Are There Toxins in Your Skin Care and Cosmetic Products?

Our skin is the largest organ in our body and can readily absorb what we put on it. The skin is our first line of defense for our immune system and for protection.

Every day we use skin care and cosmetics and often give no thought as to harmful toxins that may be in them. The skin care and cosmetic industry is unregulated, so companies can use whatever ingredients they like, and seldom is anything tested before being sold to consumers.

Your skin care products and cosmetics may contain toxins which have been linked to infertility, birth defects, cancer and other health problems.

Although a product may be labeled "pure, natural and organic" this label can be misleading.

There are no legal standards for organic or natural skin care and personal care products sold in the United States. Therefore companies may be using these terms which can be confusing to customers. Products labeled this way may still contain chemicals that could be harmful.

New industry standards are emerging that may help people determine the difference between the natural and not-so-natural products, but many standards with different meanings may be confusing. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is advocating for a standard that means ingredients really are as safe as they claim to be for everyone.

Many products contain fragrances. Fragrance is considered a trade secret, so companies don't have reveal what's in it, so they could contain toxins. Many products use the generic term "fragrance," in everything from shampoos and deodorants to body lotions and shaving creams. Even "unscented" products can have masking fragrances, which are chemicals used to cover up the odor of other chemicals.

Some hidden hazards that may be in products that contain synthetic fragrance include allergens, sensitizers and neurotoxins. Also phthalates have been banned in Europe but may be in some North American products. These may pose a health risk.

Fortunately there are responsible companies that are making skin care and cosmetics that are safe for you and your family to use. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has many companies listed, these companies have pledged to do no harm and only make products that are completely chemical free. Check out Cosmetics Data Base where they have thousands of products listed, and are rated 0 for completely safe up to 10 for most hazardous.

Alternative health articles and healthy living at http://enhancetheimmunesystem.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joanne_Ott

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