NATURAL AND NON-TOX SKINCARE PRODUCTS.
We always tend to take a lot of care about what's going IN our bodies, but what about what is going ON them?
With our skin being our biggest organ, we need to look a little closer to the expensive (read: often overpriced) beauty products and gimmicks we fall victim to. So many of them are absolutely ladened with chemicals and heavy metals, most of which are endocrine disruptors - they disrupt (and often mimic) all of our natural hormones (and not just female or male hormones - thyroid and brain chemicals too!).
See below a list of items to watch out for.
SOME CHEMICALS TO AVOID INCLUDE (but not limited to):
PHTHALATES - Carcinogen! Increases strength and effectiveness of chemicals.
Avoid anything labelled: BzBP, DBP, BEP, DMP, diethyl, dibutyl or benzylbutyl phthalate. Known endocrine disruptors.
FORMALDEHYDE – a known carcinogen!
Labelled as: formaldehyde, quaternium-15, dimethyl-dimethyl (DMDM), hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, and 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (bromopol) .
TOLUENE – Known carcinogen, usually in nail polish as methylbenzene, toluol or antisal 1a.
AMMONIA – found in hair dye formulas. Can be toxic to neurological (brain) cells and may also cause eye, respiratory and skin irritations.
THIOGLYCOLIC ACID - found in hair removal creams. May be listed as acetyl mercaptan, mercaptoacetate, mercaptoacetic acid and thiovanic acid.
PARABENS – may be listed as Isobutylparaben, methylparaben, propulparaben, butylparaben). They act as preservatives in many beauty products, however are oestrogenic and disrupt hormones in both men and women. They act by mimicking our hormone called Oestrogen, and can even increase hormone dominant cancers such as breast cancer.
“FRANGRANCE/PARFUM” – also found in pretty much every beauty or skincare product. Often formed from phthalates, mensioned above, which are a known carcinogen, and also disrupt our endocrine (hormone) system.
SODIUM LAURYL/LAURETH SULFATE – May also be listed as SLS and SLES, and again are found in almost every beauty product on the market. This is the ingredient that often created the lathering effect, and may cause erosion of the skin. SLS/SLES can also often become contaminated with Dioxane, a suspected carcinogen that can last for an extended duration of time in our bodies as the liver is often unable to metabolize it as quickly as other chemicals. They can also cause hormonal imbalances by mimicxing oestrogen, and can cause eye irritation and poor eye development in children.
PETROLEUM/PARAFFIN/MINERAL OIL – Parrafin is known in Australia as Kerosene and Mineral Oil and Petroleum are possible carcinogens. These 3 chemicals all readily penetrate our skin, which can be detected rapidly in our body tissues elsewhere in the body. Watch out fore the ingredient 1,4 dioxane which can be found in many petroleum based proiducts, and is a known carcinogen to animals and humans. Petroleum and Mineral oil also seal the skin off to oxygen, therefore it’s inable to breathe and blocks the skins pores, which create the perfect environment for yeast and fungus to grow.
MERCURY – may be listed as Thimerosal or merthiolate, a known heavy metal to damage neurological functioning.
PROPULENE GLYCOL – a petroleum based chemical that’s used to absorb water molecules or maintain moisture in products. It can cause skin irritations, eye irritations and may have detrimental effects on respiratory health. It may be toxic to organs such as the liver, kidneys, heart and brain.
COAL TAR – Often found in many anti-dandruff hair products. Is a known carcinogen, and can delivery several heavy metals into the blood stream, eventually leading to the brain.
CYCLOMETHICONE AND DIMETHICONE – Both can trap moisture in the skin, again creating a barrier that locks in bacteria, oil, sebum and other pathogens. Increased acne and blackheads may result from use, as well as potentially disrupt our endocrine system.
POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL (PEGs) – Used to dissolve grease and oil. Potential to be contaminated with the carcinogenic 1,4 Dioxane and ethylene oxide, they also tend to strip the skin of its natural moisture, and potentially disrupting the immune systems efficacy by disrupting mucosal integrity.
Additionally, when pregnant also avoid the following:
Vitamin A / Retinol – found in anti-acne and anti-ageing products. May be listed on labels as retinoic acid, retinyl palmitate, retinaldehyde, adapalene, tretinoin, tazarotene and isotretinoin. Found to have tetorogenic effects and is harmful to developing babies.
Dihydroxyacetone – Aka DHA. The chemical responsible for the function of fake tan. Inhaled DHA can be harmful for both you and your baby, and the toxic effects are not yet known for this chemical so cannot be completely proven it’s safe even on topical application.
BOTULINIM TOXIN AKA BOTOX – a chemical that paralyses muscles – do we really need to go there during pregnancy? Kind of explains itself right?!
HYDROQUINONE – Found in skin lightening treatments for pigmentation and melasma; has been linked to cancers and skin irritations.
Some of my favourite NON-TOX brands are:
Golden Grind (face scrub and mask)
INIKA Organic makeup
Erin x