Wednesday, 19 August 2009

• Doesn't the government protect us from toxic ingredients ?

  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  
  You most probably apply more than a hundred chemicals on your skin each day. Most are absorbed by the skin. You eat even more of them in your food.
  Most of them have not been tested for safety.
  
  A lot of people think that if something is being sold on the shelves, then it must be safe. Because the dear, loving politicians are there to protect us, isn't it ?
  So, why are most mainstream cosmetics, food and drinks full of substances that cause cancer, hormonal changes, and many other serious illnesses... as well as skin and hair problems, and untold damage to the environment ?
  
  
    Because:
  
  

  • Government regulation are lax, and there are many loopholes. According to the FDA's Office of Cosmetics and Colors,

  "FDA cannot require companies to do safety testing of their cosmetic products before manufacturing,"

  and

  "...a cosmetic manufacturer may use almost any raw material as a cosmetic ingredient and market the product without an approval from FDA." (FDA 1995)
  
  
                      ... I don't normally cuss, but... WTF ?!?!?!?!?!
  

  Any raw material... without approval ? 
   

  
  

  The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health found that 884 of the chemicals available for use in cosmetics have been reported to the government as toxic substances. Source
  
  

  • Almost 90% of ingredients used in personal care products have not been tested for safety by any publicly accountable institution.

  • Regulations are outdated: they were developed before new studies proved that small exposures to chemicals - once considered harmless - do cause cellular changes.

  • Studies don't test how ingredients interact with each other in our body. Considering that an average human carries a chemical body burden of at least 700 contaminants, this is a serious factor.

  • "Industries with significant financial interest in the continued use of a particular product or chemical have historically been quite successful in limiting regulatory controls." Source

  
  
  

  The bottomline

  You need to take your health and safety into your own hands.
  You should not have to choose between beauty and health !
  
  

  What can you do ?

  
  Avoid the top 10 toxic ingredients, check safety rating of products on the  CosmeticDatabase. Read the Safer Shopping Tips and What Not To Buy lists.
  Buy products from natural and organic companies, or make your own (it's not difficult at all !)
  Join the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics !

     

  Sources: Cancer Prevention Coalition, ChemicalBodyBurden.org, Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
  
  

  Photo by thehymnforthecigarettes
  

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  You might also want to read:
  
  

  * Is it a breakout or is your skin purging impurities ?
  * Sodium Laureth Sulfate: most harmful cosmetic ingredient
  * Why say no to Animal testing ?
   *more*
  

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