Why Does the Cosmetics Industry Lack Transparency? A Bizarre Explanation.

It is Time to Shed Some Light on the Secrets of the Beauty Industry!

If you have been following me since the beginning of my wellness journey, you know about my skin story. After discovering a few major details about conventional skin care products my lifestyle changed drastically.  At first I felt sickened by the facts on traditional skin care companies that has been right at our fingertips this whole time. Was I truly just a naive adolescent or was the willingness to lather these chemical-laden so mainstream that people don’t educate about other options.

I must admit, I was a little nervous about sharing with other people at first. I quickly realized however, that this lifestyle is not just about selling to friends. This is not just a standard, run-of-the-mill MLM to help drum up sales. The reason that I feel it is different is because I am actually going to continue using these products regardless of whether or not anybody signs up to receive ongoing education regarding essential oils from our team!

Now of course I want you to join our community and become a member. However, that is not the point here. The point is that we all might be best served to put a little more thought into our choices.

​Think of not just yourself, but also your family. Do you want everyone, yourself included, to be exposed to products that can produce significant long-term adverse effects. Do you realize that nearly every product labeled with "fragrance" is likely to be chock full of chemicals associated with many long-term poor health outcomes?

I have created the "Essentially Well LLC" community because I want to bring everybody up to speed on what I have spent several years researching and developing. I am truly appalled at many of the things that large corporations are able to get away with when it comes to marketing and labeling their products.

Further, I am disheartened and frustrated by the actions of the traditional beauty companies that advertise -or should I say brainwash- women and girls to use their products regardless of what the known long-term outcomes of store-bought beauty products might be.  According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) the "FDA does little to regulate ingredient safety, it has authorized the cosmetics industry to police itself through its Cosmetics Ingredient Review panel. In its more than 30-year history, the industry panel has declared only 11 ingredients or chemical groups to be unsafe (CIR 2012). Its recommendations on restricting ingredients are not binding on companies (FDA 2012)". Hardly a strict policy on products we may use every single day of the year for decades to come. This is absolutely ludicrous. 

Consider the following directly from the EWG:

Most cosmetic marketing claims are unregulated, and companies are rarely, if ever, required to back them up, even for children’s products. The FDA says descriptions such as “hypoallergenic” or “natural” can “mean anything or nothing at all,” and while most of these terms “have considerable market value in promoting cosmetic products to consumers… dermatologists say they have very little medical meaning” (FDA 2000b)

I may not be able to change the past but I can make a difference for my future, and hopefully the futures for many others as well! Now that I am aware of the health-conscious path to self care, I am filled with gratitude that I have stumbled into this lifestyle. It’s time to spread the truth about ingredients found in personal care products because there is a much better way. ​​

A Brief History of Cosmetics
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In the 1970's, Congress passed a law known as the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (TSCA) which is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This law specifically regulates the introduction of new or already existing chemicals and is at the discretion of the EPA.

​The "existing chemicals" clause of the TSCA permitted nearly 63,000 chemicals to be grandfathered into the program and exempt from further testing! Under the TSCA, manufacturers were able to protect their trade “secrets” that allow companies to keep their ingredients a secret. In this case additives such as harsh chemicals, parabens, fragrance, volatile organic compounds, and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) were not tested. A large majority of these substances on the TSCA list remain untested!

Are you disgusted yet?! We are! 

There is an interesting exclusion of the TSCA however. The TSCA excludes products regulated by the FDA such as foods, food additives, drugs, and yes... cosmetics. This is a good thing right? Not exactly.

Remember how we previously stated that the FDA is very hands-off in controlling the beauty industry and subjects the companies to the Cosmetics Ingredient Review panel. Hardly strict regulation I would say. Again, the panel has a 30 year track history and has only declared 11 ingredients to be unsafe!

​Only 11 out of hundreds of thousands of ingredients and substances! Moreover, these so-called "declarations" are not binding to any companies which basically means the companies can do whatever they want anyway. Besides, the companies can say things like "hypoallergenic" or "natural" without those terms needing to mean anything at all! There is absolutely no law that exists to state that a hypoallergenic product actually has to be hypoallergenic! How is that for label deception?!

Standard Skin Care

​For years on end men, women, and children have been exposing their bodies to untested chemicals and unregulated ingredients. Just think, this can all happen within your first 30 minutes of waking up!

Although we may appear to be symptom free on the outside, imagine what these chemicals might be doing internally! Repetitive exposure to a  accumulation and bioaccumulation is caused from repetitive exposures to a contaminant that may lead to significant long-term illness and pathology. Just because you feel "fine", does not mean that you are fine!

Take a moment to consider an alternative example related to the concept of "feeling fine": Did you know that 50% of those with existing heart disease experience their first symptom as sudden death! This means they likely felt fine and did not have any concerns despite the development of significant underlying pathology, which ultimately resulted in death! Pretty scary stuff.
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For those of you concerned about heart disease and cardiac health AND are being led down the path of medications and cholesterol management, PLEASE READ The Great Cholesterol Myth by Dr. Bowden and Dr. Sinatra! It deconstructs the "total cholesterol" and "saturated fats" myths and provides evidenced-based advice on the road to heart disease prevention!

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I digress. I remember when I felt stuck when it came to my skin care. I could not seem to find a strategy to combat dry irritated skin, issues of acne, recurrent eczema, and overall skin redness. Despite purchasing products that had high customer reviews and wonderful marketing claims, I was not seeing any results. I thought I was purchasing the "best". Unfortunately, I knew very little about personal care product ingredients and assumed that the more complex and confusing the ingredients, the more effective it was. I even visited a dermatologist. Still no results!

My solution was using essential oils and essential oil-based products. Maybe it is your solution as well. My reasoning is quite simple. I switched from products with many unknown ingredients, to products with known ingredients.

I finally considered that was I was exposing my skin, and thereby my body, was essential in determining my expressing my skins' optimal phenotype. Again, the skin is an organ. It is absorbing things at a rate faster than you realize. It is more than a sponge. A sponge simply absorbs something and its' contents remain inside the sponge. Not our skin! Our skin is an absorbent barrier and while still serving as our first line of defense in immunity. It allows many things to pass through it however. The skin is a glorified "ticket-taker" at a bar, it rarely discriminates.  

The Average Day for Our Skin
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Taking care of your skin is important however. Poor skin hygiene is not the appropriate alternative when attempting to avoid the aforementioned issues. We point out these issues to illustrate the beauty and cosmetic industry is definitely not what it seems. We need something we can trust. We need products we can trust. Better yet, we just simply need to not be lied to. 

The skin of the human body receives constant exposure from potential "invaders". Think of a typical day. Your skin is likely to serve as a barrier to environmental factors such as dust, oil, smog, pollen, dirt, mud, etc. It also might be exposed to things you naturally place on it. Creams, lotions, moisturizers, makeup, etc. The skin is not perfect however. It will not keep all of everything out. This is all the more reason to pay attention to what you are purposefully placing on it. Not only does the skins ability to serve as a barrier improve when properly cared for, but it also has to "deal" with the products you are using on it in the first place! 

After this days' worth of exposure, you likely will need to clear away many of the substances that your skin has been protecting you from. As a matter of fact, it is a good idea to clean your skin at the end of the day, instead of the beginning of the day. Sorry to say for you morning shower folks but the best time for the body to restore the skin is during a good nights' sleep! Maybe that is why the call it beauty sleep!
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Our body works naturally to support rejuvenation of the skin while we are sleeping. When asleep, our body works hard to repair damaged skin cells, build new collagen, and deliver nutrients via increased local metabolic activity and blood-flow. Further, sleep is induced by increased melatonin production. This is an important concept because melatonin is a powerful antioxidant which is imperative for preventing reactive oxygen species (ROS's) and free radicals from damaging our skin. Environmental pollutants, harsh chemicals and fragrances, and UV rays from the sun are all potent sources of ROS and free radical production. You see?! Sleep really is that important!  
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If you avoid at least washing your face before bed (typically one of the most exposed areas on our body aside from the hands) then you will fail to remove the buildup that has been created in the pores of the skin. This robs your skin of fresh oxygen.

I believe that I have found several natural products that will support the entire process of replenishing skin. I simply like these products and recipes because the ingredients are what I consider to be known. They are not complex. Do not contain things that you cannot pronounce or spell. Simple, plant-based ingredients. 
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But wait, there is more. If all of this rings a bell and you are looking for specific instructions and detailed recipes on how to make your own products, you have to check out our all-natural, 5 step skin care routine!

In Conclusion

What you put on, or in, your body matters! Pay attention to your products and discuss these with your health care professional. Further, please understand some general concepts for a healthier home!​

As always, if you are new to essential oils and do not have any of your own, consider a premium starter kit from Young Living. This is widely regarded as the simplest way to get started with essential oils. When signing up for your first kit, you will have the opportunity to choose one of our leaders. This is an important step as they will provide you with ongoing support for the lifetime of your Young Living journey at no added cost to you! You can do this simply by visiting the our team page and selecting the individual you would like as your direct upline.

Further, by signing up as a member you will also receive tons of additional promotions such as saving 24% off retail pricing on future purchases of Young Living products.
 
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