Toxic Chemicals and Pregnancy

It's really shocking to discover that seemingly harmless things like cosmetics, skin care, and even bottles and cans that contain food or drinks may be a big contributing factor to the increase in couples who are unable to conceive. Evidence shows there can be a connection between toxic chemicals and pregnancy.

Chemicals such as BPA, DEA and Parabens can affect hormones, or the development of the unborn baby. Even lead or mercury may be present in personal care products.

BPA is used in such things as water and baby bottles, and is present in the lining of tin cans. Since the chemical can leach into the food or liquid it is best to avoid them entirely, or at least not heat items in these containers.

No one would brush their teeth with drano, or wash their hair with antifreeze, but that is close to what we are doing by using certain personal care products. The cosmetic industry is unregulated, so companies are not under restrictions from adding harmful chemicals. These toxins may be used to give a product more suds, or perhaps smell better, but they are unnecessary.

The solution is to only use skin and personal care products that are free from harmful chemicals, and avoid plastics and canned items as much as you can, especially if you are already pregnant or trying to conceive.

Toxic chemicals and pregnancy may have harmful effects for you or for the baby. As consumers are becoming more aware of these hazards there has been a big increase in the availability of products that are free of toxins, and work just as well if not better than the alternatives.

Best All Natural Skin Care Products

When it comes to looking after their skin, many people want the best all natural skin care products available, since they are aware of the dangers of using ones that contain harmful chemicals or toxins.

So, how do you determine which are the best to use? It's not easy to find all natural skin care product that really have no chemicals at all. There are some that really are 100% organic, but their cost might be too expensive for some people. Often these have a shorter shelf life as well because of no preservatives added.

Some people are under the impression that since natural skin care products are without any chemicals, they cannot cause any harm to the skin. This isn't always the case, since you may have sensitivites to things that are toxin free.

Although a product may be labeled "pure, natural and organic" this can be misleading. There are no legal standards for organic or natural skin care and personal care products sold in the United States so products labeled this way may still contain chemicals that could be harmful.

Also, beware of "fragrances" which could contain many different things, and may cause skin irritation and allergy problems.

The best all natural skin care products will offer cleansers for all skin types (dry, oily, normal and sensitive) and be rich in antioxidants as nutrition for our skin is important as well. We should make use of a daily toner, serum and moisturizer as well. This will reduce the signs of aging and wrinkles and brown spots on the skin.

New industry standards are starting to appear that may help people determine the difference between the natural and not-so-natural products, but multiple standards with different meanings can be confusing. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is advocating for a standard that means ingredients really are as safe as they claim to be.

Some essential oils, herbal oils, shea butter, lemon, aloe vera and much more are useful too and are known for their moisturising and antiseptic properties. In addition the mangosteen fruit and particularly its rind has been shown to be rich in anti-inflammatory properties and is particularly helpful.

Using an all natural skin care product should include other lifestyle habits such as eating lots of fruit and vegetables, regular exercise, and drinking lots of water to help you maintain healthy skin for longer time.


Glimpse Skin Care uses topical skin nutrition that is good for your skin, and will leave your complexion healthy and radiant.

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.

Safe Skin Care Products --- Why They Are So Important

Many people do not realize the cosmetics industry is unregulated by the federal government. The ingredients found in many skin care and cosmetic products may be the main route of exposure to harmful chemicals. Therefore, it is a good idea for consumers to be educated as to what they are using.

The average person absorbs hundreds of chemicals and toxins every day, using such products as facial cleanser, soap, shampoo, deodorant, nail polish etc. These products can do much more harm than good to our bodies. Many skin care products contain unnecessary ingredients such as fragrances, dyes and preservatives. In addition, there are many potential health risks associated with chemicals commonly found in many items which may be linked to cancer, birth defects, and hormonal difficulties, and yet no warning label is required.

The skin is the largest organ in the body, and readily absorbs whatever we put on it. Safety testing of ingredients in personal care products is not mandatory, and even terms like "natural" and "hypoallergenic" can be misleading. For this reason it is essential that one reads the ingredients on the labels before purchasing or using.

A great resource to help you find safe skin care and cosmetic products is The Campaign For Safe Cosmetics. Its goal is to protect the health of the public by requiring the beauty industry to phase out the use of harmful toxins and replace them with safe alternatives. Companies that have signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics are committed to this promise to make products that will do no harm. The companies that have signed this are all listed, so you can determine if what you are using is safe or not. In addition you can discover which organizations are supporting the campaign.

By educating yourself you can avoid the use of harmful chemicals on you and your family's skin.

Not Just A Pretty Face Book Review

Not Just a Pretty Face, The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry by Stacy Malkan, is a must read for anyone concerned about toxins in skin care and cosmetic products. It's very interesting but has some shocking facts as well, and contains some critical information that everyone should have. It's not just cosmetics, but includes such things as soap, toothpaste, shampoo and shaving cream. Basically all personal care products. Even more surprising is what she has to say about children's toys! However the primary focus of the book is the beauty industry.

One of the many disturbing things mentioned in this book is blood that was analyzed for chemicals by two independent laboratories in one particular study, and was found to be positive for a wide range of chemicals in newborn babies. Toxins were found in umbilical cord blood. Another study done on breast milk in several states found all the milk samples contained chemicals.

While toxins in cosmetics can affect the health of anyone, this message may be of particular concern to young women of child-bearing age tod determine how they can protect their unborn babies by making good choices in their personal care products.

Many people are likely unaware that the skin care and beauty industry is unregulated, which means products do not have to be tested for safety. There is no requirement for companies to safety test personal care products before they are available to the public. For this reason, I believe it's vital that people become educated in this regard, and Not Just a Pretty Face exposes the hidden dangers in products we use every day.

This book is very readable and actually has a very encouraging message of empowerment so we can protect ourselves with the personal care products we buy. There are safe alternatives to be found in virtually everything we buy. The skin is the largest organ in the body and readily absorbs whatever we put on it. Skin care and makeup that is meant to make us beautiful on the outside should not be making us sick on the inside.