Most of our patients pay attention to what they’re putting IN their bodies but how often do you think about what you’re putting ON your body? The scary truth is that only the cosmetics companies know for sure, as all ingredients are not even required to be on the label. Most personal care products are therefore nothing more than a product of marketing success, formulated to smell good, look good and feel good when your rub them on your skin, with little regard to their impact on your health.
The list of dangerous ingredients used in cosmetics is quite long — the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has stated that nearly 900 of the chemicals used in cosmetics are toxic — but here are a few of the major ones that are very common, but that you will definitely want to avoid:
- Paraben, a chemical found in underarm deodorants, shampoos, conditioners, makeup, toothpaste, lubricant, shaving gel, moisturizers, sunscreens and other cosmetics that has been shown to mimic the action of the female hormone estrogen, which can drive the growth of human breast tumors.
- Sodium lauryl sulfate, a surfactant, detergent and emulsifier used in thousands of cosmetic products, as well as in industrial cleaners. It is present in nearly all shampoos, scalp treatments, hair color and bleaching agents, toothpastes, body washes and cleansers, make-up foundations, liquid hand soaps, laundry detergents and bath oils/bath salts. The real problem with SLES/SLS is that the manufacturing process (ethoxylation) results in SLES/SLS being contaminated with 1,4 dioxane, a carcinogenic by-product.
- Artificial fragrances, which are among the top five known allergens, and can cause asthma and trigger asthma attacks. Fragrance recipes are trade secrets. This means companies don’t have to disclose the chemicals contained in the fragrance.
Remember: don’t put anything on your skin or hair that you would not eat or can’t pronounce
If you would like to check on the safety of the products you are currently using check out the Environmental Working Groups Skin Deep Cosmetics data base: http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/
