Words from a Reader

The “Writing Life Stories” e-mails I receive are such treasures. As soon as I see there is one in my inbox, I read it immediately. I look forward to them and never know how they will touch me. They can be interesting, informative, humorous, and/or touching.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

SAFER SUBSTITUTES RECOMMENDED

Did you know that your lipstick and other make up contains formaldehyde?

In my endless search to make life cleaner and less toxic, I saw an article on this site that I want to share. Dr. Philip Landrigan, of Mt. Sinai School of Medicine is quoted. You can read about his specialties online.
The following is only a portion of the article, so I urge you to go there and read the entire post. Among things that cause cancer are the cosmetics we use or personal body care products we use.
This includes the chemicals to make fragrance.


Cosmetics
Your makeup bag and medicine cabinet may be hazardous to your health, containing chemicals that are known carcinogens.
Philip Landrigan, dean of Global Health at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, advises avoiding the “dirty dozen” toxic chemicals in skin care listed in National Geographic’s Green Guide, including:

  • Antibacterials
  • Formaldehyde
  • Hydroquinone
  • Mercury
  • Lead
  • Parabens
  • Phenylenediamine
  • Coal tar
  • Diethanolamine
  • 1,4-Dioxane
  • Nanoparticles
  • Petroleum distillates
According to Landrigan, chemicals belonging to a class called phthalates are among the biggest culprits in beauty products because they mimic the action of our natural hormones. Phthalates such as dibutyl phthalate (DBP), dimethyl phthalate (DMP), and diethyl phthalate (DEP) are used in beauty products as “plasticizers,” to harden nail polish, help hair spray adhere to the hair, and fix scent in perfumes. 
Phthalates are also found in the flexible plastic bottles in which shampoo, lotion, and other beauty products are stored, and they can leach into the contents.

Another of the worst offenders is lipstick, which may contain lead, known to cause numerous health problems, including cancer.

In response to a public health effort by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, the FDA recently conducted two separate investigations testing lipsticks for lead, and the results were pretty scary.
Lead was detected in every single one of the lipsticks tested, and not in small amounts. The first FDA test revealed lead levels up to 3.06 ppm (parts per million), and the second test found lead levels up to 7.19 ppm.


Safer substitute: The generic term “fragrance” can cover a lot of chemical additives; choose fragrance-free products or fragrances made from botanical ingredients. Natural skin care and beauty companies sell natural and organic skin care lines that list their ingredients transparently and are free of phthalates, heavy metals such as lead, and other toxic chemicals.

The above information came from:
http://blackdoctor.org/13764/everyday-things-that-cause-cancer

2 comments:

  1. This is pretty scary stuff, Glenda! I'll check my origins products, although I think they'll check out.

    Take care!

    Joan

    ReplyDelete
  2. My sweet sister, June, loved perfume. I have some of her clothes and even after laundering, the fragrance of her perfume lingers in the fabric. I am leaving them hanging outside to see if I can rid them of the chemicals so I can wear them.

    ReplyDelete

I really appreciate your comments, and I love reading what you say.