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Today’s consumers (and yes, I mean men, too) are looking for an alternative to traditional cosmetics, as well as better choices for their bodies and the environment. Beauty companies have become hip to this need and have subsequently thrown their hats in the ring; we’ve seen a surge in the launch of natural lines as manufacturers arrive at the understanding that green is not a fl y-by-night trend but a major value shift. “Customers demand social responsibility from companies and today, the media impacts the way consumers view beauty companies,” says Trenesa Danuser, vice president of Global Communication for Origins, one of the fi rst major beauty brands to adopt environmentally conscious practices. “Now that there’s Youtube, social media sites, and blogs, it’s easier to communicate companies’ misdeeds as well as things we admire about them. Successful companies listen to their customers – especially when they’re talking with their pocketbooks.” According to ten-year cosmetic developer veteran Christina Marcaccini, founder of the eco-luxe brand RAW Natural Beauty, our skin is the fi rst line of defense against the environment. “The average woman is exposed to over 160 chemicals a day,” she says, “and 60 percent is absorbed directly into the skin.” Scary words like “parabens” and “petrochemicals” have gotten buzz because of popular research linking these chemicals to cancer and skin allergies. So how do we interpret the labels and what exactly defi nes natural? Buyer beware, says Marcaccini, adding, “since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not have any guidelines for the use of the word natural, thousands of products use it, and consumers are left to assume that these products are safe for people and good for the earth.” You don’t have to have a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry to figure out what’s in your f avorite shampoo or lotion. Go to the EWG’s database, www. cosmeticsdatabase. com. In seconds, the easy-to-under stand website (powered by the Environmental Working Group, a government cosmetics watchdog agency) rates your product with a safety score from 0-10. Don’t be surprised if you make the switch to a more “natural” product.
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ALTERNA Hemp Organic Repair Treatment Conditioner, $28; Bang Salon, 1612 U St. NW, 202-299-0925.
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