“When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied.” – Herophilus
Our skin is the organ that tells us so much about what is going on with our bodies! When I talk to people about natural skincare products, the biggest reasons they state about not switching their skincare products is “it’s only a little” or “it’s on the market so it must be safe.” This reasoning can have detrimental effects on our health. Remember, if you complain that natural and healthier products are too expensive now, you’ll probably find yourself paying with your health and for medical bills later.
“It’s only a little”
It takes 26 seconds for the skin to absorb what is put on it. We need to remember that everybody has a different metabolism. In the case of children, their little bodies tend to build up toxins more easily & quickly. They have immature filtering organs & their bodies are more easily affected due to the fact that they are exposed to more chemicals pound by pound.
Dr Samuel Epstein, the former chair of the Cancer Prevention Coalition, wrote about how the skin is an effective barrier from water or germs, but the chemicals we apply to it are absorbed directly into our bloodstream, circulating and even accumulating into major organs. There is no way to filter it versus, say, eating it.
The skin being so absorbent is apparent if you think about it. Administering topical medications & patches, such as nicotine or pain patches or steroid creams, shows us how great the skin is at absorbing chemicals. So we really need to pay attention to the other things we place on it.
Why you should care
The EWG states that almost 90% of beauty ingredients are not tested or reviewed. This makes it so much more important to pay attention to what you place on your skin, since, in the US, only 12 ingredients are restricted or banned. This is an extremely low number considering the EU has banned 1,382 ingredients.
The FDA also doesn’t regulate health claims such as “natural”, “hypoallergenic”, “herbal”, or “non-toxic”. If a company chooses to use these terms, there are not legal repercussions that can occur. Just because these words are on a label doesn’t mean it’s safe for you or your family.
Ingredients you should definitely avoid
- Mineral Oil
- Found in baby oil, body lotions, soap, & make up
- This is a petroleum by-product, meaning it’s not eco-friendly nor should it be on your skin!
- Petroleum products may seem like a good idea for your skin, but they clog your pores & decrease your body’s ability to eliminate toxins.
- They also slow down the skin’s function & cellular development, which causes premature aging
- Parabens
- Found in make up, moisturizers, deodorant, & shampoos
- May see them listed with prefixes such as methyl-, butyl-, propyl-, etc
- This may interfere with hormone function (i.e. Your endocrine system) & cause breast cancer
- They are widely used although they are known carcinogens
- The EU banned 5 different types of parabens in 2014, the US has banned none
- Petrolatum/Mineral Oil Jelly/Petroleum Jelly
- Used in lip products, vapor rubs, skin products
- Petroleum was found as leftover residue in oil barrels. This means, it’s not something you want on you or your children’s skin!
- It can be full of impurities and there are no guidelines to what is “clean”
- It may trap in moisture, but it also traps bacteria & unwanted residue next to your skin
- Fragrance
- Used in lotions, soaps, perfumes, deodorant, shampoos
- Can include a hundred, non disclosed ingredients
- Can exacerbate allergies and asthma
- Causes neurotoxicity (headaches, dizziness, nausea, etc)
- Has been linked to dermatitis and cancers
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) & Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
- Shampoos, toothpastes, bodywashs, detergents, soaps
- The American College of Toxicology found that in low concentrations (less than one half percent) might cause harmful skin irritation. Higher concentrations are responsible for severe irritation and even corrosion of skin
- SLES can become contaminated with Dioxane, a suspected carcinogen that the liver cannot filter
- SLS can be found in the brain, lungs, liver, and heart after being used externally
- SLS has also been linked to poor eye development in children
This is obviously an extremely short list, so you need to be an ingredient list detective until you find a company you love & trust. Keep in mind that many larger companies are buying eco-friendly and green companies then changing the ingredients or are claiming to be green when they most certainly are not. So even researching who owns the company is a big part of finding safe products.
Something else you can do? Return your toxic products! Most of these companies have “satisfaction guaranteed” claims. Show with your money that you are not satisfied with these ingredients & don’t buy them again. That’s the only way we will ever see change and get these nasty ingredients off the market
Did you find this interesting? I have also talked about conventional antiperspirants and deodorants and ugly things in your oral care.
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