…and a whole bunch of other questionable beauty products: a guide to clean cosmetics.
Getting your nails done, whether by yourself or with a friend, can be a simple way to relax. You get time to unwind with a set of shiny and perfect nails at the end. But have you ever thought beyond the polish? What’s in it? Is it safe? If it’s not, do the chemicals in nail polish have the potential to seep into your body? This is one of those topics that you almost don’t want to research – how many years have you spent getting your nails done and how many of those visits might have been unsafein some way? It’s something many of us would rather not think about.
As scary as it is to consider, nail polish is far from alone in this. From cosmetics to skincare products, there are so many opportunities for brands to go clean (or not) and it’s up to consumers to make informed choices. Many salons and spas are making the move towards safer practices and products, but not all of them. One salon that takes this charge seriously is INTERLOCKS Salon + Spa in Newburyport, whose team shared some of their favorite clean beauty brands with us.
Nail Care
Revamping a nail care routine is easy. You either toss out or use up the bottle of nail polish you have and buy a safer one, or make the decision to visit a salon that uses safe nail products for your next visit. Not so difficult!
Dazzle Dry polish is the latest and greatest thing in safe nail care. Manufactured in the United States, the entire Dazzle Dry line is free from “animal byproducts, animal testing, and harmful chemicals such as toluene, formaldehyde, TPHP, nitrocellulose, camphor, formaldehyde resin, ethyl tosylamide, phthalates, xylene, and MEK.” The polish is non-toxic and hypoallergenic. It is also vegan. If this isn’t enough, it takes five minutes to dry, can last up to three weeks, and comes in a variety of colors.
Love the Skin You’re In
Skincare should be among the most obvious of places to use safe products, but sadly it isn’t! Your skin is your largest organ, and you need to think of and treat it as such. Naturopathica products are made from responsibly and sustainably sourced ingredients and are certified cruelty free. From skincare to bath and body products to even teas and other herbal remedies, these line’s products make selecting healthy skincare easy and enjoyable.
Clean & Green
Many organic makeup brands have a good reputation for good reason – they’re safe and effective. This goes a long way towards explaining the blockbuster interest in them (not to mention the phenomenal sales they’re doing). Make sure you always look at the ingredients list – chances are it’s full of stuff you don’t want anywhere near your face. Kjaer Weisis an organic and sustainable makeup line (all of their ingredients are certified natural or certified organic). They are also at the height of luxury – from the look and feel of the products to their effectiveness, they are everything you could want in a luxury makeup line.
Once you start on a path to greener and cleaner beauty, you’ll find it’s addicting in all the best ways. And we can’t talk about safe body products without mentioning safe sun protection. Whatever choice you make, look for products that have been evaluated for sunscreen safety by the Environmental Working Group.