I made the (very long) journey to York this week to visit writer and author Kate Lock. After doing research for her book Confessions of an Eco Shopper, and finding some facts that she found alarming, Kate decided to start making her own beauty products. She makes everything from skin toners and perfumes to moisturisers and foot balms. She showed me how to make a few things. It all seemed pretty easy once you know how. However, I did wonder how many people would have the time (it took just under 40 minutes). It seems to me that not enough people care what is in their products anyway. Or at least they believe that they can trust chemicals that are safe according to EU regulations. However, even if they did care and wanted to change what they use, how many people have the time to make their own?
It also struck me that whilst there were no preservatives or synthetic chemicals in any of Kate's products, it isn't only these that are harmful. Really, a lot of what people might consider 'harmful' depends on the person using the product. Everyone is different and reacts differently to different chemicals. Kate uses essential oils in her products, calling them 'totally natural and harmless'. However, I know a few people who have allergic reactions to some essential oils.
This made me think ... how do we define 'harmful'?
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