I once believed that all products purchased from a natural grocery could do nothing but improve my well-being. With the obvious exception of self-imposed damage — like eating an entire box of Peanut Butter Bumpers in one sitting (with unsulphured molasses and oat flour how bad could they really be?) — I relied on my local natural store to be a filtering system for goods that are unprocessed and toxin-free. This encompasses everything from food to cleaning supplies to sunscreen and lip balm. Just as it sells cookies that are liberated from hydrogenated oils and chicken that once led a happy, free-range existence, I expected my health food emporium to sell beauty products that were as pure as possible.

I was wrong.

All skin care products are not created equal and most healthy stores have lax, if any, requirements for the lotions and potions that fill their shelves. While many natural moisturizers and cleansers have refreshingly simple ingredient lists, they still fall prey to the most common culprit — parabens or para-hydroxybenzoate — preservatives that are frequently used in cosmetics and skin care treatments. Research has shown that parabens may increase the risk of breast cancer. In 2004 a British study found traces of five parabens in the breast cancer tumors of 19 out of 20 women.

The last time I visited my local natural food store, I spent 30 minutes in the health and beauty section searching for a moisturizer that did not list one of the five parabens: methyl, ethyl, propyl, benzyol, or benzyl. It was a challenging exercise and I eventually came back to Avalon Organics.

Unsure about the safety of your favorite beauty product? Check out the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep guide, a comprehensive source of toxicity levels and safety ratings for 988 popular brands.

[via Breast Cancer Fund]

Image: Avalon Organics