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Jill Carnahan, MD
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Jill Carnahan, MDJill Carnahan, MD

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TOXIC BEAUTY! Do You Know What’s in Your Beauty Products?

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  3. TOXIC BEAUTY! Do You Know…
TOXIC BEAUTY! Do You Know What's in Your Beauty Products?
TOXIC BEAUTY!  Do You Know What’s in Your Beauty Products? Recent studies have shown that we actually acquire more toxins through skin absorption and inhalation than we do through the foods that we eat. This makes our personal care products a big contender in our overall health and well-being. If you feel like you are eating healthy and taking the right supplements but still lacking in energy or having health challenges, take a look in your bathroom and see what is in all those products that are used daily.

Since the skin is the body’s largest organ, there is a substantial surface area through which toxic chemicals can enter the body. When you rub chemicals on to the skin, they can pass straight through and enter the bloodstream within MINUTES! That’s scary, but think how nourishing it could be if you used coconut oil and essential oils with medicinal properties instead.

Everyday we use products on our skin that we think are safe. The truth is that products are not always safe, and manufacturers don’t have to tell us so. The federal government does not require companies to provide full disclosure on what chemicals are used to make personal care products. In 1938, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted self-regulation to the cosmetic industry. This means personal care products can be marketed without government approval of ingredients, regardless of what tests show! 

There are more than 80,000 chemicals used in our everyday skin products that have not been tested for long-term effects. Even fewer have been tested in combination with other chemicals. In a typical day, you might be exposed to hundreds of different chemicals, many of which are suspected of promoting cancer or disrupting hormones.

Early on, I admit, I was completely overwhelmed with the fact that I needed to not only change everything I was eating, but also needed to switch out all my personal care products. Was it really that important? It seemed a little overboard to me at first, until I started to dig deeper. As I was switching out all of my products, I was completely blown away by how toxic they were – both conventional and “natural” products!

Petrochemicals are a toxic group of chemicals that are rampant in personal care products. Petrochemicals are derived from petroleum or natural gas. Some do not absorb into the skin very well, so they smother the skin and can keep it from functioning properly, while other petrochemicals can absorb straight through the skin and scalp directly into the bloodstream, weakening the body and promoting disease.

Here are some Common Chemicals to Watch Out for:

Isopropyl alcohol: Isopropyl alcohol is found in hair color products, body lotions and perfumes, as well as shellac and antifreeze. What makes them think this is a good ingredient to add to items we put on our skin? It causes the skin to age more rapidly than it otherwise would, because it is a drying, irritating solvent that strips the skin of moisture, creating vulnerability to bacteria and viruses.

Propylene Glycol (PG) and Butylene Glycol: These are also found in anti-freeze. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers propylene glycol so toxic that workers are required to wear protective clothing when handling it, and it is disposed of by burying it in the ground. PG is found in a lot of food as well!

Mineral Oil: Found in products like body oil, bath oils, and baby oil, mineral oil is derived from crude oil. While it may seem to leave the skin initially soft and smooth, it coats it like plastic. This hinders your skin’s ability to breathe and eliminate toxins. Mineral oil also causes premature aging of skin.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate
: These are used in 90% of cosmetics that foam. This is the second most concentrated ingredient in shampoos. It’s also commonly found in shower gels, bubble baths and toothpastes. Among a host of other side effects, SLS can damage the immune system as well as cause separation of skin layers, causing inflammation to the skin.

Diethanolamine (DEA), Monoethanolamine (MEA) and Triethanolamine (TEA)
: These are hormone disrupting chemicals that can form cancer-causing nitrates when combined with other chemicals. Found in shampoo, shaving cream, bubble baths and lotions for softening skin. They’ve been banned in Europe, and they’ve been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals.

Phthalates: Found in hairsprays, lipstick and nail polish, these may not be listed on labels, since they can be hidden under the term “perfume” (just as food chemicals are hidden under the name “natural flavors”). Phthalates affect the lungs, liver and kidneys and have been linked to fertility issues. DEHP has been classified as a “probable human carcinogen” by the EPA.

Triclosan: This is used in almost all antibacterial soaps and products. The EPA registers Triclosan as a pesticide, and it is suspected of causing cancer.

Ethanol: This petrochemical allows liquids to flow more easily, but when it is used in conjunction with other chemicals, studies show they may be carcinogenic.

DMDM and Imidazolidinyl (Urea): These are preservatives that often release formaldehyde and may cause many symptoms, including joint pain, allergies, depression, headaches, and chest pains.

Polyethylene Glycol (PEG): This carcinogenic petroleum ingredient leaves skin vulnerable to bacteria.

Parobens:
 Parobens are found in underarm deodorants and other cosmetics. These chemicals have been discovered in breast cancer tissue.

1,4- Dioxane: It’s found in ingredient lists under these names and suffixes: myreth, oleth, laureth, ceteareth, any other eth, PEG, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, polyoxyethylene, or oxynol. 1,4-dioxane is a chemical “known to the State of California to cause cancer”. It is also suspected to be toxic to the kidneys, respiratory system and nervous system.

The most frustrating part is that 1,4-Dioxane and all of its incarnations are not only showing up in conventional personal care products, but also in leading “natural” and “organic” branded products.  They are readily available, so many people get tricked into thinking that these are better options. Some leading “natural” or “organic” brands found to contain 1,4-Dioxane are Giovanni Organic Cosmetics, JASON; Organic, Kiss My Face, and Nature’s Gate Organics.

Read the ingredient list of a health and beauty product as if each ingredient were something that you might put in your mouth. These ingredients will have familiar names, not 30 letter words that we can’t pronounce. Many natural soaps contain olive oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, and organic botanical extracts.

Looking for a clean organic line of products!?

thumbnail.aspDr. Jill Recommends Annmarie Gianni Skincare which you can order  here…

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The product mentioned in this article are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.   The information in this article is not intended to replace any recommendations or relationship with your physician.  Please review references sited at end of article for scientific support of any claims made.

Categories: Environmental Toxicity, Skin CareBy Jill Carnahan, MDJune 28, 201512 Comments
Tags: alcoholchemicalsenvironmental toxicityethanolgut microbiomenon-toxicorganic makeupphthalatessafe sunscreentoxic chemicalstriclosan
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Author: Jill Carnahan, MD

https://molddetoxbox.com/

Dr. Jill is Your Functional Medicine Expert! She uses functional medicine to help you find answers to the cause of your illness and addresses the biochemical imbalances that may be making you feel ill. She'll help you search for underlying triggers contributing to your illness through cutting edge lab testing and tailor the intervention to your specific needs as an individual. She may use diet, supplements, lifestyle changes or medication to treat your illness but will seek the most gentle way to help your body restore balance along with the least invasive treatment possible. Dr. Jill is a functional medicine expert consultant and treats environmental and mold-related illness as well

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12 Comments

  1. Jill says:
    July 7, 2015 at 6:44 pm

    Hi Dr. Jill,

    Is there an organic line of makeup that you also can recommend?

    Thanks!
    Jill

     Reply
    • Jill Carnahan, MD says:
      July 7, 2015 at 8:34 pm

      YES! I love the Annmarie skincare line…

       Reply
  2. Jen says:
    September 25, 2015 at 7:07 am

    Hey! I somehow stumbled across your blog a few weeks ago and love all of the resources you have! This article really resonated with me. After being diagnosed with chronic Lyme and an autoimmune disease, I am trying to turn to a more natural approach with everything in life! I just wanted to tell you about a company called Ava Anderson Non-Toxic. I don’t know if you have heard of it, but they are 100% non toxic and they have everything from skin care to makeup, baby care, cleaning products etc. Let me know if you want any information on this company!! Thank you for all the work you are doing.

     Reply
    • Jill Carnahan, MD says:
      September 25, 2015 at 9:30 am

      Thanks, Jen!

       Reply
  3. Anna says:
    October 10, 2016 at 10:15 pm

    Thank you for this great article! I have a question about a skin problem I’m having. I’m in my early 20’s. Every time I go out in the sun, I get lots of sun spots. They’re not freckles, I’ve never had those. But brown sun spots. And I just keep getting more and more to where eventually I’m going to be completely covered in them. I’ve never had this problem before. Even just a couple years ago, this didn’t happen when I went out in the sun. Do you know what could be causing this?

     Reply
    • Jill Carnahan, MD says:
      October 11, 2016 at 6:08 am

      Hi Anna
      Abnormalities in immune system, hormones and toxic exposures could all cause pigmented skin changes. I suggest finding a functional medicine doctor to help you determine the cause.
      warmly
      Dr Jill

       Reply
  4. Ally says:
    January 1, 2017 at 1:40 am

    Hello,
    I was wondering what causes deep dark circles under the eyes? The doctors just say allergies, but I don’t know what that means. Is it something I’m eating or like an environmental allergy to pollen or something? I didn’t used to have these deep purple circles under my eyes.

     Reply
    • Jill Carnahan, MD says:
      January 1, 2017 at 9:57 am

      That is called “allergic shiners” – check for food allergies or environmental allergies and try using prescription or natural antihistamine, like quercetin.

       Reply
  5. Pingback: Toxic Beauty: Do Your Patients Know What's in Their Beauty Products?
  6. kkmetal says:
    March 3, 2017 at 11:16 pm

    Great blog , Relevant news about makeup, If u want to know about Your Beauty Products? Visit and Thanks For Sharing

     Reply
  7. Jenna says:
    June 26, 2017 at 12:53 am

    What can cause SEVERE swelling (extra skin I can pinch) all over my body that has gotten worse over a year and also gets bigger as the day goes on? My stomach and legs are EXTREMELY huge. I look like I have 400 pound thighs and I’m 110 pounds. I have swelling in my back, swelling everywhere. I can literally grab tons of extra skin everywhere. It has gotten worse over a year and it does get worse throughout the day, but it’s always there. I bought a caliper and it showed I was obese at 110 pounds. But the doctors don’t take it seriously. The last doctor I saw said we would just watch it until it changes and gives us another direction to go in. It has gotten progressively bigger over the course of a year. CBC, CMP, all that normal. Liver and kidney function normal. I don’t have a protein deficiency. Any thoughts? It’s crazy how big my stomach and my legs are. You wouldn’t even believe it they’re so big. And no doctors care. I really think the last doctor thought it was funny. She was extremely rude and couldn’t care less. Any ideas as to what could be causing this?

     Reply
    • Jill Carnahan, MD says:
      June 27, 2017 at 10:37 pm

      Hi Jenna – it could be cortisol levels or gut issues. Find a functional medicine doctor to help you find the root cause. You might try an elimination diet to see if you have any food triggers – go off gluten, dairy, egg, soy, corn, sugar, alcohol for 30 days
      warmly
      Dr Jill

       Reply

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Dr. Jill
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  • Address:
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  • Fax:
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