How to Make a Cosmetic Black List ... (Hint: Don't)
I’ve no idea how many “green” brands and retailers there are but all of them seem to have a “black list”. They choose some number of nasty chemicals and promise that they are not in the products they sell.
Further – everyone seems to copy everyone else’s Black List – so you see the same list over and over.
Here’s the problem: there are 60,000 different cosmetic ingredients. A list of 20 or even 200 chemicals is never going to capture all of the problem chemicals.
What is the solution?
First: everything this a chemical. H2O is a molecular description of the chemical, water.
Second: all chemicals are made using a finite number of methods. Some chemicals are made using biological methods like fermentation or production using yeast. Some are naturally occurring like oil in a sunflower seed. Most, however. are made using a set of reactions that require reacting one chemical with another chemical. If you are not a chemical engineer, how do you know what is “green”?
If you want to convey to a chemist your goal to use “green” ingredients, giving them a list of 30 chemicals just won’t do the trick.
One solution is to explain that you want “green chemistry” per a wonderful paper that was published in 1998 by John Warner and Paul Anastas*. The link below is to the American Chemical Society site which explains (in very clear language) these principles.
If an ingredient meets these standards, then it is a pretty sure bet that it is safe for skin and for the planet. Many chemists were never taught about this in school but it is high time that they learn.
Spread the knowledge and save the planet. Use ingredients that meet the Principles of Green Chemistry.
