Archive for toxins
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.
A Shower A Day Keeps the Chemicals Away
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Going organic in your diet and in your personal care products does not have to be an all at once process. When I first went organic, I started with baby steps. I still had a lot of products I had already purchased and I wasn’t about to throw out that expensive eye shadow…I have been holding onto them for a while now…it’s time to let them go! But for some of your products, you may want to sweep them all into the garbage immediately because you’re simply horrifed at what the ingredients can do. For others, you may say, “Well I’ll just use it up, then I will buy a better alternative,” (and I am here to tell you about those alternatives!)
Figure out what you’re able to do and do it! Going organic is a big change and it can be an expensive one. That is why you need to prioritize. Most of us are struggling with the economy right now and you’re probably thinking, “What is she talking about? How can I possibly do this?” The task might seem daunting. But if you truly want to make a change for yourself and your family and you are committed to this, go for it. If the only thing you can do right now is buy one thing, that is a great start. But what to start with?
A shower filter is essential. I first learned of this through Kevin Trudeau’s book. Although a small, step, it can make a huge difference. You may notice your skin is dry or irritated after showers. This could actually be from a combination of reasons. First, the soap you use probably contains sodium laurel sulfate (mixed with other toxins and synthetic preservatives.) Second, most municipal waters are highly treated with chemicals to make it “safe” (ha!) With a shower filter, you will see softer more healthy looking skin. When I first had a shower with my filter, I was amazed at my skin (didn‘t even need lotion!)
Shower filters are reasonably priced and are available at hardware stores or check out Mercola.com for great info and options. Why is a shower filter so important? When you shower, your pores are open, absorbing the chemicals in the water. It’s a bit like a gas chamber. The filter takes the chlorine, fluoride and other toxins out, making the shower what it should be, a truly pure cleansing experience. To maintain the filter, you simply need to replace the filter (about $10) every 6 months to a year, depending on how toxic your water is. You will see how black and icky the filter is when you replace it! So if you take one little step at a time, eventually, you will be living a 100% pure organic lifestyle. If you need any more tips on transitioning into the organic way, send me your questions and stay tuned to the blog. Subscribe for automatic e-mail updates so you don’t miss a post! Until next time, 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
Poison Products
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When you buy a bottle of shampoo, bubble bath, or soap you think that the product you bought is safe and you believe that this product does what it claims to do without any risks. You trust this product so much that you use it on your children and family. But much of this is blind trust, as companies put many chemicals into bath products which we have no idea about….until now. Recently the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics released a report on children’s bath products and stated some very alarming facts. Parents, listen up!
They studied numerous children’s bath products and found that some companies were adding formaldehyde and 1,4 dioxane to their formulas. Lab tests have shown that these are carcinogens and can lead to dangerous chronic diseases and disabilities, especially with repeated use. Why are companies adding these posions in children’s products?? Check for these chemicals on the products you have in your bathroom right now and if you find them, toss it out! Thanks to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, now you can be on the lookout for them when you shop as well.
As you all may have noticed, my blog got a bit of a make-over recently. I wanted to add some things to make it more user-friendly as well as a little more attractive. I am still in the process of changing a few more things, so bear with me! In the meantime, stay a while, take a look around, and let me know what you think!
