Are the chemicals in personal care/beauty products harmful?

Family Health Beauty Info.com — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 21:00:49 +0000

Are the chemicals in personal care/beauty products harmful?

A scientist’s view

I asked this question of one of my clients, a scientist working in cancer research.

He said that the chemicals in beauty products are not harmful. Of course, if a child ate a lot of toothpaste (which has fluoride added) they could be harmed, but it’s also dangerous to eat massive amounts of organic carrots.

He pointed out that in nature, we only take the amount that we need. For example, to function properly our bodies actually need a little arsenic, yet this is poisonous in larger doses. So, he believed that chemicals in products are only harmful when used in large amounts.

ONEgroup responds

It’s quite incorrect to say that chemicals in products are harmful only when you use them in bigger amounts. Exposure to a small amount of mercury can kill or cause damage for example, so that already disputes that theory. Yes, we produce a natural amount of arsenic ourselves but that it is released as needed and in doses that our bodies can handle. The danger is in accumulation of additional toxins. The point of using organic skincare is to reduce the amount of chemicals that we absorb and that we pour down the sink and into our environment. – http://www.ewg.org/

See organic products

What did you think of this article? I welcome your feedback

Have a lovely day

Lucie

www.familyhealthbeautyinfo.com

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Eczema and dry, itchy skin

Family Health Beauty Info.com — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:00:15 +0000

Eczema and dry, itchy skin

Erica asks, ‘I have really dry hands and I have eczema as well. What shall I do?’

As eczema is an inflammatory reaction, it’s important to find out the cause. You could talk to an accredited naturopath, or doctor.

I had bad eczema and asthma, and I used a strong cortisol (steroid) cream. My naturopath and doctor did tests and found I have strong allergy to horses, which was the cause of my trouble.

They both said, ‘Don’t go near your horses, and you’ll be healthy and not have to spend your time and money on treatments.‘ They were right. Once I was away from all animals my wellbeing improved – even though I did miss my animals.

Can you see how important it is to find the cause?

It may be something you eat, something in your environment, or sometimes it’s emotional.

My naturopath also quickly found out the foods that were creating itchiness and respiratory trouble, and listed those that would not.

Each person is different, so you need individual guidelines for your diet. Here are some of the foods that cause skin and breathing problems for me:

Refined carbohydrates (cakes, biscuits, chocolates and pastries generally.
100% wheat products (wholemeal/wholegrain bread, white bread, wholemeal/white pasta)
Fruits and juices (coconut, kiwi, grapefruit, oranges, tomato concentrates such as tomato sauce, paste, puree
Vegetables (eggplant, English spinach)
Dairy products in large quantities – butter, cheese, cream, full cream milk, ice cream
Soft drinks (a preservative used in sports and soft drinks called sodium benzoate)
Artificial food colourings
Sodium 5’Ribonucleotide (instant soups, flavoured snack foods, etc.)

Foods my naturopath recommended (all preferably organic):

Bread rye, soy, linseed
Rey biscuits
Porridge
Fruits (apricot, green apples, mango, peach, pear, blackcurrant, guava
Soy milk, yogurt
Tofu
Dairy-free ice cream
Cheese (any 93% fat reduced)
Fish (fresh tuna, snapper, whiting)
Meat (lean lamb, beef, pork, chicken)
Organic eggs.

I hope this will inspire you to find out ‘your cause’.

In the meantime, try a warm oil mask for dry skin. Watch the video ‘Thermo coconut oil mask’