Better Beauty Vermont

I’ve written about this before, and it still makes me mad. The image above is a well known (but edited to protect the identity- we’re about learning, not bashing here!) brand and one I bought in haste in my effort to switch to a safer deodorant.

Green container, says “naturally dry” with flowers on the label. To its credit, it scores well on the Skin Deep app- better at least than conventional alternatives.

Here’s what the back says though:

Full of aluminum- a controversial ingredient linked to cancer and easily avoided. Talc isn’t great either. Natural Fragrance can mean anything. Literally. Anything.

Here’s my favorite deodorant (Beautycounter hasn’t come out with one yet…):

Here’s the back of the container:

This deodorant works just as well without any aluminum, mostly organic ingredients. No poison control warning. No restrictions of use. The jar lasts forever.

It’s going to take our conscious effort and educated spending, but we the consumer have the power to change the industry. That’s one of the amazing things about partnering with Beautycounter– we’re more that a beauty brand- we’re a movement. The greenwashed example makes me mad, though it also shows that companies are listening, even if they’re not changing their products or transparency.

The San Francisco Chronicle posted this article April 19th, 2017- Navigating the Green Beauty Trend  – now I don’t think it’s just a trend, but consider this quote:

Fear, awareness and a demand for transparency are driving the burgeoning green beauty movement, as is a desire for a healthier lifestyle, translating farm-to-table to farm-to-face. According to a report by Transparency Market Research, “the global demand for organic personal-care products is expected to reach $13.2 billion by 2018.”

[…]

Jeannie Jarnot, founder of Novato’s Beauty Heroes, a healthy beauty discovery service and online beauty store, has a different standard for products she carries. “Just because a product is free from parabens, phthalates and sulfates doesn’t mean it’s clean or natural,” she said. “We’re seeing more retailers mix conventional beauty with clean. And by not educating the consumer, it’s just using the clean brands to dress up the conventional brands. Retailers and conventional brands are putting up a minimal effort to get a maximum result, trying to capitalize on the trend. It’s green-washing.”

It’s a good news, bad news situation. On the one hand, conventional companies are hearing us. On the other, they’re adding some “organic” or “natural” ingredients and calling it a green product.

Beautycounter is not 100% organic, but the focus on education, safety and transparency are industry changing. We balance sustainable sourcing, safety, efficacy and are 100% transparent through the entire process. Not everything “natural” is safe, and not everything synthetic is dangerous- what’s dangerous is not knowing what you’re putting on your largest organ day after day after day.

Don’t be greenwashed. Read labels, spend your money with companies that align with your values. Progress not perfection, but as we continue this movement, our options will only improve.

Questions? Reach out! I’d love to chat about ways you can find greener products for your home!