Not Just Skin Deep
Are you aware that everything you put on your skin gets absorbed throughout your entire body? Skin, our body’s largest organ, has an amazing absorptive capacity. So effective in fact, that skin can be used to administer medication, hormones, herbs and nutrients. Of course, there is a downside – skin is equally well-equipped to absorb the abundance of dangerous chemicals found in our everyday skin care products. In attempt to look healthy on the outside, we could be making ourselves sick on the inside.
Numerous articles have been published regarding the danger of skin care products and the lack of regulation of the $20 billion-a-year beauty products industry. The FDA does not require beauty products industries to test their products for safety, nor report all of the ingredients on their labels. Essentially, any product can go to market.
In her book, Not Just a Pretty Face, Stacy Malkan uncovers the dirty secrets of the beauty industry. She is co-founder of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics – an organization launched after the Environmental Working Group (EWG) published ‘Not Too Pretty’, a study of 72 over-the-counter beauty products. The results of the study are shocking – phthlates were found in over 70% of the products. Phthalates are industrial chemicals linked to permanent birth defects in the male reproductive system and the plummeting of sperm counts. Two of the most toxic phthalates, DEHP, and DBP, are banned in the EU but remain unregulated in the US.
This past fall, EWG tested 20 adolescent females for chemical exposures via urine and blood samples and detected 16 different chemicals in all 20 young women. The contaminants found range from hormone disruptors to neurotoxins and chemicals that are linked to cancer. Still other studies found carcinogens in baby bath products and lead in a majority of lipsticks.
What can you do about it? Simplify your beauty routine, and assess the safety of your skin and hair care products by consulting the safe cosmetics database. Try not to put anything on your body that you don’t think would be safe to eat. Use essential oils instead of toxic perfumes an 100% natural oils such as almond, hemp, or coconut oil instead of paraben-laden moisturizers. Seek out companies and organizations that promote green self-care and sustainable, holistic living. Refer to the resources list below for some ideas.
It’s no secret that we are living in extremely toxic times – it is estimated that the body is burdened by more than 250 chemicals. Perchlorate has been found in breast milk and pesticides in the blood of newborns. The rise in the rates of chronic disease and cancer are directly correlated with the polluting of our planet. Your health, the health of children, and most importantly the health of our planet depends on us consuming consciously and living lives that promote sustainability. All of this can start with the part of the the body the world sees first – our skin.
Resources
Eco-Coach: Advice for businesses and individuals on ‘going green’
Healthy Child Healthy World: Inspiring parents to protect young children from harmful chemicals
Holeco Wellness Medi Spa: Green and toxin-free skin and body care, and holistic living
Skin Deep: Check the safety of your skin care products
Vitale Natural: Organic skin care online
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