Is Your Beauty Routine Increasing Your Cancer Risk?

Most people don’t associate their beauty products with their health. In fact, most people figure that as long as they’re not eating toxins, then it is safe to use it on their skin. However, that is the farthest thing from the truth!

So, how does your beauty routine really affect your health?

Well, the skin is not only one of the detoxification organs, but it’s also the 2nd largest organ in the body. Most of the time, the skin is actually the first to show the signs of degeneration or imbalances, and it is the last to heal. It weighs almost twice as much as the brain, and it receives one-third of the circulation of the blood. Some of its functions include:

• works as a protective shield to the body structure
• helps to regulate body temperature
• works as a respiratory organ
• performs absorption activities by assimilating oxygen and other nutrients
• aids in elimination of toxic wastes from the body

When a person applies products to their skin, the product is quickly absorbed into the blood stream. In fact, it’s possible for those toxins to be absorbed even faster than if a person were to eat them. This is why it is just as important to use clean body products as it is to eat clean foods.

Deodorant

In all honesty, the most difficult body product for me to replace with an all natural, clean product was deodorant. I tried so many different ‘all natural’ deodorants and none of them worked! And for a while, my pride was stronger than my desire to not continue applying toxic, cancer causing chemicals directly onto the lymphatic system near my breasts.

Then one day in my research, I read this study and realized that women with breast cancer have higher levels of aluminum in their Nipple Aspirate Fluid (NAF), which is a fluid present in the breast duct tree.

Can we say…done and done!

I immediately threw my Dove away and began using Primally Pure Deodorant. Seriously…it works. AND it’s 100% clean!

One thing I like to remind myself of is that it’s important to sweat, and it’s a very necessary part of detoxification. So, when a deodorant keeps a person from sweating, not only is it very likely that toxins are in the deodorant, but it is also inhibiting the detoxification process.

Primally Pure’s deodorant doesn’t keep you from sweating, but it does keep you from smelling! And let’s be honest, that’s the real concern, right?!!

Once I made the successful switch with my pit paste, I began sorting through the rest of my bathroom cabinets. So, let me share a few of my other favorite beauty products!

Here’s a list of my top 5 super clean, organic products that I use everyday!

1. doTERRA Salon Essentials Shampoo and Conditioner – It leaves my hair feeling soft and shiny without all of the toxic chemicals and synthetic fragrance. It’s not uncommon for organic shampoos and conditioners to have fragrance, and this can also contain harmful chemicals and unnecessary toxins. This product has essential oils that give my hair a beautiful, natural smelling fragrance. 
2. Coconut Oil – Coconut oil is an incredible product that can be used for cooking, cleaning, diaper rashes, etc. I also use it as a face and body lotion, lubricant and for my daily oil pulling detox routine, which is an incredible way to remove bacteria from the mouth, whiten teeth and help to reverse dental caries. If interested in learning more, here’s a great article with 101 different coconut oil uses.
3. Immortelle & Blue Tansy Essential Oil – The incredible potency and purity of essential oils helps to reduce inflammation, protect the skin from UV radiation, promote healthy cellular function and provide proper hydration of the skin. These 2 essential oils in particular are incredibly rejuvenating to cells and help with wrinkles, dark circles and age spots. I apply Immortelle over my face every morning and Blue Tansy to my face in the evening. 
4. Tarte Clay Mascara – Did you know that most mascara has formaldehyde, parabens and even aluminum in it? When I read this article, I was totally shocked how many toxins are in something that we put directly in on our eyes! And even though I actually wear very little makeup, mascara is something I rarely go without. So, I immediately made the switch to this clay based mascara, and I love it! It works really well, and it also washes off very easily!
5. Beauty Counter Lip Gloss – Most lip sticks have food dye and deodorizers in them, which are directly linked to cancer and Alzheimer’s. Retinyl Palmitate is another ingredient in lip stick and lip gloss. It’s a synthetic form of Vitamin A and is extremely toxic to pregnant women. Beauty Counter is a fairly new makeup company with a really awesome mission to get safer products into people’s hands. I love their lip gloss, especially because it stays on for quite a while, isn’t too sticky and is very moisturizing!

Now, let’s take a little deeper look into understanding which ingredients need to be completely removed from your cabinets!

Here’s the Top 11 Ingredients to Avoid:

1. Parabens – these are carcinogens and mimic estrogen! They are in lotion, shampoo, conditioner, makeup, etc.
2. Formaldehyde – the following ingredients contain formaldehyde, may release formaldehyde or may break down into formaldehyde:
   •  2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol
   • Diazolidinyl urea
   • DMDM hydantoin
   • Imidazolidinyl urea
   • Quaternium 15
3. 1,4-dioxane – this is produced during manufacturing, and the FDA does not require it to be listed as an ingredient on product labels. However, organic products do not contain 1,4-dioxane.
4. Phthalates – this is not usually listed on the label but is in fragrance and other toxic ingredients in products. However, a lot of companies are beginning to list “phthalate free” on their products. So when in doubt, always make sure the product states, “phthalate free.”
5. Diethanolamine (DEA), Triethanolamine (TEA), Monoethanolamine (MEA)
6. Diazolidinyl Urea, Imidazolidinyl Urea
7. Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate and Ammonium Laureth Sulphate
8. Propylene Glycol and PEG’s
9. PVP/VA Copolymer
10. Nano-Particles
11. Fragrance – it can contain harmful chemicals and ingredients. Therefore, unless the fragrance comes from the aroma of a therapeutic grade essential oil, it is always best to avoid products with any fragrance.

One More Thought…

After spending so much time and effort in cleaning up your diet, don’t let your efforts be in vain! Try to do the best you can to ensure that you’re honoring your body and maintaining real health.

Also, if there is any uncertainty about the integrity of any body products, I recommend using the Environmental Working Group database. This will allow you to see the toxicity ratings of the product.

And just remember…ALWAYS read the label!

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