Toxic essences

We talk to Ecologist editor Pat Thomas about her new book, Skin Deep and about how we can avoid toxic overload but still look good.

Think about your morning routine - how you shower, shave, moisturise and deodorise. Add perfume, make-up and hair products - and you use around 200 chemicals on your hair and body every single day.

You might think you look good, but our skin absorbs nearly 60% of the chemicals we come into contact with, sending them directly into our bloodstream. Recent research has shown that it can take just 26 seconds for some of those chemicals to go from skin to every major organ of the body.

So what's the problem? Well, some of those chemicals aren't actually so good for us, warns Pat Thomas, editor of The Ecologist and author of Skin Deep: The Essential Guide To What's Really In The Toiletries And Cosmetics You Use.

"The chemicals in our toiletries and cosmetics have been shown to be toxic to the central nervous system, to cause intolerance and allergies, and to induce DNA mutations and cancer in lab animals," she says.

"It's a total fiction to think that any of this stuff has been tested beyond a shadow of a doubt - it's entirely up to the consumer to know what he's putting in his body."

Elizabeth Salter Green, author of The Toxic Consumer, agrees.

"We assume, because we live in a highly developed Western society, that all these chemicals have been tested for toxicity and effects on neurodevelopment and fertility," she says.

"But 99% of the chemicals we use in volume do not have adequate health and safety tests."

Thomas says these chemicals can have wide-ranging effects on the human body - but overall, we're suffering in the long-term from constant contact.

"Our health hasn't got better over the years," she says.

"In fact, it's getting worse: we have more mood swings and depression now than ever, which we put down to 'modern life' - a sort of catch-all phrase - but we never stop to think it might be the modern chemicals we're exposed to and their wide-ranging effect on our emotional and physical well-being. How do you know that your mood swing isn't based on something that you're exposed to, rather than just the hassles of daily life?"

:: WHAT TO AVOID Worried about what might be in your toiletries and cosmetics?

Thomas's book, Skin Deep, is packed full of more information - plus tips and recipes on how you can make your own alternatives - a handy guide for the 21st century man or woman.

Use this list when you're inspecting the labels of the contents of your bathroom cabinet.

:: TOXIC CHEMICAL - PARABENS: Butylparaben, ethylparaben, isobutylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben "Parabens are a preservative which are used in more than 90% of all cosmetic products," Thomas says.

"They stunt microbial growth in products with high water content - like shampoos, lotions and facial cleansers - and extend their shelf life.

"They can be a trigger for oestrogenic-dependent cancers of the breast, ovary, uterus and testicles. In a recent analysis of breast cancer tissue, scientists found parabens in every sample taken, possibly from parabens in deodorants and anti-perspirants."

"Researchers are now thinking that the accumulated load of hormone-mimicking chemicals like parabens is driving the incredible increase in breast cancer, the reason more people are needing IVF, and possible neurological impairment in children," adds Salter Green.

Solution: Avoid toiletries with any sort of parabens, says Salter Green. "There are now lots of alternative cosmetics out there that have moved away from parabens; they might not have as long a shelf life, but at least you won't have chemicals mucking up your hormone system."

:: TOXIC CHEMICAL - PARFUM: Perfume, fragrance "'Parfum' is the collective name given to hundreds of different chemicals used to produce fragrance in 95% of fragranced cosmetics and toiletries," explains Thomas.

"They contain every kind of poison known to man, which is why many perfume ingredients double up as pesticides.

"Most are damaging to the brain and nervous system, and many accumulate in human breast tissue and breast milk and can cause birth defects.

"Artificial musks - common in fragranced toiletries - are hormone disrupting and cancer causing. Immediate reactions to parfum include headache, mood swings, depression, forgetfulness and irritation."

Solution: "Always choose unfragranced toiletries or opt for those will natural fragrance," advises Thomas.

"Some can be made from natural essential oils instead of synthetics: parfum with an asterix next to it on the label should explain where it's derived from."

:: TOXIC CHEMICAL - MINERAL OIL: Baby oil, paraffinum liquidium "Mineral oil - baby oil, essentially - is a skin irritant and solvent which strips the skin of its natural oils, so your skin gets drier and drier the more you use," explains Thomas.

"By destroying the natural oily barrier of the skin, it acts as a penetration enhancer allowing other chemicals to be more easily absorbed into the skin. It's also a human carcinogen and reproductive toxin if inhaled."

Solution: Use natural oils to moisturize instead, advises Thomas. "Effective moisturisers can be prepared by mixing vegetable or biological oils - coconut, jojoba, almond or emu - and plant butters - shea or mango - with water and glycerine. With practice these can be made to suit different areas of the body during different seasons - lighter for summer and heavier for winter."

:: TOXIC CHEMICAL - SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE "This is a harsh detergent that's used in a lot of shampoos, toothpastes, liquid soaps and bubble baths," explains Thomas.

"It strips the oil from your skin and is a penetration enhancer, so other toxic materials are absorbed into your skin more easily."

"I have very sensitive skin and avoid this," adds Salter Green.

"There have been reports that it can cause or exacerbate eczema - in its pure form it's used in garages for degreasing engines. It's diluted in toiletries - but I still wouldn't put it on my children's skin."

Solution: Many natural toiletries avoid the use of SLS, but the easiest thing you can do is avoid the harsh detergents in body washes by buying glycerine-based soaps, says Thomas.

"Buying real soap with at least 70% vegetable oil will help, or choosing a liquid castile soap like Dr Bronner's are made from enriching oils like coconut, hemp and olive, which you can dilute to make them last longer."

:: THINKING AHEAD If you've taken a look at your toiletries and are amazed at how many toxic chemicals you've been putting on your body, don't fret - try whittling them down, one by one, advises Thomas, and perhaps start thinking about making your own.

"It's very liberating to make your own stuff," she says.

"Once you start you realise that the whole of your wellbeing is in your hands and doesn't revolve around a particular brand. You can't make everything, but you can make simple balms and oil mixtures, and discover what works best for you.

"Women worry about how we look every 15 minutes - more than how often men think about sex," says Thomas.

"The more you can step out of that, the more you're safeguarding your health - and that of the planet."

:: Skin Deep: The Essential Guide To What's Really In The Toiletries And Cosmetics You Use by Pat Thomas is published by Rodale, priced £7.99. Available now.

:: The Toxic Consumer: How To Reduce Your Exposure To Everyday Toxic Chemicals by Elizabeth Salter Green and Karen Ashton is published by Impact, priced £7.99. Available now.

:: If you're inspired to make your own cosmetics at home, you can get all you need from www.aromantic.co.uk or www.bay-house.co.uk