Burt's Bees

Sulfates have been steadily gaining a bad rep in the beauty industry for the last few years. Why and what the heck are they? Sodium lauryl sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate and others are found in basically any cleaning product that lathers and foams: soaps, shampoos, bubble bath, toothpaste, and yes, oven cleaner. Here’s what’s known about sulfates: 1) They can irritate the scalp, skin, and eyes. 2)They strip the essential oils from hair, which is what gives you that squeaky clean feeling. But they also cause the hair to dry out and can lead to breaking and damage. 3) They can cause allergic reactions. 4) They’re bad for the environment (they can kill fresh water fish) and don’t break down easily. 5) The jury is still out on whether they’re carcinogens. Recent studies have shown that sulfates are safe to be applied or consumed, but other studies have shown that they turn into a carcinogen when combined with other chemicals. (Some of which, yes, are also found in shampoos). The FDA isn’t all that excited about it yet, and it remains a ubiquitous ingredient. 6) And yes, they can screw up your freshly minted Brazilian Blowout. Lots of people have chosen to use sulfate-free shampoos and the market has responded with a slew of products. We offer you some choices here.

Advertising conglomerate WPP just released its annual list of America's Greenest Brands--beauty labels Burt's Bees and Aveeno landed in the top ten. We're not surprised by either choice. Both Burt's Bees and Aveeno have made eco-consciousness a pillar of their branding strategies. And maybe most importantly, their products actually work. An interesting takeaway: no fashion brands or apparel retailers topped the list.