# Chemicals and Harmful Ingredients in Everyday Products



## Ace Face (Nov 13, 2011)

I'm just going to throw the information out here. You can decide for yourselves what to do with it. 

Toxic chemicals found in shampoos and skin care products.

Harmful Ingredients In Soaps, Shampoos And Body Washes

Shampoo, Toothpaste, and Soap Destroying Your Health

Harmful Ingredients List - Ingredients Commonly Found in Personal Care Products

Parabens


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## Thalassa (Jun 10, 2010)

Thanks for this, it's disheartening, especially to people who don't like to spend a lot on their grooming products. I buy natural when I can (local hand made soaps for example, or tea tree toothpaste) but it tends to be more expensive to do that. I want to get to a place in my life to be more mindful about these kind of things to resist impulse purchases, or purchasing certain items by habit. 

As for food...Aack, I have a little card I carry in my wallet now that tells me all the fish that are filled with mercury poisoning or that are overfished or are otherwise harmful the people or the environment, one of the things that really bums me out about it is that eating farmed salmon is a huge no-no.

I started paying attention to what was in my food in high school, but I'm not especially good at sticking with it always, except for things like avoiding high fructose corn syrup and chewing sugar-free gum, and I'm getting a little better about using stevia or nothing to sweeten (or honey, in rare cases) instead of using artificial sweeteners, which I really need to give up entirely.

My problem with food mainly is that I go to an extreme and then end up recanting and eating everything, because it becomes some kind of weird mental restriction, and I tend to rebel against structure because of my personality type, it really interferes with my whole spontaneous, feeling way of living. 

Yoga though is changing me from the inside out and I think I may be finally able to address this, to be more conscious of products and what I put in my body without it being these ridiculous systemized restrictions. Yoga encourages gradual, permanent change rather than harsh strict regimens.


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## Leonine (Nov 10, 2012)

Try to do my best to avoid them.


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## Azure Bass (Sep 6, 2010)

Upon looking at the thread name canned food preservatives came to mind. Thank you for sharing more information on the subject.


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## NT the DC (May 31, 2012)

They forgot a toxic chemical in your toothpaste links:
Fluoride (well I guess they listed it with no discussion in one)

I like buying natural soap and shampoos.
I don't always go all out though and I might just grab something like burts bees even though that's run by clorox.

Always go fluoride free on my toothpaste.
I used to get totally natural toothpaste but lately I've been buying more toms of maine fluoride free toothpaste.... it does have SLS in it which I don't dig but for now it's better than nothing.

Oh yeah and I've tried various natural deodorants but so far I have to go back to regular deodorant lol.. living in hot weather at a job where I use my body... BO happens lol.

If I have a chill day I'll use the natural one


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## WickerDeer (Aug 1, 2012)

Recently, I tried using vinegar for my hair, instead of shampoo. I do think it made my hair shiny, but it also made people around me ask "do you smell that?" One person said it reminded him of easter. It's not enough for me, but if I had less oily hair, I think it would be great.

Also, instead of conditioner, i think it's useful to use plant oils, but it really depends on how thick your hair is and how it reacts. Other possibilities include eggs (which are actually pretty inexpensive, especially if you own chickens) and avocado (isn't there a bit left on the rind afterwards?). It would be cool if you could use rennet, but I kind of doubt it. 

IMO most commercial products are really just a mixture of the cheapest possible ingredients for the highest plausible cost to consumers--so if you could figure out what the actual useful ingredients are, you could create a better mixture for a fraction of the cost.


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## chip (Oct 12, 2011)

Xenoestrogens. Good article.


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## chip (Oct 12, 2011)

Here are some videos about this:
















Just wondering...why is this topic not discussed more? Why don't more people know about it?


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## chip (Oct 12, 2011)

meltedsorbet said:


> Recently, I tried using vinegar for my hair, instead of shampoo. I do think it made my hair shiny, but it also made people around me ask "do you smell that?" One person said it reminded him of easter. It's not enough for me, but if I had less oily hair, I think it would be great.
> 
> Also, instead of conditioner, i think it's useful to use plant oils, but it really depends on how thick your hair is and how it reacts. Other possibilities include eggs (which are actually pretty inexpensive, especially if you own chickens) and avocado (isn't there a bit left on the rind afterwards?). It would be cool if you could use rennet, but I kind of doubt it.
> 
> IMO most commercial products are really just a mixture of the cheapest possible ingredients for the highest plausible cost to consumers--so if you could figure out what the actual useful ingredients are, you could create a better mixture for a fraction of the cost.


Try just using baking soda for shampoo. It makes my hair shiny and doesn't smell bad.


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## NT the DC (May 31, 2012)

Natural shampoos are weird lol.
I used this one: 
Miessence | Miessence Haircare | Miessence Desert Flower Shampoo (Normal to Dry Hair)

I liked the way it smelled but you usually had to put a second application to get anything that resembled lather. 
That's an "all out" product though as you can see its like 23 bucks for a small ass bottle.


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## Siggy (May 25, 2009)

I dont use flouride toothpaste either. I use one called the Natural Dentist,peppermint sage. No SLS. I got it at whole foods. The farm up the road, where I get my eggs and chickens has homemade goats milk soap. I have yet to try it


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## Ace Face (Nov 13, 2011)

chip said:


> Try just using baking soda for shampoo. It makes my hair shiny and doesn't smell bad.


Unfortunately, for every opinion, there is an opposite opinion also claiming to have facts to back it up. For instance...

3 Reasons Why Baking Soda and Apple Cider Vinegar Destroy Your Hair – And What to Use Instead | FutureDerm | Beauty From A Scientific Perspective. Skincare for people who know Skincare.

I might just go back to the dark ages and start cleansing my hair and skin with blood  (True story, bro... they really did that shit.)

I eat a spoonful of coconut oil every couple of days or so. About once every three weeks, I'll saturate my scalp and hair in coconut oil and let it set overnight. Then I'll use my natural shampoo and condition as usual the next day.


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## chip (Oct 12, 2011)

Ace Face said:


> Unfortunately, for every opinion, there is an opposite opinion also claiming to have facts to back it up. For instance...
> 
> 3 Reasons Why Baking Soda and Apple Cider Vinegar Destroy Your Hair – And What to Use Instead | FutureDerm | Beauty From A Scientific Perspective. Skincare for people who know Skincare.
> 
> ...


Weird article. I've been using baking soda for about 3 months and my hair has been dyed a few times and it hasn't had any breakage. My hair doesn't normally break, though, it's annoyingly strong and stupid thick. Which it absorbs crap too much like oil and everything else, especially smells! Ugh.


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## Leonine (Nov 10, 2012)

INTJ the DC said:


> Natural shampoos are weird lol.
> I used this one:
> Miessence | Miessence Haircare | Miessence Desert Flower Shampoo (Normal to Dry Hair)
> 
> ...


I love Miessence. That is my problem as well. All the brands that are really good cost soooo much.


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## Leonine (Nov 10, 2012)

chip said:


> Weird article. I've been using baking soda for about 3 months and my hair has been dyed a few times and it hasn't had any breakage. My hair doesn't normally break, though, it's annoyingly strong and stupid thick. Which it absorbs crap too much like oil and everything else, especially smells! Ugh.


I tend to be a conspiracy theorist, when it comes to this topic. As for the article, I don't think anyone has ever said ALL chemicals are bad. People tend to talk about HARMFUL chemicals.


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## NT the DC (May 31, 2012)

NanaEllis said:


> I love Miessence. That is my problem as well. All the brands that are really good cost soooo much.


Haha, I think it said you could eat the shampoo on the bottle as a case for how natural it was.
Maybe the shampoo would have went futher if I wasn't slathering it on my pancakes.


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## Konosh (Nov 6, 2012)

They put small amounts of some sulfuric compound in processed meats. It is essentially a poison that kills microbes, and theoretically in small enough amounts that won't affect you. Seemed worth mentioning.


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## Spades (Aug 31, 2011)

Thanks, Ace! Been avoiding some of these for a while now =)

Might I add to the list: processed sugar. That one's a toughie.


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## geezuschrist (Dec 5, 2012)

Thank you for this information ! scary that ive been using these products all my life..


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## Ace Face (Nov 13, 2011)

@Dear Sigmund

I think about this at least once every couple of days, so I'm overdue to ask you...

Have you tried the goat's milk soap yet? x) I'm not sure why, but it's sooo strangely appealing to me, lol.


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