Do You Know What You’re Putting On Your Skin?

There is something really important I would like to share with you today. Over the past decade, I have become aware of so many things. Things that would have been a blessing to know years sooner…but I guess you only really gain your knowledge and wisdom as the years go by.

One thing I have learned over the years is the ridiculous amount of chemicals that are put into our personal care and beauty products. I once read a woman is exposed to over 2,000 chemicals before she even leaves the house in the morning. All due to shampoos, conditioners, hair styling products, makeup, perfumes, lotions and sunscreens. That has nothing to do with household cleaning products and air fresheners, which is a whole other topic.

Unless you were lucky enough to hear about this or just decided to do your own research as you read the back of the bottles listing the chemicals that make up our so called ‘beauty’ products, you will be kept in the dark. You will be kept in the dark by these big name companies for what they advertise can be the furthest thing from the truth. Stamped across the front of these products are images of flowers or fresh looking, brightly colored produce as if these products contain the ‘real thing’. Some of them might, perhaps as the last ingredient. As long as it’s in the ingredients somewhere, they are able to advertise in anyway they’d like.

Yet if you haven’t already, look at some of your products. Take a look at the long list of ingredients on the back. You might find more ingredients listed you can barely pronounce then you can read.

So what does this mean for you? Maybe nothing. Maybe you love your products and maybe you’ll never notice any negative side effects. Yet on the other hand these products might ‘seem’ to be working for you yet unaware to you your skin is taking in all these chemicals. Your skin is basically a sponge. Anything you put on your skin is directly absorbed into your body. These chemicals find their way in, settling deep into your organs and tissues.

So what can you do? First, start by taking a close look at the products you use. Read your labels. If there are more ingredients on the label you can’t pronounce then you can, it’s possible it might be time to rethink your products.

Secondly, try out this awesome website. http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

You can type in almost any product and a list will come up of that product line and get this…their hazard level! Yes, it will tell you how hazardous that product is. It goes from green to red, 0-10. 1-2 being in the green zone as safe. 3-6 is in the range of the yellow zone as use caution or potentially hazardous. Then there is the red zone of 7-10 which marks hazardous or cancer causing. Yes it warns you of cancer causing products.

Many chemicals in our ‘beauty’ products have been known to promote cancer, fibromyalgia, kidney disease, dementia, skin allergies, eczema, cause acne or even accelerate aging. Unless you educate yourself about what your favorite products are made up of, you will be blinded by the fancy label on the packaging, not realizing the slew of chemicals in fine print listed on the back. Of course, if these companies put the hazard rating in red across the front of their labels they would go out of business. So they slap on a fancy label, get by listing the ingredients they are required to list in small print on the back and persuade you otherwise with their advertising. Even some of their ingredient labels can be vague. Just by listing the word ‘fragrance’ or ‘natural fragrance’ that can hold a ton of other chemicals not required to list separately. Yet we read fragrance and assume it’s ‘safe’.

I do not want to name any brands that I feel are guilty of filling their products full of chemicals because my purpose of writing this is not to bash companies or brands but to inform you of the hazards chemicals in many products out there. I’m not trying to give any one company a bad rap or say I know what product is the best. There is no one best product because everyone of us has different hair and skin types and everyone of us likes different textures and scents in our products.

The best thing you can do is do your research. Pick up your products, take a look at what’s inside. Try out http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ or even Google the ingredients that you don’t recognize. We all have the power of the internet at our fingertips now. There is no reason to be kept in the dark about anything anymore, especially about the products we use and the food we eat. If you don’t step up and do your own research, these big name companies will continue to benefit from your lack of information and knowledge on these products and chemicals and continue to benefit from your choice to continue to purchase these products.

 

 

 

 

 

Organic shea butter is a great hand lotion with only 1 pure ingredient compared to the long list of chemicals in the other lotion above. Both feel great on your hands. Of course the shea butter doesn’t smell nearly as great as the sweet flowery fragrance of the other hand lotion, but adding a few drops of essential oil to the shea butter will not only make it smell wonderful but it will be 100% natural and chemical free!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is an example of a natural bar of soap compared to a big name brand body wash. Personally I’d much rather use the bar of soap then slather all those foreign chemicals on my skin.

There is no absolute ‘miracle cure’ for anything in this world. Yet despite what these companies advertise, many of them (not all) are not out for your health, they are out for their wealth. Remember that.

I am currently on my journey into essential oils and their amazing benefits! Yet it’s something I have just gotten into recently and I know it will take much reading and experimenting with. I do use commercial products but I definitely check into them before I purchase them.  In time I will be replacing some of the products I use with my own 100% natural homemade recipes.

Here are a few products that I have found to be nice (and safe!) and that work great!

I wish you the best on your journey to better health!

Acure shampoos and conditioners

Avalon Organics shampoos and conditioiners

Avalon Organics baby lotion

One with Nature soaps