Over the past few years there has been a surge in the production and consumption of organic products. Not only are organic vegetables and food products seen more and more in supermarkets across the country, organic skin and hair care products have been on the rise, and for good reason, too.
Many of common chemical-based products most of us have bought throughout our lives have taken a back seat to, or at least been hindered by, the rise in the availability of organic products. The seemingly recent discovery of the harmful ingredients in many cosmetics, such as skin and hair care products, has sparked a new wave of organic alternatives.
The Food and Drug Administration enforces an act called the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, which states the definitions, rules and regulations of foods, drugs and cosmetics in the United States. “The FD&C Act defines cosmetics as articles intended to be applied to the human body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness or altering the appearance without affecting the body’s structure or functions,” as stated on the FDA website.
Under this definition, cosmetics include, but are not limited to, skim creams, lotions, perfumes, nail polishes, shampoos and conditioners. One of the regulations under the act is the proper labeling of cosmetic products, where the label must prominently display all ingredients in descending order of predominance and must be present on both the packaging and the actual product.
Although products are labeled multiple times to ensure the consumer knows the ingredients, this doesn’t mean everyone will know what those ingredients are. Many of the chemicals used to prolong the shelf life of products are hormone based, which alters the body’s natural production, or clogs pores and causes acne.
UO student Chelsea VonDeisenroth has joined the organic revolution and feels her body is benefiting from it.
“I prefer organic cosmetics because all the toxins they use in regular cosmetics are bad for your skin, clog your pores and age your skin,” she said. “When I use organic skin care products, I feel like I am repairing the damage done to my skin.”
Like VonDeisenroth, former UO student Kelly Ross has embraced organic cosmetics and has taken it into her hands to provide them for others. Ross started her company, TASTYFACE Organics, to make organic products more readily available to her family and the public.
“I stumbled across an article about how our skin absorbs at least 64 percent of what we put on it … and the light went on,” Ross said. “I had to do something. I couldn’t stomach the lack of education and lack of availability of really, truly clean and organic products.”
Ross recognized that many organic products were too expensive and wanted to create a product that was both safe and affordable. Also, the shelf-life for TASTYFACE products is a lot shorter than common chemical-based products, but Ross sees this as a good thing.
“We have a shorter shelf life because of this freshness, but in my eyes, it’s just like food,” she said. “Why would I eat something that doesn’t spoil? I wouldn’t. Skincare is the same.”