Is Your Moisturizer Toxic? (Use This Instead)

You probably know that what you eat has an impact on your health, but what about your skin care products? Here’s a dangerous ingredient that is probably lurking in your moisturizer – and a healthier (and cheaper) alternative to use instead.

If you’re interested in maintaining good health, you probably watch what you eat and try to exercise regularly. But you may not pay as much attention to the products you use on your body every day. You may think that, regardless of ingredients, these product are harmless, since you’re not actually consuming them, but the truth is that many substances applied to the skin actually enter the bloodstream within seconds!

As it turns out, many of these skin care products such as moisturizers, shampoos, and even toothpastes are not as safe as you might assume. In fact, personal care products are not very highly regulated at all, and we are now finding that many of the chemical ingredients in these products are actually dangerous and toxic.

If you’re trying to lead a healthier lifestyle, besides what you eat and drink, you also should look at the ingredients in the personal care products you use. This can go a long way to reducing the potentially hazardous chemicals entering your body and possibly affecting your future health.

Here is one common ingredient in skin moisturizer that you should take care to avoid, as well as a much safer (and cheaper) all-natural alternative:

Why you should avoid mineral oil

Mineral oil is an odorless and colorless substance that is made from petroleum jelly. It is found in many different products, such as baby lotion, ointments, hydraulic fluid, wood preservative, pesticides, facial creams and even electrical transformers. Before synthetic oils were invented, mineral oil was used primarily as a lubricant for mechanical parts and machines that require a gliding motion. Nowadays, the mineral oil used in cosmetic products is usually the excess from petrochemical production processes that is scraped from the bottom of the barrel. This doesn’t really sound like something you would want to be smearing onto your face, or your baby’s skin!

The Environmental Working Group suggests mineral oil may contain cancer-causing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). When used on the skin, mineral oil only keeps the area where it is applied moist, while forming an impenetrable seal that prevents your skin from breathing.

Because the skin is the body’s biggest organ, it plays a pivotal role in the removal of toxins. If your skin cannot breathe, it cannot do its job, and your health may suffer as a result. Coating your body in mineral oil is like covering yourself in plastic wrap. In addition, mineral oil attracts moisture from cells deep in the skin, which causes cell renewal to slow and collagen to break down. This in turn damages connective tissue and can cause premature aging.

There are over 4,000 published studies that link the use of mineral oil back to negative health conditions….

Clearly this industrial chemical has no place in our homes or on our skin. We encourage you to make an immediate swap to something safer and more natural. Luckily, it’s easy!

The perfect alternative to mineral oil

Nature has provided the perfect alternative for healthy and vibrant skin: pure, extra-virgin coconut oil. Organic coconut oil has been used for thousands of years as an important part of both the medicinal and dietary regimens of traditional island cultures. It is clearly a better option than any petroleum-based product.

The wonders of coconut oil taken internally and applied directly to the skin are well documented, with an ever-increasing volume of scientific information extolling its virtues…. Several studies point to the ability of coconut oil to heal wounds, treat dermatitis, and serve as a replacement for the antibiotic treatment of acne.

Coconut oil also helps to clear away dead skin cells. It can be combined with coconut crystals, sea salt or other natural exfoliating substances to make an effective facial scrub that leaves the skin feeling soft and clean. A simple scrub can be made by mixing one cup of coconut crystals with half a cup of organic coconut oil….

The oil can also be used as a simple makeup remover, since many makeup products are oil-based. Coconut oil does not sting the eyes and helps lubricate the skin for easy removal of makeup….
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Coconut oil puts nutrients back into your skin, as opposed to mineral oil products that suffocate the skin and provide no nutritional benefit. Coconut oil is an abundant, natural source of lauric acid, which is converted to monolaurin when it enters the body.

Monolaurin has an amazing ability to fight unwanted viruses, bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms in a nontoxic way. Therefore the antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal properties of coconut oil help protect and balance the skin….

Coconut oil is safe for children of all ages, including babies, and can help heal up a mean diaper rash in no time…. While it’s important to let the baby’s skin dry after it has been cleaned, applying a thin layer of coconut oil afterward is an excellent way to balance the acidity of the skin and neutralize those unfriendly bacteria.
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If you want to use coconut oil as a moisturizer, be sure to start with a very small amount. A little goes a long way, and this makes it an extremely economical choice for a moisturizer.

Here is a simple but luxurious moisturizer you can whip up at home using coconut oil:

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For more information on mineral oil vs. coconut oil, check out the full article and get the recipe at AlternativeDaily.com.