It turns out beauty is more than skin deep: The average
person slathers, lathers, rubs and sprays, 10 different skin care
products on his or her body every day--and since our skin acts more like
a sponge than a barrier, we absorb the nearly 130 chemicals we
regularly expose ourselves to. Cosmetics companies and the FDA maintain
that these chemicals are safe, and many of them are--in small doses at
least. But consider that the average woman wears makeup every day, and
you begin to understand how a little dab here a quick spray there begins
to add up. The fact is, no one really knows how certain chemicals
affect us over time, or how they react in our bodies in combination.
Other chemicals have known dangers: Phthalates, for example, which are
often found in artificial fragrances, are a class of hormone disruptor
which can be linked to birth defects, sperm damage, infertility, and the feminization of baby boys, for instance.
Almost
90 percent of the 10,500 cosmetics and skin care ingredients known to
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have not been evaluated for safety
by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review, the FDA, or any other publicly
accountable institution, according to the www.mbbsdct.blogspot.com.
To be fair, no one's dropping dead after a using a mascara wand or a
body wash, and manufacturers have an interest in creating products that
don't harm their customers. But complex chemicals with potential unknown
side effects lead us to follow the Precautionary Principle.
That is to say, if we'd prefer to err on the side of safety until we
know. We're not the only ones who feel this way: More than 1,110
personal-product ingredients have been banned for use in cosmetics in
the European Union because of concerns that they may cause cancer, birth
defects, or reproductive ills. By contrast only 10 are banned here in
the U.S.
On the following page, you'll find our guide to choosing
the safest, nontoxic products for your skin, as well as how to identify
the most noxious ingredients you should steer your shopping cart clear
of.
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