Could Washing Your Hair Make You Stupid AND Sick?
Image Source: rgbstock.com and kodakgold
Yes, it’s true – washing your hair CAN make you stupid AND sick!
The Dirt On Personal Care Products
Research suggests that your shampoo may be washing away more than dirt. An ingredient found in some soaps and shampoos might actually be affecting your memory and giving you a higher risk of cancer.
The research centers around an ingredient found in shampoos, soaps and other products we use to keep clean. It’s called DEA (stands for diethanolamine), a chemical widely used in shampoos, lotions, creams and other cosmetics. It provides a rich lather in shampoos and keeps a favorable consistency in lotions and creams.
DEA, TEA and Brain Health
Dr Steven Zeisel of the University of North Carolina School of Public Health (Chapel Hill) has uncovered evidence in mice that suggests DEA and TEA (similar chemical, triethanolamine) seep through the skin and block the brain’s ability to absorb choline, a key nutrient that plays a crucial role in the memory cell making process in the developing brain. Low choline levels in the brain causes problems with memory and mental acuity, especially for babies. The UNC research is using the same amounts of DEA that most of us would get if we shampooed our hair a couple of times per week.
According to preventcancer.com, “DEA by itself is not harmful but while sitting on the store shelves or in your cabinet at home, DEA can react with other ingredients in the cosmetic formula to form an extremely potent carcinogen called nitrosodiethanolamine (NDEA). NDEA is readily absorbed through the skin and has been linked with stomach, esophagus, liver and bladder cancers. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), “There is sufficient evidence of a carcinogenic effect of N-nitrosodiethanolamine — .”
Why Isn’t DEA Regulated By The FDA?
Because the cosmetics industry is the least regulated industry under the jurisdiction of the FDA.
The FDA can make recommendations but it has very little power to enforce them. In 1979 the FDA ordered industry to eliminate NDEA from their products. In 1992, the FDA tested 12 products for NDEA contamination and found that 8 of them still contained this potent carcinogen. While levels have been reduced, there is still an avoidable risk of cancer when nitrosamine contaminated products are used. Even small amounts of this potent carcinogen can increase the risk of cancer.
It’s Up To Us To Be Proactive (What Else Is New?)
So – as usual, it’s buyer beware! Go to your bathroom and check out your shampoos, lotions, deodorants and toss them out if this stuff is in them! Most supermarket shampoos and lotions have DEA in them. Doesn’t that make you mad?
Fortunately, there are now a number of companies doing the right thing and NOT including these harmful chemicals in their products. I talk about one of them in my article Another Source for Safe Cosmetics and Body Products.
If you would like my help with getting through breast cancer in an inspiring and ultra-healthy way, please sign up for my free e-newsletters on the right, or “like” me on Facebook (Marnie Clark, Breast Health Coach). When you’re in a desperate situation, you need an ally. You can depend on me to help you through this..
Safe Cosmetics: Why We Should Be Buying Organic
What Makeup and Cosmetics are Safe?
Being diagnosed with breast cancer led me into doing vast amounts of research on WHY breast cancer seems to be one of the scourges of modern living. One in EIGHT women in the USA will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. I knew there must be a reason for this, beyond what we’re told by modern science.
Part of the research I did took an interesting direction. Putting aside all of the discussions about toxic environment, stress of modern day living, etc what I discovered is that many of our body products (in fact I’ll go out on a limb here and say MOST body products, especially those in the grocery stores and supermarkets) are toxic as hell. We shouldn’t be using them!
Chemicals and Cancer
If you look at the list of ingredients in most hair care products, skin care products, deodorants, etc you can’t even pronounce most of the ingredients and many of them have NO business being put into our products. There is a definite link to some of these chemicals and cancer.
I’m sorry if this is turning into a rant, but it’s a personal sore subject for me. Here are just 3 of the baddies:
Propylene Glycol – used as a skin conditioning agent, it’s strong enough to remove barnacles from boats! My husband says it’s a constituent of anti-freeze. What’s it doing in skin care products, especially those for babies? Are you kidding me?
Paraben preservatives (methyl-, propyl-, butyl-, and ethylparaben) – used as inhibitors of microbial growth and to extend shelf life of products. What delightful information I discovered about these came from a Professor Philippa Darbre at Reading University in England. Her research on actual breast tumors discovered that parabens were in every sample. Parabens have been shown to be able to mimic the action of estrogen, which hormone can drive the growth of human breast tumors. This research was done in 2004 – why are parabens still being allowed in our body products???
DMDM Hydantoin – this contains formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen (causes cancer). Causes allergic, irritant and contact dermatitis, headaches and chronic fatigue. The vapor is extremely irritating to the eyes, nose and throat (mucous membranes). It has NO business being in our body products.
This is a list of only a FEW of the toxic chemicals in body products being routinely used by women all across the world. Please stop using any products that have these nasties in them. Reduce your breast cancer risk.
Want something better for yourself? I’ve done a lot of research on various companies making safe and organic makeup and cosmetics and there are now quite a few that are doing the right thing and creating beautiful organic products. One of my favorites is discussed in this article: Another Source for Safe Cosmetics and Body Products.
If you would like my help with getting through breast cancer in an inspiring and ultra-healthy way, please sign up for my free e-newsletters on the right, and/or “like” me on Facebook (Marnie Clark, Breast Health Coach) and I’ll do my utmost to keep you informed and empowered on your healing journey… and beyond.
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