The modern-day spread of cancer comes to me as no surprise. The scarier mystery is detecting the root cause of this evil. Toxicity surrounds us; it's in the air we breath, the food we eat, or the makeup we use to beautify ourselves. Yes, you heard it right! So think twice before picking up that rouge hue; death by lipstick should never be the case!
(Check out this list of the metros best Hospitals)
Debunking Toxic Beauty Myths: What we don't know CAN HURT us.
We trust the brands we use, because we as customers assume that there must be some kind of rigorous process to testing the products for any toxic ingredients, before they enter the market. WRONG. According to the EWG, the Food and Drug Administration has no authority to require companies to test products for safety. FDA does not review a vast majority of products or ingredients before they go on the market. The agency pre-market, reviews only for certain color additives and active ingredients in cosmetics classified as over-the-counter drugs.
We think, 'only skin-deep'; but the damage goes way deeper! People are exposed by breathing in sprays and powders, swallowing chemicals on the lips and hands, or absorbing them through the skin. Dangerous cosmetic ingredients are potential hormone disruptors. Products commonly contain penetration enhancers to drive ingredients deeper into the skin. Studies find health problems in people exposed to common fragrance and sunscreen ingredients, including elevated risk for sperm damage, feminization of the male reproductive system, and low birth weight in girls.
SHOP FOR SAFETY
Scouting the market for non-toxic beauty products can be the ultimate challenge. Keep in mind that the terms hypoallergenic, natural, or dermatologist-tested are not always reliable safety markers; 'expensive' does not mean 'safe' either. These claims, plus the visually-enticing packaging are possibly just ad-hype. PICK SAFETY OVER VANITY.
Have you checked lately? What is the average number of your daily-consumed, cosmetic products; and more importantly, what's in it? You might be surprised.
Common Ingredients to Avoid:
- Benzalkonium Chloride - causes severe eye, skin, and respiratory irritation/allergies
- BHA - may cause cancer and tumors
- Coal tar hair dyes and other coal tar ingredients - a byproduct of coal processing; known to be a human carcinogen
- DMDM Hydantoin and Bronopol - weakens immune system
- Formaldehyde - found in hair straighteners; a human carcinogen
- Fragrance - may contain hormone disruptors; among the top 5 allergens in the world
- Hydroquinone - a skin bleaching chemical that may cause skin disease
- Parabens - allergenic, causes premature aging
- Oxybenzone - disrupts the hormone system
- Polyethylene compounds
- Phenoxyethanol - causes allergy, irritant
- TEA (Triethanolamine) - may cause cancer
- Trisodium NTA - possible carcinogen
- DEA (Diethanolamine) - hormone disruptor
- Mineral Oil - clogs pores; speeds up aging
- Dimethicone - clogs pores; irritant
- Isopropyl Palmitate - clogs pores; worsens acne
- Petrolatum / Paraffin - clogs pores; worsens acne
- Urea - may cause cancer; toxic by inhalation
- Triclosan - endocrinal and reproductive malfunctions
- Sodium Lauryl Sulphate / Sodium Laureth Sulfate - irritant
- Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate / Ammonium Llaureth Sulphate - skin and eye irritant
- Phthalates - linked to male reproductive system disorders
- Resorcinol - skin irritant; toxic to immune system; can disrupt normal thyroid function
- Retinyl Palmitate and Retinol - too much can damage DNA or cause skin cancer
- Triclosan and Triclocarban - disrupts thyroid function and reproductive hormones
