As a manufacturer of
natural skin and body care, I am in the very
fortunate position of having knowledge of, or at the very least
ready access to, information on ingredients, harmful and
otherwise. A quick glance at a product’s ingredient list
and I can make a swift decision regarding it’s safety, and
whether or not I wish to purchase or use it.
It’s easy for me to take this for granted, and I often
forget that although the average consumer is much more educated
with regards to toxins than they were even 5 years ago, the vast
majority of people still remain largely unaware of the dangers
lurking in the personal care products they use. I am
reminded of this constantly by the customers who come into my
natural skincare shop. Some are quite knowledgeable;
others are genuinely shocked to hear of the potential dangers
associated with parabens, synthetics and petrochemicals.
Many express a sense of anger at not being informed, or feel
foolish for placing their trust in ‘big business’ and slick
advertising campaigns.
But I am surprised most of all by the lack of awareness
in the spa and esthetics industry. I first became aware of
this two years ago, when I was invited to take over management
of a popular downtown Toronto spa making a switch to 100%
natural and organic. They needed someone with my
background to establish standards and protocols for their
treatments and retail products, and I was happy and excited to
jump on board.
My first task was to review their existing treatment
menu and product lines, and see which items needed to be
replaced. I was shocked to realize that every single
product needed to be eliminated! Reading the ingredients
(where they were available; for most I had to call and pester
the supply companies and manufacturers to obtain complete lists)
was like reading 'a guide to toxins A to Z'! I couldn’t
believe how many dangerous chemicals I was finding in these
expensive, high-end treatments and products, many of which
advertised themselves as natural!
Once I had determined that the spa needed to strip its
menu bare and start from the ground up, I went to the owners and
estheticians with my findings. It was obvious that they
were not expecting this information, but they agreed that in
order to call themselves '100% synthetic-free, natural and
organic', these chemical soups had to go. I then began
creating natural versions of several of their most popular
treatments.
For some of the treatments, this was a fairly easy
task; for others, the challenge was not so much in creating
something that would have a beneficial effect on the skin and
body, but in creating something that could duplicate the
familiar texture or ease of use of it’s chemical cousin.
For example, paraffin dips for hands and body, hardening polymer
facial masks that peeled off in a solid shell at the end of
treatment, massage oils with an indefinite shelf-life that
didn’t stain the sheets and towels, glossy nail colours and
shiny topcoats that lasted for months. I felt strongly
that several treatments and offerings needed to be removed from
the menu entirely.
This time, when I went to the owners to present my
recommendations, I was met with significant resistance.
The treatments I was suggesting be eliminated were big money
makers for the spa – they involved very little prep time or work
on the part of the estheticians, and the ingredients and
products were inexpensive. The estheticians were
uncomfortable learning to use new products; they liked products
that gave the client a feeling of something ‘working’ right
away, such as tingling, or immediate (short-term) tightening of
the skin. When I explained that most of these showy
gimmicks did nothing of any lasting benefit for the skin, and
instead were actually a health risk for the client, they
grumbled and muttered about 'extra work'. Eventually, it
became obvious that the spa owners and employees were not ready
for this change. Their reasons for switching were based on
market trends, and not on a meaningful desire to care for the
health of their clients. Rather than give in to a request
to compromise my standards, I left the position.
As a very happy consequence of my short time with the
spa, I was now in possession of some wonderful new treatment
recipes! Shortly thereafter, my partner and I had an
opportunity to try our hands at a retail business, and we moved
out of Toronto to the historic, tourist village of Elora.
Our little natural skin and body care shop was well received by
locals and tourists alike, and the spa treatments were put aside
as we adjusted to the increased business the shop generated.
One day, after chatting with a lovely young woman about
the benefits of natural ingredients, she mentioned that she was
the manager of a local resort spa, and that she was extremely
interested in working with me to 'naturalize' the treatments
offered there. Until coming into my shop, she had been
largely ignorant of the dangers of chemical ingredients, and she
felt that her new knowledge made her responsible for taking that
news to the spa's clients in the form of natural treatments.
Looked like I was going to be making use of my spa recipes after
all! I still remember the first product she asked me to
'remake'… a Milk & Honey Moisturizing Body Mask. After
reading the ingredients list on the product package, I sent the
list back to her, along with descriptions of the ingredients in
terms of their benefits, risks and toxicity. Of the thirty
or so ingredients, only four were of natural origin, and even
then not in their natural state. Milk and honey were both
within the last eight ingredients listed! For those
interested, I have included the worst offenders from that list,
along with their descriptions, at the end of this article.
A year and many successful products later, I am now
working closely with a spa consulting firm, creating custom and
signature treatments for new and existing spas throughout
Ontario. Many of these spas are deliberately creating a
natural image, and a growing number are going exclusively 100%
natural and synthetic-free. Some are unaware of the
benefits of natural ingredients, and are simply purchasing for
the performance or customer-appeal of the treatments, while
others are adding the items to their menus specifically as a
result of customer demand for natural alternatives.
I am always happy to hear feedback from spa owners and
managers as to the wonderful aromas, surprising textures, and
great performance of these treatments; some are genuinely
surprised that natural ingredients can obtain the same or better
results than the expensive chemical mixtures they were using
before. Recently, a spa with an exotic spice name asked me
to create a line of signature body treatments for them. I
went with the spice theme, and created a simple, elegant series
of coordinating treatments using ground fresh spices and
essential oils. A week after the treatments were added to
their menu, the spa owner e-mailed me to let me know that one
couple had loved one of the spiced body rubs so much that they
had purchased $6,000 worth of the treatment for the friends and
family! By far, the treatments with the best responses
have been those I have crafted using very obvious food-grade
ingredients, such as chocolate, coffee, fresh ground spices,
fruits and citrus peels to name a few.
It’s easy to see that as the demand for natural skin
care increases, the spa industry will have to follow suit.
High-end natural and organic spas are opening across the
continent, offering their educated clients synthetic-free skin
and body care treatments; many existing mainstream spas are
scrambling to meet demand by offering a choice of natural
alternatives on their spa menus. Those that do are staying
on the leading edge in their field, and offer true health and
beauty to their fortunate customers.
Still, many spas continue to use and sell synthetic,
chemical soups, cleverly masked with slick advertising
campaigns, outrageous claims of renewed youth, or hiding behind
exotic, imported labels. Trusting clients spend hundreds
and thousands of dollars on treatments, often with little
lasting benefit, unaware of their exposure to a long list of
possible carcinogens, hormone disruptors, skin irritants and
toxins. Many clients are then persuaded into purchasing
expensive take-home versions of these same products, continuing
their exposure and placing a further burden on their bodies.
And they come to spas for health!
It would be so easy to blame spa owners and employees,
but from my experience, the majority are simply unaware of the
health risks hidden in these products. They too are
vulnerable to the aggressive and intensive marketing on the
parts of large spa product manufacturers. It is our
responsibility as consumers, manufacturers and entrepreneurs to
help guide the spa industry towards a synthetic and toxin-free
future. Here are a few things you can do:
-
Educate yourself on commonly
used toxins, synthetics and chemicals used in skin care.
-
Ask questions: the next time you
visit a spa, ask to see the ingredients for your chosen
treatment. Refuse the treatment if you see anything toxic
or harmful, and be sure to let the staff know your reason for
the refusal.
-
When calling to book an
appointment for a treatment, ask the staff if they offer any
natural products or treatments. This feedback will be
relayed to management when staff are losing bookings!
-
If you regularly visit a
favourite spa or spa therapist, let he or she know that you have
concerns over ingredients, and that you would like to see more
natural products on the menu.
-
If natural, synthetic-free spas
or treatments are available in your area, make a point of
supporting these businesses. Let them know your reasons
for doing so.
If you are a
natural manufacturer, I encourage you to offer your products in
professional or 'cabine' sizes to local spas – it has been my
experience that many spas are keen to go natural, but are
unaware that these natural alternatives exist. Others are
simply so busy that they have no time to source out healthy
replacements for their less-than-friendly treatments.
Don’t let the term 'professional' intimidate you out of
approaching this market; simple, healthy, natural ingredients
work, whether in a spa or home environment! Be sure to
educate them on the benefits of choosing natural, including the
financial benefits of listing natural treatments on their menus.
The word ‘Spa’ conjures images of an oasis where
health, vitality and relaxation are paramount – it is up to us
as consumers to ensure that our spas are the healing spaces they
are meant to be!
Hannah Rowanwood
WildeWood
info@wildewoodnaturals.com
www.wildewoodnaturals.com
Milk & Honey Body Mask key ingredients list:
INGREDIENT REPORT: POLYACRYLAMIDE
Potential for harmful impurities
Safety limits on use/purity/manufacturing
Classified as toxic
Potential neuro-toxin
Hazards for occupational exposures
Ingredient(s) not assessed for safety
INGREDIENT REPORT: IODOPROPYNYL BUTYLCARBAMATE
Unsafe for use in cosmetics
Reproductive/developmental toxicity
Classified as toxic
Safety limits on use/purity/manufacturing
Industry safety warnings
Insufficient safety data
INGREDIENT REPORT: BENZYL BENZOATE
Classified as toxic
Wildlife/environmental toxicity
INGREDIENT REPORT: HYDROXYISOHEXYL 3-CYCLOHEXENE CARBOXALDEHYDE
Frequent allergen, skin sensitizer
Contact dermatitis
Ingredient(s) not assessed for safety
ALPHA-METHYL IONONE
Skin and eye irritant
Ingredient(s) not assessed for safety
INGREDIENT REPORT: TRILAURETH-4 PHOSPHATE
Ingredient(s) not assessed for safety
INGREDIENT REPORT: PROPYLENE GLYCOL
Immune system toxicants (allergies, sensitization)
Penetration enhancers
Safety limits on use/purity/manufacturing
Insufficient safety data
INGREDIENT REPORT: TALC
Known carcinogen
Potential for harmful impurities
Reproductive/developmental toxicity
Immune system toxicants (allergies, sensitization)
Classified as toxic
Hazards for occupational exposures
Insufficient safety data
Wildlife/environmental toxicity
INGREDIENT REPORT: SD ALCOHOL 39C
Reproductive/developmental toxicity
Immune system toxicants (allergies, sensitization)
Wildlife/environmental toxicity
Hazards for occupational exposures
Insufficient safety data
Classified as toxic
INGREDIENT REPORT: C13-14 ISOPARAFFIN
Hazards for occupational exposures
Eye, skin and lung irritant
Petroleum derivative
Insufficient safety data
Ingredient(s) not assessed for safety
INGREDIENT REPORT: BENZYL SALICYLATE
Sensitizer
Contact dermatitis
Ingredient(s) not assessed for safety
INGREDIENT REPORT: BENZYL ALCOHOL
Classified as toxic
Immune system toxicants (allergies, sensitization)
Safety limits on use/purity/manufacturing
Wildlife/environmental toxicity
Insufficient safety data
INGREDIENT REPORT: LAURETH-7
Potential carcinogenic contaminants
Skin irritant, sensitizing ingredient
Ingredient(s) not assessed for safety
INGREDIENT REPORT: HYDROXYCITRONELLAL
Potential allergen, sensitizer
Contact dermatitis
Aquatic wildlife toxin
Safety limits on use/purity/manufacturing
INGREDIENT REPORT: ALPHA-METHYL IONONE
Skin and eye irritant
Ingredient(s) not assessed for safety
Please
visit Hannah's web site:
WildeWoodNaturals.com
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