Is there motor oil in your toothpaste?
Sounds crazy, doesn't it?
The skin is the largest organ in the body with the capability to absorb everything. So how is it possible that our skin and personal care products continue to go unregulated by the FDA?
The same ingredients that we use to clean and lubricate our cars, sinks and driveways should not be the same ingredients we smear on our bodies and take into our mouth.
Cosmetics, shampoo, body lotion, laundry detergents and softeners, furniture polish, pesticides, toothpaste, fertilizers, city water, plastic storage containers and even some foods contain deadly ingredients. The problem today is that most products are made from petrochemical derivatives of nonrenewable crude oil.
What is wrong with that?
It’s what petrochemicals do to the nervous system and hormones that is the problem.
The following are 12 common toxic ingredients we should avoid at all costs. I’ve also included a list of dishonorable mentions.
Note: Check your labels!
1. Propylene Glycol (PG) and Butylene Glycol: Found in antifreeze. Acts as a “surfactant” (wetting agent and solvent). Penetrates skin and weakens protein and cellular structure. Strong enough to remove barnacles from boats. The EPA considers PG so toxic that workers are required to wear protective clothing and to dispose of PG by burying it in the ground. PG penetrates the skin so quickly, the EPA warns against contact to prevent brain, liver, and kidney abnormalities. But there isn’t even a warning label on products such as stick deodorants, where the concentration is greater than in most industrial applications.
2. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) & Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES): Detergents that pose serious health threats. Used in garage floor cleaners and engine degreasers – and in 90% of personal care products that foam. Animals exposed to SLS experience eye damage, depression, labored breathing, diarrhea, severe skin irritation, and even death. Young eyes may not develop properly if exposed to SLS. May damage the skin’s immune system. Can be transformed into nitrosamines, a potent class of carcinogens. Your body may retain the SLS for up to five days and maintain residual levels in the heart, liver, lungs, and brain.
3. DEA (diethanolamine), MEA (monoethanolaniine) & TEA (triethanolamine): Hormone disrupting chemicals that can form cancer-causing nitrates. Restricted in Europe due to carcinogenic effects, yet they are still used in the USA. Americans may be exposed 10-20 times per day with shampoos, shaving creams and bubble baths. Dr. Samuel Epstein, Professor of Environmental Health at the University of Illinois, says that repeated applications of DEA-based detergents result in a major increase in liver and kidney cancer. The PDA’s John Baily says: “The risk is significantly increased for children.”
4. Sodium Hydroxide: The most recent addition to our personal care products. Found in crystal drain cleaners. Drano is 100% sodium hydroxide. This is a poison (caustic lye), yet a primary ingredient in adult and children’s toothpaste and cleansers. Especially extra-whitening toothpastes.
5. Triclosan: Synthetic “anti-bacterial” with a chemical structure similar to Agent Orange. The EPA registers it as a pesticide, giving it highest scores as a risk to human health and the environment. It may produce dioxin, a hormone disrupting chemical with toxic effects measured in the parts per trillion; that is only one drop in 300 Olympic-size swimming pools! Hormone disruptors pose enormous long term chronic health risks. It can change genetic material, decrease fertility and sexual function, and foster birth defects. Stored in body fat, it can accumulate to toxic levels, damaging the liver, kidneys, and lungs. It can also cause paralysis, brain hemorrhages and heart problems. Tufts University School of Medicine says triclosan can force the emergence of “super bugs” that we cannot kill. Its widespread use in antibacterial cleansers, toothpastes and household products may have nightmarish implications on future generations.
6. DMDM & Urea (Imidazolidinyl): Two of many preservatives that often release formaldehyde which cause joint pain, skin reactions, allergies, depression, headaches, chest pains, ear infections, chronic fatigue, dizziness, and loss of sleep. Exposure also irritates the respiratory system; triggers heart palpitations or asthma, and aggravates coughs and colds. Other side effects include weakening the immune system and cancer.
7. Polyethylene Glycol (PEG): Carcinogenic petroleum ingredient that reduces the skin’s natural moisture. Increases the appearance of aging and leaves you vulnerable to bacteria. Used in spray-on oven cleaners and cleansers to dissolve oil and grease.
8. Parabens any parabens: Look for anything with the word paraben in it. Used primarily as a preservative. It’s a strong hormone disrupting chemical. Has direct links to breast cancer and heart problems.
9. Alcohol, Isopropyl (SD-40): Drying, irritating solvent that strips skin’s moisture and immune barrier, making you vulnerable to bacteria and viruses. Made from a petroleum derivative found in shellac and antifreeze as well as personal care products. Promotes brown spots and premature aging. A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients says it may cause headaches, flushing, dizziness, mental depression, nausea, vomiting, and coma. Fatal ingested dose is one ounce or less.
10. Mineral Oil: Petroleum by-product that coats the skin like plastic
wrap, clogging the pores. Interferes with skin’s ability to eliminate toxins, promoting acne and other disorders. Slows down skin function and cell development, resulting in premature aging. Baby oil is 100% mineral oil!
11. FD&C Color Pigments: Synthetic colors from coal tar that deposits toxins onto the skin, causing skin irritation. Absorption of certain colors can cause depletion of oxygen in the body and death. Animal studies have shown almost all of them to be carcinogenic.
12. Fragrances: Too bad so many feel a need to leave a lingering odor behind. Fragrances may contain up to 4000 ingredients (including different animal urines for strength), many of them toxic or carcinogenic. Fragrances cause headaches, dizziness, allergic rashes, skin discoloration, violent coughing, vomiting and skin irritations.
Fragrances affect the nervous system, cause depression, hyper activity, irritability, inability to cope and other behavioral changes. No breakdown of ingredient listing is required other than the word ‘fragrance’.
Dishonorable Mention
Phthalates (contained in most fragrances), Polyoxyethylene, Polysorbate, other-er-oxynol, Quaternium, 2-bromo-2 nitropropane, 1,3-dial, Padimate-0, Placental extract, Silica, P-Phonylenediamine, Hydroquinone, BHT, Aluminum
In your search to make the best decisions for your family’s health, remember that being healthy is not only about avoiding toxins, it’s about feeding your skin—_your largest vital organ_—with the purest products available.
Take charge of your health today!
If you are looking for products that are natural, native, and non-toxic ... contact me today!
