Did you know that the beauty industry in the USA is pretty much self-regulated? Aside from a few banned substances (maybe nine or ten), cosmetic companies in the USA can put in any ingredient they want in their products.
Things from crushed bugs to formaldehyde can turn up in your lipstick, moisturizing lotion or shampoo from intended ingredients or by-products of processing. (The bugs being intended ingredients because of the color in their bodies).
If you don't think your skin takes these ingredients in, think again. Your skin is your largest organ. And yes it keeps out many harmful things. But, as far as chemicals go it can through transdermal absorption take in medications (as with patches for quitting smoking), pesticides, herbicides, and any harmful ingredient in your "beauty" products right into your bloodstream.
If you think the FDA has your back, you are wrong about that, too. They do not require companies to provide safety data nor do they test your personal-care products for safety before they hit the market.
The "safety" testing by companies themselves is focused on the short-term reactions such as rashes. They don't even know the long-term effects of many of the chemicals that are used.
The body has a way of protecting itself and some ingredients migrate to fat cells for safe storage and do not leave the body right away. Many toxic chemicals that are found in your beauty products are byproducts and are not listed on labels.
Check out the labels of the products you're buying! Here are some ingredients (not an all-inclusive list by any means) to look for that cause risk for diseases like cancer:
- 1,4-dioxane (1-4D, sound similar to 2-4D?) It's a byproduct and won't be found on labels. It's found in around 67 percent of children's bath products as well as shampoos, body lotions and face creams that are made with the ingredients of PEG, polyethylene, or ingredients that end in "eth" or oxynol".
- Aluminum salts that you'd find in antiperspirants.
- Chemical sunscreens like PABA, benzophenone, homosalate etc.
- Coal tar in dandruff shampoo and anti-itch cremes.
- DEA, MEA, TEA and ETA are foaming agents.
- Any "aldehyde" that's used as a preservative. You guessed it, like embalming fluid formaldehyde.
- Fragrance - Who knows?
- Lead and Mercury like Thimerosal may also be a contaminant.
- Nanoparticles can easily be absorbed into your skin.
- Parabens can migrate to body tissue.
- Petroleum Distillates/Solvents
- Anything with "phthalate" in it's name are hormone disruptors. Also DBP, DEHP, DMP, DEP.
- Basically anything that sounds like a chemical...
So, what is one to do? Use some common sense. As with food, try to cut way back on products that have ingredients that you can't pronounce and have 14 letters in it's name to lower your toxicity exposure.
If you can eat it, it's safe to put on your skin. Try going natural like DIY personal-care products such as these:
- Baking soda shampoo - a tablespoon in a cup of water
- Lemon or Apple Cider Vinegar rinse - two tablespoons of either in a cup of water
- Cornstarch Dry shampoo
- Eggs and olive oil conditioner
- Avocado conditioner - mashed up avocado
- Coconut milk rinse
- Lemon and vodka hairspray - vodka is the preservative (no, really)
- Aloe Vera styling gel
- Flax seed gel - two tablespoons boiled in a cup of water.
- Treatment for acne really starts in your gut with probiotics
- Activated charcoal with a little olive oil for eye liner
- Beet juice for lip color
- Brown sugar or sea salt in jojoba, coconut or olive oil with vanilla - body scrub
- Baking soda and essential oil - deodorant applied with a short, wide brush
- Coconut, olive oil or jojoba oil - applied while your still wet from your shower and then towel dry to remove excess makes an excellent natural moisturizer.
These are just a few suggestions. I know if you did an internet search for natural or DIY personal-care products you'd come up with tons of results from people just like you who wanted to cut their toxic exposure and tried their own thing. Learn from them what does and doesn't work.
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