The Beauty Queen

In the case of Erin Schrode, beauty definitely goes beyond skin-deep. The precocious eco-activist from Ross—who’s taking a few months off from her junior year at Marin Academy to study acting in New York—launched the national Teens for Safe Cosmetics campaign three years ago to spread the word about green alternatives in the beauty industry. Since then, her bicoastal group of young women has hosted its third annual green educational summit and lobbied to help pass a safe-cosmetics bill in California. “Once you start thinking about these products you put on your skin 24-7, you start thinking critically about all kinds of things in your life: your clothes, your food, your paint, your towels, your bed,” she says. Now, Schrode is moving on to her next big eco-projects: She’s launching Teens Turning Green, a line of skin-care products for Whole Foods; spearheading two eco-lifestyle shows this month in New York and San Francisco; and soliciting donations for Alaffia Sustainable Skincare’s educational initiatives in West Africa, where she plans to travel this October with the company’s founder as an environmental ambassador. Schrode’s ultimate goal? That her example will inspire peers to take action. “If you start young,” Schrode says, “being green stays with you forever.”

WEB EXCLUSIVE

The Teens for Safe Cosmetics website lists the “Dirty Dozen+”: 15 chemicals appearing in many daily-use beauty products that you should avoid. Here are a few common ingredients that you might be surprised to find this list; check the TSC site for the rest, as well as a list of 56 cosmetic companies that sell “safe” beauty products, including such Bay Area–based favorites as Duchess Marden, EO and Juice Beauty.

Coal Tar
Function: Controls itching and eczema, softens and promotes the dissolution of hard, scaly, rough skin, also used in hair dyes.
Present in: Shampoos and hair dyes.
Health Concerns: International-agency government research on cancer says there is sufficient evidence that coal tars are carcinogenic in humans. The EU banned coal tar from cosmetics in 2004.

Petrolatum
Function: Petrochemical that forms a barrier on skin; makes lipsticks shine and creams smoother; helps to soften skin in the same way as other products but less expensive.
Present in: Creams, lotions, wax depilatories, eyebrow pencils, eye shadows, liquid powders, lipsticks.
Health Concerns: May be contaminated with impurities; linked to cancer or other significant health problems; causes allergic reactions. Banned by the EU.

Propylene Glycol
Function: Penetration enhancer; keeps products from melting in high heat or freezing when it is cold.
Present in: Shampoo/conditioners, bar soaps, body wash, face cleansers, liquid hand soaps, acne treatments, hair dyes, shaving products, moisturizers, makeup removers, toothpastes, sunscreens, perfumes, colognes, deodorants, toner/astringents, foundations, bronzer powders, nail polishes, lip products, eye shadow/pencils, mascaras.
Health Concerns: Alters skin structure, allowing other chemicals to penetrate deep into the skin, increasing the amount of other chemicals that reach the bloodstream; skin irritant; causes allergic reactions.

Talc
Function: Absorbs moisture.
Present in: Primary ingredient in blush and powder eye shadows, perfumed powders, baby powders, deodorants, soaps.
Health Concerns: Cosmetic-grade talc is a proven carcinogen; link between use of talcum powder and ovarian cancer; talc particles are similar to asbestos particles, and data suggests that it can cause tumors in the lungs; found to cause tumors in lab animals.