Who would have thought that the makeup we put on our faces every day contained heavy metals like arsenic, mercury, cadmium and lead? They do, as well as other toxic chemicals.
With the skin being our largest organ, absorption from personal products is a given. And once it’s been absorbed through the skin, it gets into the bloodstream and organs can’t properly detoxify them.
Nail polishes and removers aren’t safe either. Hard as our nails are, they too are prone to absorbing the chemicals from toxic products.
Many of the chemicals and heavy metals used in personal products are linked to cancer, neurological disorders, immune and cardiovascular challenges, as well as disturbances to the endocrine and reproductive systems.
What can you do to prevent from getting absorbing these toxic products in the future? And how can you detoxify what’s in your body now? A number of things actually.
Get yourself some nutrient support for the kidneys and liver, two organs most affected by heavy metals and chemical toxicity. Take the load off these organs by supplementing with Vitamins C and E, selenium, zinc, and other antioxidants. If you have chronic symptoms and need some additional support, we offer both Nutrient IV Therapy and heavy metal chelation at Oaktree Wellness Center in Wheaton, IL. Both nutrient therapy and chelation may better support the immune system and assist it with detoxification.
Simple at-home detoxification like drinking lots of pure water, dry skin brushing, vegetable juicing, walking and using a sauna all assist the body with releasing toxins from the body.
Become educated with what’s in your personal care products! It doesn’t do your body good to detoxify if you’re just going to slather on more toxic chemicals. Steer clear of products with lauryl sulfate, laureth, sodium laurel, aluminum, dyes, all parabens, dibutyl phthlates and other bisphenol products (also known as BPA). All of these can mess with your hormones and are considered carcinogenic. You must be your own watchdog for personal products because currently there’s no regulatory laws to keep them safe. A good rule of thumb, if you can’t pronounce or don’t recognize an ingredient, it’s probably not good for you!
Be mindful of what you eat. Choose the cleanest, most organic produce that haven’t been treated with chemicals. If you eat dairy and meat, choose only those that are raised without hormones in the feed and aren’t factory farmed. When you cook, don’t use Teflon or pots and pans that are aluminum or coated with materials that may eventually leach into your food.
Check health food stores and reputable online companies that sell personal care products that are safe to use on your skin.
Save money and make your own products! You can buy ‘clean’, scent-free lotions and shampoos and add pure essential oils (or not). You can make products from your own kitchen too – like honey and oatmeal facial masks.
Once you start implementing these things and checking ingredients, you can free yourself from having to worry about harmful toxins in the products you use daily.