Many of the products we use to get

Many of the products we use to get clean—soaps, facial cleansers and body washes—might actually be doing us more harm than good.

One of the main ways your body acquires nutrients, other than eating, is transdermally— through the skin. Your skin is your largest organ—22 square feet on average—and 60 percent of the substances you put on it are eventually absorbed into the bloodstream. This semipermeable membrane allows us to absorb vitamins and minerals, but, unfortunately, it absorbs harmful chemicals we put on it, too.

Chemicals in common soaps are no joke. They can disrupt our hormones, promote allergies, lead to reproductive issues and increase risk of some cancers. With serious side effects like these, we need to be particular about what we put on our skin.

Here are four chemicals I watch out for when buying soap (and you should, too):

Fragrance. Bottom line: If the ingredient is vague, it’s probably hiding something. “Fragrance” could actually be a cocktail of chemicals and you’d never know it. The FDA doesn’t require companies to disclose the breakdown of a fragrance’s ingredients to consumers because the chemicals that produce fragrance are considered “trade secrets.” Most of the time, synthetic chemicals and cancer-causing toxins (like phthalates, used to make fragrances last longer) are hiding under that one sneaky term. Constant exposure to fragrances has been shown to negatively impact the central nervous system and can trigger allergies, migraines and asthma symptoms.

Parabens. These ingredients are estrogen mimickers—meaning that once applied to the skin, they enter the bloodstream, and the body mistakes them for estrogen. When the body thinks there is an abnormally high amount of estrogen present in the bloodstream due to the presence of these hormone disrupters, it reacts in various ways: decreasing muscle mass, increasing fat deposits, causing early onset of puberty and spurring reproductive difficulties in both men and women.

Sulfates. These chemicals are used to produce lather and bubbles in soap. Some common sulfates are SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) and SLES (sodium laureth sulfate). Sulfates strip the skin of its natural oils and increase penetration of the skin’s surface. They are also irritants for people with sensitive skin or eczema.

Triclosan. This chemical is most often found in antibacterial soap. Recent studies have found that triclosan actually promotes the emergence and growth of bacteria resistant to antibiotic cleansers. It also creates dioxin, a carcinogen that has been found in high levels in human breast milk. Dioxins have disruptive effects on the endocrine system and negatively affect thyroid functions. And here’s a fun fact: dioxin is the primary toxic component of Agent Orange!

Think about it. If we are washing our bodies with soap that contains harmful ingredients every single day, this adds up over a lifetime to wreak havoc on our health.

With minimal government testing on these chemicals, it becomes up to us, as smart consumers, to make informed decisions as to what does and doesn’t go on our skin.

Improve your overall health by choosing high-quality soap and body wash free of these four hormone-disrupting toxic additives. Make the switch and both your skin and your body will be thanking you.

Erin Zaikis is the founder of Sundara, a soap company with a mission to do good. Proceeds from Sundara's organic, sulfate-and-paraben-free soap are used to fund hygiene projects for children in underserved areas of Haiti, India and Ghana.

Kết quả (Việt) 1:

Nhiều người trong số các sản phẩm chúng tôi sử dụng để có được sạch sẽ-xà phòng, chất tẩy rửa mặt và cơ thể rửa — có thể thực sự làm chúng tôi hại nhiều hơn tốt. Một trong những cách chính cơ thể của bạn mua lại chất dinh dưỡng, khác hơn là ăn, là transdermally — qua da. Làn da của bạn là cơ quan lớn nhất của bạn-22 feet vuông trung bình — và 60 phần trăm của các chất mà bạn đặt vào nó cuối cùng được hấp thu vào máu. Màng semipermeable này cho phép chúng tôi để hấp thụ vitamin và khoáng chất, Tuy nhiên, thật không may, nó hấp thụ hóa chất độc hại chúng tôi đặt trên nó, quá. Các hóa chất trong phổ biến xà phòng là không có đùa. Họ có thể phá vỡ chúng tôi kích thích tố, thúc đẩy dị ứng, dẫn đến sinh sản các vấn đề và làm tăng nguy cơ của một số bệnh ung thư. Với tác dụng phụ nghiêm trọng như thế này, chúng tôi cần phải được cụ thể về những gì chúng tôi đặt trên da của chúng tôi.Đây bốn hóa chất tôi xem ra cho khi mua xà phòng (và bạn nên, quá): Hương thơm. Bottom line: nếu các thành phần là mơ hồ, nó có lẽ đang ẩn một cái gì đó. "Mùi thơm" có thể thực sự là một loại cocktail của hóa chất và bạn sẽ không bao giờ biết nó. FDA không yêu cầu các công ty để tiết lộ sự phân hủy của một mùi thơm thành phần cho người tiêu dùng vì các hóa chất sản xuất nước hoa được coi là "bí mật thương mại." Hầu hết thời gian, tổng hợp hóa chất và độc tố gây ra ung thư (như phthalates, được sử dụng để làm cho nước hoa kéo dài) là ẩn dưới một cụm từ lén lút đó. Liên tục tiếp xúc với nước hoa đã được chứng minh để tiêu cực tác động đến hệ thần kinh trung ương và có thể gây ra dị ứng, Chứng Ðau Nửa Ðầu và triệu chứng suyễn. Parabens. These ingredients are estrogen mimickers—meaning that once applied to the skin, they enter the bloodstream, and the body mistakes them for estrogen. When the body thinks there is an abnormally high amount of estrogen present in the bloodstream due to the presence of these hormone disrupters, it reacts in various ways: decreasing muscle mass, increasing fat deposits, causing early onset of puberty and spurring reproductive difficulties in both men and women. Sulfates. These chemicals are used to produce lather and bubbles in soap. Some common sulfates are SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) and SLES (sodium laureth sulfate). Sulfates strip the skin of its natural oils and increase penetration of the skin’s surface. They are also irritants for people with sensitive skin or eczema.Triclosan. This chemical is most often found in antibacterial soap. Recent studies have found that triclosan actually promotes the emergence and growth of bacteria resistant to antibiotic cleansers. It also creates dioxin, a carcinogen that has been found in high levels in human breast milk. Dioxins have disruptive effects on the endocrine system and negatively affect thyroid functions. And here’s a fun fact: dioxin is the primary toxic component of Agent Orange!Think about it. If we are washing our bodies with soap that contains harmful ingredients every single day, this adds up over a lifetime to wreak havoc on our health. With minimal government testing on these chemicals, it becomes up to us, as smart consumers, to make informed decisions as to what does and doesn’t go on our skin.Improve your overall health by choosing high-quality soap and body wash free of these four hormone-disrupting toxic additives. Make the switch and both your skin and your body will be thanking you.Erin Zaikis is the founder of Sundara, a soap company with a mission to do good. Proceeds from Sundara's organic, sulfate-and-paraben-free soap are used to fund hygiene projects for children in underserved areas of Haiti, India and Ghana.