Autoimmune diseases are on the rise, in part to our exposure to environmental toxins and chemicals. The skin is the largest organ of the body and through its pores, it will absorb some of what you put on it. If your skin care products aren't natural, then you should avoid them. Environmental toxins are in every one of us and stay in our bodies for years. For many of us, these toxins cause dysfunction in our bodies, particularly to the immune, nervous, and endocrine systems; and may lead to autoimmune diseases as well as other conditions, such as allergies, asthma, cancers, neurological illnesses, low libido and reproductive problems. Women, in particular, are at a higher risk of exposure, because we use approximately 12 personal care and cosmetic products each day compared to men who use about half that amount, according to Dr. Izabela Wentz.
There's no need to panic and throw everything out. Go through your home, read product labels, and replace toxic products with natural products. However, be sure to read labels thoroughly; just because a product is labelled “natural” doesn’t mean the ingredients aren’t harmful to you. Ingredients to avoid include phthalates, triclosan, parabens, triclocarban, retinyl palmitate, retinol, PEG, ceteareth, polyethylene, DMDM hydantoin, formaldehyde, formalin, toluene, dibutyl phthalate, and oxybenzone. For information on skin care products and the safety of their ingredients, visit the Environmental Working Group's website at http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/. I've used this site and found it to be very helpful in deciding whether to purchase a product. I also make a lot of my own skin care products, which you could also do. But if you don't wish to make your own, visit my shop at https://www.jlovehealth.com/natural-skin-care.
Be mindful of the products you're putting on your skin - your health depends upon it.
References:
https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/are-you-sacrificing-your-health-for-external-beauty/
Crinnion WJ, Environmental medicine, part one: the human burden of environmental toxins and their common health effects. Alternative Medicine Review : a Journal of Clinical Therapeutic, February 2000, 5(1):52-63.
"Pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the environment: agents of subtle change?" https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1566206/pdf/envhper00523-0087.pdf.
http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/
Comments