What You Put on Your Body is as Important as What You Put in It

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Your skin is your body's largest organ.  It is your body's coat of armour protecting your internal organs, blood vessels, muscles and nerves from the outside environment.  The top layer of your skin is called the epidermis.  This is the part of your skin that you can see.  The second layer of skin is called the dermis.  The dermis is the layer of your skin that does the most work.  The dermis contains nerve endings that send signals to your brain in order for you to know how something feels i.e. to prevent you from burning yourself.  The dermis makes sweat in order to help cool your body and get rid of toxins.  Hair grows from this layer and oil is produced here to keep your skin smooth.  To much oil production in this layer may also lead to conditions such as acne.  Blood vessels are present in the dermis that help bring nourishment to your skin as well as remove from your skin any impurities.   The bottom layer of your skin is called the subcutaneous layer.  This subcutaneous layer is made mostly of fat and keeps your body warm as well as helps protect you if you bump into something or fall.  This layer has connective tissue and contains muscles and nerves that go from the dermis into the rest of the body.  It is here where there is potential of the products that you put on your skin to get through to the rest of your body.  There are several factors that affect the absorption of chemicals into your skin such as skin integrity (damaged vs. intact), concentration of a chemical, skin temperature, length of time exposed and the area of your body exposed.  Skin on different parts of your body absorbs at different rates.  For example, the absorption rate on your forehead is much greater than the absorption rate on your forearms.  This is why it is so important to use skin care products that are healthy and non-toxic.  Whether toxins and chemicals are 10% absorbed or 70% absorbed; they can affect your entire health.

Research reported in the U.S. showed that one in eight of the 82,000 ingredients used in personal care products are industrial chemicals, including carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxins and hormone disruptors.  Many skin care products include preservatives, surfactants, degreasers and plasticizers (chemicals that keep concrete soft).  Who wants to put that on their skin?!  In 2010, Canada's David Suzuki Foundation performed a study on the 12 chemicals and compounds they believed consumers should avoid.  These are now commonly known as the "Dirty Dozen."  Since the research was published, some governments have completely prohibited certain chemicals and some companies are making new products so they don't contain them.  Some of the most common toxic ingredients are; parabens, phthalates, detergents like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES), DEA, propylene glycol, butyl acetate, diazolidinyl urea, butylated hydroxytoluene, ethyl acetate, toulene, triethanolamine, petrolatum and "fragrance" (just to name a few).  At the end of this post I list my favorite healthy products.  Don't forget to check it out.  

The primary toxic ingredients I am going to discuss here are called parabens. Parabens are broad-spectrum antimicrobial preservatives used in many common hair care products, lotions, cosmetics and other skin care items.   The commonly used parabens are; methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, isobutylparaben, butylparaben and benzylparaben.  If you have products with parabens or are planning on buying a product with a paraben in it, I would strongly advise you not to buy it or throw them away as soon as possible. Parabens are known to mimic estrogen, disrupt normal hormone function (xenoestrogens) and once they are applied to the skin and travel through the bloodstream, they appear to the body as estrogen.  The body then reacts as though there is an excess of estrogen causing reproductive difficulty in men and women, increased fat deposits, decreased muscle mass, early onset puberty in girls and boys and even increase the potential for developing certain types of cancer and other health issues.  In a recent article from Environmental Science and Technology, women who were breast feeding kept a diary of products that they used in a 24 hr period prior to collection of their urine and breast milk samples.  Women who used lotions in the 24 hours prior to collection of samples had higher concentrations (80-110%) in their urine and breast milk (over 50%) than women who reported no use of lotion in 24 hours prior to collection.  Women who used shampoo, conditioner, and other cosmetics showed 70-80% higher concentrations of parabens in their urine.  This study proves that our bodies do indeed absorb toxins from beauty products.  
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 An increase in estrogen because of parabens isn't only an issue of concern for women but also for men.  Parabens are xenoestrogens and these chemicals are known to disrupt hormone-dependent organs, due to their binding affinity for hormonal receptors.  A study from Environmental Toxicology looked at the endocrine-disrupting potential of parabens in the prostate.  Researchers focused on the effects of oral exposure to methylparaben for 3,7, and 21 days on adult gerbil prostate.  The date showed that methylparaben was responsible for disrupting estrogenic and androgenic receptors, suggesting that parabens may have estrogenic and anti-androgenic effects on the prostate.  Some of the alterations included the overgrowth of cells in the prostate.  Overgrowth of cells can potentially lead to cancer.  

Another common class of chemicals in skincare products are called phthalates (pronounced THAL-ates).  These are also linked to endocrine disruption, developmental and reproductive toxicity, and cancer.  Phthalates have been banned from cosmetics in the European union, but still remain prevalent in products here in the U.S.  They are found in color cosmetics, fragranced lotions, body washes, hair products and nail polish.  When reading labels look for phthalate, DEP, DBP, DEHP and fragrance. The National Toxicology Program and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported that DEHP has shown to be a human carcinogen based on sufficient evidence of carciongenicity of animal studies.  DBP has been shown to cause proliferation of breast tumor cells and to make anti-estrogen treatments, such as tamoxifen, less effective against tumors.  DEHP has also been shown to cause liver and colon tumors in animals.  
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Surprisingly, in the United States the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not investigate or test for the safety of personal care products before consumers use them.  A panel that is appointed and funded by the cosmetic industry called the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), reviews the safety of ingredients in cosmetics and skincare products.  The relate that the amount of chemicals in the products are so small that they would not cause any adverse health effects.  However, most of us use multiple skincare and hair care products each day.  This all must add up!  The EWG or Environmental Working Group, reported that there are approximately 10,500 ingredients used in skin care products in the U.S. and only 11 percent of those ingredients are reviewed and tested for safety. According to the EWG, while the FDA has limited authority to regulate cosmetics, our current laws leave them powerless to screen for chemicals that have been linked to cancer, harm to the reproductive system in both men and women, and severe allergies, among other health effects.  The federal law designed to ensure that personal care products are safe has remained largely unchanged since 1938.  

It is also important to mention that these chemicals have to go somewhere when they are washed off of our bodies.  They end up in our environment including the air we breathe and the water that we drink and bathe with. It is time to take responsibility for your health, the health of those around you and for the generations to come. I recommend you take a look at the Environmental Working Group (EWG) website: www.ewg.org, which has a database that ranks over 25,000 products on a 0-10 scale of toxicity.  Not every product is listed but many of the common products you can find at your local pharmacy are there.  

There are obviously many chemicals and toxins in most of the products we use on a daily basis.  Yes, a small amount of a chemical in one product may not be enough to cause an issue, however, when most of your daily products contain these chemicals it all adds up.  A great way to start cleaning up your routine is to get rid of one product at a time.  I understand it can get quite expensive and time consuming.  I would make it a goal to check out all the ingredients listed on the products that you already use.  If you see any of the chemicals I have discussed and listed in the beginning of this post, start throwing away the worst one or two products and replacing them with healthier alternatives.  Do this every month with one or two products and eventually you will clean up your routine!  Before purchasing products online or in stores, make sure you read every ingredient just like you do when food shopping.  If the ingredients are not listed, ask someone who represents the company for a list or don't buy it.  Below I have some of my favorite products listed for skin, hair, nail and dental care.  Remember, it all adds up and what you use on your body can effect your health as well as the health of others.  Cheers to your health. 

DrSuzHeals' Favorite Healthy and Clean Products

Face: Primal Life Organics face wash and anti-aging regimens. 
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Body:  Primal Life Organics moisturizers, scrubs, deodorants.  You Must Go Click on this exact link: Primal Life Organics 

Dental Care:  Primal Life Organics tooth powder.  You MUST Click on this exact LINK: Primal Life Organics 

Makeup:  Primal Life Organics all makeup products.  You Must Click on this exact LINK: Primal Life Organics 

Hair Care:  Rahua shampoo, conditioner, finishing treatment. 



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