This is an issue that you may or may not think about often but that has a significant impact on your life, as well as your families’ lives. We know that chemicals are not good for us, but which ones should we avoid specifically? Further, if we have babies in our lives, this information is even more important due to their immature immune systems and vulnerability to toxic chemicals.
These ingredients to avoid are in everyday products such as shampoos and soaps.
I am an advocate for clean label living and as a mother of four, as well as a businesswoman, this topic holds deep significance for me. I am also a grandma to 10 beautiful grandchildren, and I cannot say enough about the toxic ingredients that are hiding in our everyday products.
When I first heard the idea about toxic ingredients in daily, essential products, I was skeptical.
It was such a new idea at the time, and I believed, wholeheartedly, that regulatory agencies wouldn’t allow for harmful or toxic ingredients. I thought “No way these products would get past the FDA”. Turns out I had a lot to learn.
As I studied more and collaborated with some of the world’s most esteemed environmental toxicologists, I developed a deep passion and understanding that our skin is a carrier not a barrier. When we put toxic, and even cancer-causing, ingredients on our skin, they can penetrate into our body and cause huge damages, especially to children.
While I didn’t initially embrace this concept, I have since made it my mission to spread awareness and educate others about what ingredients to avoid.
I have served on the Board of Directors of the Cancer Prevention Coalition with the late Dr. Samuel Epstein. There is a laundry list of ingredients that everyone should be aware of and I really hope that this hits home and is useful information for your decision making.
It has been said that there is only one disease, and that disease is cellular breakdown.
There are only two things that cause this breakdown. One is an excess of toxicity, and the other is inadequate nutrition. Both of these deserve our attention and with the escalating rates of cancer in our lives, they truly need our attention now.
We cannot be cavalier about any exposures or potential exposures.
There is the potential for creating generational damage. The harm can truly follow us our whole lives. For example, if Mom uses certain products and they become part of the bloodstream, they can be harmful to the baby. There is research to support the fact that there are babies being born with terrible health issues and even cancer.
Whenever Mom uses cosmetics, fragrances and personal care products that contain harmful ingredients, she is exposed and so is baby. Her skin transmits them to her bloodstream and from there they collect in various organs of her body including the womb.
Most people don’t know that so many of the products that they put on their bodies every day can actually be dangerous. I sure didn’t. And even if you’ve been lucky enough to learn about this, you probably either didn’t believe it or didn’t know how or where to find any alternatives.
Funny thing is, the manufacturers could easily strip all the dangerous chemicals out of their products. But why bother if there’s no government regulation, and people keep buying? Besides, reformulating cuts into profits. Now there’s mountains of research by authorities about all this. There are the chemicals that I call The Dirty Dozen: the twelve most commonly used ingredients to avoid.
- Bisphenol A, or BPA
- Dioxins
- SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) and SLES (sodium laureth sulfate)
- Phthalates
- Propylene glycol
- Parabens
- Artificial Fragrance and colors
- DEA- Diethanolamine and TEA- Triethanolamine
- Formic Acid
- Perfluorinated chemicals, or PFCs
- DTPA
- PEGs
And learning these, you’ll want to read the labels on the products in your kitchen, bathroom, and garage. And you’ll probably be surprised. But you know something?
You do have a choice.
You can give your kids a healthier start by at least taking the toxic personal care products out of their lives from the very beginning.
And you can make a huge difference by discontinuing their use for yourself as well as your family. My favorites can be found here.
