Even the most well-meaning organizations, such as EWG, who we look to in order to assist us in deciphering the ever-evolving evidence against ingredients, have their downfalls. In many cases, certain ingredients are ranked higher {more dangerous} than they actually are in normal use conditions simply because they can be toxic in higher concentrations, during different use applications, contaminated from some suppliers while not others, etc. It is up to you, as an individual, to figure out where you draw the boundary line as to what you find acceptable to be exposed to.
With this said, I'd like to encourage you to never stop learning! It is the constant search for information that will aid you most in your progress to going green. As you continue to develop your own personal boundaries and green intelligence, you will figure out what fits best into your life, what is realistic, and what is not, for you. And to remember, the human body is an amazing machine - well built to deal with small amounts of just about everything found in nature. So yes, while honeysuckle and soy, for example, may cause slight endocrine disruption temporarily as they mimic estrogen, our bodies can filter this out rather quickly too - it is not bioaccumulative {it doesn't build up in our bodies}. And while some minerals can cause skin irritation, long term damage is unlikely. What we urge you to focus on are the 'unnatural' additives, synthetics, lab-created ingredients (and manipulated natural ingredients such as GMO genetically modified & nanoparticles) sometimes labeled as 'natural'...these mutants are not something our bodies have been trained to handle, these are more likely to cause damage than ingredients our bodies have adapted to over thousands of years!
And with this introduction, I introduce you to Nessa's Naturals product line. This small company produces body and face products, including cosmetics, which are a good first step for those of you who are still using traditional products and are looking to take a step in the right direction. Nessa's Naturals offers simple ingredients and has verified the purity of their vitamin e and grapefruit seed extract to be free of contamination, but they also offer synthetic options for fragrance and flavoring oils. If you are ready to go totally natural, they also offer synthetic-free options such as those we reviewed! Recommended are the Coco Pep Lip Balm and Dry Oil Mist with Essential Oils!
