Welcome!!

Allie Bancker
Feb 23, 2016
2 min read

Up until a few months ago, I was completely oblivious to what was hiding in my cosmetics. Many people don't realize the term "cosmetics" is related to pretty much anything you put on your skin, it does not simply refer to makeup. It can be lotion, toothpaste, shampoo, perfume, deodorant, any kind of personal care product you use on a daily basis. Ingredients linked to cancer, infertility, thryoid disruption (to name a few) have been legally added to all of these products. I started learning a little bit from the family I babysit for. Mom knows a lot about this topic and would share bits and pieces among noisy children. I've spent the last few weeks reading facebook articles, trying to filter my way through the thousands of blogs talking about the same things. It must go further though, right? There has to be more information other than what I can learn through social media. How is it legal for these chemicals to be in our products? Why are we purchasing products labeled "natural" and "green" if they have ingredients known to cause serious medical conditions? Why don't more people want to hear about it?

Someone recommended I watch the documentary, The Human Experiment, and I'm glad I did. It basically touches on everything I hope to cover as this blog progresses. I found the most relatable part in the film to be when they discussed the link between BPA and infertility. My sister was recently diagnosed with the same syndome mentioned and it makes me wonder if there are any connections we didn't pick up on before. I highly recommend everyone watch this documentary, regardless of their interest in this topic. This is a problem that does not discriminate, it applies to all.

So why does it matter?

We have all been witness to the health food trends lately- I have never seen so many pictures of kale and avocado. With that being said, it's blatantly obvious people are caring more about their bodies and what happens to them. So if we are so concerned with what goes in our body, why are we completely forgetting about the things that go on it? It seems a lot of people are taking the "ignorance is bliss" approach to this idea and I'm partially guilty of it as well. I want to know more but I'm also afraid to find out. I've decided that instead of running from it, I want to educate myself to make better decisions and maybe even help others do the same. I don't want to simply scare everyone into avoiding these products. I want people to know why they are bad for us and why we should stay far, far away from them. I don't want to tell you you're wrong for using the things you do, I understand many people just simply don't know. This is because companies have brainwashed us all into thinking this stuff is okay... but it's really not. It's not okay for us to be lied to and poisoned without even realizing it. I want to help others make more informed choices and I hope this blog will give me the platform to do so.