EWG Message: Choosing better body care products

"Most people use around 10 personal care products every day with an average of 126 unique ingredients. We'd like to believe that the government is policing the safety of all of these mixtures we're putting on our bodies, but they're not. Instead, these under-regulated chemicals are causing concerns for human health and the environment - whether they seep through your skin or wash down your drain.
We think you deserve better than that. So we're sending you our Healthy Home Tip Series to make it easier to safeguard your family's health. This month's tip is: Choose better body care products.
What makes a body care product "better"?Better products meet their claims and are free of ingredients that could harm our health or the environment. Labels might claim that a product is "gentle" or "natural," but with no required safety testing, companies that make personal care products can use almost any chemical they want, regardless of risks. So, always read product labels - especially the ingredient list - before you buy.
Learn how to choose better body care productsWe make these choices as simple as possible on our Healthy Home Tips page, where you'll learn:How to read a labelHow to shop for the grown-ups in the house
How to find the safest body care products for your kidsTell your friends about our Healthy Home TipsWe know you're not the only one who wants to choose better body care products. Tell your friends about our Healthy Home Tip Series so they, too, can be informed when faced with rows of under-regulated products at the store.
Talk to you in a month when we discuss our next Healthy Home Tip: going organic and eating fresh foods."
Thanks for reading,
Lisa Frack
EWG Online Organizer
Environmental Working Group

How Green Is Your Beauty Regimen?

Although shoppers are more aware of which foods and supplements contain natural ingredients, they may not read labels quite as carefully when it comes to choosing personal care products. In a recent assessment of ingredients in 15,000 selected cosmetics and personal care products, the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit focused on threats to public health and the environment, found that 22 percent of all conventional products may be contaminated with harmful ingredients. That’s 3,300 commonly purchased items.According to Natural Solutions magazine and the retailer Whole Foods, five of the top toxic ingredients most commonly found in personal care products are parabens, polyethylene glycol (PEG), petrochemicals, sulfates and synthetic fragrances. Side effects caused by these chemicals may include hormone disruption, pore clogging, skin rashes, eye irritation or damage to the reproductive system. Many times a product may be marketed as “natural” on the front label, but this can be misleading. That’s why it’s important to also read the list of ingredients.
An example of a safe personal care alternative is Glimpse™ Intuitive Skin Care by XanGo. The product is made from select botanical ingredients that are free from harmful ingredients. The cold process used to create this product preserves the mangosteen fruit and other active ingredients, optimizing the antioxidant power while minimizing the carbon footprint of the manufacturing process. The Compact for Safe Cosmetics, a national coalition striving to phase out the use of chemicals in health care products, now sets the standard in the personal care products industry. Members of the Compact pledge that their products meet European Union (EU) formulation standards, which are much stricter than U.S. regulations concerning the use of chemicals in health care products.XanGo has signed the Compact as all their products are free of harsh chemicals.
You can also find the company listed among phthal- ates-free cosmetic organizations on www.ThinkBeforeYouPink.org. The Web site is a project of Breast Cancer Action that encourages the use of products free of chemicals known or strongly suspected of causing adverse health conditions. In addition, Glimpse Skin Care carries the Natural Products Association seal of approval on its packaging.
To learn more, visit www.glimpseskincare.com and www.healthy4me.org. Recent market research shows that 64 percent of women are choosing natural over conventional beauty products.
THEN CONTACT ME DIRECTLY to get you a complimentary sample!!
Yours for optimal wellness and ageless beauty,
Becky Lilly
614.499.2272

Toxins and Personal Care Products

Many of us have started making the connection between toxins and chemicals in our personal care products and devastating diseases and have decided to make a change. Facts are, in a recent study performed by the Environmental Working Group 33% contain ingredients linked to cancer, 45% contain ingredients that may be harmful to the reproductive system or a baby's development, and 60% have ingredients that can act like estrogen or disrupt hormones.
We sometimes have false assumptions that the government has control over ingredients found in products, and that small amounts of these toxins are harmful but this couldn't be farther from the truth. Out of the over 10,500 ingredients found in products, only 11% of them have been tested for safety. A number of years ago, cosmetologists were complaining about occupational related health concerns such as headachs, memory loss, asthma, and nervous and repiratory problems. Knowing this is true, and that 884 of the 2,983 chemicals were found to be toxic by the government itself, nothing was done.
You can have the power and information to make safe decisions for you and your family by visiting EWG's website at www.cosmeticsdatabase.com.