Natural Grocers® Body Care Guide

An Introduction to Our Body Care Standards You’re a natural. Shouldn’t your body care products be just as natural? Still, we know that “natural” is frequently claimed without the standards to back it up. Which is why we do things differently. At Natural Grocers, we believe the best way to empower the health and well-being of our communities and the planet is to root our claims in evidence-based research, rigorous verification of product claims and ingredients, third-party certifications (where applicable), and knowing what we won’t carry and why. Our 70 years of industry experience and expertise further enhances this. These are the reasons we can confidently say that our Body Care Standards are, in a word (or three), best in class!

Five Reasons To Be as Careful About What You Put On Your Body as What You Put In It! Our daily hygiene habits can expose us to multiple chemicals, some with known links to adverse health effects. And current government regulations don’t require the cosmetics industry to test or prove whether cumulative exposure to a cocktail of potentially toxic ingredients is safe over a lifetime of use. Which means it’s an open-ended question. Consider these five reasons why you may want to question the conventional cosmetics status quo. Ditch toxic chemicals that can be absorbed into your bloodstream. Many factors determine whether what you put on your skin and scalp is absorbed into your bloodstream. However, some common cosmetic ingredients linked to adverse health effects are absorbed. Studies conducted by the FDA found that active ingredients of chemical sunscreens, such as oxybenzone and avobenzone, could be detected in the blood weeks after use. Other scientific research indicates these chemicals have endocrine-disrupting effects that may be especially harmful to children. Additionally, hormone-mimicking parabens and phthalates, common in preservatives and fragrances, have been found throughout the body. Although there isn’t a science-based consensus on the long-term Endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) can interact with hormone receptors, interfering with the communication of the hormones responsible for many vital functions, from metabolism to sexual development. Yet, studies suggest that even low-dose exposure to EDCs, “especially during critical developmental stages,” can increase risks for a range of issues, from cancers to neurodegenerative diseases to immune disorders. Some potential and known EDCs found in cosmetics include parabens, phthalates, and chemical sunscreens. Steer clear of synthetic fragrances. A 2018 report from Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP) found that most chronic health effects linked to cosmetic ingredients are due to the hidden chemicals in fragrances. BCPP conducted this research because of prior evidence that some fragrances include compounds linked to cancer, congenital disabilities, hormone disruption, and more. The report highlighted hair products as the worst offenders, with more than 95 percent of the entire category containing fragrances. At Natural Grocers, we work with all our body care brands to ensure that only natural fragrances are used. Emissions from personal care products are a major source of air pollution! A 2018 study from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Boulder, Colorado, found that emissions from personal care products now rival those from cars as a major source of air pollution called volatile organic compounds (VOCs)! VOCs include a range of chemicals, some of which are found in personal care products have been linked to potential short- and long-term health issues, including cancer and nervous system damage (at high doses). Mandated safety testing of cosmetic ingredients in the U.S. doesn’t exist. The FDA recently updated its cosmetics regulations with “The Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022.” It’s the first time the agency has made any updates in this arena since 1938! Even with the Modernization Act, “neither the law nor FDA regulations require specific tests to demonstrate the safety of individual products or ingredients.” At Natural Grocers, we don't believe in gambling with your health, or ours, by accepting cosmetic ingredients with reasonably established potential to cause harm to human health or the environment. Because around here—what you put on your body matters as much as what you put in it! effects of chronic exposure to these chemicals through cosmetics—why risk it? Think lower doses means safer? Not necessarily.

These are the principles that set us apart:

We scrutinize an ingredient’s life cycle. We don’t just worry about downstream impact—we look upstream, too. From manufacture to end-use, we consider whether an ingredient poses significant hazards to people and the planet. If it does, it’s not for us.

We require proof. Vendors must supply us with samples of all new and reformulated products and complete ingredient lists, which our in-house team of experts scrutinize to ensure they meet our harm- less ingredient standards. We know what we don’t carry AND why. We have a list of ingredients linked to sufficient evidence that they may cause harm or carrying reasonable doubt that they don’t. These substances automatically disqualify new products seeking entry to our shelves. Currently, we have 40 ingredient categories, and 132 ingredients (and constantly evolving) we don’t allow in body care.

We stay informed. Our in-house experts monitor the latest information about new ingredients and cosmetics entering the market so we can offer you safer selections within a highly unregulated industry.

Our body care departments are a no-stress destination for everything your personal care routine requires. At Natural Grocers ® , all you have to worry about is having enough time to explore the many innovative, sustainable, effective, transparent, and Always Affordable TM selections awaiting your discovery! Follow us through this booklet to discover some of them.

We believe in being a one-stop shop for all your personal care needs. Our mission is to bring you a well-rounded selection of the most effective hygiene and beauty essentials using the least toxic ingredients available in each category.

Join us throughout this booklet to explore products and tips to help you build a healthier personal hygiene and beauty routine.

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