Your skin is your largest organ. What you put on it goes in it. While you may view nutrition, exercise, sleep, mindset, and others as part of your wellbeing, cosmetics are often overlooked as part of your healthcare routine.
Cosmetics include makeup, face washes or lotions, body lotions, shampoos, conditioners, toothpaste, perfumes, deodorants, hair styling products, nail polish, and more. If it goes on your body it is affecting your health and, therefore, it is beneficial for you to know what is in it. Knowledge is Power.
In 2016, with a newborn baby laying in front of me, my sister read me a passage from Not Just a Pretty Face. It explained that a study was done on the cord blood of 1,000 newborn babies and over 200 chemicals were found in the cord blood- mostly from cosmetics. This means the chemicals that parents were exposed to are transferred to the baby through cord blood.
In the United States, prior to March 11, 2020 it had been 80 years since the ingredients in cosmetics have been regulated.
I was in complete shock and immediately Marie Kondo’d our cosmetics. It felt overwhelming and scary, and as I looked up each product on the Environmental Working Group website I chose to get rid of it all and start fresh.
What does this mean for you and what steps can you take to link your cosmetics to your health?
Do your research through the EWG and learn where you can make the most impactful change one step at a time. Locally, Full Circle Supply is an excellent resource for refillables.
BEAUTYCOUNTER is doing major work in Washington lobbying for cosmetic reform while simultaneously offering high quality, safe products. I support what this company is doing so much so that I joined them as a consultant, not to sell you make up but to educate and do my part in making change for future generations. Your cosmetics are a major part of your health and wellness and just like the supplements we recommend in-office, I will continue to do my research making sure I am looking out for your best interest. You should too.
Start small and educate yourself. Similar to other lifestyle changes like diet and exercise, you do not need to do a complete overhaul right away but make a choice. Control your controllables and make a choice. Examples: I choose to use a product on my “oh so curly” hair that doesn’t meet the standards I hold every single one of our other family cosmetics to. Because I know there are chemicals I am exposed to every single day that I can’t control, I choose healthier options elsewhere. You can easily do the same.
Erica Boland, DC