Ok, you're in the market for a new eyeliner (or other beauty product for dancing) so you go to Sephora, browse around the shop, think to yourself, "Now what did that fellow Bhuzzer recommend?", pick something with a shiny package and a smiling model, then go home any pray like hell that it will work and not cause any heinous outbreaks or rashes. You may have looked at the package and wondered, "How do I know if this stuff is any good for me?" and then been reassured by the calming green and cream colors on the label and the words "all natural".
Ladies, there is a better way.
My recent trials finishing up school to become a Naturopathic Doctor have opened my eyes to the very real problem that what we put on our skin dictates a large part of our overall toxic burden, and that your overall toxic burden is a central factor in determining your overall health. Gone are the days when women would buy any snake-oil from a traveling salesperson with promises of beauty. In today's world of toxic accumulations and overloads (can anyone say PCBs, BHT, and DDT?) we have to be more careful, as if our lives depend on it. They really do.
Trouble is, there are so many things out there that we don't know what's good for us, and what's downright nasty. Most of the really scary toxins (like the carcinogens, neurotoxins, and endocrine disruptors) are fat-soluble, which means they get absorbed easily through the skin and stored in your fat deposits around the body, many of which are right below your skin layer. Since most of us maintain a fairly constant amount of fat in our bodies, these chemicals can be stored for decades and even passed mother-to-child through placenta and breast milk! This means that the cells of your body are exposed to and damaged by them for a long time. They can cause premature aging, increased risk of cancers (like skin, breast and ovarian), and increased risk of hormone problems, none of which are helpful for us bellydancers! And few of these toxic substances are regulated in cosmetics in the USA.
Thankfully, many women these days are demanding "natural" products with ingredients like essential oils, non-heavy-metal minerals, and oils from fruits (like coconut, avocado, etc) as the mainstays of their beauty products, but there are still some nasty ingredients floating around that seem to escape the general public awareness. Even if that Revlon product says "all-natural", there are really no government restrictions that define what "all-natural" means!
Your best bet: look it up. The non-profit organization Environmental Working Group has established a website called "Skin Deep" that is an extensive database of beauty products and cosmetics, and it's searchable by name or by ingredient. It analyzes research on toxicities, cancer risk, neurotoxin risk, allergy risk, endocrine risk, and many other categories, and also has information on whether the substance has been banned anywhere in the world.
http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/
Another tip: check for the "certified organic" icon on the packaging. If it's got this, it means that 70% of the ingredients have to be grown and processed free of toxins, pesticides, and herbicides. Even better if it says "100% organic", because then 100% of the ingredients have to be handled this way!!
So next time you need a new foundation, do a little research first. Or if you find a product you like, just give it a check to see if it's healthy for you. Believe me, your skin and your whole body will thank you in the long run! Can you say, "I'm gonna be a sexy mama until I'm 100?"
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