Discovery Fit & Health : Sara Novak

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15 Toxic Beauty Ingredients to Avoid

12/21/2011

In my experience, reading the ingredients on beauty products can be just as intimidating as reading the ingredients on the foods you eat. The confusion is especially apparent when products claim to be natural and organic. You have to be able to read labels to know which ingredients are considered toxic, carcinogenic, or otherwise bad for your health. Your cells absorb what you put on your skin in the same way that they absorb the food you eat. Your skin is the bodys largest organ, which in fact unloads 2 to 2 1/2 pounds of metabolic waste each day. In order for it to be effective at its ever important job, it must be fed healthy foods that come from nature, rather than toxic ingredients. It's about controlling the total chemical and toxic spectrum. This means reducing the amount of toxins that can potentially attack your cells, making them susceptible to disease and aging. The total chemical spectrum comes from your environment, your diet, and your beauty regimen. All three should be as clean as possible. Take a look at your beauty cabinet. Is it the most toxic room in the house? If youre not sure, this list will help you deal with any potential problems. 1. Avoid Aluminum Zirconium Found in deodorant, its banned in the EU but still legal in the U.S. Its been linked to Alzheimer's and breast cancer. 2. Benzalkonium Chloride and Benzethonium Chloride Found in deodorant and skin moisturizers, it may trigger asthma and be a possible organ system toxicant. 3. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate Found in various personal care products like soaps, shampoos, and toothpastes, its what causes them to foam up. It could cause irritation, PMS, and breast cancer. 4. Fragrance Found in various body products, most fragrance is derived from synthetic ingredients and often listed on the label simply as 'fragrance'. While its an innocent name, fragrance can be a dangerous proposition because manufacturers rarely list what its derived from and its normally not a natural source. 5. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Found in various personal care products, its a suspected carcinogen. It may be damaging to the immune system and it may do damage to the hair follicles.

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Discovery Fit & Health : Sara Novak

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Photo: Thinkstock 6. Benzyl/Benzene Used in cosmetics, shower gels, shampoos, and bubble baths, its a known carcinogen. 7. Formaldehyde Found in nail care products, shampoo, bubble baths, deodorants, hair dye, perfume, toothpaste, and hair spray, its a known carcinogen. 8. Benzyl Acetate Found in cosmetics and other beauty products but often hidden in fragrance, it's linked to pancreatic cancer and also a toxicant to the liver and respiratory system. 9. Bronopol Used as a preservative in moisturizers, body wash, facial cleansers, makeup removers and anti-aging creams, its a feared immune system toxicant and skin irritant. Its use is restricted in Canada. 10. Toluene A solvent used to improve gloss and sheen, its a liver toxicant and a possible carcinogen. 11. Triclosan Used in anti-bacterial products, its listed as a possible carcinogen by the EPA, an endocrine disruptor, and an irritant. 12. Parabens (listed as methyl, propyl, butyl, isobutyl, and ethyl) Used as preservatives in a number of products, these are known endocrine disruptors and carcinogens. You can find many products out today that are listed as paraben free. 13. Talc (talcrum powder) Its used in condoms, blush, baby powder, and foot and bath powders and shown to cause tumors in animals. 14. Dibutyl Phthalate Used in a number of personal care products, its noted for developmental and reproductive toxicity, immune issues, and allergies. 15. Phthalates Used in a wide variety of personal care products in the U.S., though it's banned in the EU. It's known for causing developmental issues and cancer. Dibutyl Phthalate falls within the phthalate group.

Photo: Thinkstock Take Back Your Medicine Cabinet

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Discovery Fit & Health : Sara Novak

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Without enough regulation, manufacturers are using more and more toxins in their products each year. But its easier than you think to avoid this slew of chemicals. First, take a long hard look at your beauty cabinet. While organic products are not stringently regulated by the FDA in the same way that foods are, a number of beauty product manufacturers are doing a great job producing safe products. Research any ingredients that youre not sure what they are to see if they are safe and why the manufacturer is using them. Cut down on your daily regimen. My beauty cabinet consists of an organic shampoo and conditioner, deodorant, moisturizer, foundation, bronzer, and lip balm. The more natural the look, the easier it is to control what you use. Keep your nails, hair, and face as natural as you feel comfortable. You can look great without coating your face and in fact, in a few years your skin will thank you. In the same way that food is our daily medicine, our skin care regimen is as well. Use the same mindfulness and care that you do in your diet to hand pick the beauty products that you use. And on a karma note, make sure no products that you buy are tested on animals or use animal derived ingredients. Photo: Stockbyte Like this? Follow me on Twitter and Facebook. More on Beauty Are You a Green Beauty? How to Make Your Own Minty Toothpaste Make Deodorant out of Cornstarch and Baking Soda
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Comments (2) | Email This | ShareThis | Posted in Science | Permalink Technorati Tags: beauty, health Comments
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This just proves the importance of reading skin care reviews first before purchasing any beauty products. Especially if you just had diamond peel, you need to be ultra careful of what you use. Posted by: diamond peel | 02/23/2012 at 01:50 AM

Consumers must always be cautious whenever they buy their beauty products but that's a long list to remember though. Posted by: aromatherapy diffuser | 03/13/2012 at 04:48 AM

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