Serving Size: 4.82 MB Servings Per Container: 1 In Your Body On Your Body For Your Home For Your Family Seeking Medical Treatment How to Detoxify Your Body Guide to Symptoms A Healthy House Values, Vision & Mission Background & History Staff & Advisors News & Upcoming Events Join Our Mailing List Contact Us Recommended Resources Index of Terms Works Cited This product contains 100% natural ingredients. Easy Pay Pal Donations TNTP Grade A Brain-food More Special Features Clothing  |  Cosmetics  |  Hair Care Products  |  Personal Hygiene Products  |  Skin Care Products Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 Next The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires that all ingredients in cosmetics be listed on product labels, but doesn’t require any safety testing of products or ingredients before marketing. The FDA acknowledges that a company can put almost any raw ingredient into a product and market it without regulation. An industry run and funded panel is charged with regulating personal care products, on a voluntary basis. One exception to the rule of requiring that all ingredients be listed is fragrances. Synthetic fragrances are much less expensive than natural ones, and so are most commonly used. Most have not been tested for safety, or have undergone only minimal testing. Each individual fragrance may be made from up to 4,000 different chemical components. The chemical formulas of fragrances are considered trade secrets and so may be listed on labels only as “fragrance.” Fragrances are in almost every personal care product. For a list of suggested businesses to purchase more natural products from, visit our Recommended Resources page. Also, if you want to know how safe a particular brand is, check out the Environmental Working Group's "Skin Deep" personal care product safety guide with in-depth information on almost 15,000 different products. Bubble Bath CHEMICALS CONTAINED: Mainstream bubble bath products contain harsh, petroleum-based detergents and foaming agents to make tons of bubbles. They also often contain synthetic colors and fragrances. Most synthetic dyes and fragrances are made from petroleum by-products or coal tars (a carcinogenic liquid or semi-liquid from bituminous coal). Coal tars can contain benzene, xylene, naphthalene, phenol and creosol. HEALTH CONCERNS: One concern with bubble bath is that people use it in hot water and soak in it for a while. Our skin is the largest organ on our body and provides a direct route of entry into our body through our pores. Heat causes your pores to open. The ingredients in bubble bath may cause skin rashes and irritation, as well as urinary tract, bladder and kidney infections. Ingredients in detergents may cause effects such as skin irritation, digestive problems, and hormone disruption. They can also cause hormone disruption in wildlife. Synthetic fragrances may cause a wide range of acute and chronic effects such as respiratory irritation, headache, sneezing, watery eyes, other allergic symptoms, sensitization, nervous system depression and skin irritation. Nitrobenzene may be used in making synthetic dyes. Nitrobenzene can irritate eyes and skin at low exposure levels, and in larger amounts has damaged liver and blood in animals. Benzene is a known human carcinogen. Naphthalene is a possible human carcinogen that has been linked to cancer in animal tests, and exposure to large amounts may damage or destroy red blood cells. TIPS & ALTERNATIVES: Products that are more natural probably won’t make as many bubbles, but they can soothe your senses and nourish your skin. Look for products that are scented with pure essential oils and only use natural colors. For children, we recommend just using water in the bathtub. For a relaxing "adult" bath, you can simply add a few drops of essential oils to a full bathtub or use a “bath tea bag,” (a muslin pouch filled with herbs. Because oil and water don’t mix, you’ll want to dissolve the essential oil in a small amount of either milk or white vinegar before putting it in the water. Lavender promotes relaxation, lime is a good detoxifier, tea tree is a natural antimicrobial, and oats are ideal for dry skin…just to name a few of the botanical baths you can draw for yourself. Deodorant & Antiperspirant CHEMICALS CONTAINED: Deodorants may contain a variety of toxins that are applied to a very sensitive area of skin. Antiperspirants interfere with the one of the body’s natural heat regulation systems…sweating. Antiperspirants may contain aerosol propellants, ammonia, alcohol, and formaldehyde. Non-antiperspirant deodorants may contain the antibacterial triclosan. Most antiperspirants and deodorants contain propylene glycol, as well as polyethylene and/or polyethylene glycol (PEGs). Many contain some form of aluminum; aluminum chlorohydrate is common, and may also contain other petroleum by-products, synthetic fragrances and colors. Most synthetic dyes and fragrances are made from petroleum by-products or coal tars (a carcinogenic liquid or semi-liquid from bituminous coal). Coal tars can contain benzene, xylene, naphthalene, phenol and creosol. HEALTH CONCERNS: Propylene glycol may be made from vegetable glycerin and grain alcohol, both of which are natural and relatively safe. But the propylene glycol that is often in deodorants is petroleum-based and may cause skin irritation, hives, and eczema. It may also be hazardous to the reproductive system, and can irritate the skin, eyes, nose, and throat. Polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol are related synthetics. They are relatively safe in themselves, but may be contaminated with potentially carcinogenic 1,4-dioxane. There is concern that aluminum may enter the body from antiperspirants and deodorants, and build up in tissues. It has been linked to various brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, but not conclusively. Triclosan may cause damage to the liver, and excessive use of antiobiotics contributes to development of resistant strains of bacteria and other microbes. Synthetic fragrances may cause a wide range of acute and chronic effects such as respiratory irritation, headache, sneezing, watery eyes, other allergic symptoms, sensitization, nervous system depression and skin irritation. Nitrobenzene may be used in making synthetic dyes. Nitrobenzene can irritate eyes and skin at low exposure levels, and in larger amounts has damaged liver and blood in animals. Benzene is a known human carcinogen. Naphthalene is a possible human carcinogen that has been linked to cancer in animal tests, and exposure to large amounts may damage or destroy red blood cells. TIPS & ALTERNATIVES: Look for products without propylene glycol, aluminum, and synthetic dyes and fragrances. If your product contains Propylene Glycol, research the company to find out whether the ingredient was made from vegetable glycerin or it is the petroleum-based version. Deodorant mineral crystals work well and come in many forms (solid, liquid spray). Plain baking soda, applied with a little water, works well too. Don’t use antiperspirants unless it is really necessary. As unpleasant as it may be at times, sweating is actually an extremely important bodily function and shouldn’t be prevented. It is one of out body’s heat-regulating systems and it is one major means for removing toxins from the body. Facial Cleansers CHEMICALS CONTAINED: Conventional facial cleansers may contain sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate as a detergent and foaming agent, parabens and or diazolidinyl/imidazolidinyl urea as preservatives, and diethanolamine (DEA) and/or triethanolamine (TEA) as foaming agents or emulsifiers. Other commonly used detergents are cocamide DEA and cocamidopropyl betaine. Quaternium-15 is another commonly used preservative. Most contain synthetic, petroleum-based cleaning ingredients that can irritate the skin, and preservatives that can also irritate and cause other problems. Most also contain synthetic colors and fragrance. Most synthetic dyes and fragrances are made from petroleum by-products or coal tars (a carcinogenic liquid or semi-liquid from bituminous coal). Coal tars can contain benzene, xylene, naphthalene, phenol and creosol. HEALTH CONCERNS: Quaternium-15 can contain formaldehyde (a human carcinogen and irritant), and causes more dermatitis complaints than any other preservative, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate are sometimes disguised as “derived from coconuts” or “coconut-based.” While that is actually true in some products, most of the time that ingredient is derived from petroleum. They may cause eye and skin irritation, scalp scurf similar to dandruff, and other allergic reactions. It is a harsh detergent that is used because it is inexpensive. Parabens (methyl, propyl, butyl, ethyl) may cause skin rashes and allergic reactions. Studies have shown that they are weakly estrongenic and can be absorbed through the skin. One study found parabens in tissue samples from human breast tumors. Cocamide DEA and cocamidopropyl betaine are synthetic and may cause skin irritation. DEA is a suspected human carcinogen. DEA and TEA may cause allergic reactions, eye irritation, and dryness of hair and skin. Both are ammonia compounds that can form cancer-causing nitrosamines if they come in contact with nitrates, which are often present in the products as impurities. Diazolidinyl urea and imidiazolidinyl urea must often be combined with other preservatives to be effective antifungals. Both release formaldehyde. Synthetic fragrances may cause a wide range of acute and chronic effects such as respiratory irritation, headache, sneezing, watery eyes, other allergic symptoms, sensitization, nervous system depression and skin irritation. Nitrobenzene may be used in making synthetic dyes. Nitrobenzene can irritate eyes and skin at low exposure levels, and in larger amounts has damaged liver and blood in animals. Benzene is a known human carcinogen. Naphthalene is a possible human carcinogen that has been linked to cancer in animal tests, and exposure to large amounts may damage or destroy red blood cells. TIPS & ALTERNATIVES: There are many products on the market today that clean without harsh, petroleum-based ingredients, synthetic colors, or fragrances. Look for products that are unscented or are scented with pure essential oils. Read labels to look for certain ingredients: avoid anything with the parabens, the ureas, and sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate. Here are some suggestions for all-natural facial masks that you can make at home. Before applying them, you want to moisten your face and neck with warm water. You then want to apply the mask, allow it to dry, rinse it off with warm water, and do a final rinse with cold water to close your pores. Peel and slice ½ cucumber and puree in blender. Mix in 1 T plain yogurt and apply. Leave on for 20 minutes. Puree 1 ripe avocado in blender. Apply as is or combine with: An equal quantity of sour cream or plain yogurt ½ C honey an 2 T peanut or olive oil 1 tsp honey and the juice of ½ lemon leave this mask on for 15 – 30 minutes Mix 1 T raw wheat germ with 2 T warm water. Add 1 egg yolk to form a heavy dough. Leave on for 10 – 15 minutes. Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 Next