If you use anything that resembles these items, there are several types of potentially dangerous chemical additives that may be lurking in your products.
This is a umbrella topic that I foresee returning to many, many times over. But today I will start with three biggies that are quite common: phthalates (pronounced THAL-ates), parabens and sodium laurel sulfates/sodium laureate sulfates. All of these are considered endocrine disruptors. This means they can produce all sorts of scary side effects, including fertility issues, mimicking hormones (causing overproduction and overstimulation) and possibly even cancer. Please keep in mind that all my information comes from my own amateur research and I am not an expert, just a mindful consumer.
Phthalates are a chemical found in or on just about anything you can imagine. Oftentimes, it is used to make hard plastics more malleable. In general, I have found it is best to avoid plastics whenever possible. Which is so very hard--impossible?--to do. But consider ridding your home of plastic bottles, plates and other eating vessels. Never EVER microwave food in plastic. Invest in glass or stainless steel water bottles for you and your children. Replace plastic leftover containers with glass and plastic plates with ceramics. A pretty good description of phthalates can be found on the greenliving website.
Phthalates also surface in cosmetics and skin care products as a means to carry scents or fragrances. The tricky thing here is that phthalates do not need to be listed as an ingredient. Anything that has vaguely labeled "fragrance" or "parfum" could be harboring these nasty chemicals. Phthalates are also found in flooring materials, toys, on paper receipts, even our water supply. It seems insurmountable, but here are a few tips to minimize exposure.
Parabens are another biggie to avoid as they are used as preservatives in many cosmetic and body care products. When reviewing labels, look for mehtylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben and isobutylparaben. There are ongoing studies examining the link between parabens and breast cancer; some scientists believe there is a direct correlation between the use of items with parabens and the development of the disease. There's a fairly unbiased report on parabens here.
The third additive I want to discuss today is sodium laurel sulfates/sodium laureth sulfates, also referred to as SLS. These chemicals are found primarily in shampoos and soaps because they create the desirable sudsy foam effect. Again, as an endocrine disruptor, SLS can cause reproductive defects and possibly cancer. And SLS often irritates skin and eyes. Best to find better alternatives for those bubble baths!
Since your skin is your largest organ, it's so important to consider what we are slathering on ourselves. Everything is absorbed and distributed into our bodies. Some specialists argue that what you put on your skin has more impact than what you eat! I am not sold on that idea; I think both are so very important.
Nonehtless, the cosmetics and body care industry has a multi-multi-billion dollar annual revenue. Some companies do care and are mindful of the ingredients in their products. It seems like there are more and more paraben, phthalate and SLS-free options out there. But it's best for you to arm yourself with knowledge about these potentially harmful ingredients. Do the same thing in the drugstore aisles that you do in the supermarket: read labels! Here are a few practices labels. You might notice some parabens, SLS and the mysterious "fragrance/parfum" in these!
After my breast cancer diagnosis, I maniacally ransacked our bathroom cabinets and tossed out an unbelievable amount of make-up, shampoo, conditioner, soap and bubble bath. Everything seemed to have scary stuff in it! As I went through this process, I recall being so angry at myself for not paying more attention, for falling for marketing ploys for several products or just blindly trusting established name brands. And I was mad at these name brands for pumping chemicals into things I was putting on my children, my husband and myself. But I also realized ultimately I have to be the advocate for my family, I have to start paying attention. And I have gone down the rabbit hole, folks!
The Environmental Working Group website is a great resource for many different areas of research. Check out the skin deep database to find out what the safety ranking of your favorite cosmetics and body care products is, read about cancer prevention, the safest sunscreens, healthy eating and all sorts of other topics.
Thank you for reading. Take good care of yourself and loved ones!
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