Many of us don't give a second thought to our daily beauty routine--cleansing our face, moisturizing our bodies, applying makeup, or painting our nails. But it may surprise you that the average adult is exposed to more than 168 synthetic chemicals each day from personal-care products.
Chemicals such as phthalates, mineral oils, sodium lauryl sulphate, propylene glycol, and parabens are all commonly used in cosmetics. Many have known or suspected links to serious health problems like cancer, infertility, birth defects, and hormone disruption.
Part of the problem is that, unlike food or drugs, cosmetics come under little government regulation. In North America, government bodies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration don't have the power to approve or regulate most cosmetic ingredients. As a result, manufacturers can use virtually any ingredient in their products without having to conduct any pre-market safety testing.
Recently, nonprofit organizations like the Environmental Working Group have begun conducting studies looking at chemicals in makeup and hair and skin products. Among other things, it's found that more than one in five personal-care products contain chemicals linked to cancer; 45 percent have ingredients reported to be potentially harmful to reproductive systems and/or fetal development, and 60 percent have ingredients that can act like estrogen and disrupt hormones.
That isn't to say all synthetic chemicals are harmful or dangerous, or that all products that include them should be avoided. It's just that there is a lack of conclusive long-term safety information, and for our health, we should try to be as informed, knowledgeable, and smart as possible. We can't possibly eliminate all of our exposure to synthetic chemicals. But we can certainly make choices that can reduce it.
Many people have begun to "green" their beauty routines to reduce their exposure to potentially harmful chemicals, buying products containing fewer of them. It's easy, and in most cases it's as simple as choosing Product B instead of Product A.
Please check out Skin Deep's safety guide to cosmetics and personal care products, brought to you by researchers at the Environmental Working Group. There is a search box where you can enter your personal care items and see the toxicity levels on a scale of 1-10.
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/
Here is what I found out about some of the products I use:
Lipstick - Level 7
Mascara - Level 5
Foundation - Level 4
Shampoo/Conditioner - Level 5
Facial Wash - Level 8 - NEUTROGENA OIL-FREE CLEANSER
Body lotion - Level 8 - BATH & BODY WORKS
BATH & BODY WORKS JAPANESE CHERRY BLOSSOM BODY LOTION
Ingredients in this product are linked to:
Cancer
Developmental/reproductive toxicity
Allergies/immunotoxicity
Use restrictions
Other concerns for ingredients used in this product:
Neurotoxicity, Endocrine disruption, Persistence and bioaccumulation, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Miscellaneous, Multiple, additive exposure sources, Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Enhanced skin absorption, Contamination concerns, Occupational hazards, Biochemical or cellular level changes.
They didn't have my perfumes, but I found some similar and they were 7 and 8's.
Dior Addict 2 Perfume by Christian Dior- not found (but did find Dune and it was an 8)
Allure Sensuelle by Chanel - not found (did find COCO and it was an 8)
So what am I suppose to wear now, rose or lavender oil? What if I just spray it on my clothes instead of my skin? I promise not to breathe for 8 seconds and leave the room. Hmm.. That could be a compromise.
:-)
Good luck and have fun with it.
