Chemicals In Cosmetics

Posted on 26/05/2013 by sbonham

toxic cosmetics The folks at Environmental Defense in Toronto found some pretty disturbing stuff lurking in common cosmetics. Below is a list of the cosmetic products that were found to contain the most heavy metals of all the products testing in each category.

Eyeshadow: The Body Shop Shimmer Cues, Almay Intense i-color Trio, Two Faced Eyeshadow Due (contained lead cadmium, nickel, berrylium etc.)

Powders: Sephora Sculpting Disk Powder Trio (lead, nickel, berrylium, thallium). Foundation: Clinique Stay-True Makeup (cadmium, arsenic, nickel, lead)

Mascara: L’Oreal Bare Naturale and Avon Astonishing Lengths (arseninc, cadmium, lead, nickel, etc.)

Lipstick: Benefit Benetint pocket pal (red) (arsentic, lead, cadmium, nickel, berrylium)

Source: Envirionmental Defence, Heavy Metal Hazard: The Health Risks of Hidden Heavy Metals in Face Makeup. May 2011

If you want to learn more about which products to watch out for, or about the ingredients in your everyday products subscribe to our mailing list below.

Quick Tips: Chemicals to Avoid in Easter Candy!

Posted on 31/03/2013 by sbonham

What’s In Your Cosmetics ??

Posted on 21/03/2013 by sbonham

Did you know up to ten thousand ingredients are allowed in personal care products? In a new British study, it was found that the average woman puts at least 515 chemicals on her body every day. The scary part of this study was that more than 33% of the women participants had no idea of the key ingredients in their toiletries, with only 9 percent away aware of more of the ingredients in their cosmetics put on everyday.

Many of us girls can’t go a day without makeup and are always putting some form of cream on ourselves – whether it be hand cream in the winter, to skin-darkening sun cream in the summer. What most people don’t realize is that these moisturizer can contain over 30 different chemicals and perfume up to 400! With so many products on the market today and them all claiming similar things, it can be hard to really distinguish which ones are really better for our health.

We all need to be a bit more educated in terms of the products we choose to bring into our home and put on our ourselves. This is partially because of how often they are used – over time the exposure and toxicity levels increase in our bloodstreams.

Here are a few shocking facts about cosmetics:

– One out of 10 ingredients used in cosmetic and personal care products shows evidence of reproductive toxicity in laboratory studies.

– Lipstick can contain petroleum distillates which can cause damage to your nervous system, skin, kidneys and eyes. They also can contain aluminum, a known toxin

-Talcum powder was linked in a 1982 article in the journal of Cancer to a 328% increased risk of ovarian cancer for women who apply it to sanitary napkins and genitals.

– Preservatives in cosmetics extend shelf life by preventing bacterial contamination. Formaldehyde, methyl and propyl paraben are used in a wide range of traditional cosmetics. TO learn more about parabens, refer to an earlier article -click here. Avoid all products containing these preservatives and opt for those that use natural alternatives such as antioxidants like vitamin E.

To learn more facts about the products you use everyday check out our facts section.

Eco-savy also recommends trying aloe on your skin. Not only will it help moisturize your skin, but give it vibrancy. Aloe has even been scientifcally proven to help fight a number of skin disorders. So stop throwing your money out on all these harmful chemical-loaded skin products with a bazillion side effects and why not try a natural alternative? If you are interested, check out the ebook below! It offers 130+ home remedies for 80+ disorders and provides 25+ easy to make homemade beauty remedies, including a recipe for an anti wrinkle facial moisturizer.

Buy now –Click Here!

References

– Baillie-Hamilton, P. Toxic Overload. Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated. (2005)

– Sattler, B., Archer, L., Houlihan, J. (2006) Mirror, mirror on the wall, what’s in my personal care products: A short article baout 300,000,000, guinea pigs

– Skin Deep Report (2006). Online: www.ewg.org/skindeep. Accessed: March, 2013

Chemicals to Avoid in Men’s Personal Care Products

Posted on 10/03/2013 by sbonham

Did you know your L’Oreal preference Black hair dye contains 1,4-dioxane and p-phenylenediame? Or did you know that Gillette Foamy Shave Foam was found to contain artificial musk and sodium lauryl sulfate (1). Ever wonder what is in your man’s dreamy-smelling aftershave? It’s often pthlalates and artificial musks you are smelling. These chemicals were found in a recent investigation by Environmental Defense and are quite harmful to your health.

The personal care products industry is changing – industry is targeting skin and body products for men more and more! In Canada alone, the market is worth more than $690 million dollars, and is growing by 2% every year. It’s time we pay more attention to these products entering our marketplace!

There are a few toxic chemicals that do not appear on labels that you should be aware of. Often certain ingredients like “fragrance mixtures” which can contain up to 3000 ingredients are considered an industry trade secret and are listed on the product labels as just “fragrance”. Also, if a product makes a health claim, it is governed under the Food and Drugs Act, and is not subject of he same labelling laws as cosmetics. For exampe, Head and Shoulders shampoo because it claims to treat dandruff, does not have to list its ingredients like other shampoos.

Two of the chemicals that don’t appear on labels include 1,4 dioxane and pthalates.

1,4 dioxane is a synthetic solvent and often contaminates products. It is a known irritant and suspected carcinogen. Environmental Defence found this in: Pert Plus 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner, TRESemme Shampoo, Head & Shoulders Dandruff Shampoo and L’Oreal Preference Hair Dye: Black.

Continue reading →

Chemical In Canned Food Lining Linked to Obesity

Posted on 24/01/2013 by sbonham

The last time you bought a can of organic tomatoes you probably were more focused on the “organic” ingredients, not the packaging itself. Yes, buying organic can help balance one’s modern regime of highly processed food, but have you ever thought about the chemicals present in the PACKAGING of the food you buy?

Unfortunately, in a lot of canned foods, a chemical called “Bisphenol A” is still being used as a preservative within the lining. This chemical has been in the spotlight a lot over the past few years for its use in plastic water-bottles, however it is also used in the manufacturing of polycarbonate plastics, adhesives, and the lining of food containers.

New cutting-edge research is suggesting Bisphenol-A can actually attribute to adverse effects on long term human health (even your unborn fetus) in terms of exacerbating the development of OBESITY. It was first discovered accidentally by researchers who fed mice small amounts of these chemicals causing them to get fat. The phenomenon is so striking that the scientific community is assigning these chemicals a class of their own – OBESOGENS.