You’ve probably heard about all the hidden chemicals and health risks surrounding so many of the beauty and skincare products on the market. What exactly are they, and will you ever be able to put on your everyday skincare products ever again?
And when we look at the products created for Black Women a recent study EWG analysis found that 78% of the products marketed to Black Women contained ingredients that were classified as “moderately hazardous” or “high-potential hazards.” The potential hazards were “ingredients linked to cancer, hormone disruption and reproductive damage.”
I’m here to offer you hope –YES!
The key to healthy beauty care is to understand what’s really underneath the lid. While that may seem like a lot of work, you just have to know what to keep your eyes open for.
In an attempt to help with the “hard part,” we’ve put together a list of the most dangerous ingredients you should avoid in anything you buy. By steering clear of these toxic chemicals, you can rest assured that whatever you’re putting on your skin isn’t harming you.
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RELATED: Breast Cancer Survivor Sheds Light On Toxic Chemicals in Beauty Products
Some of these ingredients, we are already very familiar with, others you may have to take notes to remember while shopping:
1. Parabens are unquestionably the most commonly used preservatives in the cosmetics industry. They’re in just about any cream you might use, as they prevent mold, fungus and parasites from sprouting and growing in your products. The problem is that they can be absorbed through the skin, and have often been found in breast cancer tumors and fibroids.
Although there haven’t been any conclusive studies proving this, it should be enough to make you concerned. In fact, it’s why there are so many “paraben-free” items popping up in the supermarket and pharmacies around the country.
The tricky part is: Parabens can appear in different forms, so here’s what you want to look out for:
2. Next up: phthalates! Unfortunately, this class of chemicals is found in just about everything, even you. A study done by the US Centers for Disease Control found a trace of it in every single person they analyzed. And a 2022 study by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute links hair relaxers, which contain phthalates, with uterine, breast and ovarian cancers. This is problematic because phthalates – which are used in hair and beauty products and also in many plastic objects – have been found to act as a hormone disruptor linked to reproductive defects, insulin resistance, and developmental problems in children. It is the sad truth, and our reality.
How to avoid it? Here’s where it gets tricky: phthalates usually aren’t listed on the label of your most used products, so you have to do a bit of digging to determine their presence. By law, “phthalates” does not have to be listed as an ingredient. The best way to identify it is to pay attention to the signs: if you see “fragrance” as an item on the ingredient list, you better believe there’s a higher level of phthalates in it, so steer clear!
3. Would you believe it if we told you this old school ingredient is extremely dangerous? Over the last decade, the popularity of pimple-zapping products has skyrocketed. Benzoyl Peroxide is responsible for this, but you should be wary of using it. That’s because it’s been linked to the promotion of tumor growth. While our mothers, and grandmothers swore by this product, it is now confirmed to be too dangerous for use. If you think of how strong it actually smells, you wouldn’t be so surprised after all.
4. Another popular one: Petroleum. It pops up in not just cosmetics products but also baby products, it’s ridiculous. And in case you’re wondering, yes, it’s the very same substance from which your motor oil is made. To think we put this on a baby’s bottom is insane! How do we miss the ingredient? It hides in plain sight behind many names that you should familiarize yourself with so keep a look out for them and stay away! They are:
5. Methylisothiazolinone or MIT for short. Just the name alone is intimidating. MIT is an increasingly common antibacterial preservative in everything from baby shampoo to moisturizer. Unfortunately, studies have shown that it contains neurotoxic properties that should be of great concern to all consumers. In studies with rats, a mere 10 minutes of exposure to MIT was enough to cause brain cell damage. Further studies concluded that low concentrations of MIT during neural development increased the risk of seizures and visual abnormalities.
RELATED: 4 Common Toxic Ingredients In Your Everyday Beauty Products & Safer Alternatives
Everything is on the table when it comes to our health. As a patient who suffered from a brain aneurysm, this hits very dear to my heart.
Then there are the most common of them all: unnecessary dyes and synthetic colors. Whether you’re rockin’ an intense hot pink lipstick, a classic peach to make those cheekbones pop, or rebellious black nail polish, unless your favorite brand is a clean beauty brand, chances are they are just as dangerous as they are fabulous.
Thankfully, it’s pretty simple to determine if that color in your favorite lipstick is real or not: just check the ingredients, and if you see anything listed beginning with FD&C or D&C, you know it isn’t what you really want. Simply switch out your brand for a gentle/clean beauty brand and you will be on track for fabulousness again.
So the next time you’re shopping, take note and be conscious about what you consume. Pull out this list, right before checkout to ensure you’re skipping out on the crap and only putting safe products on and in your body!
If you’ve searched your beauty bins and found you’ve been using the wrong ingredients for far too long, it’s time for you to purge and rid your body of those harsh toxins. Snag the BALANCE Daily Kit or BALANCE Daily + MASS Kit, which will help reverse the hormonal imbalance and inflammation causing many of the skin issues you’ve been experiencing. AND, enjoy 15% off with the code DETOXNOW.
Don’t fret! BALANCE is possible. Be Inspired by client Stephanie Alvarenga’s hormonal balance testimony!
Fibroids Survivor turned Nutritionist and Founder of online wellness platform TheDeToxNow.com, Coach Gessie works with celebrities and everyday women daily, educating and empowering them on how to help their bodies reverse and prevent inflammatory conditions such as Fibroids, Infertility, Endometriosis and more through lifestyle medicines including Stress Management, Trauma Healing & Nutritional Coaching.
Results of her programs have included numerous women completely eradicating their symptoms and naturally shrinking their Fibroids, Endometriosis and more. In one breakout case, client Annalise Henry eliminated an MRI documented 50 Fibroids naturally through the comprehensive lifestyle medicine approach. Follow her @CoachGessie and learn more at TheDeToxNow.com.
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