Pretty harmful
Growing up in a Catholic school leaves us with values, maybe scrupulous or ascetic in nature, depending on who is judging, that we carry till our adult years. One of these is going through Advent and the Lenten season doing some sacrifices as a means of purification and cleansing ourselves of our sins. My friends and I always share with each other our sacrifices during the above mentioned seasons and they are usually the same, year in and year out, as follows: abstinence from caffeine, alcohol, desserts, movies, meat; attending daily Masses; relieving our domestics of some chores like cleaning our own room and bath room, cooking meals for the family (tedious!), going to the market, walking the dog ourselves, vacuuming the floors, washing the dishes and the like.
For my Lenten sacrifice, I decided not to have any helper one day of the week and on that day, I did my own meals, washed the dishes, did house chores, and the most difficult of all, did my own bed. I have a California king-size bed with an air bed on top, three layers of bed sheets, lots of different shaped pillows, and a heavy comforter. One of my fetishes is stepping into my bedroom and feeling like I am in a hotel room with a neat looking bed! I didn’t realize doing my bed was quite a chore! Likewise, during the Easter week, I detoxed from all cosmetics, which was very difficult for me as I can’t step out of my door without makeup! Even when I am just going to the gym, I put a minimum of color on my face, like a dab of lipgloss and blush on the cheeks. But none of this dismayed me as when my manicurist and pedicurist took off my polish and they aaahed and ooohed simultaneously with what they saw. My nails seemed like they had fungus infection because of weeks of using nail polish, which dried them out, giving all my nails a seemingly white coat of dryness. I was so alarmed I consulted a dermatologist, afraid that I had an infection of some sort. The good doctor assured me that the nail polish I used was toxic and it made my nails dry and brittle. She also warned me of the toxicity of many brands of cosmetics, some of them with higher levels of lead, mercury, arsenic, chromium, zinc, and other metals than the others. She advised me to check out the ingredients of cosmetics and toiletries before using them.
I am a member of Healthy Options because they have books and a monthly news digest on health that’s very informative and gives us the answers to our health concerns. This April’s news digest gave me the answer to the toxicity of nail polish and other cosmetics. In as much as mainstream cosmetic and dermatological companies assert that all their products are safe, we consumers cannot be 100% sure of their effects on our system. For instance, some topically applied creams can cause systemic toxicity, which means that it gets into the bloodstream, travels through the body, and causes damage in organs other than our skin. This is what scares me the most. There is a warning in this month’s Healthy
Options News Digest on five cosmetic procedures (mea culpa, I am guilty of indulging in all five) which could be pretty harmful.
• Nail salon: Nail polish contains a wide range of chemicals, including formaldehyde, phtalates, acetone or toluene. Their fumes may irritate the skin, eyes, nose, and respiratory tract. Manicures and pedicures can also result in fungal infections if the equipment used are not sterilized properly.
Solution: Look for nail polish brands that use non-toxic ingredients; bring your own sterilized nail equipment when you go to the nail salon/beauty parlor.
• Eyelash extensions: They may be glamorous as they give you that long-lashed look, but they are not risk-free. The adhesives can irritate the eyelids or cause an allergic reaction. And beware of permanent eyelash tints that promise thicker-looking lashes: They have been linked to serious injury, including blindness.
Solution: Opt for adhesives that contain safer and more natural ingredients than their commercial counterparts and pair it with an all-natural mascara.
• Skin lightening: Hydroquinone is a skin lightener that is available by prescription or in a less potent strength over the counter. Dermatologists often prescribe it to lighten pigmentation or melasma and age spots. However, overuse of hydroquinone can cause skin discoloration. Its safety is also being studied as the chemical is now linked to cancer, according to animal studies.
Solution: Use products that contain vitamin C which has skin-brightening properties.
With a good diet and a natural and nourishing skincare regimen, skin will glow and be radiant without harsh ingredients.
• Keratin straighteners: They can deliver silky smooth and frizz-free hair. These products are marketed as formaldehyde-free but Oregon’s OSHA (like FDA) found high concentrations of the chemical in more than half of the samples. Long-term exposure to formaldehyde can cause cancer.
Solution: Natural oils such as coconut oil, olive oil, and organic hair masks naturally smoothen hair due to their moisturizing properties.
• Prescription eyelash serums: Latisse is a prescription drug that can temporarily give you long eyelashes. After four months of dabbing them on your upper lash line, you have long, flirty lashes. But the side effects could be permanent: The drug may darken the skin around your eyes or turn your irises brown.
Solution: Opt for natural eyelash serums that contain plant-derived ingredients that nourish the eyelashes and promote eyelash growth.
You either choose the natural solutions or face the consequences. Life is full of choices and I choose the healthy path.