• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Pure and Simple Nourishment
  • About
    • Meet Dr. Erin Carter
    • My Food Philosophy
    • Press and Publications
    • Contact
  • Free Resources
  • Recipes
    • Holidays
      • Fall
      • Thanksgiving
      • Christmas
    • Breakfast
    • Main Course
    • Dessert
    • Sauces and Dips
    • Side Dish
    • Drinks
    • Vegetables
    • Snack
    • Meat and Fish
    • Recipe Wrap-Ups
    • SCD
    • GAPS
    • Whole30
    • AIP
    • Vegan
    • Paleo
    • Dairy-Free
    • Gluten-Free
    • Low FODMAP
    • Refined-Sugar-Free
  • Health
    • Health Information
    • Book Club
  • Nutrition
  • Beauty
    • Beautycounter
    • Skin Care
  • Fitness
    • Fitness Information
    • Weekly Workouts
  • Favorites
    • Books
    • Tools
    • Skincare
  • Work With Me
    • Services
    • Skin Care Quiz
    • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Health Information
  • Meet Dr. Erin Carter
  • Services
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Health Information
    • Meet Dr. Erin Carter
    • Services
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • ×

    Home » Health Information

    15 Scary Skincare Facts

    Published: Dec 12, 2016 · Modified: May 16, 2020 by Erin Carter · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

    43 shares
    • Share
    • Yummly
    • Tweet

    1. The last time a law was passed regulating the personal care industry in the United States was in 1938 (yes that is almost 100 years ago!). 

    2. The laws in the US do not provide the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with the power to ask cosmetic companies for safety data or to issue recalls of cosmetics found to be unsafe. In other words, the FDA really has no power to regulate the skincare industry, which means that you really can’t trust “FDA approved” products.

    3. Only 10% of the ingredients used in skincare and beauty products have ever been tested for safety in humans. 

    4. The EU has banned 1400 ingredients from their personal care industry, but in comparison, the US has banned only 30, and Canada has only banned 600. 

    5. Dangerous contaminants often end up in beauty and skincare products (contaminants like heavy metals, hormone disruptors and carcinogens) and right now there are no requirements for brands to test for these contaminants. 

    6. Asbestos has been found to contaminate many makeup products on the market. 

    7. Fragrances are considered to be trade secrets, meaning that companies don't have to disclose the ingredients that make up a fragrance. Hundreds of harmful ingredients could be hiding under the term "fragrance" or "parfume" so be careful to look for these terms on ingredient labels. Phthalates and parabens (which are known hormone disruptors) are often hidden in fragrances, so even if a product claims to be "paraben free" or "phthalate free" if you see the term "fragrance" in the ingredient list, those chemicals can still be hidden in the product. 

    8. There are no regulations for using the terms “natural,” “organic,” or “botanical” on product labels.

    9. Many chemicals used in the skincare industry can cause hormone imbalances, and these ingredients are often not listed on labels. Phthalates and parabens are some of the most common hormone disrupting ingredients, and they are also linked to cancers as well as birth defects and infertility. 

    10. Ingredients that are known to cause cancer, neurological problems, behavioral problems, allergies, and infertility are all allowed in products marketed to children and babies. 

    11. The rates of cancer continue to rise, and it’s known that 1 in 5 skincare and beauty products on the market contain ingredients that are known to cause or linked to cancer.

    12. Our newborns are already being contaminated with toxic chemicals before they are even born. It has been shown that the umbilical cord blood of new born babies contains over 200 industrial chemicals at the time of birth. 

    13. Women use an average of 12 personal care products containing 168 ingredients daily; men use an average of 6 personal care products containing 85 unique ingredients daily, and teenage girls use an average of 17 personal care products daily. 

    14. In Canada, if a company wants to introduce a new skincare or beauty product, it doesn’t need to inform Health Canada until 10 days AFTER that product has been on the market.

    15. 95% of lipsticks on the market are contaminated with lead, and companies are not required to test for this contaminant, or to disclose it on the label. Lead is a known neurotoxin and has been banned from almost every other industry because it is so dangerous to human health. 

    Aren't those facts horrifying? When I first learned about those statistics I wanted to be sick. We are basically being used as one giant science experiment. It's no wonder we are becoming sicker and sicker as a society. The rates of obesity, diabetes, asthma, allergies, cancers, skin conditions, autoimmune diseases etc. continue to rise each day. And our genetics cannot explain it. This increased prevalence of disease is all due to environmental exposures, with our skincare and beauty products being just one piece of that puzzle. And while we can't control many of the things we are exposed to on a daily basis, you can control what you are putting on your body. So why not choose brands that only use ingredients that are known to be safe? I personally have switched all of my skincare and beauty products to safer brands. It took some time, but over the past year I have rid my bathroom of all my old toxin containing products. So far, the best brands that I have discovered, and that I personally use include Beautycounter, Om Organics, Primally Pure and Neal's Yard Remedies.

    How To Heal Keratosis Pilaris (KP) Naturally

    Pin This Post For Later:

    More Health Information

    • A collage of vitamin C serums with the title The Best Non-Toxic Vitamin C Serums above it.
      The 20 Best Non-Toxic Vitamin C Serums
    • A glass bowl with baking powder and a teaspoon in it with the title Is Baking Powder Gluten Free over it.
      Is Baking Powder Gluten Free?
    • A piece of cut steak on a ceramic slab with the title Carnivore Diet Meal Plan over it.
      Carnivore Diet Meal Plan
    • A collage of face masks with the title The Best Non-Toxic Face Masks on it.
      The Best Non-Toxic Face Masks for All Skin Types

    DISCLAIMERS: The statements made on this website have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration or Health Canada. The information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. You assume full responsibility for how you use this information. Always consult with your physician or other health professionals before making any diet or lifestyle changes. This post may contain affiliate links whereby if you purchase these products I receive a small percentage of the sale price. This allows me to keep the blog running and I thank you for allowing me to do that!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. BESSIE WALSH

      December 15, 2016 at 6:26 am

      This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Reply
    2. Anonymous

      December 24, 2016 at 6:20 am

      Nice fear mongering.

      Reply
    3. Erin Carter

      December 24, 2016 at 6:45 pm

      If only the truth wasn't so awful.

      Reply
    4. Renee @Raising Generation Nourished

      February 14, 2017 at 12:14 am

      100 years?! Holy smokes! I have noticed a remarkable improvement in my health by switching to non toxic personal care - I would love to try out Beauty Counter - it looks amazing!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    A photo of Dr. Erin Carter wearing a floral dress in her kitchen.

    Hi everyone! My name is Dr. Erin Carter and I am so thrilled you are here. I am a physician with specialities in both internal medicine and rheumatology, and I believe that food and healthy living are forms of medicine. In my spare time I share health information and delicious, healthy recipes here on Pure and Simple Nourishment.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Air Fryer Hash Browns
    • A bowl of protein baked oats topped with melted chocolate with a spoon in it.
      The Best Protein Baked Oats
    • An omelette with chicken, spinach, tomato and cheese in it on a plate.
      Chicken Omelette
    • Two soft boiled eggs in the shell that have been cut in half.
      Soft Boiled Eggs in Microwave

    Healthy Main Dishes

    • A piece of Mahi Mahi cooked in an air fryer on a plate.
      Air Fryer Mahi Mahi
    • A bowl of mango chicken curry topped with white rice and garnished with cilantro.
      Mango Chicken Curry
    • A bowl of paleo curried butternut squash soup garnished with flowers and fresh parsley.
      Paleo Curried Butternut Squash Soup
    • A plate with a cut up steak on it covered in chimichurri sauce.
      The Best Denver Steak
    • Blackened Mahi Mahi
    • A pan filled with tuna fried rice with chop sticks on top.
      Tuna Fried Rice

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Services

    Some of the links on this website are affiliate links whereby we make a small percentage if you purchase the product through that link. It does not cost you anything extra and helps us keep this website running. As an Amazon associate we earn a small percentage from qualifying Amazon purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Pure & Simple Nourishment

    43 shares
    43 shares