My Product
For this activity, I chose to evaluate my Curel Ultra Healing lotion (or, as this website called it, Curel Ultra Healing 24-Hour Daily Moisturizing Lotion for Extra-Dry Skin with Extra-Strength Skin Hydrators dispenser) . I have used this lotion for years and am a firm believer that it works better than any other lotion! Also, I have to be very picky because I am sensitive to many smells that are put in soaps, lotions, etc. and Curel does a great job of making non-irritating products, or so I thought...
The Results
According to the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database, this lotion scored an overall 3 out of 10, making it a "moderate hazard".
Apparently, ingredients in this product are linked to
- cancer
- developmental/reproductive toxicity
- violations, restrictions & warnings
- allergies/immunotoxicity
Persistence and bioaccumulation, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Contamination concerns
Yikes! And to think that lotion is a product we are constantly letting our skin absorb!
In addition, the manufacturer of Curel, Kao Brands Company, is NOT a Compact for Safe Cosmetics Signer and it is unknown if they conduct animal testing on their products.
Most of the ingredients scored an individual rating of 0, 1, or 2, but acacia senegal gum scored a 4 for allergies/immunotoxicity and organ system toxicity, and DMDH hydantoin scored a 7 for violations, restrictions & warnings; allergies/immunotoxicity; irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs); and contamination concerns.
What this means to me?
Even though I was initially excited that this product only scored a 3, I took a closer look at the study. It appears there is a rather large data gap of 82% for this particular moisturizer. This concerns me because it means many effects are unknown. 93% of ingredients in this product have no data/high uncertainty and no FDA review, 62% have no industry review, and 6% are considered a high hazard. This means that my lotion may not be as "safe" as I think it is!
Now what?
Will I keep using my lotion? To be honest, I probably will. I am interested in trying out some alternatives, however, and I will try to keep an open mind. Perhaps my beloved Curel is not the best after all. In fact, according to this assessment, 33% of moisturizers have lower concerns. I took a look at the list and there were a lot of products with a score of 0 which was encouraging, but as I browsed through them they all had names such as "Rosemary Aromatherapy" or "Orange Sweetness" that for me are just a migraine waiting to happen. I guess I shouldn't give up before I start, however, so I will try to keep my eyes open for new, safer lotions without irritating scents.
I thought this was a good activity to really get us thinking about products we use every day! The last few weeks have gotten me so caught up with thinking what I'm putting IN my body, that I've completed failed to think about what I'm putting ON my body! I'm debating looking up the other toiletries I use on a daily basis... do I really want to know?
Yikes! And to think that lotion is a product we are constantly letting our skin absorb!
In addition, the manufacturer of Curel, Kao Brands Company, is NOT a Compact for Safe Cosmetics Signer and it is unknown if they conduct animal testing on their products.
Most of the ingredients scored an individual rating of 0, 1, or 2, but acacia senegal gum scored a 4 for allergies/immunotoxicity and organ system toxicity, and DMDH hydantoin scored a 7 for violations, restrictions & warnings; allergies/immunotoxicity; irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs); and contamination concerns.
What this means to me?Even though I was initially excited that this product only scored a 3, I took a closer look at the study. It appears there is a rather large data gap of 82% for this particular moisturizer. This concerns me because it means many effects are unknown. 93% of ingredients in this product have no data/high uncertainty and no FDA review, 62% have no industry review, and 6% are considered a high hazard. This means that my lotion may not be as "safe" as I think it is!
Now what?
Will I keep using my lotion? To be honest, I probably will. I am interested in trying out some alternatives, however, and I will try to keep an open mind. Perhaps my beloved Curel is not the best after all. In fact, according to this assessment, 33% of moisturizers have lower concerns. I took a look at the list and there were a lot of products with a score of 0 which was encouraging, but as I browsed through them they all had names such as "Rosemary Aromatherapy" or "Orange Sweetness" that for me are just a migraine waiting to happen. I guess I shouldn't give up before I start, however, so I will try to keep my eyes open for new, safer lotions without irritating scents.
I thought this was a good activity to really get us thinking about products we use every day! The last few weeks have gotten me so caught up with thinking what I'm putting IN my body, that I've completed failed to think about what I'm putting ON my body! I'm debating looking up the other toiletries I use on a daily basis... do I really want to know?
Posts
Group 5 members -
ReplyDeleteI hope you are able to read this post alright, it's doing really weird things to me and not letting me link to certain pages. :( I'll try to fix it tomorrow!
Hannah-
ReplyDeletegood post, I also did mine on a lotion. The Johnson & Johnson 24 hour moisturizer. I was shocked with my results. It had all the hazards and something like 50% of moisturizers were of less concern. So your curel managed to be healthier than my beloved Johnson and Johnson:(
Maybe you could keep using your Curel, but consider discontinuing other cosmetitics that you currently use in favor of more environmentally-friendly products. I think taking little steps is the best way to go!
ReplyDeleteI was looking at lotions the other day trying to decide which one I wanted, and for me, it's a REALLY time consuming process... At the end, I decided not to get any lotion as I already had enough here. I too did some research on lotions (not the one I used as my eye opener though) found that a few that I use... are not so environmentally friendly either!
ReplyDeleteI got the same results with my lotion! I saw that you looked up alternative kinds that aren't made from toxic sludge ha, but like you said who wants to smell like "Orange Sweetness"? Especially if you're sensitive to crazy smells. I have a feeling that would give anyone a headache... And if I were you I would stop looking at the products you use you're only going to end up super paranoid, I mean I looked at one and I already am haha.
ReplyDelete