Beautiful You by Suzanne Edmonds

Each week, beauty enthusiast Suzanne Edmonds explores the best ways to take care of ourselves so that we love the skin we're in.

From coconut oil and kale to and buckwheat and blueberries, there is a plethora of information out there about what we should be putting in our bodies. But have you ever stopped to think about what you are putting on your body?

Makeup and lotions are full of chemicals that can be absorbed through our skin. It is worth taking the time to consider the effect that there could potentially have on our health.

The number of ‘paraben-free’ products behind beauty counters, on supermarket shelves and in hairdressing salons is increasing.

While there is not yet any watertight evidence that the use of substances, such as parabens, in makeup and skincare products is harmful to our health, neither is there any watertight evidence to say that they aren’t.

So what are parabens and why are we becoming increasingly wary of them? Parabens are the most widely used preservatives in personal care products. Without preservatives, our lotions and potions would be left at the mercy of fungus, bacteria and other microbes. While there are alternatives available, parabens are popular because they are cheap and effective.

However, a growing number of studies are being conducted into their potential health risks, including a possible link to breast cancer, due to their ability to mimic oestrogen.

Health Canada, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), a U.S.-based industry-sponsored panel of experts that evaluates the safety of cosmetic ingredients, have all deemed that parabens are safe at current exposure levels.

But there is also the cumulative effect to be considered. With the average adult using nine personal care products a day, imagine how many chemicals are being absorbed by your skin on a daily, weekly and yearly basis. What is the impact over many years? The answer is, we don’t know.

The long term, cumulative effects of using petroleum based ingredients, sodium laurel sulphates, propylene glycols, silicone, artificial colour and synthetic perfumes on our skin is also unknown.                                                      

As the debate builds among scientists, product safety regulators and cosmetic manufacturers, I prefer to err on the side of caution and it seems I am not alone. More natural products are becoming available because more people are demanding them.

There are plenty of affordable options available now and some more luxuriant ones too. The use of plant and fruit oils, for their natural preservative qualities, makes for some positively delicious combinations.

Making a conscious choice about your beauty and skincare products, could be the best thing you do for your skin and your health. Because we all know that beauty is more than skin deep.

Suzanne Edmonds is owner of De Lux salon in Cherrywood, Tauranga.

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