 Everyday we use products that we think are safe; but the truth is that products are NOT always safe and manufacturers don’t have to tell us so. Ever since 1938 – when the FDA granted self-regulation to the cosmetics industry- such products can be marketed without governmental approval of ingredients regardless of what tests show. Most of the 25,000 chemicals have not been tested for long-term toxic effects. In a typical day, you may be exposed to over 200 chemicals, many of which are suspected of causing cancer or juggling hormones. 
AVOID THESE HARMFUL, HAZARDOUS “TOUCH-ME-NOT” INGREDIENTS!!! Alcohol, Isopropyl (SD-40): a synthetic that is a very drying and irritating solvent. It strips your skin’s moisture and natural immune barrier. It is made from propylene and is found in many skin and hair care products. Fatal/coma: if one ounce or less is ingested. DEA (diethanolamine), MEA (monothanolamine), and TEA (triethanolamine): hormone –disrupting chemicals that can form cancer causing nitrates and nitrosamines. Already restricted in Europe due to known carcinogenic effects, but Americans may be exposed 10-20 times per day! Creates foam in shampoos, shaving creams, bubble baths. DMDM Hydantoin & Urea : just two of many preservatives that often release formaldehyde which may cause joint pain, skin reactions, allergies, depression, headaches, chest pains, ear infections, chronic fatigue, dizziness, and loss of sleep. Exposure may also irritate the respiratory system, trigger heart palpitations or asthma, and aggravate coughs and colds. FD & C Color Pigments: synthetic colors made from coal tar containing heavy metal salts that deposit toxins onto the skin, causing skin sensitivity and irritation. Animal studies have shown almost all of them to be carcinogenic. No alternative . Fragrances: Fragrance on a label can indicate the presence of up to four thousand separate ingredients, many toxic or carcinogenic. Mineral Oil: a petroleum by-product that coats the skin like plastic, clogging the pores and interferes with skin’s ability to eliminate toxins. (Baby oil is 100% mineral oil) Proyethylene Glycol (PEG) : a potentially carcinogenic petroleum ingredient that can alter and reduce the skin’s natural moisture factor. Propylene Glycol (PG) and Butylene Glycol: petroleum by-products that act as surfactants (wetting agents) with solvent properties. They penetrate the skin and can weaken protein and cellular structure. The EPA considers PG so toxic that it requires workers to wear protective gloves, clothing and goggles to dispose of any PG solutions in toxic waste dumps. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) & Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES): detergents and surfactants that pose serious health threats. Used in car washes, garage floor cleaners and engine degreasers and 90% of personal care products that foam. Triclosan: a synthetic, “antibacterial” ingredient. The EPA gives triclosan high scores as a risk to both human health and the environment. Triclosan is classified as a chlorophenol, a class of chemicals suspected of causing cancer in humans. Its manufacturing process can produce dioxin, a powerful hormone-disrupting chemical with toxic effects measured in the parts per trillion; that is only one drop in 300 Olympic-size swimming pools!! Hormone disruptors pose enormous long term chronic health risks by interfering with the way hormones perform by changing genetic material, decreasing fertility and sexual function and fostering birth defects. Its use is widespread in popular antibacterial cleansers, toothpastes and household products. |
