What Are You Putting On Your Skin?

                People purchase cosmetic products (shampoo, body wash, makeup, etc.) in hopes that they will improve their overall health/hygiene. Little do they know, these products contain many toxins that could be doing just the opposite. Many of them contain plasticizers (chemicals meant to keep concrete soft), pesticides, reproductive toxins, degreasers (which are used to get grease off of auto parts), etc. Does that sound like something you would want to rub on your skin? 
               These chemicals don't remain on the surface of your skin, they dig deeper. Containing heavy metals that may be toxic to the brain, they can cause cancer, infertility, birth defects, and learning disabilities; these are only a few of the horrific things the products can cause.
               When you use a product like face wash, you aren't only harming yourself, you're harming the environment as well as others living in it. When you rinse makeup off your face, it goes down the drain and then where? We tend not to think about where everything goes. The toxins from this "beauty product" will end up in a landfill polluting the environment and giving off toxic gases such as formaldehyde. This gas can not only lead to cancer but it can trigger asthma attacks and allergies as well. People who do not even use these products can be affected by inhaling them.
               The moral of the story is: we need to pay more attention to what goes into the products we use. If you want to find out more about the products you're currently using and begin your journey to a healthier you, click the link below.
               http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/?gclid=CIGU77jR8bkCFZKk4AodABcAMA

sources: 
- www.davidsuzuki.org/issues/health/science/toxics/dirty-dozen-cosmetic-chemicals/
- http://www.inspa.com/blog/beauty-products/is-your-makeup-killing-you-common-cosmetic-toxins-you-should-avoid/



Abby's View
At first I believed I knew what this blog topic was going to be about, and all of the topics that were going to be covered in it. I was very wrong, I had not even given thought to the environmental damages that makeup can cause, and not to mention the effects of cosmetics on wildlife. I had heard about the cancer causing toxins that were hidden in makeup but never really gave it a second glance, I mean how bad could they really be? I thought ignorance was bliss, but in reality ignorance will lead me to a body filled with toxic chemicals that are not only harming myself but others around me. The fact that really shocked me was that makeup that people slather on their faces day to day can lead to birth defects. It is a scary thought that many mothers in the world today could be blind to this, and be harming their babies without any knowledge of it. After all, makeup is not exactly a huge health topic today, and no one seems to making it one either.

Marissa's View
When most people hear the word "cosmetic" they will usually think strictly of makeup. I tended to do this, myself, until this topic was presented to me in class. Cosmetics include many things that are used by all people; shampoo, shaving cream, body wash and mascara are only a few of them. It is amazing to me how we have all been kept in the dark when it comes to what is really in these products that we use everyday. I hope that in our research on this topic I am able to understand more clearly what exactly I am putting on my skin and into my body and what the real risks are in using them. I want to be able to inform others as well and try to find out if there are any products available for us that are 100% healthy and safe. This topic isn't something many people ever even think about, but in the little amount of research we have done, I already know that it one that we should pay closer attention to. There are so many dangerous side effects that it would be ignorant of us to keep looking past the truth of these products.

Tessa's View
I never really thought about all of the toxins that could be in products that I use everyday until I did a little research. It is a scary thought when you discover all of the things that you put onto your body can harm you. Not only makeup, it extends a lot further than that. Did you know that certain shampoos and conditioners that we use can cause neurological damage? Or cancer? The products that are suppose to help our hair grow and become strong, are causing problems like Alzheimer's disease and other nervous system disorders.  A new testing discovered over 98 shampoos with a cancer causing ingredient! That is crazy! There are so many different products out there, I never would have thought all of these problems with such a simple product like shampoo and conditioner. I know the next time I go shopping for something to put on my body I am going to do a little more research.