Have you embraced a healthy lifestyle whereby you are conscious of what you put in your mouth, manage stress, sleep well and make an honest effort to do something physical each day? If so, that’s great and your body and mind are thanking you now for the effort. The cleaner your diet and the more movement you can incorporate into your life the better.
Did you know that there is something else that you may be overlooking when it comes to overall health and wellness? How much time do you spend actually thinking about all of those products that you put on your body daily? Everything from your shampoo to your hand cream, that seem innocent enough, may contain harmful ingredients that could compromise your health – especially over the long term.
The Environmental Working Group states that 25 percent of all women use more than 15 different products each day. These products contain more than 126 different ingredients, many that are not so healthy. In fact, one in five of these ingredients are known to be cancer causing.
Skin is the body’s largest organ and our first line of defense against foreign invaders. When we slather ourselves with products containing dangerous chemicals, the body can no longer protect us like it should and its defenses are shut down and attacked. Our skin readily absorbs anything that it comes in contact with including substances found in personal care products.
Thinking about what we put in our mouths seems much easier than thinking about what we put on our body because we tend to minimize their threat. However, when you take a closer look at the ingredients in many of these personal care products you may be ready to make some changes. Here are just a few to be concerned about.
Diethanolamine and Triethanolamine ( DEA and TEA): Known as emulsifiers, these two dangerous ingredients have been known to cause cancerous tumors. Over time, these chemicals accumulate in bodily tissues at the threat increases.
Synthetic Colors: Most synthetic colors are created from coal tar, which has been shown to cause cancer when injected into lab rats. These colors will show up on labels as D&C or FD&C.
Petrolatum: Petroleum forms a heavy thick layer on the skin that blocks evaporation and prevents toxins form leaving the pores. Petroleum is found in a number of personal care products, especially moisturizers.
Propylene Glycol: This ingredient is used in the majority of conventional, makeup products. It has been shown to cause serious allergic reactions including hives, skin conditions including eczema.
Phthalates: These are found cosmetics, shampoos, shower curtains, PVC and even children’s plastic toys. Studies done on animals and humans show that phthalates disrupt hormones, interfere with normal brain function. In addition, Phthalates send signals in the body that could cause autism, testicular cancer, reduced sperm count, breast and testicular cancer.
Triclosan: This dangerous ingredient started as a rat poison in the 1970’s and was introduced in antibacterial soap for emergency use and was eventually used in personal care products such as soap and toothpaste. However, scientist complained about human use noting that it not only poisoned people but also killed bateria that was naturally occurring on the skin and contributed to the rise of bacteria resistant to anti-bacterial agents. According to a study out of University of California Davis, Triclosan impairs muscle function and impair cardiac function.
To stay safe it is always wise to use only personal care products that are 100% organic. Keep in mind that you should never put anything on you face or body that you would not be willing to eat!
Sources for this article include:
- www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm205999.htm
- www.cir-safety.org/ingredients
- fitness.appstate.edu/pagesmith/52
- www.ewg.org/skindeep