B00AFU6252 EBOK (21 page)
Authors: Jessica Alba
I
T’S ONE THING
to make over your very own bathroom cabinets and makeup bag. But what happens when you take your beauty routine out into the real world—as in the salon? Unless you want to be the weird girl toting in her own sulfate-free shampoo to a blowout, chances are you’re going to have to make some occasional compromises if there aren’t any great eco-minded salons in your area.
From a health perspective, I think this is mostly okay. I
am
very concerned about the health of hair stylists, nail technicians, and other salon workers who are in these places, breathing the usually toxin-laced air day in, day out . . . especially because they often don’t have much control over the health and safety measures taken in their workplace. (If this is an issue that concerns you, you can help by letting the owners of the salons you frequent know that you want to see them prioritizing their workers’ health and safety—send them to the National Healthy Nail & Beauty Salon Alliance at
nailsalonalliance.org
for more info.)
But for consumers who are only popping in to salons every now and again, the exposures are minimal—unless, of course, you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to bring your kids with you (their bodies are still developing and so much more vulnerable!). Nevertheless, it’s definitely worthwhile to avoid the most toxic treatments on salon menus:
ACRYLIC NAILS
These plasticlike substances that shellac your own nails contain ethyl methacrylate (EMA)—that’s the stuff that generates that eau de nail salon scent, and it can cause serious eye, skin, and throat irritation. Plus some salons still use liquid methyl methacrylate monomer (MMA), a related chemical that’s now been banned or restricted in at least 30 states because it may cause liver damage and is much harsher and more difficult to get off your nails.
I’m not going to mince words here because I want to scare you: Tanning beds are killing girls, and you should never, ever use them. Skin cancer is not a joke; my mother lost a piece of her lip, arm, and back to melanoma, and I’m grateful it wasn’t worse. It’s so bizarre to me that tanning salons are even legal in this country—after all, it’s not like we don’t know tanning can cause cancer. Yet one in three Caucasian women aged 18 to 25 said they had used a tanning bed in the past year, according to a 2012 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Frequent indoor tanners are three times more likely to develop melanoma than the rest of us, and skin cancer is now the most common cause of cancer among young women. This has got to stop. Don’t waste your money, time, or health on tanning salons. I get wanting a healthy glow, but try the
bronzing techniques
, or apply a healthy self-tanner (that meets the
safe criteria
).
The Brazilian blowout has been making headlines for ages now because its shockingly high formaldehyde content has caused so many hair stylists and some customers to become sick. But did you know that many other brands of keratin hair-straightening treatments also off-gas formaldehyde once they’re heated? Oregon OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) followed up its initial testing with an analysis of 105 hair-straightening samples representing 11 brands and found higher-than-safe formaldehyde levels in all but 3. In 2011, the Environmental Working Group conducted its own lab tests and found 16 brands containing formaldehyde—15 of which claimed to be low or no formaldehyde! Steer clear of any keratin straightening treatments that promise to last longer than eight weeks until we know for sure that all the formaldehyde-containing formulas are off the market. If you want super-straight hair, stick with a flat iron and elbow grease and stay out of the rain—or try a temporary keratin straightener that lasts less than eight weeks, but know that formaldehyde (unfortunately!) is the ingredient that makes the ultra-long-lasting formulas effective. So without it, a keratin straightener may be safer, but it won’t do much to straighten or de-frizz your hair.
FOUND IN:
Hair dyes, brow bleaches, skin lighteners, antiaging creams
WHAT IS IT?
Bleaching ingredient used to lighten and brighten top layers of skin and outer hair cuticle
WHY IS IT SKETCHY?
Can cause cancer and screw up your immune system and reproductive health. Also associated with developmental problems when little kids are exposed. All-around bad news.
GEL NAILS
Some salons are now advertising gel nails as a safer alternative to acrylic, but honestly? Those formulas are still plenty full of allergy-causing ingredients, so I’d proceed with lots of caution. I will get gels done if I’m going to be on the road doing events for two weeks straight and won’t have time for a regular manicure, but it’s definitely a once-in-a-while thing. You don’t want to surround yourself with these fumes on a monthly basis. And if you’re pregnant, it’s probably best to steer clear of nail salons altogether unless they’re well ventilated or an “eco” nail salon—it’s impossible to avoid the fumes from other customers while you’re in there, plus it’s so tricky to know whether the regular nail polish is truly of the so-called “toxic trio” (though most places are fine with you bringing your own).
I love highlights, but I ask my stylist to stay away from my roots. Then I can go longer without a touch-up, and the dye can’t penetrate my scalp.
SUNLESS TANNING
For years, I was all about the self-tanner as a tanning alternative. Yes, back in the ’90s, it used to make us all kinds of orange, but the formulas have gotten much more natural-looking. Yay, right? Until the summer of 2012, when new research surfaced showing that the main skin-tinting ingredient in self-tanners and spray tans—a chemical called dihydroxyacetone, or DHA—could damage your DNA and even cause genetic alterations and cancer. Some health experts think we should avoid these products completely.
So now there’s really no such thing as a safe tan? Well, that’s just awesome. However, there’s still scientific debate over how much DHA can actually penetrate your skin. (Spray tanners, where it’s easier to inhale particles, seem like more of a clear no-fly zone.) So DHA rates a 1 to 4 (“fair”) safety score in EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database, as long as you aren’t ingesting it or rubbing it in your eyes.
Nonetheless, I think caution is warranted: I am still using self-tanner, but sparingly—and I look for brands that use natural DHA, derived from cane or beet sugar, without any added dyes or other harmful stuff. One winner: Chocolate Sun Cocoa Glow Sunless Tanning Cream.
HAIR REMOVAL
For permanent hair removal, I think laser is the way to go if you can swing the hefty price tag and withstand the pain—but most of the time, I stick with waxing and shaving. I like Alba Botanica’s shaving cream—or, in a pinch, mixing Honest Conditioner with Honest Shampoo & Body Wash works well!
From an eco-perspective, waxing is not that great because the material is all petrochemicals—the market for hair removal wax developed when oil refineries wanted a way to sell a by-product of their manufacturing process! Seek out natural waxes that are petrochemical free. Sugaring is a more sustainable alternative that you can totally do at home. Parissa Body Sugar is affordable and contains nothing but sugar, water, glycerin, lemon, and chamomile; Shobha Sugaring Kit for Body & Bikini is similarly natural—their strips are made from denim and totally reusable.
HAIR COLOR & HIGHLIGHTS
In a perfect world, I wouldn’t color my hair. Numerous studies have connected hair dye with a host of cancers and other adverse health effects; hair stylists have higher rates of bladder cancer, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, fertility issues, and other problems. Salon clients don’t have the same level of exposure, but even so, the federal Office on Women’s Health in the Department of Health and Human Services advises that “you may reduce your risk of cancer by using less hair dye over time.” Common hair dye ingredients can also cause skin rashes and respiratory issues, especially if you’re allergy prone or chemically sensitive.
But in my career, going au natural on hair color is not an option. I have to be willing to dye my hair for roles, and you don’t usually get a lot of say over what the stylists use. And even when left to my own devices, I do love me some highlights—but I ask my stylist to keep them away from my roots. This means I can go longer without a touch-up (always nice!), and this approach may also offer a layer of protection since the dye can’t penetrate my scalp. If you want to use darker colors, always choose semi-permanent dyes, which have been shown to be a little less toxic than the permanent colors.
HONEST
style
CURATE YOUR CLOSET AND FIND YOUR SIGNATURE STYLE
IT’S NO SECRET THAT I LOVE FASHION. AND ONE OF THE
best things about fashion, beauty, and style of any kind is that it’s always changing—I love how my definition of style has evolved since I reached my thirties and even more so since I became a mom. But first, a quick flashback.
You wouldn’t think it now, but as a little girl, I was a total tomboy. My major passions were baseball, He-Man and She-Ra, and the ThunderCats. Plus I spent a ton of time watching
Batman
reruns and playing my own make-believe games as those characters. I wanted to be an action hero—
not
one of the girl characters. I was not into princesses or dress-up or needing to be rescued by Prince Charming. Punky Brewster and Madonna were my fashion icons as a kid—it was all about the mismatched scrunchy socks and LA Gear sneakers. I’d wear a pair of heels from my mom’s closet out to the living room—and then lose them for my dance routines. Outside of dress-up for a performance with my brother and cousins, I felt like heels were impractical.
You can’t even run in them!
Working my Punky Brewster style!
