Dangerous Chemicals on Your Skin

The United States has one of the least regulated cosmetic industries in the entire world, if not the least regulated. Out of all the chemicals that we use across the board for our products, roughly 82,000 according to National Geographic, only a quarter have ever been tested for toxicity. However, of those 82,000, roughly 12,000 are used in cosmetics. Out of those 12,000, the Food and Drug Administration has only banned 11. On the other hand, European Union has banned 1,328 chemicals because of the potential health risks they cause. Those other 1,317 chemicals can be found within our bodies, in umbilical cord samples, and in our blood streams, causing known health problems and holding potential unknown risks!

In cosmetics, the risks are even more profound, as we are putting these unregulated chemicals directly on our skin, and then we absorb them into our bodies. According to the founder of SkinDeep, some mascaras even contain potential neurotoxins! Many lipsticks even contain traces of lead and mercury! The average woman uses 12 beauty products every day, and if each one contains only one potentially harmful chemical, then we are exposing our bodies to an immense amount of damage and potential health risks every single day.

How can we avoid these dangerous chemicals used in cosmetics? It’s very difficult! However, as consumers are becoming more health-conscious and demand better, safer alternatives, we will begin to see more products listed as organic with natural ingredients, like neem! When we put natural ingredients in our beauty products, we can limit the dangerous health risks we expose our body to every day!