It turns out beauty is more than skin deep
The average person slathers, lathers, rubs and sprays, 10 different skin care products on his or her body every day--and since our skin acts more like a sponge than a barrier, we absorb the nearly 130 chemicals we regularly expose ourselves to.
Cosmetics companies and the FDA maintain that these chemicals are safe, and many of them are--in small doses at least. But consider that the average woman wears makeup every day, and you begin to understand how a little dab here a quick spray there begins to add up.
Some of the harmful ingredients that are used frequently in manufacturing the most common non-organic skin care and make-up items include:
Which Chemicals In Cosmetics Can Cause Cancer?
Many of us wear make-up to enhance our natural beauty, but there’s definitely nothing pretty about the chemicals found in most drugstore cosmetics today. From hormone disruptors to allergic skin reactions, the beauty aisle is a playground of harmful ingredients that offer an array of long-term negative effects as well as instant negative skin reactions like eczema. Tweet this! On an average day, we put 168 potentially dangerous chemicals on our skin and the most worrying of all these chemicals are the carcinogens lurking in our lipsticks, creams and any other cosmetic you can imagine .
The average person slathers, lathers, rubs and sprays, 10 different skin care products on his or her body every day--and since our skin acts more like a sponge than a barrier, we absorb the nearly 130 chemicals we regularly expose ourselves to.
Cosmetics companies and the FDA maintain that these chemicals are safe, and many of them are--in small doses at least. But consider that the average woman wears makeup every day, and you begin to understand how a little dab here a quick spray there begins to add up.
Some of the harmful ingredients that are used frequently in manufacturing the most common non-organic skin care and make-up items include:
- Mercury
- Dioxane
- Nitrosamines
- DEA
- Cyclomethicone
- Ammonium Laureth Sulfate
- Alcohol, Isopropyl (SD-40)
- Polyethylene Glycol
- Polyethylene eth-
Which Chemicals In Cosmetics Can Cause Cancer?
Many of us wear make-up to enhance our natural beauty, but there’s definitely nothing pretty about the chemicals found in most drugstore cosmetics today. From hormone disruptors to allergic skin reactions, the beauty aisle is a playground of harmful ingredients that offer an array of long-term negative effects as well as instant negative skin reactions like eczema. Tweet this! On an average day, we put 168 potentially dangerous chemicals on our skin and the most worrying of all these chemicals are the carcinogens lurking in our lipsticks, creams and any other cosmetic you can imagine .
Read Product Labels & Learn About What You're Getting
If you want to protect your body from the harmful ingredients that are used in most commercial brands, you should check out organic skin care products and organic make-up. Of course, you will need to get in the habit of reading product labels, just as you probably do already when it comes to the foods that we buy.
We are all concerned about our health and well being, which means that it is important that we are proactive in choosing products that are good for us. Choosing organic skin care products and organic make-up does not have to be a tedious process.
Once you have become reasonably familiar with the "bad" ingredients that are so commonly used in skin care products, you will learn to recognize the difference between synthetic & natural products. Becoming a more informed consumer will allow you to make smart choices while shopping for your organic skin care products.
It may get a little frustrating when you're initially trying to decipher labels because there are so many ingredients listed. One thing you can use that will help you to decipher product labels is to break each label into thirds. Focus on these ingredients first, because they usually make up the majority of the product.
The rule is that the ingredients should be listed in descending order according to the amount that they make up the formula. For example, if you have a product that is 88% aloe and 90% water, the water would be listed first, the numbers show there's more water than aloe. Alphabetic listing does not override this.
If you want to protect your body from the harmful ingredients that are used in most commercial brands, you should check out organic skin care products and organic make-up. Of course, you will need to get in the habit of reading product labels, just as you probably do already when it comes to the foods that we buy.
We are all concerned about our health and well being, which means that it is important that we are proactive in choosing products that are good for us. Choosing organic skin care products and organic make-up does not have to be a tedious process.
Once you have become reasonably familiar with the "bad" ingredients that are so commonly used in skin care products, you will learn to recognize the difference between synthetic & natural products. Becoming a more informed consumer will allow you to make smart choices while shopping for your organic skin care products.
It may get a little frustrating when you're initially trying to decipher labels because there are so many ingredients listed. One thing you can use that will help you to decipher product labels is to break each label into thirds. Focus on these ingredients first, because they usually make up the majority of the product.
The rule is that the ingredients should be listed in descending order according to the amount that they make up the formula. For example, if you have a product that is 88% aloe and 90% water, the water would be listed first, the numbers show there's more water than aloe. Alphabetic listing does not override this.
What to Look for on Organic Skin Care & Make-up Products Labels Some of the ingredients that you will find present in many type of skin care products, including organic skin care products & organic make-up:
- Emollients
- Humectants
- Emulsifiers
- Surfactants
- Preservatives
BHA and BHT – carcinogenic preservative
What is BHA & BHT? BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytolune) are very similar in their effects and are synthetic antioxidants used as preservatives in cosmetics.
Where is BHA & BHT found? Because they preserve shelf life, BHA & BHT are most commonly used in a wide array of cosmetics including, but not limited to: moisturizers, lipstick, eye-liners, perfumes, foundations and blushes.
What are the harmful effects of BHA & BHT? BHA is classified as a carcinogen as well as a hormone disruptor due to evidence that it interferes with normal hormone function.
BHT can potentially cause liver, kidney and thyroid problems in humans as well as affect blood coagulation and may act as a tumor promoter under certain circumstances.
DEA – foamy, chemical irritant
What is DEA? Ever wonder how your shampoo or shower gel gets so foamy once water is added to it? It’s due to an ingredient called DEA (diethanolamine). Many of us like the foaminess a shower gel or shampoo provides because of the misleading feeling that we are getting a deeper clean. Unfortunately, all the foamy bubbles come at a price.
Another scary, must-know fact is that DEA can react with nitrites in certain cosmetics, which then forms nitrosamines. Nitrosamines are classified as a possible human carcinogen.
3) Parabens are synthetic preservatives (methylparaben, propylparaben, isoparaben, and butylparaben) that easily and cheaply preserve personal care products for up to 2 years.
Parabens can be found in every sort of personal care product including color cosmetics, skin care, deodorant, and hair care.
The problem with parabens is that they are absorbed in to the skin and accumulate in the body. This build up of parabens in the body can increase our “toxic-load” and may contribute to disease. Parabens may cause skin irritation, influence breast cancer, and are recognized endocrine disruptors.
The body sees parabens as estrogen (xenoestrogens – a foreign estrogen). Parabens can disrupt the endocrine system, affect fetal development, and are especially harmful to children’s developing bodies. Multiple studies have discovered parabens in breast cancer tumors. Parabens have also been found to cause heart tissue problems over time.
What Are Carcinogens?
Carcinogens are ingredients that can potentially cause cancer when used over a long period of time. Most of us have these seemingly innocent bottles on our bathroom shelves, but there’s certainly nothing innocent about them.
Let’s take a look at three of the most harmful cancer causing chemicals in cosmetics…
Become An Informed Buyer By Reading Labels and Buying `Vegan Natural`!
What is BHA & BHT? BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytolune) are very similar in their effects and are synthetic antioxidants used as preservatives in cosmetics.
Where is BHA & BHT found? Because they preserve shelf life, BHA & BHT are most commonly used in a wide array of cosmetics including, but not limited to: moisturizers, lipstick, eye-liners, perfumes, foundations and blushes.
What are the harmful effects of BHA & BHT? BHA is classified as a carcinogen as well as a hormone disruptor due to evidence that it interferes with normal hormone function.
BHT can potentially cause liver, kidney and thyroid problems in humans as well as affect blood coagulation and may act as a tumor promoter under certain circumstances.
DEA – foamy, chemical irritant
What is DEA? Ever wonder how your shampoo or shower gel gets so foamy once water is added to it? It’s due to an ingredient called DEA (diethanolamine). Many of us like the foaminess a shower gel or shampoo provides because of the misleading feeling that we are getting a deeper clean. Unfortunately, all the foamy bubbles come at a price.
Another scary, must-know fact is that DEA can react with nitrites in certain cosmetics, which then forms nitrosamines. Nitrosamines are classified as a possible human carcinogen.
3) Parabens are synthetic preservatives (methylparaben, propylparaben, isoparaben, and butylparaben) that easily and cheaply preserve personal care products for up to 2 years.
Parabens can be found in every sort of personal care product including color cosmetics, skin care, deodorant, and hair care.
The problem with parabens is that they are absorbed in to the skin and accumulate in the body. This build up of parabens in the body can increase our “toxic-load” and may contribute to disease. Parabens may cause skin irritation, influence breast cancer, and are recognized endocrine disruptors.
The body sees parabens as estrogen (xenoestrogens – a foreign estrogen). Parabens can disrupt the endocrine system, affect fetal development, and are especially harmful to children’s developing bodies. Multiple studies have discovered parabens in breast cancer tumors. Parabens have also been found to cause heart tissue problems over time.
What Are Carcinogens?
Carcinogens are ingredients that can potentially cause cancer when used over a long period of time. Most of us have these seemingly innocent bottles on our bathroom shelves, but there’s certainly nothing innocent about them.
Let’s take a look at three of the most harmful cancer causing chemicals in cosmetics…
Become An Informed Buyer By Reading Labels and Buying `Vegan Natural`!
The 2 highly toxic cosmetics ingredients that cause most skin allergies
Skin allergies to cosmetics and skincare products are extremely common and are about as much fun as going camping in a hail storm. If you’ve ever experienced sore, red, itchy, scaly or puffy skin after using a skincare product, chances are it contains ingredients that have caused your body to have an allergic reaction. The two main offenders when it comes to causing skin allergies are fragrances and preservatives. They are in just about every mass-produced, mainstream skincare product and cosmetic, and they can be an absolute nightmare if you have sensitive skin.
Fragrances, whether they are synthetic or natural in origin, can have a cumulative affect, which can eventually cause a skin allergy to arise. Artificial fragrances can be composed of more than 200 chemical constituents, including known carcinogens such as methyl chloride — very dodgy indeed. There is no current regulation for fragrance manufactures to disclose the ingredients or test for toxic synergies, so you’re on your own. It’s up to you to educate yourself and avoid the products containing them.
Mostly they will go under the guise of ‘parfum’ on the label of a product and be listed towards the end of the INCI. This may be a blend of essential oil constituents or it may be a proprietary formulation that is shrouded in secrecy as to what it actually contains. Often the manufacturer may not even be privy to this information.
Preservatives are a necessary addition in skincare products — without them, moulds, bacteria and fungus would contaminate the product, posing further health risks.
Skin allergies to cosmetics and skincare products are extremely common and are about as much fun as going camping in a hail storm. If you’ve ever experienced sore, red, itchy, scaly or puffy skin after using a skincare product, chances are it contains ingredients that have caused your body to have an allergic reaction. The two main offenders when it comes to causing skin allergies are fragrances and preservatives. They are in just about every mass-produced, mainstream skincare product and cosmetic, and they can be an absolute nightmare if you have sensitive skin.
Fragrances, whether they are synthetic or natural in origin, can have a cumulative affect, which can eventually cause a skin allergy to arise. Artificial fragrances can be composed of more than 200 chemical constituents, including known carcinogens such as methyl chloride — very dodgy indeed. There is no current regulation for fragrance manufactures to disclose the ingredients or test for toxic synergies, so you’re on your own. It’s up to you to educate yourself and avoid the products containing them.
Mostly they will go under the guise of ‘parfum’ on the label of a product and be listed towards the end of the INCI. This may be a blend of essential oil constituents or it may be a proprietary formulation that is shrouded in secrecy as to what it actually contains. Often the manufacturer may not even be privy to this information.
Preservatives are a necessary addition in skincare products — without them, moulds, bacteria and fungus would contaminate the product, posing further health risks.
The ABCs of Natural Beauty
Read the Label
Every makeup product has a list of ingredients, and there are a few red flags that should make you think twice about buying that mascara.
Look It Up
You don’t have to commit a list of suspect ingredients to memory. This is such a hot topic, there are two different websites where you can look up the ingredients in your favorite products and get a quick and dirty rating in the form of a single number.
Support the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
As it stands now, the FDA has no power to evaluate or approve ingredients before they make it into the products you use every day, which is why carcinogenic and hazardous ingredients are in our mascaras, foundations and lipsticks, even in items that are supposed to support the fight against breast cancer (that’s called “pinkwashing”).
Find Trustworthy Brands You Like
Unfortunately, every single drugstore brand of makeup has at least one of the offending ingredients listed above in some or all of their products. You can look your favorite brand up in one of the websites mentioned above to find their safer offerings. Or you can save yourself time and stress by finding a quality brand of makeup that you love and trust with your health
Read the Label
Every makeup product has a list of ingredients, and there are a few red flags that should make you think twice about buying that mascara.
Look It Up
You don’t have to commit a list of suspect ingredients to memory. This is such a hot topic, there are two different websites where you can look up the ingredients in your favorite products and get a quick and dirty rating in the form of a single number.
Support the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
As it stands now, the FDA has no power to evaluate or approve ingredients before they make it into the products you use every day, which is why carcinogenic and hazardous ingredients are in our mascaras, foundations and lipsticks, even in items that are supposed to support the fight against breast cancer (that’s called “pinkwashing”).
Find Trustworthy Brands You Like
Unfortunately, every single drugstore brand of makeup has at least one of the offending ingredients listed above in some or all of their products. You can look your favorite brand up in one of the websites mentioned above to find their safer offerings. Or you can save yourself time and stress by finding a quality brand of makeup that you love and trust with your health