Parabens, Phthlates, SLS's! Oh My!

On Monday, we talked about the fact that there are harmful chemicals in many skincare products. Today we’ll briefly highlight each one.
Lets start with Parabens. Simply put, Parabens  are preservatives. They extend the shelf life of  products, but are of no benefit to the consumer. However, they do provide adverse effects to the consumer. They have been shown to produce abnormal hormonal effects following application on laboratory animals, particularly males, that resulted in decreased testosterone levels and other varied abnormalities. They have also been found to accumulate in the breast tissue of women with breast cancer. They are downright AWEFUL, in my opinion.
Phthalates are a group of chemical compounds that are used as plasticizers (substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility). It is hard to imagine that we need plasticizers in our skincare products but you can find them in cosmetics, bath bars, and various lotions. High Phthalates doses have shown hormonal activity in animal studies and have resulted in damage to the liver, the kidneys, the lungs, and the developing testes.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, or SLS for short, is an ingredient that gives a product its foaming ability. Most people equate cleaning ability with the amount of sud or bubbles created, so companies use SLS to give the impression of a more effective cleanser. SLS is a known skin irritant. When companies test new healing skin products, SLS is the chemical they first apply to irritate the skin, then test the products anti-inflammatory effectiveness on the inflammation caused BY the SLS.  This chemical can infiltrate the eyes, brain, heart, and liver with potentially harmful effects according to the journal of the American College of Toxicology. SLS can cause rashes, eczema and other skin irritations. Even more shocking is the fact that some products containing this ingredient are labeled as natural or organic because SLS is a detergent derived from coconut oil.
Synthetic perfumes or fragrances can contain hundreds of chemicals.  Some, such as methylene chloride, are carcinogenic and others might cause headaches, dizziness, coughing, vomiting and skin irritation.
These ingredients hardly sound beneficial, or even appropriate, for our skin care needs. So what can you do to avoid these dangerous ingredients?  We’ll talk about that Tomorrow!  See you then!