I typically try to purchase natural products for my family whenever I purchase any kind of soaps, toothpaste, or personal care items. The reason that I want to purchase natural products is because there are known toxins in virtually everything that you would use for a personal care item unless you buy natural items and read the labels first. It just sickens me that you can put the word natural on a personal care product and it actually means nothing! In fact, companies aren’t even required to list all the toxins that they use on their labels. Do you know what chemicals are in your personal care products?
Recently, I purchased both Method
So, no matter what a label may say I would never trust it to be natural until you take a look at what the label says. It is best to buy 
toiletries and personal care products in a health food store or at my favorite online store for personal care products Vitacost. And, like the two products listed above I would stay far away from any personal care products that are mainstream. I haven’t seen any yet that are actually natural even if they claim to be so.
If the list on the bottom of the page overwhelms you, the moral of the story is to buy products in which you can understand and pronounce what is on the label. Look for ingredients that are naturally derived and not synthetically manufactured.
If you are a detail person, just read the list below and try to commit it to memory. These are common ingredients in many products that we use everyday. Yuck! Just think about what it is doing to our bodies, and the bodies of our children. I have even heard stories of individuals who work in the cosmetic industry getting sick because of the products they are working on and will later find jobs manufacturing natural products. Of course, they are working with large quantities of carcinogens, but then again think about the large quantities we are taking in or many of these toxins over our lifetime.
Since our skin is very much like a sponge, it is important to remember that what we put on it will find its way in. Not only is it dangerous to put toxins in your body for logical reasons, putting toxins on your skin is far worse because they bypass the liver and don’t get filtered out like many do that pass within your body.
There are two great giveaways going on right now at the Endless Blessings blog, Made On Acorn Hill and Harmony Acres Soap Company both companies provide great non-toxic products and understand that you want to take care of the health of your family! Check them out and enter to win!
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate & Sodium Laureth Sulfate
- Most commonly used foaming ingredient in shampoos & toothpaste
- Can cause damage to the immune system
- Commonly contaminated with carcinogenic dioxane
- Can cause permanent eye damage – without getting in eyes
- Denatures skin oils – skin irritant with serious drying effect
- Penetrates to systemic tissues such as heart, liver, brain
Methyl, Ethyl, Propyl or Butyl Paraben
- Most widely used preservatives in Personal Care
- Accumulates in the tissues of the body over time
- Mimics the action of the female hormone estrogen
- Detected in human breast tumors
- May affect development of the male reproductive system
Imidazolidinyl Urea and Diazolidinyl Urea
- The most commonly used preservatives after the parabens
- Primary cause of contact dermatitis
- Releases formaldehyde (see below)
Bisphenol (BPA)
- Found in certain hard plastics and is released into any liquid that comes into contact with it.
- An endocrine disruptor that mimics the body`s own hormones and can cause permanent reproductive harm.
- Builds up in the body so that long term low dose exposure can induce chronic toxicity.
Nitrosamines
- Used in synthetic rubber and are also released by certain preservatives used in cosmetics.
- Has been linked to Alzheimer`s, Parkinson`s and Type 2 diabetes.
- Is a known carcinogen, linked to bladder, brain and spinal cancers
2-bromo2 nitopropane 1,3 diol (also known as Bronopoll)
- Preservative
- Can break down into formaldehyde
- Can form nitrosamines which are carcinogenic
Formaldehyde
- Not listed on labels but released by the following preservatives:
- 2-bromo-2nitropropane-1,3-diol
- Diazolidinyl urea
- DMDM hydantoin
- Imidazolidinyl urea
- Quaternium 15.
- Also found in:
- Permanent press sheets
- Mattress foams
- Nail polish and hardener
- Building materials
- Known carcinogen and neurotoxic
- Skin, eye and respiratory irritant
- Can cause insomnia, coughing, headaches, skin rash, nose bleeds and nausea
Cocamide DEA Note that all of the following may contain DEA:
Cocamide MEA, DEA-Cetyl Phosphate, DEA Oleth-3 Phosphate, Lauramide DEA, Linoleamide MEA, Myristamide DEA, Oleamide DEA, Stearamide MEA, TEA-Lauryl Sulfate, Triethanolamine
- Foaming agent
- Clear evidence of carcinogenicity
- Disrupts hormone balance
- Causes yeast infections
- Causes contact dermatitis and skin irritations – Dandruff
- Produces cancer-causing nitrates and nitrosamines
Phthalates
- Not listed on labels but present in many artificial colors and fragrances. Also present in PVC plastics – especially flexible pvc sometimes used in teething rings.
- Known to be a hormone disrupter for both sexes
- Associated with diminished fertility and genital birth defects
- May have links to breast cancer
Petroleum Bi-products (Mineral Oil, Petrolatum)
- Inexpensive oil substitute
- Reduces the skin’s ability to eliminate toxins
- Interferes with the body’s natural moisturizing system
- Passes through liver & sequesters fat soluble vitamins
- Known to be comedogenic – acne causing
- Increases photosensitivity – promotes sun damage
- Accelerates aging
Propylene and Ethylene & Polyethylene Glycol
- Solvents, also a kind of alcohol
- Many industrial uses including anti-freeze
- Used in personal/baby care, hand sanitizers, toothpaste & cosmetics
- Also used as a carrier for artificial fragrance
- Can cause allergies, dermatitis, drying to skin
- Reported to cause kidney and liver damage
- Linked to throat & tongue cancer in mouthwash
PEG’s (Synthetic Polyethylene Glycol)
- Powerful solvent – dissolves proteins
- Accelerates aging
- Potentially carcinogenic
Isopropyl, Ethyl, Cetyl or SD 40 Alcohols
- Solvents
- Severely drying to the skin
- Changes Ph balance
- Accelerates aging
- Can cause headaches, flushing, dizziness, mental depression.
Artificial Colors – (FD&C Colors)
- Made from coal tar and petroleum
- Often contain impurities like lead acetate
- Toxic to the nervous system.
- Known allergens, irritants – some known carcinogens.
Artificial Fragrances
- Made from coal tar and petroleum
- Can involve as many as 600 separate chemicals, some of which are carcinogenic, such as methylene chloride
- May contain or release formaldehyde
- Can cause allergies, skin irritation, headaches and nausea
- Musk fragrance, xylene, is hormone-disrupting
- Can trigger asthma attacks
Triclosan
- An antimicrobial agent used in many hand washes
- Registered as a pesticide with EPA
- Hormone disrupting agent
- Produces chloroform when mixed with chlorinated water
- Interferes with reproductive and sexual functions
Toxin details taken from Fresh Organics Blog
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