I am excited to share with you this week’s Ditch and Switch topic about Skin and Personal Care items.
I remember in my first week of massage therapy school we spent a whole hour discussing the different blends of massage oils, the molecular structure of the different oil compounds and the profound effect that different blends have on our endocrine and lymphatic system on a cellular level.
I clearly remember it blowing my mind because I never before knew that what we put ON our bodies could ever go IN our bodies?!? Not only is it absorbed, but it’s also absorbed rapidly. On average, in 26 seconds whatever we rubbed on our skin is cruising through our bloodstream!
A 2017 study on Organics.org states that women apply 515 synthetic chemicals on their bodies daily. That number may seem a bit staggering but when you add the ingredients from our shampoo, conditioner, deodorants, lotions, toothpaste, face toners, correctors, eye creams, a hair product or five, foundation, powder, eyeliner, mascara, blush, eye shadow, and perfume of course. Oh, and don’t forget the midday reapply…
THE PERSONAL CARE INDUSTRY
Our personal care product industry is a $60 BILLION dollar industry. This industry has had ZERO oversight, no major federal laws, or regulation requirement updates in eighty-one years! Up until just this year we only had 30 items on our US banned list compared to European Nations 1400 + ingredients.
Health care advocates along with educated consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about the concentration of ingredients in our countries personal care items. For example, formaldehyde used in many items but especially found in hair smoothing or straightening treatments have been reported to cause a range of side effects including headaches, shortness of breath, and long term usage includes cancer risks.
Ditch and Switch – The Toxins In Our Personal Care Items
PARABENS
Another hot topic item is a chemical called “propylparaben” used as a wide range of preservatives for many personal care items. Why? Because it’s a cheap way to double or triple shelf life. When you double or triple shelf life, companies protect profits. What’s the problem with this little chemical? Well, it mimics estrogen. Yup, it fits right into the receptor site of your body’s own estrogen.
What happens when our estrogen is too high or mismanaged? Plainly put, you get fat and grumpy! According to Sara Gottfried, MD and author of The Hormone Cure, (Click to view the book here) Xenoestrogens (foreign estrogens) can be stored on fat tissue for decades. These estrogens bind to receptor sites and can activate some of them and block others. For example, they can activate estrogen sites in the breast tissue but block others such as those in the bone.
Here are a few hot topic takeaways from her book on chemical estrogen exposure:
- Lengthened exposure to estrogen creates significant breast cancer risk
- Xenoestrogens are known endocrine disruptors with reproductive and developmental consequences
- Since to 1990’s menarche (onset of menstruation and puberty) and after years of research xenoestrogens are to blame
- Not just women, but xenoestrogens are lowering sperm count and upping prostate cancer rates.
- Moobs? (Man boobs) you guessed it, chemical estrogen exposure.
BPA
You may even own a water bottle that is BPA free. BPA is a synthetic molecule used to make polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. It was finally outlawed in baby bottles and children’s drinking cups in 2012 in the US.
One of the most eye-opening studies was conducted a few years back by the EWG and they demonstrated that BPA leaked from food can linings into more than half of the food and drinks purchased from cans containing BPA linings.
Excessive research has shown the high levels of BPA in the blood are linked to cardiac disease and diabetes as well as increased liver enzymes
PHTHALATES
Phthalates are industrial chemicals found everywhere. Nail polish, Baby toys, shower curtains, shampoo, and so much more!
Phthalates wreak havoc on the thyroid function in all humans. It can cause male reproduction issues. In females, it can stop ovulation, lower testosterone, and cause estrogen dominance.
WE SHOULD NEVER SACRIFICE OUR HEALTH IN THE NAME OF BEAUTY
What are a few things that you can do to lower your exposure? Here is an easy list of some top things to be mindful of. Obviously, we want to pay close attention to items that touch our bodies, especially lotion, potions, and creams.
- Reduce canned foods
- Eat mainly from glass, stainless steel, and ceramic
- If you must use plastic containers or plastic wrap, don’t microwave in it
- Look for natural, safe alternatives for personal care items
- Swap out for safe cosmetics
- Remove your shoes when you walk into your home so you don’t track pesticides in
- Sleep on Organic Cotton sheets
- Swap out safer dish and laundry detergent
Start small, or decide to do an overhaul! It doesn’t matter but just start. Need a spot to check on some of your items. Use the EWG.org Skin Deep database by clicking the button below. The EWG is a trusted resource and is a third-party organization that test items for their safety in human health.
CHECK OUT YOUR PERSONAL CARE ITEMS HERE
Another great option is womensvoices.org
I fell in love with a company several years back that solved all of my personal care and cosmetic concerns. Being a mother of a child that survived cancer and a daughter of a 3-time breast cancer survivor, I take chemical exposure in our home seriously.
I spent literally hundreds of hours researching every single item and testing items and ordering beauty products from Europe, and those aren’t always 100% safe either. (Thank goodness there are now better US options) Let’s face it, a girl wants to feel and look beautiful. We deserve to wear high performing products that don’t smell like mud or dirt, and that actually rival Chanel and other high-end department store brand, WITHOUT dipping our bodies in a chemical shit storm!
Being introduced to Beautycounter streamlined everything for me. I had finally found my home! I was impressed that they were a B-Corporation, which is hard to earn your status. It basically means that they put people and the planet above profit.
They had an education and social mission that was profound and that they worked together as a company with consultants to storm the streets of capital hill to demand better beauty laws be put in place for our country.
They align with European standards and even added a few banned items to what is referred to as their NEVER LIST. This is their promise to their customers is full transparency, that they will never face exposure to these items in their products. AND, I’ve been involved with this company long enough to watch the CEO pull items that didn’t meet her testing standards, with thousands of orders in cue.
And of course, in full transparency, I aligned myself with Beautycounter several years back, because if I believe in a product and its quality, I will share it with the world.
As part of this Ditch and Switch campaign, I have set up a social for you to shop. With the free items that are earned through this ditch and switch campaign, I will turn around and gift/raffle them to the people who purchased to make their lives and homes cleaner. Beautycounter makes beautiful thoughtful gifts for this season, even priced for teachers, secret Santa, and employees.
Have questions about making safer swaps? Drop them below.