Why Choose Non-Toxic Skin Care Products
Today more and more people are taking an active role in their health. We have learned that we are surrounded by toxins, not only in the environment but also in food and products we put on our body. Many people have made drastic changes in their diet replacing foods containing toxic ingredients such as additives and preservatives with healthier food choices. Some people have chosen to eat only organic foods to avoid the toxins in fertilizers and pesticides. They avoid GMO foods and are taking a harder and harder look at what they eat and drink.
While this is certainly better for your health and a step in the right direction, perhaps it is time that more and more people start looking for non-toxic skin care products as well.
What You Put On Your Body is as Important as What You Put in Your Body
Most people don’t realise what you put on your body is as important as what you put into your body. Some skin care products, like some foods, are loaded with toxins that cause cancer. They can also affect your ability to reproduce and affect your overall health. There’s more than one problem with the toxins in skin care products. Not only can these toxins affect your skin, resulting in all types of skin issues, they can also be absorbed through your skin into your body. This affects your overall health in much the same way that those toxins in food products do.
Safe Toxin Limits Aren’t Really Safe
Many skin care products state that the toxin levels in their products are within safe limits. While this may be true for one individual product, it really doesn’t hold true when you take into consideration the number of personal care products you use each day. For example, sulfates are known to be extremely irritating to your skin and eyes. While one shampoo may contain a safe level of sulfates, once you add in the sulfates in your body soap, toothpaste and other personal hygiene products you use each day then these irritants no longer remain at a level that most people would consider safe. Other toxins, such as parabens, have been linked to breast cancer and increased menopausal symptoms in women. Also hormonal imbalances in men and skin aging in both sexes.
While the levels of parabens in one skin care product, may not seem harmful when you compound that with moisturisers, shampoos, soaps, make-up, and more the paraben levels you are absorbing may be far higher than you realise.
Playing it Safe with Non-Toxic Skin Care Products
Skin Care product manufacturers use toxic ingredients because they are cheap and help keep their manufacturing cost down. However, with more and more people demanding non-toxic skin care products and even resorting to making their own, skin care manufacturers who have seen their profits slipping away have begun making more non-toxic skin care products. So now it is easier than ever to play it safe and find non-toxic skin care products for your use.
Rather than ditching all your current skin care products at once, that can be expensive, simply replace those products that you have used up with non-toxic products until eventually, you are toxin free in your personal care products.
Other Chemicals to avoid:
As well as sulfates and parabens we should look to avoid:
Triclosan – Found in acne products and antibacterial washes
Phthalate – Found in perfumes and fragrances
Hydroquinone – Found in skin lighteners
BHA – Found in food, food packaging, and personal care products
Aminophenol, Diaminobenzene, Phenylenediamine – Found in coal tar hair dyes and some dandruff and psoriasis shampoos
Toluene – Paint thinner
Formaldehyde – Found in some hair straighteners and other products
There are now many natural personal care and cleaning products to choose from. Read labels, check for the ingredients listed and avoid those products. Search online and in health food stores.
