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Trusting
the Skin Care Industry to Keep Us Safe
We have placed a certain trust that the creams we put on our face and
bodies are safe. We believe that the soaps we wash with are not dangerous,
much less toxic and hazardous. We assume that if they were risky for
us, they simply wouldn’t be on the market. It is astonishing to
read the back of a label and find words of ingredients that are evident
chemicals, yet these products are so widely used. Many people feel okay
with using these products because it’s what they’ve always
used.
Morning time we wash with shampoo, then use conditioner chock full of
sulfates and imidazolidinyl urea. Next we rub on lotion full of synthetic
oils such as petrolatums, petroleum based fragrances and ingredients
like propylene glycol (a solvent that can eat away a barnacle from the
bottom of a boat). We then wipe dangerous sunscreens on our faces in
hopes to prevent aging. Following up with the hair mousses and hair
sprays full of parabens now known to be synthetic estrogen mimicking
chemicals. Add makeup that releases formaldehyde known to depress the
nervous system and our day is just beginning.
Let’s face it, the Federal Food & Drug Administration (F.D.A.),
Office of Cosmetics and Colors, who “regulate” cosmetics
and personal care cannot even require companies to do safety testing
on their products before they are sold to the public. According to this
government agency, “a cosmetic manufacturer may use almost any
raw material as a cosmetic ingredient and market the product without
an approval from FDA.” That's right. And an Environmental Working
Group analysis shows that "89 percent of 10,500 ingredients used
in personal care products have not been evaluated for safety by the
CIR, the FDA, nor any other publicly accountable institution."
These potentially harmful ingredients are still commonly used because
they are cheap, easily diluted, and universally available - a woefully
inadequate recipe for producing personal "care" products.
There exists a real need for more healthful alternatives to the existing
slurry of generic, mass-produced personal care industry. Why, some may
still ask? It is only put on the skin, it is not as though we are eating
this. Some may even go on to believe the skin does not absorb these
chemicals. Then why do nicotine patches and transdermal drugs work if
these chemicals do not become absorbed? The skin is not selective in
its choices. It is up to us to take greater care in our own choices.
These chemicals may not cause an immediate reaction, but this concoction
of poisons that is being used repeatedly can incrementally overload
ours and our children’s systems causing eczema, allergies, sensitization,
and ultimately could lead to cancer and nervous system problems. There
is no doubt these types of disorders are on the rise.
where botanicalbasics™ stands
We know that the best forms of food to eat are the fresh fruits and
veggies, the dairies, and cheeses and eggs that are found on the outer
rims of the grocery store. When we begin to venture to the center we
find the boxed goods that have been sitting for months, even years.
These foods are the ones chock full of preservatives and fillers. The
same thing is happening when we look at our toiletries. However most
do not use an expiration date. In order for a large personal care company
to get a product to market, the procedure seems endless. There must
be time for the manufacture, package, distribute, deliver, holding area,
stocking; its no wonder there is a strong need for heavy chemical preservation.
The simple fact is that the more research we do at botanicalbasics™,
the more conviction we carry on using natural means of preservation
and emulsification systems. We encourage you to compare our ingredients
to other brands.
Our preservatives come from
• Green Tea Extract
• Vitamin E
• Ascorbyl palmitate (Vitamin C Ester)
• Rosemary Oil Extract
• Potassium Sorbate (Food Grade)
• Silver Citrate (Silver Based Natural Preservative)
• Benzyl Alcohol (Eco-certified Plant Based Preservative)
• Citric Acid (Food Grade)
• Antibacterial Blends Of Essential Oils
We must bring a fresh view on the labeling “natural”. An
ingredient may say it comes from a “natural” source when
it has been changed to an entirely different form. The question then
is does it still carry the same healing qualities that we can benefit
from when using high ratios of raw botanical materials?
Let’s take sodium lauryl sulfate, a common ingredient found in
90% of personal care products for example. It creates the lather and
foaming action that many people believe gets you clean. It is misleading
to read “comes from coconut”, when it is actually a garage
floor degreaser. Many pseudo-natural products disguise this ingredient
in their products. It causes eye irritations, skin rashes and allergic
reactions. This harsh chemical, SLS breaks down the skin’s moisture
barrier and easily penetrates the skin allowing other chemicals to easily
penetrate the skin as well. When combined with other chemicals, SLS
can be transformed into “nitrosamines”, a potent class of
carcinogens. The American Journal of Toxicology states that SLS stays
in the body up to 5 days. It is believed to cause hair loss and scalp
irritation similar to dandruff. Yet this is a very common ingredient
in personal care products.
Many of these conventional ingredients that are frequently found in
your toiletries are the same form you find in industrial strength cleaners.
What about propylene glycol. This is used in personal care products
as a moisture carrying ingredient. PG will strip the skin’s natural
barrier and is easily and rapidly absorbed, leaving the immune system
vulnerable. The PG used by the cosmetics industry is also used by the
automotive industry in the manufacture of anti–freeze and automotive
brake fluid. In 1992, the FDA proposed a ban on propylene glycol. The
EPA warns against contact with skin; however there is not a warning
label on products such as stick deodorants, where the concentration
is greater than in most industrial applications. Propylene Glycol may
also be listed as Butylene Glycol and Ethylene Glycol.
Check out our resources for the ingredients
you may want to avoid. It is crucial for us to become familiar
with the chemicals that are around us everyday. Products made with synthetics
pale in comparison to products made with real botanicals.
by
Erica Flynn
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