Why you need to be aware of environmentally and health harmful chemicals?
Make-up, concealer,face creams, serums, eye creams, deodorant… These are just some of the many products women / men apply to their faces each day. But how much time do you spend checking what ingredients each of them contains when the average person uses up to 12 cosmetic products each day?
Our use of chemical-filled cosmetics and personal care products can be a large source of toxins that accumulate in our bodies and first are harming your health, as they absorb into your body, and as well are released into the environment every time we apply them. This way they can potentially cause us health problems without being easy to track.
Our skin is the largest organ in the human body, and whatever we put on our skin will ultimately get absorbed into our bloodstreams and can potentially negatively impact our health sooner or later. Therefore, it is important to be aware of everything that we use on our bodies and use personal care products and cosmetics that are as close to nature as possible.
Read here about some of the main chemicals you should be aware of
It is easy to have a wonderful beauty routine that will value your health and the planet we live on and avoid the environmentally and health harmful chemicals
Using natural body care and natural cosmetic products will help to significantly reduce the toxic burden on our bodies and ultimately on the environment as well. After all, natural products derived from plants have been used for thousands of years by human beings and have proven their safety and their harmony with the environment.
Still, it can often be difficult to navigate with so many “natural” products that have been put on the market today. many times a product will have a natural label on it, but when you actually read the ingredients list you see first ingredients are chemicals like SLS, mineral oils, parabens etc and at the end of the list there few drops of lavender,,,itś sad but it is very much related to using advertising as hypes and trends and you are the one responsible to see who can you trust, so again, you do not need to memorize it all but few main dangerous ones and as well- the less is better, same with food again , Avocado has one ingredient and a processed food as many…
I do not expect you to know all these long weird names, but when you read the ingredients list of a products, remember that what comes first on the list has the biggest percentage in the products (same as food- if sugar is the first ingredient, you know very well whatś really in it…)
Many ingredients of cosmetics can create adverse reactions to our health. But they can also impact our natural environment and its resources in several very important ways. It is time we learned the truth about these environmentally harmful chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products.
How do chemicals in cosmetics affect the planet and your health and which are the environmentally and health harmful chemicals?
#1 Cosmetics contribute to air pollution
Firstly, a number of chemicals used in cosmetics are released into the air during and after use. For example, deodorants filled with Aluminum are sprayed in the air ( here is your safe all natural Deodorant that works amazing for all genders!) whereas shampoos, lotions and creams are washed off when we shower. (the chemicals in hair care you should avoid) Once they come into contact with the environment, these chemicals react in different ways. Some chemicals may degrade into harmless substances whereas others may break down into other products which can be more harmful.
Spray deodorants used to emit chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which are ozone-depleting chemicals. These were removed from the market by the industry in the 1970’s and then restricted by the US Environmental Protection Agency and globally by the Montreal Protocol [2]. But even CFC-free deodorants and spray cans emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which contribute to ground-level ozone levels. And of course there is a real connection between aluminium and breast cancer, since the chemicals go to the closest fat tissue in the body, which in this case is your breast. (read more about the connection here).
Ground-level ozone pollution is associated with increased risk of lung cancer and heart disease, but it can also lead to reduced agricultural and commercial forest yields, impede the growth of tree seedlings, make plants more susceptible to different diseases, pests, and other environmental stresses such as harsh weather.
#2 Water polluting substances
When released into the water stream, some chemicals stay in the water and are transferred into a variety of aquatic organisms and from there accumulate further up the food chain. Harming animals and humans and agriculture as well. For example, silicone chemicals which are commonly found in cosmetics as well as detergents and other household products, have been detected in increasing concentrations in different samples from lakes; they have also been found in fish….n addition, chemicals such as fragrances cannot be effectively removed from our waters during wastewater treatments and so they end up being released to the aquatic ecosystem.
(make your own easy cleaning products )
# 3 Other chemicals have toxic properties even though they may not be accumulated up the food chain.
This is for example the case of triclosan which can be found in regular, not natural soaps (read here more about triclosan). Similarly, chemicals in sunscreens such as oxybenzone, are considered toxic and contributing to the decline of reefs around the world and very bad for your skin, in and out, this is why use only mineral sun screen , based on zink (like this one)
#4 Polyethylene microbeads
Primarily found in not natural exfoliating face and body washes; polyethylene which is a plastic substance is used to create the scrubbing beads. Unlike natural and organic compounds such as sea salts, these synthetic substitutes emulate the exfoliating action of natural compounds but pollute our rivers and lakes. Plastic microbeads are small enough to escape from wastewater treatment and so they end up in the water where they contribute to marine pollution and can be eaten by fish and other wildlife which is damaging for their digestive tracts. Because of their size and the fact that they are not biodegradable, it is practically impossible to remove them from the marine environment when they are exposed to it.
5 environmentally health harmful Chemicals you don’t want in your cosmetics
Some of these substances are restricted or banned in some regions, but for some of these reasons, we can still find that harmful substances are used in cosmetic products that any of us can pick up at the local drugstore.
Triclosan
Triclosan is used in antibacterial soaps, deodorants and toothpastes to limit the growth of bacteria and mold. The chemical, which is classified as a pesticide, can affect the body’s endocrine system especially thyroid hormones and may disrupt normal breast development.
Your options:
Toothpaste – use coconut oil and curcum to support your gums health and choose all natural toothpastes in nature shops.
Deodorant – Aloe vera and witch hazel based, unisex roll on deodorants is a best seller and besides being all natural itś really working!
Soaps – Natural soap bars or liquid soaps, easy and safe
Parabens
Parabens are used as preservatives in cosmetics and personal care products. As such they can be found in a variety of products including makeup, moisturizers, shaving gels, shampoos and spray tan products.
Evidence suggests that some substances of this family have the potential to act like hormones in the body, in particular like estrogens, the female sex hormone. The good news is that many EU countries limit in the use of parabens but unfortunately, parabens are not off yet.
Your options:
Moisturizers – All range of natural and organic face creams for all skin types here
Natural After shave gel, all natural and has so many benefits such as hydrating, disinfecting and smells so good!
Natural and safe range of shampoos and conditioners
Siloxanes (cyclomethicone)
Siloxanes are a family of substances made from what is essentially silicone. They are used in a variety of cosmetic and skincare products as they help soften, smooth, and moisten. mostly found in shampoo and body care.
Your options:
Natural shampoos and body lotions
Phthalates
Phthalates represent another big family of ubiquitous chemicals; in cosmetics they are primarily used to add softness and flexibility in fragranced lotions, body washes, hair care product and nail polishes. and many times named as “fragrance” .These chemicals have been found to have important health concerns and linked to cancer, reproductive toxicity and endocrine disruption, and they have banned in many countries in the EU.
ragrance”are not essential oils! they are synthetic perfumes, so know the difference…
Oxybenzone
Oxybenzone is used in a lot of sunscreen creams. because itś cheap, While it can cause eczema-like allergic reactions when applied to the skin, more importantly evidence suggests it also disrupts hormones.
Your option:
Do not go for the cheap and harmful, use Mineral sunscreen !
So, as much as long and scary as it sounds, it can be simple and in fact you do not need so many products when you shift into real, natural ones! I know it can be overwhelming but i am here for that, to help you create the most effective, healthy, simple and eco friendly beauty routine that will make you look and feel beautiful without all the junk! Contact me and i will be happy to advice and support, i am here for YOU
There is no need for these environmentally and health harmful chemicals in your life!
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