More Harm than Care ?

September 16, 2018

More Harm than Care ?

Hello my dear readers. I hope y'all have been doing good throughout last week. Today's post is an interesting & intriguing one. Read on for some thoughtful exploration.....

Do you use any Personal Care or Home Improvement products ? Any face wash, cream, shampoo, body lotion, deodorant or even a lip balm ? Maybe detergent, soaps, floor cleaner perhaps ? Then you might be somewhat surprised to hear that more & more studies show, these are doing more harm in the long run than good for us, as we presume. And also damaging the environment as well !! Shocked much ??

Research, clinical trials & published studies have shown that chemicals such as Parabens,Phthalates, Propylene Glycol, SLS, DEA & PABA, Silicones, Aluminium, Alcohol, Dyes etc. (phew !!) have been linked with skin irritation, reproductive toxicity, endocrine disruption, birth defects, toxicity to mucosal tissues, dermatitis and even CANCER !! Jeeeeez !! So then, why are we using these things in the first place ? It so happens, that these chemicals are added to the sold products as pH adjuster, fragrance, sunscreen, preservatives etc. Even detergents cause skin irritation, rashes, allergies, etc. The problem here is, it might be safe for a single use, maybe. But we all use these products repeatedly, everyday, for almost all our lives. And not to forget, the Skin is the largest organ in the Human Body. It absorbs it ALL !! YIKES !! (Don't even get me started on home, floor & bathroom cleaners😒)

Well, unless you have been living under a rock (is that even possible ?), then you've probably seen/felt a huge shift in the market in recent times towards more organic, natural & eco-friendly products. From skincare to cosmetics, hair care to personal hygiene, supplements to household products, everything is moving towards more natural & chemical-free formulas.The Food Industry & it's consumers want clean & unprocessed food as well. Even Johnson's Baby products are now Parabens & SLS, Dyes & Alcohol-free 😁😤

This gradual change is not just for anything. Natural products don't mess with our bodies and its balance. Chemical-laden products, for example, shampoos & soaps, dry out our hair & skin. This counter-effectively causes our bodies to produce more oil/sebum to combat excessive dryness. As a result, you end up with limp hair and oily skin. Additionally, the chemicals leech into the Earth's surface, into the soil & water table, polluting them as well. And the plastic bottles they come in go mostly into landfill. Who would've thought, one shampoo causing so much damage !! Not so innocent, is it ?

Thankfully, there are new online shopping sites offering chemical & preservative-free, natural products for personal care and household use, and are environment friendly as well as sustainable too (I'm adding a few links below). You may even find a few at your nearby store, who knows. One particular natural ingredient of interest, that is gaining awareness worldwide, is Soap-nuts. Have you heard of them, or maybe used them ? If you're living in India, like me, chances are you already have. Soap-nuts (or Soap-berries) are also known as REETHA in our country("YES !! I've used them" I can hear you say). According to Wikipedia, the generic name for Soap-nuts is derived from the Latin words sapo, meaning "soap", and indicus, meaning "of India". Used as natural shampoos, soaps, detergent and in hair packs as well, reetha has an ancient history of usage in our Country. I have been using a DIY shampoo myself for about a month with reetha, amla & shikakai powder (just 3 ingredients, that's it !!) mixed with water, and I was quite surprised with the results. There's no damage, no waste & no chemicals. My "supposed" dull, limp hair sprung back to life in one wash😄😄😄😄 There are many sites offering DIY tutorials for natural shampoos & soaps & everything else online. Alternatively, you can choose to buy them online shops as well.

With so many options available to us in terms of cosmetics, skin care, hair care, home, laundry, food and garden care, we all must make a choice to do whats good for not only us,but also the Environment. Its our prerogative. We only have one Earth to live <3 Try to do some googling (is that a word?) & research these chemicals, learn more about how they harm you & whether they're worth the money you spend on them. Make sure to comment below what you guys think about this topic & any natural products you might be trying/using as well.
At last, I'm gonna leave you with something to ponder upon, a transcript of the dialogue between Agent Smith & Morpheus from the first Matrix movie, as well as some helpful links about toxic chemicals, DIY tutorials & online natural shopping sites. Have a joyful & positive week everyone !!

P.S.- I do not hold any published work to prove anything in this post. The above mentioned is what I've learnt on the internet via website articles. I have not covered a whole lot of products & topics in this post too. This is just a general reference towards the widespread usage of chemicals in the market. And its just the tip of the Iceberg. The links provided below are for your benefit & the products you buy/use are at your own risk. I am not affiliated to or responsible for them in any way.
*
*
*
*
*
*
The Matrix (dialogue)

Agent Smith to Morpheus: "I'd like to share a revelation during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species. I realized that you're not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment, but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed. The only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You are a plague. "