healthykids
teens
turning
green
by kristin bender
F
or years, Natalie Whalen stuck to one brand of eye- metic Safety Database. A 2004 EWG report further found
liner to accent her big brown eyes. Until, that is, she that one-third of all cosmetics contain one or more ingre-
found out that it contains formaldehyde, the same dients classified as possible carcinogens, with links to birth
chemical she used in high school biology class to dissect defects, cancer and reproductive harm.
frogs.
“I was completely clueless about what was in the
cosmetics savvy
products,” says this 18-year-old from Marin County, Cali-
Today, Whalen continues to be a committed cosmet-
fornia.
ics user, but now she’s a different kind of consumer. Like
Formaldehyde is a probable cancer-causing chemical,
most teens, she says she used to routinely buy mascara,
according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
eye shadows and skin care products from drug store racks
But because the federal Food and Drug Administration
and department store cosmetic counters without checking
does not review or approve cosmetic ingredients, it is also
ingredient labels. That has changed since she joined the
found in nail polish, insect repellant, liquid hand soap and
nonprofit group Teens for Safe Cosmetics, now called Teens
sunscreen, notes the Environmental Working Group’s Cos-
Turning Green, three years ago.
Whalen is now one of the group’s 500-plus teens doing
their bit to save Mother Earth. Over the past few years, they
have launched chapters in Dallas, New York City and Pitts-
burgh. Plans call for new chapters in Denver, Toronto, Rio
de Janeiro and Australia. The California-based organization
investigates chemicals in consumer products, advocates for
policy changes and educates youth and adults about how
to buy products that don’t harm their bodies or the envi-
ronment.
As a result, Whalen’s overall eco-consciousness now
extends to everything from organic tomatoes to chemical-
free face wash and recycled paper. “Whenever I buy new
stuff, I try to go as green as I can,’’ she says.
“Every part of your life can be green,” agrees Carly
Wertheim, 17, of Marin County, who was using chemical-
laden deodorant and mascara when she joined the local
group three years ago and “knew nothing.” She likes the
fact that when teens like her get involved in this cam-
34 Phoenix
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