We talk often here on VWJ about cleaning up our diets- less processed stuff, fewer chemicals, more whole grains. But how often do we think about what we put on the OUTSIDE of our body? What impact does our daily body care have on our delicate systems? Even at the most basic, we probably all have shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, and soap. But many others will have makeup, perfumes, hairspray, body lotion, shave gel, nail polish, eye cream… and on and on. We are sold millions of products for our skin, hair, nails, and body, and most of it is not healthy (or even vegetarian!).
In the past decade or so, natural brands have seen a significant boost in business, but that doesn’t deter other brands from making more products with new chemicals. Choose any shampoo from the drug store, and most likely it has a host of dangerous (though unregulated) chemicals: parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, petroleum derived ingredients, synthetic fragrances, and more. Most name brand soaps (Lever, Caress, Ivory, Dove) are all made with animal fat, likely rendered from unhealthy animals in slaughterhouses with abysmal health standards. Worst of all, these chemical laden products do not have any warning labels to let us know about the potential dangers of these untested chemicals.
If this sounds important to you, please give five minutes of your day to watching The Story of Cosmetics- and share it widely. The fine folks behind The Story of Stuff Project have researched the labels, ingredients, and regulations behind body care products and cosmetics, and found some startling answers. And please check out The Story of Stuff site to find more great videos about bottled water, electronics, and waste- and our unending cycle of consumerism. Break free from the chemicals in your body care and make your own scrubby, lip balm, and foot spray!
(sorry about the sizing issue- I was not able to adjust to fit to our site!)
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