Pretty on the Outside - A Toxic Mess on the Inside
We all want to feel clean and look good don't we? Of course we do.
And we all like to smell pretty or sexy don't we? Again, of course we do.
Isn't it a wonderful feeling to have somebody walk up to you and say "Wow! You look great ...
and what's that perfume (or cologne) you're wearing? - it's wonderful !" But while all this looks good on the outside of your body, do you have any idea what these skin care products might be doing to the inside of your body? I happened to pick up a bottle of body lotion the other day.
It said I could "treat myself to healthy feeling skin everyday.
" On the back it said I can "enjoy a rich non greasy experience and refreshing scent every time I smooth it on" It also penetrates quickly.
Perfect.
Down the aisle a bit was a body wash ..
..
no, more specifically a 'vitamin body wash'.
That sounds impressive.
On the package were the words honest, genuine and trustworthy.
It also says it will provide me with an invigorating sensation while cleansing and refreshing my skin - it has a real wake you up formula.
This has to be in my shower.
Notice that both these skin care products talk about a pleasing scent? Check the label and you'll only see the word "fragrance" listed.
You'll see it listed that way on many organic skin care products, the all natural skin care products, sensitive skin care products and safe and gentle skin care products.
But what they don't tell you is what makes up that fragrance: complex mixtures of up to hundreds of chemicals.
And don't fall for the "unscented" products as they may use chemicals to cover up the odor of other chemicals.
AVOID all products that list "fragrance" as one of the ingredients.
Let's look at some other ingredients that are found in many skin care products: 1.
Sodium laureth sulfate: AVOID any ingredient with the letters "eth" in the name.
The petrochemical ethylene oxide is added (a process called ethoxylation) which creates the petroleum derived contaminate 1,4-dioxane.
1,4 Dioxane is considered a chemical known to the State of California to "cause cancer" under proposition 65, and is also suspected as a kidney toxicant, neurotoxicant and respiratory toxicant, among others, according to the California EPA.
2.
Triethanolamine: Many products contain diethanolamine (DEA) or triethanolamine (TEA).
If the product also contains nitrites, a chemical reaction can lead to the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines.
Nitrosamines have been identified as one of the most potent classes of carcinogens, having caused cancer in more than 40 different animal species as well as in humans.
NDELA is the specific nitrosamine "to which human exposure is the greatest" since it occurs "in cosmetics" and is "absorbed readily through the skin.
" (Carcinogenesis 1985, National Cancer Institute).
FDA Commissioner Donald Kennedy, 1979 - "The cosmetic industry must "take immediate measures to eliminate, to the extent possible, NDELA and any other N-nitrosamines from cosmetic products.
" To be safe, AVOID all products that have ingredients with the word "amine" in the name ..
including abbreviations such as MEA, DEA, and TEA.
3.
Cocomidopropyl betaine: this is not the chemical name, and the method of synthesis is a reaction of fatty acids with amines and monochloracetic acid i.
e.
ammonia, oils and a toxic herbicide.
Not something I want to be putting on my skin.
4.
Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate: commonly listed as 'suttocide' ..
..
the danger here is that it decomposes in water to release formaldehyde (causes cancer).
Other dangers of formaldehyde are skin reactions, ear infections, headaches, depression, asthma, joint pain, dizziness, mental confusion, nausea, fatigue, disorientation, phlebitis, vomiting, sleep disturbances, laryngitis.
Other preservatives that release formaldehyde: Imidazolidinyl urea, Diazolidinyl urea, Quaternium-15, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol, and DMDM Hydantoin 5.
Parabens: these common preservatives grew controversial due to their weak estrogenic effects in some animal studies.
look for methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, butyl- and isobutylparaben.
These are just a few of the hundreds of chemicals that our found in today's natural skin care products.
Safe, gentle, pure, clean, all natural, organic ...
they don't mean a thing in this industry.
You need to become an ingredient detective or find a company that you trust has pure and natural products - but don't just assume because it says it on the label, that it's actually true.
I challenge you right now to go to your bathroon - check your soap (and/or toothpaste) for triclosan and fluoride ...
check your body wash, your shampoos, your body lotions, deodorant, shaving cream, hair spray, your lipstick ...
check all your personal care products for any of the ingredients listed above - and remember, this is just a small sampling ...
chances are if you can't pronounce it - it's something you should probably be avoiding.
So what's the answer to all this? Use products that are CERTIFIED ORGANIC - this is the only way to be absolutely sure.
If it doesn't have a logo of certification on it, it most likely contains harmful ingredients.
Better yet, look for a certification that is according to food standards...
remember, most of what we put on our skin is absorbed into our body and eventually into our bloodstreams, so in reality, it's just like food.
Let's become pretty on the outside as well as on the inside ! Take it one product at a time if you don't want to change everything over at once.
But you MUST do it and you MUST start now.
And we all like to smell pretty or sexy don't we? Again, of course we do.
Isn't it a wonderful feeling to have somebody walk up to you and say "Wow! You look great ...
and what's that perfume (or cologne) you're wearing? - it's wonderful !" But while all this looks good on the outside of your body, do you have any idea what these skin care products might be doing to the inside of your body? I happened to pick up a bottle of body lotion the other day.
It said I could "treat myself to healthy feeling skin everyday.
" On the back it said I can "enjoy a rich non greasy experience and refreshing scent every time I smooth it on" It also penetrates quickly.
Perfect.
Down the aisle a bit was a body wash ..
..
no, more specifically a 'vitamin body wash'.
That sounds impressive.
On the package were the words honest, genuine and trustworthy.
It also says it will provide me with an invigorating sensation while cleansing and refreshing my skin - it has a real wake you up formula.
This has to be in my shower.
Notice that both these skin care products talk about a pleasing scent? Check the label and you'll only see the word "fragrance" listed.
You'll see it listed that way on many organic skin care products, the all natural skin care products, sensitive skin care products and safe and gentle skin care products.
But what they don't tell you is what makes up that fragrance: complex mixtures of up to hundreds of chemicals.
And don't fall for the "unscented" products as they may use chemicals to cover up the odor of other chemicals.
AVOID all products that list "fragrance" as one of the ingredients.
Let's look at some other ingredients that are found in many skin care products: 1.
Sodium laureth sulfate: AVOID any ingredient with the letters "eth" in the name.
The petrochemical ethylene oxide is added (a process called ethoxylation) which creates the petroleum derived contaminate 1,4-dioxane.
1,4 Dioxane is considered a chemical known to the State of California to "cause cancer" under proposition 65, and is also suspected as a kidney toxicant, neurotoxicant and respiratory toxicant, among others, according to the California EPA.
2.
Triethanolamine: Many products contain diethanolamine (DEA) or triethanolamine (TEA).
If the product also contains nitrites, a chemical reaction can lead to the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines.
Nitrosamines have been identified as one of the most potent classes of carcinogens, having caused cancer in more than 40 different animal species as well as in humans.
NDELA is the specific nitrosamine "to which human exposure is the greatest" since it occurs "in cosmetics" and is "absorbed readily through the skin.
" (Carcinogenesis 1985, National Cancer Institute).
FDA Commissioner Donald Kennedy, 1979 - "The cosmetic industry must "take immediate measures to eliminate, to the extent possible, NDELA and any other N-nitrosamines from cosmetic products.
" To be safe, AVOID all products that have ingredients with the word "amine" in the name ..
including abbreviations such as MEA, DEA, and TEA.
3.
Cocomidopropyl betaine: this is not the chemical name, and the method of synthesis is a reaction of fatty acids with amines and monochloracetic acid i.
e.
ammonia, oils and a toxic herbicide.
Not something I want to be putting on my skin.
4.
Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate: commonly listed as 'suttocide' ..
..
the danger here is that it decomposes in water to release formaldehyde (causes cancer).
Other dangers of formaldehyde are skin reactions, ear infections, headaches, depression, asthma, joint pain, dizziness, mental confusion, nausea, fatigue, disorientation, phlebitis, vomiting, sleep disturbances, laryngitis.
Other preservatives that release formaldehyde: Imidazolidinyl urea, Diazolidinyl urea, Quaternium-15, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol, and DMDM Hydantoin 5.
Parabens: these common preservatives grew controversial due to their weak estrogenic effects in some animal studies.
look for methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, butyl- and isobutylparaben.
These are just a few of the hundreds of chemicals that our found in today's natural skin care products.
Safe, gentle, pure, clean, all natural, organic ...
they don't mean a thing in this industry.
You need to become an ingredient detective or find a company that you trust has pure and natural products - but don't just assume because it says it on the label, that it's actually true.
I challenge you right now to go to your bathroon - check your soap (and/or toothpaste) for triclosan and fluoride ...
check your body wash, your shampoos, your body lotions, deodorant, shaving cream, hair spray, your lipstick ...
check all your personal care products for any of the ingredients listed above - and remember, this is just a small sampling ...
chances are if you can't pronounce it - it's something you should probably be avoiding.
So what's the answer to all this? Use products that are CERTIFIED ORGANIC - this is the only way to be absolutely sure.
If it doesn't have a logo of certification on it, it most likely contains harmful ingredients.
Better yet, look for a certification that is according to food standards...
remember, most of what we put on our skin is absorbed into our body and eventually into our bloodstreams, so in reality, it's just like food.
Let's become pretty on the outside as well as on the inside ! Take it one product at a time if you don't want to change everything over at once.
But you MUST do it and you MUST start now.
Source...