Everyday we use a multitude of products to stay beautiful. We begin our day with a shower. In our shower we use soap, shower gel, face wash, shampoo, conditioner, shave gel, even body scrub. So far that is 6 products alone and you have not even gotten out of the shower yet!

Dry off and use even more products. To stay dry and fresh we use deodorant and body powder. Now to moisturize. Body lotion, face moisturizer, foot lotion. Now on to the hair. Of course we washed it, next step is to dry and style it. We may use leave-in conditioner, mousse, gel, smoothing crème, and hair spray. Now we blow dry.

Oh yes… did I mention tooth brushing? We use toothpaste and mouthwash to freshen our mouths. Are we done yet?? Not quite. If you’re a woman, you now apply make-up and for the finishing touch a spritz of perfume.

Whew! Tired yet? Did you lose count of all the products you’ve used so far? I know I have. Everything you’ve used so far contains many ingredients you might know nothing about. All you know is that they do what they say they’re going to do. But what exactly are we risking to look so beautiful each day?

Everyday we go through this routine without thinking. Most of the personal care products we use contain synthetic ingredients. These toxins can and do cause disease. From cancer to Alzheimer’s to skin conditions, it is simply not worth the risk. Your skin absorbs these compounds right into your blood stream. It goes directly to your organs, causing damage. The more you use the product, the greater the risk of damage.

Most of these ingredients are long words that are difficult to even say. If you can’t say it, don’t use it! When I go shopping for beauty products, I always check out the label. If I see something that sounds like “octymethylcelulose”, I put it right down. I made that word up but there are alien-sounding ingredients in many products that cannot be trusted. The fewer the ingredients, the better!

Some of the worst offenders are sodium laurel sulfate, propylene glycol, aluminum, and formaldehyde. These compounds have been studied and found to cause major problems. Many critics say these ingredients are in such small amounts they don’t really need to be worried about. But most people use the same products day in and day out, allowing the ingredients to absorb and collect in the body. Therefore, do we want to continue putting these poisons in our body on a daily basis?

Who is at risk here? Everyone! Women, especially, being the greatest users of beauty products, is at the highest risk for absorbing toxins into their bodies. Children are at risk too. They use toothpaste and all these other products marketed to children, like bubble bath and special mouthwash. Many of these children’s products contain artificial colors and flavors so that it looks and tastes more appealing for kids. This is not safe! Men are at risk. Even though they don’t use nearly as much products as women, they still use shaving cream, after-shave, cologne, and even body lotion. This information is important for families everywhere to have…not just Moms!

We all need to be more vigilant label readers, become more educated about ingredients, and learn about the toxins we’re ingesting. We are in charge of our health and we can decide which products we use and which we don’t. Knowledge is the first step …then use what you know to make educated decisions for you and your family.

- Robin Adler

About the author: Robin Adler is the writer and creator of www.toxicbeautyblog.com and is currently working on a Toxic Beauty ebook detailing the toxic ingredients in cosmetics and beauty products and how we can avoid them.