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Toxins In Beauty Products: Tips On Chemicals And Products To Avoid From Expert Gillian Deacon

Are Your Beauty Products Poisoning You?
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Do you know what kinds of chemicals you're putting on your body? Gillian Deacon, author of "There's Lead in Your Lipstick: Toxins in Our Everyday Body Care and How to Avoid Them," does. She helps us -- and you -- decipher which beauty products to ditch because of their chemical content.

Which products carry the highest level of toxins?

It's not as easy as purging one particular item here or there. There are between 85,000 and 100,000 chemicals in the marketplace, many of which are widely used in all sorts of products. Here are a few examples:

1. Anything that is made with fragrance -- soap, lotion, bubble bath, shampoo -- contains phthalates, which are a class of chemicals used to give products scent. This is the same group of chemicals that was banned in January 2011 by Health Canada for use in plastic products and children's toys. But they're still being used in personal care products. These chemicals are endocrine disruptors, which means they mimic hormones and wreak havoc with our hormonal balance; everything from PMS to skin irritations is related to out-of-whack hormones.

2. Parabens are another class of chemicals found in a variety of personal care items -- everything from shampoo to shaving cream to mascara. Parabens are a cheap preservative, so they're commonly used to extend the shelf life of a product. If you've ever found yourself digging around the bottom of your purse or glove compartment for an old lipstick that's lasted you years, that's why it still works. A recent study found parabens in 19 out of 20 breast cancer tumours.

3. Sixty-one per cent of brand-name lipsticks contain lead, according to recent tests, but the ingredient was not listed on the packaging.

Are there any products people should stop using immediately?

If I had a magic wand I'd like to eradicate hand sanitizers and antibacterial soaps. Antibacterial products contain triclosan, a chemical that's been linked to cancer and endocrine disruption. What's more, the American Medical Association says antibacterial products are no more effective than handwashing at killing bacteria. Most doctors agree the overuse of these products is creating drug-resistant bacteria.

What effect can these toxins have on our bodies?

Many symptoms of chemical overexposure are often mistaken for other diagnoses: headaches, nausea, dizzines, joint irritation, eczema, shortness of breath, rashes and acne.

Can you offer some alternatives?

It's becoming easier and easier to source clean, green alternatives. Here are some of the big names that are easy to find in health stores and online: Aubrey Organics, Dr. Hauschka, Dr. Bronner's, Rocky Mountain Soap Company, Pangea, Green Beaver, Badger, Weleda, Lavera, Pure Anada, Gabriel, Zuzu and many more.

My book catalogues alternatives across the price range for each category (hair, eyes, lips, armpits, etc.). I've also included several recipes for those who want to take the time to whip up safe alternatives at home (for a fraction of the price).

Q: What should we look for/avoid when shopping for products?

We cannot assume long-term health and safety testing has been done on all products or their ingredients. There is no requirement, by law, in Canada or the U.S. for personal care products to be tested for human safety before they're introduced to the marketplace.

Don't be fooled by a pretty green package or words like "natural" or "earth-friendly." The more unpronounceable the words on the listing of ingredients, the more chemicals the product contains.

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