Warning. That Shampoo Could Make You Sick

Heads up, gentlemen, this concerns you as well as the ladies.

I was attending a lunchtime wedding here in Mombasa. The bride is a friend and the niece of a friend. As I went up to the stage to congratulate her I saw she had tears in her eyes. She was also sniffling as if she had a cold.

“Oh poor thing,” I thought. ” She is overcome with emotion.” I hugged her and wished her well. ” Tears of joy, is it? “

“No. Tears of allergy. I don’t know what is in these things!” pointing to her beautifully made up face.

I could empathise with her because I have the same reaction to conventional makeup and personal care products as she does. There are some nasty chemicals in there!

You see, our skin is our body’s largest organ. It helps regulate the body’s temperature, prevents the loss of essential body fluids and is a sensory organ for touch plus other functions that it performs for the human body. Because it is porous it is able to absorb whatever we put on it. So it’s very important  that what we apply as part of our beauty and hygiene routine be organic, natural and good for it.

Now after that lesson in Biology 101, the question to ask is: Do we know- exactly- what is in the products on our dressing tables and bathroom shelves?

As women, we love to take care of ourselves and maintain a youthful radiant look. We want thick healthy hair, glowing skin, strong nails and teeth. Of course, I know brothers out there want the same for themselves.

Unfortunately, the products we use to achieve this defeats the whole purpose and results, ultimately, in damaged hair and skin and worse, disease of the most horrible kind. 

There are many harmful disease causing ingredients in that bright red lipstick of yours, in that ‘herbal’ shampoo your friend gifted you and in that cologne you have been meaning to buy online that all the guys at work are revving about.

Here are some of the nasty things you can find in your make-up and personal care products:

1. Synthetic or artificial colours: derived from petroleum or coal tar sources. These colours are banned in Europe since they are suspected to be carcinogenic.

      2. Fragrance: Found in many beauty and personal products such as for hair care and perfumes.

     3. Phlathalates: found in deodorants, nail polish, hairsprays and moisturizers.

    4. Triclosan- a known endocrine disruptor which wreaks havoc on the thyroid and reproductive hormones. Triclosan can be found in toothpastes, antibacterial soaps and deodorant.

    5. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)

    6. Parabens : these are preservatives found in cosmetic products and as well in the food industry.

If this list leaves you scared it should. There are many more nasty chemicals that we regularly use without knowing the damage they are causing to our health. 

A quick search on the internet will reveal that that brightening cream you are using for your face (mkorogo, anyone?) contains hydroquinone which is banned in many countries for its insidious harming of the body. The compliments we get from our colleagues about how well our skin is (temporarily) looking is not worth the pain and suffering that will come if we persist with the use of these products.

Start looking at the ingredients list of EVERYTHING that you buy. Do not just go by the recommendation that someone has made. The best thing to do is to carry around a list of these nasties so that the next time you go shopping you know what to avoid.

If you find doing that too much of a hassle, then use this rule. If you do not know what half of the ingredients are or you cannot pronounce them without throwing spit around (methylparaben, anyone?) or you cannot explain to your grandma in clear terms what it is then do not buy it.

Good people, great health is worth all that we can do to achieve it. It is our biggest asset.

What is the use of ‘looking good’ if in the long run we will end up being seriously ill?