Your skin is a major organ for absorbing substances into your bloodstream. Although cosmetic manufacturers have suggested otherwise over the years, the emergence of the patch as an efficient way to get medication into the bloodstream shows how the skin works well in delivering chemicals to the whole body.

All those ingredients, listed in tiny print. Do you have any idea what they do to you? If the manufacturers wanted you to know, they would be bragging about it to you, right ?

The Dangers of Getting Pretty

Everyday we use skin, hair & bath products and don't have the slightest idea what's in them. Black people are extremely sensitive to many substances, especially synthetic chemicals. Chemicals that the FDA may allow, might just be toxic to many of us. They may affect us in ways we don't even notice. Allergic reactions are not limited to rashes and obvious physical marks. Allergic reactions can be very subtle and come in the form of sudden (or gradual), subtle mood changes. The depression that some people experience may be the result of a combination of allergies. Many clinicians think that psychotic mental illness is often the result of brain allergies. There are so many chemicals in our environment, what can we do? We can limit the ones that we know about.

Start with cosmetics.....

Fingernail polish
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have discovered that most fingernail polishes contain dibutyl phthalate. This dangerous subtstance is associated with a high rate of fertility problems in young women. It affects women 21-30 more than any other age group.

Many fingernail polishes contain formaldehyde, a suspected carcinogen and toluene which can damage the nervous system. Firoze' is a brand that is free of all three chemicals. Almay, Delux, Earthly Delights and Loreal have formulas that are free of toluene and formaldehyde. Buy selectively.

As a group we are consummate bargain hunters, but sometimes those off-brands contain the cheapest, most toxic materials. Read the labels, and if the following chemicals are in your hair, makeup and grooming products remember that it's no bargain if it causes cancer, reduction in brain functioning, or problems with your reproductive system. We list a few chemicals here that are known carcinogens. There are over 300,000 chemicals put in food and cosmetic products, most of which are harmful to humans, so of course we can't list them all:

In Shampoos - Carcinogens:                                 

2-bromo-2nitropropane-1,3-diol, polyethylene glycol, DMDM hydantoin, coal tar, formaldehyde, laureth, polysorbate 60 & 80,  D & C Red 33, FD&C Blue 1, FD&C Green 3, FD&C Red 4, FD &C Yellow 6, DEA, TEA. (From The Safe Shopper's Bible)

Instead, look for products made with these gentle cleansers:

Amphoteric -2, -6, or -20

Cocamide  diethanolamide or monoethanolamide

Cocamido betaine

Cocamidopropyl betaine

Lauramide monoethanolamide and diethanolamide

Polysorbate 20 or 40

Sodium lauraminopropionate

Sorbitan laurate, palmitate or stearate

Stearamide diethanolamide or monoethanolamide

In Bar Soaps
This is easy! Buy soaps made from natural materials. Health food stores, flea markets, craft fairs & Whole Foods often have homemade soaps. Almond, lavender, Sage, Oatmeal, etc. make you smell lovely and don't leave your beautiful brown skin so dry either.

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Just think, all that lotion, perfume, fingernail polish and makeup you use to make yourself look attractive to your mate, may actually make you less able to conceive.