Toxic Makeup
If you take a close look at the ingredients in the products in your bathroom and on your vanity, you will see a lot of long words and words that you can’t pronounce. Many of these words represent toxic chemicals that you are applying to your body.
Skin is an organ. It is porous, so whatever toxic substances you apply to your hair, skin, and nails will seep into your subcutaneous tissue and enter your bloodstream. If many of the products you use daily are toxic, and they are used over a period of several years, they are likely to have adverse health effects over time. To say “everything is bad for you” is a cop-out. To take control of your health you need to become aware of what you are exposing yourself to, and make adjustments accordingly.
Ingredients of concern that are in cosmetic and toiletries include:
Formaldehyde, nitrosamines, lead and other heavy metals, parabens, phthalates, hydroquinone, and 1,4- dioxane
You can inform yourself on the detrimental effects of these chemicals on the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics Website.
http://www.safecosmetics.org/index.php
I was particularly alarmed when I learned that many lipsticks contain lead, many nail polishes contain formaldehyde, and several popular fragrances contain phthalates, which cause endocrine disruption and birth defects.
There is a database, called Skin Deep, that allows you to enter the products you use in a search, and it will explain what toxic ingredients are in them, as well as rate them on a scale from 0-10 (10 being the most detrimental to your health). You can also search for alternative products that contain a smaller amount or no toxic chemicals at all.
