Top 10 Untouchables
"What you put on your skin can go into your body and to affect your health and sense of well-being either negatively or positively.
YOU CAN CHOOSE WHICH…if you know the facts (which the “cosmetic conspiracy” wants to hide from you). As your body’s largest organ, your skin is your most important immune defense barrier as well as your largest organ for eliminating waste. Commercial products with harmful petroleum ingredients can plasticize and “constipate” your skin, making germs more likely to get in and toxins less likely to get out of your body. The result: Neither you nor your skin is as radiant and healthy as you could be!
"Every day we use products that we think are safe: but the truth is that products are NOT always safe and manufacturers don’t have to tell us so. Ever since 1938 when the FDA granted self-regulation to the cosmetics industry, such products can be marketed without government approval of ingredients, regardless of what tests show. Most of the 25,000 chemicals used have not been tested for long-term toxic effects. In a typical day, you might be exposed to over 200 different chemicals, many of which are suspected of causing cancer or juggling hormones. EPA tests conclude that ingredients in shampoos, dyes, and other personal care products “may be playing havoc with hormones that control reproduction and development.”
START CHECKING ALL PRODUCT LABELS! AVOID THESE HARMFUL, HAZARDOUS “TOUCH-ME-NOT” INGREDIENTS!
Alcohol, Isopropyl (SD-40):
A synthetic that is very drying and irritating solvent and dehydrator. It strips your skin’s moisture and natural immune barrier, making you more vulnerable to bacteria, molds, and viruses. It is made from propylene, a petroleum derivative, and is found in many skin and hair products, fragrance, antibacterial hand washes as well as shellac and antifreeze. It can act as a “carrier” accelerating the penetration of other harmful chemicals into your skin. It may promote brown spots and premature aging of skin. A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients says it may cause headaches, flushing, dizziness, mental depression, nausea, vomiting, narcosis, anesthesia, and coma. Fatal ingested dose is one ounce or less. Alternative: BGSE (BioEnhanced Grapefruit Seed Extract) or pure food grade grain alcohol when properly mixed with vegetable oils.
DEA (diethanolamine), MEA (monoethanolamine), & TEA (triethanolamine):
Hormone disrupting chemicals that can form cancer-causing nitrates and nitrosamines. Already restricted in Europe due to known carcinogenic effects, but Americans may be exposed 10-20 times per day! These are used to create “Foam” in products like shampoos, shaving creams, and bubble baths. Dr. Samuel Epstein, Professor of Environmental Health at the University of Illinois, says that repeated skin applications of DEA-based detergents resulted in a major increase in the incidence of liver and kidney cancer. The FDA’s John Bailey says this is especially important since “the risk equation changes significantly for children.” No alternative necessary.
DMDM Hydantoin & Urea (Imidazolidinyl):
Just two of the many preservatives that often release formaldehyde which may cause joint pain, skin reactions, allergies, depression, headaches, chest pains, ear infections, chronic fatigue, dizziness, and loss of sleep. Exposure may also irritate the respiratory system, trigger heart palpitations or asthma, and aggravate coughs and colds. Other possible side effects include weakening the immune system and cancer. Alternative: Lonicera Japonica, Grapefruit Seed Extract.
FD&C Color Pigments:
Synthetic colors made from coal tar containing heavy metal salts that deposit toxins onto the skin, causing skin sensitivity and irritation. Absorption of certain colors can cause depletion of oxygen in the body and death. Animal studies have shown almost all of them to be carcinogenic. No alternative necessary.
Fragrances:
Often contain animal urine or feces along with numerous synthetic ingredients. Fragrance on a label can indicate the presence of up to four thousand separate ingredients, many toxic or carcinogenic. Symptoms reported to the FDA include headaches, dizziness, allergic rashes, skin discoloration, violent coughing and vomiting, and skin irritation. Clinical observation proves fragrances can affect the central nervous system, causing depression, hyperactivity, irritability, inability to cope, and other behavioral changes. Alternatives: Aromatherapeutic, organic essential oils.
Mineral Oil:
A petroleum by-product that coats the skin like plastic, clogging the pores. Mineral oil interferes with the skin’s ability to eliminate toxins, promoting acne and other disorders and it slows down skin function and cell development, resulting in premature again. It is used in many products (baby oil is 100% mineral oil!). Alternatives: Moisture Magnets (Saccaride Isomerate) from beets; Ceramides; Jojoba and other vegetable oils.
Polyethylene Glycol (PEG):
A potentially carcinogenic petroleum ingredient that can alter and reduce the skin’s natural moisture factor. This could increase the appearance of aging and leave you more vulnerable to bacteria. It is used in cleansers to dissolve oil and grease. It adjusts the melting point and thickens products. It is also used in caustic spray-on oven cleaners. One Alternative: Vegetable Decyl Glucoside.
Propylene Glycol (PG) and Butylene Glycol:
Petroleum by-products that act as surfactants (wetting agents) with solvent properties. They easily penetrate the skin and can weaken protein and cellular structure. These are commonly used to make extracts from herbs. PG is strong enough to remove barnacles from boats! The EPA considers PG so toxic that it requires workers to wear protectice gloves, clothing, and goggles and to dispose of any PG solutions in toxic waste dumps. Because PG penetrates the skin so quickly, the EPA warns against skin contact to prevent consequences such as brain, liver, and kidney abnormalities. But there isn’t even a warning label on products such as stick deodorants, where the concentration is greater than in most industrial applications!
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) & Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES): Detergents and surfactants that pose serious health threats. These are used in car washes, garage floor cleaners, engine degreasers - and in 90% of personal care products that foam. Animals exposed to SLS experienced eye damage, depression, labored breathing, diarrhea, severe skin irritation, and even death. Young eyes may not develop properly if exposed to SLS because proteins are dissolved. SLS may also damage the skin’s immune system by causing layers to separate and inflame. When combined with other chemicals, SLS can be transformed into nitrosamines, a potent class of carcinogens. Your body may retain the SLS for up to five days, during which time it may enter and maintain residual levels in the heart, liver, lungs, and brain. Alternative: Vegetable, Decyl Glucoside, Ammonium Cocoyl Isethionate - a naturally derived ingredient from coconut.
Triclosan:
A synthetic “antibacterial” ingredient. The EPA gives triclosan high scores as a risk to both human health and the environment. Triclosan is classified as a chlorophenol, a class of chemicals suspected of causing cancer in humans. Its manufacturing process can produce dioxin, a powerful hormone disrupting chemical with toxic effects measured in the parts per trillion; that is only one drop in 300 Olympic-size swimming pools! Hormone disruptors pose enormous long term chronic health risks by interfering with the way hormones perform, such as changing genetic material, decreasing fertility and sexual function, and fostering birth defects. Triclosan can temporarily deactivate sensory nerve endings, so contact with it often reduces sensitivity to pain. Internally, exposure can lead to cold sweats, circulatory collapse, and convulsions. Stored in body fat, triclosan can accumulate to toxic levels, damaging the liver, kidneys and lungs, and can cause paralysis, suppression of immune function, brain hemorrhages, and heath problems. Tufts University School of Medicine says that triclosan is capable of forcing the emergence of ‘super bugs’ that it cannot kill. Its widespread use in popular antibacterial cleansers, toothpastes, and household products may have nightmare implication for our future. Alternative: BGSE (BioEnhanced Grapefruit Seed Extract).
Eternal Now
Holistic Massage & Bodywork Therapies
Elena Nigh, LMP
MA 00023661
