Target Beauty Goes Green

One of America’s most loved big box retailers is expanding its “green” product offerings with the addition of new brands that are free of questionable chemical preservatives and foaming agents. Minnesota-based Target announced it will carry a number of new brands that do not test on animals and are free of parabens, phthalates and sodium lauryl sulfates, which are used as preservatives and foaming agents. The news came one day before the long awaited release of the Rodarte for Target line.

The newest brands to grace the shelves at our beloved Target  include: Green by Nature, JASON, Kings & Queens, J.R. Watkins, Lavera, Nature’s Gate and Softlips. Among those brands, Green by Nature offers biodegradable hair accessories in packaging from recycled, BPA-free materials. J.R. Watkins is certified by the Natural Products Association, while Nature’s Gate and Jason use herbs and botanicals, and Kings & Queens uses herbs and spices. Lavera offers skincare, haircare and makeup, using organic ingredients where available, while Softlips’ products speak for themselves.

Target also includes a list of Natural products. Disclosure: according to the FDA, Natural means nothing and requires no extra measures are taken. Nevertheless, the list includes: Alba, who makes an amazing passionfruit line; Avalon Organics, which “uses 100 percent vegetarian ingredients”; Giovanni Organic Cosmetics, Kiss My Face, Weleda, which just released a pomegranate bodycare line; and the rags-to-riches brand Burt’s Bees’, which now serves all needs from haircare to tinted lip balm, and a few of our favorite brands.

Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps has been in the personal business for centuries! A family business, their pure-castile soaps are USDA certified organic and are packaged in 100% post-consumer recycled plastic cylinder bottles.  They are free of surfectants and petrochemicals, and feature omega-rich hemp oil. Furthermore, Dr. Bronners just went fair trade, changing the way they source some ingredients, namely coconut oil, which is a base for many products. They are also involved in the industrial hemp farming movement.

Eco-Tools, a new maker of cosmetic brushes and bath accessories, uses recycled stainless steel and aluminum,  bamboo, crushed walnuts and soybean oil. Finally, a brand people continue to discover at drugstores and subsequently rave about, is Yes to Carrots. Appreciated for its rich ingredients and reasonable price points,
Yes To Carrots fuses antioxidant-rich beta-carotene, with Dead Sea mud and minerals, and offers hair, face and body products made with with organically-sourced orange fruits and vegetables. It also has a Yes To Tomatoes collection.

Studies on the impact of chemical preservatives and foaming agents are in the early stages and in some products, these chemicals may be just 1% of ingredients. However, wherever available, some feel safer with chemical free products. Please note that if a product has no preservatives, it might have a shorter shelf life.

Read the cosmetics labels as you would food labels, check the price per ounce, and shop smart this holiday season.