The previous Great NEWS post shared Nail Salon Health Hazards and today we cover personal Body Care Product Health Hazards.  Do you read the ingredients on the personal body care products you buy?  Most people do not in spite of the fact that these products will go on you, be absorbed into you and become a part of you.  Today we pull back the curtain revealing personal Body Care Product Health Hazards that the body care products industry does not want you to know about. 

Our goal is to inspire you to seek alternative choices and maintain healthy habits.

The Great NEWS Coach website is passionate about educating people on serious health hazards.  Our goal is to inspire you to seek alternative choices and maintain healthy habits. This Health Hazards series is committed to offering clear, concise and compelling information so you will be better prepared to protect your self and family. Ignorance of harmful ingredients in products can still harm us and even kill us.  Even if the package says baby safe, gentle or natural look carefully at all the ingredients before buying.  This series will provide valuable information on how to minimize these health hazards with simple steps and smart strategies.  Each post is designed to be read in less than 2 minutes to reveal health hazards and simple healthy habits to replace them.

This post was written with an informal survey to see if people read the labels before buying personal body care products.   Most people said they do not and just grab their usual brand.  After asking them about any ingredients in their products with health hazards I usually get an annoyed or skeptical look.   Most people assume they are safe or realize they never thought to read and research them before using them.

Some said they had read the ingredients but did not really understand what the hard to pronounce and scientific sounding ingredients were let alone any health risks associated to them.  It does take some time to read the labels of every product you use and then research potential health hazards linked to those ingredients.  Are you worth it?  Since you may be using these products for a long time it might be a great investment of your time to determine if they are safe.

With billions of dollars in sales up for grabs it seems the companies with the biggest budget and commercial clout can convince people to buy their product.

Most people say they are too busy, trust the government to monitor products and trust the manufactures to produce safe products.  Advertisements and endorsements are the major source for product decisions. Is it a lack of awareness, misguided faith in manufacturers or naïve foolishness regarding the dark side of the personal body care industry?  With billions of dollars in sales up for grabs it seems the companies with the biggest budget and commercial clout can convince people to buy their product.

People often look for the least expensive option on sale and question why they should pay more for one product when they all basically look and smell the same. Would you pay twice as much for a product that was labeled as “organic” versus the one that says “natural”.  Unfortunately a lack of basic understanding regarding the health hazards puts the vast majority of the population at risk for harmful consequences for putting their head in the sand regarding product ingredients.

It is important to appeal to the caring side and intelligence of women even more than men since they are the primary decision maker and shopper for the family personal body care products.  Children and men are not normally trained to think about the products and risks involved and are at the discretion of the women to make the best choice.  It is very likely that whatever the mom or wife chooses may become the choice for life. 

It is a shame that women feel they are too busy and do not invest the time to research the ingredients and products for health hazards.  These days it is easier than ever to access the internet and reliable resources like Environmental Working Group, Organic consumers Association, Story of Stuff / Story of Cosmetics and Dr. Bronner’s that have done the hard work for you. 

Focusing on holistic health and natural beauty means you must eliminate the toxic body care products and find natural and organic ones.  Imagine your family giving great gifts and gift certificates for healthy conditioners, lotions, shampoos, soaps, supplements and vitamins to show their love and share the natural organic message.  Women need to know what they are buying if they really want to be naturally beautiful and healthy without all the toxic body care products that rob them of their long term beauty and health.  Did you realize that the big conglomerate companies sell you anti-aging and beauty products to undo the damage that their other products caused.

Before you go to a cosmetics department, grocery store, retail outlet or specialty store it is essential to read and research the ingredients first. Before put anything on your body you must understand what is in the products you are using and any risks involved. 

Body Care Product Health Hazards

1. Bar soap, bath gel, bubble bath and hand soap use synthetic chemicals that remove your natural oils, dry out your skin and are absorbed into your body.  Triclosan is used as an antibacterial agent and is especially harmful and known to create more resistant bacteria. Dr. Bronner’s is a pure castille soap that is organic and safe.

2. Baby powder, bath powder and talc powder are harmful when inhaled and known to cause cancer. 

3. Body / face creams and lotions are frequently made with petroleum based products and synthetic chemicals.  Does the name petroleum jelly ring any bells?

4. Deodorants are a composite of chemicals.  Antiperspirant varieties often use aluminum chlorhydrate which is harmful and reported to cause cancer and dementia. Natural versions exist and many people use a salt crystal and lime or patchouli essential oil.

5. Hair conditioner and hair rinse are mostly synthetic chemicals which harm the hair follicles and are absorbed into the scalp. They are needed due to the damage done by harmful shampoos.

6. Perfumes, after shave and colognes contain artificial chemicals, compounds and fragrances.  Synthetic fragrances can contain hundreds of harmful chemicals with harmful side effects.  Look for natural and safe alternatives such as natural and pure essential oils from flowers, fruits, herbs, nuts and plants.

7. Shampoo and baby shampoo generally have synthetic chemicals that strip the hair of natural oils and are absorbed by the scalp.  Most people use too much shampoo and too frequently which is very damaging to hair follicles.  Then people buy conditioner to try and restore the hair luster.  Very diluted Dr Bronner’s soap is all you need for a great cleaning..

8. Shaving cream and gels are made with synthetic chemicals. Avoid them and use an all natural bar soap or Dr Bronners and shaving brush.

9. Styling mouse and hair gel ends up adding even more chemicals to already damaged hair.  Aloe vera gel is natural and works great.

10. Toothpaste and mouthwash are chemical cocktails and often contain fluoride which is a known toxin.  Have you read the warning label?  Very diluted. Dr Bronner’s soap is all you need for a great cleaning. Mouthwash is made with alcohol so guess what kids are absorbing through their mouth. Use a natural cinnamon and neem oil mouthwash instead.  Coconut oil or sesame oil is great for “oil pulling” to remove bacteria.  Chlorophyll is a natural breath freshener and super healthy.

Avoid These Toxic Compounds:

Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
Artificial fragrances
Fluoride
Parabans
Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
Sodium Myreth Sulfate
1,4-dioxane

Walking down the isle of a grocery store or cosmetics isle normally gives a smelly clue to the chemical ingredients in personal body care products if your nose is not already too damaged by chemicals.  These products also generate a massive amount of pollution in our landfills and waterways.

The word “organic” is not specifically regulated in personal body care products as it is with food products that use the certified USDA National Organic Program. The “gold star” for personal body care products is the USDA Organic Standards.

Even though many personal care products display the word “organic” in their name or product label it may be a minor component with the majority being petrochemical and synthetic compounds used for cleansing ingredients and preservatives. Read all ingredients label to determine if ingredients are organic or they are petroleum based and synthetic.

The money and time spent/ wasted on most personal body care products is actually doing more harm than good.  Buying natural organic products would be a better investment in the short and long term.   If focusing on your whole body, mind and spirit is important to you why would you put toxic chemicals in and on your body that will harm your beauty, brain and health?   We are very fortunate that there are so many safe products on the market now.

Most women do not realize how many chemicals and health hazards are in the body care products they buy and bring home to the family.  These synthetic chemicals and compounds are absorbed through the mouth, skin and sinus cavities which end up compromising your health.  These chemicals overload the liver and then are often retained in your body harming you and your children over time.  Research has found these chemicals are also passed on to newborns that may have over one hundred chemicals in them at birth. Thus we are harming future generations as well. Higher levels of toxic chemicals and compounds are linked to asthma, cancer, disease and genetic damage.  These toxic chemicals then end up in our drinking water, food, rivers and oceans. 

The toxic chemicals are also causing a significant financial and social burden to our health care system and society. They are destroying our environment and draining our financial resources. As consumers boycott toxic products the manufacturers will create more healthy versions. There are toxic free products available now so there is no excuse for using toxic ones.

Epsom salts are a great way to remove toxins.

If you feel you have been exposed to toxic chemicals it could be a significant benefit to find a good cleanse and detox program to help rid your body of these toxins.  Baking soda, calcium bentonite clay, Epsom salt and sea salt baths as well as dry and wet saunas are great ways to help remove toxins.

This Great NEWS post shared personal Body Care Product Health Hazards to help stop the exposure to dangerous chemicals and start using safe and sustainable natural green products.   Our healthy habits each day will determine how happy and healthy we feel and look.  We can control what products companies’ manufacture by investing and voting with every penny to only buy healthy products.  This personal Body Care Health Hazards post is offered to help protect the precious people, plants and planet.

What is your current Gap?

What toxic personal body care products are you exposed to that may be harming your health?

Mastery Action Plan (MAP)

What mastery action plans will help you reduce your risk from toxic body care products?   Go to Environmental Working Group (www.EWG.org/skindeep) or Organic Consumers Association (www.Organicconsumers.org) for a list of commonly used body care products and how they are rated.

Call to Action

What comments, commitments or concerns come to mind regarding your personal body care products?  What new decisions and resources will help you avoid the health hazards and begin healthy habits?

Next week the Great NEWS blog will share:

Cosmetics Health Hazards

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