Did you know that the products you use on your skin are just as important as what you consume for good health? Your skin is the largest organ in your body, and what you put on your body is absorbed directly into your body, and many of the ingredients can be toxic. Don’t believe me? Your feet will prove me on this point! Try this test. Take a raw garlic clove, and rub it on the soles of your feet. In about 10 minutes you will taste the garlic.
Furthermore, whatever you use on your skin, hair, teeth, and nails ought to be have ingredients that are natural enough to eat because in essence you are actually ingesting it through your skin. Have you read the labels on the products you use? If you can’t pronounce the contents in them, you should reconsider using them. If they contain some form of petroleum or glycol in them, they are a form of the same stuff they use to de-ice airplanes on your skin. Sound healthy?
And many of the ingredients found in products such as mineral oil, act as a barrier, sealing out the moisture instead of letting it in. One article on moisturizers sited, “two ingredients they think may cause skin cancer are mineral oil and sodium lauryl sulfate. Sodium lauryl sulfate was known from past studies as an irritant and may play a role in promoting tumors. Mineral oil, studies show may be cause tumorsapostrophe. Other ingredients have also shown to be cancer-causing. Unfortunately, some of the worst are baby products.
How do you protect yourself and your family? Become educated. To check out the safety of the products you commonly use, please check out www.ewg.org. In a study by this Washington, DC group, they found more than a third of all personal care products contain at least one ingredient that can be linked to cancer, and more that contain impurities known as human carcingens. Please visit their website where you can input the name of a product and see what’s in it, as well as how safe it is on a rating scale. This is an independent environmental group, so it is unbiased. The FDA does little to regulate this industry, in fact have only banned 9 chemicals in 15 years (unlike Europe which has banned more than 1000). Unfortunately, only 110% of 10,500 ingredients used in cosmetics has been evaluated. Also, with the women’s breast cancer tripling since the 1940’s, the Breast Cancer foundation found that common chemicals found in our personal care products like plastics, detergents and pesticides can mimic the properties of estrogen which increase the risk for breast cancer. This includes products like shampoo, toothpaste, lotions, and deodorant.
Furthermore, consider the exposure to phthalates. These are chemicals used in fragrance, nail polish, and even baby toys. Pthalates have been linked to premature breast development in girls and defects in male reproductive development. Congress has been debating the use of phthalates and PBA (bisphenal A –artifical estrogen) used in plastic products and considering banning them from baby bottles, teething rings, rattles, and toys.
Bottom line, use products that are natural, with ingredients that are edible and that you can recognize. One such product line, which is made in Bailey, Colorado, is Lemongrass Spa Products. You can order products online through my website, or host a spa party for your friends and be treated to some pampering. Visit www.OurLemonGrassSpa.com/homespalady. Meantime, even in the healthy stores, read the labels. Also, please check outwww.safecosmetics.org and become involved with women lobbying for safer products for our families!