I just read an excellent article on the Daily Mail about whether natural cosmetics are really better for you or not.

The author raises some excellent points that seem completely ignored by cosmetic & personal care marketers who want to convince you that “natural is better.”

Naturally Nefarious

Of course natural things like lead, radiation, and snake venom are bad for you, but did you know the following have all been demonstrated through scientific studies…

1. Soya bean emollient (derived from soybeans) mimics the effect of estrogen in the body. This is the same thing that Parabens are said to do and which makes them “dangerous”.

2. Olive Oil on skin slows the recovery time of damaged skin.

3. Lavender Oil & Tea Tree oil can cause breast tissue growth in teen aged boys.

Organic Cosmetics Con

So why, you might ask, would companies and consumer groups try to convince you that Organic is better or healthier?

In my opinion there are only a couple reasons.

1. Can’t compete. Companies that sell organic or natural products are typically small and can’t compete with big companies like P&G or L’Oreal when it comes to advertising. Note they can compete on product quality but that is usually not sufficient to get people to buy. So, they spend time trying to convince people that buying “regular” products are dangerous. They don’t base their conclusions on any scientific evidence. They just help propogate people’s natural fear of anything chemical or man-made.

2. Fear control. Consumer groups publish incomplete or misleading studies to scare people and control what you think and do. This allows them to raise more money, affect more people, and potentially bring more business to their friends in the organic/natural business.

Beauty Brains bottom line

There is no evidence that your “regular” cosmetics or personal care products are harmful. There is also no proof that natural cosmetics are better. Actually, there is some evidence suggesting they are less-safe. Use your Beauty Brains the next time you see a story about toxic chemicals in your cosmetics. There’s always more to the story and it’s almost never simple.