Human skin is a powerful absorption organ that seem to be constantly hungry for anything that touches its surface. Just like curious toddler, our skin grabs every available molecule, every single drop of water, every lick of make up, and every whiff of fragrance and takes it to cellular ‘mouth ‘ to taste, chew on and most likely ingest.
Oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide, as well as toxic pollutants, enter our skin via three doors, sweat gland ducts, hair follicles and sebaceous glands or directly across the stratum corneum. According to new estimates, our skin can absorb up to 60% of substances applied to its surface. Unfortunately, along with water, vitamins, minerals and oxygen, skin soaks up potentially carcinogenic ingredients that increase our risk of having cancer at some point in our lives.
What happens when a potentially toxic substance passes the skin barriers? Its end up in blood vessels and lymph ducts located in the epidermis and dermis layers. Skin cell get their nutrients and excrete toxins thanks to an endless circulation of blood and lymph.
As chemical are absorbed, they enter the bloodstream and travel with lymph across the body, to be eventually filtered out by liver and flush out by kidneys. However, some substances remain inside the body, adding to the systematic load that can accumulate for decades, since the skin is the largest organ in our body, it soaks up contaminants in much larger amounts than the intestines or lungs.
Chemical industries insiders say that only small amounts of potentially toxic ingredients are used in cosmetics, from 1 to 10 percent, or just a few micrograms. We are concerned about the long term effect of small doses of questionable chemicals that people absorb from products used consistently over long periods of time.
When potential cancer –causing poisonous chemicals are absorbed by the skin and carried with the blood all over the body, the offending chemical can interact with other chemicals in our system. Sometimes this reaction produces substances that provoke cell to evolve in the wrong way, resulting in cancer.
Toxic ingredients may lead to many other serious diseases, including allergies, fertility problems, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease. In the best case scenario, they may worsen existing acne or cause an allergic reaction that resembles acne. If you do not understand that toxic chemicals in cosmetics make us sick and age prematurely, you will remain a victim of the chemical industry, and it is not good for your skin or the health of the planet.
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Julie Gabriel, "The Green Beauty Guide"
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