Are you damaging your skin without even knowing?

I don’t know about you, but from a pretty young age I was encouraged to take care of my skin. The hat and sunscreen lecture is probably a staple for most Australian kids, then puberty hits and we’re told to cleanse, tone and moisturise our skin with anything that will CLAIM to CLEAR the skin. Last but not least, the fine signs of aging begin to appear and suddenly, we start to understand our mother’s nagging us all these years – bring on the anti-wrinkle creams!

But what if we’ve got it all wrong? What if the products we’ve been using to seemingly protect our skin are actually doing more damage than good?

The average person applies 10 products to their skin daily and absorbs around 130 chemicals directly into the bloodstream.

Believe it or not, that gorgeous skin you’re wrapped in is actually your largest organ and is absorbing anywhere between 60 to 90 percent of the products you’re using each and every day. B-9

Many of the toxins found in mainstream beauty products can be directly linked to:

skin conditions and irritations
hormonal dysfunction
impaired liver and other vital organ function

Scary, huh?!

So what are the ingredients we should be looking out for and how are they compromising our skin?

Here’s a few nasties to get you started:

PARABENS (Methyl, Butyl, Ethyl, Propyl)

Found in: Makeup, deodorants and skin care products

Use: Preservative

Health impacts: Immunotoxicity, endocrine disruptor and allergies

PARFUM/SYNTHETIC FRAGRANCE

Found in: Makeup, skin and personal care products

Use: Mask odours or add a pleasant scent

Health Impacts: Hormone disruptor, allergies and possible carcinogen

PETROLATUM (Petroleum Jelly)

Found in: Hair Lace Wigs products, lip balm/lipstick, skin care products

Use: Moisturiser

Health Impacts: Irritation, itchiness, redness when contact with eyes and skin for sensitive individuals. May cause liver and kidney abnormalities. Possible carcinogen too.

SODIUM Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) & SODIUM Laureth Sulfate (SLES)

Found in: Shampoos, shower gels, bubble baths and face wash

Use: Foaming agent

Health Impacts: Irritation, strips skin of natural oils and organ system toxicity

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Now before you panic, it’s not all bad news! Giving some love back to the skin is actually a really simple thing. There are a ton of beautiful, natural alternatives available and making the switch couldn’t be easier with these two simple steps:

Keep or Toss? Just as you would with food, it’s time to turn over that pretty packaging and get to know your ingredients.

If you’re not interested in delving into the nitty gritty of toxicology, there’s an amazing free app called Think Dirty that’s done the research for you. Simply scan or search your products and you’ll be given a rating from 1 to 10 based on carcinogenicity, developmental and reproductive toxicity, and allergies and immunotoxicity. There’s also a full break-down of the ingredients with their use and health impacts if you want to dive deeper.

Replace old nasties for new naturals.

It doesn’t have to happen all at once! Once you’ve figured out what needs to go, do it gradually, one product at a time. When it comes to natural and organic products that are effective, affordable and accessible, we are totally spoilt for choice! For a head start on making the switch, visit my website Depths of Beauty for a ton of natural beauty information, workshops, reviews and how-to’s!