TOXIC SKIN CARE PRODUCTS

     When patients ask me about skin care products, I tell them that I try not to put anything on my skin that I wouldn’t put in my mouth.  Our SKIN is the largest organ in our body and is covered with both large and small blood vessels.  Synthetic additives in products usually are made of such large molecules that they prevent anything “natural” in the product from being absorbed ~ in other words, lotion only moisturizes the top layer of skin.  Parabens, used as a preservative, mimic estrogen and have been found in breast cancer tumors.

     I recently read the account of a man diagnosed with kidney and bladder cancer. He sought treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. and one of the first things he was asked to do was bring in his personal care items.  The doctor explained that the ingredients in the creams and other things you put on your skin every day can be absorbed into your bloodstream. He wanted to make sure that any grooming product used from then on would be nontoxic.

     The following link is an excellent source for identifying what is in the products that you are using: 
  http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/top-tips-for-safer-products/#your_body
 Be sure to read through the info listed under the column “Essential Tips and Facts”.  
       
      Thank you to Caressa Basham-Schramer for sharing the above link on her blog:
      http://www.rockitruby.blogspot.com/