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Safer Beauty And Personal Care

 

Check your medicine cabinet, there are some personal care product ingredients you may want to avoid.


Many beauty products contain toxins that have yet to be researched for their long term health risks.  A growing group of environmental activists, scientists and consumers are now calling attention to possible risks of the products we swallow, spray and smear on our bodies every day.  Beauty products are full of all kinds of unpronounceable substances you may want to watch out for.  In fact, certain personal care products have become so popular that they're literally in our blood.  The CDC now monitors the levels of ingredients from cosmetics and other products in the bloodstream of random Americans to help guide public health discussions.

What are some things to think twice about before applying?

Antibacterial Soaps and Cleaners
Most people think if it's antibacterial, it must be better at killing germs.  That's true for healthcare grade antibacterial soaps, like those at hospitals, but not for the weaker concentrations found in household products.  Unfortunately, consumer antibacterial soaps don't reduce bacteria or prevent disease spread better than ordinary hand washing according to some docs.

What's worse is that there is data to suggest that long term use may contribute to the emergence of antibiotic resistant "superbugs."  The potential risk for this is great enough that it should be part of future discussions about these products.


What you can do: Don't buy products containing triclosan or triclocarban.  These are the most common antibacterial chemicals.  Not all products will list ingredients, but you can avoid any product that advertises itself as "antibacterial" to be safe.  Wash hands and surfaces with regular soap and water.


Phthalates
These chemicals are common ingredients in fragrances in consumer products.  They are also used in plumbing, shower curtains, varnishes, vinyl floors and many other products.  Some phthalates are known to function as hormones in the human body and in high doses they have disrupted hormone production in animal studies.  The CDC finds low levels of phtalates in most of our bodies.  Some recent evidence suggests that exposure in humans may be related to low sperm count and quality in men.

What you can do: Until more evidence is in it makes sense to avoid them in your personal care products when you can, especially if you are an expecting mom or you're looking for products for your kids.  Opt for fragrance free products or choose those that use essential oils.


Parabens
These are chemicals widely used as preservatives in cosmetics.  They work by preventing microbes from growing so products don't get contaminated with bacteria.  Most makeup, moisturizers, shaving products, hair care products and many food and drugs contain parabens.  They act like estrogen in the body, although the effect is weak.  Isolated studies have found parabens in tissue samples of breast cancer tumors, but haven't shown that parabens cause breast tumors.


What you can do: Read the labels on personal care products.  Look for: methylparaben, butylparaben, propylparaben, or other words with "paraben" in them.  Paraben-free products are available if you want to avoid the preservative.


Musk
Today, musk scents come from chemicals synthesized in laboratories.  Some synthetic musk in the 1990s were shown to have potential build up to toxic levels in the body,causing tissue damage.  After these studies were published, many manufacturers reduced their use of musk.  Citing that ongoing tests are needed, companies continue to commonly include these chemicals in household products like fabric softeners, laundry detergent and perfume.

What you can do: Tonalid and Galaxolide are two trade names for musk, but they usually hide behind the name "fragrance" on product labels.  To avoid musks, you need to get to the manufacturer and ask for a complete ingredient listing or opt for fragrance free products. 

Source: www.webmd.com