So Just What Should You Watch Out For?
January 6, 2009 by Karissa
Filed under Info You Want to Know
Ok folks. I know how hard it is when you are at the grocery store and you are trying to read food labels. But you really must start doing this when you are picking out your new make-up and skin care items too. Lotions and hair care too.
Well first you really must decide what you are going natural with first. I honestly don’t recommend doing a complete overhaul all at once.
When I look on the label I keep these #3 things in mind first, usually they are listed and I am able to quickly put it down and start over with another product!
1) Fragrance, 2) Parabens 3) Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Sodium Laureth Sulfate. another easy one is petroleum, that is a household word. You want products with NONE of these in them.
And you want products with none of the below in them either!
* Formaldehyde is a preservative linked to cancer. It’s usually hidden under “fragrance†or DMDM hydantoin, Imidazolidnyl urea, and quaternium-15.
* Parabens are a group of chemicals that imitate female hormones linked to breast cancer and raising estrogen levels in young males. Avoid products that have and ingredient ending in the suffix paraben.
* Petrolatum is a chemical from non-renewable crude oil, it does not allow your skin to breathe. It’s in many lotions, and vaselines. Another thing it does is makes your skin thirsty for more so you are going to use more of it more often. Mineral oil also falls into this category.
* PPD, P-diaminobenzene, or Phenyledediamine is cancer-causing in long time users, its found in most permanent hair dyes
* Phthaletes is hard to find, its listed as “fragranceâ€, what is does is mess with your natural hormone balances.
* SLS or Sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate chemicals are cancer causing, and they are skin irritants that dry out the skin.
* Talc which is in many powders is cancer causing it is in everything from baby powder to blush.
good luck!
Happy label reading,
Karissa
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SLS makes the back of my ears peel and sting, harsh stuff!
I know! it is pretty amazing isn’t it? Say yes to carrots has three different shampoo and conditioners too, conditioning, volumizing (tomato) and for color (cucumber) so you have plenty to chose from!
and then suave is the cheapest ever! go figure!
good to hear from you lady!
So overwhelming! I do want to start with little things like this, though. Like starting with shampoo. I’m using Alba right now, hopefully that doesn’t have anything bad in it – I got it from the health section.
I use mineral makeup (the real stuff) too, so hey, that’s a start!
Thanks for the info!
Wow I had no idea… off to look at my shampoo.
So, I just looked at all of the labels of the stuff in my shower and have found that I’ll need to be replacing just about everything next go round. What makes me saddest is even the brands that are supposed to be “natural” contained at least two of the chemicals to stay away from. Sad!
I’m going to give Say YES to Carrots a try after I’m done with this shampoo/conditioner.
You know which brand had the least bad stuff (even compared to the “naturals”? Suave! Go figure.