The average woman applies 168 chemicals to her skin every single day through beauty products.
Every.
Single.
Day.
Yikes.
Think about it — shampoo, conditioner, soap, lotion, hand washing, cleansers, toners, makeup… the list goes on, and if you’re not careful, each one of these things can harbor endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
MODERN WOMEN
As a woman in this modern world, it’s important to understand the harmful effects that toxic ingredients in daily beauty products and makeup can have on your health and the health of your entire family. Part of becoming the CEO of your own health is monitoring what is going on in your body as much as what is going in it!
You can eat clean and organic, fill your plate with lots of vegetables, and drink plenty of water but still be clogging your system with harmful toxins if you’re not careful. Luckily, you don’t have to navigate this on your own!
When I started on this journey to natural health, I knew something had to change. It wasn’t always easy, but ditching the toxin-filled products that lined my medicine cabinet, shower, and beauty routine were vital to restoring balance in my body. So, grab your trash bag and your copy of Smart Mom’s Guide to Essential Oils, because it’s time to reduce your toxic load!
THE DANGERS OF BEAUTY PRODUCTS
As a hormone expert, I have studied the effects of synthetic chemicals on endocrine and reproductive health. The endocrine system is responsible for your hormones regulating reproduction, mood, immunity, metabolism, brain function, and more.
Ingredients like BPA, parabens, fragrances, and phthalates are known to be xenoestrogens that alter female reproductive development, fertility, and can cause early onset of menopause along with altering your metabolism and mood.
Unfortunately, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and cosmetic corporations maintain that the chemicals found in cosmetics and personal care products are safe in small doses. However, almost 90% of the 10,000+ cosmetic ingredients known to the FDA have NOT even been tested, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG).
YOUR PERSONAL INVENTORY OF BEAUTY PRODUCTS
Consider all the beauty products you use on yourself, your family, and your home on a daily basis. Take a look at some of their labels. Then multiply the number of ingredients by number of products by days in a week/month/year. Yowza! You will start to see how these toxins can quickly add up. If your body is accumulating these toxins, it should be no surprise that you could be suffering from the repercussions!
These products don’t just sit on your skin and wash off when you shower. They penetrate into your body’s tissues and have even been found in a baby’s umbilical cord blood at birth and even breastmilk, which means your body is truly taking them in and accepting these toxins into your cells.
There is now strong scientific evidence linking dangerous toxins and synthetics in personal care products to chronic diseases such as reproductive toxicity, autoimmunity, allergies, and cancer. (1)
Chemical exposure through daily personal care products is a reality that you must address in order to keep your entire family healthy. The men and children in your life suffer from chemical exposure, too! In men, these chemicals are linked to male infertility, cancer, and even genital deformities. Children’s brain, reproductive, and metabolic development are all affected by these chemicals even more than adults because they are not fully developed yet.
Equally as important is the impact that synthetic preservatives and fragrances have on our environment. Persistent pollutants do not degrade. Instead, they remain in our water supply and soil, which in turn affects our food and water, putting you at risk of ingesting them even more.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF?
Since your skin acts more like a sponge than a barrier, choosing what goes on your skin is just as important as choosing what you put in your body.
Knowing what is in your products is the first step. Become a label-reader for everything that enters your home!
While many harmful chemicals are banned, they still find their way into many beauty products under a protective, vague umbrella term like “fragrance.” Fragrance concoctions are considered “trade secrets” and therefore protected from disclosure – to regulators, manufacturers, and ultimately you, the end user. A single scent could contain anywhere from 50 to 300 distinct chemicals under the simple term “fragrance” on the ingredients list.
One of my favorite resources is the Environmental Working Group (EWG). They can give you scores for ingredients and products based on their toxicity. I recommend checking them out if you ever come across an ingredient or product that is new!
Another warning: Be skeptical of products that tout “natural” ingredients or health benefits. Coconut oil, shea butter, even essential oils are finding their way into big-box store products, but read the fine print. Most of these products still contain the harmful ingredients you want to avoid!
Here’s the Gold Standard of Personal Care Products: READ IT & EAT IT.
1. You can recognize and pronounce every ingredient on the label.
2. You’d feel comfortable eating the product if it’s going on your body (even though it may not taste good, the ingredients should be that pure).
DIY
One of the best ways to make sure your products meet these standards is to make them yourself. It’s not as hard as you might think, and you can be confident in the ingredients you are applying to your and your family’s bodies! My favorite DIY personal care recipes are in my book The Smart Mom’s Guide to Essential Oils. You will love how easy they are to make and how wholesome the ingredients are!
MY PERSONAL ROUTINE
I get questions all the time about what products I use and what my personal routine is. So here it goes…
- I wear sunscreen (with minimum 30 SPF) every single day. I love Annmarie Skincare, and some other reputable brands are Suntegrity, All Good, and Badger. Just be sure you are avoiding sunscreens with oxybenzone, avobenzone, homosalate, octinoxate, nanoparticles and fragrances. These ingredients not only disrupt your hormones but also are dangerous to the environment! The EWG can help guide you through your choices.
- I wash my face every night with a gentle cleanser made with essential oils. DoTERRA’s Verage cleanser is fantastic, and so is Annemarie’s Aloe Herb Cleanser!
- Exfoliating a couple times per week helps remove dead skin. I have a great recipe in my book that you can use to make your own natural exfoliant using ground oatmeal, honey, sea salt, and citrus oils! (Just be sure to use it at night to avoid direct sunlight for 8-12 hours because of the photosensitive oils.)
- Since I am over 40, I’m not playing around with aging. I use a natural anti-aging retinol cream and a vitamin C serum on my face and neck. Check out EWG for some clean options!
- Finally, I use essential oils on my face and body every single day, and I feel like they are the true powerhouse behind maintaining healthy, beautiful skin!
WHY ESSENTIAL OILS MAKE GREAT BEAUTY PRODUCTS
Essential oils are truly a gift from the earth when it comes to nourishing the skin, hair, and nails – that’s why they have been used in personal care products and cosmetics for hundreds of years. Specifically, essential oils are great for soothing skin and supporting cellular regeneration.
Essential oils can also support healthy anti-aging through promoting new cell growth, toning skin, and reducing blemishes and wrinkles. They are effective at addressing chapped, dry skin such as on the face, hands, and feet.
Forget those harsh, toxic chemicals and switch to natural, safe, effective solutions for you and your family.
WHY DETOXING IS STILL IMPORTANT
Even with the positive changes we make by switching to healthier products with skin- and hormone-loving ingredients, we can never 100% avoid exposure to environmental or other toxins.
And if we are unable to detoxify these toxins properly, they accumulate inside our bodies over time, causing a myriad of health issues. Our best defense against these toxins is a fully functional, healthy liver that is prepped and primed for doing its job.
My 14-Day Detox is a science-based, proven way to safely and effectively rid your body of dangerous toxins in only two short weeks, and can help kickstart your journey to better health!
Whether it’s weight loss, muscle maintenance, stable energy, clearer skin, or a more robust immune system, this detox can help you achieve your wellness goals and also help you turn back the clock so you look and feel your best!
FREE DOWNLOAD: Dr. Mariza’s Top 11 Supplements for Hormone Health
Ready to take charge of your own health?
Resources:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4492068/
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