Family Health Beauty Info

Is your beauty routine harming your health?

This topic was posted by Dr Mercola in October 2009.

Sources:

Organic Consumers Association October 1, 2009

FoodMatters 

Do you enjoy a shampoo with a rich bubbles? A shaving cream that really foams? Relaxing in a tub full of bubbles?

SLS stays in the body up to five days. Other studies show it easily penetrates the skin and enters and maintains residual levels in the heart, liver, the lungs, and the brain. Yet SLS is found in most cleansing, foaming products – and even in some toothpastes.

See safe certified organic products

See related blog ‘Why are there toxins in everyday products

See more ‘About organics’

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Lucie

www.familyhealthbeautyinfo.com

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Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), and their cousins like ammonium lauryl sulfate and sodium myreth sulfate produce a lot of foam very inexpensively. But SLS is so strong that it’s also used to scrub garage floors. And it has been proven to cause cancer in the long run.

Eczema’s link to asthma uncovered

I read interesting article about a connection between eczema and asthma (link is below). I remember when I was having trouble with allergies, eczema and asthma, I was very weak and got sick every 3 months. It was not a pleasant time.

My doctor gave me strong cortisol medication to stop itchiness, and an inhaler for the asthma. He basically ignored the cause of my trouble and suppressed it with drugs. So my health continued to suffer.

Then I started seeing a naturopath, to heal and educate myself (he’s a man who can fix anything- I love him). Interestingly all my troubles were interconnected.

After a blood test he found that I had an allergy to the animals I spent so much time with. He talked to me about how to change my lifestyle and I started to feel a positive change. It took two years to get better only because I did not want to give up my animals.

Now I’m healed and understand my own body needs.

Read this BBC article: Eczema’s link to asthma uncovered **

Scientists discover what appears to trigger many children with eczema to go on to develop asthma.

See more ‘Health topics’

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Lucie

www.familyhealthbeautyinfo.com

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Women risk feet in fashion’s name

A poll has shown that nearly four in 10 women buy shoes knowing they do not fit.

I have studied foot care. We dealt with problems such as corns, ingrowing nails, fungus etc. These conditions can be very painful, but often those suffering are wearing shoes that are fashionable, rather than comfortable. When they took them off you could hear ‘Ohh, that’s better’ and after treatments they could walk without pain.

I remember when I was removing a corn from my lovely aunt’s foot. This corn was caused by wearing fashionable shoes. She said, ‘I’ve been in pain for more than six months, but I don’t want to remove the corn because it hurts and I’ll not give up my shoes.’

I removed her corn (after hours of drama and persuasion). It was not painful at all – she was surprised. My funny little aunty was happily jumping and walking after I did it.

We make our own choices based on what is important to us.

Read this BBC article about fashionable shoes and let me know what do you think.

** Women risk feet in fashion’s name **

Nearly four in 10 women buy shoes knowing they do not fit, a poll reveals.

See more ‘Health topics’

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Lucie

www.familyhealthbeautyinfo.com

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Organic toothpaste; milk and antioxidants

More from my discussion with ONEgroup, about certified organic products.

Lucie: Clients have asked which ingredients prevent dental caries, in Miessence toothpaste and mouthwash. Dentists say fluoride is the key ingredient.

ONEgroup: Our toothpastes mainly consist of sodium bicarbonate, which has been used as a dentifrice for hundreds of years, and a known tooth brightener with a very low abrasive action. In solution it will kill micro-organisms associated with dental infections. It will also kill other disease-related bacteria. And it will help neutralise and detoxify the bacterial acids and toxins that form in plaques (bacterial biofilms).

Sea salt is also an excellent cleaning agent. It increases saliva, which helps dilute and wash away harmful bacteria. It is an effective antiseptic, which makes it perfect for our mouthwash.

Lucie: Can people use milk and hot water for the Berry Radical Antioxidant, and drink it as a tea? I’ve read that milk stops the absorption of antioxidants. Is the answer to use coconut milk, reis milk or soya milk?

ONEgroup: Hot water is OK. It’s oxygen exposure that is the enemy of antioxidants. A study of milk and antioxidant polyphenols in tea showed that the milk blocked the absorption of the antioxidants in the tea. We are erring on the side of caution until I can have it confirmed further.

See organic products

See related blog ‘The rules for certified organics’

See related blog  ‘The difference between natural and organic ‘   or watch the video

See related topic ‘Understanding product labels’

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

Have a lovely day

Lucie

www.familyhealthbeautyinfo.com

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When are products truly organic?

Here’s a Q and A between me and ONEgroup, who produce Miessence, a certified organic product range.

Lucie: When products labelled ‘organic’ or ‘natural’ have no chemicals or preservatives listed, are they truly organic products?’

ONEgroup: The only real signs of truly organic products are the certification logos. This proves that the products have passed the strict organic standards and comply completely to these guidelines.

Lucie: Is there a law that every product label must show all the ingredients?

ONEgroup: Yes, there are some guidelines about listing ingredients. To comply with the European Union Cosmetic Product Regulations, we are now required to list the components found in essential oils.

We only purchase from suppliers that have authentic organic certification. This is a requirement of processing certified organic products.  If there’s no organic certificate, it ain’t certified!

Lucie: Why are so many companies that make organic products not certified?

ONEgroup: You’d have to ask the company, but the most likely reason is that they don’t actually comply with the standards!

See organic products

See related blog ‘The rules for certified organics’

See related blog  ‘The difference between natural and organic ‘   or watch the video

See related topic ‘Understanding product labels’

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

Have a lovely day

Lucie

www.familyhealthbeautyinfo.com

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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

See related blog ‘Why are there toxins in everyday products?’

See related blog ‘Deodorants and breast cancer’ or watch the video

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

Have a lovely day

Lucie

www.familyhealthbeautyinfo.com

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Long-term effects of toxins

It seems that usually the amount of harmful chemicals and toxins in products and foods is very limited, so people don’t feel they can be affected immediately. But it’s hard to know the long-term effects of choosing a non-organic lifestyle.

The amount of toxins and chemicals added is not large enough to do immediate harm, but it is the accumulative effect that you need to consider. On average, people use nine personal-care products every single day. This adds up when you are exposed from babyhood. Add to this the increased number of pesticides used to produce our foods, the introduction of GMO foods, environmental and air pollution, and our bodies are soon in toxic overload.

Choosing an organic lifestyle means you buy into a philosophy that will contribute to better health, is kinder to the environment, safeguards the welfare of animals and enhances the working conditions of the people who make their living in agriculture.

See ‘Organic products’

See related blog ‘Deodorants and breast cancer’ or watch the video

See more ‘About organics’

See more ‘Toxins and chemicals’

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

Have a lovely day

Lucie

www.familyhealthbeautyinfo.com

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Why are there toxins in everyday products?

If personal care products and nutrition with chemicals, toxins and preservative can harm humans and the planet, why would governments and industries produce it, when the scientists know it’s poison?

The reason is simple: profit. Natural ingredients can’t be patented so companies make chemical versions, patent them and then market them. They also use these synthetic versions because they are cheaper to mass-produce. Most people assume that beauty products have been thoroughly tested for safety well before they appear in stores.

You would also think that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would be watching the cosmetic industry to ensure the health and safety of consumers. Unfortunately, the FDA has little power to regulate beauty products. In fact, the only people ensuring the safety of personal care products are the very people who govern the industry: the Cosmetic Toiletry and Fragrance Association (CTFA)

Scientists paid by the CTFA make up the Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel (CIR) . They regulate the safety of the industry’s products. In 2004, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) released findings, comparing about 10,000 ingredients in 7,500 different products against known and suspected chemical health hazards.

• Only 28 had been evaluated for safety by the CIR.
• One in every 120 products contained ingredients certified by the government as known or probable carcinogens.
• Nearly one-third of the products contained ingredients classified as possible carcinogens.
• 54 products violated recommendations for safe use that the CIR had put in place.

These products are still available for sale today. The worst offenders were those containing the cancer-causing ingredients coal tar (found in hair dyes), alpha and beta hydroxy acids (commonly used in products advertised to remove wrinkles, blemishes, blotches and acne scars), and those containing the hormone-disrupting ingredient, phthalate (nail care products).

From website http://www.naturalnews. com/016898.html

See related blog ‘Deodorants and breast cancer’ or watch the video

See more ‘About organics’

See more ‘Toxins and chemicals’

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

Have a lovely day

Lucie

www.familyhealthbeautyinfo.com

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Do chemical peels help acne scars?  

A client asks: ‘Do chemical peels help with acne scars? What is the youngest age you can have this treatment?

Keep in mind that the treatment of acne scars is very complex. There is no perfect solution. Effective treatments are: laser and skin resurfacing, chemical peels and dermabrasion 

A dermatologist or plastic surgeon can examine your skin and decide which peel is the most suitable. Read more on Wikipedia about chemical peels

There is no age limit – it depends on your skin condition. Again, a dermatologist or plastic surgeon can advise you.

I recommend the ‘Green Peel ® from Dr Schrammek’ (only use the original as they are many copies on the market).

‘What is GREEN PEEL® ?

This herbal peeling treatment is a medically developed, biologically based method consisting only of natural plant ingredients. It has been successfully proven worldwide.

Ingredients include proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, mucilage’s and tannins, phytohormones, enzymes, mineral salts and trace elements.

See:

http://www.schrammek.de/en/green-peel/facts.html

http://www.schrammek.de/en/green-peel/video.html

See more ‘Beauty topics’

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Lucie

www.familyhealthbeautyinfo.com

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Should young people use retinol?

A reader asks, ‘I bought cream by ROC, a drug store product here in the US. It contains retinol and claims to reduce fine lines and deep wrinkles. I’ve also heard that your skin will get ‘used to’ retinol so that is why you should not use anti-wrinkle creams at a young age. Is this true?’

First of all, it’s true the skin needs a while to get used to retinol/ Vitamin A. It is an exfoliating agent that peels your skin. It should be used only at night as it’s light sensitive and may cause hyper pigmentation (darkening of the skin). Always use sun cream if you use retinol products to avoid hyper pigmentation.

At a young age you don’t need to apply retinol as your skin’s collagen and elastin are still intact. Using those creams doesn’t make any sense as your skin doesn’t need them.

Remember when you were a baby. Your mother fed you with food that was appropriate to your needs and age at that time. She did not give you food for adults, because you did not need it. So it is with the skin. We need to understand which skin type we have and what kind of food our skin needs. Watch The right ingredients for your skin type. 

Get my e-book and you’ll receive a free report, ‘Know your skin type’.

Check the Safe Cosmetics site.  Type in the ingredients in your ROC cream, and you will understand what it does to your skin.

There are more effective ways to look after your skin when you’re young.

Eat antioxidants – vitamins or nutrients that help to protect us from the effect of free radicals in our bodies, including damage to skin cells. They are found in fruit and vegetables: plants produce antioxidants to protect themselves from damage by free radicals.

• Learn about Antioxidants in food

Watch ‘What are free radicals and antioxidants?’  or read more

Read product ingredients and check what they do to your skin and your health. Many chemicals are harmful. See article ‘Understanding product labels’.

Beauty comes from the inside!

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

Have a lovely day

Lucie

www.familyhealthbeautyinfo.com

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