Non-Toxic Living
August 18, 2003
Published by Erla Charles
Consumer awareness articles for my customers, website guests, friends, and family :-}
Skin Care: 5 Things that Harm Your Skin
Have you ever read the labels on your shampoos, bubble baths, and other cosmetic products?
Did you notice the listing of ingredients you have no idea what they are?
Would you ever suspect that some of the chemicals listed on the lables could seriously harm you, even the ones you've grown to believe are so safe that you can use them daily on your baby?
Are you just assuming that all these chemicals are safe and won't harm you?... Then think again.
You may have never heard this before, but the list of harmful ingredients found today in our everyday-use cosmetic products is alarming.
Over the past 50+ years, thousands and thousands of chemicals have been introduced into our environment and into the personal care and cosmetics we use. Consequently, in today's toxic world, millions suffer from chemical sensitivity, allergies, asthma, and other chronic illnesses.
The chemical invasion over the past 50+ years have been too much, too fast. The body was not created to deal with so many toxic substances all at once coming from different angles.
The petrochemicals found in most shampoos, bath soaps, and other cosmetic products are easily absorbed through the scalp and skin, and accummulate over time in our precious body organs and tissues.
We often wonder how come cancer has become the #1 killer disease in children. Well... did you know that most baby products contain petroleum by-products and carcinogens? E.g. due to eye-irritation from baby shampoos, an ingredient called ethylene oxide has been added to them. Do a search on the Internet. You will not find one report that disagrees that this is a carcinogen (cancer-causing ingredient).
Very few people know about the chemistry of cosmetics, which use components that may result in conditions ranging from dry and acne skin to cancer. Some petrochemicals found in shampoos, bathing soaps, and other cosmetic products are:
Mineral Oil
This is a petrochemical pollutant and xenohormone. It can have a negative effect on hormonal balance and hinders the skin's natural ability to breathe, attract moisture and detoxify. It is like a saran wrap that suffocates your skin! It tends to slow down cell renewal, and is most likely to cause premature aging (second most harmful after the sun!!) But, since it leaves the skin feeling soft, it creates the illusion of being beneficial.
Mineral oil has the tendency to dissolve the skin's own natural oil and thereby increase dehydration (produces dry skin). Mineral oils can be found in the majority of cosmetic products: lipstick, facial creams, body lotions, bubble baths, body washes, shampoos, and sunscreens. And mineral oil is used AS baby oil!!! Mineral oil tends to clog pores (promoting acne), and is phototoxic and allergenic. Mineral oil removes the oil soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) from the skin. Mineral oils have been found to be probably the single greatest cause of breakouts in women who use a new cosmetic product.
Considering that we are practically covered in baby oil since we are born, is it any wonder that by the age of 25 we most of us are experiencing dry skin problems (feet, knees, elbows, hands, etc.)?
Long-term, mineral oil has the tendency to dissolve the skin's own natural oil and thereby increase dehydration. Short-term, mineral oil may contribute to acne if used on the face, shoulders, and back.
Petrolatum
Exhibits the same potentially harmful properties as Mineral Oil. We all know that baby products are formulated with an enormous amount of petroleum by-products like petrolatum and mineral oil. What we don't know is that petroleum by-products can be contaminated with polycylic hydrocarbons (dangerous carcinogens).
Propylene Glycol
In babies, this chemical damages cell membranes, leading to rashes, dry skin, and surface damage of the skin. According to the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) of the manufacturers of this chemical, propylene glycol will cause serious health conditions, including liver and heart damage, and damage to the central nervous system if sufficient is absorbed by the body. According to Dr. Epstein of the Cancer Prevention Coalition, "sufficient" is being absorbed by the body because this chemical can be found in so many daily use personal care and cosmetic products, and even in food products. Propylene glycol is found in shampoos, conditioners, shaving gels and creams, body lotions, suncreams, deodorants, baby wipes, and baby lotions.
PVP/VA Copolymer
PVP stands for PoliVinylPyrrolidone. It is derived from petroleum and is the key ingredient used primarily in hair sprays, mousse, gels, and lotions and solutions. It is also used in many other cosmetic products such as: shampoo, eye-pencil, eye-makeup, lipstick, deodorant, etc. It is capable of causing cosmetic related allergies. Inhaled particles may cause problems in the lungs of sensitive people.
Benzene
This substance is a known bone-marrow poison, yet it is widely used in personal care and cosmetic products. It is carcinogenic, mutagenic, and toxic.
No Warnings Allowed!!
The chemical industry would like us to believe that small quantities, or low level exposure to propylene glycol and other petroleum by-products are safe to use every day on the skin and even in food. But YOU are the only one who can make up your mind about whether to put a toxic chemical such as propylene glycol on your skin and on your baby's skin.
Petrolatum, paraffin oil, and propylene glycol are common forms of mineral oil, any of which can cause petrochemical hypersensitivity. In spite of all this, no cosmetic manufacturer puts health warnings on their products, and in the U.S., the FDA does not require this information to be on packaging.
Another harmful ingredient to watch out for in shampoos, conditioners, bubble baths, facial cleansers, body lotions, etc., is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Sodium Laureth Sulfate, but this is not a petrochemical.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) /
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
This ingredient is in 90% of commercial shampoos and conditioners. Sometimes it is disguised under the term "Coconut derivative" to look good to people who favor natural products. It is actually a coconut derivative, but not a beneficial one.
This ingredient corrodes the hair folicle and impedes hair growth. It has been blamed for many cases of premature hair loss. It takes hair longer to grow when affected by SLS. This ingredient also damages the protein formation in the eyes, especially of children under 6 years of age, and leads to catarat formation in older adults. It degenerates cell membranes.
The Journal of American College of Toxicology; vol. 2, no. 7, 1983 informs us that SLS is a mutagen. In sufficient amounts, it is capable of changing the information in genetic material found in cells!! It has been used in studies to induce mutations in bacteria.
Learn more at my Harmful Ingredients page.
Do me a favor... Go right now to your bathroom and check the labels of the products you regularly use to see if any of the ingredients mentioned above, are present.
How would you like to find personal care products and cosmetics that do NOT have any of the above mentioned harmful ingredients and that you could use SAFELY every day, month after month, and year after year, and that will promote beautiful, youthful, and healthy skin?
Check out our Nontoxic Products and see a sample of what we have available. I encourage you to consider joining our wholesale club where you can buy non-toxic formulas for your home and family, as a Preferred Customer, at 30% discount!
The best way to do this is:
- Follow the instructions on How to become a Preferred Customer at my Customer Options page.
- When done, email me to get the address to our wholesale website where you can place your order.
Or... You may try some products at retail.
I invite you to join the mission to ban toxic products from your life and bring health into your home by converting to Neways non-toxic products. I hope you consider this seriously.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Erla Charles
For Preventive Family Health
Sacramento, CA
(916) 424-2448 Ext. 3
Visit our Consumer Awareness Information Center
http://www.non-toxic-n-natural.com
Email this article to a friend!
Erla Charles is a health & wellness advocate
and is available to give Family Preventive Health Clinics in the home.
Sacramento, CA.
Article in Erla's Online Fileroom for Consumer Information and Awareness