I’m almost embarrassed to admit it, but one of the first motivators that got my attention in regards to caring about the safety of my personal care products was motivated by vanity, but it’s true. It took me by surprise that learn that the products I put on my face and on my body might contribute to how I look physically and to my weight. The knowledge that since the personal care industry is highly unregulated (there hasn’t been a major law passed in the United States regulating ingredients and safety since 1938, and since 1938 over 80,000 chemicals have been introduced into commerce, only 10% of them having ever been tested for safety, yeah, I know, yikes!) made alarm bells go off in the personal trainer part of me. I mean, my gosh, I have spent a decade helping me and women lose weight and keep it off … working intricately with their food selection, their workouts, their lifestyles, their stress and their sleep, all in an effort to naturally balance their hormone and metabolic system, which all work together to keep weight off, and here I was not realizing that there was a whole category of contributors to weight gain and metabolic disruption I had never even considered: endocrine disruption from ingredients in personal care products and cosmetics.
Not only that, but as an aging woman, (we’re all aging, I’m not down on aging, I love it actually, but I’m aware of the changes and challenges it can pose to the metabolic system), I care deeply about reducing my levels of endocrine disruption (read: metabolism disruption), because, when the hormones and metabolism are thrown off, you know what gets thrown off too? Weight. Yep, and it’s in the gaining category that it favors. So, in an effort to be as healthy and happy as I live and age, it’s in my best interest not only to exercise and eat well, but to focus equally on toxins in my environment that I can control, meaning that I need to pay equal attention to my personal care products and cosmetics as I do my food and workouts.
Don’t negate the hard work you put into your health – the effort you make in your workouts and in your nutrition – pay attention to the ingredients that are in your products, particularly your personal care and cosmetic products. Endocrine disruptors are rampant in products and are often disguised under a lot of names. Once you learn the names, you’ll be as shocked as I was to see just how frequently they are used in products and, hopefully, like me, will be 100% ready to switch to safer, non-endocrine disrupting options.
The top offenders in the endocrine disruption category that I avoid passionately are:
Phalates, which on the label often read as vinyl, PVC, phthalates, DEHP, DBP, fragrance or perfume. Phalates are all hormone-disrupting chemicals and are not regulated by the U.S. federal government, even though they have linked to female and male infertility and an increase in estrogen production (read: hormone and metabolic disruption…potential weight gain!).
Bisphenol-A (BPA), which is sometimes labeled as #7 polycarbonate plastics. BPA is a synthetic estrogen linked to accelerated puberty (this is definitely wrecking havoc on the hormones), growth in human breast cancer cells and changes in ones nature fertility.
Perflurfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), often labeled as PFOA, PFOS, Teflon, Gore-Tex, stain-resistant, -fluoro, or -perfluoror stay in the bloodstream and liver for up to four years. PFCs are proven to degenerate a woman’s fertility, complicates the effectiveness of the endocrine system and has been linked to being a human carcinogen.
Tricolsan, labeled sometimes as “antibacterial” is an endocrine disruption that affects the thyroid hormones. As the thyroid is the holding house for the human metabolic system, any disruption or altercation to it poses a very serious threat to the metabolism’s natural balance and state.
Parabens, labeled as methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparapen, or ethylparaben act like estrogen in your body and disrupt the natural state of your hormone system. Additionally parabens have been linked closely with breast cancer and cancerous tumors.
I don’t stress anymore about choosing my personal care and cosmetic products because I am in safe hands with anything I use from Beautycounter. Beautycounter is a B-Corp company committed to having the highest standards of safety and regulation in the industry. Beautycounter selects ingredients by committing to Never List comprised of over 1500 ingredients considered harmful or inflammatory for human health, included on this Never List are all of the dangerous endocrine disruptors mentioned above.
The bottom line? Do you really want to risk potential weight wain from using products with endocrine disruptors and potentially negate all of the hard work and discipline you put into your health in other areas? Not me. It’s simply not worth the risk. Our endocrine and metabolic system is precious and sensitive and it is worth doing everything we can to protect it so that it can operate in its highest state of function and effectiveness.
I challenge you to read the labels on all of your products and do a major spring cleaning – every day you expose yourself to these trace chemicals is another day of the chemicals having the opportunity to build up and strengthen within your body, wrecking havoc on your hormonal and metabolic system. Throw out your endocrine products and replace them with safer options, free from endocrine disruptors, from Beautycounter.
Weight gain is not worth it!
Confidently yours,
Trish
PS > If learning this opens your eyes and angers you as much as it did me, then we need you to join us in the education on toxic ingredients in products and on how to choose safer options. Join the movement of Beautycounter and allow me to mentor you to turn your passion for health, advocacy and safety into profit as you build a Beautycounter business of your own. Empowering others to make safer and healthier choices is a ridiculously empowering movement to be involved with – not to mention, it can be life changing financially for you as well. Let’s chat and see if the Beautycounter business is right for you and come #takethejob with me … email me directly at trish@trishblackwell.com
