Personal Care Products

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Nivea Essentially Enriched Body Lotion 

This was the first product I looked up and it received a score of 3 on the EWG's skin deep website. Here is how the product scored:


Overall, as you can see, the risk is not too high and I was relieved to find that it posed no cancer or developmental and reproductive toxicity risks. This definitely brought me a little bit of relief because I use lotion every single day (I have very dry skin) and I'm in the habit of putting on lotion after every shower. 

I actually stopped using lotion for about a year and just used almond oil or jojoba oil on my skin because I was worried about the amount of chemicals I was putting on my body, especially because I was using lotion and it soaks into your skin rather than washing off. Even though this product received a 3, it worries me and now I am debating about switching back to all natural oils and calling it quits with the lotion. The only reason I started using lotion again is because it costs less and last longer but you can't put a price on health! 



Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Facial Cleanser 

This product also received a score of 3 on the EWG's skin deep website. Here is how the product socred: 


As you can see this product scored almost the exactly same as the Nivea body lotion. There are no cancer and developmental & reproductive toxicity concerns. What both these products had in common were the allergies & immunotoxicity concerns. 

Also this product had a very high rating on 8 for the fragrance. 


This concerns me because the company doesn't need to risk your health just for the sake of smelling a certain way. This also leads me to believe that this product is not as "natural" as it claims. 


Overall, this assignment has definitely made me question my personal care products. Even though I only reported on two products, I looked up all my personal care products and my partners! I would definitely discontinue using any product that posed a moderate or high risk to my health. Also, everyone should know about these risks! I think it should be mandated that all products but health rating directly on their packaging so consumers know exactly how dangerous a product is. 
Ken Cook Presentation: 

 In the YouTube video "10 Americans" by Environmental Working Group, Ken Cook discusses how babies born today have more developmental, cancer and reproductive health problems than ever before. This is largely due to the fact humans are exposed to so many chemicals and babies in utero do not have the defenses to protect themselves from these chemicals. Also, in the United States 80% of all chemicals are approved in less than 3 weeks and there are only 5 chemicals outlawed in the U.S. Instead, we should take a different approach and not allow and chemicals to be approved until they are proven safe instead of approving chemicals until they are shown to be unsafe. 
I completely agree Ken Cook and I find it astonishing that more chemicals have not be outlawed in the United States. Many developed nations around the world have outlawed chemicals that are proven carcinogens but they are still legal in the US. We need to stop protecting corporates and start protecting our people. 

Comments

  1. UnknownSeptember 8, 2018 at 5:51 PM

    Hi Caitlin,

    That is relieving that your products were not too hazardous but I share your concern that even some chemicals are in things we put on ourselves daily. I also stopped using lotion for my face, mainly because it made it worse. Now, I understand that it was probably due to the chemicals. I have been using coconut oil for both my face and lips, and has been the best thing for my skin. The Ken Cook presentation did reveal some shocking statistics. It almost makes me wonder what other things are not being monitored in the US. It seems our government is so behind compared to others!

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  2. Jordan DemosSeptember 9, 2018 at 10:45 AM

    Hello Caitlin,

    This course has just continued and continued to make me question everyday decisions. As for personal care, I think you have made the right decision changing products even though yours didn't score particularly poorly. The though of covering your body with these chemicals makes one really think about if damage has already been done. As for the video with Ken Cook, just like you, I was astonished to see how many chemicals are being allowed to be introduced into products. It is infuriating to see these companies claiming to be clean when they are not. It should not be allowed.

    ReplyDelete

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