The Latest in Spa and Personal Care Dangers
Personal Care > The Latest in Spa and Personal Care Dangers
In this high-tech postmodern culture of ours, we have the best opportunities, the finest options, and the greatest access to spa and personal care items, information, and services. We also have hidden (and obvious) dangers we have to take into consideration. While the list that follows is not mean to turn us all into paranoids, it is hoped that we will take better care to read labels, shop differently, and live attentive, purer lives with intelligent alternatives in our spa and personal care choices.
Spa and personal care products that go into the maintenance of our luxury toys are not always doing the benefits we are intending:
Alum/Aluminum —Aluminum is a known skin irritant. It also has been implicated in contributing to nerve damage and dementia.
Bentonite (also known as Kaolin) —Bentonite is an ingredient in fire extinguishers. It clogs and suffocates skin pores.
Benzoic (or Benzyl) —Benzoic contains carcinogenics, endocrine disrupters, and has been suspected to contribute to birth defects.
Chlorine--Chlorine, while used to kill dangerous microorganisms and/or to oxidize other chemicals, is in fact a possible carcinogenic detriment when combined with certain materials and compounds that react unfavorably.
Coal tar dyes —Dyes and colorings—in everything from junk food to medications to such spa and personal care as toothpaste and mouthwash--contain lead, arsenic, and/or other carcinogens that can cause eye and neurological damage, fatigue, nausea, and can bring on asthma attacks, headaches, and anxiety. As well, scientific evidence holds that coal tar dyes contribute to or trigger behavioral and learning difficulties.
Diethanolamine (also known as DEA, or TEA) —Diethanolamine is used to accelerate foamy properties in spa and personal care products. It is potentially carcinogenic.
Dioxins —a recently identified carcinogen that is found as a paper-bleaching by-product.
Erucic acid —Eurucic acid, found in canola oil, for example, is toxic in large amounts.
Flouride —Flouride is used in insecticides to kill insects.
Formaldehyde —Formaldehyde is also deadly: a colorless gas, it is used as a disinfectant, a fixative, and/or a preservative, and is a common item in many spa and personal care products, such as hair spray, makeup, and nail care kits. It is an irritant and a carcinogen.
Laureth (or PEG) —Laureth is another potential carcinogen. As well it is an endocrine disrupter and an estrogen mimic.
Lye —Lye is a reagent used in many soap products. Undiluted, it is caustic and burns the flesh. In its diluted and mixed form it dries out skin.
Isopropyl Alcohol —Isopropyl alcohol has been proven to be a contributor to throat, tongue, and mouth cancer.
Propylene Glycol —Found in many spa and personal care items, propylene glycol has been tested as being a causative in kidney and liver abnormalities, dermatitis, skin cell regeneration inhibition, and skin irritations.
Sodium Laureth/Laurel Sulfate —Also known as SLES/SLS, this ingredient has been suspected to contain potential carcinogens, to cause damage to children’s teeth, to cause hair loss, and to contain endocrine
Talc—Used in most commercial powders, as well as in deodorants, it has been proven as a carcinogen.
Do we still want to use in the phrase “spa and personal care” the word care? If we read and investigate carefully, to be sure at least the above ingredients do not appear in our cosmetics and foods or in the manufacturing process, either….