What you put ONTO your body is just as important as what you put INTO your body.

We’re pretty clued into the dangers of eating processed foods. Well, most of us are. We at least know that eating fresh fruits and vegetables is better for us than a package of Oreos, right?

But what’s the good in eating really healthy if you’re slathering on chemical laden products all day, every day?

That’s right.

A study done by Biochemist Richard Bence revealed that women who wear makeup absorb nearly five pounds of chemicals into their bodies each year.

Yikes!

In the beautiful US of A, there are no laws requiring cosmetic companies to prove the safety of their products.

In Europe there are over 1,300 chemicals banned from cosmetics.

In the US, less than 10 chemicals are banned.

Geesh, maybe I should wait two months until my trip to England to restock on beauty products. Thankfully, I have minimized my beauty routine down to almost nothing, but even then I'm concerned.

Let’s look some of the chemicals that have found their place in our beauty products.

— Mercury can be found in skin lightening creams

— Lead can be found in lipsticks, foundations and oh you know, over 650 other cosmetic products. [It's a neurotoxin linked to learning/behavioral issues]

— Formaldehyde can be found in hair straightening products, nail polish, shampoo and lotion. [It’s known to cause cancer, not to mention smells horrendous]

— Triclosan can be found in soaps, deodorant and toothpaste. [It disrupts your body’s natural hormone system, and if you’ve learned anything from my past posts you know that hormones rule all…don’t mess with them]

— Parabens can be found in lotions and ointments. [It is also found in the breast cancer tumors]

— Ethylene Oxide [a carcinogen] can be found in fragrances and shampoos.

— Sunscreen is touted to prevent skin cancer, but unfortunately it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be.

The 2014 EWG guide to safe sunscreen reviewed over 2000 sunscreens and over 250 brands. They found that more than 75% of them contained toxic chemicals that increase the risk of cancer and other health issues.

While all of this is somewhat overwhelming and slightly terrifying, don’t panic too too much. There is some hope.

+ Start reading and researching products, companies and ingredient lists. Know that the labeling on beauty products actually isn’t regulated so don’t be fooled by terms like “natural” or “organic”.

+ Choose beauty products with expiration dates. You would be cautious of a food that never expired, start thinking the same about everything you put on your body too.

+ Check out websites like this one and this one.

+ Simplify your beauty routine. Less is more. You’ll quickly learn that you have drawers and shelves full of products “sold” to you that are entirely unnecessary.

And finally, don’t expect to completely revamp your entire bathroom right away. Give yourself time to replace and remove the products you use. Enjoy the process.

I'm far too trusting of a person and think that everyone is inherently good, and will avoid harm to others at all costs. But sadly that's not the truth. Money rules a lot in this world, so you have to learn how to become your own health advocate.

Knowledge is power my friends, have fun with it.