My Guide to the Skin Deep Database

I am frequently asked for my opinion about the Skin Deep Database, especially when products I sell turn up with sketchy safety ratings. I found myself writing the same emails and having the same conversations over and over again, so I finally got the brilliant idea to write it down somewhere that wasn't an email and share it with people! So here you go, and feel free to post any comments or questions and I will do my best to answer!

Originally posted on Feelgoodstyle.com, March 16th, 2010

In a country where regulations of beauty products are non-existent, the Skin Deep Database was a revolutionary undertaking, providing access to safety information few others have the time or knowledge to decode.

The Skin Deep database, if you are unfamiliar with this resource, provides safety scores for an extensive range of personal care products and the ingredients found in them. Using a complex algorithm, ingredients for each product are entered into a database and, using the available research from around the world, a number from 0 to 10 is given for the product, based on the ratings for each of the ingredients.

As impressive and ambitious as the database is, the system is not perfect. Many reasons exist for this, perhaps none more important than the dearth of research on cosmetic ingredients, particularly regarding their long-term impact on health. The reality is that the Environmental Working Group has taken on what is essentially an impossible task, and they are doing the best they can.

My role as head of a natural beauty retailer has required me to become intimately familiar with the Skin Deep database. Through numerous experiences and conversations, I have come up with a system I believe makes the most of this resource. This Guide to the Skin Deep database is my attempt to help you make the most of the information the database provides, by outlining what to look for, what to ignore, and how to determine whether your favorite products are deserving of your hard-earned dollars.

Tip #1: First, search by brand.
Before you look up any one product on Skin Deep, conduct a brand search first. This will give you an idea of how the brand rates overall. If most of the numbers are, say, 4 or higher, it’s unlikely the company prioritizes safety in their formulations.

Likewise, if a company’s products come back with mostly low numbers, you know that they are worth further exploration. If a few lone products in that brand have an unusually high number (what I call a “spike”), this could be a false positive. In other words, it may not actually be harmful, for reasons I’ll explain below. It certainly warrants further investigation, especially if it’s a brand or product you are interested in, since in my experience it’s pretty unusual (but not unheard of) for a company to work hard to make a line of safe products but then go rogue on one or two. I recommend reading the following tips first; then, if that doesn’t clear things up, call the company. They will almost certainly be aware of this anomaly, and can give you their explanation for it. Often, you will find the explanation makes sense. Of course, if their rationale does not sit well with you, there are plenty of other brands without these anomalies (and feel free to let the brand representative know you’ll be taking your business elsewhere).

Tip #2: Look at the Data Gap
Now that you’re ready to look at individual products, be sure to pay attention to what is called the Data Gap, which you will find on the upper right hand side of the ingredient’s page, right below the overall score. This has to do with how much research has been conducted on that particular ingredient. Many ingredients, you will find, have a score of 0, implying safety, but also have a Data Gap of 100%, meaning that no research has ever been done on the ingredient. In other words, in cases where the Data Gap is 100%, the 0 should probably be listed instead as N/A, since nothing is known about the ingredient’s safety.

Usually, the lower the Data Gap, the more reliable the hazard rating is, because it’s based on a body of research designed to assess the ingredient’s safety. The lower the Data Gap, the more research they have to work with. So if an ingredient has a rating of 0 and a Data Gap of 50%, you can be reasonably confident that the ingredient is safe. Likewise, an ingredient with a Data Gap of 70% and a hazard rating of 7 is a pretty good indication that the ingredient could very well be bad for you and/or the environment. Believe it or not, you are unlikely to find many ingredients with a data gap lower than 50% (even that is a rare find), so keep that in mind when drawing your conclusions.

Tip #3: Understand the contamination issue
Many ingredients, such as talc and several common surfactants (i.e., the stuff that makes your shampoo all foamy), have earned hazardous ratings due to the potential for contamination with substances like formaldehyde or asbestos. In the United States, ingredients are rarely tested for contamination; in Europe, however, testing is often required. This is particularly true if the brand has a Natural or Organic certification, like BDIH or EcoCert. Both of these brands require ingredients to be tested for purity in order to be certified. So if the ingredient in question seems to earn its hazard score due to contamination concerns, your next task is to find out if the product has been certified by a body that requires contamination testing.

Tip #4: Understand the fragrance issue
Once again, this is a Europe/U.S. issue. For American brands, you want to make sure that any listing of “fragrance” or “perfume” comes with a statement that only essential oils are used. For European brands, not all companies put this on their packaging, particularly if they are certified with EcoCert or BDIH, since synthetic fragrance is not allowed by either body, and European brands assume the consumer will know this when reading the label. The Skin Deep Database, however, does not take this into consideration, and will give any label with “fragrance” or “parfum” the same hazard rating, regardless of certification status. You see, they require companies to disclose the components of the fragrance, or upload a non-disclosure statement. Few European companies have done this, thus resulting in high hazard scores. A perfect example of this problem can be found when doing a search for Weleda, several of which rate in the moderate hazard category solely due to the word “fragrance” on the label. But Weleda products are BDIH certified, meaning none of the fragrance can be of a synthetic origin.

Tip #5: Don’t put too much weight on whether a company has signed the Compact.
While I think it is a great showing of support and commitment to safety and integrity for a business to sign the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, I do not think it should be given much weight. Many companies I have spoken with have expressed very legitimate concerns about this database – Europeans companies, mainly, for some of the reasons I explained above – and do not want to have their products flagged for issues that are not relevant to their ingredients or labeling standards. Furthermore, remaining compliant with the Compact requires a fairly significant commitment of time and resources. Small companies in particular may simply choose to focus on creating clean products and let their ingredients lists speak for themselves.

Of course, you may choose to support only those companies that have made the effort to sign this Compact, and that is certainly a legitimate decision that I fully support. But when it comes to the safety of a product, whether or not the company has signed the Compact is unlikely to be a reliable source of information.

Tip #6: Use the Skin Deep Database as a guide, not a Bible.
This is probably the most important tip of all. The EWG has created a wonderful starting point when researching the safety of your beauty and personal care products. It is not a divine database, however, and should not be viewed as such. Search the Internet for additional information on various ingredients, consult the Consumers Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients or The Green Beauty Guide’s top 200 Ingredients to Avoid list. If you are able to find several reliable sources that agree with each other, you are more likely to draw accurate conclusions.

Despite its glitches and obstacles, the Skin Deep database has dramatically changed the beauty industry and the way men and women think about their personal care products. By approaching it in a thoughtful way, using the tips I’ve provided, you will find it to be an invaluable resource that just might change your life.

We Heart Christy Coleman...And Her Makeup Bag, Too!

Back in the very, very early days of The Nature of Beauty, I had the great pleasure of meeting and bonding with the PHENOMENAL woman that is Ms. Christy Coleman. Talented, thoughtful, caring, brilliant - and did I mention talented beyond reason? - Christy has arguably done as much to bring natural and organic beauty products to Hollywood and, consequently, to the mainstream audience as anyone out there. She has also been a cheerleader and unconditional supporter of The Nature of Beauty, for which I will always be eternally grateful. More impressively, Christy has done all of this whilst maintaining the kind of insanely busy work schedule that would pretty much kill any of the rest of us.

So when Christy told me that she was going to sell the beee-YU-tiful makeup bags she has been toting around on her various jobs for the past year - you know, working for obscure little businesses like Ralph Lauren and Victoria's Secret - I spent nary a second contemplating whether I would sell them at Natureofbeauty.com.

Already a frequent request by Coleman's celebrity clients, these 100% Organic Cotton Makeup Bgas are roomy, sturdy, and stunning. They will easily hold your entire cosmetics collection, and are sure to draw ooh's and aah's from your friends, family, and random women in the gym locker room.

If you're not already convinced that this it the must-have makeup bag of the year, what say we give it to you for free? That's right, from now until the end of March, we will give you this exquisite makeup bag for free with the purchase of $75 or more from our extensive collection of natural and organic cosmetics. That makes NOW the perfect time to check out our Buyers' Guide to see which shades, textures, and brands of makeup are perfect for you.

Want more personal service? You can now email us your photo for customized recommendations from our green beauty experts! Simply send your questions and a photo of yourself to info@natureofbeauty.com, and we'll get back to you with our expert picks.

The Most Affordable Products You've Never Tried

Every once in a while, I feel the need to point out some really fabulous AND affordable products we offer at The Nature of Beauty.

You see, nearly every day I hear comments about how organic skin care and natural makeup is way too expensive; and if it isn't, that's because it doesn't work. In all fairness, I understand where these beliefs come from. There certainly is some expensive organic skin care out there. But let's be honest, people - there is some pretty popular synthetically-based skin care out there with the price tag of a small car. And yes, there is some affordable natural skin care and makeup that is, quite frankly, total crap. The first three conditioners I bought from Whole Foods made my hair feel like play-doh coated straw.

But fear not, my fine-feathered shoppers! Drawing on the sleuth skills I honed as a student of Nancy Drew, I have uncovered some seriously brilliant works of affordable organic art.

Sante Lotus & White Tea Exfoliation Cream, $12.99 for 4-8 weekly applications
Really, all you need to do is look at the ingredients to see why this is a hidden gem. Organic Grape Seed Meal does the exfoliating, while organic shea butter, organic argan oil, and organic jojoba oil provide moisture and help in the regeneration of skin cells. The result? Seriously soft skin for less than $2 a week.

Keys Island Rx Therapeutic Foaming Cleanser, $16.95
Described by our beloved former staffer, Emily, as "one incredible face wash," Keys Island Rx face cleanser uses five simple yet effective ingredients to deliver immediate noticeable results. Your skin will feel clean yet not stripped, your blemishes may even clear up due to the natural anti-bacterial powers of Clary Sage essential oil, and all for less than you'd spend on any face wash at the local department store.

Logona Lip Balm, $3.99
The last time we ran out of this lip balm, a customer who stopped by the store to pick some up practically wept when we gave her the bad news. After the new batch came in, she purchased 6 to ensure she wouldn't run out ever again. Her comment? That this was the most amazing lip balm she had ever used in her life, natural or otherwise, and that the amazing price was just a bonus.


Sante Brilliant Care Conditioner, $11.99
Although some of the 14 (that's it!) ingredients in this conditioner most decidedly fall into the deep end of "naturally-derived" pool, it is still far more natural than most conditioners you'd find at your local co-op. Better still, it works about a billion times better than most of those conditioners, too. In fact, I think it's fair to say this conditioner is superior to most $12 conditioners you'd find at the local drug store, too.

The list, of course, doesn't end with these four. Logona has a bunch of great bang-for-your-buck offerings, including their Gingko Repair Shampoo ($11.50), the Combination Skin Mint Foaming Cleanser ($13), and the Cleansing Facial Wipes ($7). Everything from EcoTools is more affordable than seems reasonable, and of course, anything you can still find from our Clearance Sale is practically free.

Get free shipping now through the end of February!

I don't know about you, but February is my least favorite month of the year. So thank god it's a short one. Up here in Minnesota, winter is going on month 4 and I'm ready to actually feel the sun's warmth when it's shining on my face. Granted, this February has not been as bad for us as it has for many of you elsewhere in the lower 48, but still...I'm eager to see its backside and move closer to Spring.

It is in that spirit that The Nature of Beauty is offering YOU free shipping on all orders today (Sunday) through the end of the month. Simply use coupon code FEBSHIP. There are no minimums, but please note that we will ship your order via USPS Priority Mail or 1st Class, depending on weight. This special offer applies to U.S. orders only.

Teens Turning Green: The Future of Inspiration and Change

I'll be honest with you: there are days when I want to give up. Although I was never under the impression it would be easy to convince women to use non-toxic beauty products, I'll admit I underestimated how lonely and hopeless the journey would feel at times. So after months of hearing comments like, "Everything is going to give me cancer anyway, so why not look good in the meantime," I was beginning to wonder if it even made sense to continue down this path.

It is for this reason that I packed my bags and headed to San Fafael, California, for the annual Teens Turning Green conference. I hoped that being around young people who haven't been around long enough to be beaten down and cynical about everything might be exactly the inspiration I needed to keep going.

The conference, and the teens who organized it, exceeded my expectations.

First, let me say that these young women are going to change the world. They have more poise, confidence, and self-assuredness than I may ever have, and a relentless determination to reach their goals. How lucky for us that their goal is to create a safer, more sustainable way of life from which we will all benefit.

To that end, they were able to recruit leaders in a variety of fields, all pertaining to the health of the planet and the people living on it. The keynote speaker, the enviably successful & ridiculously charming Adam Werbach, introduced his DOT (Do One Thing) initiative, in which a family, business, state, even an entire country, can make a lasting impact simply by choosing to change one thing. Imagine, for example, that women across America announced their next lipstick purchase would be from the natural and organic department? Or if all households in a given city agreed to turn their thermostat down one degree? While it seems like you, being only one person, can't effect change, the reality is that when a bunch of individuals come together with one goal, the rest of the world pays attention (hello Tea Party Movement).

The following day, it was the fashion and beauty panel that honed in on the impact we have on others when making buying decisions. One of my favorite comments came from Ecofabulous' Zem Joaquin: "It's not really about mindful (green) consumerism at all. It's about how you want to treat others, and whether you care about what happens to them." They pointed out both the positive developmenents in the beauty industry - like Alaffia's initiatives to empower women in Togo via sales of their products- as well as the scary stuff. Case in point: the encouraged overuse of pesticides on Indian cotton fields (to supposedly produce higher yields) gradually destroys the land itself so that farmers can no longer support themselves or their families. They incur so much debt that they succumb to hopelessness. Currently, every 30 minutes an Indian famer commits suicide, usually by drinking the pesticides that killed their farm. We have the choice of helping others or hurting them every time we buy something. And closing our eyes and ears to the situation doesn't actually change the outcome.

The scientists at the conference, not surprisingly, brought to the table the truly disturbing facts about chemicals and our health. Although we are led to believe that the jury is still out as to whether many chemicals in beauty products are toxic, the reality is that scientists know the chemicals are toxic. The question is simply at what stage(s) in human development are the chemicals most harmful, how much of them does it take for harm to occur, and which ones are doing the most damage. And while the Environmental Working Group is doing its best to persuade Congress to introduce legistlation requiring companies to be more transparent about their use of chemicals and to test new chemicals for safety, chemicals companies are flexing all of their muscles to make sure that doesn't happen. Back to the "making a statement with your dollars" thing I mentioned earlier.

This conference could have been a real downer. Clearly, much of what we're currently doing as a society is dangerous and unsustainable. Millions of people's lives are affected, even destroyed, on a daily basis because we need things that are cheap, fast, and worn by celebrities. The problems are so vast, it is easy to declare us "officially screwed," and carry on as before. But both the teenagers and the various experts focused on the hope for change in the future, and insisted that if we act now, we can change the future. I am certainly going to keep trying, and I hope you will join me.

Feelin' the love this Valentine's Day

Whether or not you're into the whole pink hearts and flowers celebration coming up this month, The Nature of Beauty has a bit o' love to share with you, as well as a few sweetie pie gift ideas (tip: you can send your Nature of Beauty wish list to certain significant others from our website and claim your mom did it).

First up are a few special offers we have going on right now. Click on our Sales & Specials page to learn more about free products with purchase from Max Green Alchemy (free lip balm!), Couleur Caramel (free eye shadow compact!), Intelligent Nutrients (free crystal pendant!), and Jane Iredale (free lip gloss!). Plus 25% off all Sustainable Youth Technologies. I told you we loved you.

Speaking of Jane Iredale, we have a very limited number of their limited edition ChocohoLICKs flavored lip gloss collection. They come in a fancy little box, in four flavors that are 100% natural: truffle, caramel, strawberry cream, and chocolate orange. Yes, it's a tasty treat with none of the calories! These are getting very hard to come buy, so if you're interested, I recommend against dilly-dallying.
Now let's spend another moment talking about that free crystal pendant from Intelligent Nutrients. There's a bit of a story behind that, and I'll try and keep it brief. A few months back, I was at the IN headquarters, and as I walked into their restroom/art museum (honestly, one of the most beautiful bathrooms I've ever been in), I was greeted by the scent of lilac bushes in springtime. You know, that smell that comes through the window in May after a little rain shower, when the breeze brings the scent of newly blossomed spring flowers into the room. It was that. I asked their CEO where I could get my hands on that scent, and he handed me a bottle of Jasminas. For the next several months, I carted it with me everywhere I went, opening it to freshen up a room, dab a bit on myself, or share with a friend.

And now, Intelligent Nutrients is offering this amazing aroma to you. The scent, as you may have
deduced, is not lilac but rather jasmine - a very pure, highly concentrated jasmine in a base of organic macadamia seed oil. The crystal pendant I alluded to earlier contains a little well where you can place a few drops of the oil, screw the top back on, and enjoy little bursts of jasmine throughout the day. I'm not sure what the science is behind its ability to release whiffs of aroma on a semi-regular basis, all I know is that it does. And the pendant itself is beautiful, and FREE when you buy the Jasminas. A fabulous offer for a fabulous product.

Keys Island Rx Therapeutic Foaming Cleanser

When the newest product from Keys arrived at the store and I saw it was a face wash I just about jumped up and down! Since I love every product from Keys I've tried, and always have my eyes open for incredible face washes, I knew I immediately had to buy Island Rx.

Now, my heart is pulled in two directions for my favorite face wash...alas, the war for my love begins with two strong contenders: Organoderm Organic Cleanser and Keys Island Rx Foaming Wash.

To read my full review head on over to Feelgood Style!