Can the Color of a Product Indicate its Toxicity?

We’re always looking for easy-to-spot red flag warnings to help us become more educated consumers in the makeup aisle, because we all know that remembering a list of hard to pronounce ingredient “no’s” is close to impossible. Recently, over lunch with a friend, we started talking about the quirkiness of natural products and stumbled upon one red flag (or should we say "white flag"), which might just revolutionize the way you shop: the color of the product.  

This friend was telling us that, while she loved our Nighttime Antioxidant Serum, her husband was quick to point out the orange tint on her face when she put too much on. He was right. The Seabuckthorn Oil and the Co Q10 in the Nighttime Serum can leave behind an orange tint (it does go away, by the way), but since these two ingredients provide so many powerful benefits, we just couldn’t leave them out.  What about the color of our other products? Our Intensive Eye Repair has a grey tint and our Tamanu Luxury Facial Cleanser, Facial Dream Cream and Eco Body Lotion are more off white than pure white. Our Sugar Scrub is a bit beige due to the unrefined color of organic sugar and our Lavender Hand Butter will turn a little brown over time due to the real vanilla it contains. Is there something wrong with our products since they are not bright white like other lotions and creams on the market? Nope! There actually might be something wrong if a product is too white. 

While some of our ingredients are a brilliant white to begin with (think Shea Butter, Coconut oil, and Kokum Butter), when we mix them with other good-for-you ingredients, they start taking on a color all of their own. So, what about the other products that are pure white? If a product is pure white, it could indicate a chemical was used to achieve the color. Now we’re not saying all pure white products will contain chemicals, but it’s a good indication that you should take a second look at the ingredient listing. 

The same goes for unnaturally colored products, especially shampoos, conditioners, and body washes. While it’s fun to have your cucumber-scented body wash squirt out vibrant green, we’re pretty sure that wasn’t achieved from cucumbers. 

Take inventory of the products you have at home. Do this quick color test and if any of your products look unnaturally colored, type the product into the EWG’s Skin Deep Database and see how they rank. 

Are there any products that you use on a daily basis that surprised you with their toxicity?