Does Your Skin Let Toxins In?
You’re probably already aware of the immense effects that nutrition has on your health.
Our society is becoming increasingly careful of what we put IN our bodies. But many people don’t understand that the effects of what we put ON our bodies can be just as significant (if not more so) than what we eat.
Chris Kresser says, “what you put on your skin might be an even greater risk for toxin exposure than what you put in your mouth”.
And the CDC says the skin is, “the most common path of toxic substance exposure”.
Why is this?
Two main reasons:
Your skin is the largest organ you have and absorbs a loooot of stuff.
Our personal care products are garbage and have VERY LITTLE regulation.
The FDA even says "Cosmetic products and ingredients are not subject to FDA premarket approval authority, with the exception of color additives”.
Some products even add ingredients that INCREASE absorption even more, like phthalates. These little stinkers make it even easier to get things into your body that shouldn’t be there, like parabens and other toxins.
I won’t go too in detail here because you can read this blog for 10 ingredients you don’t want in your skincare. But I do want to quickly recap some of Chris Kresser’s research on what we do know about the lack of safety of conventional personal care products (full article here).
“Triclosan is an antimicrobial agent often added to soap, shampoo, and other personal care products. It can be absorbed through the skin, and has been detected in human urine, serum, and breast milk.”
“A big concern over phthalates and parabens is increased risk for breast cancer. One study found that an increased concentration of phthalate metabolites in the urine was associated with an increased risk for breast cancer, and intact parabens have been detected in breast cancer tissue.”
“Make-up and cosmetic products are also frequently contaminated with heavy metals… Lipsticks also frequently contain lead.”
“In the US, about 20% of all cosmetics and personal care products contain some type of formaldehyde-releasing preservative.”
“Siloxanes can mimic estrogen and otherwise interfere with reproduction and the endocrine system.”
“The aluminum found in many deodorants could contribute to diseases such as breast cancer and Alzheimer’s.”
The list goes on and on.
And do you know what blows my mind?! The fact that we have research to prove these things and nothing is being done about it. There is still such little regulation of personal care products that these KNOWN endocrine disruptors and carcinogens are being used by Americans everywhere. Even children & breastfeeding mothers are unknowingly being exposed to such toxins.
That’s what Beautycounter is trying to change. Among other things.
If you’re not familiar, I’ll give you the quick & dirty of our mission.
“We advocate for stricter guidelines and regulations to shift the personal-care industry away from using harmful and questionable ingredients.”
This Certified B Corporation bans over 1800 ingredients that aren’t 100% safe and tests both the raw materials AND the end products to ensure that no contamination occurred during production.
Talk about high standards.
I LOVE that this company not only holds itself to this higher standard, but is fighting for transparency in the entire industry so that ALL people can have access to safe products.
If you’re not sure what’s in your products, check out the Environmental Working Group and their Skin Deep app. You can quickly scan anything and get a list of ingredients with a safety score.
I know it can be overwhelming, but don’t stress! Just slowly change out things one at a time and find safer alternatives using the app to make sure you’re not being “greenwashed”. Just because something says “natural”, “organic”, or “plant-based” does NOT mean it’s safe. And I can seriously not emphasize that enough.
If you’re just starting this journey of swapping out products, please feel free to ask me anything! Here are my top 5 favorite personal care products to get you started.
And if you’re interested in trying anything from Beautycounter, just drop your email below and I’ll send you some free samples :)
So long story long? YES, your skin DOES let toxins in.