It's no secret that I have been generally careful about what I put on my skin or use for personal care products for many years.
After all, I had the sort of skin that reacted even to strawberries and red dye as a toddler and it didn't get any better when I first used blushers or skin creams in my teens. Nowadays I think I should be grateful that my skin IS sensitive and gives me an early-warning signal.
With handwashes, I go through phases of being ultra careful and then penny pinching/convenience when I can't find the ones I like.
So I was in Sainsburys a few weeks ago, scanning their shelves for one to buy, when I spotted a new range from a 'well known' brand.
It shouted that it was 'natural' hand wash with organic extracts. And, having taken a picture of the label (why are all ingredients lists so bloody hard to read),. It also had a very beautifully designed label (I am such a sucker sometimes) with '98% naturally derived' and pretty gold print highlighting its 'Goodness' and certifications.
Hah, so I fell for it as the label from my squinty-eyed view did seem reasonable.
However, upon first use, it did have a very strong scent and, exactly why would something whose upmarket scent is 'oud, cedar and amber' also have oregano and lemon, but no actual cedar etc extract. Honestly i don't know what 'Oud' is either. Sounds like something out of Dr Who.
It was pointed out to me by my family that I had made a point about pthalates and scents and this had that very strong scent.
Yep, there it was, the 'Parfum' ingredient. This pretty bottle, masquerading as something completely (well, 98%) natural, in fact was likely to contain pthalates. Those endocrine-disrupting, 'forever' chemicals that are neurotoxic and absorbed through the skin are also linked to cancers*.
So there it is, don't get duped by the pretty labels.
If you want personal care products and make-up that is free of toxins, then go look at Tropic (disclosure I am one of their Ambassadors). I'm sure there are other equally good brands, but I have never reacted to Tropic's freshly made local (literally down the road from my house) products. https://www.tropicskincare.co.uk/shop/rosemarykpharo
How and Why to Close the Exposure AssessmentGap: https://www.healthandenvironment.org/join-us/blog/how-and-why-to-close-the-exposure-assessment-gap
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