I used to use a lot of beauty products… body creams, hair products and a very specific makeup routine in the following order: primer, foundation, concealer, highlighter, eyeliner, mascara, lip liner, lipstick and setting spray. At the time, I thought nothing of applying all of this stuff on my skin every day.
That all changed when I started researching environmental influences on cancer initiation, progression and promotion. To PubMed I turned, and what I learned changed the entire way I looked at personal care products.
Let me share this with you…
The skin is the largest organ in the body. Over 70% of what we put on our skin manages to enter the bloodstream. These include chemicals from creams, lotions, makeup, nail polish, deodorants and other body care products.
Research shows that many of these chemicals are hormone disruptors and that some may be carcinogenic. Skincare ingredients found stored in the fat cells of our bodies include parabens, triclosan, phthalates and oxybenzone.
If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, or even if you’re trying to prevent cancer, looking for clean beauty products is a must. This not only helps you avoid exposure to potentially harmful chemicals during cancer treatment, but natural products tend to be milder on the skin, which can become sensitive during chemo and radiation.
So, where do you go to look for these elusive clean beauty products?
During my research, I came across apps such as Think Dirty and the website safecosmetics.org. For anyone looking for non-toxic beauty products, these are a great place to start.
Sephora also has designated Clean at Sephora products in which these particular products are free from over 50 questionable ingredients, including sulfates (SLS and SLES), parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, formaldehyde, and others.
These days, I try to minimize my toxic exposure from personal care products as much as possible. When I do use products, I try and ensure that they are rated clean!
I also have no makeup days where I simply choose not to wear any product (except for some coconut oil as a moisturizer) that day… this is much easier for me on work from home days! 😊
I would love to hear what are some of your favorite clean beauty products? Comment and let me know!
My online program, Cancer Recovery Roadmap, goes into diet and nutritional repair in much more detail and provides guidance on implementing healthy dietary changes along with recipes, and a step-by-step daily anti-cancer diet plan for eating. Check it out!
I’ve taken all my research on diet, environment, lifestyle and mind-body and put it into a very comprehensive program which will help you create your own cancer recovery plan. If you want to take your recovery from cancer to the next level, click on the image below.
Also, if you want to join a free community of people with cancer looking for holistic and integrative strategies to encourage cancer recovery CLICK THIS LINK to join the Holistic Strategies for Cancer Recovery Facebook group to help support your journey and connect you with like-minded people.
