Chemicals in Cosmetics

There are thousands of potentially dangerous toxic chemicals in cosmetics today and many people are unaware of the dangers these can cause.

Detoxifying your make up bag can perform wonders for your health, not to mention the aging process! “Expensive” does not necessarily mean “better” when it comes to cosmetics. At way over $30 billion dollars a year, the beauty industry grows from strength to strength – but so does our so called ‘sickness’ industry, with hundreds of people each year suffering:

– Allergies and non specific allergic reactions

– Skin Complaints (eczema, acne, rosacea, contact dermatitis etc)

– Headaches

– Coughing, wheezing

There are a whole host of illnesses with links to harmful chemicals, many of them found in our beauty products. I love make up as much as the next girl and have been a regular user of it for my entire adult life, but I was shocked when I found out about some of the ingredients that were in my foundations, mascara and lipstick.

Several brands of deodorant contain ‘Aluminium’. The World Health Organisation has linked Aluminium to Alzheimer’s disease – the 4th leading cause of death in the US. Regular use has been shown to increase Alzheimers risk by 3 times.

Propylene Glycol is another harmful toxic chemical in cosmetics (mostly found in shampoos and hair conditioners, lotions and many other bathroom products). It is also the main component in anti-freeze, floor wax and automatic brake fluid. Prolongued exposure can cause liver abnormalities and kidney damage (and this is according to the compounds own Material Safety Data Sheet!).

Sodium Laurel Sulfate is found in many cosmetic products as it creates a luxurious ‘foaming’ effect. It is also engine degreaser and garage floor cleaner. Exposure to this product has a ton of potential side effects like burning, coughing, laryngitis, headaches, vomiting and nausea.

It is important to note that many of these products are especially harmful to kids as their immune systems are not yet as developed as ours!

The Safe Shoppers Bible is a great book that states “Consumers have an inalienable right to know what ingredients are in the products they use”. I agree, and I hope you have found this article informative!