What is Green Beauty?
Totally natural skincare made with true-to-nature or naturally derived ingredients in the lab.
Totally natural skincare made with true-to-nature or naturally derived ingredients in the lab.
No Genetically Modified Organisms
No animal testing
No controversial chemicals
No synthetic colours, dyes or fragrances
Province Apothecary's reformulated moisturizer is pH balanced and suitable for all skin types. Rich + lightweight, this fast-absorbing daily moisturizer firms skin and smoothes the appearance of fine lines.
Shop NowGreen, clean and natural bubble bath formulated without the use of harsh surfactants and detergents.
Shop NowA unique and gentle blend of healing and cleansing ingredients, Cleanse Makeup Remover effectively removes dirt, grime and makeup while restoring skin’s moisture balance and nourishing lashes and brows.
Shop NowProblem: Sodium lauryl sulfate is a harsh cleanser, which is why it gets a bad reputation in the world of hair care. It will strip your hair, but it’s not inherently toxic. To save your hair, sodium lauryl sulfate is sometimes converted into sodium laureth sulfate through a process called ethoxylation. A by-product of this process is 1,4-dioxane, a chemical the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists as a likely human carcinogen. On the FDA website, it’s noted that the agency “periodically monitors the levels of 1,4-dioxane in cosmetics products” and that “changes made in the manufacturing process have resulted in a significant decline over time in the levels of this contaminant in these products.” A 2018 FDA survey of 82 randomly selected personal care products marketed toward children found that only two had levels of 1,4-dioxane above 10 ppm, which is significantly lower than in the surveys conducted from 1981 through 1997. The agency also notes that 1,4-dioxane evaporates quickly, lowering the risk of transdermal absorption “even in products that remain on the skin for hours.” As of July 2019, Sephora is requiring brands to test for the presence of 1,4-dioxane. FORMALDEHYDE The most notorious preservative in history, formaldehyde is commonly found in keratin smoothing treatments that rely on the chemical to lock the hair’s broken disulfide bonds into a straighter position. The problem: Formaldehyde is recognized globally as a human carcinogen, and that’s why it (and its offspring) have been eliminated from most common cosmetic products, like nail polish. Salon keratin treatments often claim to be free of the f-word too. Except they’re not: What they contain instead are ingredients like methylene glycol, formalin, methanal, and methanediol, which release the carcinogenic compound when mixed with water during the treatment. This presents a risk to you, of course, but it’s most dangerous for the salon technician who styles hair in an enclosed space day in and day out. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) lists sore throat, nosebleeds, and itchy eyes as common side effects to formaldehyde exposure. The FDA also warns that formulas and products can claim they’re natural, organic, and/or formaldehyde free when that’s not true. The agency encourages consumers to always read the label, ask hair professionals for an ingredient list, and report all negative reactions.
Problem: Where there is the vague ingredient fragrance, there are phthalates—most of the time, anyway. Phthalates have been linked to reproductive and hormonal harm in children and men. Some studies have linked phthalate exposure to obesity, type 2 diabetes, reduced sperm count, breast cancers, reproductive malformation, infertility, and cardiovascular events. A study from 2017 found that 70 percent of perfume and cosmetics salespeople had exceeded the cumulative risk of phthalate exposure. Fragrance on its own can also be a trigger for allergies and asthma attacks, since we don’t know exactly what ingredients are being used in both short- and long-term exposure. Cosmetics giants Unilever, Procter & Gamble, and Johnson & Johnson have all committed to fragrance transparency in the last several years.