What are you really putting onto your body?

Have you ever stopped and wondered where those ingredients go once you have applied it to your skin, hair, nails, and face? As a Naturopath specialising in women’s health I find this such an interesting topic. The research in this area is growing daily and we need to start by thinking about what we are applying to our bodies.

We know your hormones are very sensitive to just about anything that is abnormal. For example, stress, alcohol, inflammatory foods as well as chemicals found in your environment. Your bathroom can be one of the most toxic places in your household, with the array of chemicals that can be found in your skin and beauty products. These chemicals, often called Endocrine Disruptors can mimic your own hormones and turn on and off actions in the cells of your body. These endocrine disruptors might be influencing your thyroid, oestrogens and even your ovaries ability to ovulate.

You see, in the body, the cell has what we call a lock and key mechanism. If there is a chemical that almost resembles a hormone, for example oestrogen, it will bind to that lock and cause more oestrogen receptors to be switched on. These types of chemicals are called Xenoestrogens. Meaning you might even experience heavier periods, trouble with weight gain, bloating or increased chance of growths such as cysts or fibroids due to the body thinking it has more oestrogen than it really does. And what is scary is these do not show up on your standard blood hormone test!

So just by applying that deodorant, (oh and do not get me started with the spray on ones), day in day out you are subjecting your body to an onslaught of chemicals. These chemicals may or may not be able to be detoxified by the body, meaning they re-circulate. Often if they cannot be detoxed out the liver the body will create a fat cell and store it safely there, so it does not impact the brain or
other organs.

So, one thing I talk to clients about is what personal care they are using, and do they know what all the ingredients are? Maybe next time you go to purchase a personal care product it might be worth thinking if it is time to switch to a natural alternative for the sake of your hormones. Trust me your body will thank you.