How sweet to be included in this The Wellness Way article! Thanks for the shoutout Dr, Fennelly!!

Rub a Dub: Are Harmful Chemicals in Your Face Scrub?

Putting your best face forward shouldn’t mean a morning face scrub with chemicals. If you have read many of our articles like the ones on sunscreen or mascara you know that people can be bombarded with chemicals in their every day products. Did you know that there are over 10,000 chemicals in the personal care products on the store shelves and the average woman puts 515 different synthetic chemicals on her body every day? (1) Are those chemicals dangerous? How do you keep track?!!! Often this starts with her face wash and this can be a problem for her health. Is what’s in your face wash a health concern? Is it time to switch to a natural face wash?

If you are using the typical, store bought facial cleanser it’s highly likely it contains irritating and harmful chemicals. If it’s harming your health I would call that pretty irritating. Some chemicals to watch for are:

1-Phthalates

Phthalates are another endocrine disruptor that are found many personal care products including face wash. Animal studies have linked these plasticizing agents to early puberty, messing with the hormone system, interferes with male reproductive development, low testosterone, and low sperm count. (2) Don’t use chemicals that mess with your hormones!

2-Fragrance

This one slips past the average person’s ingredient checking radar because it sounds so nice. It’s not! The problem is fragrance can be a combination of many ingredients. Some of those ingredients are allergens, carcinogens or endocrine disruptors like phthalates. Fragrance is not your friend.

3-Sodium lauryl sulfate

Also known as SLS, and its cousin SLES, can be found in your favorite cleanser to help it “foam up.” Why do people need the foam? Listen, you don’t need foam to be clean. These chemicals can be irritating to many people and can be carcinogenic when combined with other chemicals. SLES cannot be metabolized by the liver, allowing the effects to be longer lasting. These chemicals are also often contaminated during manufacturing with the by-product 1,4-Dioxane which is a carcinogen. (3)

4-Petroleum Products

These are used in many personal care products because of their low cost and their moisturizing effects. Some of these products aren’t metabolized by the liver which means once they are in your body they stay. They can disrupt hormones and potentially cause cancer. It’s not even beneficial for your skin as it puts a barrier on your skin keeping moisture out and toxins in.

5-TEA

This one is not to be confused with the nice cup of organic green tea you like to drink. TEA is short for triethanolamine. TEA, DEA and MEA are related ammonia compounds that are found in many beauty products. They are also linked to inflammation, organ toxicity and cancer in animals. That’s not my cup of tea!

Take Care of Your Skin

Watch out for harmful chemicals in your skin care products and look for reputable companies to purchase from. So many disreputable companies will remove chemicals from their formulations that consumers are concerned about only replace them with similar chemicals under a different name. In a world with thousands of potential chemicals lining the store shelves, the consumer has to be armed with knowledge.

You don’t even need to go down the beauty products aisle to get a great face wash. There are products you can pull from your pantry that will leave you with a happy, healthy glow. I recommend coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, activated charcoal, and essential oils as great ingredients for DIY cleansers. The skin is the body’s largest organ you have to treat it right! Check out my recipe for a nice detoxifying coffee mask.

I asked some of our awesome Wellness Way ladies what they use to keep their skin so awesome without the chemicals and they were happy to share some of their best tips! We included some links to help you find the products.

What Can You Find on Wellness Way Bathroom Counter?

Dr. Alex Fennelly, The Wellness Way- Flathead Valley- Flathead, MT

The Good Stuff Botanicals is what I use. This is the best stuff on planet Earth!

Take Care of Your Health and Your Skin

The foam and empty promises of perfect skin aren’t worth the harmful chemicals! Treat your skin right with natural cleansers. The Wellness Way ladies had some great suggestions for all. Don’t forget to feed yourself for healthy skin. Eat non-inflammatory foods that are full of antioxidants, nutrients and good fats. Probiotics are also great for the skin and helpful for health, so were sure to include quality probiotics in our line of supplements.

Great skin can be natural! Make sure to start your morning right with a healthier rub a dub! It’s an easy upgrade and a great place to start somewhere!

Written by Dr. Patrick Flynn