Marie Claire trials Nude Skincare and other natural products

The toothpaste billed itself as ‘’vanilla mint,’’ but the stuff tasted more like chalk and made me pine for the crisp, medicine-y Colgate Total I’d been using forever. Truth is, cleansers, sunscreens, and makeup labelled ‘’Pure, Natural, and Organic’’ have been associated with the back aisles of crunchy health-food stores for so long, I was prepared for a concoction that tasted, smelled and worse, felt funky. I confess that while I’ve never been wild about eating synthetic (I’ve been skeeved out by Splenda and Velveeta), I’ve always had my beauty stash,  give me lab-made-test-tube acne treatments over an Amazon-tree-sap formula any day. 

So when Marie Claire asked me to swap my trusty potions for an all-green regime for two weeks, I balked, but boy did I learn a few things. First, a whopping 2000 new personal-care products with a ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ label hit stores in 2006. About 800 launched in 2005 according, to the Natural Marketing Institute. Second, thanks no doubt to celebrity tree huggers like Leonardo DiCaprio, Laurie David and Al Gore, highend botanical brews are providing serious competition for their conventional counterparts. Nude, an upscale skin line from the U.K., even wraps its products in biodegradable starch that can be composted. Then, I discovered I was pregnant-so relinquishing my scientifically engineered face wash for a fortnight would be nothing compared to sacrificing sushi, mojitos, and blue cheese for nine months. 

Two days later, after the mag sent me my trial bag of green goodies, a formaldehyde-free nail polish here and a lavender spiked antibacterial room spritzer there, I discovered a few potential ‘’natural’’ disasters. Tea-tree oil deodorant doesn’t perform as well as my Secret antiperspirant, for instance, and on my face, mineral based sunscreens can resemble kabuki makeup. And yes, back-to-the-garden-toothpastes pretty much come in one flavour: chalk.     

I soldiered on, aiming first to cut parabens from my daily routine, that controversial class of preservatives that seems to act as an endocrine disrupter. Though the USDA are still analyzing the data, Urvashi Randan PH.D, an environmental health scientist with the firm that publishes Consumer Reports: ‘’Parabens basically trip up the hormonal system as a lot of cancers ultimately come when hormonal systems run amok, there’s certainly reason for concern.’ The next morning, I started with Jason Ester-C Facial Wash (not tested on animals, naturally), whose orange-oil-fused lather smelled good enough to eat, and Burts Bees volumizing Pomegranate & Soy shampoo and conditioner, which left my hair feeling thick and bouncy – despite containing zero sodium lauryl sulphate or phthalates. While some maintain the former is a harmless detergent, others, like Samuel Epstein, M.D., Professor of environmental and occupational medicine at the University of Illinois School of Public Health: ‘’sodium lauryl sulphate is a harsh irritant that can facilitate other toxic ingredients’ entry into the skin,’’ he says. Meanwhile phthalates, a class of chemicals added to plastics and many cosmetics, have taken heat lately for potential hazards to kidneys, lungs, and reproductive organs-especially those of baby boys born to women with higher than everyday levels of the substances. The European Union banned their use in kids’ toys two years ago, while our Environmental Protection Agency continues to conduct studies. 

As a pregnant woman, do I really need to be as obsessive about the lotions I put on my face as I am about the food that goes into my stomach? ‘’We all do’’, says Stella McCartney, whose Care line compliments her groundbreaking organic fabrics and fur-free fashion collections. ‘’Beauty products derived from organic botanicals contain more essential nutrients than conventional ones. Ultimately your skin does see more benefits.’’ What’s more, Epstein adds ominously, ‘’when you apply chemicals to the skin and they penetrate the blood stream, they can produce effects almost anywhere in the body. At least when you take them by mouth, they pass through the liver, where they are detoxified to varying degrees by enzymes.’’ All this was enough to make me toss my prescription antibiotic acne gel (google search found it does indeed cross to the placenta) for Luzern Laboratories Serum Control Absolut, a preservative-free blend of breakout prevention. The stuff pretty much worked-until a cluster of volcanic zits erupted on my chin during my 12th week of pregnancy. Out came my Clearasil-so shoot me. 

While I also faithfully slathered Alba Botanica Sun Mineral Sunscreen all over my body; I just couldn’t deal with dead-whitening effect on my face, trying my best to ignore the likes of Epstein, who claims the chemical sunscreen ingredients, like homosalate, benzophenone, and popular avobenzone, alter the balance of the body’s hormones-and even migrate into breast milk. Sounding like the voice of moderation, Jeffery Dover, Associate Clinical Professor of dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine, suggests, ‘’minimizing the use of chemical skin products during pregnancy, although the ingredients are perfectly safe.’’

Well, you could argue that the ‘’use sparingly during pregnancy’’ dictum says something about the safety of the substance in general. Still, I figured I was erring on the side of caution. I discovered Tom’s of Maine Lemongrass deodorant, which really works despite being free of aluminium-which has linked to both breast cancer and Alzheimer’s- and I began painting my eyes with Aveda Petal Essence Eye Definer, who’s waxes are derived from organic jasmine petals and geranium leaves. And while I was revelling in the fact that my unruly waves could actually be tamed by Aveda Be Curly Curl enhancer’s organic peppermint, rosemary, lavender, and ylang-ylang. I couldn’t help but notice its share of unpronounceable ingredients. Does phenyl trimethicone grow on trees? Indeed, all of a product needs to call itself natural is a few flower extracts. 

‘’If you want something that is truly chemical free, look for the USDA seal on the label,’’says Joseph Smillie, whose private agency, Quality Assurance International, certifies organic products for the U.S Department of Agriculture. The USDA started recognizing certification for personal-care products in August 2005, so only a few like, Origins Organics, have earned the seal so far. McCartney’s Care is certified Ecocert, an international organization recognized by the FDA, and that’s good enough for me. If I can cut even a few potentially sketchy chemicals out of my routine-and not sacrifice the beauty part-I’m happy. At the end of my two week trial, my hair is actually shinier, my lips poutier, and my skin clearer than it’s been in awhile-even without Clearasil boosters. And I’m ready to work nearly all of the eco-friendly potions into my permanent rotation and keep them there even after I’ve given birth. Well, all except toothpaste.                

Nude Cleansing Milk, Facial Scrub, Nude Lips and Age Defence Intense Moisturiser