Marilyn Harder But what does that mean? Is it just hype? A marketing gimmick to charge more?
None of the above! “Clean” is actually a universally accepted term to identify products that are free of all ingredients that have been shown to (or are suspected to) cause harm in human health. More and more studies have demonstrated that long-term and sometimes irreversible health complications can result from regular use of certain chemicals and additives found in many household and self-care products.
Why is that important?
Our body is an incredible, intricate work of art with multiple systems of operation – signaling through hormones – that keep it operational. The human body is hearty; there are so many fail-safes to signal and alert our conscious mind that something is off course. When we treat our body well, we thrive, and shine and are able to rise to our purpose and boldly share our gifts with the world.
However, our environment, what we eat, what we use, and how we move all have the ability to prematurely wear out or EVEN poison the body, dimming our light and keeping us from thriving. It may be hard to fathom, but the soap you use may be taking away quality from your future life. Clean beauty (and clean food, household products, and self-care products as a whole) is about education, knowing better, and then doing better for yourself and your family.
I have spent the last 3 decades of my life cyclically ill.
At 9 years old, I began my three-decade fight with chronic migraines. My 12th birthday ushered in the FIRST of many bouts of severe unexplained hives. They were so bad that my lips, my face, and my eyes swelled to unrecognizable shapes as I slept and when I woke, my mother didn’t even recognize me. I would scratch until I bled. I felt itching in my mouth and they traveled down my throat. The system fail-safes in my body were on HIGH alert – my body was being poisoned and my immune system was on the attack.
The medical doctors completed several rounds of allergy testing on me, a complete home eradication of allergens, and a full elimination diet, which at the time did not remove sugar or soy as allergens. I felt like “The boy in the bubble” – I had allergy free pillows, a waterbed (not going to lie…that was a perk!) and I could not have any toys and very few items in my bedroom. But it was ok… because I felt better.
At the time, the doctor described my immune response as a “cup” allergy; a small exposure of unknown sensitivities built up over time until my “cup overflowed”. I was told to expect more issues down the road when things built up again. However, with that warning, came no instructions, guidelines, lifestyle changes, or recommendations. The doctor felt we had successfully navigated and averted a greater issue, my care ended there, and life moved back to the “status quo” we lived prior to the eruption of our lives.
Fast forward 28 years, two autoimmune diagnoses, severe and debilitating fatigue, hormonal dysregulation, and migraines – now diet and lifestyle changes (not to mention several rounds of healing protocol) are the ONLY things keeping me well.
I am now VERY conscious of everything and anything that goes into and onto my body.
A lifetime of exposure to inflammatory agents has filled my “cup” and any small slip or exposure overflows my cup into a “flare” – primarily presenting as migraines, hives, joint pain, and deep resounding fatigue.
Could this lifetime of compound misery been avoided had I “cleaned” up my diet and lifestyle?
Possibly. I would like to think closer to probably.
Everything we put in and on our bodies must be nutritious and safe. Imagine every pore in your skin as a door to your bloodstream. Nearly 60% of everything that touches our skin becomes absorbed into our bodies. When we wash our hair, tend to our skin, brush our teeth, apply make-up, or wash dishes, we are inadvertently exposing ourselves to harmful chemicals. There are chemicals in our “normal” products that change organ function, hormonal balance/endocrine function, and diminish overall immune capacity.
In fact, the buildup of certain chemicals found in common household and self-care products in the body can stimulate a chronic inflammatory condition that can present in hives, rash, acne, eczema, and more. A study by researchers at Children’s and the University of Washington (UW) in 2007 identified a connection between allergic diseases such as chronic hives and atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema, and autoimmune diseases.
Their study implies that allergic and inflammatory diseases may trigger autoimmune diseases by relaxing the controls that normally eliminate newly produced, self-reactive B cells. “This is important because many autoimmune diseases are caused when the body’s immune system (including B and/or T immune cells) becomes misdirected by self-reactive antibodies produced by such B cells attacking the very organs it was designed to protect,” said Dr. David Rawlings lead researcher and section head of Immunology at Children’s Hospital and the UW. According to the CDC, autoimmune diseases are the third most prevalent disease category just behind heart disease and cancer.
There are many hypotheses on why the prevalence of autoimmune disease is on the rise but there is a strong tie to chronic inflammation from inflammatory standard american processed diets, and continued chemical exposure in daily use items.
So… how do we “clean” up our beauty routine besides throwing everything out and living in fear?
Product marketing has made it increasingly more difficult to discern whether a product is “clean”. Terms like “green”, “made with clean ingredients” and “All-natural” are vague and sometimes misleading. The American FDA has low regulatory standards on personal care items, banning only 11 ingredients found in personal care products and no regulatory standards on marketing of personal care products. However, the European Union has banned over 1,300 chemicals in the same product category that have been linked to allergies, eczema, cancer, hormonal disruption, and reproductive problems.
That leads me to the first tip… if your formulation is sold in the EU, it is likely clean. However, be sure to verify that your product line doesn’t sell two different formulations; one for the EU and another for the US.
My second tip; read labels! When purchasing products there are a few ingredients that we ALWAYS want to avoid.
1. Parabens & Phthalates (“fragrance”)
These should already be on your radar! They can cause disruptions in estrogen production causing overall hormonal imbalances which can have devastating effects on reproduction, estrogen dominance, and developmental issues in baby boys.
2. PFAs
These nonstick chemicals like Teflon have been linked to serious health concerns like cancer and thyroid disease and can be found in eye shadows, sunscreen and shaving cream
3. Siloxanes or Methicones
This ingredient can make your skin feel softer but it is suspected to disrupt the endocrine system and affect reproductive capacity.
4. Triclosan
A synthetic antibacterial agent that may disrupt thyroid function and can degrade into a form of dioxin, a class of chemicals linked to a broad range of toxicities including cancer.
5. Mineral oil
This coats the skin and clogs pores like a plastic layer limiting the bodies ability to detoxify through the skin, increasing acne and other skin disorders
6. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
This is a detergent that causes products to lather and foam. These can build up in the skin just like mineral oil and cause acne (unexplained back acne from shampoos) and is an irritant to the skin, eyes, and nose
7. Artificial or synthetic fragrances or parfum
This is often a “catch-all” for thousands of chemicals that can disrupt the endocrine system, aka the reproductive system, hormonal balance, and more. If your product contains fragrance – reference the product website for the company’s practice with regards to fragrance formulations. There are several clean companies that use essential oils and clean ingredients under the heading “fragrances.”
If any of your products have these ingredients, stop using them. You only have one body. The money they cost can be made again. But you cannot. Like me, the effects of these products on YOUR body are unknown and you don’t want to play roulette with the quality and length of your life.
Finally, for those of you who are overwhelmed, there are resources out there to help you discern the risks of products in your home!
- The Environmental Working Group ( a non profit, non-partisan organization) created the EWG Healthy Living Ap to help you navigate and make healthier choices for your family. They are leading the industry in data collection and resource development. EWG has evaluated over 200,000 food, cosmetics, cleaning products and more. Their ap allows you to search and scan products and provide you with a “cleanliness” score from 0(clean) to 10 (dirty). Additionally, they allow you to further research a product in the product specs breakout menu – and view the lists of all product ingredients by category; green (clean), yellow (mid) and red(dirty) with explanations as to why they earned the rating. Don’t worry, clean does not have to be expensive! There are products in all price points that are EWG verified( a 0/10 rating – clean).
Bottom line, when you know better, do better for yourself. I hope this inspired you to “clean” your routine!
You are worth it!
Cited works
1- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070403161855.htm
3- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070403161855.htm
