I hope you are enjoying this cooler weather. What a lovely refreshing change. I am guessing that the trees will soon discover that it’s autumn and the leaves will start to change colour. I was in Daylesford over the weekend and it would normally be full of gorgeous autumn colour at this time of year but the trees still think its summer.We spent a couple of hours hopping from spa to steam room to monsoon showers and salt pool at the Hepburn Springs Bathhouse. It was verrrrry relaxing.
I grew up in Ballarat and as kids we would regularly take family Sunday drives to Daylesford to collect the mineral water to drink. My mum was quite a fan but as a child I thought it was disgusting. I will happily drink it now but I think I prefer bathing in it.
Natural mineral water contains high levels of mineral salts like calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium. It has renowned healing properties. All these salts play a vital role in nerve function. Magnesium, for example, causes nerves and muscles to relax. Muscles cramps, muscle tics and twitches are usually relieved by taking magnesium.
Bathing in the “healing waters” made me think about how absorbent our skin is. Last week I talked about how the skin will act to eliminate and excrete toxins but it’s good to remember that it works both ways. Anything you bath in, soak in, wash your hands with, wash your hair or clothes with or rub onto your skin can be absorbed into the body. Just as anything health giving (like the minerals in the water at The Bathhouse) can pass through the skin into the body, so too can toxic chemicals.
While I was getting dressed after our soaking, a young woman near me sprayed herself very liberally with deodorant so not only did her armpits get a big dose of chemicals, so did all our lungs! Aerosol deoderants are really quite a health hazard. Even most roll-on deoderants contain aluminium which is not so healthy. In fact there are over 3,000 different chemicals used the beauty and personal care industry. Women on average use 12 beauty products daily. This can mean they could be absorbing dozens of toxic chemicals from cleansers, moisturisers, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, perfume, foundation, concealer, blush, eye shadow and mascara. Then of course there is sunscreen and insect repellent.
It’s an interesting exercise to read the labels on your products and check whether the ingredients are really something that you want to absorb into your body.
Three of the most common chemicals you might find are:
Methyl, Propyl, Butyl, and Ethyl Paraben– Some combination of these synthetic ingredients are in almost EVERY skin and hair product made today. Widely known to be highly toxic and cause allergic/skin reactions. Companies use this dangerous ingredient, because it is extremely cheap and extends the shelf life of the product by inhibiting microbial growth.
Propylene Glycol -This Petroleum by-product is a synthetic ingredient used as a humectant. This toxic ingredient causes many allergic reactions. It is recognized as a neurotoxin by the US National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety. Research data states that through skin contact it can cause “liver abnormalities and kidney damage.”
Sodium Laurel Sulfate – This highly toxic synthetic substance (used for foaming abilities) causes urinary tract, bladder and kidney infections, genital disorders, eye irritations, skin rashes, hair loss, scalp conditions similar to dandruff, and allergic reactions.
If you think about what’s really in your products you might think again. A good rule of thumb is: if you can’t ingest it safely you should not put it on your skin.
For all the above reasons we stock a range of carefully selected skin and hair care products that are so good you could eat them! So go check your bathroom cupboard now and then come and stock up on lovely safe soaps, bodywash, shampoos, condtioners, moisturisers,deoderants and even an insect repellent with essential oils.
Wishing You Health and Happiness
Warm Regards,
Alison Burton
For more information or to make a booking please contact us.
Simply Natural Therapies
the missing link in health care
41 Tunstall Square
East Doncaster
VIC 3109
03 9842 7033
info@simplynaturaltherapies.com.au
www.simplynaturaltherapies.com.au
PS: As usual there is no extra charge for spelling errors and typos. 🙂