Environment, Health
Skincare Products: How They Affect Your Hormones
Jul
According to Statista Research, the average American spends $322.88 on skincare per year. In 2020, the global skincare market generated approximately 136.4 billion U.S. dollars.
But what is in most skin care products? Are all the ingredients safe? The answers may cause you to look closely at yours and switch toward cleaner skincare products.
Our skin is the largest organ in the body. It requires care and attention to keep us vibrant on the outside and healthy on the inside. What you put on your body is just as important as what you put in your body.
On average, men and women use skin care products at least twice daily. Conventional skin care products expose your body to chemical toxins that can build up, creating toxic overload, inflammation, weight gain, and cause hormonal disruptions. Toxic overload can lower your thyroid function and contribute to cancer growth and other health issues.
Here are some of the most common toxic chemicals in many skin care products:
Parabens
Parabens are synthetic chemicals used as preservatives in various skin care products to fight fungus and bacteria. Parabens are xenoestrogens or endocrine disruptors that mimic estrogen in your body. They can trigger estrogen receptors on cancer cells in the breast in the same way natural estrogen produced in the body can.
Phthalates Are chemicals used for the spreadability of a product.
Fragrance
Perfumes contain chemicals associated with respiratory disorders and skin allergies.
Formaldehyde is a preservative in skincare. It is a toxic, colorless gas and is used to prevent the growth of bacteria.
Diethanolamine is an agent found in foaming cleansers, body washes, and shampoos.
Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)
PEG thickens the texture of skincare products like lotions, sunscreen, and shampoos.
Your next steps
I hope that the information provided above has motivated you to take steps towards using cleaner skincare products if you were not already doing so. The first step when embarking on anything new is to start small.
Begin by going through all your skincare products and look for any of the above ingredients. If any are present, set them aside. Ideally, you want to discard them, but if that is not a viable option for you, replace them with cleaner alternatives once they are finished. Read labels and be an informed consumer. Today, many skincare products are free of chemicals that can damage your health and hormones.
Deon Hall-Garriques is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Holistic Health Coach from the Institute of Integrated Nutrition and co-author of the best-selling book, “Building Beyond the 9 to 5”. She is the founder & CEO of Deon’s Wellness Wagon, where she coaches and educates women on health and nutrition. She is an expert in women’s health, and creator of the Five-Step Hormone Rebalance Program. Deon has been featured in VoyageLA magazine and has been dubbed the “Healthspirationist” and “Menopause mama” because of her success in helping perimenopausal and menopausal women transition naturally.