What Toxic Chemicals Is Your Body Absorbing?
As the world continues to develop, you should realize that
almost everyone is using personal care, skin care, cleansing, and baby care and
beauty products. Have you ever stopped to think what harm such products can
cause to your body? Cosmetic ingredients do not remain on the surface of your
skin. They are usually designed so that they can penetrate in your skin, and
they do. After scientific studies, some cosmetic ingredients have been found in
human tissues such as parabens in breast tumor tissue, phthalates in urine, and
some persistent fragrance in human fat.
The big problem is that people do repeatedly use these
products every day; sometimes even more than once a day. Many people are not
aware of harm they can do to their bodies.
We usually absorb up to 60 percent of what we put on our
skin with children absorbing 40-50 percent more than adults. This means our
children are at higher risk of developing diseases or abnormalities later in
life. Some of the health issues linked to toxic chemicals found in cosmetics
and health and beauty products include cancer, infertility, skin allergies,
learning disabilities, birth defects and reproductive problems.
Ingredients You Should Avoid
After research by world top dermatologists and oncologists,
here is a list of carcinogenic and toxic compounds found in health and beauty
products and cosmetics:
1. Monoethanolamine (MEA), Diethanolamine
(DEA) and Triethanolamine(TEA)
This is a foam booster which is used in many cosmetics and
skin care products. These are chemical that are absorbed through your skin
easily to accumulate in many body organs such as the liver kidney and brain.
Its major effects on the body include:
·
Skin irritation
·
Eye irritation
·
Causes contact dermatitis
2. Benzoyl Peroxide
This chemical is mostly used in acne products. According to
MSDS the chemical has the following toxic effects in the body:
·
It acts as a mutagen that causes damage to human
and other mammals DNA
·
The chemical is a possible tumor promoter
·
Causes irritation to eyes and skin
·
When inhaled, it causes irritation to the
respiratory system
3. F, D and C Color and Pigments
F,D and C are color or pigments extracted from coal tar. The
pigments contain salts of heavy metals that deposit toxins in your skin causing
skin sensitivity and irritation. Skin absorbing of these pigments leads to
oxygen depletion and cell death. According to studies done on animals, almost
all of the pigments are toxic and carcinogenic.
4. Dioxin
This chemical does not appear as an ingredient in many
beauty products such as lotions. However, it appears as an ingredient in many
antibacterial products such as emulsifiers, PEGs, triclosan and ethoxylated
cleansers such as sodium laureth sulfate. It is considered a toxic chemical
since it:
·
Reduces body immunity
·
Is a carcinogen that promotes cancer development
·
Causes birth deformity
·
Causes nervous system disorders such as
migraines
5. Parabens (Methyl, ethyl, propyl &
butyl)
Parabens are used as preservatives in deodorants, lotions
and other skin care products. They are not always labeled or named under
ingredients list. Parabens have been found to promote:
·
Breast cancer tumor development
·
Sterility in males
·
Hormone imbalance in females and early puberty
6. Phthalates
Phthalates are chemicals found in many beauty and skin care
products. They are usually not labeled with other ingredients. The chemical is absorbed in the skin after
application causing health effects such as:
·
Damage to the liver causing liver diseases
·
Damage to the kidney leading to kidney diseases
and kidney failure
·
Sterility in males due to decreased sperm count
·
Birth defects and deformities
·
Early development of breasts in both girls and boys
7. Urea (Imidazolidinyl) and DMDM Hydantoin
These are two preservatives used in cosmetic and health care
products. They have been known to release formaldehyde that can cause the
following health effects:
·
Joint and muscle pain
·
Skin irritation and reactions
·
Skin and respiratory allergies
·
Depression
·
Chronic fatigue
·
Headaches
·
Dizziness
·
Cancer
·
Chest pains
·
Sleeping disorders (insomnia)
·
Ear infections
8. Polyethylene glycol (PEG)
PEG is usually prepared through ethoxylation of propylene
glycol. PEGs are used in almost everything including baby care, sunscreens and
personal care products. Dangerous levels of dioxin have been found to be
byproducts of ethoxylation process which causes:
·
Decreased immunity
·
Cancer
·
Miscarriages and birth deformities
·
Nervous system disorders
9. Butylene Glycol (BG) and Propylene Glycol
(PG)
These are petroleum products that are considered so toxic. When
handling such chemicals, you should have proper clothing, gloves, and
glasses/goggles. The products also requires disposal through burying. According
to EPA, the chemicals cause the following health effects when they come into
contact with your skin:
·
Nervous system diseases
·
Kidney abnormalities
·
Liver abnormalities
10. Sunscreen chemicals
Sunscreen chemicals include chemicals such as benzphenone,
ethoxycinnamate, PABA and avobenzone which are commonly used as ingredients in
skincare products to help protect your skin from direct sunlight. According to
recent research, sunscreen chemicals are free radical generators which can
damage to DNA leading to skin cancer and other cancers.
11. Triclosan
Triclosan is a synthetic antibacterial which is used as an
ingredient in many household cleansers. According to EPA, triclosan is
registered as a pesticide which can cause harm to both human and the
environment. Triclosan is classified as a chlorophenol, chemical which have
been found to cause cancer in human. Triclosan can also cause skin irritation
when it comes into contact with the skin and respiratory irritation when
inhaled.
12. Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) and Sodium
Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
SLES and SLS are mainly used as foaming agents in engine
degreasers, garage floor cleansers, car washes and 90% of personal and skin
care products that foam. The SLES and SLS health problems include:
·
Skin irritation
·
Eye irritation and eye damage
·
Diarrhea
·
Depression
·
Breathing problems and
·
Death
The Bottom Line
According to statistics, more than 80,000 chemicals used in
the United States have never been accessed for dangerous or toxic impacts on
the environment and human body. Under the current law, it is hard for the EPA to ban such dangerous chemicals even those causing
serious health effects such as cancer. Some of these dangerous products are not
listed in the labels making it hard for you to know the best and healthy
cosmetic products. It is therefore important to use natural baby care, natural
cosmetics and natural skin care products to be sure that the ingredients are
safe for you and your child.
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