Natural Grocers® Body Care Guide

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 artificial 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 some of 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, and some of those 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.

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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