Health and Beauty- Non-Toxic Opportunities
Written by Cathy on January 1, 2009 – 8:05 am -As I was smearing lotion and makeup on last night in preparation for New Years Eve- I got to thinking how do cosmetics effect my eye health? Everybody uses some kind of beauty product, from toothpaste, shampoo and makeup. According to the Environmental Working Group “ The 10,500 unique chemical ingredients in these products equate to about one of every eight of the 82,000 chemicals registered for use in the U.S. Personal care products contain carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxins, endocrine disruptors, plasticizers, degreasers, and surfactants. They are the chemical industry in a bottle.”
Plus: (this is scary)
- Only 11% of personal care products are tested for safety
- FDA has no authority to regulate personal care products
What does that have to do with you? As the optical professional shouldn’t you be offering beauty products that are safe for the eyes? Is this a blushing opportunity? If you go to a dentist, they offer tooth whitening, Plastic Surgeons offer makeup and I have been to a few Ophthalmologist’s office where they offer beauty products. I was in an O.D. office in Texas where they were connected to a day spa- plus dermatologists are getting into the act. None of these ‘professionals’ would be selling any health or beauty products unless- they believed in the health benefits and they were not profitable.
I can already hear what you may be thinking-
- It costs money
- I don’t have the space
- I don’t know anything about beauty products
- It’s unprofessional
- Doesn’t fit my image
- You’re absolutely crazy.
- That’s way to out of the box for me!
Before you dismiss me as a ‘Whack Job’ consider the following facts:
Eye Boggling Stats:
- Personal Care Market is $40-$60 Billion (USA) recession proof industry v.s. Optical’s measly 17 Billion dollar industry (USA)
- Average American Women spends from $200- $5,000 per year in cosmetics. See Article in Siren Magazine (Article states Women spend $12,00- $15,000 per year)
- The Average American Adult uses 8-10 different Skin Care products every day.
What does that mean to you? 10 Reasons to Carry Personal Care Products
1.) Your health and beauty market potential is bigger than your optical potential. Appeal to everybody rather than the 40% of Americans who have to wear corrective lenses.
2.) You would be offering a product that is good for all your patients- enhancing eye health
3.) Profit potential is excellent – The average markup is 65%.
4.) Increase word of mouth referrals- Consumers (especially women) talk about beauty products and make recommendations on where to get them.
5.) Increase Patient Retention- Offer a product that is disposable (meaning they come back over and over to purchase)
6.) Increase ‘healthy’ impulse sales
7.) Increase your ‘Talk Factor’. Gives you and your staff something else to talk about rather than insurance.
8.) Organic and Non-Toxic Products are growing at a healthy 20.9% a year v.s. a 1% in optical. New research from The Natural Marketing Institute (NMI) released in 2008 reveals that consumers are increasingly incorporating organic into their lifestyles. Total household penetration across six product categories has risen from 57 percent in 2006 to 59 percent in 2007. The research also showed that the number of core users has increased from 16 percent in 2006 to 18 percent in 2007 Source: http://www.nmisolutions.com/
9.) Overcome Managed Care Syndrome!
10.) It’s good for the environment.
Where to Go to Get Products?
I’ve listed a few non- toxic personal care companies below. The best resource for all personal care companies, are those who signed the Safe Cosmetic Pact. Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a coalition working to protect your health by calling for an elimination of ingredients linked to cancer, birth defects and other health problems. Many of the listed companies are Certified USDA Organic. But all companies have been tested by Safe Cosmetics. What you will find interesting- is to plug in your personal care products and find out the toxin levels. I have now eliminated and in the process of eliminating most of my health and beauty products.
Please note- these are only a few of the signers- I have not used most of them. If you want to check them out personally- there is a store locator notation on the listing if they are sold though a brick and mortar location. Most companies do sell wholesale- you would have to call them for wholesale information.
My recommendation is to start small- put in products such as make up remover, lotions as a start and work up from there.
- 100% Pure – (Oakland CA) Have Store in Oakland- International but sold on line
- 21st Century HealthCare Inc. International and sold at Amazon, Longs, CVS
- 32 Degrees North (Island Comfort) (Encinitas, CA) sold online -Blog on site
- A Wild Soap Bar (Manor Texas) Store Locator on Site
- Abbey Brown (Chicago, Ill) has 1 retail store, sold online and Chicago Farmers Markets
- Abbey St. Claire (Danville, VA) sold online- no store locator on site
- Absolutely Organic (TX)- sold online and at Farmer’s Market in Katy Texas
- Acquarella LLC (Tucson, AZ) Nail polish – sold online
- Act By Nature,(Minneapolis, MN) Hair colorants – sold online
- Adriaflor (Moss Beach, CA) Hydrosols, Essentials Oils) Sold online
- Advanced Botanical Research (AZ) Store locator on Site
- Affordable Mineral Makeup (FL) sold online/consultants- has blog on site
- Affusion Skin Care (Alpharetta, GA) sold online
- Afrumos (Portland, OR) Mineral makeup, sold online
- After Inked, LLC Tattoo lotion, sold online, Store locator on site
- Afterglow Cosmetics- sold online and Store locator on site
- Ageless Knowledge (Lily Dale, NY) sold online, no store locator on site
- Aguacate & Co. LLC Store locator onsite, sold online
- AHA! Inc. (NC) Oils, sold online
- Ajara Ayurvedic Beauty (Central USA) Sold online
- Akabi Products (Montrose, CA) sold online
- Akron Grove Bath Products (Lockport, NY) – sold online/through consultants
- Alabu Soap (NY) Store locator on site
- Alaska Glacial Mud Co. (Cordova, AK) sold online
- Alchemilla Store locator on site, Blog on site
- Alchemist’s Apprentice -sold online
- Algaeron (Bradenton, FL) distributed by Sea Extracts- sold online
- Alima Cosmetics (Portland, OR) Sold online, Store locator on site
- All Natural Creations (Colorado Springs, CO) sold online
- All Terrain (NH) products for outdoors Store locator on site
- Alpenglow Skin Care (Homer, AK) sold online, store locator on site
- Alpha Skin Care (Staten Island, NY) sold online
- Alteya Organics (IL) sold online
- Amazon Drops/(LA, CA) sold online and a few stores in LA
- Amazon Superfoods,(Jupiter, FL) Inc. sold on line, huge amount of products
- Amber’s Aromatherapy -sold online
- Amurie Toxic Free Products (Northhampton, PA) sold online
- Angelic Aromas (Oakland, CA) Store locator on site
- Anise Cosmetics (Miami, FL) Nail Care – sold online,
- Annae (Crystalline Skin Care)(Boulder, CO) sold on line,
- Anna Bellina (GA) sold online
- Anti-body Fair Trade,)Sierra Madre, CA_ Coop America , Blog online, sold online
- Aroma 1 (Woodland Hills, CA) sold online Store locator on site
- Aroma Crystal Therapy Ltd. sold online, store locator on site
- Aroma Naturals (Irvine, CA) sold on line, store locator on site
- AromaDance
- Aromafloria Natural Products (Huntington Station, NY) USDA Organic -sold online
- Aroma-herbals
- Aromaland Inc (Sante Fe, NM) sold online
- Aromatic Oasis (Appleton, WI) have retail store and sold online
- Art Marhanka, (PA) sold online, blog
- Aubrey Nicole Mineral Makeup & Skin Care(LA) sold online
- Aubrey Organics (Tampa, FL) Store locator on site
- Aurora Group,(Hackensack, NJ) sold online
- Aurora Nova, LLC (Boulder, CO) sold online
- Australian Scent (Brooklyn, NY) sold online, store locator on site
- Avalon Natural Products - sold online
- Ayuroma Inc. (Wheaton, IL)
- Azida, Inc (Sierra Vista, AZ) Coop America, recyclable bottles, sold online
- B R Y C E Organics (RI) Store Locator on Site
- BABYBEARSHOP (Nashville, TN) Store Locator on Site, Blog available, Coop America
- Badger Company(Gilsun, NH) Store Locator on Site, Coop America
- Ballard Organics-) Seattle, WA) Retail Store and Farmers Markets, Organic, Vegan
- Bamboo Aesthetics, Inc.(San Jose, CA) Sold online
- Bare Body Herbal Company,
- bareFaced Mineral Cosmetics (Venice, FL) have showroom – have store locator.
- Barely There Mineral Wear(MD) order online
- Baremineral Indulgence
- BaSIX and Beyond, (Springfield Gardens, NY) Order online
- Bath and Bubble Company(Lincoln, NE) order online
- Bath By Bettijo LLC (Tolleson, AZ) Sold online
- Bath Petals (Gardena, CA) Sold online
- Bath Promotions (Gardena, CA) Custom imprinted bath products
- Bathos (Franklin, TN) sold online
- Bayliss Ranch Botanicals (CA)
- Be Products (Newton, MA) Sold through major drugstores, Store locator on line
- BearDog Productions, Inc.(Scottsdale, AZ) Store locator on site
- Beaute Club (TX)
- Beaute Mineral (Fairview, OR) online
- Beautescentuals - Sold online- Blog on site
- BeauteStarr (Wetumpka, AL) day spa, products sold on line
- Beautiful Diva Mineral Cosmetics (Milford, CT) sold online or through consultants
- Beautimark (Dallas, TX) sold online- Store locator on site
- Beauty 4 Ashes Christian Health & Beauty Co.
- Beauty Bliss Cosmetics (Richland, WA) Blog on site, Sold online
- beauty by Saria Sold online
- Beauty from the Earth (Syracruse, KS) Affiliate program-, Sold online
- Beauty of Nature - Sold Online- Certified Organic
- Beauty without Cruelty (Petaluma, CA) store locator on Site
- Bee Soft & Natural (Bolivar, MO) sold online
- BeeCeuticals Organics (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) Fair Trade, Certified Organic Store Locator
- Belacrema (order online
- Bella Bug Boutique (MO) order online
- Bella Lucce (Irmo, SC) Order online, Store locator on site
- Bella Pierre Cosmetics (international) Retail locator on site
- Bella Terra (Eastern US) Recycling program, Organic Consumers Ass.
- Bella Ve Natural Skin Care Company - Sold online
- BellaPelle, Inc.(San Francisco, CA) Retail Store, sold on line
- Belle’s Botanicals (Chico, CA) store locator on site
- Belli Cosmetics (WA) Sold online, store locator on site
- Bellissima Trucco Minerale (Cranston, RI) sold online
- Benedetta (Petaluma, CA) sold online
- Bentlin Products, LLC (NJ) sold online
- Berry Towne Crafts (NC) Retail store and sold online
- Besso de Natura (Kalamazoo, MI) sold online
- Best Bath Store, (MA) Sold online
- BestSource Inc. (Grafton, WI) Teens, Blog on site, sold online
- Bethel Botanicals (online)
- BienElla, (Shoreline, WA) sold online
- Biggs & Featherbelle Sold online, Store Locator on site
- Biossentials (Sanibel, FL) sold online
- Biotropica (Beaver Falls, PA) sold online
- Black Pearl Botanicals LLC (NM) sold online
- Blackberry Creek Natural Soap (PA) sold online
- Blooming Body (Pittsburgh, PA) sold online
- Blooming Lotus (Kansas City, MO) Co-op Approved, Store Locator on Site
- Blue Bell Naturals (Sold online)
- Blue Ridge Gypsy Studio -Store locator on site- sold through many pharmacies
- Bnurtured (MD) sold online, store locator on site
- Boda Nails- sold online, nail care
- Body Bistro (Beverly Hills, CA) sold online , Fair trade, Plant for the Planet
- Body Butter Factory (MD) retail store, sold online
- Body Crystal (Huntington Beach, CA) Retail Store and sold online
- Body Dee Lites- (PA) Sold online
- Body Shop International- Store locator on site
- Bodyceuticals - Store locator on site
- BodyTopia (CA) order on line
- Bodyware (Mission Viego, CA)
- Bon Sante Corp.( Eugene, OR) Private label
- Bonicca (Hayward, CA) sold online
- Botanical Earth (MO) Sold online- Blog on site
- Botanical Roots (CO) Sold online
- Botanicalbasics (Ashville, NC) Sold online- Store locator on site
- Botany Bath Works (Groveland, MA) sold online
- Brazilian Bronze Sold online, store locator on site
- Brittanie’s Thyme (Cedar Spring, MI) sold online, store locator on site
- Brown Bag Botanicals (Sacramento, CA) sold online, store locator on site
- Brown Butterfly (WA) Sold online. store locator on site
- Bubble and Bee Organic (Bountiful, UT) Sold online
- Bubble Goddess Bath Company (Englewood, CO)
- Burgundy Soap Co. (Albington, MD) Sold online, store locator on site, affiliate programs
- Burt’s Bees, Inc. Store Locator on Site
- B’Veja Botanica (Bossier City, LA) sold online
- By Nature Soap (Goldsboro, NC) Retail Store and sold online
- Calen Hill Botanicals, (Holly Hills, NC) sold online
- California Baby store locator on site
- Canary Cosmetics (LaCrosse, WS) sold online
- Caribbean Blue – Natural Basics (Miami, FL) sold online
- Caribbean Sol (Orlando, Fl) sold online, store locator on site
- Carrot Tree Soaps and Essentials (Pulaksi, WI) sold online
- CcNatural (NY) sold online, Blog on site
- Cedar Spring Herb Farm (MA) sold online
- Chae Organics, Inc. (LaVeta, CO) sold online
- Chagrin Valley Soap and Craft (OH)sold online
- Chartreuse, Inc. - recycled packaging, home parties,
- Chillessence (Pennington, NJ) Co-op America, sold online
- Christopher Drummond Beauty : sold online
- Ciao Bella! Naturals: sold online
- Classy Minerals: sold online , affiliate program
- Clean George sold online
- CleanWell Company store locator on site
- Clearly Natural, LLC store locator on site
- Cleure Grace Products (Camarillo, CA) sold online and home parties
- Climb On! Products (Wimberly, TX) store locator
- Cloverleaf Farm (Effington, NH) sold online and farm stand
- CNaturals, Inc. sold online – Affiliates,
- Coast to Coast Soapworks, Etc. Women co-op, sold online
- Coastal Classic Creations (Montara, CA) sold online
- Coastal Scents (K-Plex LLC) (Naples, FL) sold online
- CocoaPink sold online
- Cocoon Apothecary sold online, store locator on site
- Collective Wellbeing (Irwindale, CA) sold online
- Colorevolution sold online
- Columbus & Calhoon (AZ) sold online, store locator on site
- Corrective Skin Care Clinic WY, UT, clinic, sold online
- Cosmetics Without Synthetics (Dewey, AZ) sold online
- Cotton Creek Soap and Sundries (TN) sold online
- Country Hill (Blue Ridge, TX) sold online
- Created Natural (Clackamas, OR) sold online, home parties
- Creating Harmony LLC (Bloomington, IN( sold online, Coop America,
- Creation Farm(Frankfort, MI) :Soaps/ soap making supplies, blog
- Crush Groove Cosmetics (Soulistic NYC) sold online, affiliate program
- CRUSH Minerals (TX, CT) sold online
- CURLS (Elk Grove, CA) sold online , blog on site , for curly hair
- Cypress Lake Soap (Oxford, MS) sold online
- Daisy Blue Naturals (Albert Lea, MN) sold online, home parties
- Dancing Dingo Luxury Soap (Austin, TX),sold online, blog, Leaping Bunny,
- DASH Minerals (CMT) sold online, home parties,
- Dead Sea Warehouse (Incline Village, NV) sold online, store locator on site
- Dechant Sheer Minerals & Skin Essentials (Hutchinson, KS) sold online, store locator on site, reps
- Demarah wierd site, no contact info,
- Depth (Petaluma, CA) sold online
- derma e Natural Bodycare sold online, store locator
- Dermaviduals USA Philidephia, PA) sold online
- Destiny Boutique (Oceanside, CA) sold online
- Devita Natural Skin Care Systems sold on line, store locator on site
- Dimpleskins Naturals sold online, store locator on site
- Disquieting Designs (PA) sold online, store locator
- Diva SpaWorks (TX) sold online, and shows
- DNA Health Institute spa, – not quite sure about this one
- Donna Marie Beauty Products, (Washington, DC, sold online
- Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps (Escondido, CA) online and Trader Joes,
- Dr. Fields Sacred Skin (Ft. Collins, CO) sold online
- Dremu Skin Care (Miami, FL) sold online
- Dropwise Essentials (San Francisco,CA) sold online
- Duchess Marden (Mill Valley, CA) Store locator on site
- Dulcibella Beauty Products, Inc.(Flower Mound, TX, Cellulite scrubs
- E Sutras (Chicago, IL) sold online USDA Organic, Coop America
- Earth Angel Minerals sold online
- Earth and Sea Essentials - (Waxahachie, TX) order online, has refillable program
- Earthceuticals order online
- Earth Elixirs, Inc.order online,- wierd site, categories don’t go anywhere.
- Earth Exchange Corporation (Houston, TX) sold online, for active teens
- Earth Mama & Angel Baby sold online, Store locator, for babies
- Earth Solutions (Atlanta, GA) sold online,
- Earth Tribe (Los Angeles, CA) sold online
- Earthlight Organics (Santa Barbara, CA) sold online
- Earth’s Beauty (Dewey,AZ) store locator on site, sold online
- Ecco Bella Botanical(Montclair, NJ) store locator, sold online
- EclipseSpa (Danville, CA) sold online, blog,
- Eco Candle Company( Neenah, WI) sold online, candle maker, retail store
- Eco-Beauty Organics (Bonner’s Ferry, ID) sold online
- EcoNatura Inc (store locator on Site)
- Eden’s Kiss- store locator on site, blog
- El Milagro Herbs (Santa Fe, NM) sold online
- Elayne’s Garden Organics (NH) sold online
- Electric Body, LLC (Marina del Rey,CA_ sold online , affiliate program
- Elegant Minerals (PA) sold online
- Elina Herbal Skin Clinic(Chicago, IL, MI) sold online
- Elysian Dream (Marysville, WA) sold online
- Emani Minerals (Norco, CA) sold online
- emerginC (NY,NY) sold online
- Emily Skin Soothers, Inc (Ipswich, MA) sold online, Store locator on site
- Emz Blendz Soap Co. (Ashland, OR) order online, Co-op America, retail store
- Enchantress Body Shoppe (TN) retail store, sold online
- Encoura (Madison, WS) sold online
- Enfusia-Cocoon sold online
- Enticed by Nature (Smithtown, NY) sold online
- EO Products/Small World Trading Co Inc. (CA) Blog on site
- Epicurean Shea Butter Company affiliate program , store locator on site
- Erbaviva (CA) USDA Organic
- Erth Minerals - store locator on site, makeup blog
- ESP Essential Skin Products TM Inc. (FL)
- Essence of Vali (NY)
- Essential Garden (Lockport, NY) sold online
- Eufora International (San Diego, CA) store locator on site
- European Salt Works-sold online, Friends of the Earth
- Evanhealy Skin Care (sold online )
- Eve Organics sold online, truth in labeling, Coop America, Organic
- Everlast Beauty, Inc. (Orem, UT) sold online
- Everyday Lip Gloss (MI)retail store and sold online
- Everyday Minerals(TX) sold online
- Faerie Made (Asheville, NC) sold online, store locator
- Faerie Organic- sold online
- Fairmax Ontario Inc – sold online
- Faith Skincare (laguna Beach, CA) sold online
- Farah D, LLC (Arlington, TX) sold online, store locator on site
- Farfalla Essentials sold online
- Farmaesthetics(Portsmouth, RI) sold online
- Federmal Therapeutic Skin Care (skokie, IL) sold online
- FemLogic.(Canyon Country, CA) sold online
- Ferlow Botanicals (Vancouver, BC) sold online
- FERRO Cosmetics(Buffalo, NY) sold online, blog, affiliate program
- Fire and Water Sundries (AZ) sold online
- Florere, Inc. (Winnekta, CA) sold online, store locator on site
- Flower Peddler (Mechanicsville,VA) sold online, store locator on site
- For My Kids sold online, store locator on site, affiliate program
Resources and Articles
“US marshals seized 12,682 applicator tubes of Age Intervention Eyelash, the use of which can damage some users’ eyesight. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asked the marshals to seize the cosmetic eye products, which have a market value of over $2 million.”
From Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America- “Certain medications and cosmetics can also cause eye allergy symptoms. By way of response to these allergens and irritants, the body releases chemicals called histamines, which in turn produce inflammation.”
U.S Food and Drug Administration- Eye Cosmetic Safety
From the Organic Trade Association
- U.S. sales of organic food and beverages have grown from $1 billion in 1990 to an estimated $20 billion in 2007, and are projected to reach nearly $23 billion in 2008. Organic food sales are anticipated to increase an average of 18 percent each year from 2007 to 2010. Source: 2007 OTA Manufacturer Survey Representing approximately 2.8 percent of overall food and beverage sales in 2006, this continues to be a fast growing sector, growing 20.9 percent in 2006. Source: 2007 OTA Manufacturer Survey
- Organic non-food sales grew 26 percent in 2006. Source: 2007 OTA Manufacturer Survey
- Total U.S. organic sales, including food and non-food products, were $17.7 billion in 2006, up 21 percent from 2005. They are estimated to have reached $21.2 billion in 2007, and are projected to surpass $25 billion in 2008. Source: 2007 OTA Manufacturer Survey
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