After the shock of her grandmother’s cancer diagnosis wore off, Carly Wertheim got to work convincing her grandma Marilyn that she had to change the way she shopped.
No more Purell. No more commercial soaps, shampoos, lotions or perfumes.
Not the usual cancer treatment.
But it’s appropriate for Wertheim, a 16-year-old from Larkspur who, with her friend Aviva Maslow, is an active member of the Marin-based Teens For Safe Cosmetics, a youth-run nonprofit that educates teens and adults about toxic chemicals in personal care products.
The teens also encourage consumers to use safer alternatives and advocate for better laws regarding cosmetics and other hygiene products. (The billion-dollar cosmetics industry is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration).
“If I didn’t know about the toxins in my cosmetics and personal care products, that meant there were millions out there like me who didn’t know either,” Wertheim said. “I felt like the cosmetic industry was tricking me. I wanted to tell people like me who didn’t know.”
Since learning about the chemicals in over-the-counter beauty products, Wertheim has insisted her grandmother only use “safe,” or natural, products.
Her grandmother Marilyn is “a perfect example of a lover of makeup, perfume, shampoo,” Wertheim said. “And sure, you could say that didn’t make any difference, or that it might have played a small role [in her cancer diagnosis]. But it’s meant a lot to me how much she’s changed her lifestyle. And for an older woman, that’s really hard to do because she’s so used to everything she has.”
Wertheim and Maslow, who is also from Larkspur, spend a lot of time promoting the values of Teens for Safe Cosmetics. When they talk about the possible dangers of commercial beauty products, they speak with passion.
Recently the pair spoke to a group of women at Congregation Rodef Sholom in San Rafael, where both girls are members and also attend Midrasha, an after-school program for Jewish teens.
“The women were really engaged, and we got so many questions,” Maslow said.
“Our goal is to teach everyone, young and old,” she added. “We shouldn’t have to choose between a safe brand and an unsafe brand because everything should be safe. But until it isn’t an issue, people have to be really careful about what they put on their bodies and what they buy.”
The Redwood High School juniors’ crusade for safe cosmetics has not been nearly as well received in the girls’ bathroom or cafeteria. Teenage girls — and adult women — like their Great Lash and Lip Smackers. It’s not easy to get teens to care strongly about the issue, they said.
Still, they’re trying to lead by example. Both have changed what they put in their shopping carts and on their skin.
The first to go was commercial deodorant, which contains parabens and aluminum. Parabens may alter hormone levels, possibly increasing risks for certain cancers.
Next they changed their lotion, then shampoo and conditioner, then makeup, then perfume. They chucked anything that contained “the dirty dozen,” which Teens for Safe Cosmetics has identified as the most egregious, and pervasive, chemicals. Among the dirty dozen are talc, propylene glycol and formaldehyde.
Maslow and Wertheim attribute their commitment to safer cosmetics to their Jewish upbringing. Both are members of their synagogue. Maslow has spent many summers at Camp Tawonga and Camp Newman, and in January, she’ll be a Diller Teen fellow.
“Part of being Jewish is being vocal about issues you believe in — that’s one thing Judaism means to me,” Wertheim said. “So this is my way of taking that message, healing the world. This is the role I play in that.”
The Teens for Safe Cosmetics Campaign, in partnership with the National Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (www.safecosmetics.org), is hosting the third annual Teens for Safe Cosmetics National Summit on Feb. 1 and 2 in Ross. Teens from across the country will be attending. The goal is to engage young leaders and give them the tools to advocate for their right to health.
To see a list of chemicals to avoid and safer alternatives, go to www.teens4sc.org.