What’s actually in the products you use daily?



​Long complicated names do not necessarily mean a substance is harmful.  For example Vitamin C, is actually called Ascorbic acid, which sounds pretty nasty doesn't it, but we obviously know it isn't. Lots of other ingredients are by-products of more harmful substances, but on their own, are considered harmless, but would you put them on your baby? Maybe not? 

 For example, if a product contains water, then you know 100%, that a preservative of some kind must have been used, and almost certainly an emulsifier, to keep it mixed with any oil. It's a fairly good rule of thumb, that if a product contains water, avoid it!  
Common sense is needed, when looking at these substances, and the media hysteria about some things, is sometimes unfounded. But looking at it sensibly, you do need to ask yourself, why some questionable ingredients are being used?                                      
                               
                                     INGREDIENTS A to M                   INGREDIENTS O to Z

The ingredients, on the list, are found in many commonly used products. Some are more harmful than others, many are used to increase the volume of a product and make it more economical to produce, but have no actual therapeutic value. Others are there to protect or stabilise another ingredients, which themselves are often unnecessary ingredients.

Even some products that claim to be ‘natural’, hide ingredients by using alternative names that sound safe, or use generic terms such as ‘perfume’ or 'fragrance', without specifying the actual ingredients used to that make that perfume. 

Take a look at a few products in your home and see what you are actually exposing yourself and your family to, you may be surprised. 

                                       
There are very few legal safeguards regarding cosmetic products, but there are some very useful     on-line resources, that you can check products and ingredients, but make sure they are not producing products themselves, and are independent, such as the food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the Environmental Working Group/Skin Deep (EWG)                                                                   
Most of the information can be found on the Environmental Working Group's website database,                                                                                              Skin Deep 
Another good source of reference, I have just found, is Paula Choice website, not pregnancy specific, but some very interesting info on cosmetic ingredients. Click here to take a look.