Recently, a lot of attention has been focused on learning to read food labels. Have you ever stopped to think about the labels on your personal care products. Take a quick peek at your favourite product, I bet that the list is a lot longer than you thought, and it contains at least one ingredient you can’t pronounce and likely have never heard of. It’s a dirty product world out there, but finding products that are safer and cleaner for you and your family isn’t as difficult or costly as one might think. DID YOU KNOW?
Skin is permeable (which means that it allows things to pass the skin barrier). That being said, there is no stomach acid, enzymes and liver to help eliminate toxins we put on our skin like there would be if you took something orally. This makes the products that come into contact with our skin 10x more concentrated than that same product taken orally! Think shampoo, soap, lotion, deodorant, cleaning supplies, nail and hair products, make up, baby products etc. On average, women are using 12 personal care/cosmetic products per day – that is 168 chemicals! Body Care labels: The Canadian government finally got itself in gear in 2010 and imposed strict regulations on labelling and the use of words like “natural” and “organic” but forgot to include beauty care.
BEWARE of some of these toxins. Baby products are some of the worse offenders. The best way to do so is by reading labels. Here’s some helpful tips:
FRAGARANCE/PERFUME: These are not ingredients. These are many toxins grouped into the label of fragrance offering a desirable smell. These are the most likely culprits of reactions to products. Buy fragrance free or infused with essential oils when possible.
PHALATES: Are plasticizing ingredients that have been linked to damage in the reproductive system of boys and lower sperm-motility in adult men. Be aware that phthalates are often hidden on shampoo labels under the generic term “fragrance.” Look for “phalate free”
PARABENS: These are preservatives that are slowly coming off the market, so paraben free should not be hard to find. They are endocrine disruptors which means they mimic estrogen hormones in your body. They can be found as butyl paraben, propyl paraben, ethyl paraben
SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE: Essentially, these additives make your products foamy. Its fun and feels clean to use foamy products for hair, body and bubble baths, but these foaming agents are heavy toxins linked to skin and eye irritation and disorders. It’s 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.
GLYCOL: These are the product stabilizers and some of the most overused unnecessary toxins on the market. The same stabilizers are used in household cleaners. They are linked to skin disorders and liver disorders. They can be found as propyl glycol, polyethylene glycol
THE LIST ABOVE ARE SOME OF THE WORST OFFENDERS BUT ARE ONLY THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG. JOIN ME ON TUESDAY APRIL 23RD, 7PM AT ABATON FOR A SEMINAR ABOUT PRODUCT SAFETY. WHAT A BUILDUP OF TOXINS LOOKS AND FEELS LIKE IN OUR BODIES. LEARN ABOUT WHICH PRODUCTS I LOVE AND HAVE REPLACED IN MY HOME AND HOW TO BE A SMART PRODUCT SHOPPER.
Written by: MARTINA TECIC, BSC.(HONS.) Holistic Practitioner & Microscopist
