Posted by IsoM on January 24, 2003, at 14:21:57
In reply to Re: What goes in pet food and animal feed » NikkiT2, posted by Rach on January 23, 2003, at 19:05:10
Body Shop isn't the wonderful all natural store it's made out to be. I've read a lot about them & their "policy". All cosmetic ingredients that were commonly used before a certain date, the FDA has allowed to be continued if it doesn't show serious carcinogenic activity. But that doesn't mean it's completely safe. It's just part of the very complicated FDA rulings & compromise with not making & disrupting major businesses.
Any product can say "Not Tested On Animals" even if it was once tested on animals. There's no need to test these same ingredients over & over each time. One ingredient commonly found in shampoos, bath gels, liquid soaps, toothpastes, & a host of other products is sodium laureth sulfate. It's NOT carcinogenic but it's safety isn't certain. It can be absorbed through skin & mucous tissues. I personally am not too crazy about it. Try to find a toothpaste that doesn't have it - even in health food stores. Many people have a sensitivity to it & in toothpaste, it can cause canker sores in some people. It's also the reason orange juice tastes so bitter after you've brushed your teeth.
Many ingrdients used in cosmetics are used in a wide range of other industrial products. That in itself, doesn't mean it's harmful. So is water used in many products, industrial, medical, etc. You get the picture. But I think the less different products used, the better we are for it. I personally don't care if my toothpaste foams (from sodium laureth sulfate) or not. I don't like the aftertaste & dry mouth from it.
I actually make my own face cream from beeswax, hempseed oil (any good oil like olive oil would work too), some essential oils, vitamin E & A, & a little zinc oxide. It has the consistency of a thick cream & after I wash my face, while it's still damp, I use a tiny dab & rub it around my wet face. Because my face is wet, it distributes evenly & very thinly - no greasy look. Works well on dry hands or legs. I add extra beeswax to make it stiffer & use it as a lip salve. I've made this cream & lip salve for friends & they swear by it. One said it stopped her cold sore from developing. I make no claims - it's only simple ingredients.
Cosmetics don't have to be fancy. That's just advertising propaganda to make us think we can make or do for ourselves. All the extras added are generally to fool us into thinking one company's product is superior to another. The best we can do for our skin is avoid sun, drink lots of water, & eat nutritious foods. It's what goes in us that affects our skin far more than what we put on it.
poster:IsoM
thread:35640
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20030120/msgs/35740.html