Body Care and Beauty Products
to Literally Die For
By Liz Barrington, Natural Body Healing
Your dressing table or bathroom cabinet could be one of the most dangerous
corners of your
home! Lurking within these areas, where perhaps all of your favourite beauty
products are kept, is a complete stockpile of toxicity.
The growing list of dangerous ingredients that manufacturers add
to their products is turning the most 'innocent-looking' shampoos,
moisturisers and so-called ‘skin nourishing’ products into
cocktails of toxins that build up to cause cancer or reproductive
damage over years of sustained use. Modern cosmetics and
make-up also contain a
host of toxic ingredients, which would be more at home in a
test tube than in our bodies! Some of the worst offenders
are often the most expensive skin care products.
Isn't it therefore time you seriously thought about what you’re
actually putting on
your skin, hair and nails? The skin is your largest organ in
the body. What you put on it can be absorbed in tiny amounts
to reach the blood vessels below the skin and travel
around the body to be stored in body fat, to cause hormonal or
metabolic imbalances, or even trigger the growth of cancerous
cells.
Like most people, you probably assume that the ingredients found
in these products have been thoroughly tested for safety, after
all, we have regulations in place for the water we
drink, the food we eat and the air we breathe. Unfortunately this is not
the case. The skin care and cosmetics industry is
big business; it is this hugely profitable industry that regulates the
safety of its own products. That doesn't seem right, does
it?
Out of the products tested over recent years, the WORST offenders
are those containing the cancer-causing ingredients coal tar,
alpha hydroxy acids and beta hydroxy acids, and those containing
the hormone-disrupting ingredient, 'phthalate'.
Which Ingredients Should You AVOID If Possible?
This
list contains the more widely known chemicals and additives in
modern body products. There are thousands more in use. Many of
the chemicals listed below are suspected or known carcinogens,
toxins, hormone disruptors, poisons and contaminates. Why
not check out your favourite moisturiser, to see what chemical
horrors lurk deep within?
·
Acetone
- Found in nail polish remover.
·
Acetaldehyde
- Found in many nail care products.
· Alkyl-phenol
Ethoxylades
-
Found in shampoo and bubble bath.
· Alpha
Hydroxy Acids (AHA) & Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA)
- Found in anti-ageing facial
creams, lotions such as moisturisers and sunscreens.
·
Aluminum
- Found in antiperspirant deodorants and antiseptics.
·
Ammonium Glycolate
-
Found in body products.
· Ammonium
Persulfate
-
Found in hair color and bleaching kit sensitiser.
·
Aspartame
- Found in some body products, such as shaving gel.
·
Benzyl/Benzene
-
Used in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics,
shower gels, shampoos, bubble bath.
·
BHT
-
Found in body products.
·
Bronopol
- Found in body products.
·
Carboxymethylcellulose
- Used in cosmetics.
· Coal
Tar Dyes
(includes FD&C, D&C Blue 1, Green 3, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Yellow
11, Red 33, etc.)
- Found in bubble bath, hair dye, bath oil/salts/soak, body
spray, moisturiser, lip gloss, polish remover, nail polish
lipstick, styling gel/lotion, bar soap, after sun products,
cologne, nail treatment, dandruff shampoo, cosmetics and
toothpaste.
· Collagen – Found in body and skin products
(derived from animal skins and chicken feet).
· Coumarin
- Used in the manufacturing of deodorants, shampoos, skin
fresheners and perfumes.
· DEA
(diethanolamine), MEA (monoethanolamine), & TEA (methanolamine)
- Usually listed on the label as Cocamide DEA -CETYL phosphates
or MEA, Lauramide DEA, Stearamide MEA,
Linoleamide
Tea,
Myristamide DEA,
Triethanolamine DEA, Oleamide DEA, TEA-Lauryl
Sulfate etc. These are almost always in
skin cream, cosmetics, bubble bath, shaving gel, hairsprays,
sunscreens, conditioner, lotions.and
products that foam, including bubble baths, body washes,
shampoos, soaps and facial cleansers.
·
DEET – Found in insect repellent.
· Dibutyl phthalate (DBP)
-
Found in nail polish. Banned in Europe, still used in US.
·
Dioforms
- Found in tooth whitening products.
·
Elastin
- Found in facial creams and body lotions.
·
Ethylacrylate
- Found in some mascaras.
·
Fluoride
- Found in toothpastes.
· Formaldehyde
- Found
in nail care products, baby shampoo, bubble bath, deodorants,
perfume, cologne, hair dye, mouthwash, toothpaste, hair spray.
· Fragrances
(Synthetic)
– Found in
perfumes/fragrances, shampoos, most deodorants, sunscreens, skin
care, body care and baby products.
·
Glycolic Acid
-
Found in creams, lotions, cosmetics.
·
Hydroabietyl Alcohol
-
Found in styling gel/lotions.
·
Hydroquinone
- Found in skin lightening products and hair dyes.
·
Hydroxymethylcellulose
- Used in cosmetics.
· Imidazolidinyl urea and DM hydantoine (Germall Plus, Germall II
and Germal 115)
- Common
in nearly all skin, body and hair care products, antiperspirants
and nail polish.
·
Isoproponal/Isopropyl Alcohol
- Found in some body products,
mouthwash, toothpaste, cleansers, hair colour rinses, body
rubs, hand lotions, fragrances, hair dyes,
massage oils, hand creams, after shave lotions, perfumes and many
other cosmetic products.
·
Kajoic Acid
-
Used in skin lightening products.
·
Lacquer
- Found in mascara.
·
Lanolin
- Found in body products.
·
Lye
- Found in bars of soap.
·
Magnesium Stearate
-
Used in talcum powder.
·
Methylisothiazoline or MIT
-
Found in shampoo.
·
Methyl Methacrylate
-
Found in nail polish.
· Mineral
Oil
-
Found in blush, baby oil which is 100% mineral oil, lotions,
foundation and creams.
· NDEA
- Often used in cosmetics to adjust the pH, and used with many fatty
acids to convert acid to salt (stearate), which then becomes the
base for a cleanser.
· Nitrosamines and Padimate-O (PABA)
-
Found in cosmetics and sunscreens.
· Parabens (methyl, propyl-, butyl- ,
Isobutyl- and ethyl-)
- Widely used in beauty and body products.
·
Paraffin
- Found in cosmetics.
· Petroleum
(Petrolatum),
Petrolatum and
Paraffin Gel (petroleum jelly)
-
Found in lotions, skin creams, and body jelly.
· Phthalates
- Found in perfume, hair spray, deodorant, nail polish, hair
gel, mousse, body and hand lotion. Usually not listed on label,
banned in Europe but still used in the US.
· Polypropylene
- Found in lipstick, mascara, baby soap, eye shadow.
·
Polyquaternium-7
-
Found in body products.
· Propylene
Glycol
-
Found in shaving gel, moisturising lotions, shampoo,
conditioners, deodorant, most forms of make-up, hair products,
after-shave, mouthwashes and toothpaste.
·
PVP/VA Copolymere
- Used in shampoos and conditioners.
·
Quaternium-7, 15, 31, 60
etc. -
Found in body
products.
·
Sodium Chloride
-
Found in shampoo as a thickener.
· Sodium
Hydroxymethylglycinate
-
Found in facial moisturizer, facial cleanser, facial treatments,
skin fading and lightening products, anti-aging products, eye
makeup remover, concealer, makeup remover, around eye cream,
acne treatment, shampoo, conditioner, styling lotion and gel,
styling mousse and foam, hair spray, hair relaxer, tanning oil
and sunscreen, after tanning products, body cleanser and wash,
body exfoliants, body firming lotion, baby soap, baby lotion,
baby wipes, baby bubble bath, pain and wound products, hand
sanitiser.
· SLS
(Sodium Lauryl Sulphate)
&
SLES (Sodium Laureth Sulphate)
- May
be labelled natural or even organic and found in toothpaste,
soap, cosmetics, shampoo, body wash, bubble bath, facial
cleansers, hair conditioners.
· Stearalkonium
Chloride
- Used in hair conditioners and in skin creams.
·
Talc
-
Found in blush, condoms, baby powder, feminine powders,
deodorant, foot and body powders.
·
Toluene
-
Found in nail polish and cleaning products.
· Triclosan
-
Found in a lot of antimicrobial soap, antibacterial soap,
deodorants, cosmetics, lotions, creams, and even toothpaste
products, it can react with chlorine in the tap water to create
Chloroform. A safe, non-toxic alternative that has many
applications is Grapefruit Seed Extract.
·
Zinc Stearate
-
Found in blush and powder foundation.
What You Should Do?
-
Check
your shampoos, toothpaste, liquid soaps, body gels, and other
skin products. Check all your cosmetic products for these dangerous
ingredients and avoid any further skin contact with them.
-
If you have children, make sure they are not
using shampoos and toothpaste containing them. Children under 6
are especially vulnerable to improper eye development. Also,
most importantly,
check sun block products.
-
If
you have infants, check your baby wipes and baby lotions and
find natural alternative products that are safe for children.
-
Cut
down on the products that you and your family use. Replace
products with safer, natural 'non-synthetic' alternatives.
-
Make
your own simple cosmetic creams by using a mix of essential oils
and a base oil or cream, which can be applied to your face, body
or in the bath. Perhaps you could create a skin freshener
by combining rose petals, boiling water and cider vinegar.
A simple face mask can also be made from mixing together
cucumber, honey, rosewater and ground almonds.
The good news
is that a growing number of genuine beauty companies are now
making 'organic' beauty products that avoid the use of the
toxic chemicals that are linked to health issues. However, there is currently
no legal definition for ‘organic’ beauty products, so, for the
time being, it’s best
to look out for the ‘Soil Association’ symbol or ‘Ecocert’ to
guarantee that the product meets the strictest standards for
organic purity and integrity.
Much of the
concern is about the ‘cocktail effect’ of the chemicals in the
different products that we use. Many women use over 20
different skin and cosmetic products a day, bombarding themselves with hundreds of
chemicals, never mind those also found in household cleaning products
etc. From now on, think carefully
about what you’re actually putting onto your body
... is that expensive new moisturiser really worth taking the risk?
Rest assured. Nature's Sunshine 'NatriaTM'
skincare product range are only formulated with
skin-beneficial primarily 'naturally-derived', nourishing ingredients that condition,
strengthen and defend your skin.
To discover 'Nature's
Skin Nutrition', please click on
Natria
Skincare today. For further information on
Nature's Sunshine's policy regarding the safety of its skin care
and cosmetic range, please
click here.
For more details on organic beauty product suppliers that
use completely natural ingredients, you can also visit
www.soilassociation.org/healthandbeauty.
The
products links stated in this article can only be purchased from
this website in UK and in Europe.
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