Personal Care Products

The Not So Honest, Honest Company

Honest Shampoo and Body Wash
Sweet Orange and Vanilla

My 3 year-old daughter has exclusively used The Honest shampoo and Body Wash since birth. In fact, all of my kids use this shampoo and body wash and have for a few years.  In our household, we use several of the Honest company’s products including hand soap, lotions, shaving creams, and cleaning products because the company states that they value creating safe household products while protecting the environment. In quoting The Honest Company’s website they wrote,  
We believe the products people use should be safe for their families and homes. We also believe it’s better to be safe than sorry when deciding what goes in our products and we’re vigilant about the latest science regarding chemicals and health to ensure we’re being mindfully cautious.
Additionally, the company has been politically active in environmental health policy including advocating for The Safe Chemicals Act. This bill was passed in 2016 and does allows for the following…
·      Takes action to reduce our exposure to the worst toxic chemicals on the market
·      Requires basic health and safety information on chemicals
·      Protect vulnerable sub-populations like pregnant women, children, and hot-spot communities
·      Create a system for determining which chemicals are safe, and which ones are not.
Here is a link to an update on The Safe Chemicals Act
http://saferchemicals.org/legislative-update/

I looked into what kinds of chemicals the Honest Company uses in its products and was surprised by the results. Below is a table of all of its active ingredients. While the majority of them were not too alarming, a few of them caught my attention and are bolded.

EWG Rating and Active Ingredients
Overall Score 1
Active Ingredients
EWG Rating
Health Concerns
Aloe Barbadensis
1
Possible Carcinogen
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis
2
Safe only with in restricted guidelines
Glycerin
2
Sourced from animal fat. PETA Caring Consumer advises against glycerin. Use with in restricted guidelines, not in high concentrations
Citric Acid
2
Use in restricted concentrations
Chamomilla Recutita
1
None identified/Limited data
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
1
None identified/Limited data
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Protein
1
None identified/no data
Hydrolyzed Quinoa
1
None identified/no data
Octanohydroxamic Acid
1
None identified/Limited data
Calendula Officinalis
1
None identified/Limited data
Cocamidoproply hydroxysultaine
1
None identified/Limited data
Cocos Nucifera
1
None identified/Limited data
Citrus Tangerina
1
None identified/Limited data
Caprylyl Glycol
1
None identified/Limited data
Triethyl Citrate
1
None identified/Limited data
Glyceryl Oleate
1
Ecotoxicity and irritant around the eyes and skin
Decyl Glucoside
1
Safe when used within restricted concentrations
Lauryl Glucoside
1
Safe when used within restricted concentrations
Coco-Gluoside
1
Safe when used within restricted concentrations
Water
1
innocuous


The Honest Company’s kids shampoo and body wash received an overall score of 1 from The Environmental Working Group (EWG). Even though the overall score was great, the chemicals used are far from perfect. The first substance of concern is Aloe Barbadensis leaf extract. A report from the National Toxicology Program (NTP) states that Aloe Vera has shown to grow intestinal cancerous tumors in rats. The report states that while more testing is required to understand why these exposed rats developed cancerous tumors, the NTP recommends against using Aloe.  The NTP wrote, “based on what we know right now, there is nothing that would lead us to believe this finding would not be relevant to humans”. If the NTP is advising that Aloe should not be used in human products, then The Honest Company is not really living up to its company values of creating safe and environmentally conscious products. Additionally, they added chemicals like glycerin and glyceryl oleate that are ecotoxic, irritants, or sourced from animal sources and potentially cruel to animals.

Why should I continue to support companies that use less than optimal non-toxic products? I will be switching to of EWG’s recommended kid shampoos, such as Attitude children’s shampoo and body wash.


Dove White Beauty Bar soap

EWG rating and active ingredients
Overall Score 4
Active Ingredients
EWG Rating
Health Concerns
Fragrance
8
Allergies/immunotoxicity, Miscellaneous, Irritant for eyes, skin, or lungs, Non-reproductive organ system toxicity, ecotoxicololgy
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
4
Allergies/immunotoxicity, ecotoxicology, contamination concerns
Titanium Dioxide
1
Occupational hazards, Non-reproductive organ system toxicity
Sodium Palmitate
2
Multiple, additive exposure sources, ecotoxicology
Tetrasodium EDTA
2
Enhanced skin absorption, occupational hazards
Tetrasodium Etidronate
2
Use in restricted concentrations
Sodium Palm Kernelate
1
None identified/no data
Sodium Tallowate
1
Ecotoxicology
Sodium Isethionate
1
None identified/Limited data
Sodium Stearate
1
Ecotoxicology
Sodium Cocoate
1
None identified/Limited data
Stearic Acid
1
Ecotoxicology
Lauric Acid
1
None identified/Limited data
Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate
1
Use Restrictions
Water
1
Innocuous
Sodium Chloride
1
Innocuous

I have used Dove bar soap for many years ever since I used it during my pediatric rotations as a nursing student. It was sold to me then as a product safe enough for newborns and kids. I have found it to be gentle on the skin and not to over drying. It also had a soft pleasant scent.
The EWG thought differently and gave my favorite bar soup an overall score of 4.  Several of the ingredients were found to be irritants, ecotoxic, toxic to organ systems, or allergens. Cocamidopropyl Betaine is a surfactant and a known irritant and allergen that causes contact dermatitis. What do surfactants do in soap? They are foam boosters and control the viscosity of a liquid. These qualities are attractive for soap producers, but not so great for people with skin allergies and sensitive skin.
Dove’s gentle fragrance that I love so much, received an 8! Yikes! I guess it is not so gentle. According to EWG, several studies list this fragrance as a known human immune system toxicant or allergen, a possible respiratory tract toxicant, an irritant to the respiratory tract, and a wildlife and environment toxin. Additionally, Dove soap has several active ingredients that are toxic to the environment. I will be definitely replacing this Dove product with something less toxic like the EWG’s recommended . Why harm the environment or my family when I don’t have to?




Comments on other blogs:

Monica: Isn't it nuts how toxic secret and dove products are? How are they still on the market?

Franny: Great job using products that are not toxic!



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