Are you putting lead on your lips, along with that hot red color??? Maybe you'd better check again, because in the fall of 2007, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tested 33 common lipsticks, from Burt's Bees to L'Oreal Colour Riche, and found that 61% had lead in them. While we worry, justifiably, about the lead paint on our children's toys, many of us are putting this on our mouths !!! And if you're like me, half our lipstick gets licked off in short order !!!
And did you know that the FDA allows MERCURY, a potent neurotoxin, to be used in eye cosmetics IF NO OTHER EFFECTIVE PRESERVATIVE IS AVAILABLE !! Only the single state of Minnesota has banned mascara containing mercury. Scientists for the trade associations will tell you that it is limited to 65 parts per million, but NO ONE knows how this accumulates in the body or what the long term affects of such accumulation might be.
And your hair products aren't always safe either. Did you know that Keratin hair straightening treatment contains just under 2% formaldehyde?? While it's bad enough that the stuff is sitting on your scalp, and being absorbed by your skin, the worst of it is the amount of the chemical that is released as fumes when heat is applied, placing both you and your hairdresser at risk ! Even though Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen and is banned in many countries, it is still allowed in the U.S. for certain uses, cosmetics among them.
The FDA's regulations were formulated more than 40 years ago. At that time cosmetics received little attention because it was believed that the skin was a nearly perfect barrier that prevented chemicals from penetrating into the body. Now however, we KNOW that ALL chemicals penetrate the body and many do so in significant amounts, hence the drug patch as we know it today. Cosmetics can, and do, contain cancer causing agents which may take many years to produce cancer. They may also contain neuro-toxins, but the effects are not immediate. But what is the toxicity or the effects of leaving a foundation on the face for 10 or 12 hours?? Or spreading body or sun-tan lotion over the entire body?? What are the exposures, and the long-term effects of, these ingredients which people may have used for years??
I am not a doctor, or a scientist for that matter, but common sense has to tell you that it cannot be good to have all these chemicals on our skin. So if you, like me, would like to have a few less chemicals in your life, you've come to the right place !!!!
Our natural and organic products are manufactured by some of the finest companies in the world, using the best in organic herbs, essential oils, naturally occurring minerals and botanicals. We've gathered these products for you from around the world, and assembled them all here for your perusal. These products are inspired by Nature, and perfected by science to harness the renewing powers of Nature to revitalize, restore, pamper and protect your skin and your hair and even baby's delicate skin and hair. Welcome to Nature's Own Store !!!
