Are Your Beauty Products Messing with Your Hormones?

March 13, 2016 | 2 Comments

Hello Radiant Beauties!

Did you know that endocrine disrupting chemicals are pretty common in skin and beauty products these days?  Probably.  But do you know what endocrine disruptors are?  Maybe you’ve heard the term but not really sure what it means or what products these bad boys are in, and how to avoid them.

Well you’re in luck my friends.  I’m here to help demystify!  Endocrine disrupting or hormone disruptive chemicals are sneaky little guys that lurk in many beauty and household products.  Because they are similar in structure to our hormones,  they can mess with the natural functions of our hormones by modifying, turning off, or turning on the signals of our hormones.

The endocrine system refers to the organs and glands that secrete hormones.  Our hormones are so important to overall health!  They regulate all the functions that help keep your body in balance, including optimal metabolism, brain and nerve function, proper growth and development, our reproductive systems, and body energy levels.

Here’s just some of the potential health problems associated with these chemicals.

  • Reproductive and developmental effects
  • Neurological, behavioural and cognitive imbalance
  • Effects on stress by messing with the thyroid and adrenal glands.

For a complete list of the 12 worst endocrine disruptors and what products to find them in, check out this list by EWG.

But for today, I’m going to focus on phalates and parabens.

Phthalates

Phthalates are a scary bunch!  They can trigger cells in our body to die prematurely, and there’s been studies to show the’ve been linked specifically to early death in testicular cells.  Yikes! Other studies have linked them to lower sperm count, obesity, diabetes, and thyroid irregularities. (Reference)

In addition to plastic food containers and children’s toys, palates are commonly found in personal care products including nail polish, hair sprays, aftershave lotions, soaps, shampoos and perfumes.

Unfortunalely, phthalates can be hidden under the perfum or fragrance ingredient, and they’re also that may be listed with a CI number.

Parabens

Parabens appear to increase the risk of breast cancer (Reference), and can cause hormonal related issues such as increasing PMS symptoms, hormonal weight gain and hormonal acne.

They’re found in products such as deodorants and antiperspirants, toothpaste, lotions and sunscreens, and cosmetics.

So Now What?

I’m not telling you all this stuff to scare you, but to make you aware.  Every little thing we do reduce our toxic burden helps!  So whatever you do, don’t stress about it.  And remember that our bodies are designed to naturally detoxify harmful substances from our bodies.  It’s when we become overloaded that problems start to occur.

So just be aware when you’re shopping.  Read the labels.  Look for healthier options.  Or make your own!

There’s so many beauty and personal care products that are simple to make yourself, and way more effective than most store bought brands.

DIY Body Scrubs

DIY Scrubs are an amazing way to clean up your beauty routine, not to mention your health.  And you will save money and feel so much better knowing EXACTLY what is in your products, and how beneficial they are for you.  

Here’s a recipe for a cool coffee body scrub, but I encourage you to modify the recipe to come up with your own creations.  Just substitute the coffee/brown sugar with any combination of sugar and salt, maybe add some pure essential oils for a simple scrub to suit your tastes or mood!  But please, no fragranced oils.  That would defeat the whole purpose.

Coffee Body Scrub

Coffee is actually great for your skin!

IMG_4723

Here are some of the benefits.

  • Source of antioxidants that can be absorbed through your skin
  • Has an astringent effect that can help tone and even out your skin
  • Has also been said to reduce cellulite!

And what better way to wake up in the morning then the smell of coffee in the shower!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup coffee grounds
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil (or carrier oil of your choice)
  • 1 tbsp sea salt or epsom salt

IMG_4808

Directions

  • You may want to soften the coconut oil a little bit.  Then simply mix all ingredients in a bowl, then transfer to an airtight container.  Easy peasy!

You can get some great glass containers at a dollar store, or small mason jars work great too.

For more DIY beauty products, be sure to check out my other posts.

And be sure to download my free Radiant Beaty Guide for a great face scrub recipe along with lots of other goodies!

FREE RADIANT BEAUTY GUIDE

As always, I love hearing your questions and feedback in the comments section so please let me know what you think!

And if you liked this post i’d be super grateful if you’d share on social media using the links below.

Lots of love and gratitude,

Leanne

xox

 

 

Comments

  15. Your comment is awaiting moderation.

    With thanks. Lots of facts!

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