Spilling The Green Tea

With the drier air and colder temps, your skin may start to feel itchy, dry and flaky. From your hands to your torso to your toes, you can see that your skin is not well moisturized. Residing in heated homes and shopping in stores that have their heat on full blast can really dry out your skin.

Dr. Derrick Phillips, a London-based Dermatologist, said, “Use of central heating over the winter months reduces indoor humidity by drying out the air as the temperature rises. This has a drying effect on the skin as it encourages loss moisture from the surface, leading to irritation and flare-ups of conditions like eczema, where the skin barrier is impaired.”

Another culprit to dry, itchy skin is taking hot showers. Of course, they feel great to have when it’s cold outside, but the hot water actually damages keratin cells that reside on the outer layer of your skin.

So what do most people do when they have dry skin? They usually slather on some body lotion or oil to help moisturize the skin and buy the extra, extra moisturizing body wash or soaps. But do you really know what is in your moisturizing products?

The body lotion industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. According to the Business Research Company: “The global lotions (including sunscreens) market size will grow from $43.67 billion in 2022 to $50.18 billion in 2023 at a growth rate of 14.9%.

That is a lot of $$$!

That is a lot of people using lotions!

However, I caution you and encourage to read the ingredients of your lotion or sunscreen. As with most anything we consume in today’s world, most brands of lotions use toxic and/or cancer-causing chemicals as ingredients.

Here are ingredients used in a lot of body products you need to avoid:

Parabens: used to prevent bacteria and fungus from producing in the lotion; however, they have been known to cause hormone disruption and breast cancer. Parabens can be listed as: butylparaben, isobutylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben, or ethylparaben.

Phenoxyethanol: usually used as a substitute for parabens, (phenoxyethanol is used in “paraben free” products so still be careful) it can still cause skin irritation, trigger eczema and aggravate skin allergies.

Methylisothiazolinone 7: used as a preservative, it is a skin irritant and can actually cause allergic reactions

Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA): used as a preservative and stabilizer, BHA has been linked to endocrine issues and cancer. WHO (World Health Organization) considers it a potential carcinogen as studies performed on rats indicated an increased risk of stomach cancer, kidney issues, and having a negative impact on the reproductive system.

Artificial Fragrances: instead of using essential oils that are safe and just as effective, companies will manufacture their own fragrances. The FDA has no regulation when it comes to artificial fragrances even though fragrances have been found to irritate the skin, cause endocrine issues, respiratory distress, and have a negative impact on our reproductive systems. According to International Fragrance Association, there are more than 3,600 chemicals used under the umbrella of “fragrance”.

Phthalates: used to achieve the “creaminess” of lotions and also used in plastics, lipsticks and foods. They have been linked to skin irritation, type II diabetes, reproductive issues, insulin resistance, obesity, asthma and allergies.

Retinyl Palmitate: a form of Vitamin A that is used in a lot of anti-aging products. The National Toxicology performed a test on mice and found that when Retinyl Palmitate was exposed to sunlight, rapid tumor development resulted. Too much Vitamin A can also have a negative impact on our bodies by causing hair loss, brittle nails, bone loss and liver damage.

Triethanolamine: a highly alkaline substance, it is used to balance the pH levels in lotions. According to Dermatology Review, it can further irritate the skin and respiratory system and is toxic to the immune system.

DMDM Hydantoin: a formaldehyde- releaser, it is used as a preservative in skin products; however, the US National Toxicology Program said this is a human carcinogen.

Mineral Oil: used for its moisturizing properties, mineral oil is safe in its original form but if it’s not properly purified, it can cause carcinogens.

Sulfates: used to give a “lather” they can irritate both your eyes and skin and cause respiratory issues. They can strip your hair and skin of its natural oils and lead to dry skin and itchiness.

Does it make sense to use these products to “cure” dry skin and yet take a chance on these products also giving you health issues?

I decided to write this post based on my own personal experience. I have dealt with dry skin most of my life and have always used body lotions and butter to hydrate my skin. I had no reason to question the ingredients of these lotions as they all seemed to work pretty well.

It wasn’t until I started using Bath and Body Works lotions that I questioned ingredients used in lotion products. I would always buy Bath and Body Works lotions for myself and as gifts for my friends. They had such a wide variety of great scents and when the store would hold their clearance events, I would stock up like a squirrel gathering nuts!

I bought one lotion from them that was supposedly extra thick and creamy and moisturizing. I thought it would be a life saver for my dry skin. I used it and noticed my skin was still dry. I put on more thinking I hadn’t used enough and still no difference. In fact, my skin started to itch. I put even more of that lotion on and still it didn’t help my now dry AND itchy skin.

It was then I decided to do some research online and that was when I learned about the ingredients used in lotions and how Bath and Body Works were guilty of using those above-mentioned ingredients. I stumbled upon a blog called The Runner’s Plate and Michelle talked about how she kept using BBW’s products but her skin got worse. After being a BBW customer for 15 years she now will never go back to using their products. I encourage you to read her story.

I don’t want to call out Bath and Body Works as the only culprit but there are many skin care companies out there that use the same toxic, cancer-causing ingredients. It is sad and infuriating that this branch of products is not scrutinized and better restricted, but thank you to all people who bring these types of revelations to light so that people can be better educated and make better choices for their health.

So what can you use to moisturize skin and not put yourself at risk? Here are some options of brands you can use:

• Attitude Natural Body Lotion
• Osea Body Balm
• MindBodyGreen Postbiotic Lotion
• Osea Undaria Algae Body Butter
• Acure Brightening Glow Lotion
• Alaffia Body Lotion
• EO Body Lotion
• Weleda Body Lotion

You may also use pure coconut oil to hydrate your skin. Even pure olive oil is another option.

The best way to hydrate your skin though is from the inside out and that is drinking plenty of water. The average adult should drink from 6-8 glasses of water each day. Be sure you are drinking enough water!

In closing, my hope for you is to read before you buy. Avoid buying anything containing these chemicals. Remember, what we put ON our bodies still enters our bloodstreams via our pores and can directly impact our vital organs and bodily functions.

Using these processed skin care products may help your skin look hydrated and pretty temporarily, but won’t make your skin look pretty against the lining of a coffin. Take care of yourself!