IS YOUR SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER HARMING YOUR HEALTH?
SOME CLARITY THROUGH THE DAY TO DAY CHEMICAL MAZE.

Do you see your way through the chemical maze of ingredients when purchasing personal products?

Do you know what's really lurking in the background of each ingredient the commercial cosmetic industry use to make up personal products?

Are you aware of the detrimental effect these chemicals have on our body
and to our wellbeing?

What do these ingredients really do?

To make you aware of the negative side effects these ingredients have on humans, here is a list of Common ingredients used in shampoo, conditioner and skin care by most commercial Industries .

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) or Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) (a foaming agent used in Shampoo)
It is used in concrete floor cleaners, engine degreasers, car wash detergents. The journal of the American College of Toxicology Vol. 2, No.7, 1983, very clearly states that "SLS is a mutagen. In sufficient amounts, it is capable of changing the information in genetic material found in cells" SLS is a skin irritant. Corrodes hair follicles and impairs ability to grow hair. Its absorption through skin contact, maintains resudual toxic levels in the heart, liver, lungs and brain. Can damage the immune system, causing inflammation of the skin, causing separation of skin layers. Side effects may be, cataracts, improper eye development in infants and young children, mouth ulcers, headaches and dermatitis.

Propylene Glycol: (a humectant, humidifying agent)
This ingredients is generally used in brake fluid, anti freeze, laundry detergents, paints and floor wax. The material safety data sheet states: "implicated in contact dermatitis, kidney damage and liver abnormalities; can inhibit cell growth in human tests and can damage cell membranes causing rashes, dry skin and surface damage". It's a petroleum plastic that easily penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin. It can weaken cellular structure. It's a solvent powerful it dissolves through a stainless steel tank in 48hrs, so it has to be stored in plastic drums. It is used in the cosmetic industry to keep products from melting or freezing in extreme temperatures.

DEA (diethanolamine)MIE (monoethanolamine) TEA (triethnolamine)
These ingredients are again found in most products that foam, (like shampoos etc.,) These hormone disrupting chemicals, are already restricted in Europe due to known carcinogenic effects. On February 23, 1998, the CBS talk show 'This Morning', reported on a USA Federal Government Study, that DEA & TEA based detergents, greatly increase the risk of cancer, especially liver and kidney cancer.

Behentrimonium Chloride: (used in most Conditioner as a detangler)
A toxic ammonium compound. Ingestion can be fatal. Concentrations as low as 0.1% can be irritating to eyes and can cause necrosis (tissue death) of mucus membrane.

Mineral Oil:(used in body and especially baby products)
Petroleum by-product that coats the skin like plastic, clogging the pores. It interferes with skin's ability to eliminate toxins, promoting acne, Slows down skin function and cell development, resulting in premature aging.

Triclosan: (used widely in antibacterial cleansers, tooth paste and other household products)
An Hormone disruptor. Interfers with hormones perfomance such as changing genetic material, decreasing fertility fostering birth defects etc., posing long-term chronic health risks. Stored in body fat, it can accumulate to toxic levels, thus damaging the liver, kidneys and lungs and can cause paralysis, and heart problems.

These are only a few to mention . . . as there are a lot more toxic ingredients found in personal and hair care products and sadly, unknown to some of us, we expose ourselves daily to these toxic cocktails. Isn't it any wonder that cancer is running rampant, and what has been the cosmetic industry response to these facts? "more tests are needed to prove it" but by then, it may be too late for some of us, meanwhile . . the negative consequences to our health with the continued use of personal products are far too many.

HOW DO THESE CHEMICALS EFFECT OUR BODY
The petrochemicals found in most shampoos and cosmetics are absorbed through the scalp and skin and with time, accumulate in the organs and body tissues. This in turn may result in brain, nerve and liver damage. Such chemical invasion on our body has become too much for our body to cope with and yet unscrupulous companies that manufacture products with toxic ingredients, don't seem to care very much about our well-being. Meanwhile as bureaucracy moves at a snail's pace in forbidding the use of such harmful ingredients in personal products, we continue to suffer because of it. I find this rather alarming therefore it's left up to us as consumers, in recognizing the dangers to our health and to stop buying these products. Perhaps only then, the message will be carried across to the multimillion dollar companies.

YOU HAVE A CHOICE
Ultimately, it's up to us as consumers, to make the necessary changes. YES! You and I have a choice, so let's begin by educating ourselves and arming ourselves with knowledge, most importantly, to become aware of the negative consequences these toxic chemicals carry to our body. So before you buy, read every label in every product, with the understanding that by choosing products that are safe to use, will take you to the path of health instead of one of detriment.

If you like to know more, I suggest the following books:

"What's in Your Cosmetics"
By Aubrey Hampton. Organica Press "

A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients"
By Ruth Winter, M.S., Three Rivers Press, 1999

"Dangerous Beauty - Cosmetics and Personal Care"
By Peter Dingle & Toni Brown

"Cancer - Why We're Still Dying to Know the Truth"
By Phillip Day. Creedence Publications 2000

"Health Wars"
By Phillip Day. Creedence Publications 2001

To order Phillip Day Books, please visit Credence website
www.credence.org or phone directly at 011 44 1622 832386 or fax 011 44 8701 377441

If you want more information on cancer, you can visit
www.cancercontrolsociety.com

All our products are non-carcinogenic and free from toxic ing redients and are made especially to enhance our health rather than harming it.

Connie Vella
Founder of Nature's Symphony
Bach Flower Practitioner.

MORE OF WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BY THE EXPERTS

Popular shampoos contain toxic chemicals linked to nerve damage
by Mike Adams

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have found a correlation between an ingredient found in shampoos and nervous system damage. The experiments were conducted with the brain cells of rats and they show that contact with this ingredient called methylisothiazoline, or MIT, causes neurological damage.

Which products contain this chemical compound MIT? Head and Shoulders, Suave, Clairol and Pantene Hair Conditioner all contain this ingredient. Researchers are concerned that exposure to this chemical by pregnant women could put their fetus at risk for abnormal brain development. In other people, exposure could also be a factor in the development of Alzheimer's disease and other nervous system disorders.

The chemical causes these effects by preventing communication between neurons. Essentially, it slows the networking of neurons, and since the nervous system and brain function on a system of neural networks, the slowing of this network will suppress and impair the normal function of the brain and nervous system.

These finding were presented December 5th at the American Society for Cell Biology annual meeting.

I have frequently warned readers about the dangers of using brand-name personal care products. The vast majority of these products contain toxic chemical compounds like MIT that contribute to cancer, liver disorders and neurological diseases. In fact, this chemical, MIT, is just one of dozens of such chemicals that are found in personal care products.

Why are these dangerous personal care products allowed to remain on the market? Because the FDA, which is responsible for regulating these products, spends almost no time, money or effort actually investigating the safety of such products. Instead, the FDA spends the vast majority of its time approving new prescription drugs rather than protecting the public against the dangers from such drugs or personal care products like shampoos, soaps, deodorants and fragrance products.

In fact, it may surprise you to learn that manufacturers can put practically any chemical they want into shampoos, even if it is a hazardous chemical listed in the RTECS database of toxicity and even if it is considered a toxic waste chemical by the EPA. The FDA allows all sorts of chemicals to be used in these products, including chemicals that are known carcinogens and that contribute to liver failure and nervous system disorders. How's that for protecting public health?

If you thought prescription drugs were dangerous, just take a look at the toxic chemicals found in personal care products used by virtually all Americans every single day. Americans bathe themselves in toxic chemicals and they do it by buying and using products made by brand name companies that have premier shelf positioning at convenience stores, grocery stores and discount clubs.

One of the more curious personal care products on the market is Herbal Essences Shampoo by Clairol. Personally, I think this product is a joke because it's trying to exploit the word "herbal" to imply that the shampoo is healthy, even though it is primarily made with the same ingredients as other popular shampoos. The first three ingredients, for example, are: water, sodium laureth, and sodium lauryl sulfate. Big deal, huh? You can find the same three ingredients in 99-cent shampoo at Wal-Mart. Plus, the product contains all sorts of other ingredients that I personally would never allow to touch my skin (like methylchloroisothiazolinone, if you can believe there's actually a chemical with a name that long). Think the color of the shampoo is from the herbs? Think again. Three other ingredients in the shampoo are Yellow #5, Orange #4 and Violet #2.

In other words, this is a shampoo product purchased by naive consumers, in my opinion. People who really know herbs and natural products can only laugh at a product like this. Want a real shampoo? Buy Olive Oil Shampoo from Heritage Products, available at most natural health stores.

The bottom line to all of this, though, is that every week, it seems like we see a new announcement about some toxic chemical found in personal care products that is related to either cancer or neurological disorders. And yet week after week these products are being sold by retailers and consumed in large quantities by the American people who remain oblivious to the real damage these products are causing to their health.

Once again, the solution here is to protect yourself by learning the truth about these products and switching to products made with safe ingredients. There are safe shampoos, safe soaps, safe laundry detergents, dishwashing liquids and even deodorant products. You don't have to expose yourself to toxic chemicals to take care of personal hygiene, because whether you agree with it or not, these disease-causing chemicals are going to remain quite legal in the use of personal care products for many years to come. Why? You can bet that the manufacturers of these products will fight against any attempt to regulate or outlaw these toxic chemicals. That's because the chemicals are convenient for such manufacturers. It's much the same way in which food manufacturers use sodium nitrate in bacon and other packaged meats. It's all about their convenience rather than protecting your health.

So, here's the idiot test for today: if I was standing on a street corner with a bottle of colored liquid, and I told you that liquid contained a toxic chemical that caused neurological disorders, Alzheimer's disease and birth defects, would you buy that product from me and scrub it into your scalp under warm water?

Of course not. But if you're buying these popular shampoo products, that's exactly what you're doing right now. Such is the power of brand marketing in America.

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