I was a young child in the 60’s and 70’s; the TV series Mad Men depicts perfectly what life was like back then. The times were very vulnerable and trusting of our government for our well being.
I watched my Mom daily put on her make up, lipstick and spray her teased hair with heavy hairspray to get dressed for the day. At night she would lather her face with cold cream to sleep in. This was just the norm for all women back then.
Fast forward 49 years, my Mother is diagnosed with thyroid cancer. This cancer is hereditary and I find out we have no one in our direct family that had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. I began to research the disease and found that my Mom had probably been exposed to a lot of toxic chemicals in her lifetime, I was also realizing I had been exposed to them as well.
My Mother and I both had silver fillings in our mouths that consisted of mercury (the 2nd deadliest poison), we had eaten food over the years that had been genetically modified, used disinfectants with the organic compound Formaldehyde (an acid that embalms humans) and my Mother smoked cigarettes when cigarette companies said it was not harmful and recommended them for relaxation ( I know…sounds crazy).
We have all been exposed over the years to toxic chemicals and ingredients in our everyday products. Americans have known about the potential hazards to our eco-system for years, but this is a new phenomenon.
I will share a portion of what I have learned over the past 12 months. The federal government has not regulated the cosmetic/personal care industry since 1938 and at that time they banned 11 ingredients. Europe has banned between 1300-1400 ingredients. Unlike food and drugs, the federal government has no authority to ensure that cosmetics/personal care products are safe.
Manufacturers can label products organic and natural and still have toxic ingredients.
I researched the effects of this long term exposure to harmful ingredients. The facts showed me that 1 out of 2 men will get some type of cancer now, 1 out of 3 women will also get some type of cancer, and 1 out of 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Speaking to cancer specialists, I found that 10 years ago it was really rare that they saw a woman in her 30’s and 40’s come in and be diagnosed with the breast cancer.
There is a Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act,
it contains 343.5 pages for Food and Drug safety and 1.5 pages for Cosmetic safety. Currently, there is a Cosmetic Reform bill that has not been passed. I encourage everyone to contact your state senator and let them know you are encouraging them to pass the Cosmetic Reform Act. Every call gets recorded and logged and your voice matters.
It is our responsibility to spread the knowledge for our children’s and grandchildren’s future.
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