Would you be surprised if you were told that there is a good chance that almost every personal-care product you own is full of dangerous chemicals? From hair products to facial products and lotions to perfumes, we are, daily, dousing ourselves with tiny portions of poison. How can this be? Well, in America, the cosmetics industry is self-regulating, and it is doing a horrible job. Since the dangers of chemicals used in cosmetics became widely known, the European Union has banned over 1,000 of them, while the U.S. has banned a mere 10.
Dangers of Everyday Personal-Care Products
Common chemicals found in your everyday personal-care products can range from lead in your lipstick, to mercury in your mascara, petrochemicals in your lotions and perfumes, toxic plastics and preservatives in your hair care, and a host of other carcinogens, mutagens, and reproductive toxins. Daily, via our normal hygienic routine, we are exposed to over 160 chemicals. Our children are no exception: baby lotions, creams, and shampoos are just as loaded with these cancer-causing, hormone-disrupting chemicals as those for adults. These products can cause headaches, allergy attacks, and other symptoms that are commonly attributed to everyday life rather than your body-care products.
Your skin is your body?s largest organ. When these everyday products are used, the body soaks up the poison like a sponge, and it gets into the very recesses of your anatomy. A recent study conducted by the Environmental Working Group found that newborn umbilical-cord blood of African-American, Asian, and Hispanic newborns contained over 200 identifiable toxic chemicals including synthetic fragrances. So, without question, by the very act of cleaning and grooming, we are polluting ourselves.
The Safe, Natural and Organic Alternative
Buying organic, plant-based make-up, skin care, and hair care nowadays is a must. Luckily for American consumers, there are plenty of companies with a conscience that strive to provide their customers with products that are natural, organic, and safe. These companies offer plant-based products that enhance beauty from the inside?out. Shelley Davis is the founder and owner of such a company. Kinky Curly is an organic and natural hair-care line for all types of hair, and they have a line especially for the little person in your life. According to Davis, ?Most companies use synthetic ingredients because they are cheaper, but in making this choice they are being inherently irresponsible. People must realize that what you put on your skin and hair is absorbed through your body and takes a horrendous toll.?
Kinky Curly is consistently lauded in magazines such as Essence, Redbook, and other publications as the essential hair-care line for 2010, and there?s a reason why. Natural products actually create healthy hair; when your hair is free of plastic and other harmful chemicals, it is free to grow. All of our products work together to assist in creating a nourishing, rich environment for your hair to thrive in.
Read Labels Obsessively
Become an avid label reader. With anything pure, you will always have copycats who try to siphon off of a good thing. Don?t trust the front label saying it?s natural and organic (of course, unless it carries the USDA certified organic label). Turn it over and look at the back. Then immediately put it down and keep moving if it contains any of the following known toxins:
???? Methylparaben
???? Propyl Paraben
???? Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
???? Phthalates
???? Mineral Oil
???? Paraffin
???? DEA
???? Synthetic colors or fragrances
???? Propylene Glycol
???? PEG-100
???? PABA
???? Petroleum
There is a bit of good news on the horizon. As a result of all the press, the spreading of the news, and consumer uprising, there is – for the first time – landmark proposed legislation: The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 is currently pending before Congress. If passed, this bill will require cosmetic companies to do the right thing and provide consumers with toxic-free options.
