Why Use Natural Products?

Over the last month I've had a few people ask me what is my new blog about? Well, there are various things that this blog will cover but to put simply, the main focus of this blog is to document my journey to achieving optimum health by using exclusively natural product. "Hmmm why are you only using natural products? So many people do just fine using everyday commercial products; what's your beef with people using synthetic products"? Well I don't have a problem with other people using these products at all. Shoot, I've used (and continue to use some at the moment) synthetic products as well, and have seen some major benefits. My intention was never to "convert" the masses. I just feel--for me--that natural is the best thing I can do for my body. For years I have been plagued with various skin, hair and health issues. Nothing too serious, but serious enough to make me just feel miserable and blah about what I saw when I looked in the mirror. Through research and reading various books I have come to the conclusion that it may be because of the products I am using. Experience has also confirmed this. I honestly felt like I was at my "best" when I stopped using products and eating food made with synthetic or artificial ingredients. My hair is the best and strongest it has been in years--all because of a few changes I have made. I personally would like to take it a step further by making my own products to ensure I am getting the best ingredients in the products I am using. Why this is so important will be explain below.

To explain my position further I have included some key points I found on an article called Sheerorganics written by Narelle Chenery, which highlights where I am going on my journey and why. I would love to hear your thoughts so be sure to leave your comments! Caution: it's a long one. It has been edited to highlight the main points, but a link for the full article has been included below (click post heading to read more...).

Our skin (including the scalp) is the largest elimination (sic) organ in the body. It is a two-way membrane. Toxins are eliminated through the skin via perspiration and absorbed through the skin into the body’s circulation system, through hair follicles and sebaceous glands, but not through the sweat glands. One square inch of skin contains approximately 65 hairs, 100 sebaceous glands and 650 sweat glands. Every square inch of you skin is like a thousand open mouths, absorbing into the body most of what is put on it... 

...This is both good and bad. Good, because it means our skin can be nourished from the outside with some wonderful ingredients. Bad, because some skin care manufacturers can use harmful ingredients that would never be allowed to be taken orally, but are still absorbed into our system, through our skin...

 
So, (sic) how do we actually know if the products are safe and non-toxic? Is natural and organic really any better for us? What products are truly natural and organic? What are the natural alternatives to synthetic and mostly toxic chemicals?

Fortunately, there is a very simple way to differentiate between the hype and truth in skin and hair care and that is to read the ingredient list on the label. It is a legal requirement that all hair and body care products must be labeled with the ingredients in descending order of their quantity in the product. A good rule of thumb is to divide the ingredient list into thirds: the top third usually contains 90-95% of the product, the middle third usually contains 5-8% and the bottom third, 1-3%.

Here is the ingredient list of a so-called “natural” and “organic” apricot body moisturizer from a well- known “natural” skin care company.

	Natural or Organic ingredients include
1	Water (deionised)
2	Isopropyl Palmitate (Palm Oil Derivative)
3	Apricot Kernel Oil
4	Bis-Digyceryl Caprylate/Caprate/Isosterate/Stearate/ Hydroxysterate Adipate (vegetable Triglyceride)
5	Glyceryl Stearate SE (vegetable derived)
6	Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (glycerin-derived emollient)
7	Ceteareth - 12 (Organic Emulsifier)
8	Tocopherol Oil (vitamin E)
9	Chamomile Extract
10	Sage Extract
11	Linden Extract (Lime Blossom Extract)
12	Balm Mint Extract
13	Shea Butter (From Karite)
14	Wheat Germ Oil
15	Carrot Oil
16	Cetyl Alcohol (organic Co-emulsifier)
17	Sodium Hydroxide (pH Adjuster)
18	Sorbic Acid (Organic Compound)
19	Tocopherol Acetate (vitamin E Derivative)
20	Methyl Paraben
21	Propyl Paraben
22	Imidazolidinyl Urea (Organic Compound)
23	Fragrance
24	FD & C Yellow No 5, D7C Red No. 33.

Take note that actual Apricot Oil content is 2.5%. Notice Apricot Oil is No 3 on the list. Because skin care and cosmetic manufacturers are required to list the ingredients in descending order this means everything after Apricot Oil makes up less than 2.5% of the volume.

This effectively means that about 90% of the product is water and Isopropyl Palmitate. Isopropyl Palmitate is derived from Isopropyl Alcohol, synthetic alcohol and Palmatic Acid, a fatty acid from palm oil. It is known to cause skin irritations and dermatitis and has been shown to have comedogenic (acne promoting) properties!

Nos 5 and 6 are all produced by chemical reactions between various fatty acids and glycerol (synthetic glycerine). They are largely synthetic and have been shown to cause allergies and dermatitis!

No 7 is a synthetic emulsifier that may contain dangerous levels of ethylene oxide and dioxane - both are known carcinogens.  

Nos. 8 to 15 are natural ingredients used in tiny amounts merely to make the product look good. They may have been grown using toxic organo-phosphates, other pesticides and chemical herbicides.

No. 16 May be natural or synthetic and has been shown to cause contact dermatitis and eczema.

No. 17 Is otherwise known as caustic soda or lye - a powerful drain cleaner extremely alkaline and corrosive. A known sensitizer for many allergic people.

No. 18 Sorbic acid was once isolated from the Mountain Ash berry, but is now chemically synthesised and is a toxic preservative

No. 19 is synthetic Vitamin E.  

Nos. 20-22 are toxic and allergenic preservatives which have been linked to increasing oestrogen levels in women and is implicated in the rising incidence of breast cancer

No. 23. Probably synthetic, may contain phthalates that have been linked to birth defects.

No. 24. Synthetic colours that could be potentially carcinogenic.

When chemicals such as Cocamide DEA or Sodium Hydroxysultaine are followed by the words “derived from coconut oil” the consumer is led to believe that these synthetic chemicals must somehow be "natural". While this may be true in some cases where a natural oil or extract is actually used, it is ultimately irrelevant because what you end up with after the chemical solvent extraction and processing is usually anything but natural or pure. It is just another chemical concoction with some rather awful sounding long names to describe the process the "natural" product went through. 

Further, to create Cocamide DEA, a foaming agent found in some shampoos, requires the addition of a synthetic chemical and known carcinogen, Diethanolamine – DEA, to the coconut oil. It is therefore no longer natural, or safe! If we look at the term “organic” on a label, we usually think it means “grown and cultivated without the use of chemicals” as stated above. That is the conclusion most skin care companies would like us to come to when they use the rather loose term organic. Many labels have long lists of chemical names, some followed by the phrase “derived from …” (some natural substance). This is grossly misleading for consumers who are looking for genuine natural products. 

Now let’s look at an ingredient list of a certified organic body moisturizer. 

1	Proprietary blend of organic native Australian distilled herbal extracts,
2	Organic Safflower oil
3	Purified Water
4	Organic Avocado oil
5	Organic Cocoa butter
6	Non-GMO Lecithin
7	Organic Sugar-Cane Ethanol
8	Organic Unrefined Beeswax
9	Lime
10	D-Panthenol (pro-vit b5)
11	Olive extract
12	Grapefruit extract
13	Sclerotium gum
14	Organic orange
15	Vanilla extract

1. Is a proprietary blend of organic native Australian distilled herbal extracts
2. Is cold-pressed from organic safflower seeds.
3. Purified Water.
4. Is cold-pressed from organic avocado fruit.
5. Is from organic cocoa beans.
6. Is from non-genetically modified soybean oil.
7. Is from organic sugar.
8. Is from organic beehives!
9. Is cold pressed from the skin of organic limes.
10. Is a precursor to vitamin B5.
11. Is from olive leaves.
12. Is from grapefruit seeds.
13. Is a natural gum.
14. Is cold-pressed from organic orange peel.
15. Is from natural vanilla beans.

All skin and hair care products, both synthetic and natural, contain items from the following categories in some combination or other:

Emollients 

Emollients serve two functions; they prevent dryness and protect the skin, acting as a barrier and healing agent. Water is the best emollient, but because it evaporates quickly it is ineffective. It needs to be held on the skin by emollient oils in what is called an emulsion. Synthetic emollients are occlusive i.e. they coat the skin and do not allow it to respire (much like plastic wrap), which can cause skin irritation. Some synthetic emollients can accumulate in the liver and lymph nodes. They are also non-biodegradable, causing a negative environmental impact.
Natural emollients actually nourish the skin. They are metabolised by the skin’s own enzymes and absorbed into it. They are readily biodegradable and are of edible quality

Some Synthetic Emollients: 

PEG compounds (eg PEG- 45 Almond Glyceride) may contain the toxic by-product dioxane Synthetic alcohols (anything that contains the phrase benzyl –, butyl-, cetearyl-, cetyl -, glyceryl-, isopropyl-, myristyl propyl-, propylene-, or stearyl-) eg Isopropyl Palmitate, Diglyceryl Caprylate) have been shown to cause allergies and dermatitis. Hydrocarbons (eg mineral oil, petrolatum, paraffin) contain carcinogenic and mutagenic Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and can cause chemically induced acne. Silicone Oils (eg dimethicone, cyclomethicone, copolyol) can clog the skin like plastic wrap and cause tumours when painted on lab animals (according to the Material Safety Data Sheet supplied by the manufacturer).

Some Natural Emollients:

Plant Oils (eg. Jojoba, Avocado, Rosehip) Shea, Cocoa and Jojoba Butters

Humectants
The main purpose of any cream is to keep the skin moist. Many conventional creams form a suffocating film on the skin to prevent moisture loss. Even a natural humectant, glycerin, actually attracts water from the air and surrounding tissue. It keeps the skin moist as long as there is sufficient moisture in the air. In a dry climate it actually draws moisture from the skin. Collagen, elastin and keratin enjoy some popularity as humectants. Whilst they are compatible with the skin and deposit a protective film, they are usually sourced from animals and therefore cannot be termed “cruelty free”. Some skin care companies would like you to believe that your skin can use special animal proteins to rejuvenate and replace aging cells. This is nonsense! The size of the molecules, even when broken down (hydrolysed), are far too large to penetrate the skin. Even if they could get in, they would be immediately rejected as foreign matter and attacked by the immune system.  

Natural phospholipids, from lecithin, are fantastic humectants. An important benefit of phospholipids is that they are hygroscopic (attract water from the surrounding air) and hold water where an increased level of hydration is needed. Therefore, phospholipids increase the hydration levels of the skin without being occlusive (forming a film to prevent water loss, and preventing normal cellular function). A recent study proved the value of topically applied phospholipids in skin care. It found that environmental factors (sun, wind, pollution) and the detergents and solvents, found in most skin cleansers, actually stripped the natural phospholipid content from the top layer of skin. This loss resulted in a rough feel and a pitted appearance under a microscope. Importantly, the phospholipids in the uppermost skin layers cannot be replaced by natural cell function, as the top layer of cells no longer metabolise; they serve only as a protective barrier.
Remarkably, the study showed that topically applied plant phospholipids restore the barrier function of the skin, protecting it from substances such as bacteria and harmful chemicals.

Some Synthetic Humectants:

Propylene Glycol – causes irritation and contact dermatitis, Ethylene/Diethylene Glycol – causes irritation and contact dermatitis PEG compounds (eg Polyethylene Glycol) –
may contain the toxic by-product dioxane
Some Natural Humectants:

Lecithin, Panthenol (pro-vitamin B5) and Glycerin

Emulsifiers
Emulsifiers hold two ingredients together that normally don't mix. This can be either a physical substance (like a wax) or a physical action (shake well before use). Synthetic emulsifiers are usually petroleum/hydrocarbon derivatives and can be allergens. Natural emulsifiers are obtained from various nuts, berries and leaves. 

Some Synthetic Emulsifiers:

1. Alkoxylated Amides (eg TEA, DEA, MEA MIPA compounds) can undergo nitrosation to form nitrosamines which are known carcinogens.
2. PEG compounds - may contain the toxic substance dioxane
3. Sorbitan Sterate, Laurate, Palmitate, Oleate etc.
4. Ozokerite, Ceresin, Silicone and Montan Waxes
5. Isopropyl Stearate, Laurate, Palmitate, Oleate etc.

Some Natural Emulsifiers:

1. Plant waxes (eg Candelilla, Carnuba, Jojoba, Rice Bran)
2. Xanthum Gum
3. Quince Seed

Sufactants
Surface-active-agents are substances capable of dissolving oils and holding dirt in suspension so it can be rinsed away with water. They are used in skin cleansers and shampoos.
A serious problem with ethoxylated surfactants (those that utilise ethylene or propylene oxide in the chemical reaction) is that they often contaminated with dioxane, a potent carcinogen. The exact same toxic carcinogen sprayed on the Vietnam jungle during Agent Orange which caused hundreds of thousands of birth defects and cancers in Vietnamese civilians and huge increases in the cancer rates for US and Australian army personnel.

These surfactants are listed on labels as ingredients ending with -eth, (like laureth) or containing the phrase PEG (Poly Ethylene Glycol), or PPG (Poly Propylene Glycol). Another dangerous class of surfactants are amides. These are listed on labels containing the term TEA - TriEthanolAmine, DEA - DiEthanolAmine and MEA MonoEthanolAmine. All compounds containing TEA, DEA, and MEA can undergo nitrosation with other chemicals to form nitrosamines, which are carcinogenic. One study found that over 40% f products containing triethanolamine (TEA) were contaminated with these potent carcinogens.
Natural saponins (foaming agents) are a much better choice for shampoos. They gently cleanse the hair and scalp without stripping the natural oils.

Some Synthetic Surfactants:

1. Sodium or Ammonium Lauryl or Laureth Sulphate
2. Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
3. Sodium Lauroyl or Cocoyl Sarcosinate
4. Cocomidopropyl Betaine
5. TEA compounds
6. DEA compounds
7. PEG (Polyethylene Glycol) compounds
8. Quarternium -7,15,31,60 etc
9. Lauryl or Cocoyl Sarcosine
10. Disodium Oleamide or Dioctyl Sulfosuccinate 

Some Natural Surfactants:

1. Castile Soap
2. Yucca Extract
3. Soapwort
4. Quillaja Bark Extract

Preservatives

The decaying process is natural and happens with or without preservatives. Skin care products do not (and should not) last for ever. Just like food, all natural skin care products will eventually deteriorate and go rancid. The effectiveness, not safety, of synthetic chemical preservatives has only been “proven” by animal testing. Chemical preservatives are generally used because they are much cheaper than, and extend the shelf life of the product more than natural alternatives. Storing natural products in the fridge will help extend their life.

Some Synthetic Preservatives:

1. Imidiazolidinyl Urea (Germall 115) and Diazolidinyl Urea (Germall II) Causes contact
   dermatitis. Germall 115 releases formaldehyde over 10°C.
2. DMDM Hydantoin Highly toxic, causes contact dermatitis, contains formaldehyde. Used in
   shampoos and deodorants.
3. Methyl, Propyl, Butyl and Ethyl Paraben Toxic, Causes allergic reactions and skin rashes. Used in a huge range of products and is implicated in increasing breast cancer rates when used as a preservative in underarm deodorants.
4. 2-Bromo-2-Nitro-Propane-1, 3-diol. (Bronopol). Toxic - causes allergic contact dermatitis. Used in face creams, shampoos, mascaras and bath oils.
5. Benzalkonium Chloride - Highly toxic, primary skin irritant. Used in shampoos, conditioner and deodorants.
6. Quarternium-15 Toxic, causes skin rashes and allergic reactions
7. Chloromethylisothiazolinone and Isothiazolinone - Cause contact dermatitis
8. Methylisothiazolinone and Methylchloroisothiazolinone- Both cause allergies
9. Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) and Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) - Both cause allergic contact dermatitis - worse BHT is carcinogenic!

This alphabet soup of synthetic chemicals which go into making the average personal care product and/or cosmetic is believed to be playing a major part in the enormous increase in cancer rates in the developed countries of the world. Research scientists such as Dr Samuel Epstein have been speaking out strongly for decades trying to warn the public of the dangers of toxic chemicals in personal care products. We are losing the "winnable war on cancer" due to vested interests totally ignoring the damage that low level exposure to toxins over may years do to our immune systems.

Some Natural Preservatives:

1. Tea Tree essential oil
2. Thyme essential oil
3. Grapefruit Seed Extract
4. D-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate (Vitamin E) 

The choice is yours.

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