Naturalpath

Helping you find natural skin care: cosmetics, make up and body cream solutions for the naturally inclined.

I was walking down Midtown Manhattan and this store caught my eye. I have walked by it countless times but somehow it made an impression on me that day. I walked in and immediately liked the feel of it. It felt very Organic and Natural... and the products were not packaged flawlessly like some stores I go into. Everything felt raw and I felt like you can manage the products without some sales clerk breathing down your neck. I asked the sales girl if the products were cruelty free and she happily whipped out the brochure and gave it to me. Then she touted the company as not only being cruelty free but all the products were handmade. So I browsed and shopped and this superstar sales girl sold about $150 worth of stuff to me.

The Enviromental Working Group (EWG) has shown that many known carcinogens and toxins found in cosmetics are now being found in the body. The average nubmer of chemicals found in the body and not found in the enviroment prior to 1950 is in the mid 600 range. In cord blood of newborns it is around 240. On the top of the list of concern are the following toxins. Look for them in the products you are using or thinking about using.

• Phthalates These are found in an array of products from shampoos to nail polish to perfumes. Studies have linked an impaired fertility rate in male offspring who were exposed in the womb or through mothers milk.
• Fragrance This is one of the worst. Of all the perfumes tested all have some level of carcinogen or toxin
• Coal Tar These are found in hair dyes or dandruff shampoos and are linked to bladder cancer and immune system damage

The cosmetic industry admits that their products do contain some know carginogens but asserts that they are present in such negligible amount as to not be of harm. But long term exposure from many different micro sources could add up to a toxic burden that harms the bodies ability to function correctly. If you think of someone who has exposure over several decades from there food, the packaging of their foods, the water, and the 3-9 body products they use every day, not to mention alcohol, birth control, hormone therapy or even the chronic use of apsrin like substance. What we end up with is a total body burden that is greater that the system can handle. From there we could see a number of problems including increased allergies, PMS, to cancers.