Your skin is your largest organ and absorbs anything applied to it - my rule of thumb is quite simple 'If you wouldn't put the product in your mouth and eat it, don't put it on your skin and wear it!'
Please, when you are next out shopping, take some time to review the back of the ingredient’s lists. You may be shocked to find out that some (if not all) of those products include some (if not all) of the following ingredients which are bad for your skin and ultimately, your health - not forgetting the damage to the environment and ultimately - planet!
1. Fragrance – (Perfum, Scent) Often found a wide range of items from skincare, cleaning, laundry products and air fresheners. Fragrance is a blanket term that can be made up of thousands of different chemicals. Many of them are toxic and come with a long list of side effects ranging from asthma, allergies, immunotoxicity, headaches, vomiting, dizziness to skin discoloration. Phthalates, are another chemical commonly used with fragrances to make them last longer. They are linked to birth defects and are considered a reproductive toxin. They may not be listed in ingredients.
2. Propylene Glycol & Butylene Glycol – Found in cleansers, shampoos, baby wipes!!!, deodorants, hair products, bubble baths to name a few. Also found in windshield wiper fluid! The EPA considers them so toxic they say that skin contact or inhalation can cause brain, liver and kidney abnormalities. In some personal care products these chemicals are used in very high, industrial strength concentrations.
3. DEA, MEA & TEA – Used in shampoos & bubble baths. They are hormone disrupting and form cancer causing nitrates. Restricted in Europe, they increase the risk for liver and kidney cancer.
4. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate & Sodium Laureth Sulfate – Otherwise known as (SLS). This toxic ingredient found in almost all drugstore shampoos, conditioners, leave in creams, hair sprays, facial soaps, body soaps and body washes. Strong detergents and degreasers that are found in over 90% of foaming personal care products. SLS is linked to skin irritation, eye irritation, rashes and hair loss. Animal studies show eye damage (especially to young), immune system damage and death. Can create nitrosamines which are carcinogenic. Once absorbed into the skin, can also be retained in your organs for a lifetime.
5. DMDM & Urea – Found in a wide variety of personal care products. It is a preservative that releases formaldehyde which causes allergies, chest pain, fatigue, ear infections, immune dysfunction, asthma, heart palpitations, cancer and more.
6. Polyethylene Glycol – (PEG) – Often found in almost any skincare product. Petroleum ingredient that is carcinogenic and dehydrates your skin. Increases signs of skin aging and leaves your skin vulnerable to bacteria and disease.
7. Parabens – Often found in shampoos, creams & lotions. There are many different forms of parabens which are used as a preservative in many skincare products. Avoid them ALL. They are strong hormone disruptors and have been directly linked to breast cancer and heart problems. Often listed as Methylparaben, Probylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben & Benezylparaben.
8. FD & C Color – Found in makeup, lipsticks, creams, hair products and more. Synthetic pigments from coal that deposit toxins into the skin. Some colors can even deplete oxygen in the body and cause death. Animal studies have shown almost all of them to be cancer causing.
9. Mineral Oil (Petroleum by-product) – Often found in Baby Products (Baby Oil), Vaseline, Lip Products & Moisturizers. It coats the skin like a plastic wrap, clogging pores, causing acne and trapping in toxins.
10. Isopropyl alcohol (Petroleum by product) – Found commonly in cleansers, toners, creams and hair and nail products. It dries and irritates skin, stripping its moisture and immune barrier.
When in doubt, just shop for products that are clearly labeled, ”Organic or All Natural” and take a moment to review the back of labels on the ingredients list and make sure they don’t have any of the toxic 10 listed above. You especially want to avoid Parabens, Sodium Laureth Sulphate, DEA, MEA, TEA, Dyes or Parfumes.
