The Shocking Truth

The truth about toxins in our everyday products is alarming. It is scary to think that the repeated use of personal care products and household cleaners might harm us. Our generation is in fact the biggest experimental group ever, using products with chemical ingredients that no one knows the effect of, because they haven't been tested on humans. And they haven't been tested in the context of repeated exposure over years or in combination with each other, either.

Have you ever wondered why so many of us are becoming ill and dying from diseases that barely existed 50 years ago? Did you realize that birth defects, miscarriages, immune deficiencies, hormone imbalances, ADD, asthma, alzheimer's, and cancer are all on the rise?

What has changed to bring all this on?

"In the past 50 years, over 75,000 chemicals have been introduced in the US."
- Environmental Protection Agency

New chemicals are added almost every day. The FDA does not test these or limit the use of many of these, because the FDA does not regulate that industry. In 1938, the FDA granted self-regulation to the Cosmetics, Toiletries, and Fragrance Association (CTFA), a self appointed industry organization. Is this not a little bit like the 'fox guarding the hen house'? Most of the chemicals now on the market have never been tested for toxicity. Therefore, the Cosmetics industry has the freedom to decide IF they will test, WHAT they will test, HOW they will test, and WHETHER to report what they find. They decide what 'safe' means.

Scientists and doctors both agree that there is a direct link between our health and the chemicals we are exposed to each and every day. Household cleaning and personal care products contain toxic/carcinogenic ingredients, and even if they are used in small amounts, this daily, weekly, monthly, yearly exposure has a cumulative, negative effect on our bodies.

Furthermore, the Poison Control Center reported in 1999 that there were more than 2,200,000 cases of exposure to poisonous substances. In the report, household cleaning substances were highest (217,000 cases of exposure), followed in third place by personal care products (205, 200 exposures). Household and personal care products together are responsible for more than 5 times the number reported from pesticides. These products are not only toxic/carcinogenic, but poisonous! Interestingly, this report is no longer available online.

What about the environment? People may be wondering if the chemicals in the shampoos, perfumes, and toothpaste are washed down the drain. And if so, what effect might they have on our water, plants, animals, and fish? Although there are no definitive research conclusions, there is cause for concern.

Water downstream of sewage treatment plants has been found to contain pain relievers, caffeine, perfumes, antiobiotics, and more. Although in small amounts, they are detectable. Those attending the American Chemical Society's annual meeting in San Francisco in 2000 heard that farmers and manufacturers may not be the only polluters?. Maybe it's the consumer.

Fragrances are made up of thousands of synthetic chemicals and they are found in perfumes, lotions, shampoos, detergents, etc. These chemicals have been found in fish downstream from sewage treatment plants, and the compounds easily penetrate cells of acquatic creatures. Treatment plants are simply not designed to filter out minute contaminants, but rather to detect and clean out solid waste.

(NOTE: Tuesday, March 28, 2000, Chris Bowman, Sacramento Bee, "Medicines, Chemicals Taint Water - Contaminants Passing Through Sewage Plants")

Synthetic fragrances are harmful in that they can block the ability of human cells to be able to block far more harmful ingredients. It's the cell's first line of defense.

Over 10 years ago, synthetic fragrances became a red flag in Japan and Europe. "They were picking up pharmaceutical and personal care products in the wastewater flowing into rivers," said Stanford Biologist David Epel. "In Japan, they found them in mussels and fish and discovered they are somewhat persistent - they don't break down." http://earthhopenetwork.net/synthetic_Fragrances_Harm_Wildlife_humans.htm

There is more to this side of the story, too. Go to Articles, Etc. for new research related to the environment and personal care product effects.

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