Many people choose to use commercial hand lotions to make their skin softer, and moister. This is especially true throughout the winter months, when less moisture is present in air. Commercial lotions can provide some short term relief for skin dryness, but they actually make the problems worse in the long term. This phenomena is similar to what we have seen with pharmaceuticals and dieting aids, which ultimately make the root problems much worse, in order to create a chemical dependence.
People rarely use hand lotions with light moderation. Instead, lotions usually become an essential accessory, which are applied several times a day, for years at a time. This necessity seems to be by design from the industry. The great majority of hand lotions contain toxic chemicals which accumulate in the liver and fatty tissues, causing long-term problems, as they accumulate in ever greater amounts in the body over time. Many of the common chemicals used in hand lotions are known to cause skin dryness, and skin irritation with extended use, which just happens to be really great for business. When people start experiencing long-term dryness after using hand lotions, they eventually become dependent on these same lotions for their quick-fix. It is unlikely that such a problem is accidental.
The Toxic Ingredients
Common ingredients in commercial hand lotions include parabens (propylparaben, ethylparaben, methylparaben), alcohols, mineral oil, other petroleum products, and aluminum. Most people seem oblivious to the fact that chemicals placed on the skin are usually absorbed directly into the blood stream. Perhaps, if this were to become common knowledge, then many of the cosmetic products which are now sold would go out of business. Cosmetic products are not regulated at all, so the current formulas are made at the whim of manufacturers.
Paraben's bio-accumulate in the liver, breasts, and fatty tissues. They are known for causing skin irritation, dry skin, sensitizing the skin, and triggering allergic reactions. In addition, a lot of controversy has surrounded this set of chemicals in recent years, due to the fact that some studies link their use to breast cancer. The primary study of controversy is from September 2008, which monitored girls who used cosmetic products containing parabens, and contrasted them with girls who did not. They found higher rates of cancer in the girls who were exposed to parabens. Animal studies have also shown that parabens reduce the sperm count.
Petroleum has been shown in studies to not only cause cancerous tumors, but also to cause long-term dryness of skin. Petroleum-based creams cannot absorb completely, so some is left on the surface of the hands. The hands then appear to improve, because this oily layer appears like something of a second skin, but this results in more problems in the future, whenever the petroleum 'mask' is removed. Meanwhile, the skin remains dry and smothered underneath the oily layer. Mineral oil 'works' in the same way, except that a certain amount of It also sinks into the blood stream.
Amazingly, many hand lotions contain alcohols, which are known to practically everyone to dry skin. Why then, would they be added to moisturizers? Such a decision is definitely not in the interest of people with dry or cracking skin.
Aluminum is a bio-accumulative heavy metal, which cannot normally leave the body. Instead, it damages the IQ, contributes to cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and multiple sclerosis. A heavy metal cleanse is necessary to remove the build up of this toxic metal, and selenium should be used as a neutralizing supplement in the meantime. Be sure to always buy aluminum-free baking powder for this reason.
Most people never even consider reading the ingredients lists on their cosmetics products. Our analysis of leading brands of moisturizers was horrifying. The long list of chemicals that can be found inside modern cosmetics seems endless, and it is perfectly legal for companies to avoid listing some ingredients, under the guise of "trade secrets". This is normal, in fact. If you are one of the millions of people who have been scammed by the chemical industry in regard to hand lotions, then we strongly recommend a liver and heavy metal cleanse; and if still needed, a switch to a natural hand lotion.
