppers, zucchinis and any veggies that don’t necessarily sing on their own, can be julienned into an omelette for guaranteed deliciousness.
- Snacks: Precut veggies—especially good when dipped in Dijon—are an easy way to veggie-load. Carrots are delicious right now, and so are radishes and broccoli. When it comes to fruit, don’t forget your old schoolyard friends: apples and oranges. As an adult I’m always surprised by how delicious these are when I think to eat them (not often).
That’s all I got! Now, how are you guys getting more of nature’s treats in your tummies?
