The Ugly Truth About the “Beauty” Industry

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So I bet the last time you went the store and bought your shampoo…or maybe your babies, you felt good about your purchase. You felt safe. I mean after all, it is a national brand carried by a national store. Right? Thank god the industry is regulated. We could live in China. Then who knows, we could have lead in our shampoo.

Thank god, right? Wrong. Dead wrong. At this point my industry is NOT regulated. At all. You know what that means. That means I could bottle up sour milk and tell you it is the cure all for acne. Ick right. That also means I could put an ingredient that contains lead in that baby shampoo and, well, who’s to know!

Scary. Perhaps you are thinking, that wouldn’t happen, companies can’t mislabel in the U.S. Wrong. I, without a doubt can bottle something and put “All Natural” and “Organic” on the label and it be neither. What is stopping me? I am not regulated. But the label “ organic” is regulated, right? Yes, but only when it comes to food.

But my baby shampoo is so mild it doesn’t even make my babies eyes tear when it gets in. How harmful can that be. Hmmm. Did you ever think to ask why? Why would getting foreign matter in your eye not make your eye do what it is intended to, protect itself. By tearing. I never did frankly. Turns out, companies actually put an ingredient in baby shampoos that numbs the eyes so it won’t tear. Great, I guess, except for the fact, that that is what your eye needs to do to flush out that stuff that should be burning if your baby could feel it. Hmmm.


So how do you know what to do?

What you put ON your body goes IN your body. The skin is the largest organ after all so everything you put on your skin is absorbed into your body and processed by your liver. So, just like with the food you eat, you should read the labels. What do you look for? First let’s start with what to look for and avoid:

Imidazolidinyl Urea and Diazolidinyl Urea:
Known to cause dermatitis.


Parabens - there are different Parabens but all end in Paraben (ex, ethylparaben). At the least they are irritants, but some are toxic. You will find them in most skin care products and are used as a preservative.

Stearelkonium chlorideToxin and irritant.


Sodium Laurel Sulfate/Sodium Laureth Sulfate
An allergen, irritant and some concern over toxicity.

Petrolatum-Petroleum jelly There is evidence that supports the use of this positively and evidence that indicates that this actually leaches moisture from your skin. I will take a neutral stance on that, but ask… at the end of the day is a petroleum product the BEST thing you feel you can put on your skin? No. Than why do it.


Phthalates (Dibutyl and Diethyl):
An ingredient typically used in hair spray, nail polish and some fragrances as a plasticizers providing flexibility. Considered high hazard on Skin Deep for it's various potential health problems.

Propylene Glycol PEG and PPG
Allergen

Diethanolamine, Triethanolamine (TEA, DEA):
These are irritants and possibly toxic.


PVP PVA copolymers toxic when inhaled



The reality is that alone none of these are probably that big of an issue. However think of how many, shampoo, soaps, lotions, cosmetics, detergents, deodorants, hair care products you use. Daily. It all adds up and overloads our body and our babies. And it is making us sick. So try a little detox. In your lotions and potions look for ingredients you know (olive oil, shea butter, coco butter, jojoba oil, sugar, salt, vitamin E). Read the labels and avoid the above, for shampoos, soaps and body washes. You might be surprised if you stop using the harsh cleansers that your skin will calm and you may not need to moisturize 5 times a day anymore. Just think what you can do with the extra time ;)

So next post stay tuned for the best shampoo, I have ever used… AND you can do it yourself. Really…


Also check out this great link for more information on this and what you can do to bring about change.

http://www.youtube.com/v/pfq000AF1i8&hl=en_US&fs=1″%3E%3C/param%3E%3Cparam




Keeping it Natural,


Sweet Cheeks

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