Being affected by cancer pushes you to take care of your body in every way. Since my life has been changed by cancer, I immediately started taking proactive and preventative measures to live a healthier lifestyle. Recently, I have been researching everything from gluten-free and soy-free recipes to toxin-free make up.

Your skin is your largest organ on your body — and it absorbs about 65% of what you put on it. It absorbs the hand soap you use, the sunscreen, the shampoo and conditioner, and all of the daily products that you rely on. And for us ladies, it absorbs all the chemicals in makeup. I recently made the switch to organic, paraben-free, non-toxic products and makeup. The insides of my body and now my outside feel great! I switched to organic body lotion, deodorant, makeup wipes, shampoo and conditioner, and many makeup products.

Let’s take a deeper dive into the harmful effects of makeup full of chemicals…The last regulation created by the government for cosmetics was 1938. Only 11 hazardous are banned in the US, while other countries ban thousands. What you put on your skin is something 100% in your control. Our digestive system can metabolize, but our skin cannot. Americans spend more on beauty products than education. The beauty industry made it so that women feel like they need these products to be ‘beautiful’. Here are some tips to avoid toxic makeup:

1. You are beautiful, with or without excess products and makeup! Self-care and self-love will make you feel beautiful, naturally.
2. Use toxin and paraben-free products! Purchase organic sunscreen and deodorant, too. The latter can cause serious health adversities, including cancer. Some of my favorite beauty brands are W3LL PEOPLE, Weleda, RMS Beauty, Honest Beauty, Juice Beauty, and Dr. Hauschka. Though these products may be pricier, the lack of chemicals, parabens, and toxins are 100% worth it. You cannot put a price on your health! Health is wealth.
3. Read the labels! Any product can put ‘Organic’ or ‘Natural’ on labels if only a small percentage is natural and organic so the rest could be all chemicals and parabens. Avoid: parabens, PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), polyacrylamide, acrylamide, styrene, phthalates, triclosan (which is classified as a pesticide), sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, formaldehyde, toluene (especially bad if you are pregnant), propylene glycol, diethanolamine (DEA), formaldehyde, triethanolamine, toluene, any synthetic coloring and dye, and fragrance.
4. Everything in moderation! Of course, everything is okay in moderation. This is nothing to throw away all of your makeup over, this is something to be aware of. Everybody should be aware of what they put on and in their bodies. And once again, everything is okay in moderation.

Our skin is our largest organ that absorbs 65% of what we put on it and over time our bloodstream absorbs the chemicals and toxins. Taking preventative measures against cancer is important, especially after a loved one is taken from the disease. For further consultation about toxin and paraben-free products and makeup, please reach out to: samira.agarwal16@gmail.com. Happy healthy living!