What is the Environmental Working Group (EWG)?

The environmental working group (EWG) is an organization that conducts independent research on various chemical ingredients, consumer products, and more. The object of their research is to help people understand the environmental impact of the things they buy and use on their bodies.

The EWG uses their reports to establish safety and sustainability ratings for ingredients and products regularly, and they update their findings when new research is presented.

Their focuses are broader than simply medical products; they also conduct research on issues regarding agriculture, food & water, energy production, chemical toxicity, and more.

When we discuss ingredient safety in our ingredient library, we regularly refer to the EWG’s safety and sustainability rating because we consider their data fairly reliable, and their research is public.

Their scoring system is between 1-10 when rating ingredient safety and sustainability. 1 is considered the best score, with 10 being the worst score.

Dermatologists, pharmacologists, and many other kinds of doctors use the findings provided by the EWG to help keep their patients healthy.

what is the ewg?

Is the Environmental Working Group trustworthy?

The EWG is considered trustworthy insofar as they do good, transparent research on the most important ingredients in public health.

There have been claims online by various sources that the EWG tends to slightly overstate the danger of an ingredient, but they do not ever understate danger. This is to say, if the EWG thinks an ingredient or product is safe, it likely is because they are so willing to call things dangerous.

Because the EWG is so tentative to deem ingredients or products safe, we consider them a good resource for consumers concerned about the environment and their own health.

On the other hand, products or ingredients with worse safety ratings on their websites might not be quite as dangerous as they appear. If you’re ever looking to use an ingredient or product deemed unsafe by the EWG and you don’t want to take their word for it, their research is available through a search engine within their website.

You can find our dermatologist’s opinions on ingredient safety in this clean ingredient blog or by looking up the ingredient name in our ingredient library.

Who funds the EWG?

Interestingly, the majority of funding given to the EWG comes from individual donations, not corporate pharmaceutical entities.

According to their website, about a third of their funding comes from private charitable foundations.

The remainder of their proclaimed income comes from events, licensing, and “miscellaneous” sources.

Overall, the EWG is remarkably transparent regarding the breakdown of their funding, making an effort to demonstrate their particular interest in keeping people safe instead of pushing bad products.

It’s always important to keep the bankrollers of a research organization in mind when relying on their work. In instances where corporations conduct their own independent research on their own products, that can’t be considered reliable data.

For that reason, it is reassuring to see organizations like the EWG conducting research on a broad swathe of products and ingredients in a manner seemingly unmanipulated by large pharmaceutical companies.

Who works for the EWG?

The research teams as well as the board members of the EWG have a diverse set of professional backgrounds. Research scientists, data analysts, toxicologists, and many other types of people contribute to the research operations at the EWG.

Just as with their funding reports, the EWG is forthcoming with the names and faces of their team members. This is good for consumers because people are held more accountable when their faces and names are public.

The people at the EWG make appearances on national news regularly to state their findings, and are often referenced by popular media outlets (like John Oliver’s “Last Week Tonight.”)

This organization styles itself as a genuine proponent for public health, and each of the people involved with their research seem willing to put themselves into public view. You can check out their team pages on their website as well.

The bottom line is that anybody can do research, but the people at the EWG are actually doctors with an actual interest in public health.

Do we work for the EWG?

We do not work for the EWG, or any particular research council mentioned in our ingredient blogs.

We do not receive any kind of benefits from them for mentioning their work in our blogs, and we do not seek to either. The EWG is one of many sources considered in the construction of our ingredient blogs, but certainly not the only one.

The other major source in safety we consider is the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Board (who we also do not work for). Their data on safety precautions is considered overly cautious by some experts, which honestly makes us comfortable using their grading system.

Otherwise, we look far and wide for compelling, verified research on common skin care ingredients, most often using published journals from within the Dermatology community, and frequently referring to research conducted at the Baumann Cosmetic & Research institute in Miami, Florida.

The EWG is a useful resource for our writing because their focus is on environmental sustainability and personal wellness, which many other organizations do not focus on.

In short; our blogs are composed without any corporate or organizational pressures, they are all written 100% independently. You can find our dermatologist’s opinions on clean ingredients here.

Conclusion

The Environmental Working Group is an organization committed to public health that provides transparency in their funding, research, and personnel.

Through their research, different grades of safety and sustainability are applied to products; this helps consumers make safe choices for their skin care and general wellbeing.

The EWG tends to label ingredients as slightly more dangerous than they really might be, which is frankly a good thing for consumers; it’s better than understating danger by leaps and bounds.

When we indicate the EWG as a safety reference in our ingredient blogs, we are confident in their scoring, unless noted otherwise.

There are other safety organizations for cosmetic ingredients, primarily the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel. In many cases for our ingredient blogs, we will use either or both of these references.

If you’d like to learn more about the Environmental Working Group and work they do for public health, we definitely recommend checking out their website so you can form your own critical analysis of their research.

We hope you feel more confident about finding sustainable choices in skin care!

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DQH Can I use salicylic acid first and then vitamin C? It’s easy to create a skincare routine, but knowing how to use it is another thing entirely. In most cases, if you’re not getting the desired skin results, it could be due to the layering of conflicting ingredients. So, is it possible that salicylic acid and vitamin C are such ingredients? Or are these active ingredients the duo that’s been missing from your skincare routine? If you want answers, stick around because today we are going to explain the benefits of salicylic acid and vitamin C and how they can be used in your daily life. What are the benefits of salicylic acid for skin? Salicylic acid is one of the most commonly used beta hydroxy acids and is favored by many people with oily, acne-prone skin. This acid is derived from willow bark, and unlike its water-soluble relatives (called alpha-hydroxy acids), salicylic acid is oil-soluble, which means it can penetrate deeper into the lower layers of the skin. Once it reaches the lower layers, it can help unclog pores of excess sebum, dirt, bacteria, debris, and impurities. This results in clearer skin tones and greater definition. Not only does salicylic acid benefit the underlying layers, but the outer surface of the skin benefits as well. When applied to the skin, salicylic acid removes the buildup of dead skin cells. This is accomplished by breaking the bonds that hold dead cells to the surface. Over time, this can cause the complexion to look dull and prone to acne, blackheads, and other blemishes. If you’d like to learn more about salicylic acid and how it can improve your skin, check out this dedicated blog post from a beauty insider. What are the benefits of vitamin C for skin? Vitamin C is considered one of the most powerful antioxidants, which means it is very effective at fighting free radicals and preventing them from causing further skin damage. Examples of free radicals include pollution, central heating, UV rays and harsh climate. They attack proteins, fats and cell membranes as soon as they come into contact with the skin, causing signs of premature aging such as fine lines and wrinkles as well as hyperpigmentation, flaky patches of skin and loss of elasticity. Many people usually prefer to use vitamin C in their morning routine as this ingredient gives the complexion a radiant glow. You’ll also find that vitamin C can target areas of hyperpigmentation, plumping the skin and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The thing about vitamin C is that there are a lot of outdated studies going back to the 1950s that describe vitamin C as an unstable skin component. Thanks to improvements in modern technology, this is no longer the case as all products now contain a stable form of vitamin C. Visit The Beauty Insider to learn more about vitamin C. So please check out our blog post. Can I use salicylic acid first and then vitamin C? Yes, you absolutely can. In fact, it’s thought that using salicylic acid before using vitamin C ensures it penetrates faster and works faster. This is an efficient way to utilize two power sources, and the reason has to do with pH. For example, the skin’s natural pH is about 4.7, making it slightly acidic. Salicylic acid and vitamin C are also both acidic, and you’ll find that vitamin C is absorbed quickly into the skin. Therefore, using salicylic acid beforehand can increase the acidity of the skin and allow vitamin C to penetrate into the skin faster. While this is considered an effective way to combine two powerful ingredients, you need to be aware of your skin type and how it reacts to certain active ingredients. Even people with perfect, normal skin can experience skin sensitivity and irritation. Therefore, always consult a doctor or dermatologist before using any new products on your skin. It’s also important to follow skin application rules. In this case, you need to use the product correctly to ensure you get the best results for your skin. If you’re not sure what I mean, the basic rule for skin is to start with the thinnest consistency and work your way up to the thickest consistency. This prevents a barrier from forming on the surface, preventing other active ingredients from penetrating the skin. Can I use salicylic acid at night and vitamin C in the morning? Yes, absolutely, this is considered the most effective way to get returns without any adverse side effects. This is because there is enough time between applications to ensure that the skin’s pH levels return to balance. You’ll also find that Vitamin C is rich in antioxidants and is perfect for use in the morning to ensure your skin is protected and looking its healthiest. Due to the small size of salicylic acid molecules, it is an acid that is able to reach the deepest parts of the skin. While this is effective at keeping skin clear, it also increases the risk of irritation and photosensitivity. Therefore, many people prefer to use powerful BHAs in their evening routine without exposure to UV rays, pollution, or harsh weather. Warning: If you avoid using sunscreen every day, none of these ingredients will do what your skin needs. The combination of chemical peels and powerful ingredients increases the risk of further damage to the skin’s surface. Use SPF 50 every day to keep your skin protected and your lipid barrier healthy, even on cloudy days, keeping your skin in top condition.

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