EFFECTS OF EXCESSIVE COSMETICS ON THE SKIN
In a world where your life is judged by how great you look in your Facebook posts and Instagram pics, there is a constant expectation to look your best all the time.
Makeup has become a necessity for most women and they believe that they cannot step out of the house without at least five different kinds of cosmetic products.
The cosmetics market has bloomed to such an extent that not only is there different cosmetics for every kind of body part, there are different ones for different seasons too! But before makeup is marketed to us, it is tested on animals.
Do you ever wonder why it is so? Because the cosmetics we trust to make us beautiful are actually full of so many harmful chemicals. And despite the fact that these cosmetics make us look good temporarily, in the end they are going to leave an ugly effect.
Hair Problems
With changing trends in fashion, there is also a wave of hair trends that comes along.
Hair products like hair gels, hair serums, shampoos, conditioners, and hair sprays contain several harmful chemicals which set your hair the way you want but end up damaging your hair in the long run.
Extensive use of chemical based hair products could lead to dandruff, scalp redness, thinning of hair, and even loss of hair. Long term use of hair color could also lead to hair discoloration.
CANCER AND OTHER CHRONIC DISEASES
With the benefits, cosmetics also bring danger of diseases like cancer and many other chronic ones. Lipstick contains aluminum which may cause long term anemia and even glucose intolerance.
Many products contain chemicals like zinc oxide, BHA, barium sulphate etc. are very harmful for body and may result in many organ failures like that of kidney and liver.
Further if swallowed even by mistake; generally the lip cares, lip balms and lipsticks go in with food can lead to many respiratory diseases also. It has also been reported that cosmetics like body moisturizers can cause trouble to endocrine system as well and disturb the thyroid content of body.
Permanent Dark Circles
The skin around the eyes is more sensitive as compared to the rest of your face and it shows the effect of chemicals sooner too. Experts tend to suggest that fewer cosmetics should be applied around the eyes as it can lead to bags under the eyes and dark circles.
Dark circles are not easy to get rid of and often create constant marks under the eyes. This creates an endless cycle because to hide their dark circles, people apply more makeup which in turn leads to the worsening of the condition.
Skin Allergies
Cosmetics such as deodorants and antiperspirants contain alcohol and can cause redness and irritation, and itching which may eventually lead to pigmentation of skin. They also block your sweat glands and can lead to conditions like contact dermatitis and allergies.
An allergic reaction to fairness creams or sunscreens can lead to permanent discoloration of the skin or even severe damages. From rashes to inflammation, the wrong kind of cosmetic that is not compatible with your skin type can have a deep rooted impact on your skin.
ORGANIC COSMETICS VS REGULAR COSMETICS
There are multitudes of reasons to switch to natural cosmetics. Since your skin is living tissue, it absorbs up to 60% of what is ever put on it. And in turn, that goes into your blood stream.
So that raises concerns about long term effects because of the chemicals in make-up. Many of the chemicals used are known to cause irritation and cancer. Why? Well, they are based on petroleum or are synthetically made. These are the ingredients to avoid in cosmetics.
Aluminum… believed to be a contributing factor in Alzheimer’s disease. Unfortunately, aluminum is found in most antiperspirants because it is great in blocking the pores so sweat isn’t released.
The artificial colors…Fd and c which derived from coal tar. Another example is Azo dye…these dyes are hazardous to those who suffer from asthma, eczema and those who are sensitive to aspirin. This dye has also known to cause hyperactivity in children, blurred vision, severe headaches and itchy watery eyes and nose.
Benzoates… benzoic acid, Sodium Benzoate, Parahydroxy Benzoate… These chemicals are used to preserve cosmetics and the fizzy type of drinks. This also is what gives some people gastric irritation, aggravates asthma, and causes numbing of the mouth.
Although these two essential oils are great for acne, if you are epileptic, don’t use rosemary and if are pregnant, don’t use sage.
DEA, MEA, TEA have been known to cause allergic reactions, eyes and dries out the skin and hair.
Formaldehyde is used as a preservative.
Imidazolidinyl Urea…The second most identifiable preservative to cause contact dermatitis.
Diazolidinyl urea DMDM hydantoin Quaternium 15
2-bromo-2 nitropropane-1
And the list of unhealthy chemicals goes on and on and on, and all of these harmful chemicals go into your body. Now that you know a little of what you are putting on your face every day, let’s look at a much healthier approach.
The solution to the problem lies in natural make-up. Those make-ups’ that are based on plant pigmentation’s. These are a much healthier alternative to all those cosmetics that are made from petroleum by-products.
Care must be taken in choosing all natural make-up. Some companies use a small amount of plant extracts but make up the rest of the make-up with the petroleum based chemicals and then the fragrances.
A good nature based make-up is one that gets the waxes from a natural plant base, the oils are from are from plants, barks and spices and that goes for the pigmentation.
Switching to an all- natural cosmetic product line will be a great help to your precious skin since you will no longer be feeding it harmful chemicals. Who knows, maybe your make-up was the cause of your acne, allergies or contact dermatitis.
There are many all-natural cosmetic companies to choose from. Here is a good one. The Organic Make-Up Co. They offer a great line of affordable, simple, and high quality products. They make sure that all of their ingredients are plant based whether it is the wax, oils, color pigmentation’s for their products.
Another good company to look at is Suncat Products. Their website goes though both what is not in their products and what is. Their products do not contain any chemicals, parabens, preservatives, fillers, micronized minerals, coated minerals, nanoparticles, binders, silicones, artificial colors, lab manufactured minerals or pigments, dyes, carmine, bismuth oxychloride, chromeiums, ultramarines, silica, Boron Nitride, cornstarch, and talc.
THE BEST KEPT SECRET ABOUT COSMETICS AND ITS INDUSTRY
Many are loaded with carcinogens. Go organic if you want to protect your skin and health.
I don’t know whether it is apocryphal or true but I once read a charming story about the way the French choose a melon based on the day it’s to be served! That’s why the classical beauty of French women is so well-established.
That’s lovely and civilized.
The cosmetic industry in the US is virtually unregulated. Almost any substance — no matter how toxic –can be used in a cosmetic product.
The result is that almost everybody care product that you are currently using, face creams, hair spray, deodorants, toothpaste, shampoo, skin lotion, makeup, soap is loaded with chemicals which are decidedly harmful for you and on which no safety test has ever been conducted.
In Make-Up Call: Beauty Care Doesn’t Have to Be a Chemical Stew, author Erickson, K gives the following list of toxic chemicals in beauty products:
Formaldehyde, used as a preservative and disinfectant, is a suspected carcinogen often found in shampoos;
Listed as FD&C or D&C colors, Coal Tar is a common ingredient in cosmetics, hair dyes and dandruff shampoos. Found to cause cancer, it’s also been linked to frequent allergic reactions, including asthma attacks, headaches, nausea, fatigue, nervousness and lack of oncentration;
Both Benzene and Toluene are found in nail polishes and removers. Used as solvents, they are highly toxic and can cause depression and convulsions, or induce coma or death;
Propylene glycol, a solvent used for texture and stability, can cause allergic reactions. Frequently used in cosmetics, it’s also found in brake fluid and antifreeze.
Nitrosamines, though not primary ingredients in cosmetics, are also cautionary chemicals. According to Dr. Aubrey Hampton, founder of Aubrey Organics, nitrosamines are formed when two otherwise safe ingredients, nitrous acid and amines, are combined.
Readily absorbed into the skin, the result is highly carcinogenic. “In fact,” says Hampton, “nitrosamines are absorbed through the skin in far greater amounts than when nitrite-preserved foods [such as bacon] are eaten.” To avoid the problem, he advises steering clear of products containing DEA or TEA in the name. For example, TEA- lauryl sulfate or Cocoamide DEA.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that male reproductive problems, including undescended testicles and hypospadias, doubled between 1970 and 1993. Environmental chemicals were strongly suspected to be contributing factors.
Meanwhile, several recent reports also highlight the presence of low-level concentrations of potential reproductive or developmental toxicants, particularly phthalates, in cosmetics and personal care products.
Chemical Exposures and Increases in Developmental Diseases, which details chemicals found in consumer products and their potential health impacts.
Other reports released around the same time by the Environmental Working Group (Skin Deep: A Safety Assessment of Ingredients in Personal Care Products) and Friends of the Earth (Shop Till You Drop? Survey of High Street Retailers on Risk; Chemicals in Products support Environment California’s publication.
According to these three reports, makeup, shampoo, skin lotion, nail polish, and other personal care products contain chemical ingredients that lack safety data. Moreover, some of these chemicals have been linked in animal studies to male genital birth defects, decreased sperm counts, and altered pregnancy outcomes.
Although there is no definitive evidence for the same effects in humans, but widespread exposure, primarily to phthalates, has been shown to occur. Phthalates, as key components in plastics, appear in many consumer products.
The main phthalates in cosmetics and personal care products are dibutyl phthalate in nail polish, diethyl phthalate in perfumes and lotions, and dimethyl phthalate in hair spray. Worse, very often, their presence is not mentioned on the labels!
Small wonder that alarmed by these reports, consumers the world over are now resorting to safe, organic products, even if they cost a wee bit extra.
According to available market estimates, the global $25 billion business in organic products is not inspiring farmers to devote 11.5 million hectares–roughly the size of Cuba to a cultivation of nothing but organic produce.
In every nation for which data exist, farmers are bringing between 10 and 40 percent more land under organic cultivation each year, and a recent U.N. survey found commercial organic food production in every inhabited nation on the planet!
Organic cultivation now accounts for nearly 3 percent of all the farmland in the European Union. In Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Italy, and Switzerland, it accounts for 5 to 10 percent, in the United States and Canada, organic area in cultivation has grown between 15 and 20 percent and in some Austrian provinces as much as 50 percent!
I wouldn’t like to play favorites or endorse brands, as I believe that an informed consumer should be his own chooser, what I would recommend is that read all the labels carefully before buying any beauty or health product.
The key to your safety lies in reading the ingredient lists carefully, especially the fine print. Until ingredient bans are adopted worldwide, it’s best to read labels. Further, instead of using sun screen creams or mosquito repellants on your children, a better alternative is to wear protective clothing, avoid tick-prone areas, and stay indoors when the sun or mosquitoes are out. Soybean oil and some botanical oils, such as citronella, lemongrass, peppermint, and cedarwood, also repel bugs