Contents:
Safe, Natural and Organic
What does Natural and Organic mean?
Natural Alternatives to Chemicals
Emollients
Humectants
Emulsifiers
Surfactants
Preservatives

Safe and Natural and Organic?

As the number of people who are concerned about toxins in our environment grows, more and more skin care companies are jumping on the "natural" and "organic" bandwagon for cosmetics and also for personal and body care products.

Ilana DeBare, Chronicle Staff Writer-Tuesday, April 29, 2008

"Both large and small companies have been wooing eco-minded consumers, with big corporations including Estee Lauder acquiring brands such as Aveda that market themselves as natural or organic.

At the same time, though, there are no federal regulations governing either natural or organic personal care products.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture sets strict standards for organic food. But it doesn't have a similar standard for soaps, shampoos and cosmetics. " See full article

NATURAL and ORGANIC

But what does "natural" and "organic" mean when we see them on a mainstream manufacturers cosmetic or toiletries product label?

How do we really know what we are buying is really natural and organic?

How do we actually know if the products are safe and non-toxic? 

What are the natural alternatives to synthetic and mostly toxic chemicals?

Is natural and organic really any better for us?

What products are truly natural and organic? By learning how to read product ingredients on labels we can make more informed decisions about what we buy. Click here to read more information.

Our skin is the largest eliminatory organ in the body. It is a two-way membrane.

Toxins are eliminated through the skin via perspiration and absorbed through the skin into the body's circulation system, through hair follicles and sebaceous glands, but not through the sweat glands. One square inch of skin contains approximately 65 hairs, 100 sebaceous glands and 650 sweat glands.

Every square inch of you skin is like a thousand open mouths, absorbing into the body most of what is put on it.

Skin care manufacturers are not supposed to claim that their products penetrate the skin. If they did, the products would then be labelled as "drugs" and would be governed by much stricter regulations. However, it is now recognised that the skin does absorb many ingredients in skin care preparations.

This is both good and bad. Good, because it means our skin can be nourished from the outside with some wonderful ingredients. Bad, because some skin care manufacturers can use harmful ingredients that would never be allowed to be taken orally, but are still absorbed into our system, through our skin.

WHAT ARE THE NATURAL ALTERNATIVES TO CHEMICALS?

All skin care products, both synthetic and natural, contain items from the following categories in some combination or other:

Emollients
Humectants
Emulsifiers
Surfactants
Preservatives

Lets look at each in turn:

EMOLLIENTS

Emollients serve two functions; they prevent dryness and protect the skin, acting as a barrier and healing agent. Water is the best emollient, but because it evaporates quickly it is ineffective.

It needs to be held on the skin by emollient oils in what is called an emulsion.

Synthetic emollients are occlusive i.e. they coat the skin and do not allow it to respire (much like plastic wrap), which can cause skin irritation.

Some synthetic emollients can accumulate in the liver and lymph nodes. They are also non-biodegradable, causing a negative environmental impact.

Natural emollients actually nourish the skin. They are metabolised by the skin's own enzymes and absorbed into it. They are readily biodegradable and are of edible quality.

Some Synthetic Emollients:

PEG compounds (eg PEG- 45 Almond Glyceride) may contain the toxic by-product dioxane Synthetic alcohols (anything that contains the phrase benzyl ­, butyl-, cetearyl-, cetyl -, glyceryl-, isopropyl-, myristyl propyl-, propylene-, or stearyl-) eg Isopropyl Palmitate, Diglyceryl Caprylate) have been shown to cause allergies and dermatitis.

Hydrocarbons (eg mineral oil, petrolatum, paraffin) contain carcinogenic and mutagenic Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and can cause chemically induced acne. S

ilicone Oils (eg dimethicone, cyclomethicone, copolyol) can clog the skin like plastic wrap and cause tumours when painted on lab animals (according to the Material Safety Data Sheet supplied by the manufacturer).
 

Some Natural Emollients

Plant Oils (eg. Jojoba, Avocado, Rosehip) Shea, Cocoa and Jojoba Butters

HUMECTANTS

The main purpose of any cream is to keep the skin moist. Many conventional creams form a suffocating film on the skin to prevent moisture loss.

Even a natural humectant, glycerin, actually attracts water from the air and surrounding tissue. It keeps the skin moist as long as there is sufficient moisture in the air.

In a dry climate it actually draws moisture from the skin. Collagen, elastin and keratin enjoy some popularity as humectants.

Whilst they are compatible with the skin and deposit a protective film, they are usually sourced from animals and therefore cannot be termed "cruelty free".

Some skin care companies would like you to believe that your skin can use special animal proteins to rejuvenate and replace aging cells. This is nonsense!

The size of the molecules, even when broken down (hydrolysed), are far too large to penetrate the skin. Even if they could get in, they would be immediately rejected as foreign matter and attacked by the immune system.

Natural phospholipids, from lecithin, are fantastic humectants. An important benefit of phospholipids is that they are hygroscopic (attract water from the surrounding air) and hold water where an increased level of hydration is needed.

Therefore, phospholipids increase the hydration levels of the skin without being occlusive (forming a film to prevent water loss, and preventing normal cellular function). A recent study proved the value of topically applied phospholipids in skin care.

It found that environmental factors (sun, wind, pollution) and the detergents and solvents, found in most skin cleansers, actually stripped the natural phospholipid content from the top layer of skin. This loss resulted in a rough feel and a pitted appearance under a microscope. Importantly, the phospholipids in the uppermost skin layers cannot be replaced by natural cell function, as the top layer of cells no longer metabolise; they serve only as a protective barrier.

Remarkably, the study showed that topically applied plant phospholipids restore the barrier function of the skin, protecting it from substances such as bacteria and harmful chemicals.

Some Synthetic Humectants

1. Propylene Glycol ­ causes irritation and contact dermatitis
2. Ethylene/Diethylene Glycol ­ causes irritation
and contact dermatitis
3. PEG compounds (eg Polyethylene Glycol) ­
may contain the toxic by-product dioxane

Some natural Humectants

1. Lecithin
2. Panthenol (pro-vitamin B5)
3. Glycerin

EMULSIFIERS

Emulsifiers hold two ingredients together that normally don't mix. This can be either a physical substance (like a wax) or a physical action (shake well before use). Synthetic emulsifiers are usually petroleum/hydrocarbon derivatives and can be allergens. Natural emulsifiers are obtained from various nuts, berries and leaves.

Some Synthetic Emulsifiers

1. Alkoxylated Amides (eg TEA, DEA, MEA MIPA compounds) can undergo nitrosation to form nitrosamines which are known carcinogens.
2. PEG compounds - may contain the toxic substance dioxane
3. Sorbitan Sterate, Laurate, Palmitate, Oleate etc.
4. Ozokerite, Ceresin, Silicone and Montan Waxes
5. Isopropyl Stearate, Laurate, Palmitate, Oleate etc.

Some Natural Emulsifiers

1. Plant waxes (eg Candelilla, Carnuba, Jojoba, Rice Bran)
2. Xanthum Gum
3. Quince Seed

SURFACTANTS

Surface-active-agents are substances capable of dissolving oils and holding dirt in suspension so it can be rinsed away with water. They are used in skin cleansers and shampoos.

A serious problem with ethoxylated surfactants (those that utilise ethylene or propylene oxide in the chemical reaction) is that they often contaminated with dioxane, a potent carcinogen.

The exact same toxic carcinogen sprayed on the Vietnam jungle during Agent Orange which caused hundreds of thousands of birth defects and cancers in Vietnamese civilians and huge increases in the cancer rates for US and Australian army personnel.

These surfactants are listed on labels as ingredients ending with -eth, (like laureth) or containing the phrase PEG (Poly Ethylene Glycol), or PPG (Poly Propylene Glycol). Another dangerous class of surfactants are amides. These are listed on labels containing the term TEA - TriEthanolAmine, DEA - DiEthanolAmine and MEA MonoEthanolAmine. All compounds containing TEA, DEA, and MEA can undergo nitrosation with other chemicals to form nitrosamines, which are carcinogenic. One study found that over 40% f products containing triethanolamine (TEA) were contaminated with these potent carcinogens.

Natural saponins (foaming agents) are a much better choice for shampoos. They gently cleanse the hair and scalp without stripping the natural oils.

Some Synthetic Surfactants

1. Sodium or Ammonium Lauryl or Laureth Sulphate
2. Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
3. Sodium Lauroyl or Cocoyl Sarcosinate
4. Cocomidopropyl Betaine
5. TEA compounds
6. DEA compounds
7. PEG (Polyethylene Glycol) compounds
8. Quarternium -7,15,31,60 etc
9. Lauryl or Cocoyl Sarcosine
10. Disodium Oleamide or Dioctyl Sulfosuccinate
11. etc. etc. etc.

Some Natural Surfactants

1. Castile Soap
2. Yucca Extract
3. Soapwort
4. Quillaja Bark Extract

PRESERVATIVES

The decaying process is natural and happens with or without preservatives. Skin care products do
not (and should not) last for ever. Just like food, all natural skin care products will eventually deteriorate and go rancid.

The effectiveness, not safety, of synthetic chemical preservatives has
only been "proven" by animal testing. Chemical preservatives are generally used because they are much cheaper than, and extend the shelf life of the product more than natural alternatives.

Storing natural products in the fridge will help extend their life.

Some Synthetic Preservatives

1. Imidiazolidinyl Urea (Germall 115) and Diazolidinyl Urea (Germall II) Causes contact
dermatitis. Germall 115 releases formaldehyde over 10°C.
2. DMDM Hydantoin Highly toxic, causes contact dermatitis, contains formaldehyde. Used in
shampoos and deodorants.
3. Methyl, Propyl, Butyl and Ethyl Paraben Toxic, Causes allergic reactions and skin rashes. Used in a huge range of products and is implicated in increasing breast cancer rates when used as a preservative in underarm deodorants.
4. 2-Bromo-2-Nitro-Propane-1, 3-diol. (Bronopol). Toxic - causes allergic contact dermatitis. Used in face creams, shampoos, mascaras and bath oils.
5. Benzalkonium Chloride - Highly toxic, primary skin irritant. Used in shampoos, conditioner and deodorants.
6. Quarternium-15 Toxic, causes skin rashes and allergic reactions
7. Chloromethylisothiazolinone and Isothiazolinone - Cause contact dermatitis
8. Methylisothiazolinone and Methylchloroisothiazolinone- Both cause allergies
9. Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) and Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) - Both cause allergic contact dermatitis - worse BHT is carcinogenic!

This alphabet soup of synthetic chemicals which go into making the average personal care product and/or cosmetic is believed to be playing a major part in the enormous increase in cancer rates in the developed countries of the world.

Research scientists such as Dr Samuel Epstein have been speaking out strongly for decades trying to warn the public of the dangers of toxic chemicals in personal care products.

We are losing the "winnable war on cancer" due to vested interests totally ignoring the damage that low level exposure to toxins over may years do to our immune systems.

Some Natural Preservatives

1. Tea Tree essential oil
2. Thyme essential oil
3. Grapefruit Seed Extract
4. D-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate (Vitamin E)