Wellness, naturally

We were born to be one with nature. A clean environment is as critical to human health as preserving the variety of life on earth. But more than ever before, we are encountering unsafe chemicals in our daily lives, with little awareness of the harm these can cause to our health. Long before the world plunged into the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic, another health crisis of epidemic proportions had begun. Affecting young women disproportionately, it is our exposure to harmful ingredients in personal care products. Suspected carcinogens, neurotoxins, teratogens and endocrine disruptors, contained within products we use everyday, such as face creams, shampoos, and cosmetics. Award winning documentary 'Toxic Beauty'  gives the 411 on this issue. It heralds a warning of the virtually unregulated use and exposure to chemical substances.

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Driven by a marketing machine that preys on the self esteem of its target market, the 500 billion USD global beauty industry is of juggernaut proportions. Despite it's size, regulation of this industry is virtually non existent. Relying on the mantra "the dose maketh the poison", the chemical industry claims anything is toxic if you are exposed to enough of it - even water, and inversely, anything is safe, if given in a small enough dose. This is the principle of a "safe dose". This principle might be safe if it were well documented and there was good disclosure on the exact doses of each chemical used. In reality, despite the fact most consumers use multiple products simultaneously, there are no regulatory controls in place to audit chemical concentrations, or to regulate against the use of certain combinations of chemicals, for example, the use of penetration enhancers with endocrine disruptors.

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The continued use of toxic beauty products is propelled by deliberate attempts to place undue pressure on young women in relation to their appearance. This pressure on women to be beautiful, made up, and blemish free, starts when self image is at its most delicate, in the teenage years. The narrative women grow up with is that looking good is more important than feeling good. Women are subjected to endless messages and societal cues to tell us our natural beauty is somehow not good enough. The 'bare faced' movement ebbs and flows, but ultimately has not yet been the David to the beauty industry's Goliath. Much has already been done, and must continue to be done, to create a new narrative: to send the message to the next generations of women that their natural beauty is more than good enough, it is something they must be proud of. With such disregard for the well being of women, is it any wonder we are being plied with chemicals in an attempt to improve our looks?

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In this setting, where women's health rates as unimportant at best, and outright exploited at worst, your level of awareness is your only protection. Consider the example of phthalates. Phthalates are endocrine disruptors, found in many plastics, and in some personal care products. Phthalates have been directly linked to the development of genital abnormalities and increased risk of future reproductive health issues whereby the developing fetus is exposed to phthalates via the pregnant mother.

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"Several in vitro and in vivo studies suggest that phthalates can act as endocrine disruptors and cause moderate reproductive and developmental toxicities. Furthermore, phthalates can pass through the placental barrier and affect the developing fetus".*

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The loophole causing many pregnant women to continue to be exposed to phthalates in personal care products is because of the lack of regulation when it comes to the use of the word 'fragrance'.  Whereby a product  contains 'fragrance', it is possible for phthalates to be present in the product. This is due to proprietary laws, whereby makers of fragrance are not required to disclose to consumers (or to product manufacturers), what chemicals their fragrance contains, as it is considered a trade secret. By its own admission, the Australian body responsible for managing the registration of new substances used in cosmetics - AICIS (Australia Industrial Chemical Introduction Scheme - indicates that the treatment of fragrances is basically just an honesty system. As a result, it is common for many known allergens and toxins to be present wherever you see the word fragrance on the label.

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Given the example of fragrance, where there is a clear failure to protect pregnant women and developing babies from harm, it should be of concern that in Australia, more than 3000 babies are stillborn or die within 28 days of birth, each year.** The leading cause of these deaths is birth defects. 80% of all deaths of children age 0-4 years are caused by "certain conditions originating in the perinatal period, congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities".*** In interpreting these statistics, one cannot rule out there is a role played by the inappropriate use of chemicals, and it is a stark reminder to women to be vigilant in their choices.

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Your only protection is your own awareness. Check the labels of your personal care products, check the Organic Community Avoid List, know the risks associated with the ingredients you currently use. The ewg Skin Deep database is another important resource you can use to assist in assessing the safety of substances. We all have the power of choice. Progress will only be made through raising a collective awareness, by exercising our power of choice, and refusing to purchase products that contain unsafe ingredients. Just as the shifting tide of consumer sentiment brought about a total transformation of the tobacco industry, so too must we re-evaluate our obsession with toxic beauty, and demand better for ourselves as women.

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