Skin vs. Chemical

Welcome! I’ll start by telling you little about myself. Name’s Ashley, and one particular day this past summer I woke up on fire! Well OK, no actual flames or smoke, but my skin was burning. Before I went to bed, I was excited to use a new body lotion that promised to leave my skin “smooth and glowing”. Instead, I woke up feeling itchy and irritated; my skin wasn’t so much glowing, more like throbbing with a soft red hue. I’ve never been the type to break out with a rash but this new lotion had turned against me. It was Chemical vs. Skin… and my skin didn’t stand a chance.

I needed backup. This is how I first came to realize the differences between the widely used chemical products and real all natural products. After doing some research, I discovered some harsh facts. Most products being used today are not 100% natural.  Many contain synthetic, potentially harmful, chemicals which can easily cause allergic reactions in the skin; to say the least.

Think you can beat my lotion horror story? Tell us your best and worst experiences with a new product.

I would never step out of the shower and intentionally coat my body with a layer of chemicals. But that is exactly what I did. Dibutylphthalate allows lotions to be quick absorbing. Preservatives like methylparaben are used to extend shelf life. Both of these chemicals have been linked to possible carcinogenicity–able to cause cancer. And both of these chemicals were in my lotion. They’re actually standard ingredients found in many of today’s most popular lotions.

Take a look at “David Suzuki’s ‘Dirty Dozen’ list of cosmetic chemicals to avoid,” and then compare it to some of your favorite products. For a more in-depth look, check out the full details at “Dirty Dozen”

1. BHA and BHT
2. Coal tar dyes: p-phenylenediamine/colors listed as “CI” followed by a five digit number
3. DEA-related ingredients
4. Dibutyl phthalate
5. Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives
6. Parabens
7. Parfum (a.k.a. fragrance)
8. PEG compounds
9. Petrolatum
10. Siloxanes
11. Sodium laureth sulfate
12. Triclosan

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