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?
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 650 sweat glands, Cosmetic manufacturers are not supposed to claim that their products penetrate our skin.
If they did (the products would then be labelled 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.
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