The other day, I saw a commercial on television for a well-known brand of fresh pasta. One of the selling features of this pasta was the claim “now made with natural ingredients”. What?!? What the heck was it made with before?!? I think there is an unspoken expectation that the majority of the food we eat is natural. Maybe not in the processed food aisle mind you, but anything labeled “fresh” should be real food, don't you think? Obviously not.
The idea of an unspoken expectation carries into other things we buy too. In particular, our body care products. Without saying it out loud, we expect that there is someone out there (scientists? the government?) with our health and well-being in mind, making sure that our shampoo and toothpaste are not going to hurt us. They wouldn't let us colour our hair or gargle with something that was harmful, would they? We live in a civilized country for goodness sakes. Certainly, the manufacturers of our eyeshadow and body lotion must abide by laws and regulations designed to protect us, right? All of this is true, but sadly, toxic ingredients are still used. It is not against the law.
Our body products are all tested and each one of them is deemed safe to use. Although chemical and toxic ingredients are present, the highly paid scientists at these million dollar companies claim that the amount of exposure we get when using these products is not high enough to be dangerous. They admit there could be exposure and they admit it could be dangerous; it's just not dangerous enough to make a fuss over. Seriously?!? Are these the same scientists that said secondhand smoke wasn't harmful? Do they work in the same lab as the ones who decided asbestos was nothing to be concerned about? Please! Our exposure to the toxins in body products is continuous. It builds on itself day after day. With each application of moisturizing cream or cleanser, we up the exposure level. When toxins enter our bodies, they are there for good. We can't get rid of them. And they say this is not dangerous?
There are many organizations out there that believe this industry needs higher standards. They believe that toxic exposure of any kind is still way too much. Organizations like the Environmental Working Group, the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics and the Consumer Product Safety Commission are dedicated to educating consumers about the products on our store shelves. They know what ingredients are harmful and they know which products contain them. They know which manufacturers are changing their formulations to reduce toxic ingredients, and which ones maintain that their products are safe in spite of evidence to the contrary. They've compiled lists of companies that offer natural, chemical-free products that are safe for us to use. They have all the tools we need to make better choices.
It is eternally frustrating to me that experts in cosmetics and body care continue to recommend products with toxic ingredients. I can not understand how a brand with harmful ingredients can receive an industry award for Product-of-the-Year when there are potential dangers to using it. It makes no sense to me whatsoever. There is such a huge disconnect here.
When it comes to food, there is a well-worn expression that suggests “everything in moderation”. As long as we eat well most of the time, an occasional piece of cake or bowl of potato chips is fine. After all, even the most disciplined of us can't exist on leafy greens and tofu forever. Our body care can be approached the same way. Reduce your toxic exposure. Replace what you can with all-natural products. Make smart choices.
Not all of you will agree with my opinion and that's fine. We are all entitled to our opinions and to make whatever choices we want based on those opinions. Just make sure your opinion is an educated one.
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