I thought I’d share this today. Even before I was a Naturopath I was becoming aware of chemicals in our environment that had a negative effect on us humans. Studying Naturopathy only deepened my understanding of the delicate nature of our bodies, what they absorb and what they have to detoxify. Anything you smell, eat, drink, or touch is absorbed and processed and hopefully detoxified from our bodies. Some chemicals are toxic enough to cause changes to our DNA and cause disease. Yes we are born with genes but what genes are turned on or off are very much a product of our environment. Women in particular are exposed to so many thousands of chemicals in cosmetic products and we don’t even think twice about it. There are a concerning amount of chemicals that are endocrine disruptors – that is that they affect our hormones. Not just women’s but men’s as well. Humans have lower testosterone levels and more fertility problems than ever before. I see so many young girls in clinic now with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) or something heading in that direction it is really concerning. Some of these chemicals never break down in the environment. So please start thinking about the toxins we are exposing ourselves and each other to. Here is a list by the David Suzuki Foundation called the “Dirty Dozen”. It is a list of substances to avoid in cosmetic products:
• BHA or BHT (preservatives that may cause cancer & endocrine disruption)
• Coal tar dyes; p-phenylenediamine (artificial colors with heavy metals and cancer-causing potential)
• DEA, MEA and TEA (eg. triethanolamine)
• Bibutyl phthalate
• Formaldehydes
• Parabens ( strong links to breast cancer)
• Parfum
• PEGs (eg. polyethylene glycol)
• Petroatum
• Siloxanes
• Sodium laureth sulfate
• Triclosan (common in hand sanitisers)
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