Are Your Beauty Products Toxic?
We spend so much time considering the food we put in our bodies, but very little thought can go into what we put ON our bodies. Understanding the impact that our beauty products and personal care items have on our health can help us make choices that better serve our body, our metabolism and our wellbeing.
Have you ever stopped to consider how many beauty or personal care products you use each day?
Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant, face wash, toothpaste, foundation, eye shadow, perfume...the list probably goes on. The one thing that most of these products have in common is that come in direct contact with our skin. The skin is one of the bodies largest detoxifying organs, accounting for one-fourth of the body's daily detoxification process.
Skin is believed to absorb 60% of everything that is applied to it. What we touch can go directly into your bloodstream. Every time we wash our hands with soap, rub shampoo on our scalp, apply foundation to our face, the skin is absorbing all of these and their ingredients end up in our body.
If these ingredients are getting inside our body, doesn't it beg the question ...
What kind of ingredients are in these products?
I would like to share with you 8 carcinogenic and toxic ingredients that can be found in most beauty products , that should be avoided. Please note that there are over hundreds of different ingredients that could be detrimental to our health but I chose 8 to go over in this post.
1. Parabens
This ingredient can be found in makeups, lotions, shaving products and skin care products. Parabens increase the risk for cancer (specifically breast cancer) and a negative impact on the reproductive functions in the body. (1)
2. Benzoyl Peroxide
This ingredient can be found in most acne products. It is known to be a possible tumor promoter, can product DNA damage, and can irritate eye, skin and respiratory systems. It has been banned in Europe. (2)
3. Phthalates
This ingredient can be found in nail polish, lotions, hair sprays, perfumed cosmetics and detergents. It can cause damage to liver and kidneys, cause birth defects, and is known to cause fertility issues and decreased sperm counts in men. (3)
4. Propylene Glycol
This ingredient can be found in lip gloss, lip sticks, baby care products, sunscreens, face creams and moisturizers. Propylene glycol can cause kidney disorders, skin irritation and dermatitis, conjunctivitis, pulmonary edema, and brain damage. (4)
5. Parfume (Fragrance)
Synthetic blends of chemicals are used to make a pleasant smelling product. This ingredient can be found in shampoo, conditioner, body wash, perfumes and most cosmetics. It is shown to interfere with immune function, can cause allergies, dermatitis, respiratory issues and reproductive problems. (5)
6. Triclosan
This ingredient can be found in antibacterial soaps, toothpastes and deodorants. It could be harmful to immune function, can contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant germs, and was shown to alter hormone regulation in animals. (6)
7. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
This ingredient can be found in foaming products like shampoos, soaps, toothpastes and other beauty products. It is an irritant to the skin and eyes, and when combine with other chemicals, it can be cancer causing. (7)
8. Formaldehyde
This ingredient can be found in eye shadow, nail polish, shower gels, shampoos and conditions. It is mostly used to prevent bacterial growth in these products, but it is considered to be a human carcinogen. It can be harmful to the immune system and promote skin allergies. (8)
Below are 2 types of beauty products that are commonly found in an average daily beauty routine.
Foundation
A staple in most women's beauty product line up, foundation is often used daily. It gets smeared across the entire face and usually stays there for several hours each day.
Most foundations on the market have very similar formulas and ingredients. A common brand for make up is Maybelline, so let's take a look at their foundation, Maybelline FIT ME Liquid Foundation.
This foundation contains a few troubling ingredients: (9)
Butylparaben
Methylparaben
Phenoxyethanol
Parabens are used as preservatives in most cosmetics. Parabens are a toxic ingredient and can have significant health impacts. They are considered carcinogen, which means they are directly involved in causing cancer.
Parabens can also disrupt reproduction and hormone function because they mimic estrogen in the body.Studies show that methylparabens may cause healthy cells to grow and survive like cancer cells and can interfere with the effectiveness of anti-cancer drugs.
Parabens have been found in breast cancer tumors and can cause hormone imbalance in females and girls in early puberty.
Phenoxyethanol is also used as an anti-microbial preservative in cosmetics. They are shown to cause skin irritation and neurotoxicity. They can also depress the central nervous system, similar to how sedatives effect the brain and body.
Deodorant
I don't know many people who do not use deodorant on a daily basis. Let's take a look at a common brand of deodorant, Dove Original Invisible Solid.
This deodorant contains several troubling ingredients, lets look at these two: (10)
Fragrance
Aluminum Zirconium
Most personal care products contain around 300 different "fragrances" to mask the odor of the chemical ingredients and to add a pleasant scent to the product. This could be a combination of all-natural or synthetic fragrances., which is not disclosed by most manufactures.
Synthetic fragrances are loaded with toxic phthalates. Phthalates absorbed into the body are linked to liver and kidney damage, birth defects, decreased sperm counts in men and early breast development in girls.
Aluminum Zirconium has been associated with many health issues including breast cancer, Alzheimers disease, bone disorders and kidney problems. Aluminum in deodorant temporarily plugs sweat ducts and prevents the user from perspiring. This prevents the body from purging toxins through arm pit sweat. These toxins can get trapped and find their way into lymph nodes, where they concentrate and contribute to cellular damage that could lead to cancer.
Since deodorant is used in close proximity to the breasts, it is easy for aluminum to be absorbed into breast tissue.
Does this have you wondering what is in your beauty products? What can you do about it?
Think Dirty
The best place to start is to become aware and familiar with the ingredients in the products that you use. To make this easy, I suggest using the app "Think Dirty". This app allows you to scan, or search for your beauty products. It will show you a list of ingredients and their health impacts. Every ingredient and beauty product is rated on a scale of 0-10 (10 being the dirtiest=toxic). It even will show you recommendations for a better alternative.
Make The Switch
Once you aware of which products are toxic, you can begin to find alternatives. It may seem overwhelming to overhaul your entire beauty regime all right away. You do not have to do it all once! I suggest selecting the products you use the most and find clearer, non toxic versions. My first step was changing deodorant and toothpaste. Over time you can upgrade all of your products to non-toxic versions.
What is one beauty product that you can not live without? Let me know in the comments below!
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I teach women how to actually lose weight & ditch yoyo diets so they can get real, sustainable results & find freedom from food. You can be one of them! Learn how to actually lose weight & ditch yoyo diets by clicking here!
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Disclaimer:
The information in this presentation is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Milan Lekay, milanlekay.com 2019
References:
1. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/should-people-be-concerned-about-parabens-in-beauty-products/
2.https://www.citizens.org/stop-using-cancer-causing-agent-skin/
3.https://noharm-uscanada.org/issues/us-canada/phthalates-and-dehp
4.https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/csem.asp?csem=12&po=14
5.https://www.nontoxicrevolution.org/blog/wtf-fragrance
6. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/triclosan/faq-20057861
7.https://www.livestrong.com/article/174367-dangers-of-sodium-lauryl-sulfate/
8.https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/formaldehyde.html
9.https://www.ulta.com/fit-me-matte-poreless-liquid-foundation?productId=xlsImpprod11861007#
10.https://www.dove.com/us/en/deodorants/stick/invisible-solid-antiperspirant-sensitive-skin.html
