skip to content
ikigai Natural and Organic Skincare
Your cart: 0 items, AUD$0.00 | Checkout »
Help: Returns | Shipping | Terms | Security & Privacy | Contact
FREE Green Guide
[Shop] [Why Natural is better for you] [Glossary of ingredients] [Blog]

Indecent Exposure - interview with Stacy Malkan

23 May, 2010.  Tags: Why Natural

My morning routine doesn’t vary much. I lather, slather, dust, primp, tweeze and fluff. Within the first half hour of waking I have already applied toothpaste, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, body moisturiser, cleanser, toner, face cream, deodorant, concealer, face powder, mascara, lipstick, leave-in conditioner, hairspray and pomade.

I’m guessing that this doesn’t sound particularly extreme to most of you. From our teenage years onwards we are accustomed to using a wide range of beauty products every day – so much so, that we don’t even think about it, much less think about the chemical ingredients of said products.

According to Stacy Malkan, author of Not Just a Pretty Face and co-founder of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, women use an average of about a dozen products a day and men use about six. Teenagers use a lot more.

Recalling her own teen beauty routine, Malkan admits she exposed herself to 230 chemicals before even getting on the school bus. Amongst these were 17 carcinogens, 24 endocrine disruptors and 15 different kinds of fragrance.

Pretty scary, no? Even scarier when you consider the potential impact of this kind of chemical load during pregnancy. In her book, Malkan talks about a study that found the umbilical cords of new-born babies to contain an average of 200 toxic chemicals.

Her advice is straightforward. Simpler is better, for all of us, and especially for mums-to-be. Choose products with fewer chemicals, no synthetic fragrances and use fewer products overall (fewer products?! Curses!) .

Malkan, a former journalist, has spent many years working with Health Care Without Harm, a global coalition working to reduce pollution in the healthcare sector. This is where she first learned of the dangers lurking in everyday products and made the connection with her own zealous use of beauty products as a teenager.

Together with researchers from the Environmental Working Group, she formed the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics; a coalition of health, labour, environmental and consumer-rights groups.

From lead in our lipsticks to poison in our perfume, Stacy and her colleagues have been fighting since 2002 to protect people around the world from the risks of toxic chemicals in cosmetics.

Stacy took some time out of her busy schedule to answer my burning questions about the dangers of indecent exposure to cosmetics…

Me:

In your book, Not Just a Pretty Face, you explain that the US cosmetic industry is effectively self-regulating in terms of the safety of cosmetics ingredients. How does this compare with the situation in Australia? Are Aussies in as much danger from toxic chemicals in our cosmetics as Americans?

Stacy:

Yes. Australia’s cosmetics laws are similar to the US – companies are not required to conduct safety assessments of chemicals or products, and they do not have to list all the ingredients on labels because of huge loopholes in labelling law. So products sold in Australia have many of the same toxicity problems that we find in products in the US.

Me:

Is there really lead in our lipsticks – and if so, what purpose does it serve and how on earth is it allowed to be there?

Stacy:

Yes. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tested lipsticks in 2007 and found the majority of them (61%) were contaminated with lead. There are no laws banning lead from lipstick. The lead is in the pigment some companies are using to colour products. We also found many brands without lead, so it is obviously possible to make lead-free lipstick – and that’s what all the companies should be doing.

Me:

Cosmetics companies argue that they put insignificant amounts of potentially dangerous chemicals in their products. What would you say to that?

Stacy:

Yes the companies argue that it’s just a little bit of carcinogen in the baby shampoo, a little bit of lead in the lipstick. But why should products we put on our babies’ heads and on our faces contain any amount of dangerous chemicals? There’s no need for it. These companies are not keeping up with the latest science, which shows that even low doses of chemicals can cause harm, especially during important developmental times (such as early childhood, puberty, or when a child is developing in the womb).

Chemicals can impact a foetus differently than an adult male who was most likely the benchmark used in the risk assessment study (if risk studies were conducted at all).

Also, the companies are not considering the health effects of repeated low-dose exposures to toxic chemicals. A baby may be exposed to formaldehyde from the baby shampoo, bubble bath and body wash in a single bath, as well as from carpeting, cabinets and furniture in the same day. Hazardous exposures from personal care products are adding up, and they are adding on top of pollutants that we breathe in the air, drink in the water and eat with our food.

Me:

Is it true that naturally-derived products are less effective? For instance, a hairdresser told me recently that shampoo without sodium laureth sulphate simply doesn’t work as well and that shampoos need some synthetic chemicals to be effective?

Stacy:

Not true. Maybe five years ago that was true with shampoo, but today many companies are making wonderful products that are sudsy and effective that don’t contain sodium laureth sulphate. Also, it’s important to note that not all synthetic chemicals are bad, but I wouldn’t buy a product with sodium laureth sulphate because it is likely to be contaminated with 1,4 dioxane. Safer alternatives are available. See our recent report at www.SafeCosmetics.org/ToxicTub for more info on that topic.

Me:

What are generally the worst products of the bunch – the ones to really watch out for? And what are the most dangerous ingredients in those products?

Stacy:

The most toxic types of products are the hair dyes, perms and hair straighteners - anything that changes the shape and colour of hair tends to be toxic. Nail products and acrylics are also on the worst list. As for which chemicals to avoid, the list is too long to be useful! The best way to find out about the toxicity of your favorite products is to use the Skin Deep database at www.SafeCosmetics.org.

The Environmental Working Group has built an excellent free online database called Skin Deep where you can look up your favorite products, find out how toxic they are, and find the safest alternatives in each product category.

Me:

Which beauty products have you felt you can’t live without in the past – and what are your must-haves today?

Stacy:

There were many items I thought I couldn’t live without! I can narrow it down to three things -- I had to have cover up, mascara and the Aqua Net hair spray.

I use many brands these days, and I still use about 10 products a day, including mascara and cover up. I don’t like to say which brands because I don’t promote specific companies, but I can tell you that there are many excellent non-toxic products on the market now that work just as well, if not better, than conventional brands.

I also try to buy from local companies whenever possible, I think that’s really important. What you won’t find in my house are products by the big companies – L’Oreal, Proctor & Gamble, Estee Lauder, Avon, Revlon, etc. They all have a long way to go!

Me:

You’re clearly a very busy lady – what do you do to unwind, and what gets you out of bed in the morning?

Stacy:

In my time off, I love to do yoga, go hiking, biking, and snowboarding in the winter. I lived in Colorado for many years and spent a lot of time in the mountains. I am also taking classes in acupressure massage and am working to become a certified shiatsu practitioner.

What gets me out of bed in the morning: My niece and nephew, who are 2 and 4, and all the young people and the ones to come who deserve to live on a healthy planet with a sustainable, green economy that benefits all.

Stacy Malkan’s book, Not Just a Pretty Face, charts the history of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and delves into much of the research flying in the face of the cosmetics industry’s safety claims. A must-read for anyone concerned about green-washing, pink-washing and chemicals in cosmetics.

FIRST PUBLISHED IN PEPPERMINT MAGAZINE

Related Products
newsletter1 BABYBEARSHOP organic skincare products 5 Wellbeing & Natural Skin Care Blog 1 REMEDICa organic skin care 4 connect1