Knowing what on earth to avoid in your skin care can be a minefield. Ingredients labels are more confusing than ever and full of jargon that the everyday person cannot be expected to understand. We get it, even the experts had to study for years to understand it all!

Now before we start, there are a lot of words here but BEAR WITH US!

After years of study & research by the Eczema society, Women's environment, the SCCP (Scientific Committee on Consumer Products) and large studies conducted in North America links have been found between skin related problems and everyday products that contain petrochemical ingredients.

What are Petrochemicals? A chemical obtained from Petroleum and Natural Gas.

From hand washes to moisturisers, hair shampoos to shower gels, research has discovered our skin is bombarded with a minimum of 175 chemicals a day. Nearly all chemicals used on a daily basis can irritate by stripping our natural oils.

You see these chemicals in products today because they are easy and cheap to manufacture. Chemicals are readily used to stabilise our modern way of life and we are bombarded with vast levels of them on a regular basis. When our bodies become overwhelmed with chemicals, we react!

At Therapeutics Skin Care, we take away these harsh chemicals, replacing them with 100% unadulterated Essential Oils, botanical plant ingredients and vital oils. These pure natural ingredients contain an extensive amount of anti-oxidants that feed your skin, helping to make it stronger and healthier. It's the equivalent of nourishing your skin with a daily dose of fruit and vegetables. Yum!

Tumorgenic Moisturising Creams

'Popular Moisturiser applied to Mice for 17 weeks resulted in 69% more tumors'.

Did you know that applying some moisturisers to your skin can cause cancer? It seems that just about everything can contribute to it nowadays, but these moisturisers really can harm you! Moisturising creams with mineral oil can be Tumorgenic.

According to the study, as reported by Green Med the treatment of Mice with Dermabase, Dermovan, Eucerin or Vanicream for 17 weeks increased the total number of characterised tumors by 69%.

Further information reported by Green Med:

"The results indicate that several commercially available moisturising creams increase the rate of formation and number of tumors when applied topically to UVB- pretreated high-risk Mice. Further studies are needed to determine the effects of topical applications of moisturising creams in humans."

This also applies to tanning oils, creams and lotions due to many of them containing mineral oil. Which as safe as it may sound, it's not. Mineral Oil is actually derived from Petroleum and many products will use mineral oil as the main ingredient as it allows the product to spread easily across the skin. Mineral Oil is a known Carcinogen, also Comedogenic which means it blocks your pores and your skin's natural respiration process. This eventually leads to blackheads and pimples. Mineral Oil can block the absorption of any beneficial ingredients that might exist in the products because of the impenetrable film it can leave on your skin.

Remember, you can absorb more toxins from skin care products than food.

Most products you rub on your skin will end up in your bloodstream, and will be distributed throughout your body. Your skin is your largest organ, but also the thinnest! Less than 1/10th of an inch separates your body from potential toxins. "Don't put anything on your body that you wouldn't eat if you had to"

Okay great, so what do I do?!

• Look for products that are made by companies that are earth-friendly, animal-friendly and green.
• Buy products that come in glass bottles or BPA Free plastic bottles. Chemicals can leach out of plastics and into the contents.
• Pay attention to the order in which the ingredients are listed. Manufacturers are required to list ingredients in descending order by volume, meaning the first few ingredients are the most prominent. If Calendula Extract is the last ingredient on the long list, your Calendula Body Wash isn't very natural.
• Look for products that are fragrance-free. One artificial fragrance can contain hundreds (even thousands!) of chemicals, and fragrances are a major cause of allergic reactions.