Sourced from NYT | February 15, 2023, by Knvul Sheikh
Cover image | Javier Jaén
Small steps to lower chemical exposure from your daily routine.
Every day, we use soaps, lotions, deodorants, hair products, and cosmetics on our bodies. In recent years, an increased number of reports have raised concerns about many of them.
Researchers have found dangerous levels of mercury in skin-lightening and anti-aging creams, and chemicals in hair dyes and straighteners have been linked to breast and uterine cancer. They've also traced fragrances in soaps, and shampoos to poor semen quality and fertility issues. If those issues alone don’t concern you, consider this: Most American children are also exposed to toxic chemicals, from a wide variety of sources that may cause learning and developmental disorders, obesity, and asthma.
Not all chemicals are bad for your health but you are just as likely to encounter unsafe chemicals in processed foods and drinks, home furnishings, and (even prescription medicines) as you are in personal care products. Low doses of iffy chemicals can add up over time and exposure to multiple products.
Cosmetics and personal care products are notoriously under-regulated. Companies often jazz up their labels with buzzwords like, "naturally derived," "nontoxic" and "clean" which are nothing more than healthy-sounding marketing terms.
So WHAT CAN YOU DO?
There's no need to completely revamp your entire routine all at once. In fact, numerous researchers studying environmental toxins openly confess to keeping a few of their cherished creams and sprays that contain questionable ingredients. People should choose products that don't increase overall exposure to toxins when and wherever they can. This is most important when the body is undergoing crucial cellular and hormonal changes, like during pregnancy or early childhood/puberty development.
This cheat sheet may help (Links to NYT source)
In short, take stock of what you put on, or in your body, from time to time, and update your shopping cart with better options whenever you purchase new items.
