Toxins to Avoid in Skin Care Products

Would you brush your teeth with Drano? Or put antifreeze on your skin? Of course no one would do that, yet it's close to what many people are doing every day without realizing it. Our skin is the largest organ in the body, and easily absorbs what we put on it, yet the skin care and cosmetic industry is unregulated by the FDA. Here is a list of some common toxins to avoid in skin care products, as well as those we use for personal care.

1. Propylene Glycol and Butylene Glycol acts as a wetting agent and solvent in personal care products, and is commonly found in antifreeze. The EPA warns against skin contact as it can lead to brain and kidney problems, yet no warning is required on products such as deodorant.

2. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is used in personal care products that foam. This may weaken the immune system.

3. DEA, MEA and TEA are hormone disrupting chemicals that may also be carcinogens. These have been banned in Europe but not North America. Shampoo, body wash and shaving creams are most likely to have this.

4. Sodium Hydroxide, found in crystal drain cleaners, is a common ingredient in toothpaste for both adults and children. It's known to be toxic.

5. Triclosan can disrupt hormones, and remain stored in the body and eventually damage the kidneys, lungs and kidneys. It is used widely in a number of household products.

6. Parabens are used primarily as a preservative in skin care. Another chemical that can disrupt hormones and possible links to breast cancer and heart problems.

7. Alcohol and Isopropyl is drying and irritating to the skin. May promote brown spots and premature aging, headaches and nausea.

8. Color pigments cause skin irritations and are carcinogens.

9. Mineral oil clogs the skin pores and interferes with the body's ability to remove toxins. It promotes acne and other skin problems and can cause premature aging.

10. Fragrances are commonly added to many skin care and personal care products. They can affect the nervous system, headaches, dizzyness, rashes, skin discoloration and other skin problems. No breakdown of ingredients are required on labels, other than "fragrance" which could mean hundreds of different things.

These are all very commonly used and are toxins we should avoid in our skin care products.

Gimpse Skin Care s topical skin nutrition without the use of harmful toxins.

Chemicals linked to asthma, allergies and cancer in our cleaning products

Many products that we have in our homes for personal care or for cleaning have chemicals in them linked to cancer, allergies, asthma and other health problems.

If you value your health, then I am sure you will agree we should not be having poisons in our homes. The effects of toxins in the home usually takes time to become apparent, but they gradually can have a negative effect on your health, because they are absorbed through the skin, in our personal care products or laundry detergents, and are in the air we breathe.

Your skin is like a sponge. The chemicals in laundry soaps end up on your clothes, they are never rinsed completely. We absorb the creams and lotions we put on our skin as well.

Have you ever had dry, itchy, or irritable skin? Do you get headaches when cleaning your home?

These could be initial 'mild' symptoms of the toxins in your body. As time passes this toxic soup can build up in your body and affect your immune system and over-all health.

Companies shouldn't have the right to put toxic chemicals into our cleaning products or personal care. Why should we need poison to do a cleaning job? There are safe alernatives that won't harm us but big companies don't want us to know.

Many of the products commonly found in homes contain formaldehyde, which is highly toxic and has been shown to be a carcinogen in animals, and so very well in people as well. Formaldehyde, phthalates, and other toxins can cause so many problems for our immune systems, hormones, and so much more. Companies will often add fragrances which may give the products a more pleasant spell but also contain chemicals.

So why do so many companies make household and personal care products that have potentially harmful toxins and chemicals in them? The answer, in my opinion, is cost. Companies use the cheapest things they can in their products so it won't cut into their profits. Natural and safe things like essential oils cost more.

The good news is there are lots of safe alternatives in health food stores as well as products offered by many direct sales and network marketing companies. Even some grocery stores are getting into the trend of using safe products and have some on their shelves, along with the toxic ones.

I got rid of toxins in my home and it's certainly helped with allergy problems I had and I don't get a headache using cleaners anymore either.

We still need to detox our bodies, however, because this alone won't eliminate all toxins in the body. However, it's a very positive step in living a healthy lifestyle.