Did you know that the FDA does not monitor the ingredients in skincare? Do you know what is in that jar on your nightstand? Well, it's time to check. Go grab your containers of skin care products and check them against the following…
| Ingredient | Use | Dangers |
|---|---|---|
| Parabens | Heavily used preservatives in the cosmetic industry; used in an estimated 13,200 cosmetic and skin care products. | Have hormone-disrupting qualities that mimic estrogen and could disrupt your body's endocrine system. |
| Mineral Oil, Paraffin, and Petrolatum | These petroleum products coat the skin like plastic – clogging pores and creating a build-up of toxins. They can disrupt hormonal activity. When you think about black oil pumped from deep underground, ask yourself why you'd want to put that kind of stuff on your skin… | |
| Sodium laurel or lauryl sulfate (SLS), also known as sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) | Found in over 90% of personal care products! They break down your skin's moisture barrier, potentially leading to dry skin. And because they easily penetrate your skin, they can allow other chemicals easy access. | SLS combined with other chemicals may become a "nitrosamine" – a potent carcinogen. |
| Acrylamide | Found in many facial creams. | A potential carcinogen. |
| Propylene glycol | Common cosmetic moisturizer and carrier for fragrance oils. | May cause dermatitis and skin irritation. |
| Dioxane | Hidden in ingredients such as PEG, polysorbates, laureth, and ethoxylated alcohols. Very common in personal care products. | These chemicals are often contaminated with high concentrations of highly volatile 1,4-dioxane that's easily absorbed through the skin. Its carcinogenicity was first reported in 1965, and later confirmed in other studies in 1978. Nasal passages are considered extremely vulnerable, making it, in my opinion, a really bad idea to use these things on your face. |
You see, your skin is not only your largest organ – it's also the thinnest. Only 1/10th of an inch separates you from all sorts of toxins. Your skin is highly permeable, allowing what you apply to your skin access to your bloodstream (and thereby to the rest of your body)…
Which is why I remind you not to put anything on your skin that you wouldn't be willing to eat.
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