A couple of days ago, I participated in a market research study on hand and body lotion. I currently have in my possession many, many bottles of hand and body lotion. I have been on a search for the holy grail of lotions that will keep my dry skin at bay without feeling sticky or greasy. It also has to be either fragrance free or scented naturally with essential oils as I cannot abide strong, chemical perfume smells which give me an instant headache and nausea.
It never occurred to me that there could be ingredients in all these products that could adversely affect my health. However, I have recently been reading a lot about toxic ingredients in cosmetics and am now planning to read labels much more carefully before purchasing any more products. One ingredient that has raised red flags for many health researchers are parabens, which are found in shampoo, moisturizers and many other products. One of the problems with Parabens is that they can mimic the hormone estrogen, which is known to play a role in the development of breast cancers. Studies have also shown problems relating to the male reproductive system. The jury is still out and there is no definitive answer as to whether parabens are risky to use, but I am always interested in preventing problems so I try to avoid questionable products. Why use something that is potentially dangerous if it can be avoided? Parabens may be as bad as some studies suggest or they may be exonerated in the end, but I would rather err on the side of caution.
Here are a couple of resources with a ratings guide to safe and not so safe personal care products:
