Do you ever think about the products you put on your body every single day? Most people don’t. I almost typed “women” instead of “people” but this is one big misconception. We think of cosmetics are meaning make-up and specific to women, but they are much more than that. Every single product you use on any part of your body for beautification or cleanliness is a cosmetic. From toothpaste to hair gel to foot scrub, they all count. Most people use 10 or more cosmetics every day, although I’m willing to bet its many more for a lot of people. Look in your medicine cabinet, in your bathroom drawers and cabinets. That’s a lot of product, right?!
Secret Ingredients
Now did you know that the ingredients that go into these products that sit on your hair or skin or eyelashes aren’t really regulated? It’s true, many products include endocrine disrupters, known cancer-causing agents and products commonly causing rash or other symptoms. No one really oversees this and ingredients don’t have to be considered safe before they can go in something. What makes it more scary is that even if you think you’re buying natural products from trustworthy companies, it’s hard to really know what’s in your products. It’s a scary business and you could be slowly poisoning yourself or putting cancer-causers on your skin (which then absorbs into your bloodstream) on a regular or daily basis. Think lead, formaldehyde, parabens, BPA and arsenic.
What To Do About It
Now, if this is new info, don’t freak out! You have control over your health and over the products you choose to use. The easiest way to find out the potential harm from your favorite products is the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database. Go there. Now. Search your go-to products and take in the information. Then, you don’t have to change. It’s your choice, but knowledge allows you to make an informed, conscious decision about how you choose to live your life.
If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, the cosmetics industry and how it affects your health, check out this article I wrote for Boulder Magazine.
Finally, I’m interested in your thoughts on this topic. No judgement – just curiosity. Do you use a lot of cosmetics? Does the lack of regulation and potentially harmful ingredients scare you? If you checked out the database, what did you learn? Will you change your products or are you happy with what you use? {Photo Credit: Steve Isaacs}