I’m sure you’ve seen one of your gal pals talking about toxins and chemicals and maybe you have thought, ‘safe swaps – why should I care?’ Today, I want to share with you why I care about it. This topic is something that is very near and dear to my heart. In fact, I gave a presentation this past summer at the Dreambank about why I believe it’s important to make safe swaps.
When Katie and I were planning this blog, we decided that we wanted this to be part of our content, not only because I am so passionate about it, but because you need to know.
For many years I have been intentional about what I’m putting in my body and feeding my family. I’ve gotten good at reading ingredient labels, staying away from ingredients I can’t pronounce, and doing my best to shop the perimeter of the grocery store. It wasn’t until I started seeing a naturopath that I also began to question what I was putting on my body, not just in it.
I started asking questions. I started reading (and kind of understanding) product ingredient labels. And I stopped falling for the greenwashing tricks out there. Greenwashing is a marketing tool to promote a product as safe (paraben free, etc.) when it’s really not. I started using the many amazing resources out there to learn more and take the guesswork out of it. I will share more about those in part two of this post next week. But, I have learned so much and I want to tell you why I care about making safe swaps.
Our skin is not a barrier it is a carrier.
I want to share a study with you that looked at sunscreen absorption. But before I do, it’s important to understand that there are two types of sunscreens. Chemical sunscreens are absorbed into the skin, absorb the sun’s rays, convert them and they are released back out. Mineral sunscreens or sunblock sit on the top of the skin and reflect the rays away.
The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study that looked at the absorption of sunscreen ingredients into the body. I have linked the article if you’d like to read the entire thing, but in short, they found that within 24 hours of applying a chemical sunscreen (specifically those with avobenzone), the active chemical ingredient was found in the bloodstream.
I think there is the misconception that what we put on our skin stays there. This study proves that what we put on our skin does get into our bodies. Another example of this is the birth control patch. If you can put a patch on your skin to prevent pregnancy, the other products we are putting on our skin is also getting into our bodies.
So why does it matter?
So maybe you’re now on board with the idea that what we put on our skin doesn’t just stay there, it is absorbed. But so what? What if these ingredients are getting into our bodies? Let’s get back to why I personally care about not putting these ingredients on my body. Making safe swaps isn’t necessarily going to change how you feel or give you “results right away. It’s all about our endocrine system and the burden of these chemicals over time.
What is our endocrine system?
Our endocrine system is a system made up of glands that produce hormones. These hormones regulate nearly everything in the body. It regulates mood, reproduction, organ function, development and so much more. Many of these synthetic chemicals are endocrine disruptors. They mimic our hormones and in turn alter our body’s natural production, causing all kinds of chaos.
Parabens for example, which are inexpensive preservatives, have been shown to mimic estrogen. According to this article, they can stimulate the growth of certain types of breast cancer cells. Parabens are just one example of endocrine disruptors that can be found in our cosmetics, cleaning products and homes. There are so many. If you want to learn more about some of the top ones, check out this article.
Safe Swaps – Why Should I Care?
I have spent the past few years learning about this topic, and as you can tell, I am very passionate about it. There is little to no government regulation on what goes into our products. They have not passed a law regarding cosmetics regulation since 1938 and they only ban around 30 ingredients. In comparison, countries in Europe have banned over 1,000 harmful chemicals.
This means that you and I must do the research and know what we are putting on our bodies. We should know what we are putting on our children’s bodies and we should feel good about it. I am going to take a deep dive into the HOW next week, so stay tuned. Until then, I encourage you to dig into some of the resources that I have linked in this article and ask yourself ‘Why should I care?’
If you’re still not 100% convinced, then I would encourage you to consider, where is the risk potentially greater? Switching to potentially “safer” products for you and your family or not switching?
