Every
day we use soap, detergents, body lotion, shampoo, conditioner ... and for the women lipsticks, eye shadows, eye and lip pencils, kajal,
enamels and mascara of each color. But have you ever wondered what's
inside these products?
Many
of these synthetic chemicals are skin irritants, skin penetrators,
endocrine disrupters and are carcinogenic. As our body’s biggest
organ, your skin is your most important immune defense barrier as
well as your largest organ for eliminating waste.
This
is a short list of the most dangerous ingredients used in cosmetics,
let's take a look and try to memorize it:
- Formaldehyde: is found in many everyday products and unfortunately is also widely used in the preservation of cosmetics. Products such as foundation cream, shampoo and enamels contain formaldehyde, which besides being a preservative substance is a powerful bactericide. Although it is been ascertained its carcinogenicity, formaldehyde continues to be contained in a wide range of products, even if at very low concentrations.
- Parabens: the six main parabens that we can find in the market formulations are methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, butylparaben and benzylparaben and are used as preservatives in moisturizers, sun, in toothpastes, shampoos; cleansers, deodorants, in shaving gel, in short, in many cosmetics for everyday use, even in so-called "natural products" and "organic." These substances penetrate through the skin and remain intact within the tissue, accumulating. Although they are legally authorized in the EU, even parabens are seriously suspected of being carcinogenic.
- Quaternium-15: is always part of preservatives. It is present in many cosmetics for make-up, in shampoos but also in moisturizing lotions and sunscreens. It is harmful because it releases formaldehyde it is toxic and leads to sensitization.
- KATHON CG: is another preservative, a broad spectrum antimicrobial action, colorless and odorless contained in skin cosmetics, in personal care products and household products. From a toxicological point of view, the Kathon CG, has been classified as primary irritant in spite of having a great use. We can find it on the labels of synonyms as grotan, EUXIL or ISOTIAZOLINA.
- MEA-DEA-TEA: they are the initials of monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine and are present in many cosmetic compounds. We find them mostly in products that make foam then shampoos, soaps and bubble bath and give rise to nitrates and nitrosamines, so they are carcinogens.
- PARAPHENYLENDIAMINE (PFD): this substance is the most important dye used for permanent hair colors. Very often it gives rise to sensitization so that this substance has been banned in many European countries.
- TOLUENE: it is the solvent that is used to spread the glaze easily. Unfortunately it has been linked to nervous system disorders and can also cause kidney damage.
- FRANGRANCE: all cosmetics generally have a pleasant smell. We tend to think that the fragrance within the products for personal hygiene is quite harmless, but it is not so. 95% of chemicals used in perfumes and cosmetics fragrances are synthetic compounds derived from petroleum and since the perfumes have a low molecular weight, can penetrate more easily into the skin and can cause allergies or breathing difficulties.
- HYDROQUINONE: reading the labels of products for lightening the skin is easy to find in this compound, a phenol which happens to be harmful, irritating and dangerous for the environment. Even if they have been forbidden to use it as lightening the skin, the drug continues to be used in hair dyes, although at low concentrations.
- ALLUMINIUM: we find inside many products, alimentary or not, and of course could not miss between components of many cosmetics, in particular deodorants and antiperspirants, which may contain up to 20% of aluminum salts in the form of hydrochlorides of aluminum and zirconium hydrates. Prolonged use of these substances is linked to the risk of breast cancer onset as the aluminum salts are capable of significantly damaging the DNA of cells, stimulating their degeneration into cancer cells.
It’s
impossible to avoid every single synthetic chemical, but you can do
your part in limiting the amount of toxins your body is exposed to.
Be sure to check out the EWG’s Skin Deep Database to research toxic
chemicals that could be in your cosmetic and personal care products.
This video shows all these information
Most
people choose to make their own natural skincare products because
they want to use chemical free products that are kinder and safer on
their skin and to take advantage of the wonderful benefits natural
ingedients can bring.
If
you are interested, we will start a workshop about how to create
hand-made natural products, enjoy us!
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