Once again we are reminded how you risk your health when you put toxins in the body.
Jacqueline McGlade of the European Environment Agency stated that the chemicals used in fake tanning products may be a contributing factor behind significant increases in cancer, diabetes, obesity and falling fertility.
Although the article was about how chemicals known as hormone mimics or hormone disruptors in self-tanning products can affect the fertility of women and affect the healthy development of babies it served as a reminder of how we can unwittingly put toxins in the body.
Not too long ago we were being warned of the complex cocktail of chemicals in sunscreen products, which are supposed to stop the sun’s rays from causing skin cancer, can contain carcinogenic ( cancer causing) substances.
Toxins are the underlying cause of many diseases
The majority of disease is blamed on bad diet, stress, lack of exercise and our genes but while these factors play a part toxins in the body are the common underlying major factor.
Your skin is highly absorbent
Your skin is perpetually exposed to the environment and can absorb 60% of whatever you apply to it chemical or natural.
Makeup contains oils and pigments and usually contains alcohol, humectants and preservatives like parabens. Humectants are propylene glycol which, according to the Environmental Working Group, can cause a whole host of problems. It has been shown to be linked to cancer, developmental & reproductive issues, allergies, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity and endocrine disruption.
Pigments are synthetic colors made from coal tar containing heavy metals that have been shown to be to be carcinogenic in animal studies.
Parabens are a group of synthetic preservatives which stop bacteria from growing in cosmetics. Researchers have found them in the urine of over 2,500 women, men and children. They have been linked to cancer, skin damage and allergies.
Studies in test tubes have shown that parabens can cause breast cancer cells to grow. Parabens can cause asthma, food sensitivities and allergies in children who have high levels in their bodies. One study found that if parabens applied to the skin and exposed to sunlight could cause damage to DNA. This damage could result in skin cancer and aging.
You will find them listed as various other names such as methylparabens, propylparabens, butylparabens or ethylparabens. They are usually found in other products such as moisturizers, body lotion, products for the hair, shaving gel and toothpaste. Fortunately there are companies now producing products without parabens and will advertise that.
Blusher contains pigments and may contain perfume as well as numerous other ingredients. Perfume may be concocted from one or more of a stock of 3,100 chemical ingredients that have been linked to a range of health effects including sperm damage, thyroid disruption and cancer.
Lipsticks contain various waxes, oils, dyes, pigments, perfumes and can contain lead. In fact the FDA recently analyzed 400 brands of lipstick and found lead in all of them. While the FDA claims that the amount that they contain is not harmful lead is a toxin and can and does accumulate in the body.
Eye shadow contains mineral oil, beeswax, petrolatum, pigments and parabens, another hormone disruptor. As well as causing premature aging and skin photosensitivity petrolatum has been linked to breast cancer in studies.
Mascara contains insoluble pigments, paraffin, perfume as well as other toxic ingredients.
For more up to the minute information about which ingredients and contaminants to avoid check out this article on toxic cosmetics.
Hair care products contain numerous chemicals. Shampoos contain many chemicals as well as perfume. Rinses can contain mineral oil, perfume, alcohol, sterols and humectants. Hair sprays contain PVP,(polyvinylpyrrolidone)a carcinogen, perfume and other chemicals.
Dark hair dyes contain PPD, or para-Phenylenediamine which has been linked to bladder cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. They often contain
Resorcinol which has been shown to disrupt hormonal function in rats, causing hypothyroidism. (thyroid hormone deficiency),
Mens’ hair dyes often contain lead acetate used for gradual darkening, and is another potentially toxic chemical. Lead has particularly damaging effects on the brain and nervous system.
While many of these chemicals may not be harmful individually in small amounts it’s the accumulative and cocktail effect that worry many scientists. The stored toxins in the body can amount to hundreds of synthetic chemical yet scientists do not know how they interact.
One research group showed that mixtures of xenoestrogens feminised males to varying degrees even though the individual components should have been harmless.
McGlade said that the real problem was not a single chemical or product, but the fact that we are constantly exposed to so many of them, and the interactions between them in our bodies. “It’s the cocktail effect,” she said. That effect is one of the most difficult to study.
How to enjoy good health in spite of chemicals
But it is not all doom and gloom. You don’t have to live in fear of what these toxins in your body are doing to your cells. Despite your exposures to toxins it is possible to enjoy good health.
Taking a few common sense measures will allow you to maintain your health resulting in a longer life with lower risk of degenerative disease and other illnesses.
One of the first things to do to avoid putting more toxins in your body is to stop using toxic products on your skin. Look for natural products that are free of chemicals.
Detox techniques make it possible to lower the levels of toxins in the body, rebuild it and recharge your immune system.
