Here is what I want you to take from this,
I recently started a blog with the purpose of researching more about the dangers these chemicals can have on us. With this I’ve kind of just come to the conclusion that if it tastes good or smells good, it’s probably going to be bad for you. If there is anything I've learned from my blog it's that these chemicals are incredibly harmful to our health, large corporations are using unclear labels on their products and there are virtually no regulations restricting what they can or can't include in our products.
I just really don't want anything to happen to other people because they are unknowingly using products that are harmful to their health. There are a lot of people who take off running any time I bring up this subject because they think I'm absolutely nuts. One thing I've learned from this blog is that there is plenty of research linking these chemicals to serious health problems. I just want to emphasis how beneficial it would be for us to eliminate these chemicals from our bodies. It's easier to prevent these things from happening than it would be to try and reverse the damage that will happen.
Did you know there are chemicals in our cosmetics?
A couple months ago, I watched a documentary called The Human Experiment. It covered a bunch of really great information regarding the dangerous chemicals hiding in our everyday products. The producer discussed the link between these chemicals and the various health problems our generation is facing. One little boy in the film has autism and they talked about the link his disability has to the products his mother used during pregnancy. These chemicals aren't safe to use yet they're still being added to the things we use every day. Shampoo, lotion, toothepaste, the list goes on and on. There's no way to know if any of these things are safe for us when the government refuses to regulate any of the ingredients.
I became interested in the topic but it wasn’t until my sister was diagnosed with Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome that I really made some connections. In the film, there was a woman who struggled with infertility as a result of the same condition my sister has. PCOS basically means a woman’s ovaries have a bunch of cysts in them making it extremely difficult to conceive a child. The cause of PCOS for the woman in the film was her use of products containing BPA. Because she was unaware of the dangers, she is now struggling with starting a family and living a healthy life. My sister is only 16 so I don’t think reality has really set in for her yet but seeing this really gave me a reality check. I feel like if I knew about this earlier, we could have taken the proper precautions to prevent this from happening. My generations and all generations after me are going to suffer the consequences if we don’t figure out a way to stop major corporations from putting toxic chemicals in things we think are safe.
Where do I start?
There is an app called Think Dirty. I use it almost every day. All you have to do is scan the product in question and it'll give you a rating. It will also give you a list of ingredients found in what you just scanned and if you click one, it'll tell you exactly what kind of harmful effects it has. If you scan an item in the grocery store and it shows up as a ten, put that sucker down! Skin Deep is also another great app but I don't use it nearly as often. Also, go on Facebook and like "The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics." Educating yourself is the best way to combat this issue. This is a great way to start learning what ingredients to avoid. I guarantee you'll start noticing some "repeat offenders."
Another option to avoiding toxic chemicals is to make your own products. The best thing about this is that I know exactly what's going into what I use. As I mentioned before, there are plenty of "green" products out there that don't label clearly. If you want to know what's going on your skin, just make it yourself. All you have to do is search through a few recipes on Pinterest and alter where you see fit. My current favorite recipe is for a coconut oil sugar scrub that has been a life saver for my acne prone skin!
Coconut Oil Sugar Scrub
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1/2 cup (organic) coconut oil
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1/4 cup sugar
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About 20 drops tea tree essential oil
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About 10 drops lavender essential oil
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A few drops frankensence essential oil (optional)
I mix and match what essential oils I add but it always contains tea tree oil because that has the strongest antibacterial properties!
Just mix everything in a bowl and then transfer it to a little mason jar with a lid (it fits perfectly in a 4oz jar) then label it!
So, I keep mentioning all these chemicals and you're probably thinking, "what the heck is she talking about?" There are certain ingredients added to our cosmetics that can cause hormonal imbalances, long term health issues, skin irritation, and even cancer. The main chemicals I have learned to stay clear of are :
1) Pthalates (found in anything containing fragrance)
2) Sulfates (skin irritant found in almost anything that "suds")
3) Parabens (linked to breast cancer, not usually found on labels)
4) PEG's (petroleum byproducts; linked to various cancers)
5) Triclosan (pesticide frequently found in antibacterial products)
6) DMDM Hydantoin (formaldehyde releaser, human carcinogen)
*I would recommend using the image to the left as a reference
If we can stay away from these chemicals, our lives would be a lot better.
A great option to avoiding this stuff would be to make your own! I've recently learned that it's more cost effective and you know exactly what you're putting in there. Granted, not everyone has time for this. Believe it or not, there are companies out there that provide safe, healthy alternatives. You just have to know where to look and what to look for. Don't assume something is good for you just because it has a little green leaf on it. That goes back to our issue with companies not providing clear labels. We must read the ingredients and know what this stuff means.
