Article Vault A - Z (Cosmetics)


Five Necessary Steps You Should Take While Choosing Cosmetics

What you put on your skin is as important as the food you eat. Chemicals that come in contact with your skin can be absorbed into your bloodstream. Many of the ingredients used in cosmetics and personal care products are toxic, even though they may not cause any reaction on the skin. Some cause cancer. Some of the most commonly used ingredients combine with other ingredients to form cancer-causing substances. Here's a list to help you choose safer and healthier cosmetics and personal care products:

1. Read the List of Ingredients

Most products are labeled to "sell" rather than provide accurate information about the product. The sales pitch on the label doesn't tell you anything about the safety and quality of the ingredients in the product. You need to read the ingredients list rather than the label for more accurate information about the product.

The ingredient list may not be easy to find and it may be so tiny you need a magnifying glass to read it because that's not what the manufacturer wants you to see. The ingredients are required by law to be listed on the product label in order of quantity. The ingredient present in the largest quantity is listed first, the ingredient in the smallest quantity is listed last.

2. Check the Ingredients for Safety

The cosmetics and personal care industry is very poorly regulated. There are more than 12,000 ingredients that can be used in cosmetics and personal care products and most of them have not been adequately tested, many not tested at all. The manufacturers are not required to prove the claims they make about their products or to test them for safety. Many products contain cancer-causing ingredients along with ingredients that enhance absorption of the product through the skin into the bloodstream. To make sure the products you're buying are safe, check the ingredients against a reliable safety list.

3. Beware of Words That Are Used to Sell Rather Than Provide Accurate Information

Many of the words manufacturers use on labels to promote their products do not have "official definitions" so they can be used to mean anything that the manufacturer wants. These terms are very often misleading.

Some words to watch out for include:
Natural - may contain all natural ingredients, a few or none at all
Hypoallergenic - may be tested or based upon manufacturer belief; no proof is required
Fragrance free - means no detectable odor; fragrance ingredients may still be added

4. More is Not Better

Choose products with fewer ingredients, not more. Besides the fact that most ingredients have not been adequately tested, those that have been tested have only been tested individually, not in combination with other ingredients. Nobody knows the effects of the many different ingredients used in thousands of different combinations, the effects of using numerous different products, one on top of the other, or the effects of repeated use of ingredients or products over time.

5. Buy From Companies Truly Committed to Healthy Products

As consumers are becoming more conscious of using safer and healthier products, many manufacturers are tapping into that consciousness and producing pseudo-healthy products. The label looks like the product is natural and healthy, but if you read the ingredients, that's not the case. On the other hand there are companies dedicated to producing safe and natural cosmetics and personal care products. Many of these are small companies that were started because of the lack of availability of healthy products and some of them use organic and food grade ingredients.

We live in a toxic world and there are some things that we have no control over, like air pollution. However, we do have control over what we put into our bodies and what we put on our bodies - if we just take the time to educate ourselves and make safe and healthy choices. With the increasing number of chemicals in everything these days, it's important for everyone to become health conscious. Taking control over what you put into your body and on your body will affect your quality of life and may just be a matter of life and death!


Certified Organic Cosmetics - The Healthy Choice

If you are like most people, the use of cosmetics and personal care products is an everyday affair. We touch up our faces with make-up, use face cream and other skin improvement products.

We have learned to trust the corporations that provide health and beauty products because most governments dictate the processes that protect people from harmful substances - don't they?

Unfortunately this assumption is only half correct.

The government aims to protect people from harmful drugs and medications taken orally by screening the results from drug companies. However, since the cosmetics industries do not provide substances to be taken within the body, there are only a few restrictions for a product to be considered 'safe' enough for sale in your supermarket or drug store.

For instance, the US cosmetics industry's own safety review panel has assessed only 11 per cent of the 10,500 ingredients contained in health and beauty products available in stores today.

According to the FDA, "Cosmetics and their ingredients are not required to undergo approval before they are sold. Manufacturers can use any ingredient, except for 10 prohibited substances, without government review."

With only 10 substances being banned for use on the skin, what is the impact of the other 10,490 substances being used by cosmetics companies?

European laws are much tougher, but even the UK governments currently only ban 1200 toxic chemicals.

How are chemicals used in cosmetics and skin care products affecting you?

WHY YOUR SKIN IS IMPORTANT

Your skin is the largest eliminatory organ in the body. It is a two-way membrane. Toxins are eliminated out through the skin via perspiration and absorbed into your body's systemic circulation, through hair follicles and sebaceous glands. One square inch of skin contains 65 hairs and 100 sebaceous glands.

That means if you put a chemical compound on your skin your body is likely to absorb it.

The principle behind HRT and Nicotine patches is that they absorb into your skin. And it is precisely by absorption that you receive other unwanted chemicals and toxins found in cosmetic applications.

Long time exposure for people who don't remove chemicals properly means they accumulate toxins that can contribute to health problems.

Most scientists agree at least 80% of the 200 different types of cancer known today are related to toxins and carcinogens from synthetic and toxic chemicals.

A UK study discovered traces of methylparabens (a synthetic chemical commonly used in body creams, lotions, washes, anti perspirants and deodorants) in breast cancer tumors, and a poll of 150,000 Americans found even low doses of chemicals to have a huge impact on brain health.

The bottom line is the more cosmetics you use on your skin, the more chemicals you absorb.

According to "The Environmental Working Group":

" More than one-third of all personal care products contain at least one ingredient linked to cancer
" 57 percent contain "penetration enhancer" chemicals that can drive other ingredients faster and deeper into the skin to the blood vessels below.
" 70 percent of all products contain ingredients that may contain harmful impurities such as known carcinogens, according to FDA or industry reviews.

THE ALTERNATIVE: CERTIFIED ORGANICS

The impurities in cosmetics are not restricted within the personal care products industry.

As you can see health and beauty do not always go hand in glove which is why you need to seek out 100% synthetic chemical-free and toxin-free cosmetics and skin care products.

Fortunately there is a range made from purely natural organic ingredients, many of which are Certified Organic to Food Standards. This means you could even eat them and they wouldn't do you any harm - but please don't take that as a recommendation.

Currently these are the only skin care products on the planet to have submitted to independent 3rd party certification. This means the quality and integrity of the products is ensured.

All the ingredients are food based and 100% beneficial. Unlike the majority of products on the market, which use dead inert bases, these products use all active ingredients. Their bio available nutrients feed and nourish the skin. More importantly there are NO SYNTHETIC INGREDIENTS to create health problems. You have peace of mind.

Just as healthy nutrient rich organic food is more expensive than the cheap but nutritionally weak food most people consume, organic cosmetics and skin care products can initially appear more expensive than their toxic filled counterparts.

However, as the beneficial organic ingredients are so potent and active only small amounts are required making them very cost effective. Also the packaging is environmentally friendly and not wasteful of your planet's resources.

The healthy option and the solution to avoiding toxin exposure from your cosmetics and skin care products is to adopt a certified organics approach.


Toxic Ingredients Found In Skin Care Products

Have you ever examined the ingredients listed on the labels of your cosmetics or other skin care products? Do you know what those ingredients are?

What you may not realize is that many of the skin care products and cosmetics you are buying contain ingredients that are not only harmful to your skin, but also to your long term health. Many of these ingredients are known carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) and are used by the cosmetic industry simply because they are cheap!

Harmful Ingredients Commonly Found in Skin Care Products and Cosmetics
The following are just some of the synthetic chemicals that have been identified by scientific studies to be harmful to our health.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (ALS)
Often described as being "derived from coconut" to disguise their toxic nature, these chemicals are commonly used in shampoos, toothpaste, foaming facial and body cleansers and bubble bath. SLS and ALS can cause severe skin irritation, and are easily absorbed into the body, building up in the brain, heart, lungs and liver, leading to potential long term health problems. SLS and ALS may also cause cataracts, and prevent children's eyes from developing properly.

Paraben Preservatives
Parabens are widely used in cosmetics, deodorants, skin care and baby products to prolong their shelf life. They are known to be highly toxic and have caused rashes and allergic reactions. Recent scientific studies in the UK found a strong link between the use of parabens and the increasing rate of breast cancer in women. Researchers found a high concentration of parabens in 90% of breast tumors tested.

Propylene Glycol
Found in many beauty creams, cosmetics and cleansers, Propylene Glycol can cause skin rashes and contact dermatitis, and has been shown to cause damage to the kidneys and liver.

Isopropyl Alcohol
Alcohol is used as a solvent in many skin care products. It causes skin irritation and strips the skin of its natural acid mantle, promoting the growth of bacteria, molds and viruses. It may also cause premature aging of skin.

DEA (Diethanolamine), TEA (Triethanolamine) and MEA (Monoethanolamine)
These substances are harsh solvents and detergents that are used in cosmetics and face and body creams as an emollient. They can cause allergic reactions, and long term use of DEA-based products (such as Cocamide DEA) have been linked to an increase in the incidence of liver and kidney cancer.

Aluminum
A common ingredient in antiperspirants, aluminum has been linked to Alzheimer's Disease.

Mineral Oil
Derived from petroleum (crude oil), mineral oil is commonly found as a main ingredient of face and body creams and cosmetics. Baby oil is 100% mineral oil! It coats the skin like a plastic film, clogging pores and stopping the skin from eliminating toxins, which can lead to acne and other skin disorders. Other petroleum based ingredients include paraffin wax, paraffin oil and petrolatum.

Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)
Used as a thickener in skin care products and cosmetics, PEGs interfere with the skin's natural moisture balance, causing an increase in aging and leaving the skin vulnerable to bacteria.

Talc
Talc is a soft mineral used in talcum powders and cosmetic powders. Scientific studies have shown that routine application of talcum powder to the genital area is linked with a three-to-fourfold increase in the development of ovarian cancer. Inhaling cosmetic powders containing talc may also be harmful to long term health.

How To Avoid These Toxins
Examine the labels of your cosmetics and skin care products carefully, and learn to recognize ingredients that are harmful to your skin and to your health. Many web sites have lists of potentially harmful ingredients in addition to those shown above (e.g. Environmental Working Group).

Don't be fooled by the words 'natural' or 'organic' on the front of the label. Many products contain at least one or two natural or organic ingredients, but they may also contain harmful synthetic chemicals as well.

Whenever possible, choose products with 100% natural ingredients such as essential oils and herbs. Your skin will love you for it!


Why You Need To Read The Labels On Cosmetics And Skin Care Products

Despite the known dangers associated with many of the ingredients in cosmetics, skin care and personal care products, some manufacturers continue to use them. This is because they are inexpensive and can be used to produce items that can be marketed successfully at huge profits. Health doesn't appear to be an issue.

You can of course check the safety data of products as Federal regulations require ingredients to be listed on labels in descending order by quantity. Usually if you break the list into thirds, the top third will be 90 - 95% of the product, the middle will be 5 - 8% and the bottom will be 1 -3%.

You can check the safety data sheets on all ingredients but problems occur when the manufacturers do not list the recognized INCI (International Names of Cosmetic Ingredients). Instead they use either made up names or complex chemical trade names making it very difficult for the average consumer to look up.

The list of potentially harmful ingredients is long. The best advice is to read the labels on your toothpaste, shampoo, moisturizer, deodorant and cosmetics. If you can't pronounce them - don't use them!

Of course the safest course of action is to seek out natural and organic products but even here you have to beware. Some unscrupulous manufacturers mislead their customers with false labels. The industry's definitions (whilst legal) are not the same as those in the dictionary and which the majority of consumers would expect.

For instance the chemical definition of "organic" is 'a compound that contains a carbon atom'. Since carbon is found in anything that has ever lived, certain cosmetic companies use synthetic chemicals derived from petroleum products and describe them as "organic preservatives".

Also you will find descriptions of "derived from (some sort of natural ingredient)" which lulls you into a false sense of security. You see it means a chemical process has taken place and it is no longer "natural".

The only way to ensure you get 100% synthetic chemical and toxic free products is to look for the recognized Certified Organic logos.

In order to be Certified Organic, products must contain at least 95% organically produced agricultural ingredients (excluding water and salt). The remaining 5% can be non agricultural substances or non organically produced agricultural ingredients with strict processing criteria, e.g. NO GMO's and absolutely NO SYNTHETIC
CHEMICALS.

Organic products only have to contain at least 70% organically produced agricultural ingredients (excluding water and salt) but again the remaining 30% have to follow the same strict processing criteria, e.g. NO GMO's and absolutely NO SYNTHETIC CHEMICALS.

However, currently, body care products are not required to comply with the stringent organic food standards maintained by International certification bodies such as the BFA and NASAA in Australia and the USDA in America. As a result many so called "organic" body care products are on the market. Since water is the primary ingredient in many cosmetics, some manufacturers claim to use organic hydrosols, or floral water, to green wash their products. They then make organic label claims whilst still using synthetic toxic ingredients that would NEVER be allowed in organic food products.

Fortunately one company produces an entire range of skin, personal and body care products which are entirely genuinely "organic". Most of their items are Certified Organic to Food Standards which means you could even eat them and they wouldn't do you any harm although this is not a recommendation.

They are the only company on the planet to have submitted their products for third party independent certification so their integrity is assured. Also you can actually pronounce all the beneficial active ingredients listed.

If you care for your health I recommend you read the labels.


Are You Feeling Organic Or Synthetic Today?

When it comes to your skin, you can never be too careful. People have a lot to consider these days concerning their food, clothing, and even cosmetic products.

With all the pesticides, genetic tinkering, and chemical mixing done to just about everything we eat, touch, and slather on our skin, it is no wonder many people jumped on the organic bandwagon when it came into town.

But here is the thing you really need to think about when it comes to organic materials; is your lipstick really made up of nothing but home grown berries, mint leaves, and flower petals?

True, that is not what we all think of when we think of organic, but we do think of materials naturally grown without any extra human toying. But sit back and think for a moment and consider that your cosmetics probably do have at least some synthetic ingredients in them.

However, this is no cause to panic. Some of these synthetic elements are necessary in order for you to have the best cosmetics and skin care materials and are perfectly okay for you to use.

The difference between a synthetic material and something organic may seem obvious, but there are a few things you need to keep in mind. Organic materials are quite self explanatory; materials derived from plant, mineral, or animal sources that are not altered by any synthetic process.

If these materials undergo any physical or biological processes, they can still be considered organic. For example, corn dried, taken from the cob, and milled is a physical change necessary to create corn flour.

Yeast is a micro organism that can be used to produce desired changes in other materials and is an example of a natural biological process.

A synthetic material is created through artificial means, usually through various chemical reactions. Organic materials can be taken from their environment in their naturally occurring form and be chemically altered in order to produce something entirely different, and does not naturally occur in nature.

But remember, some items humans create through chemical processes can still be considered natural though. Table salt, which comes from sodium and chlorine (items we would not normally experience in their natural forms, nor would we want to), can be created by human means.

However, you can also find it popping up naturally throughout the world. What sort of salt do you find in the ocean? How many of you have soaked in natural sea salts in the tub?

What does all this have to do with your eye color or skin cream? You want to know what is best to put on your skin. A wholly synthetic cosmetic may not affect your skin in any way, but what about after you are finished with it and you throw it away?

Naturally cosmetics companies are not going to create items that cause adverse effects to our skin; they would never make any sales and end up with a large amount of lawsuits to boot. However, they may not be considering consequences later on when products are tossed in the trash.

Do some research to find out which ingredients in your skin care products and cosmetics are synthetic and which are organic, or at least natural. Ingredients such as apricot and papaya are obviously going to be natural, as long as nothing was done to alter them chemically.

Finding products that can help both our skin and our environment can be difficult, but knowing you are making at least some small difference can be rewarding. True, it will be hard finding products without a lot of synthetic ingredients, but it is okay even if there are a few items with synthetic ingredients involved.

It would be difficult to create an eye liner wholly made of naturally occurring ingredients; otherwise every company would be doing so.