Skincare Toxins to Know & Avoid
We are swimming in chemicals, many that are known to negatively effect our bodies. So much so that now a newborn baby born in North America has over 100 known or suspected toxins already in his body at birth. Many of these chemicals can cause profound and lasting effect on the users–and the next generation–including IQ and neurological damage, allergies, hormonal changes, and cancers. Unfortunately, most of the chemicals used in our skincare and beauty products in North America have not undergone any human safety testing, including those ingredients commonly added to products especially marketed for babies and pregnant women. Remember, that our skin is our largest organ and that we can absorb as much as 60%, and babies 90%, of what is put on our skin directly into our blood stream where it is able to directly effect our organ systems. In other words, what we put on our skin matters: a lot.
Learn to read labels!
Remember, however, that products such as toothpaste, deodorant, and perfume don’t have to release their formulations.
- The first trick of being a smart label reader is to never buy products that don’t list all of their ingredients.
- Then, you have to know what to look for. If you want to be really hardcore (or just lazier) you can avoid all ingredients that have complicated names or that you wouldn’t want to eat. Or, look for the USDA Organic label which can only apply to skincare products that are made from organic and edible ingredients, and thus free of the worst additives.
- Learn the 14 worst chemical additives: all of which are routinely found in children’s and adult beauty products:
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