Would you believe the cosmetics you use every day could be doing you more harm than good? It’s true. The same cosmetics that even out your skin tone, give you a healthy glow, accentuate your eyes, and moisturize your skin may contain toxic preservatives that cause a host of health issues – some of which can be quite serious.
How do you know if your cosmetics are causing you problems?
Common indications of toxicity in women include menstrual irregularity, polycystic ovary syndrome, and major hormone imbalance leading to problems such as fatigue and weight gain.
Men experience endocrine disruption in addition to uneven testosterone levels. Some people even experience neurological deficits due to using toxic cosmetics and other products.
Understanding Preservatives Found in Cosmetics
A preservative is a synthetic or natural ingredient added to cosmetics, personal care products, certain foods, and pharmaceutical products used to prevent them from spoiling. This includes spoilage from undesirable chemical changes as well as microbial growth.
Unfortunately, preservatives can be found in the wide variety of cosmetics and personal care products, including:
- Baby lotion, powder, and shampoo
- Bath capsules, oils, tablets, and salts
- Body and hand cream, foot spray, lotions, cleansers, and moisturizers
- Eye and facial makeup
- Hair products, including shampoo, conditioner, straighteners, relaxers, permanents, coloring, and sprays
- Fragrances, including cologne and perfume
- Nail care products, including polish, remover, oils, creams, lotions, and artificial nail extenders
- Oral care products, including toothpaste, mouthwash, and breath fresheners
- Personal care products, including deodorant, antiperspirant, soap, and feminine hygiene
- Sunscreen and sunless tanners
One of the main preservatives used is cosmetics is called parabens. Parabens can be found in about 85 percent of cosmetics, and have been used since the 1950s. Their main purpose is to protect products from the growth of yeast, fungi, and bacteria. They come from para-hydroxybenzoic acid that is naturally found in many fruits and vegetables. However, this “natural” connection doesn’t mean they are harmless. Indeed, these parabens are known to disrupt hormones. In 2004, a British researcher named Phillipa Darbre, PhD, found parabens were present in malignant breast tumors, and many began to wonder about the health risks involved with paraben use. Yet they are still routinely used as a preservative.
Additionally, most people are not aware that the alcohol present in moisturizers damages their cells. When used, alcohol immediately starts destroying the cells of your skin and starts a chain reaction of damage, even after the alcohol has evaporated. The damage isn’t obvious at that time you use it, but once you stop using alcohol-based products, the damage quickly becomes visible.
The problem of toxic cosmetics is so prevalent that many personal care products on the store shelf today are not safe for people who are already immune compromised. We recommend that people with cancer, pregnant women, those with uterine fibroids, and those with any autoimmune disorder don’t use them at all.
Pay Attention to List of Ingredients
You care about your personal hygiene but you also care about your long-term health. That can certainly make things challenging when you’re trying to avoid potentially toxic cosmetics and personal care products. Looking at the list of ingredients in every product will help you make the best choices for yourself going forward.
Coconut oil makes an ideal moisturizer while mild neutral castile soap does not contain the harmful preservatives found in regular soap. Using an oil-based cleanser and non-alcoholic toner are better for your skin and overall health as well. Infusio Life products contain all-natural substances with no synthetic ingredients whatsoever. Feel free to ask our staff about specific products or click here to learn more about the importance of using all-natural beauty products. You may also wish to consult one of these blogs on organic beauty and skin care.