Everything that goes on your skin, or in your hair goes into your body! So its important to know your products!!
Things you can ask/ or research;
-What are the ingredients in this product?
-If you cant pronounce it, its probably a good idea to Google it or do your research!
-If a product have more that 15-20 ingredients then stay away!
-A lot of rich anti aging or "miracle" products are filled with toxic chemicals that cause aging are tested on animals.
-Has it been tested on animals? Is it cruelty free?
Deadly toxins found in common beauty products to watch out for!!
-Mineral oil (which is petroleum)It coats the skin like pastic wrap & can promote acne and other skin disorders. Industrially it is used as a grease component.
Petrolatum, paraffin or paraffin oil and propylene glycol are other common cosmetic forms of mineral oil. Toxic. Avoid them (Hampton). Has tendency to dissolve the skin's own natural oil and thereby increase dehydration.
-Isopropel Alcohol
-Sodium Laurel Sulfate (This toxin stays in the body for up to 5 days)This is used in a lot of hair & body washes! It is irritating to scalp and may cause hair loss.
-Chlorine
-DEA (diethanolamine) MEA (monoethanolamine) TEA (triethanolamine)
-FD&C Color Pigments
-Fragrance (You can find some amazingly delicious body & perfume oils from places like The Body Shop)
-Parabens
-Sodium Fluoride (MSDS) - used as Rat poison, do you want it in your toothpaste?
-GLYCERIN (synthetic)(MSDS)
Draws moisture from inside the skin, and holds it on the surface for a better "feel". Dries skin from the inside out.
-SODIUM CHLORIDE (Salt - NaCI) Used to increase the viscosity in some cosmetics. Can cause eye and skin irritation if used in too high concentrations (Hampton). Its usually used to make a cheap, watery consistency product look thick and rich instead.
-COLLAGEN and ELASTIN of HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT
Derived from animal skins and ground-up chicken feet. Both of these ingredients form films that may suffocate and over-moisturize the skin. BAR SOAPS Made from animal fat and lye. May let bacteria feed and grow in it. May corrode & dry the skin.
--->Many of the hyped ingredients found in most cosmetic brands cannot penetrate the skin because of their high-molecular weight, so they are of little benefit. For example: procollagen, collagen, elastin, cross-linked elastin, and hyaluronic acids...
-Other virtually useless ingredients are insoluble oil-based Vitamin A (Retinyl Palmitate), Placental Extracts, and Royal Bee Jelly.
MYTH: Exfoliates the skin to remove wrinkles and expose young skin.
FACT: Removing the outer layer of the skin exposes the young skin to the harsh aging and damaging environmental agents. Use of AHA's could make you age much faster. You could look better today but may not be such a pretty sight in 10 years.
Also be aware of packaging, if its recycled, recyclable and eco friendly that is always better!
-Phthalates and Bisphenol A (BPA containers) are endocrine disruptors, also called gender benders, that can cause breast and prostate cancer, infertility, metabolic disorders, disrupt thyroid function and even low birth weight. They are found in everything from fragrances, nail polish, food can linings, flooring and windows. -Phthalates are employed as plasticizers in the production of packaging, which clogs landfills and leaks these toxic chemicals into the groundwater. The NRDC is currently investigating phthalates in air freshners.
-Fragrances are packed with toxic chemicals such as ethanol, acetone and ethyl acetate, which are all chemicals cited by the EPA as hazardous waste. Ninety-five percent of chemicals in perfumes are derived from petroleum. Fragrances have even been detected in the fatty tissue of fish and shellfish. These drastically dangerous scents can cause central nervous system disorders, kidney damage, respiratory failure and mucous membrane irritation
-Triclosan goes in your mouth everyday as it’s in toothpaste and mouthwash. (So if you use both, you get a double dose of this harmful chemical.) Triclosan is also used in other products such as soaps and deodorants. Triclosan is one of those chemicals, yet again, linked to cancer. It also causes development of drug-resistant bacteria, and allergies in children. Besides this, it restrains immune function and can build up to toxic amounts harming the liver, kidneys and lungs.
--->Its hard to keep tabs on EVERYTHING but its always good to be conscious and aware of what is going on and in your body and once you know this its easy to pick more healthful products and choices.
--->I will be posting what beauty products are healthy and not full of toxins & chemicals soon!! :)
--->Here is a link to an awesome website where you can search products and find out what is REALLY in them: http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/
