At last week’s Sustainable Business Council event here in LA, the topic was health and wellness. As a cool bonus at the event, the organization brought in Green Bliss, a mobile eco-spa, to provide free treatments. It was then that I realized just how much is going on in this industry.

Of course, the signs have been around for awhile. It seems that I’m constantly meeting people who are starting new organic soap or skincare lines. And at the LOHAS Conference in April, an entire section was dedicated specifically to the booming green spa industry.

But it looks like I’m behind the curve on this one, though talking with the Green Bliss folks last week was enlightening. They reminded me that every ingredient in a particular product would be absorbed through the skin or nails…eeks! They also pointed out that many products, like nail polish, were developed decades ago. Science has come a long way since then, and we’re all more knowledgeable about what we put in, and on, our bodies so we should take the time to educate ourselves. And, you can’t rely on labels that tout a product as “natural” or “organic” – you have to read the ingredients.

Whew! OK, I finally get it. I need to “green up” my products.

To help me in this quest, I went back to Green Options writer Rebecca Carter’s Tip O’the Day: Cosmetics That Cause Concern. She recommended going to the Environmental Working Group’s cosmetics safety database, Skin Deep. There, I searched for the products that I use most, and got a few surprises, both good and bad. This was great for the products I already use, or am considering, but what about when I’m in the store…what ingredients do I really need to avoid?

I found a list of some of the worst offenders at National Geographic’s Green Guide, which lays out the “Dirty Dozen” one by one, along with the scary stuff that results from their use. They even have a downloadable wallet card so that you can always have the list with you.

With tremendous growth occurring in the Natural Personal Care category, it’s important to be educated consumers. By resisting old habits and spending a little more time educating ourselves, perhaps we can push new products in a healthier direction, and do better for our bodies in the meantime.

Photo Credit: SpaFinder.com