We talk a lot about natural beauty products and toxic ingredients – and it’s no cute hobby. Unfortunately, just because an ingredient is allowed in the products we use everyday doesn’t necessarily mean that they are safe (see one example here). As consumers, we’ve got to be our own advocates and do a little bit of our own homework – we’ll keep trying to help you out there!

The good news is that natural products are having a real moment these days and the options for stylish and safe beauty are better than ever!

If you’re still on the fence about how much all this natural beauty mumbo jumbo really matters, we thought this recent study was quite compelling. Check it out..

In a recent collaborative study between UC Berkeley, Clinica de Salud del Valle de Salinas, and a team of youth researchers, one hundred teen girls swapped their conventional beauty products for products free of chemicals like phthalates, parabens, triclosan and oxybenzone.

According to the study, after just three days urine samples showed a dramatic change in all of the women’s toxic loads, including a decrease of 27 percent in phthalate, commonly used in fragrances, a 45 percent decrease in parabens, used as preservatives in cosmetics, and a 36 percent decrease in triclosan, found in antibacterial soaps and some brands of toothpaste, and benzophenone-3 (BP-3), found in some sunscreens under the name oxybenzone.

Find the results of this study as creepy and compelling as we do? Here’s how to protect yourself and make smarter choices in the products you use every day:

Scratch that| Learn more about common, but potentially toxic beauty ingredients here: The Dirty Dozen – 12 Ingredients To Avoid

Find new faves| Find great natural beauty products to swap in: Check out all of our natural beauty coverage and reviews

rate your products| Search your current favorite products and find out how they rate: See the EWG beauty database