Lifting the lid on Green Washing

There is a flood of “green” products coming out onto the market but the question is this: Is it really that much better for us and the environment OR is it “Green Wash” and are you being had?

Some really are as green as the label suggests and some are cashing in on the movement, so we need to take our fine toothed combs into ‘eco land’ too, annoyingly!

I forgot our BYO hippie shampoo for the little guy after swimming the other day and then saw “Organic / Eco Fresh” product range in the bathrooms. For a second I got excited thinking “Awesome. Public bathrooms and clubs finally making an effort.” So I flip it over, being the shameless OCD me that I am, only to find this!?

What part exactly on this list of ingredients is nourishing?

Let’s take a look!

Aqua – OK, fine. Nourishing. Tick

Sodium Laureth Sulfate – Cleansing, foaming agent in cosmetics, car wash (!!??) and house cleaning. Can come from palm oil or petroleum and cause dry skin, acne aggravation or lung irritation.

Citric Acid – often GMO origin, can cause sensitivity in people reactive to MSG

Methylparaben – Petroleum derived, disturbs the endocrine system and can cause a range of skin ailment (eczema, dermatitis, hives, rash)

Propylparaben – Petroleum derived, disturbs endocrine system and can cause the same as methylparaben, above.

Fragrance – synthetic. Most everytime will contain pthalates, which upset our endocrine systems. Synthetic fragrance also known to cause asthma and be a neurotoxin.

Cocamide MEA – Petroleum derived, found to not cause issue in ‘rinse off’ products.

Sodium Chloride – Salt. Phew. Needed some good news, right?

Polyquaternium-11  – Synthetic film forming agent. No known negative, but far from ‘organic and nourishing eco wash as stated on label’.

Cocamidopropyl Betaine – synthetic foam boosting ingredient that is a suspected immunotoxin.

So, the long and the short of it is “green brands” need your scrutiny too. There is nothing ‘eco’ nor ‘fresh’ nor ‘nourishing’ in this petroleum laden, fake sweet smelling garbage – all words used on the label’s front. I’m not trying to be alarmist or make you do lots of work and you’ll know me by now, this is NOT about feeling guilty. Do a personal care / shampoo / bath product audit with your Chemical Maze app or book in tow, and if something doesn’t pass your newly discerning eye, then simply ditch or finish it and replace with a new loved product or home made solution next time. Job done. Move on. We can forget the weirdness ever outsmarted us.

If we’re to be super well and strong, we must look at the big picture of weird, foreign stuff in our homes and environment. If we don’t understand an ingredient, what hope does our body have of understanding them – this rule applies for the stuff that goes IN as well as what goes ON.

I’ve written a letter to the swimming club. Of course I have, I hear you say 😉

Here’s hoping they’ll be re thinking this “eco range”. This is definitely the worst Green Wash example I’ve ever seen.

Madness I tell you!

Low Tox. Happy Bodies.

 
 
 

CREDIT: toxics information courtesy of Chemical Maze app for I phone.