Are women poisoning themselves with Personal Care products?

Although women have been using beauty products for centuries, the obsession seen by women in our modern societies has certainly reached alarming levels. These products have been classed as personal care items in recent years, but the latest research is now indicating that ‘personal care’ couldn’t be further from the truth.

Bionsen, a natural deodorant company, has released a new report detailing the levels of dangerous chemicals contained in everyday beauty products. These chemical cocktails can have devastating effects on the body, and ironically the anti-aging formulas often cause us to age faster.

Their research shows that the average woman undergoing her regular grooming and make-up routine will expose her body to a staggering 515 different synthetic chemicals each day. These chemicals are not only causing minor health issues such as allergies or rashes, but are also responsible for major health problems including infertility, hormonal disturbances, and even cancer.

Parabens, previously assumed to be safe, are now a major cause of concern and have been linked to infertility, premature aging of the skin, skin cancer, and breast cancer. Cosmetic producers have always claimed that parabens can not be absorbed by the body, but research is now showing that up to 60% of parabens can be absorbed by the body. This number may continue to rise as we see advancements in testing technology.

Another issue with industrialised beauty products is the laws that are in place to supposedly protect consumers. While they force manufacturers to keep levels of dangerous chemicals below ‘safe’ levels, many scientists feel the levels dictated by the governments are well outside of what can be considered safe, effectively giving these companies a green light to poison their customers while receiving immunity from damages claims.

A major problem with the laws dealing with ‘safe’ levels of chemicals is that they only deal with a single application of the product, and cumulative effects are never considered, either through continuous use of the same product, or the compounding effect  of using multiple beauty products each day. There are numerous reasons why the current safety levels are flawed, and why many scientists are calling for further investigations into the safety of these personal care products.

Full details from the Bionsen report:

SHAMPOO

AVERAGE NUMBER OF CHEMICALS: 15

MOST WORRYING: Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, Tetrasodium and Propylene Glycol.

POSSIBLE SIDE-EFFECTS: Irritation and possible eye damage.

EYESHADOW

CHEMICALS: 26

MOST WORRYING: Polyethylene Terephthalate.

POSSIBLE SIDE-EFFECTS: Linked to cancer, infertility, hormonal disruption and damage to the body’s organs.

LIPSTICK

CHEMICALS: 33

MOST WORRYING: Polymenthyl Methacrylate.

POSSIBLE SIDE-EFFECTS: Allergies, links to cancer.

NAIL VARNISH

CHEMICALS: 31

MOST WORRYING: Phthalates.

POSSIBLE SIDE-EFFECTS: Linked to fertility issues and problems in developing babies.

PERFUME

CHEMICALS: 250

MOST WORRYING:Benzaldehyde.

POSSIBLE SIDE-EFFECTS: Irritation to mouth, throat and eyes, nausea, linked to kidney damage.

FAKE TAN

CHEMICALS: 22

MOST WORRYING: Ethylparaben, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

POSSIBLE SIDE-EFFECTS: Rashes, irritation, hormonal disruption.

HAIR SPRAY

CHEMICALS: 11

MOST WORRYING: Octinoxate, Isophthalates.

POSSIBLE SIDE-EFFECTS: Allergies, irritation to eyes, nose and throat, hormone disruption, linked to changes in cell structures.

BLUSHER

CHEMICALS: 16

MOST WORRYING: Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben.

POSSIBLE SIDE-EFFECTS: Rashes, irritation, hormonal disruption.

FOUNDATION

CHEMICALS: 24

MOST WORRYING: Polymethyl Methacrylate.

POSSIBLE SIDE-EFFECTS: Allergies, disrupts immune system, links to cancer.

DEODORANT

CHEMICALS: 15

MOST WORRYING: Isopropyl Myristate, ‘Parfum’.

POSSIBLE SIDE-EFFECTS: Irritation of skin, eyes and lungs, headaches, dizziness, respiratory problems.

BODY LOTION

CHEMICALS: 32

MOST WORRYING: Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Polyethylene Glycol, which is also found in oven cleaners.

POSSIBLE SIDE-EFFECTS: Rashes, irritation, hormonal disruption.

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It is no longer possible to walk into the supermarket and ‘trust’ that the products on the shelves are safe for use. Big business owns the governments, and effectively writes the laws governing their own industries. Their primary objective is profit, and the health and wellbeing of their customers places a distant 2nd place.

At a bare minimum, consumers should always read the labels on products they are considering for purchase, and conduct research on the safety of the ingredients they contain. It is also wise to consider natural alternatives for your personal care products. If you have a product you love to use, there is almost certainly a safe, non-toxic alternative product available on the internet. As an added bonus, you will often find that the natural products are more effective, and are available at a cheaper price.