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Top 4 Personal Care Ingredients to Avoid!


PersonalCareProductsToxic_thumbby Sean Croxton

Think about this for a second.

If you’re a man and your doctor finds that you have low levels of testosterone, what would your doc prescribe?

Probably some kind of testosterone gel or cream.

(By the way, the above prescription completely ignores the reason WHY your testosterone is low in the first place. But that’s a blog for another day.)

Or let’s say you’re a smoker who really wants to kick the habit. What would you go out and buy?

Probably a nicotine patch of some kind, right?

What these two examples have in common is that by applying a substance to the skin, it is delivered transdermally to the bloodstream in just a matter of seconds.

What we put onto our bodies gets into our bodies.

But what about the personal care products we use every day — the soaps, shampoos, deodorants, cosmetics, toothpastes, mouthwashes, and lotions?

Do their chemical contents have a similar fate, with their foaming and wetting agents, synthetic fragrances, and antifreeze-like compounds eventually pumping through our veins?

Darn right they do.

According to the Environmental Working Group, the typical consumer uses an average of nine personal care products containing 126 separate ingredients every day. At least one-third of these ingredients have been identified as causing cancer or other serious health conditions. (Fitzgerald, 23)

That’s not good.

In my opinion, the toxic chemicals we habitually use in the name of hygiene, beauty, scent, and spotless homes are the elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about.

There aren’t many parents out there willing to own up to the fact that their children may be going through early puberty due to the estrogen-mimicking chemicals in their shampoo.

Not many women want to confront the fact that the parabens in their makeup may be the cause of their hormonal imbalances.

I can empathize. Reading and understanding food labels is hard enough. Making sense out of the multi-syllabic ingredients in your body wash only makes life more complicated, I know.

So today, my good friend Christa Orecchio of The Whole Journey is here to get you moving in the right direction, as she explains WHY you should avoid these four common personal care ingredients:

* Parabens
* DEA
* Sodium laureth sulfate
* Propylene glycol

Because you probably don’t want to brush your teeth with garage floor cleaner, ya know. 🙂

We also show you a ton of healthy, natural products you can replace the toxic stuff with. Even toilet paper!

WATCH the video below.

Be sure to check out the Skin Deep website, where you can find out on a scale of 1-10 just how toxic (or safe) your personal care products are.

And don’t forget to get Christa’s FREE Healthy Product Swap report at the link below…

www.healthyproductswap.com

Adios, friends!

Source: The Hundred-Year Lie by Randall Fitzgerald

Sean
Author, The Dark Side of Fat Loss
Dark Side of Fat Loss

Comments

comments

16 thoughts on “Top 4 Personal Care Ingredients to Avoid!

  1. Jill

    Regarding natural deodorants that actually work…. for a paste texture deodorant, mix coconut oil with baking soda and cornstarch (or arrowroot flour) till it reaches the consistency you want (keep in mind that during the summer months coconut oil is usually liquid and during the cooler winter temps generally solid). Alternately, for a dry (powder) deodorant you can mix 1 to 2 parts cornstarch or arrowroot flour with 1 part baking soda. With both options, you can add essential oils for scent, but really, it’s the baking soda that is effective at preventing odor. I make natural deodorants to sell at my local farmer’s market, using baking soda as the active ingredient. People are always amazed at how well it works! Give it a try!

  2. Crystie

    Thanks for the video!
    I tried a bunch of natural deodorants. The homemade arrowroot and coconut oil stuff was ok, but it powdered on dark shirts. The best I found is the deodorantshop over on etsy. And finding a scent that goes with me makes a huge difference. I’m Samoan, and the scents amber, tobacco, and exotic work great. But lemon and moonflower (lilies and stuff) don’t work. My husband is white, and while tobacco was ok, bamboo was great. It’s just like with cooking–if you want the best smell, you use things that go with the main player to change it over.

  3. Kristen J

    Hello Sean, I started using a natural crystal deodorant a couple years ago and it works great. The one I use is called Pit Rock but you can find others at the health food store. I like it because you still sweat you just don’t stink. It kills the bacteria that causes sweat to stink. Right after you shower rub it on your pits while they are wet and it works for a whole 24hrs sometimes even longer. My boyfriend said it didn’t work for him but I got him to shave his pits and it worked great. Skin contact is important for guys who want to use it. Hope this helps 🙂

  4. Beth

    I’ve been looking for the perfect natural deodorant for awhile. I was making my own out of coconut oil, corn starch and baking soda, but it didn’t work that well and I ended up with white flakies once it dried, not cool! I recently picked up Weleda’s deodorant and it works really well! It also smells awesome (I got the rose scent, but the sage might be better for a guy!). Another natural deodorant that’s gotten great reviews is Dr. Hauschka’s. I haven’t tried it, but I know they do make great products. There’s 2 that you can try, Sean!

  5. Andrea Merrigan

    Loved the video, thank you so much!!! I would love some recommendations on volumizing hair products for women that do not contain these ingredients. I dont want to spend $100s on products that are more “natural” and then they dont work. I have done that with shampoo and given up! I use a basic volumizing mouse and volumizing hairspray, but would like to find something more “natural” that allows my hair to look good still. Problem I find with the more natural hair products is it leaves my hair even greasier/oiler then it already is, I have to shower everyday or my hair is disgusting. Any suggestions of companies or products would be great, or just where I could look for some.

  6. Stephanie

    I use equal parts baking soda and coconut oil. A few drops of your favorite essential oil is nice, but optional. I’ve never had a problem with ‘white flakes’ or oily armpit stains. Allows me to perspire without any resulting odor whatsoever. And speaking of ingredients being transdermal- the baking soda also helps to alkalize my system. These two items should be in every kitchen and bathroom- so many uses, and healthful too!

  7. John Wade

    Yo dog!

    Can’t believe I just watched this whole thing instead of sleeping! haha

    Yo, mineral salts as a deodorant is da bomb! No smell! And it’s just salt! They usually come in a crystal format. You just rub it on when you hop out the shower, and they prevent the proliferation of funky bacteria. Good stuff! Google it!

    Now I gotta venture into organic cologne…possibly. Except when I’m tryna impress, then it’s Abercrombie-Fierce, without a doubt. Stuff’s magic.

  8. Dennisj

    It is amazing how many products on the store shelf contain one or more of these 4, even when viable alternatives are available. We need to make sure we are diligent when buying these types of products.

    And talking about Propylene glycol (car anti-freeze), which we all know is poisonous to our dogs. But it is still found in many brands of dog food.

  9. Jeffrey

    I was horrified recently when I read about the dangers of the chemicals that are used to make the shampoos that we all use on a daily basis. The scariest of all was Sodium Laurel Sulphate which is what makes a shampoo foamy and pleasant to wash your hair with. But the stuff is toxic and can cause cancer and other serious disorders. Thanks for confirming this with your excellent post!

  10. Alana H.

    Hi there,

    Thanks for this insightful piece and the accompanying video. I think that even with all the personal care ingredients that may be harmful to the body, we have to be vigilant in taking responsibility to not be overdependent on some of these products. Taking the time out to actually making your own home-made lotion or scrub can go a long way in helping you wean yourself off these products.

    Alana

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