Worried about toxins and what you are applying to your skin? Change these 5 items to pack the biggest punch to your toxic bathroom cabinet. Cosmetic companies don’t have required safety testing and can use any chemical in their products making it important for you to take charge of what is going on the biggest organ you have – your skin.

5 Products to Change:

1. Body Lotions, Moisturizers and SPFs: These should be your highest priority for change. Your skin is the largest organ of your body and what we leave on that organ is as important as the food we put in our body. Lotions and moisturizers are used all over the body and on a daily basis. Putting chemical on that increase cancer and stay in the body forever are not a good thing to be lathering on every day.

2. Hair Dyes:

This is the hardest product to consider finding an alternative for, but there is growing concern from various research studies that suggest hair dyes may be carcinogenic. The chemicals in hair dyes, especially the dark colored permanent dyes, are easily absorbed into the body via the scalp and become concentrated in the bladder.

3. Soaps / Body Wash: In keeping with the idea that your skin is your largest organ, what you use to lather up and wash that organ is very important. Look for organic soaps and body washes, many of them contain bleaches, chemicals and harsh preservatives.

4. Cosmetic Foundations: Often loaded with parabens and PEGs to act as preservatives and moisturizers, cosmetic foundation is often a beauty product that women use on their face everyday. Switching to an organic product is a sure bet to cutting back on the amount of chemicals that the skin on the face absorbs.

5. Hair Care Products: Shampoos, conditioners and styling agents are products that we use everyday. These products often contain several types of chemicals such as parabens, phthalates, fragrances and PEGs. These chemicals can be avoided by reading product labels and buying certified organic products.

To get information on the impact of the chemicals in these product groups, be sure to read our post, “Ingredients to Avoid in in Skin Care”.