WHY CHOOSE NON-TOXIC BEAUTY PRODUCTS
By Rosemarie Patterson

Your health is affected not only by what you put in your body, but also by what you put on your body. All chemicals that come in contact with your skin can penetrate the skin and be absorbed directly into your bloodstream. Every day we expose ourselves to numerous chemicals from these products. It is reported that we are absorbing 4 to 5 pounds of chemicals a year.

It is argued that each product has only a small amount of these toxins, deeming them acceptable. However, after many years of daily use, these toxins accumulate in our tissues and body fat. Accumulated toxins are believed to contribute to many health issues including rashes, headaches, dizziness, dermatitis, learning disabilities, infertility, hormonal and endocrine disruption and even cancer. Scientists have found parabens in 8 out of 10 breast cancer tumors.

A recent study found numerous chemicals in the bodies of young teens using cosmetics and personal care products greatly affecting their hormones. Undertakers are using 50% less formaldehyde than 10 years ago to preserve bodies. An average of 200 industrial chemicals have been found in the umbilical cord blood of babies who had never been in direct contact with industrial society.

Many products contain a penetration enhancer such as urea. This chemical enables potentially harmful ingredients to quickly enter into the blood stream. Ingredients do not sit on the surface of the skin. They are designed to penetrate.

Not only are these chemicals toxic for humans, but they are also toxic to our environment. Washing these chemicals down the drain have a negative impact on our wildlife, rivers & streams. Per Dr. Sherry Rogers, MD, in order to give a rat cancer or Parkinson’s Disease, it is injected with some of the very same chemicals that are present in your cosmetics and personal care products. “Cruelty Free” on products suggests that there has been no animal testing of the product. In reality, the majority of cosmetic ingredients have been tested on animals at some point. Pure ingredients do not need to be tested on innocent animals.

One of the worst offenders often hides in the ingredient listed as “fragrance”. A class of chemicals called phthalates, known to the industry as plasticizers, disperses fragrance. There have been many scientific studies demonstrating the effects of phthalates on rodents since 1992. These chemicals are endocrine disrupters, interfering with both estrogen and testosterone causing birth defects, reproductive impairments, and immune system damage. Any product that lists “fragrance” will most likely contain phthalates.

Why is this allowed? The $20 billion cosmetic industry is very poorly regulated. The FDA is overwhelmed and has only banned 10 chemicals in the last 67 years. Of the 10,500 chemicals used in our cosmetic products, only 13% have been tested by the FDA to determine possible health risks. The manufacturers do not need the FDA’s approval to market the products we all use. They are basically “self policed”, so your health is not their priority. Cosmetic and personal care product manufacturers are not required to prove claims they make about their products, so they can claim basically anything they want. There is no consequence if the product does not live up to the consumer’s expectation.

It is important to realize that these products are labeled to “sell” rather than provide accurate information. Terms like “pure”, “natural”, “gentle”, “hypoallergenic” “dermatologist tested” and even “organic” do not guarantee there are no toxins, hormones or chemicals in the product, and will not cause a reaction. These words do not have official definitions and the manufacturers may use them to mean anything they want. “ Fragrance Free” actually means the product has no detectable odor. Fragrance ingredients may still be added to mask the offensive odors from the materials used to make the product. These words as well as “designed” packaging mislead the consumer.

Knowing how to read and interpret the label correctly is crucial to choosing products that are truly pure and will benefit the body and skin.

The good news is there are several sources where you can go to investigate the ingredients in the products you use. An excellent website is www.cosmeticsdatabase.com which highlights ingredients in beauty products and rates their toxicity level and potential health concerns. It has currently researched over 27,000 products with more being added every day. The book “Dying to Look Good” by Christine Hoza Farlow, D.C. has a extensive list of common ingredients and their safety issues. Also, the website www.ewg.org (Environmental Working Group) has a new study which shows teenage girls with a multitude of these toxins in their bodies which is affecting their hormonal systems.

Please read “’Toxic Ingredients To Avoid” on this website. This list is just some of the most toxic chemicals in our personal care products. Check your products against this list and avoid using the products that have toxins.

We are actually exposed to thousands of toxic chemicals every day. Rugs, furniture, paint, plastic bottles and plastic wrap are just a few of the items that are made with chemicals that we are in contact with each day. Some we have no control over, some we do. This is why it is critically important to make sure you use products that are pure and not chemically engineered. Pure ingredients are active and feed the skin. Your skin and body will thank you.

Unfortunately, this is only the tip of the iceberg. If you want to learn more about what dangerous toxins lurk in your beauty products, I suggest you search the internet, visit www.safecosmeticsdatabase.com , and read the book “Dying To Look Good” by Christine Hoza Farlow, D.C. from which all this information was obtained. There are many books and articles out there to help educate us so we can choose personal care products that don’t adversely affect our health. I urge you to learn and become empowered.

All information obtained from: www.safecosmeticsdatabase.com
“Dying to Look Good” by Christine Hoza Farlow, D.C. &
Numerous articles from the internet