I love a great smelling lotion that I can slather on my skin as much as the next girl!  But beware-your skin is your biggest organ and you may be slathering on Cancer-causing contaminants.

You May Pay A Hefty Price For Beauty

Women and Men are bombarded with advertising that offers beauty in a bottle.  The labels placed on these bottles are pretty, decorated with pictures of flowers, and promote a look that is natural and healthy.  Natural and healthy is a huge and growing market.  It will say right on the label, natural and pure with no harmful ingredients.  But do not be fooled by these statements placed on the front of the bottle to convince you to buy.

These lotions, creams, and other products we are using on our skin everyday contain harmful ingredients with some that have been known or found to cause Cancer.  Anything you put on your skin is absorbed into your body.  These chemicals absorb into your blood and are circulated within your body.

You need to read the label on any skin product that you purchase.  Whether the front label claims natural, non-toxic, safe, or not, turn the product over and read the label.

What Ingredients Should You Avoid?

• preservatives: may cause irritation, dermatitis; some release formaldehyde-Cancer causing formaldehyde-releasing preservatives: DMDM hydantonin, diazolidinyl urea, Imidazolidinyl urea, quaternium 15, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, and bronopol.  Visit Safe Cosmetics to learn more and find research!

• endocrine disruptors: parabens ( xenoestrogens)-common ones found in ingredients include butylparaben, ethylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben
• fragrances: one single fragrance in a product may have 600 ingredients that are not listed on the label, fragrances may contain hazardous chemicals, fragrance-free does not mean fragrance has not been added

1,4-Dioxane-cancer-causing contaminant commonly found in cosmetics and personal care products

• artificial colors: look for FD&C, D&C, or a color with a number after it
• talc: may contain cancer-causing contaminants
• anti-bacterial agents: triclosan is found in a wide variety of products

MSG: a neurotoxin and excitotoxin-look for the following ingredients-hydrolyzed protein, amino acids, yeast extracts, glutamic acid in your skin products other ingredients: many other ingredients have been found to be harmful and are found in products for adults and children.  Find more Research here!

Why Natural May Not Be Natural!

How do you really know if the product is natural or organic?  Skip the claims made on the front of the products and go right to the list of ingredients.  The truth of how healthy a product is for you will be right there in black and white.

From the FDA’s own website regarding the regulation of cosmetics, “under the law, cosmetic products and ingredients do not need FDA premarket approval, with the exception of color additives. “

Further the FDA says, “Companies and individuals who manufacture or market cosmetics have a legal responsibility to ensure the safety of their products. Neither the law nor FDA regulations require specific tests to demonstrate the safety of individual products or ingredients. The law also does not require cosmetic companies to share their safety information with FDA.” (FDA authority over cosmetics)

What does this all mean?  Ultimately, YOU are responsible for what you put on your skin.  Stay educated and be informed, as new chemicals and names of chemicals pop up everyday.  More and more people are demanding that the products they put on their skin be organic, natural, and not cause Cancer!  This creates more competition for the products containing the above ingredients, and more ways to creatively market these products so that you will buy them and be fooled.

Visit the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) expert panel website for more information regarding the safety of skin product ingredients. You can visit Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) to access safety information compiled by CIR.    It is important to note that the safety of many new skin care ingredients has not yet been assessed by CIR.

You are important, your health is important, and your skin is your biggest organ through which chemicals get into your system and create dis-ease!  I have found many “natural health” products that provide me with the luxurious feeling of being a woman, without all the Cancer-causing ingredients.

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