Do you want cancer? Put down that foaming body wash!

I think I just found a book that will change my life. No More Dirty Looks: The Truth about your Beauty Products, by Siobhan O'Connor and Alexandra Spunt. The authors of this book have done what I have wanted to do ever since I became an Esthetician: research all the major ingredients in thousands of personal care products, talk to a few doctors and really determine what you should and should not be putting on your body. The results are depressing for sure, when you realize that your beloved Nars eye shadow and Bath & Body Works lotion is gonna have to go... But sort of inspiring too. Because now I'm informed and get to experiment with a whole slew of natural products that work just as well, smell fantastic and won't give me weird rashes and pimples like the chemical varieties. And keep in mind too, that the reasons to ditch go beyond rashes and pimples. Some ingredients could be contributing to cancers, tumors, allergens, organ functions, breathing problems, and in the right concentration: even death.
Whoa. That's pretty serious. Now, some ingredients don't have enough data to really tell us exactly what harm they can do to our bodies, but why risk it if its a product you only sort of think works for you?
To get the most out of this subject, I really think you should pick up this book and read it cover to cover. But for the interest of this blog entry I'll briefly tell you about your hair care. (Your skin care and body-cleansing needs are taken care of with Eminence products since they are 98% organic and contain absolutely no chemicals!)

Why you should care more about what hair care products you're using: Because your scalp is one of the most absorbent part of your body. Anything you put on your hair and head goes into your blood stream and can therefore travel all over the body! So why would we want to help those chemicals? Some will be eliminated when you pee but others can hang around, up to a year. This is scary stuff.

Ingredients to avoid in your shampoo and conditioner:
Sodium Laurel Sulfate- it's byproduct produces a carcinogen, which is cancerous.
Preservatives, like DMDM hydantoin and methylparaben: can release formaldehyde, which when in the body can effect estrogen, thyroid, and neurological function.
Fragrances/Perfume- This is a big category. The perfume industry has it's own trademarking laws and is not included with FDA testings. Each fragrance can contain hundreds of chemicals and none of them are considered safe. They are known neurotoxins, and can affect allergies and hormone levels.

Those are just 3 reasons to switch your shampoo and conditioner- but what about your de-frizzer? Your de-tangler? Hair spray, hair gel, mousse? And here's a biggie: hair dye.  I'm not quite ready to tackle hair dye, but am going to look into more natural henna dyes.

When you're ready to go shopping for new products, you can consult this book (it has great recommendations) or just read those labels. Look for natural ingredients and fewer rather than  more ingredients. Go to trusted product lines like John Masters Organics, Aubrey, Avalon, and Dr. Hauschka. You can even make your own products using basics like baking soda, apple cider vinegar and cornstarch!
Remember that Most Commercial Beauty products have chemicals to some degree. Even the ones that claim they are "natural" or "organic". The USDA only requires products to have a small percentage of "natural ingredients" to be able to label them that way. You will find much cleaner products at Whole Foods or your local natural grocer. Even some drug stores are now carrying the cleaner lines. Also, Most products advertised on TV and in magazines are likely to have chemicals. Do not be swayed: Even if your favorite actress says that product is the best she's ever tried.

Next on my list to tackle: Makeup and Nail care. That's going to be a doozy.