Archive for Disease
Beauty and the Beast
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Makeup is something most women use on a daily basis. Do we realize just how much harm we may be causing ourselves by doing this? Many people do not know about the chemicals they are putting into their bloodstream via the skin on a daily basis, year after year and believe that because it is on the shelf, it is safe. This is far from the truth. Many commercial makeup brands contain dangerous carcinogens such as lead, formaldehyde, mineral oil, and talc. You might call them the “beasts” of makeup. Watch this video to learn more about the toxins in makeup and what you can do to become a more educated beauty consumer! Take special note of how more advanced Europe is than the US in recognizing toxic substances. Also check out skindeep.org for further information.
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Stay natural…stay beautiful…go green!
-Robin
The Problem With Parabens
Posted by: | CommentsYou may be hearing a lot lately about parabens…but what are they and why should we be concerned about them? Parabens are a group of preservatives used in over 25,000 cosmetics and personal care products. Which of these items do you think contain parabens? Shampoos, conditoners, make-up, tanning oils, styling mousse, body wash, toothpaste, tooth whitening products? All of them do. If you check your label, anything that contains the word “paraben” is a product you should discontinue using. I stopped using any product containing this toxin years ago and when I check ingredient labels now, if I see parabens, I put it down.
Parabens are artificial ingredients that the body readily absorbs. Studies show that parabens can affect hormones and mimic estrogen (and too much estrogen is not a good thing, for women OR men.) Excess estrogen has the potential to cause breast cancer, in fact, parabens were found in breast cancer tumors of women and in urine of people tested by the CDC (so the body does retain it.) Parabens are so prevalent in personal care products today that more boys are being born with deformed reproductive organs. In fact, a study recently done on fish in the Potomac shows that male fish are being transformed into “intersex fish” – male fish born with female characteristics. This is nature’s way of warning us to stop using parabens in our products. It is something pregnant women should most definitely avoid.
Many companies are finally admitting to the dangers of parabens and are offering paraben-free products. Just be sure to read the rest of the ingredients, because they may still contain some toxins. So I give you this challenge: Go check the labels of some of your products. I guarantee that most, if not all, will contain parabens….and leave a comment here to let us know if you’ve decided to ban parabens from your products!
If you’d like to read more about these “intersex” fish, click here to read the NY Times article: “It’s Time to Learn From Frogs.”
Click here for safe skin care: Dr. Mercola’s paraben-free, organic body butter.
Check out this informative news story regarding toxins in cosmetics today (parabens are mentioned.) It’s a must watch!
A Trip to the Nail Shop…A Rather Toxic Experience
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When you walk into the nail shop, you’re looking forward to a relaxing spa experience. Instead, your nose is probably assailed with chemical odors. What are you smelling? It is not a natural smell….it’s a myriad of chemicals: the powder used for acrylic nails, nail polish remover, and nail polish to name a few. If it smells this bad, can you imagine what it can do to your body? Some of the most toxic chemicals you will encounter at the nail shop is toulene, formaldehyde, or DBP. You may be saying to yourself, what are these and why should I be afraid of them??
Out of those three ingredients, the one you might have already heard of is formaldehyde. Yes, that is the same substance used in the preservation of dead bodies. Formaldehyde is not something you should be using while alive, as it is a carcinogen. And this is the same ingredient in your nail products. Toxins, anyone? It is mainly used to make the polish resilient. Toulene is another chemical used in polishes to make it easy to apply and fast drying. It is a toxin that is easily absorbed through the skin, found in paints and explosives. It can cause a myriad of problems. DBP is dibutyl phthalate, has been found to interfere with birth development and is sometimes not even on the ingredient list!
So when I go to the nail shop or go to purchase nail polish (because let’s face it, most of us do not want to give up our pedi’s and mani’s) I look for this on the label: formaldehye/toulene/DBP free. It’s not too difficult to find, in fact, I recently caught up with one of my favorite blogs, The Organic Beauty Expert and I was delighted to read about a new nail polish (NP2 Nail Perfection) which does not contain any of these chemicals. I went on to read more and went to the site to check out the new polish. Guess how much? $22.50 a bottle. Now, this is a pretty cool product in that it is a two-sided bottle that comes with a supposedly chip resistant express dry top coat. But for some of us on a budget this might not be the best option. To check out this post, click here: The Organic Beauty Expert.
Enter… Walgreens. Yes, Walgreens! I was shopping one day and found they carried Sinful Colors Professional Nail Color, a very affordable (under $5 a bottle) and safe brand of nail polish. And the colors are truly sinful! If you’re like me, you’’ll probably want one of every color. And the best part is, their formulas are formaldehyde, toulene, and DBP-free. You can also find them at sinfulcolors.com. So when you’re at the salon or the store, check out the ingredient list before you buy and make a safe choice when it comes to your nail products. Until next time, stay natural, stay beautiful…Robin.
Can you afford not to go organic?
Posted by: | CommentsWhen I tell people I live an organic lifestyle, I usually get the same response, “Oh, I can’t afford it.” But when you think about the question, “Can you afford to go organic?” it leads you to the question, “Can you afford not to?” Believe me, I feel your pain. I’m a teacher trying to live organically. I had to make a choice and it was made for me when I read Kevin Trudeau’s Natural Cures “They” Don’t Want You to Know About. This book changed my life. I had already started going organic slowly (that’s the way to go.) But when I read this important book, I went the rest of the way.
Going organic with my diet was a bit easier for me than going organic with my beauty products. I had used some of the products for years, trusted them, and some were pretty affordable too. Now I know why they were so affordable. Companies use the cheapest ingredients they can find to maximize profit, not caring about the toxins and poisons we ingest into our bloodstream, causing disease. That is why you can find a way now to pay a little more for organics. Why pay even more later in doctor’s bills and health problems?
There have been many studies done over the years testing the long term use of commercial beauty products. Artificial ingredients like parabens, lead, talc, and aluminum are being found in diseased organs and tissue. How scary is this? So….pay now….or pay later? Of course, the choice is yours. But how do you decide what to do first on your sojourn into the organic living? I am here to help because I have been through it too. Stay tuned for my next post where I will delve more deeply into going organic and the steps you can take to make it gradual (and not bank-breaking.) Until then, stay natural, stay beautiful…Robin.
The Sensitive Skin Myth
Posted by: | CommentsHey Toxic Beauty readers! You may have noticed my blog has undergone a bit of a make-over. Hey, if women can do it, why can’t a blog? I am really excited about the new banner and I would love to hear your comments! Now on to today’s new post….
Some people categorize their skin as “sensitive” or think they have skin allergies. They use special formulas because otherwise their skin will break out or become irritated. Did you ever think that maybe your skin isn’t really sensitive? It might be that man-made chemical ingredient in your product that made you break out. I’ve heard many instances of this. You don’t necessarily have sensitive skin or allergies, it’s the toxic ingredient or combination of ingredients that cause problems for anyone who uses them. Such ingredients shouldn’t be in beauty products. Not only can they disrupt the surface of the skin, but they are absorbed into the bloodstream disrupting bodily functions and organs.
I recently heard from Jenna and she had this to say:
“Love your Toxic Beauty blog. I used to think I had allergies because my eyes were puffy and itchy more often then not- I recently switched to all natural and organic beauty products and my skin has never looked or felt better- I was polluting myself without even knowing it! Go Green!”
So if you experience similar problems, be it puffy eyes, bumps, or itchy skin, give your regular beauty products a break and give natural products a try. You may be very surprised (and pleased!) at the results. If you’ve experienced any of these side effects from using commercial beauty products, drop me a line. Stay natural…stay beautiful. -Robin
