Chemical Safe Skincare Campaign

It is common for women to be more aware of what they eat, drink and inhale during pregnancy. Women bravely cut of caffeine, quit smoking and attempt to eat more healthily for the sake of their unborn baby.

Recent months have shown that celebrities are even cutting down their visits to have their tressles coloured in an attempt to shield their baby from the harsh chemicals used in hair colours.

Unfortunately, absorption of chemicals does not stop there - perfumes, cleaning products, nail varnishes and paints are the more obvious culprits.  But regular skincare products, shower gels, shampoos, moisturisers and body lotions contain chemicals which can be absorbed and inhaled which are also absorbed by the unborn baby.

I have always tried to avoid colourings and perfumes in my skincare products but until recently I had no idea what parabens, formaldehyde and sodium laureth sulfate was. When I began to search for information on these ingredients I was appalled. To think that we use products every day to clean our homes and our skin are packed full of these ingredients. I just can’t believe that most people are unaware of the effects these ingredients have on the skin.

To think that I was using baby products which we full of sodium laureth sulfate, parabens, colourings and perfumes thinking that they would be even more gentle on my skin and my children’s skin. I now check out exactly what is in my skincare products before I buy them.

If you’re baffled by the long list of ingredients found on the back of your skincare, haircare and cosmetics, you’re not alone.

Manufacturers market the benefits of attributes such as “creamy“, “iridescent“, “exfoliating“ and “scented“ but few of us realise that these features may require a significant number of added chemicals.

We have as much right to know what is going into these products as we do the food we eat.

While most of these ingredients are safe, you may be shocked to learn that some products contain chemicals which can potentially irritate or trigger sensitive skin conditions.

There is also little or no evidence available about the cumulative effect that all these chemicals have when we apply them to our skin on a daily basis.

We feel that the issues and debate surrounding the safety of products is being brushed under the carpet and we would be delighted to hear your views on this subject.