What the large personal care companies
DON'T want you to know.....

 We do it everyday; our daily routine. We wake up, take a shower, shave, wash our face and brush our teeth. All mindless daily activities that don't receive much thought. But here's something to think about. Have you ever turned your shampoo, conditioner or shower gel bottle around to read the ingredients? If you are like me, I can hardly pronounce half of them. Have you ever questioned the safety of these ingredients? For most, it never crosses our minds.

 T.V. commercials bombard us each day, promising  to give us healthy, shiny hair; clear, soft and radiant skin . The clever advertising reinforces the belief that these products are safe and when health practitioners also endorse these products, we feel even more reassured . Could these ingredients really be harmful to us? I mean, they are a part of life; the products are everywhere, and surely these products would not be available if they were truly harmful......right?.....THINK AGAIN! One word: CIGARETTES.  Just remember how, for decades, tobacco companies managed to discredit any studies showing tobacco to be harmful. Their own scientists had found the same evidence, but had been threatened not to say anything.

Toxic chemicals are found in just about all mainstream personal care products; many which are known carcinogens and hormone disrupters.  Might these be the reason that so many people suffer  from so many health problems doctors can not cure? Not to mention the potential of long term diseases. It's time we looked at the chemicals in our personal care items and the negative effects they may be having on our health. 

DID YOU KNOW...

•  The common source for ingredients in personal care products is petroleum by-products, coal tar and animal fats?  Does dead animal fat really get my hair squeaky clean?
• Out of the 2,983 chemicals found in personal care products, 30% are considered toxic? (These ingredients are allowed by the FDA and are extremely inexpensive) How else could you get a bottle of shower gel for $1.99?)
•  Toxins have a cumulative effect....they add together as  you continue to use them
• Some of the common ingredients used in toiletries mimic oestrogen. As a large number of cancers are fed by oestrogen, it is believed that the huge rise in cancer rates may be attributed, in part, by the long-term exposure to these chemicals. 
•  These toxic ingredients are dirt cheap and it is a means for the meat-packing industry and the oil refining industry to get rid of their by-products.
• Slaughter house carcasses are sent to rendering plants where they are boiled in huge hoppers. When processed the fat floats to the top and is skimmed off, bleached, deodorized, treated with chemicals, scented with toxic fragrances, and then sold to the cosmetic industry.
• Instead of wasting oil by-products, refiners will process them and then sell them as beneficial cleansing products

A brief list of the most common chemicals and their side effects:

•   Ammonium Laureth Sulphate- (Anionic Surfactants) Anionic refers to the negative charge these surfactants have. They may be contaminated with nitrosamines, which are carcinogenic. Surfactants can pose serious health threats. They are used in car washes, as garage floor cleaners and engine degreasers - and in 90% of personal-care products that foam.
• Aluminum- Used as a color additive in cosmetics, especially eye shadows. Another form of Aluminum is used in deodorants and antiperspirants. Listed as carcinogenic, toxic and mutagenic.
• Alcohol (cetyl, butyl, ethyl): Acts as carrying and antifoaming agent as well as a water and oil solvent. It dries quickly, and if synthetically produced is carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic and can cause adverse reactions. It is made from propylene, a petroleum derivative. It may promote brown spots and premature aging of skin.
• DEA (diethanolamine): A synthetic solvent, detergent and humectant widely used in brake fluid, industrial degreasers and antifreeze. Mostly used in liquid soap, shampoo & conditioner. Can be harmful for the liver, kidneys and pancreas. May cause cancer in various organs. Irritates skin, eyes, mucous membranes. Found also in hair dye, lotions, cream, bubble bath, liquid dishwashing detergent & laundry soap. Health risk especially to infants and young children. Forms nitrosamines known to be carcinogens. Causes allergic reactions and contact dermatitis. Hazardous & toxic.
• Fluoride: Hazardous chemical. Researchers linked it to cancer years ago. No one is listening. Fluoridated toothpaste is especially dangerous to young children who tend to swallow it after brushing their teeth. Supposed to stop tooth decay. Scientists are now linking fluoride to dental deformity, arthritis, allergic reactions, can lead to Crohn's disease. A toxic manufacturing by-product.
• Fragrances (Parfum): Can contain up to four thousand ingredients (including animal urine), many toxic or carcinogenic. Causes headaches, dizziness, allergic reactions, skin discoloration, violent coughing, vomiting, and skin irritation. Fragrances affect the nervous system, causing depression, hyperactivity, irritability, inability to cope and other behavioral changes
• Glycols (group): Used as a humectant (emulsifier/moisturizer), that can be from animal or vegetable, natural or synthetic. In most cases it is used as a cheap glycerine substitute. Propylene glycol did cause liver abnormalities and kidney damage in laboratory animals. Diethylene glycol and carbitol are considered toxic. Ethylene glycol is a suspected bladder carcinogen. The FDA cautions manufacturers that glycols may cause adverse reactions in users. They have been shown to be carcinogenic, mutagenic, and toxic.
• Mineral Oil: Petroleum by-product that coats the skin similar to plastic wrap, clogging the pores. Interferes with skin*s ability to eliminate toxins, promoting acne and other disorders. Slows down skin function and cell development, resulting in premature aging. (This stuff is in everything!!!)
• Parabens: Trademark for butyl, ethyl, germa, isobutyl, methyl, propyl paraben; butylated hydroxytoulene, tetrasodium EDTA, phenoxyethanol

  . Causes dermatitis and allergic reactions. These are estrogen mimics that can disrupt the hormonal balance of the body. Parabens have been found in uterine and breast cancer tumors. It is the most common preservative used in a variety of personal care products especially cream & lotion. Petroleum based.
• Propylene Glycol (Dipropylene glycol): It is the most common moisture-carrying vehicle other than water that is used. Found in most shampoo and conditioners, even foodstuffs such as cakes & muffins. Derived from petroleum products. Also used in anti-freeze, de-icer, latex, paint, and laundry detergent. It can cause irritation of nasal and respiratory passages and if ingested, can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. It is documented to cause liver abnormalities and kidney damage. Research also shows it is mutagenic, and a contributor to cardiac arrest. Japanese studies show it damages cell DNA (genetic code). Strongly degreases and dries the skin.
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: An ingredient in 90% of commercially available shampoo and conditioner. Is found in car wash soap, engine degreaser, toothpaste, cream, lotion, and garage floor cleaners. Penetrates your eyes, brain, liver kidneys and remains there for long-term. Degenerates cell membranes and can change the genetic information (mutagenic) in cells and damage the immune system.  Studies also show that these additives react with the ingredients of food supplements or cosmetics, to form carcinogenic nitrates and dioxin. All of this may enter the circulatory system with each shampooing or each oral ingestion. The end result being that these harmful ingredients can be retained in the liver, heart, eyes, kidneys and muscles for several years after being used. It is further reported to cause eye irritations, skin rashes, hair loss, dandruff and allergic reactions.
• Triclosan: Synthetic *antibacterial* with a chemical structure similar to Agent Orange, is used in antibacterial cleansers, tooth pastes, baby and household products! The EPA registers Triclosan as a pesticide, giving it high scores as a risk to human health and the environment. Hormone disruptors can change genetic material, decrease fertility and sexual function and foster birth defects. Internally, it can lead to cold sweats, circulatory collapse and convulsions. Stored in the body fat, it can accumulate to toxic levels, damaging the liver, kidneys and lungs and can cause paralysis, brain hemorrhages and heart problems. Tufts University, School of Medicine says Triclosan can force the emergence of *super bugs* that it cannot kill. With a half live of 500 years and a toxicity level of one part per trillion (one drop in 300 Olympic sized swimming pools), Triclosan may be a contributory factor to the sterility of future generations.