Conventional Beauty Products Are Health Hazards

Special Guest Post by my beautiful daughter… Imahni. Together we embarked on a research project to find what exactly what in our “health” and “beauty” products. She’s written a series of articles that may shock and surprise you!

Why do we put on make up and dye our hair and slather creams all over our skin? It’s to look beautiful, and this is achieved by looking as healthy as possible. But what if I told you that the products you use to make you look healthy are in fact making you sick?

I looked up the content of many of the cosmetics that were stashed beneath my bathroom counter on EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Database only to find that many of them had high health concerns. Wait? Aren’t I putting it on my skin in order to remedy the health problems I already have?

Here’s an example of how this absurdity works: I wash my hair with shampoo which not only strips my hair of natural oil but loads my hair with chemicals. I then add conditioner to put the moisture back in along with many more chemicals. These chemicals then rub into my skin anytime my hair touches it. Not to mention the blemishes and rashes that sometimes show up because the ingredients in the shampoo and conditioner wash down my skin and face!

We read and researched using the following books and definitely recommend picking up a copy and doing some research yourself!

No More Dirty Looks: The Truth about Your Beauty Products–and the Ultimate Guide to Safe and Clean Cosmetics

The Green Beauty Guide: Your Essential Resource to Organic and Natural Skin Care, Hair Care, Makeup, and Fragrances

Eco-Beautiful: The Ultimate Guide to Natural Beauty and Wellness

Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What’s at Stake for American Power

Toxic Beauty: How Cosmetics and Personal-Care Products Endanger Your Health… and What You Can Do About It

Another example is how we use conventional soap to wash our bodies, which loads our skin with chemicals and strips it of its natural oil. We then slather on creams and lotions to put the moisture back in along with many more chemicals.

Let me let you in on a secret:

The same company that made the product to take out the moisture, makes the product that puts it back in.

You fix one problem, (i.e. sweat), but the product creates another problem, (i.e. dryness), so you buy another product to fix the new problem, which creates another, so you buy more, and on and on and on. Who is winning here?

This also gives notice to the belief that many people hold about their bodies. Many people believe that oily or dandruff laden hair, dull skin, etc. is simply the way the body is and that it must be fixed. This is false. At optimum health, your body has no problems; it may have quirks that make it unique (i.e. beauty marks, freckles), but no signs of illness. We keep treating the symptoms as if they stand alone and apart from the rest of the body – as if we can treat oily hair without it affecting the skin that the hair sits on, the same skin that will soak up whatever chemicals are put on its surface.

Here’s an example of the chemicals in a hair mousse that I was using before going natural:

EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Database
Health concerns of ingredients
Overall Hazard
Cancer
Developmental & reproductive toxicity
Allergies & immunotoxicity
Use restrictions
Other HIGH concerns: Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive),Miscellaneous, Multiple, additive exposure sources, Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
Other MODERATE concerns: Neurotoxicity, Contamination concerns
Other LOW concerns: Ecotoxicology, Data gaps, Enhanced skin absorption,Occupational hazards

So what do we do?

Begin listening to your body.

Those blemishes, dark circles, dryness, etc. are all the ways your body is telling you that it needs something. It’s your responsibility to fill that need. This can be done by drinking water, getting more sleep, moisturizing with oil, cleansing with moisturizing and safe ingredients, boosting your nutrient intake, etc.

After determining what the root problem is you need to be willing to experiment and to research. The massive cosmetic companies are the ones with the best advertising, and it’s often the smaller companies who are creating the healthy cosmetics. So you can deliver a one-two punch to your health and your wallet.

Stay tuned for some specific products and ingredients I’ve been using to transform my hair and skin! You will be amazed. You can pick them up while grocery shopping and your budget will thank you for it!