The title might top: You won’t die while you put on your lip gloss, brush your teeth or wash your hair.
Unfortunately, many cosmetics contain ingredients that are harmful to our health.
For example, sodium lauryl sulfate, which is added to shampoos, is used in car washes, garage floor cleaners, and engine degreasers.
Its foaming properties mean that it is present in 90% of products such as shampoos, toothpastes and body washes. It is a very harsh detergent, which can irritate the skin, causing skin rashes, flaking, hair loss and mouth ulcers.
While we would never dream of ingesting these chemicals, we don’t think about cosmetics for more than a second. Especially anything that is put on the skin is also partially absorbed and finds its way into the bloodstream.
The body has to deal with these synthetic chemicals once they get there.
Many beauty products also contain paraffin, a petroleum by-product, a mineral oil that coats the skin like plastic.
Baby oil is at least 93% mineral oil. It clogs pores and interferes with the skin’s ability to eliminate toxins.
“Retaining moisture” isn’t necessarily what our babies need because, like the kidneys, the skin is also an important organ of elimination.
To stay healthy, we need to eliminate toxins and waste products.
Mineral oils, which slow down skin function and cell growth, can cause premature aging, acne, and other skin disorders.
Mineral oil was recognized as carcinogenic in 1987 but unlike vegetable oils it is extremely cheap. Other cosmetics contain lanolin, a natural oily substance in sheep’s wool, which keeps sheep dry.
Unfortunately, most lanolin found in cosmetics is contaminated with sheep dung ingredients, ie organo-phosphate insecticides and pesticides.
Many forms of makeup contain the preservative butylhydroxyanisole (BHA) because it is easily absorbed into the skin.
However, the US National Toxicology Program has labeled it a carcinogen.
Cosmetics usually contain moisturizers in the form of wetting agents (propylene glycol) and humectants (glycerin).
Propylene glycol is the main ingredient in antifreeze and brake fluid. It increases the permeability of the skin allowing some toxic compounds to be absorbed into the body.
Liquid foundations often contain a variety of parabens (methyl-, propyl-, or butylparaben). They inhibit microbial growth and extend product shelf life. They are not only highly toxic but also estrogen-mimetic.
The most dangerous cosmetics are those that have a pearly, glittery or frosted effect.
Pure aluminum is used to achieve this effect. Aluminum is also used in creams, lotions and deodorants.
How do we know which ingredients are safe and which are not? The names of most ingredients are misleading and we assume that safety controls have been put in place, but in fact make-up manufacturers are not required to demonstrate that their products are safe.
The best advice is to choose products that have the fewest ingredients. Many products labeled ‘natural’ are far from it.
Alternatively, the products can be made at home using simple ingredients like honey, rolled oats, multani mitti… the list is endless.
Contact Luzia on 01258 456223 for more information, or attend a half day course to learn how to make your own cosmetics – where you know what the ingredients are! Click here for more information.
