Yep, time to get real!!!
Did you know that the skin is the largest organ of the body and
what an interesting and amazing organ it is? It absorbs quite a
bit of what we put on it, so we really should take care of our
skin!
This is what you must understand…
The face and beauty products which fill the shelves of our
regular high street shops are full of chemicals which are
unhealthy. They are toxic, maybe carcinogenic, unnatural and
have been artificially created in the lab and in factories.
They may be cheap to manufacture, they may promise us all
kinds of amazing results…some of these results may even
manifest in your skin for a short while…but in the long term they
will decrease your health, reduce your vitality and rob you of
your natural glow!!
And of course, Mother Earth is being polluted too by this
massive industry! And even more mad is that these lab-created chemicals are
often BASED on naturally occurring substances which the
researchers have found in nature. So, WHY do they take what
Mother Nature has created and copy the chemical composition
of them as best as they can through artificial means?
It’s because you can’t patent nature!
And it is cheaper to recreate something similar in the lab… or
try to create a compound which has similar results when put on the skin or in the body. (By the way, this is the same process used to make many pharmaceutical drugs).
Maybe you will be inspired to take a look at the ingredients
listed on your product labels and see if they contain any of the
following? OR if there are other ingredients which read like
gobbledygook … google them for yourself and find out exactly
what they are and what their side effects might be!!
Yuka is a great App. You aim it at your body care products, and it
will give you a safety rating; a green, orange or red grade and
then it tells you what the products are along with their effects
on the body! Brilliant!!
We really, really need to educate ourselves on what we put on
our skin!
I bet you’ll never look at your face creams the same way again!!!
Let us take a little look at some of these chemicals which might
be found in your ordinary, high-street products. The following
information is taken from Dr Samuel Epstein’s book called
Unreasonable Risk by Dr Samuel Epstein 2001.
Lots of love,
Sarah x
| CHEMICAL
NAME |
RELATED
INGREDIENTS |
USES | EFFECTS |
| BUTYLATED HYDROXYANISOLE (BHA) BUTYLATED HYDROXYTOLUENE (BHT) | Synthetic antioxidant used as a preservative in cosmetics | Allergic reactions in skin Possible human carcinogen Interferes with hormone function High doses may mimic oestrogen | |
| COAL TAR DERIVED DYES | Five digit colour index numbers (CI) P-phenylenediamine | Used to add colour, used in hair dyes. Derived from petroleum. | Human carcinogen May be contaminated with low levels of heavy metal and then are toxic to the brain |
| DITHANOLAMINE (DEA) | Cocamide DEA Lauramide DEA Monoethanolamide (MEA) Triethanolamine (TEA) | Used to make cosmetics creamy or sudsy and used as a Ph adjuster. | Linked to liver cancer, pre-cancerous changes in skin and thyroid Skin and eye irritation Can react with nitrites in cosmetics to form nitrosamines (possible human carcinogen) |
| DIBUTYL PHTHALATE (DBT | ) Parfum Fragrance | Used as a solvent for dyes or as a plasticizer, commonly found in nail polish, fragrance | . Enhances the capacity of other chemicals to cause genetic mutations Developmental effects Interferes with hormone function Linked to infertility |
| FORMALDEHYDE RELEASING PRESERVATIVES | DMDM hydantoin Diazolidinyl urea Imidazolidinyl urea Methenamine Quarternium-15 Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate Tosylamide Formaldehyde resin | Slow and continuous release of small amounts of formaldehyde, which acts as a preservative. | Human carcinogen Skin and eye irritant Allergen |
| PARABENS | Methylparabens Butylparabens Propylparabens | Preservative | Easily penetrates the skin Can mimic oestrogen Detected in breast cancer tissues |
| PARFUM | Fragrance | ingredient in many products. Even when marked as fragrance free products may contain fragrance ingredients in the form of masking agents. | Allergen Can trigger migraines and asthma symptoms Associated with cancer and neurotoxicity |
| POLYETHYLENE GLYCOLS (PEGs)” | Propylene glycol Anything containing the letters “eth | Petroleum based used as thickeners, solvents, softeners and moisture-carriers. Also increase the permeability of the skin to allow greater absorption of the product. | Depending on how they are manufactured, PEGs may be contaminated with amounts of 1, 4 dioxane which is a human carcinogen Skin irritation and systemic toxicity Increased permeability of the skin |
| SILOXANES | Cyclotetrasiloxane (D4) Cyclopentasiloxane (D5) Cyclohexasiloxane (D6) Cycloemethicone Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) Anything ending in “siloxane” or “cone” | Used to soften, smooth and moisten. Helps hair products dry more quickly and deodorant creams slide on more easily | D4 is an endocrine disruptor D5 is linked to uterine tumours and reproductive harm |
| SODIUM LAURYL SULPHATE (SLS) | An anionic surfactant used in cosmetics and industrial chemicals as a cleansing agent. Used as a thickener and foaming agent in shampoos, toothpastes, and cleansers, and as a wetting agent in garage floor cleaners, engine degreasers, and auto cleaning products. SLS is used around the world in clinical studies as a skin irritant. | High levels of skin penetration may occur at even low concentrations. Studies have shown SLS to have a degenerative effect on the cell membrane due to its protein denaturing properties. It can also maintain residual levels in major organs of the body from skin contact. Carcinogenic nitrates can form in the manufacturing of SLS or by its combination with other nitrogenbearing ingredients within a formulation, creating a nitrosating agent. | |
| SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE (SLES) | Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) Anything containing the letters “eth” | SLES is the alcohol form (ethoxylated) of SLS. It has higher foaming qualities and is slightly less irritating, but may cause more drying.Used as a cleansing agent and also to make products bubble and foam.. | Possible human carcinogen. Skin and eye irritant. May also cause potentially carcinogenic formulations of nitrates, or nitrosating agents, by reacting with other ingredients |
| TRICLOSAN | Used in antiperspirants, cleansers and hand sanitizers as a preservative and antibacterial agent. | Interferes with hormone function Skin and eye irritation Contributes to antibiotic resistant bacteria | |
| MINERAL OIL White | oil Paraffin Petroleum | A distillate of petroleum (crude oil) Baby oil, jelly, soaps | Regarded as a carcinogen by the WHO Molecules in mineral oil are too big for our pores to absorb, like wrapping skin in plastic wrap. Slows the skin’s ability toclear toxins |
| ALCOHOL | A colourless, volatile, flammable liquid produced by fermentation of yeast and carbohydrates. Alcohol is used frequently as a solvent and is also found in beverages and medicine | As an ingredient in ingestible products, alcohol may cause body tissue to be more vulnerable to carcinogens. Mouthwashes with an alcohol content of 25% or more have been implicated in mouth, tongue and throat cancers. | |
| TALC | A soft grey-green mineral used in some personal hygiene and cosmetic products. | Inhaling talc may be harmful as this substance is recognised as a potential carcinogen. | |
| ALPHA | HYDROXY An organic acid produced by anaerobic | Skin care products containing AHA ACID respiration. exfoliate not only damage skin cells, but also the skin’s protective barrier as well. Long term skin damage may result from its use. | |
| ALUMINIUM | A metallic element used extensively in the manufacture of aircraft components, prosthetic devises and as an ingredient in antiperspirants, antacids and antiseptics.. | Aluminium has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease | |
| PALM OIL | An ubiquitous ingredient in many personal care items and food. | To be avoided where possible due to hydrogenated nature and also due to harvesting practices and the effects on Orang-utans whose natural habitat is being destroyed. | |
| LYE | A highly concentrated watery solution of sodium hydroxide | . Lye is combined with animal fats to make bars of soap, which may corrode and dry out the skin. | |
| ANIMAL FAT (TALLOW) | A type of animal tissue made up of oily solids or semisolids that are water-insoluble esters of glycerol with fatty acids. | Animal fats and lye are the chief ingredients in a bar of soap; a cleaning and emulsifying product that may act as a breeding ground for bacteria. | |
| COLLAGEN | An insoluble fibrous protein that is too large to penetrate the skin. | This ingredient forms a layer of film that may suffocate the skin. Found in many cosmetic products is derived from animal skins and ground up chicken feet. | |
| DIOXINS | A potentially carcinogenic byproduct that results from the process used to bleach paper at paper mills. | Dioxin treated containers sometimes transfer dioxins to the product itself. | |
| FLUOROCARBONS | A colourless, nonflammable gas or liquid that can produce mild respiratory tract irritation. Fluorocarbons are commonly used as a propellant in hairsprays. | ||
| LANOLIN | A fatty substance extracted from wool, which is frequently found in cosmetics and lotions. | Lanolin is a common skin sensitiser that can cause allergic reactions, such as skin rashes. | |
| ELASTIN | A protein similar to collagen that is the main component of elastic fibres. Elastin is also derived from animal sources. | Its effect on the skin is similar to collagen. forms a layer of film that may suffocate the skin. | |