November’s Book of the Month

Confused by all those unpronounceable ingredients on the label of your products (Try saying 2-t-Butylcyclohexyloxybutanol 5 times fast!)? You’d be amazed what’s really in your shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, hair dye, lipstick and the like. This book should be a part of everyone’s reference section! Ruth Winter has created an incredible resource- it’s easy to use and incredibly informative. The book reads like any dictionary. Simply look up the ingredient- from natural ingredients like oils or essential oils, to artificial F, D, and C colours and preservatives like parabens- and find an explanation in everyday language of the origins of the ingredient, its purpose, products it’s commonly found in, as well as any FDA cautions or known adverse effects. This book also contains great information on all the mystery acronyms, like BHA, BHT, DEA, DHA, and of course the whole PEG family.

This book is a great starting place to help educate us on what is actually in our products and which ingredients we should look out for, and therefore empowers us to be more conscious ingredient-savy consumers. Our purchasing habits have a huge impact on which products stay on the market! And if there isn’t an ingredient label on your products, call the company and ask for the complete list. If they try and side step, tell them you have an allergy (”I’m allergic to non-ecofriendly ingredients.”), and they legally have to tell you the complete list. This guide is updated every couple of years with all the latest unknown ingredients. When you pick up the newer issue, pass your old one on to a friend, and let the ingredient-informed revolution continue!