Skin Deep

Written By Pomology Skincare

Five Things You Should Know About Your Non-Organic Skincare Products

Ancient civilizations used rituals based around natural and healing skincare ingredients such as fruits, nuts, herbs, honey, oil, and aloes. Humans knew where to turn for luxury and beauty - the earth and the local ingredients available to them. 

As globalization and industrialization began to increase, people got more creative with what ingredients they used to “enhance” their natural beauty. This led to some severe consequences. In the early 20th century, radium was a popular ingredient in cosmetic products, and was included in products from night cream to toothpaste (Bennett, 2016). In the late 19th century, arsenic wafers were marketed as a cure for acne, to predictably disastrous results (Rance, 2018). 

It may be shocking to us now to consider that consumers in the past have used harmful products such as radium, arsenic, lead, mercury, and belladonna to achieve their desired complexion. But consumers today may be using ingredients that are similarly harmful, even if the ingredients are not as obviously destructive to our bodies. 

At Pomology Skincare, we are passionate about creating products that are free of health disrupting ingredients such as petroleum, propylene glycol, phthalates, parabens, preservatives and fragrance. Our products are non-GMO, vegan, cruelty-free, unrefined, cold-pressed and most importantly: they are rigorously certified organic to the highest standard.

Here are a few things that might make it worth it for you to make the switch.

1. Non-organic products can contain cancer causing elements.

While your favorite product might be made with ‘natural’ ingredients, if those ingredients are not organic you could be unintentionally absorbing pesticides or other cancer causing chemicals.

Nutrients, a peer-reviewed journal on nutrition, found in a 2019 study that people who consumed non-organic foods showed output of pesticides in their urine, indicating that the formaldehyde and other ingredients in non-organic foods had been detected throughout the body. On a hopeful note, the journal reported in one study that people who switched from consuming normal products to organic ones showed a marked decrease in levels of pesticides found in their urine. “All of these trials demonstrated a significant difference in the amount of pesticide metabolites excreted during the different phases of the diet interventions. The reduction was, in most cases, dramatic (up to 90% reduction during organic phase) and occurred within a short time frame” (Vigar et al., 2019)

As we learned earlier, the products that we apply to our skin penetrate the dermal layer to be absorbed into our bodies. Thus, products made with non-organic elements should be expected to lead to the same outcome. 

A report from the National Institute of Health advises consumers that, “epidemiological studies have demonstrated a causal relationship between exposure to formaldehyde and cancer in humans. Causality is indicated by consistent findings of increased risks of nasopharyngeal cancer, sinonasal cancer, and lymphohematopoietic cancer, specifically myeloid leukemia among individuals with higher measures of exposure to formaldehyde (exposure level or duration), which cannot be explained by chance, bias, or confounding” (2016).

Just as a change in our diet can quickly and dramatically benefit our health, a change in our skincare products can lead to quick and beneficial results. It’s not too late to make the switch to organic skincare - in fact doing so as quickly as possible will only benefit your health.

2. An organic label may not mean organic.

Even if you are using products that market themselves as organic, are you sure your organic skincare is truly organic? 

In 1986, environmentalist Jay Westerveld coined the term ‘greenwashing’ to describe companies who wanted the marketing benefits of being environmentally friendly, while engaging in environmentally unfriendly practices (Watson, 2016). Corporations had learned quickly that consumers were willing to pay more for sustainable or all-natural products, so they used this to their advantage. 

This has been a marketing ploy proven to have been used by large corporations such as Nestle and Volkswagen, but it is pervasive in the skincare industry as well. The skincare industry is almost completely self-regulated in the US, meaning that ‘organic’ product on your shelf might be simply using that word as a marketing tool.

Clean beauty expert Jenny Duranski advises consumers on how they can assure that their products are truly organic. “So, how can you avoid being green-washed? Given that federal regulations are largely lacking (case in point, the EU has a list of over 1300 chemicals that are banned from personal care products, whereas only 11 are prohibited in the U.S.), it boils down to being an educated, savvy consumer and doing your due diligence...Rather than being swayed by overly “green” language, look for external certifications, such as the USDA-certified organic” (Rud, 2020).

At Pomology Skincare, our ingredients are 100% USDA certified organic. We don’t simply use the label to make ourselves feel good - we’ve done the work so we can offer you skincare certified organic to the highest standard.

3. Non-organic products you use are absorbed through our skin.

Our skin absorbs ingredients, which is why transdermal treatments such as nicotine patches work. The Centers for Disease Control, in an advisory for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, advises, “Dermal absorption is the transport of a chemical from the outer surface of the skin both into the skin and into the body. Studies show that absorption of chemicals through the skin can occur without being noticed by the worker, and in some cases, may represent the most significant exposure pathway. Many commonly used chemicals in the workplace could potentially result in systemic toxicity if they penetrate through the skin (i.e. pesticides, organic solvents). These chemicals enter the bloodstream and cause health problems away from the site of entry” (2013).

The research is clear - our skin provides a pathway to our internal systems including our blood and our internal organs. That means the products you choose, and all the toxins that come with them, will affect every system of your body. 

Pomology Skincare products are no exception to this rule - our products too will be absorbed by your skin. However, our meticulous standard of quality and care assure that our products are safe for your body and for those around you.

4. Non-organic products can affect reproductive health.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals such as phthalates, parabens, and formaldehyde affect more than just your own health - they could affect the health of future generations as well. If you are pregnant or trying to conceive, the choices you make about your products now will affect the reproductive health of your children.

In an article for the New York Times, Nick Kristof shares startling research that endocrine disrupting chemicals are resulting in reproductive issues including reduced sperm count and declining egg quality, even while in the womb. Kristof writes, “Patricia Ann Hunt, a reproductive geneticist at Washington State University, has conducted experiments on mice showing that the impact of endocrine disruptors is cumulative, generation after generation. When infant mice were exposed for just a few days to endocrine disrupting chemicals, their testes as adults produced fewer sperm, and this incapacity was transmitted to their offspring. While findings from animal studies can’t necessarily be extended to humans, after three generations of these exposures, one-fifth of the male mice were infertile” (Kristof, 2021).

It was vitally important to us to assure that our products were free of endocrine disrupting agents that could affect your reproductive health or the reproductive health of the little ones in your care. Our commitment to your health is firm - nothing in our products will affect your endocrine system.

5. Non-organic products’ harmful chemicals are not regulated by the government.

In 2010, the President’s Cancer Panel presented their annual report, focusing on environmental cancer risk. Dr. Leffall and Dr. Kripke wrote in their opening statement, “The Panel was particularly concerned to find that the true burden of environmentally induced cancer has been grossly underestimated. With nearly 80,000 chemicals on the market in the United States, many of which are used by millions of Americans in their daily lives and are un- or understudied and largely unregulated, exposure to potential environmental carcinogens is widespread” (Leffall & Kripke, 2010).

The report goes on to recommend stricter government legislation on dangerous chemicals, saying, “Environmental health, including cancer risk, has been largely excluded from overall national policy on protecting and improving the health of Americans. It is more effective to prevent disease than to treat it, but cancer prevention efforts have focused narrowly on smoking, other lifestyle behaviors, and chemopreventive interventions. Scientific evidence on individual and multiple environmental exposure effects on disease initiation and outcomes, and consequent health system and societal costs are not being adequately integrated into national policy decisions and strategies for disease prevention, health care access, and health system reform.”

The recommendation of the President’s Cancer Panel, as well as the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is for consumers to be attentive to ingredients as well as the processes by which the products they use are made. Consumers have to take initiative to research the ingredients of the products they are interested in, and even to understand how the product was manufactured.

Pomology Skincare has done the work for you when it comes to our products. We use ethically sourced, organic ingredients and all of our manufacturing is cruelty-free from start to finish. With us you can rest assured that your skin is getting the very best. 

We know that this information can be a lot to absorb and it may even scare you a bit. That’s why we created Pomology Skincare. We wanted a product that was sustainably sourced, ethical, and great for your health. With us, you don’t have to worry about nasty chemicals that can affect your health in serious ways. We did the work so you wouldn’t have to. We hope you’ll join us on our journey.

Bennett, J. (2016, July 26). Radioactive cosmetics. Retrieved April 14, 2021, from http://cosmeticsandskin.com/aba/glowing-complexion.php

Formaldehyde (Vol. 14, Rep. No. 14). (2016). US Department of Health and Human Services. https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/roc/content/profiles/formaldehyde.pdf

Kristof, N. (2021, February 20). What are sperm telling us? Retrieved April 13, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/20/opinion/sunday/endocrine-disruptors-sperm.html?searchResultPosition=12

Leffall, L. D., Jr, MD, & Kripke, M., PhD. (2010). Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk (Rep.). National Cancer Institute. https://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/advisory/pcp/annualreports/pcp08-09rpt/pcp_report_08-09_508.pdf

Rance, C. (2018, October 09). Dr MacKenzie's Improved Harmless Arsenic COMPLEXION WAFERS. Retrieved April 14, 2021, from http://thequackdoctor.com/index.php/dr-mackenzies-improved-harmless-arsenic-complexion-wafers/

Rud, M. (2020, October 22). What exactly is 'green-washing'-and why is it a problem? Retrieved April 14, 2021, from https://www.realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/skincare/what-is-green-washing

Skin exposures and effects. (2013, July 02). Retrieved April 13, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/skin/

Vigar, V., Myers, S., Oliver, C., Arellano, J., Robinson, S., & Leifert, C. (2019, December 18). A systematic review of organic versus conventional food consumption: Is there a measurable benefit on human health? Retrieved April 13, 2021, from https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/1/7/htm

Watson, B. (2016, August 20). The troubling evolution of corporate greenwashing. Retrieved April 14, 2021, from https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/aug/20/greenwashing-environmentalism-lies-companies





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