Is your soap or shampoo safe?

Good Thursday Morning! Dan Wells writing, I hope this blog finds you well.

Quick question…when you wash your hair, body and hands, you do so with the intent of killing germs, removing dirt and leaving yourself feeling clean…right?

Ironically, some of the very soaps and shampoos that we use to keep ourselves free of bacteria, dirt and other undesirables can be toxic to our health according to one website my wife found.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently conducted a six-month investigation into more than 10,000 personal care product ingredients and found, we as consumers assume our personal care products are safe, but those assumptions aren’t always right.

The vast majority--some 89 percent--of the 10,500 ingredients used in personal care products (products that you rub into your scalp and skin, spread onto your face and trust on your body) have never been evaluated for safety by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) panel, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or any other institution according to the study.

If that doesn't make you uneasy, consider these other findings uncovered by EWG's safety investigation into 7,500 personal care products (based on the product labels):

· One of every 120 products contains ingredients classified as known or probable human carcinogens by the government.
· One-third of all products contain one or more ingredients classified as possible human carcinogens.
· 55 percent of all products contain "penetration enhancers," (including some that contain known or probable human carcinogens) which increase the product's ability to penetrate the skin and get into the bloodstream.
· The FDA has banned or restricted only nine personal care product ingredients. For comparison, the European Union has banned 450.

Just for a quick example of what you can find in this study….check out the five most toxic bar soaps, according to EWG (scores are based from 0-10, with 10 being the worst):

Five Most Toxic Bar Soaps

1. Neutrogena Transparent Facial Bar, Oily Skin, Dry Skin and Original Formulas Score: 8.1

Potential problems: One ingredient, triethanolamine, is a possible human carcinogen, and three other ingredients contain harmful additives linked to cancer or other health problems: sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, TEA-stearate and tocopherol. Further, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate is a penetration enhancer that could increase your exposure to the harmful ingredients. The soap also contains six ingredients that have not been assessed for safety by the CIR and one ingredient (fragrance) that could be an allergen.

Note: Each formula contains slightly different ingredients. Those listed are for the Oily Skin formula. For specifics on the other formulas, please visit the EWG's Skin Deep Report.

What's lurking in the soap YOU use? Visit EWG's Skin Deep Report to find out.

2. Oilatum Cleansing Bar, Unscented Score: 7.9

Potential problems: One ingredient, lecithin, may contain harmful impurities linked to cancer or other health problems, while four ingredients, lecithin, propylene glycol, tetrasodium EDTA and trisodium HEDTA are penetration enhancers. Propylene glycol poses risks of other health concerns, and 14 ingredients haven't been assessed for safety.

3. Got2B Spa Body, Full of Soap Soy & Oatmeal Loofah Cleansing Bar Score: 7.5

Potential problems: One ingredient, triethanolamine, is a possible human carcinogen and may be linked to other health problems as well. Two ingredients, propylene glycol and sodium laureth sulfate, are penetration enhancers, 13 ingredients have not been assessed for safety, one ingredient (fragrance) could be an allergen, and two ingredients, propylene glycol and sodium stearate, may pose other health concerns.

4. Neova Cleansing Bar Score: 7.3

Potential problems: Two ingredients, PEG-6 and sodium PCA, may contain harmful impurities linked to cancer or other health problems. PEG-6, specifically, may be linked to breast cancer. One ingredient, tetrasodium EDTA, is a penetration enhancer and 15 ingredients have not been safety tested.

5. Lever Deodorant Soap, Pure Rain Moisture ResponseScore: 7.2

Potential problems: One ingredient, butylated hydroxytoluene, is a possible human carcinogen, and another ingredient, tocopheryl acetate, may be linked to cancer or other health problems. Two ingredients, propylene glycol and tetrasodium EDTA, are penetration enhancers, 13 ingredients have not been safety tested, fragrance may be an allergen and propylene glycol may also present other health concerns.

If you want to check out the website I have link here. http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/site/about.php

Have a great day!
Dan