M2.2/4 Personal Care Products

M2.2

The amount of toxic chemicals used in daily products is absolutely mind blowing. The fact that there are no regulations on limits of these products is unexplainable. 

So, what's in my personal care products?

I never realized how many damaging chemicals I was purchasing and placing on my body. I choose to look up personal care products that I use on a regular basis. The first item I chose was my face wash that I use twice daily. Secondly, I choose to enter my bar soap that I use 1-2 times a day. 

Aveeno Brightening Cleanser

The overall rating of this product was considered "moderately" hazardous. Some of the concerns listed were organ system toxicity and cancer. No big deal, right? Wrong. I was shocked that a product that I use so often could potentially have so many negative effects. Honestly,  as a public health professional, I am also quite saddened that there are no government regulations on any of these harmful ingredients.

Dove Sensitive Skin Beauty Bar 

I was relieved to find out that my body wash was considered a "low" risk hazard, until I found out that organ system toxicity was still listed as a moderate concern.

As a country, I feel that regulations and laws need to be in place to address the unaccepting amount of toxic chemicals that we are putting into our bodies daily. Another important factor is that the general public should be aware of these chemicals and their implications. It should not take a graduate level course to find out that we are buying and placing carcinogens, and other very harmful chemicals, into our bodies on a daily basis. Needless to say, I'll be reconsidering my personal care products and reading ingredient lists before I buy new products. 

M2.4 Safe Cosmetics 101

Birth to Retirement: a connection to the second leading cause of death

I am glad I watched this video after I did the personal product investigation. I am relieved to know there are efforts out there moving companies to remove toxic chemicals from their products. I was most shocked at the carcinogens present in baby products. Companies market toxic products to the American people from birth to retirement. Many americans have probably been exposed to carcinogens on a regular basis since infancy. Which explains why cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. What I find most troubling is that there is evidence-based science available that demonstrates the high and continuous use of these carcinogens in our everyday products. So why is there anything being done? Why hasn't anything been done in the last 80 years? It's unacceptable that the last cosmetic regulation law was passed in 1938. We are far too medically and scientifically advanced to keep ignoring this very evident and prevalent issue. While I realize that other factors play a role in the causes of cancer, why are companies still being allowed to sell us products that increase our risk of cancer?