Natural Products or Not
Certain Ingredients May Be Hazardous to Your Health
Summary: Do you know what makes up some of the products that you slather on your body everyday? If you did, you might worry the next time you used your moisturizer, shampoo, or any other personal product that you assume is safe. No need to worry though. Natural products and organic products are a safe alternative for you and your family.
Do you know what chemicals are lurking in your skin care products? Perhaps it is time to consider organic products or natural products for your body care, but be sure to check these products out, too. Just because it claims to be natural doesn’t always mean that the ingredients are chemical-free.
Don’t let earthy, soothing names concocted by a slick marketing team fool you. The only way to find out if these so-called organic products or natural products are indeed natural is to read the label. The trick is to know what items to avoid. Let’s review a few problem spots:
Paraffin (aka, mineral oil, liquidum paraffinum, paraffin oil or paraffin wax, petrolatum)
Go ahead and slather yourself in coal or petroleum if you must – that’s where paraffin comes from. Manicurists dip your hands in it – but you notice they eventually take it all off. This petroleum by-product coats the skin like plastic, clogging the pores. It also interferes with skin's ability to eliminate toxins, promoting acne and other disorders. Did you know that paraffin or mineral oil slows down skin function and cell development, resulting in premature aging? This ingredient is used in many products, even products you may be putting on your precious baby (baby oil is 100% mineral oil!). Why do manufacturers use it? Because it is unbelievably cheap.
Nitrosating Agents
There are wide and repeated concerns in the USA and Europe about the contamination of cosmetics products with nitrosamines. Nitrosamine contamination has been determined to form cancer in laboratory animals.
Paraben preservatives (methyl, propyl, butyl, and ethyl)
Used to extend shelf life of products, these ingredients are widely used even though they are known to be toxic. Even according to the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), this ingredient causes skin irritation, including redness, itching, and pain and may cause allergic reactions and skin rashes. Unfortunately, these ingredients may be the ones you see the most.
Fragrance
It is always better to opt for natural products that state the fragrance source or the essential oil. Fragrances are often overlooked in the ingredient label and could likely mean it is some sort of synthetic chemical.
Now, if you’re worried how your brands stack up, make sure you visit Skin Deep, a great website created by the Environmental Working Group. This site is a personal care product safety guide with information on 14,835 products - 1,051 brands of lotion, lip balm, deodorant, sunscreen and other popular products - and the 7,093 ingredients that make them up. With its thirty-seven (37) toxicity and regulatory databases, Skin Deep provides safety ratings and brand-by-brand comparisons that can help you choose safer products
And if all this talk about chemicals in your everyday items worries you, no need to – there are wonderful alternatives out there. Start reading your labels and opt for organic products and natural products that you know are truly natural. Look for the USDA “certified organic” label. Products bearing this label are at least 95% organic. With a little practice, you’ll soon be an expert on what you like, what works for you, and most importantly, what to avoid.
Natural products and organic products…a naturally good choice for your family.
Do you know what chemicals are lurking in your skin care products? Perhaps it is time to consider organic products or natural products for your body care, but be sure to check these products out, too. Just because it claims to be natural doesn’t always mean that the ingredients are chemical-free.
Don’t let earthy, soothing names concocted by a slick marketing team fool you. The only way to find out if these so-called organic products or natural products are indeed natural is to read the label. The trick is to know what items to avoid. Let’s review a few problem spots:
Paraffin (aka, mineral oil, liquidum paraffinum, paraffin oil or paraffin wax, petrolatum)
Go ahead and slather yourself in coal or petroleum if you must – that’s where paraffin comes from. Manicurists dip your hands in it – but you notice they eventually take it all off. This petroleum by-product coats the skin like plastic, clogging the pores. It also interferes with skin's ability to eliminate toxins, promoting acne and other disorders. Did you know that paraffin or mineral oil slows down skin function and cell development, resulting in premature aging? This ingredient is used in many products, even products you may be putting on your precious baby (baby oil is 100% mineral oil!). Why do manufacturers use it? Because it is unbelievably cheap.
Nitrosating Agents
There are wide and repeated concerns in the USA and Europe about the contamination of cosmetics products with nitrosamines. Nitrosamine contamination has been determined to form cancer in laboratory animals.
- Imidazolidinyl Urea
Stay away from this creature! Imidazolidinyl Urea has been found to cause severe skin reactions such as contact dermatitis. No natural skin care product should include it.
- Sodium Lauryl Sulphate
This belongs with your Tide or Cheer in the laundry room. Sodium Lauryl Sulphate is a detergent and can cause skin irritation not to mention extreme drying of the skin surface.
- Formaldehyde
I vaguely remember some dead frogs soaking in this stuff in seventh grade biology class. I had a severe reaction then just smelling the stuff and can only imagine the adverse skin reaction by topically using such a preservative.
Paraben preservatives (methyl, propyl, butyl, and ethyl)
Used to extend shelf life of products, these ingredients are widely used even though they are known to be toxic. Even according to the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), this ingredient causes skin irritation, including redness, itching, and pain and may cause allergic reactions and skin rashes. Unfortunately, these ingredients may be the ones you see the most.
Fragrance
It is always better to opt for natural products that state the fragrance source or the essential oil. Fragrances are often overlooked in the ingredient label and could likely mean it is some sort of synthetic chemical.
Now, if you’re worried how your brands stack up, make sure you visit Skin Deep, a great website created by the Environmental Working Group. This site is a personal care product safety guide with information on 14,835 products - 1,051 brands of lotion, lip balm, deodorant, sunscreen and other popular products - and the 7,093 ingredients that make them up. With its thirty-seven (37) toxicity and regulatory databases, Skin Deep provides safety ratings and brand-by-brand comparisons that can help you choose safer products
Natural or Organic Products
And if all this talk about chemicals in your everyday items worries you, no need to – there are wonderful alternatives out there. Start reading your labels and opt for organic products and natural products that you know are truly natural. Look for the USDA “certified organic” label. Products bearing this label are at least 95% organic. With a little practice, you’ll soon be an expert on what you like, what works for you, and most importantly, what to avoid.
Natural products and organic products…a naturally good choice for your family.
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