Are You Eating Toxins?

HEALTH, February 2009, by Jennifer Papaconstantinou


TOXINS: Are you EATING
and WEARING them?


How many personal care products do you use every day, like shampoo, soap, toothpaste, deodorant, lip balm, sunscreen, lotion, makeup, perfume, and so on? Have you ever tried to read those long names in the ingredients lists and wondered what they are, where they came from or if they were all even safe?

What’s in them?
They aren’t safe! Some of the ingredients we use in everyday products are potentially toxic or poisonous to both our bodies and to nature! It’s sometimes shocking to find out what our everyday products contain. The ingredients range from neurotoxins - which act on nerve cells - to carcinogens (not the kind of car you drive!) – these ones may cause cancer, and immunotoxins which are substances that act on the immune system, plus many, many more. Basically, these harmful ingredients interrupt important activities in our body

According to cosmeticdatabase.com, “Ingredients in any kind of product — from sunscreen and mascara to deodorant and baby shampoo — are sold to consumers with no restrictions and no requirements for safety testing...” Since companies don’t have to list what they use, they can basically add whatever they want. Crazy and weird stuff like placenta, nanoparticles, phthalates, animal parts and fragrance are just some of the things they add. Yuck, yucky and yuckier!

Find out for yourself!
I personally was shocked to find out that some of my very favourite products had dangerous substances in them. Take a close look in your cupboards and drawers. You may find that common household items you use every day contain ingredients that are harmful to our bodies and to Mother Nature.

Interested in knowing what some of these outrageous and bizarre substances are? Go to the website I mentioned earlier and check them out yourself! It’s called Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database . It’s a really fun, cool and informative website. CAUTION: It might be scary and shocking! You will be able to find almost any product you own and a list of what the ingredients are. You’ll read what these substances are known for and what harm they can do to your body and to the environment. They also make recommendations for products that are similar, but have natural ingredients that are far less harmful.

Your ‘toxic load’...
Replacing some of these with healthier choices will reduce the ‘toxic load’ in your body and to the environment. The term ‘toxic load’ refers to chemicals and substances that are foreign to our biological system, meaning that they were not naturally meant to be in our body or environment. An increased toxic load may lead to health problems in the future such as allergies, headaches, fatigue, irritability and a number of different chronic diseases and symptoms.

Be aware too that chemicals and toxins are not just found in our daily beauty regime! They can also be found in your cleaning supplies, foods, in the air, your water supply and in the medications you take.

So next time you’re shopping at the mall with your BFFs and purchasing your favourite mascara or body lotion, read those crazy ingredients on the labels before you make your choice. Your friends will be impressed when you apply your new-found awareness to reduce your toxins.

~ Jennifer

Comment

another jennifer, CA
I heard that if it's not something safe enough to eat you shouldn't put it on your skin. And all the stuff, no matter how little amount in the ingredients, adds up and can cause problems over time. Ever do an allergy test where they scratch a small drop of something on your skin to see if it gets a reaction? well, that shows right there that it doesn't take much to cause a reaction! I love your articles Jennifer.
Nisha
Wow, I would have never guessed that all my favorite make up would contain all that gross stuff. I think that I'm going to be more aware when I go shopping now.
Jennifer Papaconstantinou, GCDA's Health writer
Hi Isabella, Thank-you for reading and for your comment below! I am hoping to answer your question regarding toxins. Of course it matters what you put ON your skin...as it is the largest organ in your body! Anything that comes in contact with your skin gets into your body through your pores. Of course, not in the amount as if you were to eat it - but it still gets into your bloodstream. ALL toxins get cleared by your liver. Toxins in the air we breathe, chlorine in our water supply, chemicals in our foods, hormones, bacteria, medications, EVEN chemicals they use in the manufacturing of our clothing (like flame retardants), you name it! The liver has over 4000 functions. If we have a high toxic load from the way we live, it can over-burden and over work this highly important organ. I wrote this article to make girls more aware of what sort of ingredients we are putting on our bodies and how it may affect the way we function in regards to our health! P.S. As for the GUANO - there is mixed information on this topic. I have read that it is synthetically derived in the form of guanine AND that mascara, among other products, do indeed contain this substance in the form of fecal matter from bats. My thoughts are that it is totally believable considering the other ingredients that we have learned goes into our "beauty" products! Gross!!!!
isabella, 13
with food, it is healthier to eat organic and naturally grown food but with clothes and makeup it doesn't matter that much. sure it's yucky but if you look at any ingredient list, they say what it's mostly made of first. usually the gross stuff is at the end of the list which means there is a very tiny amount in the product. i don't really find that a big deal. plus, it really only matters if you are throwing it in the garbadge or eating it but i doubt any one would eat their eye shadow! one last thing; always check your mascara's ingredients because some mascaras have guano in them. in case you are wondering what that is, it's derived from bat poop!

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