Education

Why Use Organic Body Care?
By Lisa Levin, CEO and Founder of Pharmacopia

Our "Body Burden"

While many of us would rather go thirsty than take a sip of common tap water, or would sooner starve than eat fast food, few are aware of the number of potentially harmful toxins we scrub and slather into our skin everyday in the name of beauty.

Over 5,000 chemicals are used in personal care products like lotion, cream and bubble bath.

Our skin is our largest organ, and can be thought of as the gate of entry for toxins and chemicals found in everyday products. In fact, up to 60% of certain ingredients in body products are absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream. Once chemicals are in the blood, they accumulate in target organs or are metabolized through the system.

In a recent study by Mount Sinai School of Medicine to measure toxins in the bodies of consumers, researchers found an average of 91 industrial compounds, pollutants and other chemicals in the urine and blood of volunteers. Some were known carcinogens, and some were banned or untested for potential health hazards. The level of toxins and chemicals found in the body has been dubbed our “toxic body burden.”

The good news is that there are some simple ways to reduce exposure to such chemicals. According to the environmental Working Group, one way to limit toxins in your body is to:

• Avoid artificial fragrances!
  
  
• Read labels!
  They can be confusing, and even purposely misleading. The word “natural” is widely used as a marketing term, but its definition is unregulated. A product labeled natural might have a synthetic base with very few natural ingredients.
  
  The best way to discern whether a product is natural is to read the ingredients list.
  
  Ingredients are listed in descending order with the most predominant listed first. Make sure those first few ingredients, which make up the bulk of the formula, are natural or naturally derived. In products that have water as an ingredient, a small amount of preservatives are necessary to keep molds and bacteria from growing. Those are usually found near the bottom of the list.
  
  
• Buy Organic!
  Organic products offer an alternative to synthetic body care. Unlike the term natural, products labeled as organic are carefully certified and regulated by the USDA. Organic labeling laws, which recently became a national standard for foods, are just beginning to apply to personal care products.
  
  Organic foods can be identified by the USDA certified organic seal. Body care currently does not have an organic standard in the US so it is a little more complicated to determine if it is organic. Look for the % of organic ingredients in the product.

At Pharmacopia, we use certified organic ingredients whenever possible, and in the upcoming year are working toward certifying the entire line to the European standard for organic bodycare.

Be healthy and well,
Lisa