Most days, I am a moisturizer and lip balm kinda gal but some days I do actually like to get dressed up a bit. On those days, I do occasionally wear make-up. Most women wear some sort of make-up. Today I thought I would tackle the topic of why we need to analyze the health and beauty products we use.
The real question is….
Do You Really Want to Know?
The Dangers of Beauty Products: I think many have definitions to what natural is. For many, their beauty regimen may seem like the furthest thing from the environment but, in reality, they are closely linked. Most don’t realize that most skin care products contain harsh additives and preservatives that are not only harmful to your body and skin but also for the environment!
When I first started looking into the products I was using, I was totally shocked!
The EWG stands for the Environmental Working Group that studies the ingredients that are in many beauty products. Right now their database includes over 79,000 ingredients. You can either search the ingredients in the products you use or search by brand and then product, finding out all the ingredients being used.
According to the EWG studies, the average woman uses 12 products containing 168 different ingredients each and every day. Many cosmetic chemicals are designed to penetrate into the skin’s inner layers, which they do. Our skin is the largest organ of our body.
What we put on to it, gets absorbed into our bodies. Why would I want to put something onto my body that will be absorbed into my body that can affect me in such adversely harmful ways?
Here are two examples of common ingredients found in beauty products below:
Parabens (Propyl, Isopropyl, Butyl, and Isobutylparabens): Parabens are estrogen-mimicking preservatives, found in breast cancer tumors of 19 of 20 women studied. The CDC has detected parabens in virtually all Americans surveyed. According to the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Products, longer chain parabens like propyl and butyl paraben and their branched counterparts, isopropyl and isobutylparabens, may disrupt the endocrine system and cause reproductive and developmental disorders.
Phthalates: A growing number of studies link this chemical to male reproductive system disorders. Pregnant women should avoid nail polish containing dibutyl phathalate. Everyone should avoid products with “fragrance” indicating a chemical mixture that may contain phthalates.
My warning: If you really don’t want to know, don’t look because you will look at your products very differently!
Many companies rely on green washing to help promote and sell their products as natural and organic, when they really may not be. Products labeled natural or organic often contain synthetic chemicals, and even truly natural or organic ingredients are not necessarily risk-free. On the other hand, products labeled “organic” or “natural” can contain petrochemicals and no certified organic or natural ingredients whatsoever. Even products that have been certified as organic can contain as little as 10% organic ingredients by weight or volume.
Don’t be fooled! Unlike food products that are regulated by the FDA, the terms natural and organic beauty products do not currently have to meet those same certifications. So even in products marketed as natural and organic beauty products, look at the labels!
Look for the USDA Certified Organic products to ensure that you and your family are only coming into contact with items that are made from 95% food-grade organic materials.
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