I strongly believe that everyone needs to take of themselves by following a healthy lifestyle in order to prevent the onset of many chronic diseases. Choosing a healthy lifestyle also means not engaging in risky behavior, like smoking or excessive drinking of alcohol. Interestingly, one area that I never really thought about until recently, is how our environment affects our health, specifically as it relates to products that we use every day.
This may seem a little off topic (because it certainly did to me initially), but have you every taken the time to look at what is in the products that you use? What are the ingredients in your shampoo? your soap? your sunscreen? Why is it important to know? Because many of the ingredients in our every day products are toxic. Substances known to cause cancer. Substances known to disrupt our hormones.
When I first started to investigate what I was using on my body and my children’s bodies, I very quickly became concerned… and scared by what I was learning and discovering. I was so careful about choosing organic, GMO free food, but yet I wasn’t paying any attention to the pesticides and chemicals that I was applying onto my skin. I challenge you to look at the ingredients in your everyday products and see how many of them contain any of the following that are listed as the 12 Toxic Ingredients to Avoid from MindBodyGreen.com. I won’t list them all, but here are some of them:
Parabens (Methyl, Butyl, Ethyl, Propyl): These are used as preservatives (and not always labeled). You can find them in skin care and deodorant. There has been some evidence linking them to breast cancer, hormone imbalances in females and sterility in males.
Propylene Glycol (PG) & Butylene Glycol: Petroleum plastics. The EPA considers these to be so toxic that it requires gloves, goggles and protective clothing. The EPA even warns against skin contact to prevent brain, liver and kidney abnormalities.
Dioxin: This won’t appear listed as an ingredient on the label, but you will often find it in antibacterial ingredients like triclosan, emulsifier, PEGs, ethoxylated cleaners like sodium laurel sulfate. Dioxin causes cancers, reduces immunity, contributes to nervous system dysfunction and has been linked to miscarriages and birth defects.
DMD Hydantoins & Urea (Imidazolidinyl): These are 2 preservatives that release formaldehyde which can cause joint pain, skin reactions, allergies, chronic fatigue and insomnia.
To see the whole list, you can go here:
Our skin is the largest organ of our body. A huge surface area that is exposed to toxins around us. And unlike food that is ingested, there is no detoxification mechanism in place for substances absorbed through the skin. Which means that if the shampoo you are using contains sodium laurel sulfate, it is being absorbed directly into your blood stream…. Something to think about.
I would encourage you to start becoming an ingredient detective. Go to the Environmental Working Group’s website (www.ewg.org) and start learning about everything that you are being exposed to that is affecting your family’s health without you even realizing it. You and your family won’t regret it.