by Diana Howard

Created on: August 06, 2008   Last Updated: January 25, 2009

Putting it simply, what you put on your skin is probably even more important that what you put in your mouth. An illustration to prove the above point can be done at home. Cut a clove of garlic in half and place it between your toes. Sit down for about thirty minutes and you will begin to taste garlic. Anything and everything that you put on your skin is immediately absorbed, because your skin is the largest organ in your body. It is the first line of defense that your insides have against toxins, yet we slather our faces and bodies daily with chemicals that at the very least adversely affect our health, and at the most, can cause cancer.

No one would open their fridge and consciously put animal fat on their lips, tar on their eyelashes and we certainly wouldn't wash our face or remove makeup with nail polish remover, but that is exactly what we do when we use most beauty and make-up produced in America today. The FDA is does not regulate labels for the cosmetic industry, so those that claim to be "fragrance free", "hypoallergenic" or "dermatologist tested" are doing so in an industry which takes no responsibilities for such claims. Swiss standards are ten times higher than ours, while the Canadians are only slightly better at protecting consumers than we are.

Some of the harmful chemicals commonly found in make-up and beauty products are Propylene / Butylene Glycol (PG), Amine family Diethanolamine (DEA), triethanolamine (TEA), amonoethanolamine (MEA), Paraben preservatives or alkyl-p-hydroxybenzoates (methyl, propyl, butyl, and ethyl), Phthatale family or di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and di(2-ehtylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). These chemicals can cause everything from liver and kidney damage, birth defects, premature breast development, cancer, hormone problems, irritation of mucous membranes, respiratory and throat irritation, allergic reactions and even pulmonary edema. While this seems terribly dangerous, most of these chemicals are found in much smaller amounts than the worst offender; Mineral Oil.

According to the American Cancer Society, "Mineral Oil", is a carcinogenic, and often leads to cancer. Mineral oil is simply petroleum, more commonly known as gasoline, refined seven times to a clear liquid. It has no cosmetic value, except as inexpensive filler that increases profits for cosmetic manufacturer. Mineral oil does not moisturize your face, but coats it, clogs it, and prevents oxygen from reaching the skin and cleansing it of toxins. Moreover, it is usually the first or second ingredient in the product's list. This can easily mean that well over fifty percent of that product is made from this carcinogen. It can be argued that minute amounts of a substance would not be harmful, while in larger quantities the danger is increased.

So what can you do to give yourself a "natural make-over"? Raid your make-up bag and throw out any cosmetics that contain these chemicals, especially mineral oil. Research products that you want to buy at Skin Deep Safe Cosmetic Database http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/. and look for botanically based skin care and make-up products. Your health is worth such investigation.

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