Help Save Your Tatas by Eliminating This Toxin from Your Skin Care

Today I am here to talk all about mommy and her beauty products. Recently my post regarding Johnson and Johnson’s products for babies received a lot of attention and I thought hey --- I have to look out for the mamas too!

When we become mothers our first instinct is to go above and beyond to protect our child. Their life is fresh and new so we want to give it a healthy start. But mama, what about you? What about the products that you’re using every day? Today, I am going to give some insight into why I use the products that I use. But first let me state this, I know that we can’t live our life in a bubble and I sure as heck know that we can’t control every chemical/toxin around us. We do have to live and enjoy life, but the more we know and the more conscious we are, the longer that life may be.

While I was pregnant (before I became totally natural obsessed), I found some face wash and face cream that said “Paraben, Phthalate, Sulfate, and blah blah blah free.” So I bought it. Woohoo – yay for a healthy product! However, I had no damn clue what any of those ingredients/ toxins were. Today I will talk about the main one that really ruffles my feathers -- parabens -- the breast cancer ingredient. Yes, that’s right – that’s basically what it is. Parabens are a preservative that are used in almost all mainstream brand lotions, shampoos, face products, deodarants, some food items and more to give them a longer shelf life.  

Unfortunately, parabens are linked to breast cancer and are FREQUENTLY found in breast tumors. Basically these little suckers mimic estrogen and disrupt hormone function. Parabens are also a common cause of reproductive issues. HELLO? I don’t know about you, but I love my breasts and I need my uterus to pop out more babies (and the tits to feed them), so I’d like to protect that stuff.

Sadly, parabens are found in EVERYTHING. Okay, so not everything but damn near. And guess who has parabens in their baby lotion? Yes, you guessed it…that good smelling, pink bottle of Johnson and Johnson’s (they've just admitted last month that it's an issue that needs fixing). Lately parabens have become a hot topic, so if you pay attention you may start to notice your favorite name brands claiming to be paraben free. If you go and look on the back of your favorite body lotion there is a BIG chance that you will find it (like a bet a pinky toe on it), however it is not listed as just “paraben”. Parabens are going to be found as the following ingredients:  Ethylparaben, butylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben, and any other ingredients ending with the word "paraben." Sadly, most lotions that I had contained at least three of these ingredients. I say HAD because yes, I went in and threw everything out. Well, okay so I kept like one bottle of Britney Spears and one new bottle from Bath and Body Works, because hey – remember that bubble I mentioned earlier? (And so you don’t think I totally wasted products, most were from college and were half empty) 

We as women are VERY brand loyal. I mean, you give a girl a good face wash and she’s not parting with that no matter what. There does come a time though where we have to consider just how healthy we want to be. As I stated before, we can’t control everything, but if we know about something and there are alternatives, then why not try to fix it? There ARE alternatives – there are plenty of them! Sure it’s not easy to just walk into Wal-Mart and find an alternative, but hello have you met the wonderful world of online shopping? I have my skin care products delivered to me each month. I don’t have to load up the baby and get out of my pajamas just because I’m out of face wash. It’s quite nice; plus some guys look great in UPS shorts (okay so I added that in for a chuckle, I’ve yet to see a man look good in UPS shorts).

I know it seems like it isn't a "huge" deal, but when you consider that even as babies we are exposed to this from popular brands like J&J's and then as teenagers and adults we lather ourselves in our favorite Victoria's Secret or Bath and Body Works lotion, just consider how much over time you have used. If it's COMMONLY found in breast tumors, then apparently it's making its way to our tatas and it IS causing a problem. According to recent research, parabens were found in nearly 100% off all breast tumors studied. 

There are wonderful alternatives, and they don't cost an arm and a leg. Many of them are not only paraben free, but are also free of so many other harmful ingredients. It just takes a little label reading! It's all on you Mama. This is just me, sharing my little bit of knowledge and research.

Food for thought from an amazing article you should read: In 2005, the Environmental Working Group published a combination of two studies that found toxic chemicals in the umbilical cord blood of newborn babies born in the U.S. in the fall of 2004. They screened for more than 400 chemicals, and an astounding 287 toxins were detected within the umbilical cord blood of these newborns. Of these 287 chemicals, 217 were neurotoxins, and 208 are known to damage growth development or cause birth defects.

For some great alternatives check out these awesome brands:

The Honest Company

DeVita Skin Care

Neutrogena Naturals

JuiceBeauty.com

Arbonne
3 Girls Holistic (Review coming soon!)

And many more!!!

What is your favorite beauty product?

Currently I use 3 Girls Holistic skin care for my face, and I bathe and moisturize with
products from The Honest Company.
All of these are plant based products that are completely natural.

Thanks for reading, Sasha