Toxins. Are. EVERYWHERE!
They are in the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink, and -- in what we put on our bodies. We can't control all of this, but we can control a lot if we:
- Drink only filtered water (Consider a Berkey Water Filter... I love mine!)
- Purchase organic or healthier non-GMO foods and those with fewer pesticides (especially meats)
- Use toxin-free cleaning products (I love Mrs. Meyers products from my grocery store)
- STOP USING TOXIC BEAUTY PRODUCTS!
What you put on your skin ends up in your body! (for example, hormone or nicotine patches) Your skin is your body’s largest organ and an active barrier between your body and the environment. Almost every day we are exposed to thousands of new chemicals, the majority of which have never been properly tested for their impact to our health.
Studies show that only 10% of cancer is supposedly genetically based.
That means 90% is environmental!
- 1/3 of personal care products contain ingredients linked to cancer.
- 45% of products have an ingredient that may harm baby’s development or your reproductive system (Kind of makes you wonder about why everywhere you turn it seems like women are having difficulty conceiving, doesn’t it?)
- 60% of products have chemicals known to disrupt hormones or act like estrogen in the body. (Maybe this is why no matter how much I diet, my waist continues to expand!)
- 56% of products contain chemicals that help other chemicals penetrate faster and deeper into the body
- Only 13% of ingredients have been assessed for safety by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review, meaning a full 87% have never been examined for safety!
We use products daily and in large quantities, so you would think these ingredients would have been proven both safe and effective. But this is not necessarily the case – beyond proving that products do not produce immediate allergic reactions, cosmetic companies are not required to prove they are safe over the longer term; and as for effectiveness, almost any claim goes.
If you regularly use conventional products, then you are exposing yourself to a staggering range of harmful industrial chemicals. Look at a label on a typical shampoo bottle – you may see as many as 20 ingredients, many of which have been synthesized in the lab. To the average person, the list is an incomprehensible alphabet soup that most of us just ignore. We open the bottle, cross our fingers, and hope for the best.
Laboratory tests have shown many ingredients to be harmful and capable of producing serious long-term health problems, such as cancer, birth defects, and central nervous system damage. Some of the chemicals found in modern beauty products are even considered hazardous waste by many governments.
Cosmetics manufacturers may claim that they use only a little of these chemicals, but apart from this notion being disingenuous, it ignores the fact that we use them every day (as opposed to once, during a laboratory test). It also ignores that individual chemicals can combine in the bottle to produce unexpected toxins – that manufacturers don’t always test for. So alone, in a single use, they might not cause cancer, but if you use a bunch of products with that ingredient in it or with other ingredients, then who knows?!?
Your skin can’t protect you from these chemicals. Most can easily penetrate the protective barrier of the skin and build up in your body.
Did you know......
- The US has not passed a federal law regulating the cosmetic industry since 1938
- The Food and Drug Administration does not require that cosmetics ingredients or products be approved before they go on the market, and FDA has no power to recall a product from the market
- The European Union has banned nearly 1400 ingredients from cosmetics and personal care products, but the US has only banned or restricted 11 ingredients from cosmetics and personal care products.
- More than 10,500 industrial chemicals are used in the cosmetics industry
- Women use an average of 12 personal care products containing 168 ingredients every day
- Men use about 6 personal care products containing 85 unique ingredients every day
- Teenage girls use an average of 17 personal care products a day
Cosmetics and toiletries offer the promise of magical transformation. They promise to refine and clarify skin, to give us manageable and shiny hair, and to melt away the years. We want to believe these promises – so much so, that sometimes we don’t ask what’s in the bottle. The truth is that most conventional beauty products contain the same ingredients – moisturizing agents, detergents, oils and waxes, silicones, emulsifiers, preservatives, colors, and perfumes – because there are only a limited number of chemicals that can clean, moisturize, and condition skin or hair.
There is A Better Way
We need a skin care line that is toxin free, safe to use, and effective. AND, I have finally found one!
Established in 1981 in the UK, Neal’s Yard Remedies is a modern apothecary, creating award-winning natural and organic health and beauty products. Today, they are a global leader with a growing presence across five continents – but remain grounded in their belief that outer beauty and inner health should be in perfect balance.
They follow the precautionary principle, which means that if there is ever a doubt about the safety of an ingredient, they simply leave it out. You will not find any silicone, mineral oil, parabens, phthalates, GMO ingredients or nano technologies in any of their products.
Their products are created to address specific skin conditions:
- The Rehydrating Rose products are perfect for normal skin with barely visible pores and occasional blemishes.
- For dry skin, the Nourishing Orange Flower products softens and soothes.
- Oily skin with large pores and frequent blemishes should use Palmarosa products to balance the skin's natural oils yet leave it hydrated and soft.
- Those with fine lines and wrinkles should use the Frankincense Intense Age-Defying line or the Frankincense Intense Lift to increase elasticity and tone.
- There is also a Sensitive Collection for skin that is prone to redness and reacts easily.
- The Mother and Baby Collection is made from nurturing natural and organic ingredients which are fragrance free.
- They also offer 100% Pure Essential Oils extracted from natural, wild harvested and organically grown flowers, leaves, bark and berries to uplift, revive and relax you.
From becoming the UK’s first certified organic health and beauty brand, using only ethically sourced herbs, botanicals and high quality essential oils, to helping ban plastic microbeads, Neal’s Yard Remedies is a truly pioneering force.
I’ve been using Neal’s Yard Remedies for a while now and it has literally transformed my skin. These beautiful blue bottles are filled with a botanical-based organic magic that is synthetic chemical-free. I can honestly say that NYR Organic's skincare is the best I have EVER used. My skin looks younger, smoother, and more radiant. While nothing can entirely turn back the clock, my fine lines and wrinkles have visibly diminished. All of these products are so luxurious and smell so heavenly that they make my bathroom feel like a spa. I love NYR’s holistic approach to natural remedies and how they bring the expertise of apothecaries to the health and beauty industry.
And all this WITHOUT TOXINS! It’s time to look at what you are putting on your skin and make a change.
Click HERE for more information or to purchase products.
