In my efforts to start replacing items I use with more eco-friendly/less toxic items, I have started doing research on product ingredients, “green” companies/natural products companies etc. Some search I did earlier led me to a website called GoodGuide, which rates products in the categories of health, environment, and society; i.e. how healthy the product is for you, how the company does with energy management & other environmental concerns, and customer satisfaction, quality & safety, philanthropy etc. Products are rated on a scale between 0 and 10; the higher the score, the better the product is overall - I think they score ‘health’, ‘environment’ and ‘society’ all out of 10 then average them for a final rating. They also list all the product’s ingredients and whether they are a “controversial ingredient” or an “ingredient of concern” and provide information on effects these controversial or concerning ingredients can have.
While I liked GoodGuide because of the environmental friendliness and society ratings, Cyn directed me to another site, Skin Deep (cosmeticsdatabase.com), which basically does the same thing but goes more in depth. Products are given a score between 0 and 10, with a product rated 10 being a high hazard. They list much more information about a product’s ingredients and the hazards associated with the ingredient than GoodGuide does. It does not, however, contain any data about the company’s ‘green-ness’ or ethical/societal practices. Skin Deep is run by the Environmental Working Group, who describe their mission as “to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment.” (they also run a site called the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides, a website about pesticide use in produce) Being in public health, this group actually interests me on a number of different levels, but right now we’re focusing on cosmetics & personal care products. 
So, after finding GoodGuide, I started browsing through the site for items I use. I settled on my Aussie Hair Insurance spray conditioner to check out first.
I realized it probably was not the most natural product in the world, but was still disappointed to find some questionable ingredients and a couple of not-so-good ratings for the company in environment and society. Here is the page. GoodGuide has two ingredients listed as controversial: DMDM Hydantoin, a preservative which can release trace amounts of formaldehyde, and “fragrance”, which could contain anything – apparently there is no requirement for companies to disclose what they use for fragrances, and many contain compounds that can be irritants or allergens to some people. The company received average or below-average marks on several other items including energy management, air pollution and quality & safety (just a disclaimer: I have not done further research on these matters for this company, I am just rehashing it here). In total, this product received a rating of 6.6 out of 10 from GoodGuide
After I was made aware of Skin Deep, I checked out this product there too (Here is their page on it). At first I was a bit more concerned reading about my Hair Insurance on this site than on the other (and remember, this site does not take environmental or ethical practices of the company into account for anything). However, once I looked over the ingredient details a bit I realized they were basically the same. The DMDM hydantoin and “fragrance” are listed first and given a 9 and 8 rating, respectively. They go into more detail about the other ingredients too, even though none of the others listed are rated over a 4. Concerns with the less hazardous items included allergies & irritation. The product was rated a 6 out of 10 (“moderate hazard”) from Skin Deep.
The biggest concern with this item, based on the little bit of research I’ve done, is the formaldehyde from the preservative hydantoin. Here is Skin Deep’s formaldehyde ingredient page (lots of detailed information there), and it rates the chemical itself as a 10 out of 10, or a high hazard. It is a known carcinogen and can irritate eyes, throat & nose when inhaled – obviously at least a mild concern when it’s in a mist you’re spraying on your hair.
Now, let me actually review the product. A few months ago I realized I wanted to try a spray conditioner to help with the frizzy halo my hair gets after I blow dry it. I’d had some years ago from a different company (might’ve been Pantene) that I couldn’t find anymore, and someone recommended I try Aussie. I picked it up for not too much money and started using it right after I blow-dry my hair. The bottle actually says to use it when your hair is damp, but I’ve found it’s best for me when I use it on dry hair. It works wonders! I get way fewer frizzies & flyaways after using it; my hair stays nice and smooth & shiny, and doesn’t make it feel significantly heavier or greasier when I use it. I don’t go overboard with it, just spray nice & lightly over my whole head. I usually wash my hair at night, and when I wake up the next morning my hair usually looks amazing. I have been really happy with it.
Now, don’t get me wrong; after reading up on the ingredients in this spray and the health concerns about them, I am not freaking out, throwing it away and sure that I’m going to get cancer from it. I was a little disappointed to learn about the undesirable ingredients and will probably look for something to replace this when I’m done with it, but chances are, if I can’t find something that works as well, I’ll keep using it, albeit a little more sparingly. I’ve been having problems with my eyes feeling dry and irritated lately, and even though I’m sure it’s a number of different things contributing to that, this spray could, for all I know, be aggravating my symptoms. I am being careful not to use too much and careful not to get it in my eyes.
In conclusion, this product works exactly as I’d hoped it would and I like it. However, researching what’s in some of your favorite products can lead to a rude awakening if you are interested in using eco-friendly, non-toxic products. This product isn’t as bad as I’m sure some are, but do your research – you might be surprised! Your favorite product may be more toxic than you realized and the company that produces it might be dumping toxins in the creek out back. However, one thing to remember if you find a questionable ingredient in a product you use is don’t freak out! Do your research, be objective, read the material. I care about trying to support companies that are environmentally conscious and I prefer trying to use more natural products that are better for me and the environment; if you feel the same way, it’s worth it to do the research.
