Motivation Monday - Why to Make the Switch

When you hear the word "cosmetics" you probably don’t think they can be harmful to your health, after all its just a little make up right.…WRONG! There are hundreds of thousands of ingredients in cosmetics that are actually very harmful. And most major cosmetic/skin care lines use horrible chemicals that are toxic to the reproductive and endocrine systems and can cause disruption to your hormone balance. Many of these toxic ingredients include, but are not limited to, pesticides, plastics, formaldehyde and carcinogens….That’s right they can actually cause cancer with continued use.

I was absolutely stunned when I started reading about all the hazardous chemicals in the products I use every single day. I won't itemize them all here but for a more detailed list you can take a look at the David Suzuki Foundation and the Campaign for Safe cosmetics.

I don’t know about you but I don’t want this stuff anywhere near my body, not to mention anywhere near my daughter. And oh yes before you ask these same industrial chemicals are used in baby products. How terrible is that??? The oh so gentle and natural Johnson’s line is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to using chemicals like formaldehyde and 1.4 dioxane in their formulations, which by the way, are linked to cancer. When I found that one out I knew I had stop to using these products immediately for the wellbeing of my baby.

The more I started to explore the more I stared learning that all of the personal skin care products I was using contained synthetic dyes and fragrance, parabens, phthalates, sulphates, formaldehyde, petroleum, allergens and a whole host of other chemical ingredients. You may think "oh come on, what’s the big deal, the amount of chemicals your body is absorbing is minimal". Okay, there may be some truth to that, but if EVERYTHING you are using contains these toxins...body wash, moisturizer, shampoo, serum, mascara, eye shadow, foundation, blush, (the list goes on and on)....and you are using them on a daily basis these chemicals WILL build up in your system over time and could impact your health!!! Think about it!!!

For those of you who are thinking you’re a "minimalist" kind of girl (or boy) and you don’t use cosmetics or the other products listed above, that may be true, but if you are using deodorant, toothpaste, lip moisturizers, soap, hand cream, sunscreen... you are being exposed to these chemicals as well. That’s why it is important to start making better decisions about what you are using and start making the switch now.

In my next blog I will help you make the switch...

Simply Truly Jenny...