There’s no single, agreed-upon definition of “natural” in the beauty industry – so how do you know if your natural products are legit? When checking out labels, it may be helpful to refer to Nine Naturals’ ingredients list, which was developed to explain each of their natural ingredients, what it does, and what it’s made of. It can help you familiarize yourself with names that may sound unnatural (like glyceryl stearate) that are actually completely OK — in this case, an emollient derived from coconuts. On the flipside, sometimes natural doesn’t always mean safe. Soy is natural, but there have also been studies showing soy may also have an impact on hormones. You can also look for products that have a seal guaranteeing the ingredients are natural. But keep in mind that just because a product doesn’t have that seal doesn’t mean it’s not natural — getting certifications can be a rigorous, pricey process, so plenty of brands (especially smaller, more homegrown ones) won’t have any sort of seal. And don’t beat yourself up about being perfect. “The average woman uses 12 beauty products a day – that’s 168 different ingredients,” says Grace Lee, founder of pregnancy-safe beauty line Nine Naturals. “If you are switching out a majority of the products you use regularly, great job! You are hitting a large portion of your exposures from beauty products.”
READ MORE: How to Change Your Beauty Routine During Pregnancy
