Researcher Richard Bence, a biochemist who has studied conventional products for three years, estimates women's bodies absorb almost 5 pounds of toxic chemicals per year from the use of toiletries and beauty products.
Putting chemicals on the skin is actually far worse than ingesting them, he explains, because when you eat something the enzymes in your saliva and stomach help break it down and flush it out.
When you put it on your skin, however, it is absorbed straight into your blood stream without filtering of any kind, so there's no protection against the toxin.
Nine out of 10 women also use products that are past their use-by date--lipstick and mascara being the two most commonly products being used past their prime--which can turn them into hothouses for aggressive bacterial growth.
Many of the synthetic compounds found in cosmetics and toiletries have been linked to side effects like skin irritation, premature aging and cancer.
Parabens--used as preservatives in soaps, shampoos, deodorants and lotions--have been found in breast tumour samples, for example.
The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has previously reported that of all the chemicals used in cosmetics, nearly 900 of them are toxic. Women are becoming more aware of this issue, and there are more more natural cosmetics available today than in years past. But remember that labels do not tell the whole story. For more on how to select natural products, see Not All Natural Beauty Products are Natural.
Telegraph.co.uk June 22, 2007
