Read Your Labels
The skin is the largest human organ. It acts as a protective
barrier, eliminates waste and toxins from the body, and is an
important part of the body's immune system.
Given its vital role, it is important to be aware of potential
threats to this "front line" organ. Here's a quick "rhetorical"
quiz: Do you know what Imidazolidinyl urea, Triethanolamine, and
Carrageenan are? These are ingredients found in many bath and
body products that are known to have harmful impurities and/or
cause cancer in humans. Some of these harmful ingredients can
clog your pores, inhibiting the skin's cleansing ability. Other
harmful ingredients are penetration enhancers allowing other
harmful chemicals to enter into the skin.
TIP: Read the ingredients of all the bath and body products you
purchase carefully. There are reference websites you can use to
look up ingredients of cosmetics, bath, and skin products to
determine if they pose any health risk. One reference site is "T
he Environmental Working Group".
Although there are many products that have harmful ingredients,
there are also many healthy alternatives. Some of these
alternative products have only minimal amounts of preservatives
to prevent spoilage, others are 100% chemical-free, 100%
natural, or certified organic.
Read the ingredient label the next time you pick up your
favorite shower gel or hand cream. Are these the ingredients you
want absorbed into your skin? If not, try a chemical-free brand
and be good not only to your skin, but your whole body.