More and more people are buying 'organic' and 'natural' products at the health food stores such as Whole Foods. These products are usually more expensive, exclusive and many Americans use their hard earned dollars to purchase these products believing they are healthier for their families than non-organic and synthetic products. Is this truly the case? It seems that these products may not be as safe as most people think. Last week the Organic Consumer's Association (OCA) sent out a press release to report the contamination of many personal care products mis-labeled as organic or natural with a cancer causing synthetic chemical called 1,4 Dioxane.
USDA Certified Organic products do NOT contain these easily absorbable cancer causing chemical, so look for the USDA Organic symbol on the organic products you purchase. According to a study published by Environmental Working Group, almost half of all the products tested contained 1,4 Dioxane. Which included about 57% of baby soaps and 34% of skin lotions. This might just be the tip of the iceberg for cancer causing contaminants in personal care products. Preliminary studies indicate that many personal care products contain one or more of two dozen chemicals commonly found in cosmetics known to cause cancer or other health concerns. In fact, the top ingredient commonly exposed to is called hydroquinone and 94% of women and 69% of men are exposed to it daily in their shampoos, body lotions, make-up etc. One study listed the top 7 chemical ingredients know to cause cancer as hydroquinone, ethylene dioxide, 1,4-dioxane, formaldehyde, nitrosamines, PAHs, and acrylamide.
The Food and Drug Association (FDA) is responsible for the regulation of these personal care products but does not do safety testing before the products are sold. Check out the results of the OCA's testing of organic and natural products for 1,4 dioxane. The natural "BDIH" certification for German products did not contain this contaminant. If you want to find out how your make-up, baby shampoo, hair dye, suntan lotion, skin creams etc. measure up for health risks, you can use the database set up by the Environmental Working Group called Skin Deep.
A few months ago we talked about Lead in Your Lipstick which brings awareness toward heavy metal contamination in one of the most commonly consumed non-food item, lipstick. Also, read my article on Beauty and Breast Cancer which talks about the preservative Paraben and its relatives. These chemicals are often accumulating in your fat cells after they are absorbed by your skin. The FDA does not have the resources to regulate your skin care products so take matters into your own hands and find out what is best for you and your family.
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The term "Natural" and "Organic" do not mean the same thing. .. The market is full of body care products labeled "natural." Natural is a marketing term. Organic products are made with ingredients grown without any synthetic chemicals or genetically modified organisms. When looking for skin care products, look for skin care products that are CHEMICAL FREE and organic. .remember, natural holds no substance to the USDA, but Organic does. . my personal recommendation for health is the Made from Earth skin care line. They us ereal plant and fruits in their skin care, and don’t use any chemicals to preserve them….their face cream, the 3 Berry serum, is my favorite because it is full of antioxidants from the organic blueberries and cranberries it has inside it….it is highly recommended..
Best of luck staying healthy!
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