An average person may be exposed to about 100 chemicals every morning while getting ready for work. Many of these chemicals can be toxic!

Learn about the toxic and harmful ingredients in Skin care products.

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These chemicals can have serious consequences. These chemicals can cause long-term damage. As they accumulate slowly over time, you start to notice some health problems. There are many health problems that can affect your body, including cancer, impaired neurodevelopment in children, respiratory problems, asthma, and other issues.

I’ve met with over 20 functional medicine practitioners who all share the same concerns about toxic chemicals in body care products. They all avoid them and discuss how harmful they can be to everyone’s health.

Before I dive into the details, research and studies, I want to share why I chose to concentrate on toxins in body-care products for my first post about toxic exposures.

My Experience and My Husband’s – Seeing the Difference between Chemical Body Products and Natural Ones

Since I was a teenager, it has been over 5 years since I have changed out any body care products I owned. I switched to organic/natural ingredients. Research led me to realize that soap, shampoo, and other products can contain toxic chemicals. I eventually had to replace all my makeup. This is what I did to notice a difference.

There was no turning back once I made the switch. I had a sample of a face wash that I had received from someone. One night, I tried my face and it made my entire face scalding. This wasn’t my only experience. My husband tried shaving cream after trying natural products for a year. He felt a burning sensation on his face, not just irritation. This is what happens when you switch to natural products. Your body has become resistant for years to toxic chemicals and other harmful substances.

Have you ever tried one of the highly-priced acne products? These products are meant to make it seem like you don’t have to use too much. This is something many of us consider acceptable. I was really bad at acne in high school, and I would do anything to get it under control again. Yes, I tried several. The real solution to acne isn’t in the products you purchase. It’s what you eat. It is also important to avoid using toxic chemicals in your products.

What Are They? Where are They? & What Are They?

All common body products contain toxic chemicals (not just random brands; popular toxins can be found in many brands and most certainly highly commercialized brands). These include lotions, shampoos, conditioners, shampoos, soaps for the skin, soaps for the hair, soaps for the hair, soaps for the hair, shampoos and conditioners, as well as body soaps, soaps and hand soaps.

Some of the most harmful toxins found in beauty and body products include: Parabens and Triclosan. Formaldehyde and Contaminated Talc.

Why do we keep on holding onto toxins?

Most toxins are fat-soluble and end up in our bodies in fatty tissues like our brains, nerves and glands. Some are flushed because the body is trying to achieve a homeostasis. The body is overwhelmed. The detox process is made more difficult by toxins.

These chemicals can cause health problems

Parabens are one of the most dangerous cancer-causing ingredients. Parabens have been implicated in breast and skin cancers, as well as decreased sperm count. This has been confirmed by the FDA. Also, parabens can cause hormonal disruptions that can lead to problems with reproduction. Parabens were found in many of the products that I use every day to moisturize my skin.

Cancer has been linked to PFAS. M- and O-phenylenediamine may cause skin irritation, DNA damage, and even cancer. It’s often found in hair dyes. According to the FDA, triclosan can cause thyroid hormones to be disrupted and germs may grow. It can be found in toothpaste, body washes and soaps. It is a byproduct of coal processing. For young chimney sweeps, it was well-known that coal tar is a carcinogen and causes cancer. It is still present in shampoos, hair dyes, and skin products. It can cause lung, kidney, stomach, and bladder problems, as well as cancer. These are just a few of the most serious toxins.

Over the past 30 year, asthma, ADHD, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADD and ADHD), childhood cancer, and acute lymphocytic encephalopathy (EWG) have all seen an increase (EWG). EWG states that 5-10% of couples are not fertile, half of pregnancies result in miscarriage and 35% of babies are born with birth defects. Scientists aren’t sure why, but toxic substances could be to blame.

It is difficult to comprehend. How could the government allow these products to be on our shelves if they were not safe? These products, including soaps, lotions and soaps for the face, hair, and skin, are easy to believe. They have been around for a long time, don’t you think? The government is really not doing much. Sorry.

FDA does not regulate or test the safety of new products on the market

No FDA Safety Approval for New Ingredients (except for color additives).

The FDA website states that cosmetic products and their ingredients are exempt from FDA premarket approval. FDA regulations and the law do not require that specific tests be performed to prove the safety of particular products or ingredients.

Companies are not required to disclose any safety data that they might have. You can only rely on businesses that are motivated by profit to supply safe products. Numerous studies have shown that these products are not safe.

The U.S. has banned only 11 chemicals or groups of chemicals for cosmetics (Lang,2021). The European Union, however, has banned around 1,300 chemicals.

This shouldn’t surprise anyone who has been following my blog for a while. You may have heard about supplements, GMOs, and other items the government doesn’t regulate.

HISTORY: When did it become so dangerous?

It is true that toxic ingredients have been used in body care products for hundreds of years. They’ve been harming us for years! This is part of the problem. Toxins aren’t something that die with the majority of people. They are instead passed from one generation to another. Every generation is born with more toxic substances than the previous generations.

Today’s babies are born with more than 200-300 toxic chemicals in their bodies. EWG conducted a study. We know of 287 chemicals found in umbilical cord blood. 180 are known to cause cancer in humans and animals. 217 are toxic for the brain and nervous systems. 208 can cause abnormal development or birth defects in animals (EWG). Even scarier, the test only tested for industrial chemicals and pollutants. They did not test for a lot of other toxic substances.

This has been a problem since a long time. Science published a study that shows how Ancient Egyptians used lead salts for their eye makeup. We know that prolonged lead exposure can cause lead poisoning. According to the WHO, lead can cause brain damage, attacks on the central nervous systems, and other serious health problems (Lang, 202). In the latter part of the 19th century, Americans also ate arsenic wafers. Arsenic was believed to be beneficial for skin conditions. Arsenic overdose can lead to cancer, diabetes, cognitive problems and even death.

These are just a few examples of toxic ingredients being used to improve skin and beauty. Arsenic or lead might not be a problem today. There are still dangerous ingredients in many products today.

These are just a few of the Scientific Studies I have researched for you!

Parabens are meant to inhibit the growth of yeasts, bacteria, and mold. Parabens are known to cause estrogen mimicking in the body, and they can also disrupt hormones. Parabens have been shown to cause breast cancer in several studies.

Parabens were found in breast cancers. Parabens have many names: ethylparaben, heptylparaben, propylparaben, isobutyl, isopropyl, butylparaben, and methylparaben.

Triclosan Exposition, Transformation and Human Health Effects In this article, it discusses how the FDA banned Triclosan in certain soap products. It is still used in toothpaste and soaps.

Literature Review: Phthalates’ Effects and Mechanisms on Reproductive Health and Reproductive Processes

How can we avoid these toxins?

There are ways to reduce the risk of making bad decisions. In my next blog, I will discuss how to make smarter choices. You will find a lot of useful and specific information based on my personal experience and knowledge, so you can make better decisions.

It is easy to get started on replacing harmful skin care products. Check your product labels to see if there are any of the above-mentioned toxic ingredients. For some substitute ideas, visit this site.

The Toxin Solution: Hidden poisons in air, water, food, and products can destroy our health. Find out how you can fix it.

Resources:

Lupkin, Sydney. (2015, April 27, 2015). Consumer Group says that women put an average of 168 chemicals on their bodies each day. abcnews. Retrieved from: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/women-put-average-168-chemicals-bodies-day-consumer/story?id=30615324#:~:text=LOG%20IN-,Women%20Put%20an%20Average%20of%20168%20Chemicals%20on%20Their%20Bodies,advocates%20revealed%20the%20startling%20number

Lang, Fabienne. (2021, April 12, 2021). INTERESTING ENGINEERING/Deadly engineering: A complete history of toxic cosmetics. Retrieved from: https://interestingengineering.com/deadly-engineering-a-complete-history-of-toxic-cosmetics

Health One Family Medicine/Common Skincare Ingredients That Are Linked To Cancer. Retrieved from: https://www.healthonemedicine.com/blog/common-skincare-ingredients-that-are-linked-to-cancer#:~:text=Parabens,cancer%20and%20decreased%20sperm%20count.

EWG/Body Burden – The Pollution in Newborns. https://www.ewg.org/research/body-burden-pollution-newborns#:~:text=In%20a%20study%20spearheaded%20by,of%202004%20in%20U.S.%20hospitals

Breast Cancer Prevention Partners/Parabens. Retrieved from: https://www.bcpp.org/resource/parabens/

FDA/FDA Authority Over Cosmetics – How Cosmetics are Not FDA-Approved but Are FDA-Regulated Retrieved from: https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-laws-regulations/fda-authority-over-cosmetics-how-cosmetics-are-not-fda-approved-are-fda-regulated#Who_is_responsible

Tamatum, Soumva. (2022, January 21). SKIN KRAFT/16 Avoiding Toxic Chemicals in Cosmetics and Skincare. Retrieved from: https://skinkraft.com/blogs/articles/toxic-chemicals-in-cosmetics

Faber, Scott. (2020. May 5. ewg/The Toxic Twelve Cosmetic Chemicals and Contaminants In Cosmetics. Retrieved from: https://www.ewg.org/the-toxic-twelve-chemicals-and-contaminants-in-cosmetics

Pizzorno, Joseph. Institute for Natural Medicine/How Toxins Cause Disease. From Joe Pizzorno ND & The Toxin Solution. Retrieved from: https://naturemed.org/how-toxins-cause-disease/

Harvard T.H. Chan/Untested chemicals are common in personal care products. Retrieved from: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/harmful-chemicals-in-personal-care-products/

Dr. Sandison, Heather. North County Natural Medicine/HOW CAN I KNOW IF MY BODY IS FULL OF TOXINS? Retrieved from: https://www.northcountynaturalmedicine.com/know-im-full-toxins/

DANGER! The Wellness Resolution: Toxic Ingredients in Skin Care Products

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.stayslimandhealthy.com/health/8-tips-to-reduce-junk-food-consumption/

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