On average, each person uses nine hygiene products daily that contain 126 various ingredients in total. While existing safety tests can show if the products cause flushed skin, rash or itching, their long-term effect on our health and environment remains unknown. So-called “cocktail effect” is the major reason for concern. Every day we apply many toxins of different nature to our skin, and nobody can say for sure if they won’t harm our health in future.
Chemicals are basic components of shampoos and hand creams. These chemicals seep through the skin and can store in fat tissues as well as in the liver, kidneys, reproductions organs and in brain. Cosmetics manufacturers complain about stirring up hysteria, but you can’t argue the facts. Scientists detect phthalate plasticizers in urine, parabens (preserving agents) in mammary tumors, artificial flavorings and anti-bacterial remedies in the milk of breastfeeding mothers.
With pharmaceutical industry, suspicious products would be withdrawn from the market and huge funds would be invested in the safety studies for drugs. As far as cosmetics industry is concerned, safety policy is neglected. And while many people tend to believe in promises of smooth skin and snow-white smile, the hygiene products with potentially harmful components are still being sold and used. And who thinks in the mornings of how poisonous the hygiene items on the bathroom ledge could be?
