Are They Beauty Products..........Or Not? I say Not.

I discovered recently while rummaging through my bathroom, and attempting to make it more Eco-friendly, that it is a virtual war-zone of chemical poisoning.  My bathroom loaded with shampoo's, soap, mouthwash, shaving gels, makeup, and whatever else has been stuffed to the back of the cabinet, are all unhealthy......ALL of them.  There are over 1000 chemicals available to manufacturers of cosmetics and toiletries that are thought to be unsafe.  The FDA has tested only 11 percent of the 10,000 ingredients currently used in the cosmetic industry.   Did you realize that your skin soaks up over 60% of what you put on it, and can travel throughout your entire system - maybe never leaving?   So what can you and I do about it?  Be smart, and research what is safe for our bodies and our home.

There are many good products on the market, but always beware of the ones that say "natural" because that may not be the case.  They only have to contain 1% of natural ingredients to earn the right to market under those terms.  Sad, isn't it?  I opt for ‘organic' instead, but even then I research the company before purchase, since cosmetic organics don't have to abide by any guidelines.  You can also go to http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com and do detail research there on your cosmetics.  It all comes down to doing some research to protect your health.  Many companies unfortunately can be very misleading in their labeling and advertisements. 

In moisturizers, shampoo, conditioners, sunscreen, gels, body wash and many more products you can find Formaldehyde, Triclosan and Parabens.  Why is Formaldehyde unsafe?  It is harmful to the immune system and is known as a carcinogen.  It has been linked to Leukemia and other illnesses.  Formaldehyde has also been found as a preservative in some foods!   Triclosan is harmful to the Thyroid and can become a carcinogen when mixed with chlorinated water.  Parabens can mess with your hormones and are linked to breast and prostate cancer.  Even more alarming is the fact that bothTriclosan and Parabens are also found in toothpaste!

There are many other harmful chemicals in our bathrooms and the best way to play it safe is through research.  Again, a good place to start is http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com, along with another website Environmental Working Group http://www.ewg.org.  They  list potentially harmful chemicals and the effects from exposure to them.  Below I have also listed simple things I have incorporated into my lifestyle to play it safe:

- I have chosen to no longer wear makeup.  I wear a small bit of eyeliner daily and that's it.  If we have an event to attend then I will wear little more

- I mentioned earlier, I have opted for organic makeup, but if you do the same please research the company before purchase.

- I no longer wear my fancy perfumes anymore, or perfumed lotions. 

- Toilet Paper use unbleached environmentally safe paper, or recycled. 

- Bathrooms Cleaners, always use Enviromentally Safe Products as I spoke about in my other blogs.  Make sure they are EPA & preferably DFE Stamped.  I use Zoe Clean Products that have both stampings and won the Westinghouse Award.  You can go to http://www.zoelifestyle.com/mspell  for more information on Zoe Clean Products.

- Remember my blog on the Evil PVC?  Watch the packaging that the cosmetics are in!  Read the bottom of the container.

- Read your labels and ingredients.  DON"T get scammed by fancy green environment pictures on the front, or the words natural.  Remember, if you can't pronounce the words under ingredients, don't buy it.