Why You Should Use Natural Products

Skin. It’s such a beautiful thing. It keeps all out organs and insides in place. It protects us from bacteria and infection.  It works with our body to help maintain our temperature.

One thing we should keep in mind is that the skin is breathable and porous. This means that what comes in contact with our skin can also be absorbed into the body.

Consider what kind of products you use on your skin directly. Many of the products we use for beauty are filled with chemicals and toxins. There are many chemicals in lotions, makeup, deodorant, toothpaste, soap and much more.

Many of these products contain words that we don’t know or can’t even pronounce. For instance, parabens have been added to “preserve” and extend the shelf life of products, but they have been associated with endocrine disruption which interferes with our hormones. Also, the chemical phthalate is used to make scents last longer and has been linked to disrupting human development, particularly in young males. Fragrances make the products smell good but the downside is they are also a hormone disruptor and an allergen. These are just a few toxic ingredients that are added to the your personal care products that can cause negative effects on the human body.

If you want to get a better understanding on what you should avoid, the Environmental Working Group has great guidelines to help you shop for better ingredients or at least get a start on it. http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/top-tips-for-safer-products/

references:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1519860/pdf/envhper00375-0020.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18484575  J Appl Toxicol. 2008 Jul;28(5):561-78. doi: 10.1002/jat.1358.
Paraben esters: review of recent studies of endocrine toxicity, absorption, esterase and human exposure, and discussion of potential human health risks.
Some Alkyl Hydroxy Benzoate Preservatives (Parabens) Are Estrogenic
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Edwin_Routledge/publication/13413749_Some_alkyl_hydroxy_benzoate_preservatives_%28parabens%29_are_estrogenic/links/541185e20cf29e4a23296aba.pdf