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The (shocking) story behind cosmetics
Have you ever counted how many cosmetics or personal care products you use in a day? Chances are it's nearly 10.
And chances are good that they include shampoo, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, hair conditioner, lip balm, sunscreen, body lotion, shaving products if you're a man, and cosmetics if you are a woman.
And what about your children? On any given day you might rub, spray, or pour some combination of sunscreen, diaper cream, shampoo, lotion, and maybe even insect repellent on their skin.
Most people use these products without a second thought, and believe that the government must certainly be policing the safety of the mixtures in these myriad containers. But they're wrong.
The government does not require health studies or pre-market testing for these products before they are sold. And as people apply an average of 126 unique ingredients on their skin daily, these chemicals, whether they seep through the skin, rinse down the drain, or flush down the toilet in human excretions, are causing concerns for human health, and for the impacts they may have to wildlife, rivers and streams.
So go ahead, take 2 minutes and 29 seconds to get the story behind cosmetics. Then take the important step to find out what's lurking in YOUR cosmetics, and find safer options in EWG's Cosmetics Database - it's easy to search.
PS - Grab the embed code and post it on your site.
Cosmetics can be different. There are lots of cosmetics from natural products, such as the Dead Sea mud ... It does not bring harm to our health and helps to look very good.
Marina, it's true that there are some safe cosmetics—those are the ones that are probably listed as safe in the EWG's database.
I'm currently trying to conceive and have used the database to find some really safe options. Make-up contains phthalates, which have been linked to reproductive problems in boys and heightened risk of breast cancer in women....why take the chance?
I just posted about phthalates and their effects on fertility and pregnancy on my blog:
http://healthybun.wordpress.com/2010/07/13/the-cost-of-beauty/
Healthy Bun
Men use not so many cosmetics and men's health has more to do with the environment and ways of life.
Hi Marina,
What I meant was that pregnant women who are exposed to phthalates are more likely to give birth to boys with reproductive problems.
Also, phthalates aren't just found in cosmetics—they're also in shampoos, shower curtains, and time-release medications, among other things.
What a disappointing post to find here. I thought this blog was above fear mongering but apparently not.
Have a look at a blog that's interested in debunking myths spread by fear mongering. This is a good place to start:
http://personalcaretruth.com/2010/07/consumers-should-get-cosmetic-safety-information-from-the-real-experts/
hi, Healthy Bun
Now I agree with you.
I haven't really thought about that, now that you've mentioned I did my own research online and found this: http://www.jashbotanicals.com/articles/top_ten_toxic_cosmetic_ingredients_1.html
So many people don't realize that they have a choice when it comes to what they put on their bodies. I think people are catching on to the organic foods movement (real food), but they don't think twice about slathering themselves with chemical laden products.
Last year I decided to do a search for the purest body care products and cosmetics. I did the search via www.cosmeticsdatabase.com, which is part of the Environmental Working Group. What I found shocked me! The so-called natural mineral makeup I was using, wasn't so natural at all! No wonder my face was a mess!
After doing the research, I found a company who creates some of the purest body care products & mineral cosmetics! And they handcraft each and everyone to order. They never mass manufacture!
I immediately checked out their website and ordered some sample sizes of their products, called "mini-pinches" and I fell in love; so much that I became one of a handful of independent sales reps for them.
The company is Zosimos Botanicals and they are dedicated to creating the purest body care & mineral cosmetics!
Their website is www.zosimosbotanicals.com. Check them out. If you like what you see, you can type CG in the Coupon Code Field to assign you as my client and to give you a 7% discount off your first order.
I know you'll love them as much as I do!