Chemicals are often found in store-bought hygiene products.
Dry skin? Use lotion. Sweaty and smelly armpits? Use deodorant. Chapped lips that crack like a sidewalk in need of maintenance? Use lip balm.
Every day, we apply products directly to our skin, lips, scalps and gums to present ourselves as decent members of society before going to class or work.
Many of the products that we use for personal hygiene are store-bought but contain dangerous chemicals, despite the “organic” labels on popular lip balms, lotions and soaps.
The FDA has little power to regulate the ingredients in hygienic products, under a law that hasn’t been updated since 1938. Essentially, companies are able to come up with their own interpretation of “natural” and “organic,” and then label their products as such, even if they aren’t, according to an article from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
The article also states that chemicals such as formaldehyde (used for embalming corpses), triclosan (which deteriorates muscle function) and phthalates (synthetically created “plasticizers”) are still found in beauty and personal care products.
However, like all solutions to avoid the chemicals that we have embedded in all of our material goods, the answer is go organic.
Alex Jones, an Ohio University senior studying environmental and plant biology, began manufacturing his own line of organic, homemade hand and body lotions, lip balms and deodorants and selling his products on Etsy.
They're made from ingredients such as virgin coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, hemp oil and natural and unrefined beeswax, Jones said the largest beneficial factor is the knowledge that, first and foremost, you know what you’re using on your own body.
“In a society where everything is disposable, we still cannot replace our bodies,” Jones said in an email. “We must try to limit our exposure to chemicals that may be negatively affecting our way of life.”
Applying chemical-laden products to our bodies not only harms us, but it harms the environment as well. As we shower, wash our hands and brush our teeth, we rinse those chemicals down the drain and back into the environment.
“By purchasing organic ingredients, one ensures limited environmental impact during production,” Jones said.
Nature supplies us with all the ingredients we need to create household care products. The efficacy of a product can even be enhanced depending on what essential oil is used in the production process.
For example, all that is needed for a simple lotion recipe is beeswax, coconut, olive or almond and vitamin E oils. Mix it all in a jar, place the jar in a saucepan on medium with a few inches of water and stir occasionally.
Jones said the recipe can be personalized by using different oils that serve different purposes. Rosemary increases circulation, cinnamon loosens tightened muscles, and mint induces calming effects.
“The oils are also tailored to specific functions; coconut oil replenishes hydration without a greasy residue,” Jones said. “And hemp oil contains omega fatty acids that are beneficial to skin cells.”
Even if making your own organic lotions and deciding how and where to get ingredients absolutely intimidates you, there are plenty of online shops with products that swear by high-quality, organic ingredients at fairly reasonable prices.
But as always, none of this matters unless we hold ourselves accountable and begin implementing organic practices in our lives. We all can reduce our ecological footprint and lessen our burden on the environment and our bodies, one step at a time.
Courtney Mihocik is a sophomore studying journalism and a copy editor at The Post. Email her at cm674912@ohio.edu or find her on Twitter at @CourtneyMiho.
