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June / July 2005
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS & NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE
by Christopher A. Shaw
VIBRANT AND HEALTHIER
by Dr. Halanna B.Matthew, PhD
BUYER BE WARY
by Linda Fleury
HOW TO CARB OR NOT TO CARB...the
glycemic index
by Charlotte Starbey
REMEMBER THE HIGHEST POWER
by Margaret I. Jang
WEBSITES REVIEW
by Gisela Filion
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BUYER BE WEARY... synthetics versus natural
Do you know what’s really in most of the
shampoos, cosmetics and personal care
products? The following chemicals and
their possible side effects of the common
offenders are described below.
Grahics to follow
by Linda Fleury
ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL
... a very drawing an
irritating petroleum derivative.
It is a solvent that strips the skin’s natural acid-mantle, making
it vulnerable to bacteria, viruses and premature aging of the skin.
It is also used in anti-freeze and as a solvent in shellac.
Mouthwashes with this type of alcohol content of 25% or greater
have been implicated in mouth and throat cancers.
MINERAL OIL
... a petroleum derivative
that coats the skin much like plastic
wrap. The skin’s natural immune barrier is disrupted as the oily
film inhibits its ability to breathe and absorb and locks in toxins
and wastes which can promote acne and other disorders. This
process slows down skin function and normal cell development.
This film also causes the skin to prematurely age as normal cell
respiration is hindered by keeping oxygen out. Baby oil is pure
mineral oil.
POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL (PEG)
... dissolves oil and grease
(as in spray-on oven cleaners) and
thickens personal care products. They are also found in many
personal care products. PEG’s strip the skin’s sebum and are
potentially carcinogenic and leave the immune system
vulnerable.
PROPYLENE GLYCOL (PG)
...
a toxic substance used as a wetting agent and solvent, that is
quickly absorbed into the skin and is also the active component
in antifreeze and often found in automatic brake and hydraulic
fluid, yet is found in make-up, hair and personal care products,
including deodorants, mouthwashes and toothpaste. PG has
systemic consequences such as brain, liver and kidney
abnormalities.
SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE (SLS) &
SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE (SLES)
... used as detergents and wetting
agents, these compounds are
found in car wash soaps, garage floor cleaners and engine
degreasers. SLS and SLES are found in cosmetics, cleansers,
toothpaste, hair conditioner and about 90% of all shampoos and
products that foam, creating potential health risks. Mark Fearer
in an article: Dangerous Beauty, says “... in tests, animals that
were exposed to SLS experienced eye damage, along with
depression, labored breathing, diarrhea, severe skin irritation and
corrosion and death”. Research has indicated that both SLS and
SLES can be damaging to the immune system.
It is possibly the most dangerous
of all ingredients in personal
care products. Research has shown that SLS, when combined
with other chemicals can be transformed into nitrosamines, a
potent class of carcinogens. It is rapidly absorbed and maintains
residual levels in the heart, the liver, the lungs and the brain.
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CHLORINE
According to Doris J. Rapp
MD, author of “Is This Your Child’s
World?”, exposure to chlorine in tap water, showers, swimming-
pools, laundry products, cleaning agents, food processing, sewage
systems and many others, can effect health by contributing to
asthma, hay fever, anemia, bronchitis, circulatory collapse,
confusion, delirium, diabetes, dizziness, irritation of the eye,
mouth, nose, throat, lung, skin and stomach, heart disease, high
blood pressure and nausea. ...it is also a possible carcinogen.
DIETHANOLAMINE (DEA),
MOMOETHANOLAMINE (MEA),
TRIETHANOLAMINE (TEA)
... used in cosmetic to adjust the
pH, DEA, MEA and TEA are
colourless liquids or crystalline alcohol. Look for names like
Cocamide DEA or MEA, Lauramide DEA, etc. These are
hormone disrupting chemicals and are known to be carcinogenic
nitrates and carcinogens nitrosamines. These are commonly found
in most personal care products that foam. On the TV show: “This
Morning”, Roberta Baskin revealed that a recent government
report shows DEA and MEA are readily absorbed by the skin.
Dr. Samuel Epstein, Prof. of Environmental Health, University
of Illinois said, “repeated skin applications of DEA-based
detergents resulted in a major increase in the incidence of two
cancers - liver and kidney cancers”.
FD & C COLOUR PIGMENTS
...
synthetic colours made from coal tar that can cause skin
sensitivity and irritation. They contain heavy metal salts that
deposit into the skin, hampering respiration. Animal studies have
shown almost all of them to be carcinogenic.
FRAGRANCE
IMIDAZOLIDINYL UREA & DMDM
HYDANTOIN
... is a primary cause of contact
dermatitis. These preservatives
release formaldehyde, which can irritate the respiratory system,
cause skin reactions and trigger heart palpitations, joint pain,
allergies, depression, headaches, chest pains, ear infections,
dizziness and loss of sleep. It can also aggravate coughs and
colds and trigger asthma.
Read your labels! If the
ingredients aren’t listed, then buyer be
weary. Natural alternatives are available.
Suggested reading:
Beauty to Die for: The
Cosmetic Consequence by Judi Vance
ISBN: 1583483985
Drop-Dead Gorgeous: Protecting Yourself from the Hidden
Dangers of Cosmetics by Kim Erickson, ISBN: 0658017934
Don’t Go To The Cosmetic Counter Without me. Paula Begoun,
ISBN 1-877988-23-5
Dying to Look Good: The Disturbing Truth About What’s Really
in Your Cosmetics, Toiletries and Personal Care Products by
Christine Hoza Farlow, ISBN: 096356353
A Consumers Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients by Ruth Winter,
ISBN: 0609803670
Natural Beauty: Pamper Yourself With Salon Secrets at Home
by Laura DuPriest, ISBN: 0761520996 US$9
The Body Book: Recipes for Natural Body Care by Anne Akers
Johnson, ISBN: 1570545901 US$16
(These books are available on-line and at most local stores.)
Linda Fleury, recently
relocated from Ottawa, is a certified
reflexologist and an aromatherapist. She lives, writes and
works in White Rock where she
creates her herbal skincare
products. She can be reached at 604-538-4141 and www.
reflexions-aromatherapy.ca
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