(NaturalNews) Given the fact that just about everything you put on your skin gets absorbed into your bloodstream, it is interesting that there is a complete lack of regulation of cancer-causing ingredients in skin care products. There are over 150 toxic cancer-causing ingredients currently used in cosmetic products alone. According to federal law, products containing cancer-causing substances should carry a written warning. But the FDA does not enforce this law with cosmetics or personal care products. Consumers are left to purchase these
products at their own risk, and as a result they are being harmed by them.
Let's consider a product that's harming tens of millions of people every day in America alone:
sunscreen. Sunscreen products do not block ultraviolet radiation very well unless you apply multiple coats, but there has been a flurry of research lately on the harm caused by sunscreen
chemicals. These chemicals actually promote skin
cancer. This product is causing the very condition from which it claims to protect people.
The
skin is not the only organ that is harmed by sunscreen chemicals. Those chemicals are absorbed by the skin, circulate throughout the
body and end up harming the
liver, the organ responsible for neutralizing chemicals in the body. The continued use of sunscreen products -- especially those with
fragrance in them -- will inevitably harm the liver and, in my opinion, can
lead to organ failure or
liver cancer.
Sunscreen is not the only harmful product people put on their skin; consider
perfume and cologne. In an effort to smell attractive to others, consumers routinely put
toxic chemicals on their bodies that come out of beautifully designed glass bottles. Most people do not realize that these fragrances are often made from
toxic substances that are known to cause cancer; the perfume
industry gets away with murder. This includes everything from skin cream to moisturizer
lotion, not to mention shower soaps and other cleaning products with added fragrance. Unless you are buying the
natural forms of these products from truly organic companies, there is no doubt that you are applying a bewildering array of harmful chemicals to your skin. And when you put them on your skin, they are absorbed directly into your bloodstream.
Consumers' bodies are like toxic chemical dumps
This is partly why
consumers in Western society have hundreds of different synthetic chemicals lodged in their livers, hearts, brains, and other
organs. If you keep exposing your body to these chemicals, they will keep accumulating. All of these products ultimately lead to liver cancer and other serious
disorders caused by chemical stress on your body. Eventually, immune system suppression will kick in and you will succumb to some form of cancer or other type of immunity breakdown, including autoimmune disorders. It takes a focused detoxification effort to get these chemicals out.
Your skin is your body's largest organ, so its
health is crucial to your overall health. It has the largest mass and surface area of any organ in your entire body, and your skin is in contact with the outside
environment more than any other organ in your body. Your skin exchanges chemicals with
the environment; even if you do not put chemicals on your skin, it still exchanges air and
water with the environment.
This is easy to demonstrate by taking a swim, and then observing how your fingers start to look like raisins -- you are actually drinking water through your skin. Chemicals in swimming pools are a genuine health hazard, and chlorinated pool water has been found to cause bladder cancer. The best place to swim is the ocean, where you can absorb water that has natural minerals, rather than in chlorinated city water.
The skin easily absorbs chemicals
But many substances go through your skin other than water. This simple fact was denied for many years by proponents of conventional medicine, who said the skin was some sort of barrier. This was before they figured out that they could use the skin to deliver
drugs; now we have patch delivery systems for nicotine, birth control, and even Alzheimer's patches that actually deliver a measured dose of drugs through the skin.
Nevertheless, the
cosmetics industry continues to make products with extremely hazardous chemicals. The
FDA claims that these products are safe because they are not consumed orally. You would be amazed to find what
the FDA allows to be sold as long as it says, "for external use only." The assumption is that it will stay external and not be absorbed into the body, so its toxicity is irrelevant, but we now know this is not true. Toxic chemicals on the skin quickly lead to toxic
blood in the body.
Some molecules, of course, are too large to be absorbed through the skin, but most of the chemicals found in
personal care products and sunscreen products actually do go right through the skin. The same is true with fragrance, hair color products and all varieties of
personal care products that contain toxic chemicals. So, the next time you are shopping for any personal care products, keep in mind a good rule I learned from
Amazon John, the founder of the Amazon Herb Company:
Don't put anything on your skin that you wouldn't eat.Amazon Herb's Lluvia skin care line is made with substances you can actually eat. You certainly cannot make that claim about the cosmetics you find in department stores -- let's face it, they are mostly just chemicals prettied up in expensive-looking packaging and sexy advertising.
Think carefully about what you put on your skin. Safeguard your skin just as you would any other organ in your body. Your skin is exchanging chemistry with the environment, and if you want to be a healthy individual free of toxic chemicals in your liver, heart,
brain, kidneys and many other organs, it's time to stop putting cancer-causing chemicals on your skin. Throw out the junk cosmetics, skin lotions, creams, cleansers, shampoos, deodorants, perfumes, and all other personal care products that deliver a harmful dose of bad chemistry.
About the author: Mike Adams is a consumer health advocate and award-winning journalist with a strong interest in personal health, the environment and the power of nature to help us all heal He has authored and published thousands of articles, interviews, consumers guides, and books on topics like health and the environment, impacting the lives of millions of readers around the world who are experiencing phenomenal health benefits from reading his articles. Adams is a trusted, independent journalist who receives no money or promotional fees whatsoever to write about other companies' products. In 2010, Adams launched NaturalNews.TV, a natural health video site featuring videos on holistic health and green living. He also founded an environmentally-friendly online retailer called BetterLifeGoods.com that uses retail profits to help support consumer advocacy programs. He's also a successful software entrepreneur, having founded a well known email marketing software company whose technology currently powers the NaturalNews email newsletters. Adams volunteers his time to serve as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and practices nature photography, Capoeira, martial arts and organic gardening. Known as the 'Health Ranger,' Adams' personal health statistics and mission statements are located at www.HealthRanger.org
Have comments on this article? Post them here:
people have commented on this article.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Email this article to a friend
Share this article on: 
Now Available from 
