Do You Know What Your Skin is Eating?

Do You Know What Your Skin Is Eating?

By Penny Shelton, founder of
Body Bliss Shop

Before I discovered the benefits of natural ingredients in skincare products, I would
get out of the bath or shower with my skin feeling like was on fire. Even hours
later, my skin would continue to itch, burn, feel extremely dry and even break
out, making me uncomfortable for days and sometimes weeks.

After numerous trips to the dermatologist, who would recommend product after product to
control my skin allergies that only perpetuated the problem (and drained my
wallet!), I began to read labels and research ingredients for myself. What I
discovered convinced me that those chemicals and their side effects are even
more dangerous and detrimental than I imagined.

Perhaps when used in small amounts and infrequently, they don’t irritate most people’s
skin the way they do mine. After seeing the long-term effects of many of the
chemicals, however, it does make me wonder if there could be any connection to
the fact that so many of us are struggling with health issues!

Your skin “eats”, or absorbs, 60% of what is applied to it. Therefore, I think it’s a
good idea to avoid putting anything on your skin that you wouldn’t actually
eat. As you delve into the question of what your skin is eating, consider these
points:

• The word “natural” on a product label may not mean all ingredients are safe. Petroleum, although natural, can
  be quite toxic when absorbed in the skin.
• Parabens are used as a preservative
  in many products to prolong shelf life and are extremely harmful. When absorbed
  by the skin, parabens turn into a synthetic estrogens, which can potentially
  cause health problems.
• When a manufacturer lists the scentas “fragrance”, there is a good possibility that fragrance contains
  formaldehyde, another harmful ingredient.
• More ingredients to watch for andavoid when possible are: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), petrochemicals, and ingredients
  with “PEG” or “eth” in the name.

Here are a few examples of good-for-your-skin, chemical- and paraben-free ingredients to
look for:

• Jojoba oil
• Grape seed oil
• Olive oil
• Pomegranate oil
• Vitamin E
• Shea butter
• Coconut oil
• Almond oil
• Aloe
• Goat’s milk
• Pure essential oils (lavender, white gardenia, eucalyptus, jasmine, rose, violet, chamomile, plumeria, vanilla, freesia and more)
• Epsom salts
• Honey

Ingredients like goat’s milk, shea butter and olive oil, are delicious, nourishing “foods” for your skin. Skincare is one area where the time-tested, old-fashioned ways of doing things really are the best.

Penny Shelton founded and owns Body Bliss Shop, for which she creates a wide array of
100% natural and organic soaps, bath and skincare items and more. She can be
reached at (404) 229-3983 and bodyblissshop@yahoo.com. To learn more about Body Bliss
Shop, visit facebook.com/body.bliss.shop and www.bodyblissshop.com.