Do you know there are some really dangerous chemicals used in personal care products such as skin care, toothpaste and shampoos? Unfortunately many personal care products and cleaning products contain harmful synthetic and chemical ingredients that are undermining our health. But most of us just don’t realise it.
These chemicals can also undermine our weightloss efforts as many are endocrine disruptors that can cause hormonal changes, while others impact an often already sluggish liver.
Most people today are using many products every single day that are potentially harming their health. It’s a fact. But I also know that many times when I’ve spoken to people about this over the years, the belief that our government agencies would be monitoring this is common.
This belief is dangerously wrong.
Watch the video below for an intro into harmful ingredients and then read on to find out more about what ingredients to avoid in personal care products and cleaning products.
What Ingredients Should I Avoid In Personal Care Products & Cleaning Products?
Potentially harmful ingredients that are best avoided are in most brands of the following products.
Note: I’ve linked the product descriptions below so you can easily go directly to the types of potentially harmful ingredients likely to be found in those products. You can then click on the ingredient for information on the effects they have on our bodies.
- Cleaning products including washing powders, general cleaners, fabric softeners.
- Colour cosmetics including makeup and nail products
- Skin care products including moisturisers, tanning lotions, sunscreens, cleansers, face masks, anti aging products
- Shampoos and conditioners
- Soaps and shower gels including antibacterial gels and bubblebath
- Airfresheners
- Hair styling products including hairsprays, gels, waxes and colours
- Baby products
- Deodorants and Antiperspirants
- Talc
- Toothpaste and mouthwash
- Perfumes and fragrances
How Safe Is Your Shampoo, Skincare Or Toothpaste?
Cleaning Products
Many cleaning products contain obviously harmful ingredients. They carry warning labels and so are a more obvious hazard than our shampoo and toothpaste. They can be extremely toxic, can cause immediate symptoms when used, and are often very harmful to the environment.
Many cleaning products that claim to be more environmentally friendly simply are not. I find that after many years of not using these products or any products with harsh chemicals and fragrances that even walking through the cleaning product aisle in the supermarket is enough to make my nose start running and is a very unpleasant experience that I avoid when possible.
Cosmetics & Nail Products
Colour cosmetics & nail products may contain coal tar dyes, isopropanol, acetone, collagen, DEA, ether, formaldahyde, MEA, mineral oil, PEG, phenol, quaternium, talc, toluene, triclosan, TEA, bentonite, kaolin and more.
Skin Care
Skin care products often contain propylene glycol, DEA, TEA, 2-bromo2-nitropropane1.3diol (Bronopol or BNPD), BHA, coal tar, formaldehyde,Glycerine, alpha hydroxy acids, lanolin, mineral oil, SLS, SLES, PEG and more.
Soaps, Shower Gels, Shampoo etc
Soaps, shower gels, shampoos, conditioners, bubblebath, and antibacterial gels usually contain SLS, SLES, DEA, TEA, MEA, quaternium, PEG, and fragrances. Bubblebaths have been found to strip away the mucous lining of the genitourinary tract and regularly cause urinary tract infections especially in young girls. Soaps may contain tallow and lye as well as fragrances.
Airfresheners & Aerosols
Airfresheners generally contain artificial fragrances that will contribute to many health problems and if aerosol, then as with all aerosol products they will contain propellents which are harmful.
Hairstyling Products
Hairstyling products may contain DEA, BHA, TEA, alcohols, methylene chloride, toluene, fluorocarbons and more.
Baby Products
Baby products generally contain SLS, SLES, propylene glycol, mineral oil, fragrances and all the same ingredients as their adult versions. These companies don’t make allowances for little tots – we’re all treated equally – except for the fact that these exposures have much more of an impact on little ones as their skin to blood/tissue ratio is much higher than an adult which means that when these chemicals are absorbed through their skin, they have a much higher concentration in their blood and tissues than an adult would if exposed to the same amount. I remember many years ago, wondering how young children and babies could get cancer. It just didn’t seem right to me – now I know why and it’s incredibly sad.
Deodorants & Antiperspirants
Deodorants and antiperspirants generally contain aluminium along with fragrances, propylene glycol and alcohol.
Talc
Talc is associated with an increase in ovarian cancer when used in the genital area, it is dangerous when inhaled and blocks the pores in the skin when used in makeup. When sold as Talc it also generally contains fragrances.
Toothpaste & Mouthwash
Toothpaste and mouthwash generally contain SLS, SLES, saccharin, fluoride, alcohol, artificial flavours and colours and more.
Perfumes & Fragrances
Perfumes and fragrances are often mixtures of synthetic chemicals that can cause a variety of symptoms and health issues.
What Effects Do These Chemicals Have On Our Bodies?
Aerosols – All aerosol products contain dangerous chemicals and propellants that
penetrate the lungs and the bloodstream. These days we are being
exposed to them everywhere with automatic spray units in peoples homes
spraying for insects and air fresheners in public buildings and toilets.
Acetone – Linked to cancer, skin and eye irritant and neurotoxin
Alcohol – Linked to cancer (in mouthwash there is a strong link to oral cancers), skin and eye irritant
Alpha-hydroxy acids – Skin and eye irritant
Aluminium – Linked to cancer, skin and eye irritant and neurotoxin. Aluminium is one of the leading causes of skin irritation in antiperspirants and has caused concern with regard to breast cancer. There is also a link to Alzheimers disease.
Benzophenones – Skin and eye irritant
BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole) – Linked to cancer, skin and eye irritant, accumulates in organs, can cause asthma
BHT – Linked to cancer, skin and eye irritant, accumulates in organs, can cause asthma, neurotoxin
Collagen – Skin and eye irritant
Coal Tar Dyes – Linked to cancer, skin and eye irritant
DEA (Diethanolamine) – Linked to cancer, skin and eye irritant, accumulates in organs, can cause asthma. DEA is the most common chemical used in the cosmetic and personal care business. In November 1997 the National Toxicology Program (USA) was still reporting that DEA was a carcinogen
that is readily absorbed, is an irritant to skin and eyes and can cause impaired vision and accumulates in organs such as the brain where it induces chronic toxic effects.
Dibenzoylmethanes – Skin and eye irritant
Ether – Skin and eye irritant, neurotoxin
Fluoride – Linked to cancer, accumulates in organs. There is enough fluoride in one tube of toothpaste to kill a child. Fluoride causes fluorosis of the teeth and of the bones,
meaning they discolor and weaken to a chalky condition. It is also linked to bone cancer in particular and damages the thyroid.
Formaldehyde – Linked to cancer, skin and eye irritant, can cause asthma. It also can be a hidden carcinogen in 7 other ingredients and released as they break down.
Hydroxyanisole – Linked to cancer, skin and eye irritant
Isopropanol – Linked to cancer, skin and eye irritant, neurotoxin. Can cause renal (kidney) failure and stays on the hair long after rinsing off.
Lanolin – Linked to cancer, skin and eye irritant, can cause asthma. Lanolin is a natural oil from sheep, but is often highly contaminated with hidden carcinogens such as DDT, Dieldrin, Endrin and other organochlorine pesticides from sheep dips.
MEA – Linked to cancer, skin and eye irritant
Methylene chloride – Linked to cancer, skin and eye irritant, can cause asthma
Mineral oil – Linked to cancer, skin and eye irritant. It is often a carrier of carcinogenic compounds. It blocks the pores and suffocates the skin. Baby oil is 100% made from this with some artificial fragrance thrown in. It is a disgusting product marketed as being good for our babies. I fortunately could not afford to use this when my children were babies. Would you want to use it on your precious baby now that you know?
PABA – Linked to cancer, skin and eye irritant
PEG – Linked to cancer, skin and eye irritant, can cause asthma
Phenol – Linked to cancer, skin and eye irritant
Phenylenediamine – Linked to cancer, skin and eye irritant, accumulates in organs, neurotoxin
Propylene Glycol – Linked to cancer, skin and eye irritant, accumulates in organs, neurotoxin. This is an extremely common ingredient. It is even used on pharmaceutical medicines and some processed foods!
Quaternium – Linked to cancer, skin and eye irritant
Saccharin – Linked to cancer.
SLS/SLES – Linked to cancer, skin and eye irritant, accumulates in organs. This is an extremely commonly used chemical. It is derived from coconut, but is NOT natural as some products claim. SLS makes the skin more permeable which means that the other harmful chemicals that you are exposed to at the same time, are more readily absorbed through the skin. SLES is the ethoxylated version of SLS. It is often used in baby products (amongst others) as it is not as harsh on the the skin, however it may cause nitrates and dioxin to form by reacting with other ingredients creating an even more dangerous cocktail of chemicals. SLS in toothpastes is a common cause of recurrent mouth ulcers.
Talc – Linked to cancer. is associated with an increase in ovarian cancer when used in the genital area, it is dangerous when inhaled and blocks the pores in the skin when used in
makeup.
Toluene – LInked to cancer, skin and eye irritant, can cause asthma, neurotoxin
Triclosan – Linked to cancer, skin and eye irritant, accumulates in organs and is a mutagen containing ‘hidden’ carcinogenic dioxins.
TEA – Linked to cancer, skin and eye irritant and very similar effects to DEA.
The Good News? There Are Safe Personal Care Products Available
As you see, almost everything you use in the way of mainstream, conventional products on your body and in your home for cleaning and deodorising is potentially adding to your toxic load.
Is it any wonder that cancer is so common?
It’s not all doom and gloom though. There is good news! There are safe options available and we can take more responsibility for ourselves, our health and our environment.
Once you’re aware of the problem, isn’t it common sense to change to safer products for your own sake, the sake of your family and the planet?
Change your spending habits and buy from companies that are doing the right thing – not those that are taking you for a ride, ripping you off with cheap nasty ingredients and leading you down the garden path of ill health.
Or better still, make your own products! There are tons of DIY tutorials out there on how to make your own DIY skin care (make your own Tallow Balm using my recipe or buy Tallow Balm here), toothpaste and more. It’s fun and rewarding, and empowering to make your own products. When you make your own, you know exactly what’s in them and you get to choose exactly what you put on your body!
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