Ingredients that make our products bubble and get us clean:
My True Nature™
uses only natural ingredients free from the harmful chemicals that have
been identified with health problems. Among the ingredients we use are:
My True Nature™ uses several
different natural raw materials to help make our products bubble and
get our bodies squeaky clean. We consulted with herbalists and other
natural product formulators to choose ingredients that are natural and
organic and yet still perform close to the way we’ve grown accustomed to
bath products working, like producing the kind of lather we’re used to
seeing from conventional mainstream products. We also sought ingredients
that would produce an irritation-free experience. The organic
ingredients we chose may not give you quite as much lather you may be
used to, but you’ll notice that after a few weeks of use, your baby’s
hair will become healthier, shinier, silkier and softer and will
certainly be every bit as clean. All the ingredients we chose are
naturally derived from corn & sugar.
Our sodium coco-sulfate comes
from pure certified organic coconut oil. It is extremely natural &
mild. (Note: Despite the similar-sounding names, sodium coco-sulfate is in no way related to sodium laureth
sulfate which is an ingredient used in conventional mainstream products
that has been found to be a skin irritant and in some cases,
carcinogenic. See list of “Ingredients to Avoid,” below,)
We also use lauryl lactyl lactylate - a vegetable-based cleanser that is the reaction product of lauryl alcohol (a reduction of coconut oil fatty acids) and lactic acid.
These raw materials are certified organic by ECOCERT (the European organic certification organization) and pass the stringent American National Standard for body care products NSF/ANSI 305 certification process.
Ingredients that extend the shelf life of our products:
Personal
care products are like food. Without some kind of preservative, they
would last for perhaps a week (at best), before getting moldy or turning
bad. Preservatives have sometimes gotten a bad rap because some
commonly used preservatives, such as parabens (see below for more
information), have been found in some studies to be harmful to your
health. But natural preservatives can perform the same function as
chemical ones, without endangering your health.
We currently use the ONLY preserving system approved by the American National Standard for body care products NSF/ANSI 305 and that is a combination of potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate. Both are extremely common food-grade preservatives. Take a look at the ingredients of your cottage cheese or yogurt and you will likely find these names there.
Ingredients that give our products that little “extra”:
The rest of the ingredients we use in our products are designed to add nourishment to skin and hair. We use certified organic ingredients whenever possible. Our plantain extract, white peony tea extract, aloe vera, olive oil and essential oils are all USDA Certified Organic and come primarily from local farms.
Our
bubble bath has a very unique scent formulated specially for us. It was created by taking natural
aromatics (single molecules contained in an essential oil) which are extracted
by distillation from the essential oil without any alteration and combining
them to make unique scents. It is
100% natural and in no way irritating to skin, eyes or hair. The fragrance has been approved as
compliant with the American National Standard for body care products NSF/ANSI
305.
Packaging:
The
100% recycled PET bottles that we use are completely free from PCBs and
phthalates and are manufactured in Saint Louis, Missouri. They are made
from post-consumer resin that is FDA-approved
for food contact and thus are great for any products coming into
contact with our bodies. The resin comes from used soda bottles and milk
containers. Our bottles may be reused (we sell big jug refills) or
recycled.
10 ingredients to AVOID:
There
is growing awareness that many of the ingredients used in conventional
mainstream bath products contain ingredients that may have long-lasting
health implications. At My True Nature™, we don’t use any of these in our products.
What is NOT in My True Nature™ products:
-
Harmful Sulfates.
These are often used in shampoos and listed in the ingredients as
either sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) or sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS).
These harsh chemical cleansers are foaming agents that give shampoos a
thick “luxurious” foam that we have grown to associate with getting hair
cleaner. In fact, however, they have no impact on a product’s cleaning
power. Wikipedia reports that SLES has been shown to produce eye or skin
irritation in experimental animals and in some human test subjects. In
addition, some products containing SLES have been found to contain low
levels of the carcinogens 1,4-dioxane and or/formaldehyde (see wikipedia.org).
-
Parabens
(Methyl, Propyl, Butyl and Ethyl). According to the FDA, parabens are
the most widely used preservatives in cosmetic products. They are used
to inhibit microbial growth and extend the shelf life of products. But
they also have been found to cause allergic reactions and skin rashes,
and in one laboratory study, parabens were found in breast tumors. This
controversial study has fueled the belief that parabens in cosmetics
migrated into the breast tissue and contributed to the development of
tumors. The cosmetic industry and the FDA maintain that parabens are
safe for general use at this time. But because parabens’
hormone-mimicking properties have proven enough of a “what if”, some
wary consumers are opting now for paraben-free products and cosmetics
(see The American Cancer Society website: www.cancer.org).
-
Phthalates.
These additives are widely used in plastics and other materials,
primarily to improve flexibility; in cosmetics they are used to bind
fragrance to the product. It is thought by environmentalists, however,
that the adverse health effects of phthalates could potentially include:
early puberty in girls, premature delivery of newborns, impaired sperm
quality and sperm damage in men, genital defects and reduced
testosterone production in boys, and testicular cancer (source: www.environmentcalifornia.org).
In addition, the authors of a 2008 study "observed that reported use of
infant lotion, infant powder, and infant shampoo were associated with
increased infant urine concentrations of phthalate metabolites, and this
association is strongest in younger infants. These findings suggest
that dermal exposures may contribute significantly to phthalate body
burden in this population." Though they did not examine health outcomes,
they noted that "Young infants are more vulnerable to the potential
adverse effects of phthalates given their increased dosage per unit body
surface area, metabolic capabilities, and developing endocrine and
reproductive systems." (Source: Sathyanarayana S, Karr CJ, Lozano P, et
al. (February 2008). "Baby care products: possible sources of infant phthalate exposure". Pediatrics 121 (2): e260–8. doi:10.1542/peds.2006-3766. PMID 18245401 (see wikipedia.org for additional information regarding phthalates).
-
Dioxane.
According to the Environmental Working Group’s cosmetic database, the
carcinogen 1,4-dioxane contaminates up to 46% of personal care products
tested (OCA 2008, EWG 2008). The chemical is an unwanted by-product of
an ingredient processing method called ethoxylation used to reduce the
risk of skin irritation for petroleum-based ingredients. Though
1,4-dioxane can easily be removed from products before they are sold,
its widespread presence in products indicates that many manufacturers
fail to take this simple step.? Dioxane has been found to be present in
cosmetics as well as personal care products like deodorants, shampoos,
toothpastes and mouthwashes. 1,4-dioxane is a known eye and respiratory
tract irritant. It is suspected of causing damage to the central nervous
system, liver and kidneys. Dioxane is classified by the IARC as a Group
2B carcinogen: possibly carcinogenic to humans due to the fact that it
is a known carcinogen in animals.
-
Formaldehyde.
Formaldehyde is a by-product of a number of cosmetic preservatives,
including diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea and quaternium-15.
According to reviews by the industry-funded Cosmetic Ingredient Review
panel, these cosmetic ingredients can release formaldehyde at levels as
high as one-tenth that of the original ingredient. The International
Agency for Research on Carcinogens (IARC) has classified formaldehyde as
“carcinogenic to humans”, and the U.S. National Toxicology Program has
classified it as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen”,
based on emerging evidence in humans and robust evidence in animals (see
www.safecosmetics.org and www.cancer.gov for additional information).
-
Propylene Glycol.
This synthetic petrochemical mix used as a humectant to help skin and
hair retain moisture, has been known to cause allergic reactions, hives
and eczema. PEG (polyethylene glycol) and PPG (polypropylene glycol),
which also appear on ingredient lists, are related synthetics. According
to the Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetic Database, Propylene
glycol is practically non-toxic when taken orally, i.e. added to food.
However, it has been found to provoke skin irritation and sensitization
in humans as low as 2% concentration, while the industry review panel
recommends cosmetics can contain up to 50% of the substance (see wikipedia.org).
-
Diethanolamine (DEA), Triethanolamine (TEA).
Often used in cosmetics as emulsifiers or foaming agents, these
ingredients can cause allergic reactions, eye irritation and dryness of
hair and skin. According to the Cancer Prevention Coalition, DEA and TEA
can also result in the formation of carcinogens in products containing
nitrite preservatives. Chemical reactions between nitrites and DEA/ TEA
occur during the manufacturing process and while products are stored in
their containers. This reaction leads to the formation of nitrosamines.
Most nitrosamines, including those formed from DEA or TEA, are
carcinogenic (for more information, see www.preventcancer.com).
-
Petrolatum, Mineral Oil
Also known as petroleum jelly, this mineral oil derivative is used for
its emollient properties in cosmetics. It does not appear to have any
nutrient value for the skin and can interfere with the body's own
natural moisturizing mechanism, leading to dryness and chapping. It
often contributes to creating the very conditions it claims to
alleviate. Petrolatum is extremely inexpensive and easy to incorporate
into products, so is widely used (see wikipedia.org).
-
Synthetic Colors.
Synthetic colors are often used to make cosmetics "pretty," and
seductive. According to the Cancer Prevention Coalition, some artificial
colors, such as Blue 1 and Green 3, are carcinogenic. In addition,
impurities found in commercial batches of other cosmetic colors such as
D&C Red 33, FD&C Yellow 5, and FD&C yellow 6 have been shown
to cause cancer not only when ingested, but also when applied to the
skin. Finally, some artificial coal tar colors contain heavy metal
impurities, including arsenic and lead, which are carcinogenic. Colors
are often labeled as FD&C or D&C, followed by a color and a
number. Example: FD&C Red No. 6 / D&C Green No. 6 (for more
information, see www.preventcancer.com).
- Synthetic Fragrances Because synthetic fragrances used in cosmetics can have hundreds of different ingredients, there is no way to know exactly which chemicals were used in their formulation. Labels simply list them as "fragrance”. Some serious problems caused by some chemicals used in fragrances include headaches, dizziness, rash, hyper pigmentation, and skin irritation.
For more information, check out the Skin Deep website, SafeCosmetics.org or Wikipedia.