Your skin is your largest
organ -- and also the thinnest. Less than 1/10th of an inch separates your body
from potential toxins. Worse yet, your skin is highly permeable. Just about
anything you put on your skin will end up in your blood stream, and will be
distributed throughout your body. Which is why I'm so fond of saying
"don't put anything on your body that you wouldn't eat if you had
to..."
Though it has been said many
times, beauty is more than skin deep. Attempting to change your appearance from
the outside while neglecting what goes on inside is a temporary fix at best.
Currently, there are
estimated to be more than 10,500 cosmetic and personal care products on the
North American market. Of those products, the Environmental Working Group
estimates that 99% of the products contain one or more ingredients that have
never been evaluated for safety.
The cosmetics industry is a $50 billion a year
business (in the US alone). They spend a remarkable $2 billion a year on advertisement. Even more appalling than that is the amount of
chemicals you place on your skin every year. Women who use makeup daily absorb,
on average, 5 pounds each year. And there are still companies
who put lead in lipstick despite its many health hazards.
The EU in 2009 banned a total of 1,342 Cosmetic Ingredients to safety
concerns. They are all listed in Annex
II of the Cosmetics
Regulations/Directives, The United States FDA has banned
a total of 11. Leaving the cosmetics industry to police itself.
If you thought the FDA does
a subpar job in regulating what goes into our food supply, you’ll be equally
appalled, if not more, on its regulation of cosmetic and personal-care
products. The same way you look at food labels, you should do the same for your
beauty products.
There are thousands of
chemicals in your products, many of which are being absorbed into your body.
These companies have cart blanche to use any ingredient or raw material without
government review or approval.
This industry is highly unregulated.
There is no pre-product approval before a product hits the market and enters
your home. A minuscule approval process exists, but only for color additives
and ingredients classified as over-the-counter drugs.
Many of these synthetic
chemicals are skin irritants, skin penetrators, endocrine disrupters and are
carcinogenic.
ü HERE ARE TOP 10 HARMFUL
CHEMICALS YOU MUST AVOID
Parabens.
Parabens are widely used
preservatives that prevent the growth of bacteria, mold and yeast in cosmetic
products. Sounds good, right? Not so fast, they do more than that. Parabens
possess estrogen-mimicking properties that are associated with increased risk
of breast cancer. These chemicals are absorbed through the skin and have been
identified in biopsy samples from breast tumors. They can be found in makeup,
body washes, deodorants, shampoos and facial cleansers. You can also find them
in food and pharmaceutical products.
Synthetic
colors.
If you take a look at your
product label and notice FD&C or D&C, they represent artificial colors.
F — representing food and D&C representing drug and cosmetics. These
letters precede a color and number (e.g., D&C Red 27 or FD&C blue 1).
These synthetic colors are derived from petroleum or coal tar sources.
Synthetic colors are suspected to be a human carcinogen, a skin irritant and
are linked to ADHD in children. The European Classification and Labeling
considers it a human carcinogen and the European Union has banned it.
Fragrance.
This particular category is
pretty scary, because what does “fragrance” mean anyway? This term was created
to protect a company’s “secret formula.” But as the consumer you could be
putting on a concoction that contains tons of chemicals that are hazardous to
your health. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Skin Deep
Database, fragrance mixes have been associated with allergies, dermatitis,
respiratory distress and potential effects on the reproductive system. It can
be found in many products such as perfume, cologne, conditioner, shampoo, body
wash and moisturizers.
Phthalates.
A group of chemicals used in
hundreds of products to increase the flexibility and softness of plastics. The
main phthalates in cosmetics and personal care products are dibutyl phthalate
in nail polish, diethyl phthalate in perfumes and lotions, and dimethyl
phthalate in hair spray. They are known to be endocrine disruptors and have
been linked to increased risk of breast cancer, early breast development in
girls, and reproductive birth defects in males and females. Unfortunately, it
is not disclosed on every product as it’s added to fragrances (remember the
“secret formula” not listed), a major loophole in the law. They can be found in
deodorants, perfumes/colognes, hair sprays and moisturizers.
Triclosan.
Tricolson is widely used
antimicrobial chemical that’s a known endocrine disruptor — especially thyroid
and reproductive hormones, and a skin irritant. Studies raise concerns that
triclosan contributes to making bacteria antibiotic-resistant. There also
wasn’t enough supporting evidence that washing with antibacterial soaps
containing triclosan provides any benefit over washing with regular soap and water.
Tricolson can be found in toothpastes, antibacterial soaps and deodorants.
Sodium
lauryl sulfate (SLS) / Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES).
This surfactant can be found
in more than 90 percent of personal care and cleaning products (think foaming
products). SLS’s are known to be skin, lung, and eye irritants. A major concern
about SLS is its potential to interact and combine with other chemicals to form
nitrosamines, a carcinogen. These combinations can lead to a host of other
issues like kidney and respiratory damage. They can be found in shampoo, body
wash/cleanser, mascara and acne treatment.
Acording to Dr. Frank Lipman these
chemicals can combine to cause a deadly class of carcinogen. In addition to
being in all our soaps, shampoos, and toothpastes, SLS is also used to clean
engines, garage floors, and car washes- you don’t say!
Formaldehyde.
Formaldehyde and
formaldehyde-releasing preservatives (FRP’s) preservatives are used in many
cosmetic products to help prevent bacteria growth. This chemical was deemed as
a human carcinogen by The International Agency for Research on Carcinogens
(IARC) and has been linked to occupational related cancers: nasal and
nasopharyngeal. It is known to cause allergic skin reactions and it may also be
harmful to the immune system. It can be found in nail polish, body washes,
conditioners, shampoos, cleansers, eye shadows, nail polish treatments.
Toluene.
A petrochemical derived from
petroleum or coal tar sources. You may see it on labels listed as benzene,
toluol, phenylmethane, methylbenzene. Toluene is a potent solvent able to dissolve
paint and paint thinner. It can affect your respiratory system, cause nausea
and irritate your skin. Expecting mothers should avoid exposure to toluene
vapors as it may cause developmental damage in the fetus. Toluene has also been
linked to immune system toxicity. It can be found in nail polish, nail
treatments and hair color/bleaching products.
Propylene
glycol.
Propylene glycol is a small
organic alcohol commonly used as a skin-conditioning agent. It’s classified as
a skin irritant and penetrator. It has been associated with causing dermatitis
as well as hives in humans — these sensitization effects can be manifested at
propylene glycol concentrations as low as 2 percent. It can be found in
moisturizers, sunscreen, makeup products, conditioners, shampoo and hair
sprays.
Sunscreen
chemicals.
These chemicals function as
a sunscreen agent, to absorb ultraviolet light. These chemicals are endocrine
disruptors and are believed to be easily absorbed into the body. They may also
cause cellular damage and
cancer in the body. Common names are benzophenone, PABA, avobenzone, homosalate
and ethoxycinnmate. They can be found in sunscreen products.
It’s impossible to avoid
every single synthetic chemical, but you can do your part in limiting the
amount of toxins your body is exposed to. Be sure to: eat clean, avoid
chemical-laden processed foods, drink plenty of filtered water and look for
products that are certified organic if you want to avoid these toxic chemicals.
Educate yourself and do your
research before you buy. Think of something you absolutely love, and the time
and energy you apply to it. Use the same, when it comes to your health. You
have one life to live and one body. If you don’t take care of yourself, you may
pay for it later in sickness.
 |
| © American Chemical Society.org |
Be sure to check out the
EWG’s Skin Deep Database to research toxic chemicals that could be in your
cosmetic and personal care products.
ü RECOMMENDATIONS
A.
Flush Your Body Clean of these Toxins.
Cosmetics toxins are
responsible for many cancers, neurological diseases, heart disease, you name
it.
Dangerous substances like
sodium laurel sulfate (SLS), ammonia, household bleach, nonylphenol ethoxylate,
phenols, and phosphates can instigate a host of other significant health
problems once they penetrate your skin.
Our bodies do have a
built-in detox function to deal with these dangers, but those systems are
constantly overloaded! Detoxing assists and improves what our bodies are trying
to do naturally.
Cleaning your body from
toxins is a necessity for optimum health. You may love the smell of your
favourite skin care product, but there’s no way it’s worth side effects like
corneal damage and pneumonia, or worse yet, cancer. Exposure to these toxins is
lethal. You have to flush them out with a natural detox juice.
You can prepare your own
detox recipe at your home and buy a natural detox from the market. There are a
lot natural detox juice on the market but I personally recommend organifi.
Those toxins need to exit
the body. When you detox the body you free up your organs to function the way
they should.
B.
Complete Natural Alternative
The beauty industry is by
far one of the wealthiest markets out there, yet its products oftentimes do not
provide the results that customers hope they will. And many people are becoming more aware of
the potentially (and sometimes proven!) harmful ingredients used in most of
today’s beauty products.
Because of this fact, a
natural beauty consultant by the name of Hanan decided to compile all of her
healthy, natural, and affordable beauty tricks into one convenient guide, known
as The Beauty of Food.
Women have been using foods
to enhance their beauty for centuries, but somewhere along the way, much of
that knowledge has been lost or forgotten. But the search for beautiful,
healthy, glowing skin has not diminished at all.
Beauty of Food is a complete
ebook which gives its readers the best alternatives to make one beautiful.
These alternatives can easily be found inside your home like your fridge for
example. Fruits, spices and dairy products can even be used as alternatives to
those hotbox, face lift procedures and many more.
When talking about hair, it
complete guide about how to shampoo your hair, how to brush it, masks for split
ends and frizzy hair, and her own natural remedies of how to prevent hair loss.
The book also discusses the number one concern for most women: wrinkles. In her
book” The Beauty of Food“, Hanan gives you pieces of advice for healthy looking
skin, ways to make easy natural remedies, and foods for anti-aging beauty
enhancement.
DO YOU KNOW THAT….
• Raw honey as a face
moisturizer...
• Garlic to prevent
wrinkles...
• Egg whites as a
“spa-like” facial mask...
• Bananas as a hair
conditioner...
Sounds bizarre, right?
C.
Consumer tips:
Check the label: avoid
products with the words triclosan and triclocarban on the ingredient labels of
personal care products, soaps and hand sanitizers. Triclosan may also marketed
under the trade name Microban™ when used in plastics and clothing, and Biofresh™
when used in acrylic fibers.
Be wary of products like
cutting boards that are labeled as “anti-microbial” or “anti-bacterial.”
Stick to washing your hands
with hot water and soap and alcohol based hand sanitizers when on the go.
References
Cunningham, V., ''10 Toxic Beauty Ingredients to Avoid'', Huffingtonpost.com.
Huffingtonpost.com 11/12/2013, Updated Jan 23, 2014
Mercola,
J. ‘Toxic Beauty: How Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Endanger Your Health’’
Retreived on January 03, 2017 from
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/04/07/toxic-beauty-book-review.aspx
