The Ugly Beauty Products
The Ugly Beauty Products
The Ugly Beauty and Personal Care Products
Often the beauty and personal care products we buy in our search for beauty and good health are in fact filled with toxins. The synthetic chemicals mimic estrogen and studies indicate that exposure to estrogen increases our cancer risk. Some of these chemicals are also linked to birth defects, learning disabilities and other health problems now epidemic in our society.
Just 9 Products:
Using just 9 products (e.g. shampoo, conditioner, soap, deodorant, skin lotion, makeup, etc.) per day means we are using 126 chemical ingredients.
No "Natural" Guarantee:
Terms like 'natural,' 'organic' and the latest buzzword, 'green' offer no guarantee of the safety of these products. In fact the ingredients in personal care products are not overseen by the FDA. The EU bans more than 1,100 chemical ingredients but the USA has banned just 10. There is no government standard for safety in personal care products. In fact it is the cosmetic industry that regulates itself.
The only thing that will work in eliminating these toxins is deciding to be an educated consumer. The following 3 suggestions can help and save us a lot of money.
Start Here:
First, know the ingredients (list below) that are known to cause illness.Watch out specifically for phthalates - banned in many countries, parabens and petrochemicals. Check the websites listed below for which products contain these chemicals and what are the reported illnesses:
Phthalates - according to the NRC for Women and Families, in 10/07 CA banned the use of this chemical in children's toys and childcare products.
Sodium lauryl sulfate - (aka SLS) - found in shampoos, hair conditioners, toothpaste, body washes; a strong detergent which can cause permanent damage to eyes, esp. in children, skin rashes, hair loss, mouth ulcerations, flaking skin. When used with other ingredients can form nitrosamines which are carcinogenic. Can lodge in the heart, liver, lungs and brain.
Additional chemicals to watch out for - and research - are:
- methyl, propyl, butyl, and ethyl paraban
- imidazolidinyl urea
- petrolatum
- propylene glycol
- pvp/v copolymer
- stearalkonium chloride
- synthetic colors
- synthetic fragrance
- triethanolamine
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The Environmental Working Group (ewg) performed lab tests on twenty teen aged girls between the ages of 14-19 and detected 16 chemicals in urine and blood samples.
In all my research it seems that the highest concern products are:
- hair color and bleach
- hair relaxers
- nail polish
- skin lightener
- nail treatments
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Next, make up your mind to demand quality and value for your hard-earned money. It is not just the cheapest products with these toxic chemicals - it is also the more expensive name brands. As an educated consumer: refuse to buy these products, if you have them, take active participation in your health and toss them, and share this information with your people. As consumers, the power is in our hands and wallets to effect change.
Finally, never stop learning. With the internet information is readily available; best of all there is a wealth of information on this topic allowing you to make informed choices.
Stay healthy! (and see related links below)
Amazing Shea Butter/Mineral Makeup
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More information
- The Search for a Safer Nail Polish
Add nail polish to the list of products on the market that contain carcinogenic ingredients. Nail polishes contain formaldehyde, toluene and DBP (dibutyl phthalate).These are known as the toxic trio. All... - Why You Should Never Use Vinyl Shower Curtains
Why shouldn't you use vinyl shower curtains? They are cheap, easy to find, and some may even be mildew-resistant. But they are also toxic. Vinyl (PVC - also known as polyvinyl chloride) shower curtains...
Comments
Good stuff! And great mention of regulatory standards. I love to hate how ridiculous our standards are in comparison to those of the EU. I made it my personal mission a long time ago to cut as much of the crap as I possibly could from my personal care stash. There is just so much to learn. But what works for me in a myriad of ways are: baking soda, aloe gel, hydrogen peroxide, honey, water, olive oil and shea butter, to name a few. Thanks for the information.
Thanks Nic,
Pure African shea butter is the deal! No massive advertising campaigns and it works! I still have crap in here to throw out. Yikes!
Thanks for the info. Maybe this is why I am sick all the time.
- Author
Hi LLL,
I also save a lot of money by not buying all that stuff. I use pure shea butter - sold all over Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Thanks for writing!
It sounds like everyone loves shea butter, but what do you use it for? Is it just a substitute for lotion, or are there other uses? I used a combination of mashed avocado and olive oil the other day as a conditioner, and that worked pretty well. It kind of smelled like pumpkin though.
- Author
Hi questiongirl! Nice to meet you!
I rub shea butter (I'm going to add my shea hub here as a link) into my hands to soften it and use is on my legs, arms, wherever. I am convinced that it gives me such great skin that I rarely have to use it - so I can buy a small tub for about $4.00 - and it will last all year.
Where it also works incredibly well, is on those little cuts and scrapes. I think a piece of costume jewelry that I wore all summer gave me a slight rash near the throat. So I washed and dried the area, slathered on the shea - next day the rash is gone and the area is soft. If I scratch myself too hard - again the shea butter. It has amazing healing powers.
But it should be pure - not the kind that you buy from a cosmetic company where is has been processed and it is added to artificial ingredients!
By the way, a friend swears by avocado as a conditioner. She adds just a little mayo then lets it sit for a while. And she always walks around with this healthy, shiny 'do!
Thanks for writing and asking.
A very helpful hub. Thank you and more power.
- Author
Thank you Alta5656. Glad you liked this hub - and nice to meet you!
Hello there! BkCreative, i like this! i must say that all women should be aware of this kind of hub. Good job!
BLESSINGS!
- Author
Thank you ladyeagle_cdc! It would be great if all women were aware then they would understand why they are losing their hair and having so many other health issues.
Thank you for commenting!
Fantastic - I just found Emani and really like some of their products. Of course, Aubrey Organics is a great company as is Dr.Hauschka! I learn more everyday and thanks for this great article! Kartika
- Author
It seems with women demanding better products, more companies are responding. We should get the best for our money. Thanks for the recommendations too!
Bk Creative,
Great hub!
You always have such wonderful healthy advice for us! Hmm must try the shea butter!
This was very informative and well presented. As you say "we must become educated consumers!"
Thank You for sharing!
Blessings
- Author
I appreciate your comments Deborrah K. Ogans.
We owe it to ourselves to be educated consumers!
Thank you!
Great information. It seems like Sodium lauryl sulfate is used in a LOT of products (and it sounds so benign).
I thought the additives in commercial salad dressings were bad, but this shines a light on a whole new category of ingredients.
- Author
We are up against so much Rochelle Frank. Good thing we hubbers can share so much information.
I recently decided to go back to baking soda for brushing my teeth after reading some labels. I just hate the idea of getting older and being chronically ill - just because I used certain products.
Thank you for commenting!
A lot of beauty products are on the market and yet we are not aware of what they can do about us and what are the effects to us thanks for your information I'm glad you make such hub I'll recommend this to my friends.
- Author
Thank you idoSEO - we can use the power of the internet to effect change - otherwise it is just never going to happen. Thanks for commenting!
I totally agree with you. I am sensitive to red dyes and can only wear "hypoallergenic" make up. Thank you for the information great hub!
- Author
You're welcome Tammy Lochmann! I'm glad you found the hub useful. We pay soooo much money for cheaply made products that don't even work. We're just paying for advertising!
Thanks for writing!
thanks for a very nice information BK you really rock and after reading your hubs I am always thinking about the products I am using, Thanks really, Maita
- Author
You're very welcome Maita. Thanks so much for commenting. I value your opinions!
This was very helpful! I don't understand why companies are allowed to make such harmful products. It is really so shameful! I really love the picture! lol
- Author
I agree with you theherbivorehippi. Sigh! I suppose this is just a reminder that profit is all the matters. Everything else can 'be darned!'
I'm so glad you like the photo - I had fun drawing it and putting those vintage earrings there.
Thank for writing!
Great hub. A lot of people seem to think that "the powers that be" wouldn't allow truly harmful ingredients in health and beauty products. But as your article mentions, retail products are laced with toxic and synthetic substances. Thanks for helping to spread the word about this important topic. It's in our own best interest to become informed consumers or make our own personal care treatments. I have a lot of recipes available at http://www.oldenbuzz.com, and there are many others at http://www.pioneerthinking.net.
- Author
Great to meet you OldenbuzzDotCom. I've checked your hub and what great information. And yes, it is truly in our best interest to take total control of our health and then beauty comes naturally!
Thanks so much for commenting!
Thanks for a great article. Skin Deep has cosmetic safety reviews. I like to buy products that I know are not loaded with dangerous chemicals. Thanks for sharing. This is a very useful hub. Teresa
- Author
I'm so glad you found the hub useful eventsyoudesign. Thanks for writing and sharing this information! We should demand the best for our money - and if cosmetic companies don't give it to us - well, we are beautiful anyway. Yay!
OK, now I have another thing to worry about. Thanks? : )
- Author
No worrying for you 2besure. Now you know the facts!
Great hub. There are so many unhealthy products filled with dangerous chemicals causing illnesses and damage to skin, hair, and health. That is good to know that there in no guarantee even with organic products.
Sometimes we think we know all there is to know about certain products, then find out later we didn't really know that much at all. You are right, we can only be an educated consumer in our search for the perfect product or food as well. If there is such a thing as perfect. Thank you for sharing this important information.
Voted up and useful!
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