Take Care Even Natural Cosmetics May Not Be Safe

There are so many products we use on a daily basis and think nothing about. We take for granted that the body lotions, shampoos and other cosmetics we buy are good for us and that we shouldn't be afraid that some might cause long term problem. The truth is, many of them can be harmful. Commercial deodorants, hair spray, nail polish, perfumes, hand and body lotions all contain what are called phthalates. This chemical has been known to cause birth defects and has shown up in higher than normal levels in pregnant women. Some would argue to simply avoid using products with phthalates, but the problem is that not all products list them on their labels.

One would also think that by walking into a health food store and simply buying "all natural" cosmetics would easily solve the problem. The bottom line is this is a lot more difficult than you would imagine. Much of this is due to companies wanting to cash in on the movement towards "all natural" products. Just because a products says they have one or two natural products in it, such as lavender or aloe, does not a safe product make. Get in the habit of reading labels, take a close look at what is going into the product you are buying and don't take the advertisement's word for it that all the ingredients are safe. If an item says "All Natural" on the label, doesn't mean it is.

This term has become a catchphrase in society and many times "all natural" hinges on any number of loopholes available to be able to name a product as such. There are a few companies out there who do strive to keep their products as natural as possible and you can find them, it might take a little bit of time and effort to do so. A happy, healthy consumer is a well informed consumer. Don't take the advertising hype and labels as the gospel truth. Dig deeper, read the labels carefully, scrutinize the ingredients. Be aware that some ingredients in the product you are purchasing can cause allergic reactions.

Some of the ingredients attributed to allergic reactions are jojoba oil, tea tree oil, and lavender. Do a test patch on your skin first before you start using the product, you don't want to end up with a nasty rash, or in the worst case scenario, in a hospital.

Jeff Clare has worked in healthcare and now writes regularly on health related topics including healthy living and asbestos related diseases and much more