GHS Natural Health Blog

Even though they may not realize it, parents can be the most influential persons in a child, young adult or teen’s life. This influence should be used to encourage kids to never start smoking or to stop if they do.

Although parenting advice to kids and teems is difficult and many times ineffective, there are some tips in order to persuade them to stay away from tobacco. To increase the chances that your child does not start smoking, it is important that you begin to start sharing with your child the dangers of smoking as early as possible. Kindergarten is not too young to begin. It is often during this time that your child may be learning about basic safety in regards to drugs, strangers and fire. You speaking to them about smoking will fit right in.

It is believed that nearly 20% of adolescents smoke in the United States. This is an alarming figure and puts millions of adolescents, teens and their family’s at risk for smoke related diseases. To curb this, it is important for parents to take an active role in their children’s life. This means paying attention to them, spending time with them and being involved in their world. The Center of Disease Control believes that these simple acts will help your child overcome peer pressure and will enable them to say no to at-risk, dangerous behaviours. Speaking with children, no matter how old they are about the illnesses and dangers associated with smoking can help them to not ever start smoking. If your child has already started smoking, you should still remind them of the dangers, not allow it in your home and provide them with help and support when they express that they are ready to quit. If a family member or friend has suffered from some sort of smoke-related illness, be sure to discuss this with your children.

Having a child that smokes can be very distressing to a parent who understands the dangers of smoking. If your child is underage, do not allow them to smoke at all and especially not in your home or around you. Be sure to make sure that they understand the dangers of smoking, a field trip to the hospital to see patients that are hospitalized for smoke-related illnesses might be in order.

If your child is older and no longer lives in your home, you may not have as much control. However, you can forbid them from smoking in your home and when you are around. Also be sure to be supportive when they express an interest in giving up smoking.

Reference: George Key

Find out right now if your favourite products are a disaster to your health. Search through a detailed list of the harmful ingredients that are hidden in makeup, hair care, skin care, baby care, perfumes and much more. Your skin and body will definitely thank you for it.

Most natural consumers are concerned with the products they put in their bodies and on their skin. In a polluted, industrialized system that sometimes seems a bit powerless to meet our needs, we try to gain some kind of control over our health by buying healthy chemically free products.

We’re sure that we want only “natural” and “pure” products, but have a difficult time finding these products on the shelves that qualify.

There is a reason why it is so difficult to make truthful choices that reflect our needs. The natural products consumer is targeted by commercial companies that want our revenue, but don’t have the deep desire to promote healthy products that we assume.

It’s all about packaging and marketing. Marketers, advertisers, and CEO’s of personal care products companies literally sit around tables figuring out how to convince us that what they are selling is natural. This is done with clever wording, choice of color and label design, packaging style, and choice of ingredients. Many of these products contain plant extracts that are highlighted on the label, but the base ingredients are synthetic. The same companies that are producing synthetically based products set aside “a portion” of their budget to create and promote a “natural line”. 

So how are we, as caring and educated as we are, so easily fooled? The first mistake that we make is when scanning an ingredient list on the back of a product, our eyes (and minds) skip over the long, complicated ingredients that we don’t understand, and rest on ingredients such as chamomile, lavender, and aloe. I cannot count the number of customers who have said to me, “Oh I just bought a natural chamomile lotion by “such and such (commercial brand)”, it smelled so good, and it’s all natural”. If I ask “Does it have methylparaben or propylene glycol in it?”, the answer is invariably “No, it’s all natural”. Upon follow up research, I consistently find that though the product may contain some plant-based ingredients, it also lists some dangerous chemicals.

I personally take offense at the large number of chemical-bearing personal care products that line the shelves of natural food stores. A natural products consumer goes to this type of store looking for a haven; a safe-house, where the frightening chemical-laden society recedes, and Nature presides. Because they are so trusting of the establishment, they are less critical of the products, and more likely to believe the advertising claims on the bottles of shampoo and lotion.  As a case in point, one of the largest “natural food chains” boasts that they don’t carry any food items with preservatives, yet they carry hundreds of personal care products that contain those exact preservatives.

It is a well known fact that 60% of what we put on our skin is absorbed into our body. If you have convinced yourself that these questionable ingredients are not something that you have to worry about, then ask yourself these few questions:

• Do you know, or know of a woman that has or has had cancer?
• Do you know, or know of a woman, man or child that has eczema, psoriasis, or scalp   problems?
• Do you know, or know of a woman or a man that is suffering from hair loss or arthritis?
• Do you know of a child that has suffered from genital infections?

If you can say yes to any of these questions, and if any of them apply to you, then you do need to become concerned about some of these questionable ingredients.

One last point, before presenting an informative list of ingredients to avoid, is the question that our customers constantly ask: Why does the FDA allow so many  products to carry toxic ingredients? The answer revolves around capitalism, greed, and power. Laws in Congress are influenced by lobbyists, and the large personal products manufacturers have very powerful lobbyists. The FDA does not require studies on the long-term health risks of the ingredients in personal care products, only short-term irritancy tests (think animal testing). To change this we must band together and become a more powerful voice, and let our congressman know that our and THEIR mothers, sisters and friends are dying of cancer, in direct relation to the quantity of chemicals that they apply to their skin over a lifetime.

INGREDIENTS TO AVOID:

QUATERNIUM 15: (DOVE, Johnson’s Baby Shampoo) FORMALDEHYDE, a carcinogen.

FD&C DYE: These dyes are produced from COAL TAR, and are documented to be CARCINOGENS.

BUTYL CELLOSOLVE, and ISOBUTENE: (Fantastic, Windex, and Formula 409)
A neuro-toxin. Damages the central nervous system, kidney and liver. Listed as a pesticide.

DIOXIN: Lysol disinfectant. Carcinogen, 500,000 times more deadly than DDT Ethyl Alcohol.

PROPYLENE GLYCOL: (contained in shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, lipstick, lotion, face cream, etc) This industrial solvent is so HIGHLY toxic, that industrial workers are warned of SEVERE health risks if contact occurs, such as brain, liver, and kidney abnormalities. They are required to wear protective clothing, gloves, and goggles during handling, and PG can only be disposed of in hazardous waste sites at a cost of $500.00 to $1,000 per drum!!!

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
Sodium Myreth Sulfate

The above ingredients and other detergents are industrial surfactants that are linked to cancer, and literally strip the scalp and skin of necessary oils, leaving it dry, and severely itchy and flaky. They were originally designed to clean floors and engines and now are found in 95%!!!! of shampoos and body cleansers, even the NATURAL brands. The saddest aspect of this is that this SLS causes irritation and infection in the genitals of young children, yet is the main ingredient in baby shampoos and bubble bath.

TALC: (contained in baby powder, foot powder, pressed eye shadow and blush, and foundation)
Linked to uterine cancer and respiratory problems in infants. Literally “suffocates” the skin.

DEA, MEA, and TEA: Repeated use of these chemicals leads to a major increase in the incidence of liver and kidney cancer. Restricted in Europe.

DMDM Hydantoin & UREA: Preservatives that release FORMALDEHYDE into the body. Funeral directors are now saying that there is such a high concentration of formaldehyde present in the human body at death that they are using 50% LESS formaldehyde than they used to.

FRAGRANCE (including FRAGRANCE OILS): Linked to cancer and mental problems including depression.

TRICLOSAN (found in ANTI-BACTERIAL SOAPS): Registered as a PESTICIDE with the FDA, linked to cancer, a hormone disruptor.

METHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN: Preservatives that deposit in the human system that disrupt normal enzyme activity.

PTHALATES: (Used nail polish, fragrance and a host of other products) Extremely toxic chemicals (regulated under environmental law) that reduce fertility, harm the male reproductive system, and are especially dangerous to pregnant womens’ fetuses. Found in products by Proctor & Gamble, L’Oreal, Lever Brothers, Maybelline, Chesebrough-Pond’s, Colgate, Elizabeth Arden, Kraft, and Revlon.

CARMINE: (found in lipsticks, glosses blushes, and eye shadow) This extract from the carmine beetle in South America, has been connected to heart problems.

Now, aside from these obviously toxic chemicals, there are other issues that arise with products that claim to be “all natural from pure vegetable sources”.

There are several ways to extract an oil or a wax from a plant, (eg. jojoba oil, evening primrose oil, shea butter, cocoa butter). It can be extracted with a solvent, which leaves toxic residues in the products, or by extremely high heat, which DESTROYS the botanical properties associated with the plant, or by the cold-pressed method. If you are a consumer or a manufacturer, ASK QUESTIONS. How was the shea butter extracted? Are the oils cold-pressed? Is the vitamin E or glycerin synthetic or natural?

Find out if the ingredients are organic. This is an extremely important issue, due to the very high toxicity level of pesticides that become concentrated in liquids extracted from plants.

Look for the words ‘cold-pressed’ and ‘organic’ on labels, and if you don’t see them, put the product down and keep looking. Ask questions to store owners, who in turn can call suppliers and manufacturers.

Stay away from ingredients that contain long words you cannot pronounce, that have the phrase “from coconut oil” in parentheses. Any natural products that have been chemically broke down are no longer natural and should be avoided at all costs. Sodium Laureth Sulfate is derived from coconut oil is still an unhealthy product, despite its source.

This list could go on for ages, but if you would like to gain more knowledge, start asking questions. Call the manufacturer, log on to the FDA website, and get the word out.

If you look at the ingredients of every skin-care product you currently own or almost all supposed “healthy” and expensive skin-care products sold in any store, you will find a combination of the following dangerous, chemical and synthetic ingredients. Please keep in mind that when you use ANYTHING on your skin or hair, ALL of the ingredients absorb into your body. Skin absorption is so potent that an increasing number of medicines are in patch form. Applying creams and oils is NO DIFFERENT from eating them, because they enter the blood-stream regardless if they are ingested in the mouth or absorbed through the skin! 

1) Methyl, Propyl, Butyl, and Ethyl Paraben- Some combination of  these synthetic ingredients are in almost EVERY skin and hair product made today. Widely known to be highly toxic and cause allergic/skin reactions. Companies use this dangerous ingredient, because it is extremely cheap and extends the shelf life of the product by inhibiting microbial growth.

2) Propylene Glycol -This Petroleum by-product is a synthetic ingredient used as a humectant.  Also used as an INDUSTRIAL ANTI-FREEZE to de-ice airplanes!!! This toxic ingredient causes many allergic reactions. Research data states that through skin contact it can cause “liver abnormalities and kidney damage.”

3) DMDM Hydrantoin – A Petro-chemical used as an ANTI-FREEZE in cars.

4) Sodium Laurel Sulfate – This highly toxic synthetic substance (used for foaming abilities) causes urinary tract, bladder and kidney infections, genital disorders, eye irritations, skin rashes, hair loss, scalp scurf similar to dandruff, and allergic reactions.

5) Synthetic Colors – Labeled as FD&C or D&C, followed by a color number such as FD&C Red. These highly toxic substances are usually coal-tar based and have been linked as cancer causing agents.

6) Synthetic Fragrances – Most Products will simply say “Fragrance” which means any combination of the cheapest 200 synthetic, toxic ingredients the company can find. Causes headaches, dizziness, rashes, violent coughing, vomiting, skin irritations etc..

7) Triethanolamine (TEA)/Diethanolamine (DEA) – Used to adjust the pH balance, but toxic and causes eye problems, and dryness of skin and hair. DEA has been linked with kidney, liver and other organ damage according to several government-funded research. One study found  that the topical application of DEA in rodents resulted in anaemia, kidney degeneration, and nerve damage to the brain and spinal cord. (Melnick et al., 1994) Even more disturbing was that several animals died before the study ended. Approximately 200 million pounds of DEA are produced annually in the U.S., most of which goes into personal care products. (USITC, 1990).

8) Imidazolidinyl Urea and Diazolidinyl Urea – Used as a a preservative, but a primary cause of contact dermatitis. You might see these toxic chemicals under the names Germall II and Germall 115, which release formaldehyde at just over 10°.

9) Behentrimonium Chloride – Toxic ammonia compound. Ingestion can be fatal. Concentrations as low as 0.1% can be irritating to the eyes and cause necrosis (tissue death) of mucus membranes.

10) Titanium, Zirconium, Benzalkonium, Bismuth, Antimony (*1), Barium (*2), Aluminum, Tin, Chromium, Benzene & PCBs. – According to Dr. Hulda Reghi Clark, all of these ingredients are extremely dangerous. *1 – Breast cancer cases show Titanium, Zirconium, Benzalkonium, Bismuth, Antimony, and Aluminum accumulation in the breast. *2 -Barium is described in the Merck Index as a “caution”. ALL water or acid soluble Barium is POISONOUS! 10ed. P.139, 1983.

Many cosmetics contain chemicals known as parabens and phthalates, which recent studies indicate may be linked to cancer development.

Parabens are chemical preservatives that have been identified as estrogenic and disruptive of normal hormone function. (Estrogenic chemicals mimic the function of the naturally occurring hormone estrogen, and exposure to external estrogens has been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer.)

Phthalates are known to cause a broad range of birth defects and lifelong reproductive impairments in laboratory animals that are exposed to these chemicals during pregnancy and after birth. Phthalates are also known to be hormone-mimicking chemicals, many of which disrupt normal hormonal processes, raising concern about their implications for increased breast cancer risk.

There are numerous other chemicals of concern in personal care products. BCA is particularly concerned about lutein (progesterone), formaldehyde and coal tar due to their links to cancer. The Environmental Working Group recently released Skin Deep, a report on the safety of cosmetics and personal care products. Astonishingly, 1/3 of products tested contain on or more ingredients that are known, probable or possible human carcinogens.

Cosmetic companies will argue that we don’t need to worry about harmful chemicals in their products because they are only used on our skin and hair. For example, the cosmetics industry has long stated that their widespread use of parabens and phthalates is not harmful because they remain on our skin and are not absorbed into our body. However, a recent study found parabens in human breast cancer tissue, raising obvious questions about the ability of parabens to accumulate in our bodies (Darbre et al. 2004). In September 2000 scientists from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found phthalates at surprisingly high levels in every one of 289 people tested, especially in women of reproductive age. The authors concluded that “from a public health perspective, these data provide evidence that phthalate exposure is both higher and more common than previously suspected” (Blount et al. 2000).

Many cosmetic companies will also argue that the level of a harmful chemical in any one product is not enough to harm you, based on studies of chemical exposure in adults. However, science is finding the timing of exposure is crucial, and that even a very small dose of some chemicals can have serious consequences in children and young women who are still developing. Also, we are rarely exposed to a chemical just one time. We may use the same product every day, several days a week, for months or years. In addition, we use dozens of personal care products daily, not just one. So while exposure from one product on one day may be small, the fact is we use numerous products a day for extended periods of time. As a result, scientists are finding chemicals such as parabens and phthalates accumulating in our bodies.

Many diseases like cancer, asthma, birth defects and learning disabilities are on the rise, and there is growing evidence that these health problems are linked to the chemicals we are exposed to in our air, water, food, and everyday products. It’s time we start acting to protect human health. The Precautionary Principle, a common sense approach to chemical use, says “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. It guides us to take action to prevent exposure to chemicals we know or suspect is harmful to our health. In the case of cosmetics, when a product ingredient is known or strongly suspected of being harmful to our healthy, our top priority should be eliminating the use of this chemical and finding a safe substitute to replace it. In many cases, we know safe alternatives do exist and are already being used by some cosmetic companies. The notion of “safe” or “acceptable” levels of hazardous chemicals in our products should only be introduced when we cannot find alternatives. We are entitled to products that won’t hurt us.