Personal Care Products

Cosmetics and personal care products have been around since civilization began, and it's doubtful that we would ever want to give up the primping and pampering of our bodies that personal care products and makeup provide. But for most of history, personal care products were made of natural ingredients. Today this is increasingly less so. The products that feel so good to our skin and look and smell so good on our faces and bodies often contain chemicals and dyes that we should be warned about.

You probably know someone who is taking a medication that is applied through the skin. This method is used for administering medicine for hormone replacement for both men and women, and also, a patch is used to treat high blood pressure. Skin patches can also be purchased over the counter to help smokers stop smoking. Although the body takes substances in through the skin in a much slower way, what you apply on your skin will eventually make its way into your body.

So why is it that most of us apply many personal products to our skin throughout the day but never consider that these products will end up in our organs and tissues throughout our bodies? They most certainly do.

Like most of us, you probably use your favorite personal products with the complete assurance that the federal government carefully tests and screens each one and would never permit products with dangerous or toxic ingredients to reach the supermarket, drug store, and department store shelves. Sadly, your confidence in government screening to protect you may be naive. The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) does not require premarket testing, review or approval for cosmetics. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will pursue enforcement action for problem cosmetics only after they are on the shelves.

This means that it's up to you to understand what you are purchasing and to make wise, healthy choices regarding the personal products that you and your family will use.

The cosmetic industry may not tell you that some of the ingredients used in its products are hazardous to your health. Become informed about the possibility of allergy-producing and cancer-causing substances in your personal products - your life may depend on it.

Source: What You Don't Know May Be Killing You
by Dr. Don Colbert