People are choosing natural or organic food and household cleaning items at a rapid rate. The reason for this is that we have all gradually come to realize that natural and organic products are better for our health, and for the health of our environment. It is no wonder, then, that so many of us are also developing concerns about the personal care products that we use on a daily basis.

Many people are not aware that government regulations in the United States permit the inclusion of almost any ingredient in the production of personal care products that we use on our hair, nails, and skin. Most people care enough about their health to exercise and to try to eat foods that are better for them, but they have absolutely no idea just how dangerous the health and beauty products are that they use.

Natural or organic personal care products are a smart option for consumers for a variety of reasons. First, typical brand name personal care products, including shampoo, mouthwash, make-up, body lotion, and toothpaste, contain some chemicals that are known to be hazardous to our health. The potential danger of these chemicals ranges from causing allergic reactions to causing cancer.

Natural or organic personal care products do not contain any potentially harmful chemicals, so they are not only better for your skin, they are better for your overall good health, as well. If you are not aware of the dangerous chemicals that you should try to avoid using, the following list will provide you with some of the most commonly used chemicals in personal care products.

• 1,4-Dioxane - This is a contaminant that is a derivative of petroleum. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, this chemical is a probable human carcinogen. It is absolutely carcinogenic to animals. The state of California believes that 1,4-Dioxane causes birth defects and cancer, and has taken actions to regulate the usage of this chemical.

• Phthalates - These chemicals can be very harmful to the liver, reproductive system, lungs, and kidneys. They are found in a number of health and beauty products, including make-up and skin care items.
• Lead - We are all aware that lead can be toxic, particularly if it is ingested; yet it is a common ingredient in lipsticks.
• Parabens - These are chemicals that can play havoc with your hormones. Exposure to parabens poses an increased risk of developing breast cancer.

The most frustrating part about this information is that the majority of personal care product manufacturers in the United States are allowed to get away with using these dangerous chemicals, and there is no regulating body to stop them. This leaves consumers with some difficult decisions to make, and a lot of research to conduct.

Unfortunately, it is much more of a challenge to find truly natural or organic personal care products. It is generally not as easy as walking into your local drug or department store, because the majority of the products you will find there contain ingredients that are bad for your health. If you are interested in using healthier products for your body, you may have to start shopping for products online. The good news is that there are a few companies who specialize in selling natural or organic personal care products that contain only healthy ingredients.

One thing that you should keep in mind, however, is that you should always read product labels, even when you are purchasing items that claim to be natural or organic. This is important because there are some unscrupulous companies who claim to sell all natural products, but in reality they are adding some very dangerous chemicals to them.

Ideally, the issue of consumer safety in relation to personal care products should be dealt with by governmental agencies. For the time being, however, this is not the case. Without such regulation, consumers have to be actively involved and committed to making healthier choices for themselves and their families. You can do this by educating yourself on how to understand product labels, and by finding natural or organic personal care products to replace your old ones.

The quality of most natural or organic personal care products is superior. Once you have found a few brands or products that you like, you will wonder why you did not make the change to all natural health and beauty items sooner!

References

1. http://www.inspiredliving.com/natural-eye-makeup/. Accessed 25 July 2008.

2. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/24/AR200801240213

5.html. D'Amato, Suzanne. "Can Beauty be Dangerous?" Washington Post. 27

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