What Are You Feeding Your Skin?
by Leslie Massiah

Feeding my skin? I know it sounds odd, but that is exactly what you are doing! It is a medically recognized fact that our bodies absorb significant amounts of what we put on our skin.  It's called transdermal absorption -- and is used as a delivery system for birth control, nicotine cessation, caffeinated soap, and for numerous other medical and healing practices.  

Our skin is the largest eliminatory organ in the body.  It is a two-way membrane.  Toxins are eliminated through the skin via perspiration and absorbed through the skin into the body’s systemic circulation, through hair follicles and sebaceous glands (not through sweat glands).  One square inch of skin contains 65 hairs, 100 sebaceous glands, and over 650 sweat glands.

As the number of people who are concerned about toxins in our environment grows, more and more cosmetic companies are seen to be jumping on the “natural” and “organic” bandwagon.  But what does natural and organic mean when we see it on a product label?  How do we know what we are buying is really natural and organic?  What are the natural alternatives to chemicals? And is natural really better for us?

Cosmetic manufacturers are not supposed to claim that their products penetrate our skin.  If they did, the products would then be labeled a ‘drug’ and henceforth be governed by much stricter regulations.  This is both good and bad.  Good because it means your skin can be nourished from the outside with some wonderful ingredients.  Bad because it means some cosmetic manufacturer can put into their products that would never be allowed to be taken orally, but are still absorbed into our system, through our skin!

So are you asking yourself, “What does “Natural” and “Organic” mean on product labels?”

If we look at the term “natural” we probably define it as “existing in, or formed by nature; not artificial.  Many labels have long lists of chemical names, some followed by the phrase “derived from…” (Some natural substance).  This is misleading to consumers.  When chemicals such as Cocamide DEA or Sodium Hydroxysultaine are followed by the term “derived from coconut oil” the consumer is led to believe that these synthetic chemicals must be natural!  While this may be true in some cases; it is ultimately anything but natural or pure!  I don’t want to get too technical, as I am no scientist. I am just a student of the industry and read a lot, so please just follow me on this short example!  To create Cocamide DEA, a foaming agent in some shampoos, requires the addition of a synthetic chemical and known carcinogen, Diethanolamine – DEA, to the coconut oil.  It is therefore no longer natural or safe!  Wow!

If we look at the term “organic”, we usually think it means’ grown and cultivated without the use of chemicals’.  That is the conclusion most cosmetics companies would like us to make when we see the term “organic” on a label.  Some of those companies are cynically using the chemistry definition of “organic” – meaning a compound that contains a carbon atom.  Carbons are found in anything that has ever lived.  By using this definition of organic, they are saying that a petrochemical preservative called Methyl Paraben is “organic” because it was formed from leaves that rotted over thousands of years to become crude oil, which was then used to make this preservative.  But just so you know, “parabens” have been found in 13 out of 18 types of cancer, including breast cancer!

An increasing number of companies are now claiming to use ‘organic’ herbs in their products.  But what about the rest of the ingredients?  Are they safe? Isn’t there an authority that governs the use of the term “organic” on labels?  The simple answer is NO.  However…the term “certified organic” IS governed by a number of internationally recognized bodies.  In Australia, Australian Certified Organic (ACO) is the largest.  Searching for products with the logo of a certifying body on the label is the ONLY way you can guarantee the organic authenticity and integrity of every ingredient in the product.  Without this, the organic claim means nothing, as it cannot be verified.  Here are some examples of internationally recognized certifying bodies.

The bad news is that we don’t have much choice about the toxins we breathe into our bodies. But the good news is that we can make a choice to no longer be at the mercy of cosmetic companies. With certified organic skincare products now available, why accept anything less for the largest organ of your body -- your skin.