“You are what you eat” is often referred to but what about: “You are what you apply.” Toxins that can negatively affect your health and well-being don’t just enter through your mouth.
The trans-dermal route (entry through the skin) is often not thought about as we fall to the clever marketing and endorsers of body care/makeup products. You only need to think of a nicotine patch and realize how quickly topical products make it into the blood stream and circulate throughout your body.
Some form of personal care products are used daily by whether you are man, woman or child. You cleanse your skin with soap or shower gel, you brush your teeth with toothpaste; wash your face with cleanser; foam your scalp with shampoo and conditioner; maybe use shaving cream and aftershave; apply moisturizer, deodorant, perfume, sunscreen; and, if you are like many woman, add an assortment of makeup into the mix.
I challenge you to stop and think now about how many personal care or cosmetic products you use in a day or on your children...
Actually the number of products used isn’t the main issue; it’s the ingredients in the products and how they affect our health that is a growing cause for concern.
When these chemicals enter the bloodstream they can disrupt hormonal function and create toxic effects throughout the body. Some experts believe chemicals that are absorbed through the skin are more dangerous than chemicals taken in through the mouth. If we eat food that contains toxins our liver, kidneys and digestive system have enzymes that can break them down. Chemicals absorbed through the skin into the blood stream and bypass these body systems and means they aren’t broken down and eliminated fast enough; resulting in a build up of toxins in our body which can be stored in fat cells and the brain.
Below are some tips on reducing you (and your families) exposure to harmful trans-dermal ingredients:
Actively avoid all products that contain “the dirty dozen” toxic ingredients: sodium laurel sulfate, parabens, phthalates, propylene glycol, DEA, diazolidinyl urea, butyl acetate, butylated hydroxytoluene, ethyl acetate, toluene, triethanolamine, petrolatum and “fragrance.” For more information on these ingredients check out http://www.davidsuzuki.org/issues/health/science/toxics/dirty-dozen-cosmetic-chemicals/
Either throw away products that contain the above ingredients or if throwing everything out is cost prohibitive, aim replace your most used items and then one item per week/month after that.
Being aware of different levels of chemical exposure is important i.e. Its more important that you replace a mosturiser that you rub into and leave on your skin than the cleanser you put on for a short period and wash off.
Being aware of household cleaning products like cleaning products and washing detergents, many contain chemicals that stay on our clothing and bedding, which can rub onto our skin when we have contact with them.
Thank you to The Free Range for sponsoring the entire Mount Taranaki Ascending Team with Organic Deodorant samples. The verdict "IT WORKS"!
Here's one great product that I highly recommend to get you started:
Founder; Amaela-Jane moved from being a Wellington lawyer to a rural Taranaki mum and started looking for practical, truly natural solutions to everyday problems and discovered how few good quality natural products you have access to when you're on a budget. A tonne of research and trail and error over a 5 year period has resulted in a product is known as the Free Range Natural Deodorant.
Not only does it smell great, its certified organic and it really works. Their company ethos is one that I truly value - they list all there ingredients (this is a huge plus as many companies don't or hide chemicals added as 'fragrance') They test only on willing humans and they donate $2 from every product sold to those initiative supporting those in need. Not to mention this is created in Taranaki (best place in the world!)
Mount Taranaki Ascending participant Keryn stoked to win the Free Range Organic Deodorant
If you would like to enter a competition (see below) that includes a Man plus and an Active sample of the Free range deodorants plus a few other goodies. Go to the Revitalizeme facebook page or Revitalizeme Instagram Page and tag a friend you want in the draw with you.
