Commercial Skincare Products are SCARY...

Am I saying this to sell more products? 

    Absolutely NOT, just want you to know me better and the main reasons behind my goals. Several years ago I was introduced to a book about HOW our food and daily products were made. It was alarming to say the least. I became a vegetarian for over 3 years because i was just disgusted by the Processing Procedures. After my eyes were opened to the amount of dangerous chemicals that the FDA deems "Safe" I started looking for Natural replacements.

  After my son was diagnosed with ADHD I was determined to take as many of the harmful and triggering chemicals out of his life. Now, don't think I'm one of those Crazy Mommy's that goes around telling him he can't be a kid and enjoy Goldfish and Cheezits. I'm just way more aware now, as I also want you to be!

OK, let's start with the BIGGIE... Bath & Body Works. They sell Billions of dollars of products and like all of you, I bathed and slathered that on several times a day! Loved smelling pretty! 

WHY is it bad?? They call this the Dirty Dozen.. Sounds Great Right ?!?! Also, they are very bad at being TRANSPARENT with their ingredients. 

• Ethanolamines (DEA/MEA/TEA) - 

  Diethanolamine (DEA) is easily absorbed through the skin, and combines with the nitrate preservatives commonly added to soaps to create nitrosodiethanolamine (or NDEA). NDEA is a potent carcinogenic, and it is most strongly linked to the development of kidney and liver cancers. Pregnant women should be especially cautious of DEA, as it interferes with the body’s ability to absorb choline, which unborn children need for proper brain development. This also applies to triethanolamine (or TEA), which is a derivative of DEA. If you are pregnant or nursing you should definitely avoid this and all other toxic soap ingredients on this list.

• Triclosan - 

  Triclosan is a pesticide and antibacterial agent that is commonly added to hand soaps and shower gels, but it’s been implicated as one of the main contributors to the growing issue of antibiotic resistance. Triclosan is also capable of changing the levels of the female sex hormone estrogen, and this is a risk factor for the development of breast cancer in women.

• Formaldehyde - 

  Formaldehyde is often found in shampoos, shower gels and soaps (as are chemicals that release formaldehyde, such as diazolidinyl urea). Exposure can cause respiratory disorders like asthma, promote chronic fatigue, lead to an irregular heartbeat or frequent headaches, result in sleep problems like insomnia and negatively impacting your immune system.

• Dioxane - 

  The FDA does not require 1,4-dioxane to be listed as an ingredient on product labels because the chemical is a contaminant produced during manufacturing.  It is readily absorbed by the skin and is known to cause cancer and it’s also toxic to the nervous system, liver, kidneys and brain and may cause birth defects. Avoid ingredients such as SLS, PEG compounds, chemicals that include the clauses xynol, ceteareth and oleth.

• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate - Although SLES is gentler on the skin than other products, the manufacturing process can cause it to be contaminated by carcinogens.Sulfates like this and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) are common ingredients in shampoos and soaps. SLS can be skin irritation and can lead to eczema, dry skin, rashes, or other skin conditions.

• Parabens - BBW products contain ingredients like butylparaben and methylparaben as preservatives. Parabens have been known to disrupt the body’s natural hormone function. Parabens can cause or contribute to many negative health outcomes such as cancer, infertility, and other reproductive issues. Skin irritation can also be caused by parabens.Phthalates

• Propylene Glycol (PEG) - The compounds of polyethylene glycol (a.k.a. PEGs) are used in all types of skincare and makeup, as well as cleaning and beauty products. They can be used as thickeners and softeners, perfume “dispersants”, penetration enhancers, and many other functions. PEGs are primarily concerned because they could be contaminated by carcinogens like ethylene oxide or 1,4-dioxane.  Other than that, PEGs can also increase the penetration of other ingredients. This means they can make bad ingredients (such as phthalates) even worse. even worse.

• Siloxanes - 

  Used extensively in cosmetics and hair dyes.  Coal tar is recognized as a carcinogen and some may contain heavy metals which are toxic to the brain.  Studies found that women who used hair dyes – especially over extended periods – had an increased risk of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (cancer of the lymph system).

• Coal Tar Dyes (p-phenylenediamine and colors listed as “CI”) - Independent research about the health effects of these dyes, many studies have shown that they can cause hyperactivity in children, hypersensitivity reactions, tumor growth and cancer.

• BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) - BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) - BHA and BHT are closely related synthetic antioxidants used as preservatives in lipsticks and moisturizers, among other cosmetics. They are also widely used as food preservatives. They can induce allergic reactions, are a possibly a carcinogen, and could interfere with hormone function.

• Methylisothiazolinone - 

  This ingredient (along with other isothiazolinone preservatives) is commonly used in cleaning products like hand soap, shampoo, and body wash. Methylisothiazolinone is not only a skin irritant and sensitizer, but it’s also toxic to aquatic life and is a suspected endocrine disruptor.

Lip Balm/Chapstick.. yes its bad!

   Many common ingredients found in lip balm not only leave our lips drier but can also affect our hormones, irritate our skin, and in extreme cases cause cancer. PLUS it seals onto our lips!

• Petrolatum (Petroleum Jelly) - Petrolatum is made from refining petroleum- yes, the one that goes in our cars! The refining process involves toxic, harsh products and the petroleum jelly can get contaminated during manufacturing. This makes it an endocrine disruptor linked to breast cancer. Yet another concern is that it creates an airtight barrier on the skin making it a penetration enhancer, increasing the absorption of other toxic ingredients. 

• Parabens - Parabens like methylparaben, butylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, isobutylparaben (basically any ingredient ending in -paraben), are potential endocrine disruptors because of their ability to mimic estrogen, which can lead to increased risk of breast cancer.  It may also lead to the development of malignant melanoma - a form of skin cancer. Imagine ingesting that!

• BHA-BHT - Generally used as preservatives in lip balms, butylated compounds have been linked to health concerns like cancer, organ-system toxicity, respiratory irritation and endocrine disruption.

• Phenol/Menthol, Alcohol - Lip balms are meant to moisturize and nourish - everyone knows that. So, putting in ingredients that dry out your skin can seem pretty counter-intuitive, don’t you think? Ingredients like phenol and menthol give that tingling effect and were initially introduced into lip balms for exfoliation. Instead, they typically end up irritating the skin and taking off the outer layers exposing our delicate lips to environmental factors.

• Chemical Sunscreen - While having sunscreen in your lip balm is great, having it in the form of chemicals like oxybenzone is not. Oxybenzone is a known endocrine disruptor commonly associated with endometriosis in women.