"The Dirty Dozen" a List of chemicals to avoid in your personal hygiene products.

Do you know what's in your skin care products?  Most likely a long list of chemicals.  

I tested a hand creme from Perfectly Posh.  It contained 23 ingredients in a 3 fl oz container, with water being top of the list. Which means it must have a strong preservative in it because water is a natural harbor for bacteria so a strong preservative would be necessary.  It also contained not 1 but 2 different PEG or I,4,Dioxane (PEG-100 Stearate and PEG-10 Soya Sterol).  Fragrance/Parfum  was the ninth item when really it should be the last item in any list since it has the potential to trigger allergens and asthma.  Sugar Me Sweet uses only pure essential oils, no fragrance. 

 Read the "The Dirty Dozen" list of chemicals below and compare them with the products in your home.

THE DIRTY DOZEN

At least that's what the National Geographic Green Guide authors call the 12 chemical ingredients to avoid in cosmetics and other personal-care products.

1.  Antibacterials: Overuse might be contributing to increasingly resistant bacteria, and they contaminate the environment. Triclosan is the agent used in many soaps.
2.  Coal tar: Possible carcinogen in dandruff shampoos and anti-itch creams. Dyes with a coal tar base are used in toothpaste (FD&C Blue 1) and mouthwash (FD&C Green 3).
3. -- DEA: Stands for diethanolamine and is used in shampoos to increase lather. Can affect hormones and cell functioning and development.
4. -- 1,4-Dioxane: May show up as a contaminant in personal care items, including shampoo and body wash; in products that contain sodium laureth sulfate; and ingredients expressed as "PEG," "-xynol," "ceteareth," and "oleth."
5. -- Formaldehyde: Found in such products as baby bath soap, nail polish and hair dyes as a contaminant or break-down product of diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, bronopol and quaternium compounds. Formaldehyde is a probable human carcinogen and can have other toxic effects.
6. -- Fragrance and phthalates: The term "fragrance" can be hiding suspect substances called phthalates, which may affect hormones and cause reproductive and developmental harm.
7. -- Lead and mercury: Lead can show up in products that have hydrated silica, such as in toothpaste. Mercury, found in the preservative thimerosal, is in some mascaras.
8. -- Nanoparticles: Tiny particles of such things as zinc oxide and titanium oxide in cosmetics and sunscreens could cause cell damage, but they're tough to track. Some manufacturers now advertise products that are free of nanoparticle-size ingredients.
9. -- Parabens: Common preservatives in toiletries, parabens grew controversial due to their weak estrogenic effects in some animals studies. Check for methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, butyl- and isobutylparaben.
10. -- Petroleum distillates: Check for the terms "petroleum" and "liquid paraffin" in such products as mascara and foot-odor powder. The European Union restricts or prohibits petroleum distillates as possible human carcinogens.
11. -- PPD: P-Phenylenediamine can be found in hair dyes and may cause irritation and damage to the nervous system and lungs.
12. -- Hydroquinone: Can be found in skin creams and under-eye treatments. Limited evidence links it to cancer in laboratory animals.Read more

Sugar Me Sweet Natural Skin Care uses a short, simple, yet effective group of Natural ingredients in it's sugar scrub line. No water is used in making the scrubs thus no need for a chemical preservative, we DO use a natural preservative, Vitamin E oil to keep the carrier and essential oils fresh.   

Sugar Me Sweet NSC sugar scrubs not only exfoliate your skin but our mixture of oils give your skin a smooth healthy glow with no need for lotion. 

*Try it as a pre-shave and you'll be amazed at how easily the blade glides over your legs.

 Sugar Me Sweet handmade, all natural sugar scrubs... a sweet treat for your skin.

MORE great info on the Dirty Dozen
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/publications/downloads/2010/DSF-report-Whats-inside-that-counts.pdf