All Natural Skincare

If you choose to nourish your body with organic and nourishing foods, shouldn't you do the same for your skin by choosing all natural skincare?

The skin is the largest organ in the body. It has a life of its own breathing in nutrients and exhaling toxins. Two of the skin's major functions are respiration and excretion. The skin inhales oxygen, while sweat and other waste products are excreted through the skin's pores.

Consumers understand how transdermal patches absorb medication into the bloodstream[1]. However, many of us don't stop to think about how chemicals from our skin care products absorb through our skin and into the bloodstream. Although scientists have not determined the complete effects of chemical absorption through the skin, common ingredients known as parabens are suspected by scientists to be absorbed through the skin and into breast tissue[2].

Unfortunately, many ingredients used in skin care products are far from all natural. In fact, the long term effects of many of the ingredients used in personal care products are not known.

Although it seems that the word "natural" should mean pure, close to nature, and unadulterated, today's marketing has confused the meaning of the word "natural. "

Current law does not require manufacturers to back up their claims, so you can't trust marketing terms such as organic, natural and hypoallergenic[3], [4].

In reviewing beauty brands, it's important to choose the right type of product for your needs AND it's vital to educate yourself as to what makes an all natural skincare product. Some things you'll see in our product discussions and brand reviews include:

• Natural and organic certifications
• Use of sustainable and biodegradable materials
• Proper labeling
• Unique ingredients
• Environmentally-friendly production methods
• Standards for ingredient purity
• Fair trade practices
• Safety testing

In the U. S. , federal law has major loopholes. A "...cosmetic manufacturer may use almost any raw material as a cosmetic ingredient and market the product without an approval from the FDA"[5].

"... Public health is in the hands of an impotent agency [referring to the FDA], safety testing is voluntary, safety decisions are at the discretion of individual companies, and the burden of choosing safe cosmetics falls squarely on the shoulders of each consumer"[6].

Because it's so confusing to sort through the marketing claims and safety issues in the beauty industry, our goal is to help you separate fact from fiction and empower you to choose healthy all natural skincare.

So what is the impact of our exposure to chemicals from personal care products?

It's no secret that industrial chemicals are found in cosmetics and personal care products. In fact, of the 82,000 chemicals registered for use in the U. S. , 10,500 are used to manufacture skin care products.

"Industrial chemicals are basic ingredients in personal care products... They are the chemical industry in a bottle[7]. "

In June 2004 the Environmental Working Group together with a coalition of public interest and environmental health organizations released a personal care product survey that reported the average adult uses 9 personal care products every day which together contain 126 unique chemical ingredients.

More than a quarter of all the women surveyed and one out of every 100 men use at least 15 products daily. From these, they are exposed to ingredients that are either known or probable human carcinogens.

Women use more products than men, and are exposed to more unique ingredients daily, but men use a surprisingly high number of products as well. The average woman uses 12 products containing 168 unique ingredients every day. Men, on average, use 6 products daily with 85 unique ingredients[8].

In light of these grim statistics what can you do to avoid exposure to these harmful chemicals?

Choose your cosmetics wisely, educate yourself about cosmetic standards, and buy only the safest, truly all natural skincare products.