HAIR DYES... !!!

From the name it self it says it all !!!

Hair dyeing or hair coloring has become a common practice among all age groups, especially the teenagers during the last few decades. It is mostly used by the teenagers to change their hair color to a shade more fashionable or desirable. It is also used to return their hair color to its natural color after chemicals have discolored it. Whereas most middle aged people use this to return their graying hair to its original color. Whatever the case is, we must all be aware that the hair dye contains an enormous number of chemicals that may cause adverse effects to our hair as well as the whole body.

Some of the deadly ingredients that are contained in hair dyes include industrial solvents such as peroxide and ammonia. These are also used to make house cleaners. Some of the other chemicals that contribute to the effects are p-phenylenediamine, which forms hair dye on chemical reactions, 4-methoxy-m-phenylenediamine (4MMPD), a substance which can be contaminated with carcinogenic nitrosamines, and may also contain lead acetate.

Studies have shown that the use of long-lasting or temporary hair dyes have a significance associated with higher risk of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, multiple myeloma, leukemia, Hodgkins disease, and breast cancer. Research has also proven that children, whose mothers used hair dyes during pregnancy have the risk of bearing cancerten times higher.

Even though, it is evitable that hair dyeing highly contributes not only to the damage of hair, but to all the systems of the body, people still tend to be more concerned about their appearance. Think about this to yourselves, is your long lasting physical ‘beauty’ more important to you than your health? The choice is always yours to make.

Detergent: how it wins a war against Stains and Dirt

Detergent is a word commonly used to distinguish between soap and other surfactants used for cleaning. It contains a lot of chemicals, usually when they are dissolved in water becomes active and acts on the dirt. The detergents, especially the ones made for use with water is likely to contain the following components.

Surfactants: to emulsify the grease and to soak the surfaces.
Abrasive: for scouring.
pH buffers: to provide stability for the other ingredients specially when digesting organic compounds.
Water softeners: to overcome the effect of hardness ions.
Oxidants: for bleaching.
Enzymes: to breakdown proteins, fats and carbohydrates. It also contains other ingredients that assists the foaming properties, adjust the viscosity of the solution, affects the aesthetic properties of the item to be washed, inhibits the corrosion to the equipment and reduces harm caused to the user. In addition in order to make it last longer, preservatives are also included.

The three main types of detergents that are used are laundry detergents, cleavable detergents and dispersants. All these three types differ by the strength and counteract in different ways.

Laundry detergents classically consists of ionic and anionic surfactants that act to remove dirt from the clothes, perfume, phosphorous (which makes the clothes appear white) and anticaking agents to prevent the powder from forming clumps. Biological laundry detergents contain enzymes which catalyses the breaking down of stains from food molecules.

Cleavable detergents are special surfactants that are used in biochemistry and in proteomics. This is to augment protein denaturation and increase solubility. Some of the applications of these clearable detergents are protease digestion of proteins and also with trypsin. It is also used for mass spectrometry in sample preparations. For example sodium 3-(4-(1,1-bis(hexyloxy)ethyl)pyridinium-1-yl)propane-1-sulfonate (PPS) is an acetalic detergent which is split under acidic conditions into hexanol and 3-acetyl-1-(3-sulfopropyl)pyridinium.

Dispersants can either be a non-surface active polymer or a surface-active substance when added to suspension, (usually a colloid) improves the separation of particles and prevents them from clumping. Although dispersants normally consists of surfactants, it may also be gases.

CHEMICALS CONTAINED IN PRESERVATIVES

As we all know, there are special chemicals added to food, cosmetics, detergents and almost everything else available for us in the market today. These chemicals are added in order to keep them in good condition for long periods of time. These are referred to as preservatives and they, under certain conditions, delay the growth of microorganisms without destroying or affecting the quality of the product.

Chemical preservatives added to food helps to keep the food fresh by inhibiting the decay process. These preservatives can generally be divided in to three main types. They are antimicrobials, which inhibit the growth of bacteria, mould and yeast; antitoxidants that slow the air oxidation of fats and lipids and the third type of preservatives that inhibit the ripening of fruits and also block the enzyme activity in them after harvest. One such chemical is the sulferdioxide ans its related compounds called sulfites. According to Hassan Gourama, associate professor of food science at Pennsylvania State University, sulfites inhibit the microbial growth through a number of actions. Sulfites inhibit the degradation reactions in fruits and also keep raisins and other dried fruits from losing their light color.

Preservatives have been added to cosmetics, detergents and other household items during the last few decades. The main use of these chemicals is just the same as they are used in food production industry. They also prevent the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. However, unlike the chemicals used in food substances, these preservatives are relatively stronger and may spoil the product and cause harm to the user. Preservatives used in cosmetics may include parabens, benzyl alcohol tetrasodium EDTA.

Much is said about preservatives being contained in products, where there is a lot of controversy about this matter. The most important thing about the use of preservatives is that it must be safe to use. It is also important for it to be in balance. Preservatives should be added that is just enough to control the microbial growth and not too much that it may cause allergies such as dermatitis and show other side effects. So, when purchasing ant product, we must ensure that the product is stable and safe to use without the growth of microorganisms, yet not over filled with preservatives.

Washing your face with CHEMICALS Regularly..??!!!

Are you aware of the fact that more than one-third of the skin care products, including face wash products contain at least one ingredient linked to skin cancer? When we consider our skin of our face to be so valuable and know that it is so fragile, don’t you think it is worthwhile to do a little research on the product we wash our face day after day?

The skin absorbs and secretes nutrients as well as toxins through our pores, and 60% or more of what is applied to the skin or face is absorbed in to the bloodstreams. Studies show that 70% of all personal care products contain carcinogens, reproductive toxins, endocrine disruptors, harmful surfactants, pesticides and many more. The absorption of these impurities in to the bloodstream is facilitated by other ingredients such as Sodium Laureth Sulfate.

One of the other chemical ingredients that is contained in face wash and moisturizers is Propylene glycerol. In many of the products this ingredient is often called as humectants. Tests on this chemicals has shown that it is capable of causing inhibited skin cell growth, dermatitis, skin irritation and can also be linked to kidney and liver abnormalities.

Even though the mineral oils contained in face wash products sound harmless, the actual source of these mineral oils is crude oil or petroleum. These are substances that are used in metal cutting industries as well. These oils suffocate the skin by forming an oil film over the top layer of the skin, making the skin unable to breathe and release carbon dioxide. It is a common misunderstandment that most people seem to believe that oils will keep your skin hydrated, but what this actually will do is leave your skin more sensitive and cause it to dry out more easily.

Parabens and alcohol are two more harmful chemical ingredients contained in face wash, which are used as preservatives. These chemicals mimic the functions of oestrogen and causes hormonal imbalance in the body. It also interferes with the endocrine system of the body.it has also been connected with some forms cancer as well.

There are also products such as collagen and elastin (generally found in animal skin) which over-moisturize and suffocate the skin. These may also let bacteria to feed and grow within the skin causing the corroding of the skin.

It is time that we stop being guinea pigs for the skin care industry and start reading the labels and choose safe and natural face wash products that promote health at the cellular level for ourselves and the environment.


Photo:www.webmd.com

Does my Shampoo HEAL OR KILL my hair?

Have you ever thought that the shampoo we use for our hair maybe more toxic for us than we can imagine? The shampoo that we use in order to make our hair silky, straight, and strong maybe the actual reason for the dandruff, damage of the scalp or the thinning of the hair.

The actual chemical that is responsible for these damages is the contain of surfactants called Sodium Laurel Sulfate (SLS) and its associated compounds in most of the shampoos. The main use of these chemical is to foam up.These SLS’s can show adverse effects on the skin like scalp irritation and can lead to other more dangerous skin diseases. The main reason for the hair loss is also now proven to be SLS’s.

Studies have shown that these SLS’s have the ability to create nitrate compounds which can cause cell damage and even worse, leading to skin cancer.

The producers often disguise these SLS’s by various other names such as diethanolime (DEA) and triethanolamine (TEA). Most of the hair care products which are labeled as ‘natural’ are also most likely to contain these chemicals.

Other dreadful effects of these chemicals can be, harm caused to the immune system, especially with the skin. Reports also show that the action of SLS’s lower the dermas ability to maintain moisture, as it dissolves the oil in the skin which leads to dryness, roughness and brittle skin.

The American College of Toxicology states that the research has proven that SLS and its associate Sodium Laureth Sulfate can cause malformation in children’s eyes.

This has many other health impacts and may be responsible for a variety of health problems from PMS and Menopausal symptoms to dropping male fertility and increasing female cancers such as breast cancer, where oestrogen levels are known to be involved.

The question remains why these chemicals are still being used apart from the deadly effects. The answer is quite simple; they are cheap. The same SLSs that are contained in our shampoo are found in the garages to get rid of grease in car engines.

So we need to be more careful when choosing a shampoo or skin care products. Paying a little extra on these products is much better than suffering from much bigger health problems.