The fight against bad cosmetics

After the disaster with the lead laden beauty products, consumers are now more careful as to what they put on their skin and face.  It’s bad enough to have to breathe polluted air, but to pollute our bodies with the very same products that we use for hygiene seems ironic.

Sadly, while the FDA is in charge with the monitoring of all cosmetic products that have the potential to do more harm than good, the agency lacks the manpower to oversee the thousands of drugs and cosmetics that come to the market every year.  As in most cases, the FDA only bans these products after numerous consumers complain of adverse side effects.

So it is a good thing then that people are beginning to notice and take action not only to the detrimental effects the environment suffers when these harmful chemicals are manufactured but also to the effects these products have on over all health.
Think about it, how many women use lipstick?  So what happens when lipstick is tainted with lead?  Lots of women also use nail polish.  What about those nail polish brands that were found to have DBP, a known carcinogen?  How about those shampoo that have the same chemicals used for battery acid?  Some moms use these shampoos on their baby’s hair, what about them?

As the FDA closes its reigns on cosmetic companies that use harmful chemicals as binders or extenders, the fight is still far from over as these companies rationalize that even though their products contain carcinogens; their composition relative to the cosmetic is minute.

As consumers get smarter, we can only hope that cosmetic companies get smart too and offer safer, earth friendly and beauty friendly products to their loyal customers.  This is a win-win situation for both company and consumer as they both get healthier and provide safe cosmetics at the same time.
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The Truth Behind Natural hair Dyes

Since reports of hair dyes being a cause of cancer in human body have come out, there has been a clamor over safer alternatives hair-dye-crazy people can use. This is to be expected since hair is considered as one’s crowning glory and seeing it go from beautiful, lustrous colored hair to salt-and-pepper gray must be hard to accept. Most people associate hair to one’s age and gray strands are truly a standout among your age group hence the need to cover up regularly. It seems that the fight against graying hair signifies the long-standing battle of human and aging.

Chemical based hair dyes are known to damage hair and not only that, the chemical in it somehow manages to enter your system through the scalp’s pores which will eventually cause cancer. This analogy certainly makes sense but what about those commercially sold hair dyes which boast of being organic and natural? Can they also make some damage or are they safe enough to be used?

The rule of thumb is always check the label, anything in there that you find hard to pronounce should be dumped at once! Steer clear of it also if it mentions coal tar as the substance was found to be a carcinogen too. The most popular among natural hair dyes are henna and those vegetable-based ones.

Unfortunately, natural hair dyes have their own share of mishaps. Henna is also known for its unpredictability even when used regularly. It has one thousand and one color spectrums that you’ll never really know until your hair dries up. For vegetable based hair dyes, it usually takes longer to prepare than the dye actually sticking on your hair.

Personally, I would rather go natural i.e salt-and-pepper gray if nature has it, than gamble with the unknown.

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Organic Skin Care for Pregnant Moms

Pregnancy is one joyous event in a woman’s life and should be cherished forever. It signals another turning point in her life which leaves behind an indelible mark in a woman’s heart. Unfortunately, it does leave marks—inside and out.

The common skin problem for pregnant women is stretch marks; usually accompanied by slight hair loss and minor bouts of rashes and skin breakouts. Dryness and over pigmentation are common occurrence to a pregnant woman’s life. Just the same, they can be quite irritating and frustrating to look at.

Pregnant women are highly discouraged from using chemical-laden skin care products since these are easily absorbed by the skin therefore can affect the baby inside your womb as well. If you want to help your skin to cope up with pregnancy stresses, your best bet is to go organic.

There are organic creams made for stretch marks; although these creams won’t erase those nasty stretch marks, it will minimize the appearance and will make your skin achieve a healthy glow. Some girls are wise enough to know that stretch marks could be avoided by using toning oils and organic creams during the pregnancy itself. While it was found out that hair fall during pregnancy is a hormonal response of the body, pregnant women should use organic hair care products instead of regular shampoo since these types of shampoos can only aggravate hair loss.

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Organic Shampoo Recipe

Many people who are concerned about the stuff we dump onto our water works are now going organic.  Organic living simply means choosing everyday products which use materials and ingredients that are not harmful to our environment.  However differentiating between natural and organic may sometimes be difficult.  What with the terminologies and everything.  So to make sure that we stay organic, there are actually recipes out there which can allow us to make our own organic shampoo made from everyday over the counter materials which are all earth friendly.

The most basic ingredient of this shampoo is Castile soap.  This type of soap is colored white and originated in the Castile region in Spain and is made from olive oil.  For natural shampoo for normal hair add ¼ cup water to ¼ cup liquid Castile soap and ½ teaspoon sunflower or other light vegetable oil.  Mix the ingredients together, store in a bottle and use as you would a shampoo.

For dry hair mix together ¼ cup liquid Castile soap, ¼ cup aloe vera gel, 1 teaspon glycerine and 1 teaspoon avocado oil.  Glycerine is one of the most basic ingredients of soap and is used to add lubrication and will make the hair smoother.  For maximum effect, let the shampoo set in the hair for a few minutes and rinse with cool water.

Making organic every day personal care products such as shampoo is easy.  Not only does it save the earth from the pollution shampoo causes we can also make sure that the products we use are healthy for human consumption.

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Shampoo Contains Toxic Chemicals

Researchers from the National Institute of Health have found out that the chemical MIT or methylisothiazoline which are commonly used in shampoos and conditioners can cause nerve damage to animals likewise to humans.

The experiment was conducted on laboratory mice.  The brain of the mice showed nerve damage after contact with MIT.  Scientists and researchers have found MIT in popular shampoo brands like Pantene, Head and Shoulders, Clairol and Suave.  They are cautioning pregnant women since exposure to the chemical can also cause damage to the fetus.

Studies have shown that MIT is linked to Alzheimer’s disease and other central nervous disorders.  MIT causes the slowing down of the nerve’s response time preventing communication between the neurons.  Since our central nervous system which is comprised of neurons, brain function and networking signals can become suppressed with over exposure to MIT.

However, people are wondering why these products are still seen and patronized in grocery shops across the nation.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which oversees such testing spends majority of its time approving drugs and medicine and not enough time looking into the harmful effects of shampoos and conditioners containing MIT and allowing them to stay on supermarket shelves everywhere.

Before purchasing any brand of shampoo, conditioner or any personal care product, know what is inside the bottle.  The FDA’s website is actually awash with chemicals and guidelines on which chemicals are classified as toxic and safe.  Since the FDA is doing only half its job, then make the right choice and make sure that the product you are using is healthy and safe.

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Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is dubbed as the healthiest oil on Earth due to its many health benefits including hair care and skin care. It also aids in weight loss and proper digestion. This tropical oil has many applications under its belt such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal and antibacterial. Coconut oil showed such great potential in curing HIV and cancer, two of the most baffling diseases to hit mankind.

Coconut oil has lesser calories than any other oil in the market today and its fat content is easily converted to energy thus eliminating the possibility of fat residue clogging the heart and arteries. It also boosts energy and endurance among athletes.

These oils are derived from fresh coconuts found in tropical areas around the globe and they are used as alternative remedy to many health concerns. For hair care, coconut oil is topically applied to the scalp and hair giving it a lustrous glow after washing. It will also help eliminate dandruff and lice while encouraging hair regrowth.

Coconut oil is very soothing hence a good stress reliever used for massages. It is also an effective moisturizer for all skin types due to its moisturizing effect and can also be used in treating skin problems such as psoriasis, eczema and other skin infections.

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Propylene Glycol (PG)

Propylene glycol is an organic compound that is faintly sweet, colorless and in liquid or vapor form. Generally, due to its low oral toxicity, it is recognized as safe to use as an additive to food but we should also know that some of its uses include antifreeze, photo developing solutions, brake fluids, and coolants. That’s how “industrial” this toxic chemical is and yet it can be found in our daily personal care products such as hair products, liquid foundation, suntan lotions, deodorants, and toothpastes.

Propylene glycol acts as a humectant. It absorbs water and maintains moisture to medicines, personal care products and food while boosting artificial color and flavor of the product you are going to buy. Exposure to propylene glycol will cause systemic retention and can cause skin irritation and inflammation, kidney damage and liver problems.

Since propylene glycol serves its purpose well, allowed by the regulating government and most of all they are cheap, it is not hard to imagine why an antifreeze agent could end up in our shampoo bottles.

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FD&C Color Pigments

Colorful things are surely attractive especially for kids. For women, we choose colorful makeup and other cosmetic products to enhance our general appearance while kids prefer to use bubble baths and soaps with bright colors. With men, they find it necessary to cover up gray strands of hair thus the need to use hair dyes.

FD&C color pigments are usually made from tar and they can also cause irritation to the skin. They are most commonly found in eye makeup, lipsticks, hair dyes, nail polish and even with your colored medicinal tablets. These color pigments are for enhancing natural color to create a visual effect tempting enough for consumers to buy them.

Hair dyes contain coal tar and phenylenediamine, both are known carcinogenic that also causes inflammation of the scalp and in some instances, blindness. With regular use of hair dye products, the risk of developing bladder cancer is much higher than those who don’t use them. Bright nail polishes contain toluene, together with color pigments, they are more than toxic causing headaches, confusion and memory loss. Daily exposure to toluene may induce hearing loss.

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DEA, TEA & MEA

These toxic chemicals are used for regulating pH in cosmetics and personal care products. DEA provides luxurious consistency to lotions and creams and rich lather in shampoos since it is an emulsifier and foaming agent. While DEA was not found to be harmful to our health, its by-product NDEA or nitrosodiethanolamine is. NDEA is a proven to be a cancer-causing agent and can be easily absorbed by the skin. It has strong links to stomach, esophageal, liver and bladder cancers to humans.

Just a note, DEA is a generalized term for all diethanolamine and TEA and MEA are related substances. When applied topically, it may result to skin irritation or burning of skin. It can also cause impairment of vision with eye contact. If inhaled accidentally, it irritates the nose and throat. This chemical also disrupts hormone cycle thus affecting all hormonal balances of the body including testicular degeneration and low sperm count.

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Breast Cancer causing carcinogens in every day beauty products

According to a report by the Environmental Working Group 80% of our cosmetics including deodorants, shaving creams, shampoos and toothpaste contain 146 chemicals linked to cancer.

According to the report 1 in 13 women and 2 out of 23 men are exposed to carcinogens everyday through their use of personal care products.  This same report has caused the Breast Cancer Action (BCA) and the Breast Cancer Fund to hold protests in Washington to urge the government to better regulate and provide health care guidelines to manufacturers and producers of such products.

While manufacturers of these products say that their products contain minuscule amounts of these chemicals, most of us use more than one product at the same time.  In a single day, most of us brush our teeth 3 times a day, wash our hair once, use soap to bathe, put on deodorant, wear lipstick and make up and a host of other things we need in order to keep clean.  This multiplies our exposure to dangerous and toxic chemicals.

Breast cancer activists have cautioned women (and men) to be wary of products containing parabens, a substance found in biopsied breast cancer tumors and phthalates found in fragrances.  Women are also cautioned against products used on the skin as our skin is our body’s largest organs.

The public is advised to patronize products which contain ingredients which have been certified by third party watch groups like the UHDA Organic, BDIH, ECOCERT and the National Product Association

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