.jpg)
Autumn is the time of year associated with the Lung and Large Intestine organ networks in Chinese Medicine. (We say “Lung” singular in Chinese Medicine theory, because it doesn’t really matter that there are two lobes in the Lungs–they work as a unit, hence the singular).
These organs might seem like an odd couple, but the Lung takes in and the Large Intestine lets go. We can only receive if we have the space, hence the dynamic interplay between letting go and receiving. The breath itself, governed by the Lung, is also the dynamic interplay of taking in and emptying out.
The Lung is associated with the skin in Chinese Medicine, and the skin is actually your largest organ of elimination. Sweat exits through the skin to regulate your temperature, and your skin is incredibly porous, providing a protective barrier but also leaving you penetrable to environmental chemicals and microbes.
Today I wanted to share a resource I use regularly to help me keep my intake of toxins, chemicals and endocrine (hormone) disruptors as low as I can.
That resource, from the Environmental Working Group (EWG), is the “Skin Deep Database.” EWG is a non-partisan nonprofit organization that’s been around since 1993. They pull data from 60 different regulatory, toxicity, and research study databases to rank products on a scale of 1-10 (10 being most risky for toxicity).
Toxicity is broken down into categories like cancer risk, endocrine disruptors, or possible allergic reactions. I prefer to use mostly edible beauty products. If I can eat it safely, I’m ok with absorbing it through my skin. My favorite “cosmetics” are still coconut oil (great if you have drier skin) or castor oil (great for wound healing, hair and nails), but I do use some actual formulated products in my skincare routine and I pretty much always keep the toxicity to a “3” at the highest.
Some of you have noticed my painted toenails, something which brings me joy and which is merciful to the yoga students who have to stare at my feet so often. I’ve only started this trend recently, after discovering “Essie Love Vegan” Nail Polish which has a toxicity score of 1.
EWG has an app you can download for their Skin Deep Database. This past summer I spent 15 minutes at CVS scanning suncare lotion bottles until I found a product that didn’t smell horrible to me with a toxicity 3. 2 would have been better, but 3 seemed reasonable for chemical sunblock. (There’s also zinc sunblock but the greasy factor gets to me and then I don’t end up willing to wear it, thus defeating its purpose.)
One thing I’ve noticed is that if you want to keep your skincare products safe, you do need to check product by product. One single brand could have products that are a 2 and products that are a 7.
Honestly, I’m often dispirited and even periodically enraged that there is very little federal oversight in the US (especially when you compare us to the much-stricter standards of the EU) of cosmetics or even of vitamins and supplements which we are literally ingesting.
Unfortunately, our free market means that there’s a free-for-all and your wellbeing is not at the top of the list for most manufacturers. And, yes, there are many brands that market to your wellness, but I personally prefer to simply check the ingredients in the Skin Deep Database and decide from the data if a product is probably safe.
So is this a lot of work for you? Unfortunately, yes. But the good news is, once you switch some (or most) of your products over to safer brands, it’s literally rinse and repeat. You do not have to think about this every single day. You’ve just got to figure it out once.
EWG also has helpful guides for understanding the risks in your local tap water source, in produce, in cleaning supplies, etc. Bookmark this link for more info.
You might be familiar with the term “dirty dozen” for the produce that tends to be the most important to eat organic if you want to limit your pesticide ingestion. EWG first termed the “dirty dozen” in 2004. This includes fruits and vegetables with especially porous outer layers, like greens, strawberries and apples.
I’m not asking you to go off the deep end or be scared. But why not switch your shampoo or your face wash or your moisturizer, products you use often, over to a healthier choice.
The good news too is that not all of the safer products have to be bought for a bunch of money off Instagram or from Sephora. Just use the database and find something that works well for you.
I hope that this news is digestible and not too scary. Check out just one product at a time using this link, make a note of higher-toxicity products, and then decide to replace them next time you run out.
May you receive so much freedom of choice this autumn, may you nurture your capacity to let go.