South African distributor of Uber Natural Beauty, Karmen Fieldgate, offers these tips for consumers to look out for.

It is known that the skin is the body’s largest organ, and that it acts as a sponge, meaning that approximately 60% of what is put on is absorbed, affecting the health and wellbeing of the body.

Through the application of products, we expose our skin, and body, to a large number of ingredients – many of which have not been tested for their long-term effects. Many of the products that we apply consist of ingredients that are toxic, without us even knowing.

Here is a list of ingredients to look out for:

Alcohol

Alcohol dehydrates the skin and strips the skin of its protective barrier. It causes irritation, dryness and free-radical damage, but most importantly, it destroys the very substances that keep the skin healthy. Ultimately, through regular use of products with an alcohol base, the skin is continuously in a state of stress.

Parabens

Parabens are used as a preservative and can be found in products used for external - such as body products - as well as internal use, such as pharmaceuticals. Parabens imitate estrogen and are suspected of being endocrine disruptors and potentially cause reproductive disorders. It is further suspected parabens cause lower sperm count in men and parabens have been present in over 90% of human breast cancer tumors in a study conveyed in 2004.

Synthetic Fragrances

Synthetic fragrances are found in most fragranced products, such as perfume, aftershave, shower gel and scented body lotions. These fragrances are made up of large numbers of chemicals and potentially harmful ingredients and cause irritation and in some cases eczema, asthma, allergic rashes and headaches.

Best alternatives to synthetic oils are essential oils, which are extracted plant oils – these give herbs and flowers their fragrance.

Mineral Oil

The three main sources of mineral oils are crude rock oil, which is drilled from the ground, fish discards such as the guts and rancid plant oil. Not exactly what you wish to put on your skin.

Mineral oil sits on the skin and forms a layer that causes blocked pores, which leads to blackheads, spots and acne due to the fact that the skin can’t breathe through the layer. It further interrupts the skin’s ability to eliminate the necessary toxins through the skin, as it is blocked.

Mineral oils are found in lipsticks, baby oils and face and body lotions.

Sodium Lauryl and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS)

These are toxic, artificial foaming ingredients which are found in products such as shampoo, toothpaste, bubble bath, washing powder, soaps etc. They cause skin irritations, are toxic to internal organs and can cause reproductive problems.

A big concern is that the human body isn’t designed to get rid of these toxins once absorbed. For this reason it remains in the tissues for a long time.

Triclosan

Triclosan is a synthetic anti- bacterial ingredient and has a chemical structure similar to Agent Orange, which was used in the Vietnam War and is still having side-effects today. It is a hormone disrupter, which poses long-term chronic health risks interfering with the performance of hormones. When stored in body fat, the toxic levels accumulate and affect the liver, kidneys and lungs. In some cases, it can cause paralysis, brain hemorrhages and heart problems.

The usage of Triclosan in popular products such as toothpaste and household products may have massive negative implications in the future.

If these toxic ingredients are having a negative impact on the body, one wonders if enough research has been done on the damages to the soil, water, flora and fauna?

Find out more about Uber Natural Beauty - the all-natural range of skin, hair and body products, free from gluten, parabens, sodium lauryl / laureth sulphate and synthetically produced preservatives on www.uberbeautysa.co.za