Risking Health for the sake of Appearances

We live in a society where too many individuals become obsessed with outward appearances and overly attached to the cult of beauty. The evidence surrounds us each and every day in the form of popular magazines, cinema, and cosmetic brands with enormous advertising budgets and the potential to distribute record-breaking profits to their shareholders. There are significant numbers of women and a smaller percentage of men who depend upon conventional cosmetic products. It’s possible they are risking their health for the sake of appearances.

There’s little doubt that many of the chemical ingredients contained in conventional cosmetic products are toxic and damaging to health. Consider the parabens, for example. This class of synthetic chemical is employed as preservative in a wide range of conventional facial creams and skincare products. They are also known to be hormone disruptors and may be linked to conditions like breast cancer and reproductive disorders.

Until recently, scientific evidence suggested that substances like the parabens were unlikely to contribute to a greater health risk for cosmetic users. As our ability to research long-term health outcomes progresses, this assessment must be revised. The link between these chemicals and health complications becomes much clearer with large-scale surveys and comparison groups of individuals who have not used the conventional products. Intuitively, this has always made sense. It’s not the tiny amount of chemical which gets absorbed each day but the cumulative buildup and associated effects on the body after many years. Several researchers have estimated that a serious cosmetic user will absorb approximately two kilograms of chemicals in one year. To maintain health, this requires the body to expend considerable energy to break down and excrete the foreign materials. As we age, the body becomes less efficient in its ability to do this and that is when the obvious signs of health consequences can become apparent.

The safest approach is to avoid using conventional cosmetic products and to consider the option of natural and organically certified alternatives. Organic Guide recently interviewed two well-known manufacturers of organic skincare and beauty products - Dr. Hauschka Skin Care and Juice Beauty. We believe these are informative and provide insight into the processes which ensure a higher standard of consumer safety.