Are the Chemicals in Your Facial Moisturizer Harming You?

Don’t you love that fresh clean feeling just after you wash your face?

Then you may put on a moisturizer (especially if you are maturing like myself (:)

It makes your skin feel smoother and it may even give you a glow?

We are doing this so our skin is healthy and moisturized to keep it looking young and less wrinkled.

But do you know what chemicals you may be putting in your body? Do you know they may be doing you more harm then good?

Before getting into learning about health – I never thought about it.  I used whatever lotion I had, thinking I was doing my skin a favor.  What I didn’t know was how awful for me the chemical filled lotions were.

Here are a few examples of common ingredients in moisturizers:

• Propylene Glycol (PG) & Butylene Glycol. These are petroleum plastics that easily penetrate the skin and can weaken protein and cellular structure. PG is a solvent so powerful it dissolves through a stainless steel tank in 48 hours so it has to be stored in plastic drums. The EPA considers PG so toxic that it requires workers to wear protective gloves, clothing and goggles. However, Propylene Glycol is used in some products in concentrations of up to 20%. It is also the main ingredient in certain types of Antifreeze. How’s that for good skin care?

• Mineral Oil. A petroleum by-product that coats the skin like plastic, clogging the pores. It interferes with the skin’s ability to eliminate toxins, promoting acne and other disorders. It slows down skin function and cell development. Note: Baby Oil is 100% Mineral Oil!

• DMDM Hydantoin. Just one of the many preservatives that often release formaldehyde which may cause joint pain, skin reactions, allergies, depression, headaches, chest pains, ear infections, chronic fatigue, dizziness, and loss of sleep.

• Parabens can mimic the hormone estrogen, which is known to play a role in the development of breast cancers. Do you really want to take the chance that they might do so? In the July 2002 issue of the Archives of Toxicology , Dr. S. Oishi of the Department of Toxicology, Tokyo Metropolitan Research Laboratory of Public Health reported that exposure of newborn male mammals to butylparaben “adversely affects the secretion of testosterone and the function of the male reproductive system.” If that is not enough to avoid a product that can easily be avoided, I don’t know what is! There are a lot of other reports available all over the internet, but most of them are all related to reproductive health in some way or another. Not really something to mess with, huh?

Does this information surprise you? Remember the primary reason a cosmetic company is in business is for profit. These synthetic ingredients are plentiful and inexpensive therefore allowing more room for profit. Even products claiming to be natural often bury the few natural ingredients in a long list of synthetic chemicals. There is no legal definition for the word natural, so don’t be fooled. Read the labels carefully and verify for yourself.

Why does the FDA allow ingredients like these in products that are applied to the largest organ we have – our skin?

Most consumers would be surprised to learn that the government does not require health studies or pre-market testing for cosmetics and other personal care products before they are sold. According to the government agency that regulates cosmetics, the FDA’s Office of Cosmetics and Colors, “…a cosmetic manufacturer may use almost any raw material as a cosmetic ingredient and market the product without an approval from FDA” (FDA 1995).

Lovely!  Any ingredients.

The toxicity of product ingredients is scrutinized almost exclusively by a self-policing industry safety committee, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) panel. Because testing is voluntary and controlled by the manufacturers, many ingredients in cosmetics products are not safety tested at all. Environmental Working Group’s analysis of industry and government sources shows that:

*  Eighty-nine (89) percent of the 10,500 ingredients FDA has determined are used in personal care products (FDA 2000) have not been evaluated for safety by the CIR, the FDA, or any other publicly accountable institution (FDA 2000, CIR 2003).

The absence of government oversight for this $35 billion industry leads to companies routinely marketing products with ingredients that are poorly studied, not studied at all, or worse, known to pose potentially serious health risks.

Well they wouldn’t knowingly add harmful ingredients – right?

One of every 120 products on the market contains ingredients certified by government authorities as known or probable human carcinogens, including shampoos, lotions, make-up foundations, and lip balms manufactured by Almay, Neutrogena, Grecian Formula, and others. An astonishing one-third of all products contain one or more ingredients classified as possible human carcinogens.

Nearly 70 percent of all products contain ingredients that can be contaminated with impurities linked to cancer and other health problems. Studies by FDA and European agencies show that these impurities are common, in some cases occurring in nearly half of all products tested (FDA 1996, DTI 1998). Some manufacturers buy ingredients certified by an independent organization called United States Pharmacopeia (USP). These ingredients may contain lower levels of harmful impurities, but the criteria for certification are not public. There are no federal standards for ingredient purity. While it seems likely that some companies purchase or manufacture refined, purified ingredients, it is equally likely that many do not. Consumers and government health officials have no way to know.

Facial moisturizers are put on your face 1-2 times a day!  I know I don’t want to take the chance….

For woman who are thinking of having children, according to this study,  will most likely affect your unborn children.

Look at this study:

World Wildlife Fund (UK)

• 30 new-born babies
• Blood tests taken from the umbilical cord
• Analyzed for the presence of 35 chemicals
• Every baby tested positive for chemicals
• Chemicals found have suspected links to birth defects, genital abnormalities, and certain types of cancer
• All babies contained at least 5 of the 35 chemicals
• Some contained as many as 14 of the 35 chemicals

If you want something that moisturizes and much more and it only contains three ingredients that are so natural you eat them – give Sateen Facial Oil a try!

Sateen is a proprietary, organic, and all-natural citrus blend of Orange and Lemon Oils in a base of Sweet Almond Oil that works as an effective all-in-one facial product.

You are worth it.  Your face deserves it.  Your skin will thank you.

To Your Health!

www.GreenLifeSaver.net