It always amazes me when people buy organic, eat healthy and generally take good care of what goes into their body - and then completely forgets to check what is in the stuff they are putting ONTO their bodies. I mean; your skin is by far your biggest organ. It is living and breathing and it absorbs everything you put on it - a lot of it even going right INTO YOUR BLOODSTREAM.
Did you ever read the ingredient list of your bodylotion? Your anti-wrinkle eye cream? Your shaving foam? Unless you have been living under a rock the last couple of years you have heard of parabens - and how really they should be avoided. A simple Wikipedia search yields this result: (Note: This is info EVERYONE can get their hands on if they bother to look!):
"Parabens are a class of chemicals widely used as preservatives in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Parabens are effective preservatives in many types of formulas. These compounds, and their salts, are used primarily for their bactericidal and fungicidal properties. They can be found in shampoos, commercial moisturizers, shaving gels, personal lubricants, topical/parenteral pharmaceuticals, spray tanning solution, makeup, and toothpaste. They are also used as food additives.
Their efficacy as preservatives, in combination with their low cost, the long history of their use, and the inefficacy of natural alternatives like grapefruit seed extract (GSE), probably explains why parabens are so commonplace.
They are becoming increasingly controversial, however, because they have been found in extremely low concentrations in breast cancer tumors (an average of 20 nanograms/g of tissue). Parabens have also displayed the ability to slightly mimic estrogen (a hormone known to play a role in the development of breast cancer). No effective direct links between parabens and cancer have been established, however."
If you are anything like me and care about your body and your health, this information should SHOCK YOU TO THE CORE! Linked to breast cancer!?! Still available in most cosmetics sold in this country?!? And a whole lot of other countries?!? WTF!
Seriously - this is horrific stuff! And trust me when I say that it is a DROP IN THE OCEAN! There are more baddies than parabens. Phthalates, sulfates, petrochemicals, the list goes on. Bad, bad stuff which should NEVER come within an inch of your precious beautiful body! This is stuff nobody tells you about. Stuff that the beauty industry DOES NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW. Which is horrible and horrific, but it means one thing: YOU HAVE TO take responsibility for your own health and your own body.
Google is your best friend. Seriously. Find out which brands are good, which are bad. Educate yourself. Ask around, talk to people at your local pharmacy/beautician/chemist. Throw out all the shit in your bathroom locker that you have been using before you read this. And don't be fooled; expensive designer brands are often just as bad when it comes to nasty ingredients as their cheaper competitors. Read every label. Trust no-one, you and only you will know what is best for your body.
Luckily, and this really is great news, there are some brands out there that different and that have products that are lovely and purer and much much better for you. Here are some, I know there are more, so be a clever cookie and always be on the lookout. Beauty and health should go hand in hand, it is as simple as that.
The Organic Pharmacy
Ren
Burt's Bees
Korres
Eos
Origins
This lipbalm is my latest handbag must-have. Now go find yours! Happy healthy shopping!
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