The safe cosmetics movement is gaining momentum thanks to celebrity endorsements and attention from the mainstream medical community—which is all the more reason to try these awesome natural beauty products highlighted in out 2016 Beauty & Body Awards.
The safe cosmetics movement is gaining momentum thanks to celebrity endorsements and attention from the mainstream medical community—which is all the more reason to try these awesome natural beauty products highlighted in out 2016 Beauty & Body Awards.
The other day, I got an email from Gwyneth Paltrow. Yes: THE Gwyneth Paltrow.
You may have, too, because the Academy Award-winning actress has teamed up with the Environmental Working Group (EWG) to bring more awareness to cosmetics safety. In said email, Paltrow urges us to support the Personal Care Products Safety Act, which, if passed, would be one important step in helping to clean up beauty products. The act would bring much-needed regulation to the cosmetics industry by requiring safety testing and allowing for recalls of dangerous products (nope, neither of these are allowed under the current laws—or lack thereof).
Public figures taking this conversation mainstream is one indicator of a tipping point. But as I reported at the end of last year, what’s even more relevant to safe cosmetics’ progress is that the conventional medical community is finally catching up to consumer advocacy groups—think the EWG, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and Protect Our Breasts—organizations that have led the way in educating about the dangers of cosmetics chemicals). Case in point: Two recent warnings have come from the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics and the Endocrine Society stating that unregulated chemicals in everyday products, including cosmetics, pose health risks. Better yet? The New York Times actually reported on it, which is big in a world where mainstream media still kowtows to the big conventional beauty players.
It’s refreshing: Today there is not just awareness, but also action beyond advocacy groups—from the medical community, from celebrities and from government (OK, maybe there's not a whole lot going on with government yet but I’ll remain optimistic). Most importantly, true change is starting with shoppers and brands; especially when companies are committed to safe cosmetics as a core value of their businesses, not just hopping on the bandwagon. Even in the absence of tighter laws around cosmetics chemicals, I believe in the power of industry self-regulation … but only when the brands truly believe in their mission.
Meet our Delicious Living Beauty & Body Award winners
It’s these passionate companies that we highlight in this year’s Delicious Living Beauty & Body Awards—now in its seventh year (wow, seven years … a reminder to be diligent with those natural eye creams and collagen supplements!). Not only are these companies formulating with safe, natural ingredients, they’re innovating in new ways to ensure that the products work and drive category maturation—the older and wiser kind.
No longer on the dusty back shelves of natural co-ops, nontoxic personal care products are becoming some of the most exciting and innovative on the market, introducing new trends, deliveries, packaging, ingredients and more.
It’s a vibrant and energized space. Yet despite all this recent progress, the shift towards a cleaner, safer beauty industry is still young. I expect that all of us can relate, as we gradually swap out conventional products for purer options. Regardless of where you are in that process, I hope you find some great options that fit your lifestyle in this year’s awards. I am totally addicted to the Acure body lotion that I use daily and SOPHi's nontoxic nail polish, which is one of the most impressive natural nail products I’ve discovered to date. Whether you’re signing a petition or tweeting about a natural beauty product, you can contribute to making this industry a much more (naturally) beautiful one.
What are your favorite natural beauty products?
