I’d like to welcome my first-ever guest poster to Hear Mum Roar, the lovely Juli W. from www.musq.com.au It is because of this woman’s brilliant cosmetics that I am able to wear makeup again in the knowledge that it will do no harm to my darling fiance, who as many of you may remember has a deathly allergy to petrochemicals. Because I was curious about the effects these types of chemicals can have on the average person without allergies, Juli has kindly written this wonderful piece for us, and I hope you enjoy it.
Another Inconvenient Truth.
Consider this. Those whose skins are deemed sensitive or reactive are actually the lucky ones. They only have a brief assault from the nasty ingredients in mainstream cosmetics courtesy of their skins quickly screaming to stop application immediately. These are skins spared, and the owners’ health less compromised.
Think of a “reactive sensitive skin” as being very articulate and pro-active. You might not like what it’s telling you but it is actually steering you in the right direction, away from the blocking, irritating toxic, and cancer causing ingredients!
Don’t think that because we can’t see these ingredients penetrating the dermis and then migrate via our bloodstream that it’s not happening. They don’t magically disappear, nor are they happily digested and excreted as with food. Sure, some unabsorbed residue is washed off at the end of the day, but many cosmetics such as skincare are designed to quickly penetrate the outer layers of skin.
We know from primary school health lessons that skin ‘feeds’ through absorption, and hence why medicines can be applied as ointments or patches.The mucus membrane skin inside the mouth absorbs the fastest, allowing us to ‘feed’ without even swallowing, so you may want to reconsider the brands of oral toiletries from mouthwash to toothpaste you’re using! Makeup may be designed to sit and stay on the surface but it still has preservatives, binders etc that can penetrate.
“So what?” you may say, but there’s a bit more to it when the logical progression of thought kicks in.
Autopsies have proven that organs collect up to several hundred synthetic chemicals that ‘get stuck’, as after all, these chemicals do not belong in nor are able to be broken down by the body. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. We also learn at a very early age that chewing gum (flavoured and elastic plastic) is not to be swallowed as it is un-natural and not digestible. We learn that plastic covering our mouth and nose is dangerous, preventing breathing, yet we coat our faces and bodies liberally with plastics every day. Among skin’s numerous roles is to excrete, perspire and breathe. Prevent these from happening and it will get sick. From what you feed it through repeat applications of product, your insides may get far sicker than how your skin looks.
We know that melanoma develops and lurks silently, undetected for years or decades. Similarly the absorption of synthetic chemicals through your skin may not display its insidious side-effects until too late. We may not even make the connection due to the slow onset of problems that may seem somehow unconnected to our skin or health concerns. And it may that the problems manifest themselves in the next generation, such as with Thalidomide.
So why is it that when we do think about this, we nod yes but don’t change what we buy? It’s not as if this information applies to only a few of us or we should need any more convincing. Many people simply don’t want their purchasing decisions challenged, their habits changed or to ‘waste’ their money disposing of their beautifully packaged toxic cosmetics. They will disregard or even deride the party poopers – like me – who advocate the safe alternatives….until the Defining Moment comes. Only when a problem rears up do they seek out the safe versions, which to their amazement are nowadays equally as attractively packaged and more potent than the mainstream equivalents. With their trainer wheels on, they may get conned by the clever marketing of ‘greenwashed’ brands whose ingredient list actually contradicts the claims of pure and natural.
Dressed in their innocent looking or seductive packaging, with clever promises and endorsements by people who are PAID to do so, the more easily accessed mainstream cosmetics still find their way into the majority of homes. The temporary plastic veneers (literally!) and synthetic cocktails of goo will not give the appearance of Photoshopped models and celebrities or raise self esteem. It will raise the manufacturer’s profit, and give you a pretty package to admire as you build up your level of absorbed toxins.
So is there any good news in this? YES!! But the cost is some more paragraphs of reading to make certain you truly appreciate it!
It’s incredible to think that in this day and age of strict regulations that there are cosmetics available containing numerous ingredients with KNOWN safety hazards. These hazards are often significant enough that in their manufacture there are strict guidelines about protective clothing being mandatory! Hazards which range from skin problems (how ironic!) to death – arsenic applied to the skin has killed thousands of people over the ages yet it is still permitted and used in cosmetic colourants!
How can this be possible? Isn’t big brother looking after us? How can mercury, arsenic and lead be allowed for use in cosmetic colourants, parabens be used as preservatives etc ?
Think of it being like this - we know that if we eat the whole pavlova in one go we’ll be consuming thousands of calories, but if we divide it into 7 slices and eat a piece a day that the spread of calories somehow changes things. Sorry…every calorie is still consumed, along with all that fat! Sure, there is more chance of exercising off the daily excess but the calorie value over the week is unchanged. The F.D.A. allows tiny amounts of mercury, arsenic and lead in synthetic colourants because within a single application it won’t kill you, but seemingly ignores that the successive applications (up to several a day as with lipsticks) does indeed build up. Those tiny amounts of hormone disruptors, formaldehyde donors and cancer causing ingredients that make excellent cosmetic preservatives, emollients or foaming agents are ingested through the skin. Some skin types don’t react to these ‘intruders’, while their application and passage through other skins causes acne, rosacea or blistering rashes.
Hobbies like lead lighting or even infrequent use of solder are great examples of how tiny amounts of such chemicals build up to a dangerous level. Gloves should be worn and good ventilation is required due to the toxicity of lead by touching the solder and inhalation of the fumes. It may take years before you show conspicuous signs of the poisoning, and take a take a very serious toll on your health with a slow recovery.
Consider the variety of nasty chemicals we incidentally ingest through touch, inhalation and by eating contaminated food ( pesticides etc) plus those we deliberately apply in our cosmetics…is it any wonder so many people have frequent headaches, never feel 100% or have forgotten how it feels to be REALLY well? With the continued ingestion of synthetic and natural toxic ingredients, bad health can sneak up so slowly without you even realising you are getting sicker. We wonder why we have so many ailments, putting it down to bad luck or aging.
Become informed and you will become empowered. And while some of what we uncover horrifies us, much of it we fundamentally know but have subconsciously filed into the no-fun category – like needing to exercise, eat more vegetables and consume less sugar.
And here’s the happy ending…..
1. Every year more brands are entering the market offering a healthy option. Not just a bit less toxic, but really healthy. Across the cosmetic categories all budgets are catered for, and in packaging that ranges from elegantly chic and pretty, to tribal or funky.
2. Do a little bit of homework on ingredients by going to the “Benefits” page at www.musq.com.au and you’ll quickly discriminate between what are the real deal and the ‘greenwashed’ brands
3. The internet will help you find what you’re after, or visit super strict stores like Musq, Biome or Handmade Naturals.
4. Before buying something new at the shops read the ingredients first. Skip the marketing material the ingredients don’t stack up.
5. Remember you have the ability to choose, and you don’t have to compromise.
* This article has been written by and is the property of Musq. Jan 2010. It may only be reproduced in part or in full with permission from Musq. Copyright 2007 Musq Pty Ltd. Hear Mum Roar has been given exclusive permission to publish this article.
