Ingredients in Your Everyday Products That May Be Harming the Environment

From the tea you drink to the lotion you rub on your hands, these products contain ingredients grown from the ground. But even though an ingredient may be naturally derived, it could still have a negative impact on the environment. Plant-based ingredients are safer for use on our skin and in our bodies, but this isn’t always the case for the environment.

Prioritizing our health is important but it’s also crucial that we think about the health of the planet — it is home to billions of people and animals that rely on its ecosystems.

Clean lifestyles have grown in popularity over the past decade, especially as more and more research is released on toxic ingredients and their impacts. Following a “clean lifestyle” means that one purchases or strives to use products that are free of harmful ingredients that may negatively impact their overall health and well-being.

Clean living also contributes to a lower carbon footprint, which benefits the environment. However, people need to implement other lifestyle changes beyond using clean cosmetics and household products if they want to make a really significant difference.

For example: making better transportation choices, composting and growing your own food, going green with energy options, and embracing sustainable fashion.

In order to promote sustainability and appeal to those who want to live a greener lifestyle, companies have shifted the ways that they create and market their products. Consumers are looking for products that are natural and clean, and prefer supporting companies who keep the environment top-of-mind. Because of this, it’s not hard to find clean products online, in department stores, or at grocery stores.

The negative impacts

Even the cleanest of clean ingredients could have a negative impact on the environment in which it is produced. Growing and harvesting different plants and trees seems rather harmless, but these processes can threaten the land and even community around them.

For example, some plants pose social risks as harvesting exploits the health and safety of workers. In Brazil, workers travel from far and wide to harvest brazil nuts, which are on the edge of extinction. Workers often stay in temporary camps that don’t have access to clean drinking water or adequate shelter. The workers are even at risk for being stung by scorpions or attacked by jaguars as both of these are common to the area. Pay is suboptimal at best, and there have even been issues with child labour at some of these temporary camps.

Another ethical issue posed by some plants used for ingredients is overharvesting. This can lead to the extinction of plants and animals, and damage to the soil. In turn, the area is unable to be used for production, putting many people out of work, damaging the economic health of some rural communities that depend on the export of that ingredient.

Ingredients that aren’t so clean after all

A report affiliated with the United Nations, shared in an article by National Geographic, has revealed 12 plants that are unethical and damaging to the environment when produced. These include: shea, Brazil nut, frankincense, licorice, juniper, argan, baobab, pygeum, candelilla, gum arabic, goldenseal, and jatamansi.

Unfortunately, many natural cosmetics, household cleaners, and body products contain these plant-derived ingredients. For this reason, it’s smart to familiarize yourself with the ways one can tell if an ingredient is ethically obtained.

How to tell if an ingredient is ethical

There are several terms that can be found on food and personal care products that indicate that it is produced with ethical ingredients. The terms “ethically sourced” and “responsibly sourced” are interchangeable, and both mean that workers are paid and treated fairly to produce ingredients. So, keep your eye out for either of these!

Another term you may notice on a product label is “sustainably sourced”. This means that the company selected suppliers who are committed to sustainability and preserving the environment. With this, there is less of a focus on labour laws and ethics.

“Fair trade” can also be found on the labels of natural products, which means that they employ workers under safe conditions and pay fair wages.

Products can be certified under the Natural Products Association (NPA), International Natural and Organic Cosmetics Association (NATRUE), or COSMOS if they are deemed fully natural. Many of the products with these specific certifications use ingredients that have been sustainably and ethically sourced.

Another way you can learn information about ingredients or find products with various certifications (like vegan products certified by PETA), is by downloading the Think Dirty App. Now, you’re equipped with the knowledge needed to make safe and ethical decisions the next time you go shopping for new cosmetics, skincare and haircare products, household cleaners, and more! Choosing ethically sourced products is an easy way to feel good about your purchases, as you’ll be supporting workers, communities, and the environment.

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