The Chemicals Between Us

I was just thinking about.. things. Like the chemicals we put on our bodies. I think that, as a woman in general, I engage in more of this type of behaviour than someone of the opposite gender but I could be wrong.

I read an article not too long ago about a woman who stopped washing and using products for 6 weeks which, while it sounds disgusting, had an interesting result: she felt better. And, even though her bacteria levels were 5000 times what they had been previously, they were still within the safe range for humans.

She notes that her skin seemed to glow and an existing condition lessened.

For years, she has experienced Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), which bizarrely seemed to improve the longer she went without washing. Although there is no medical explanation for this, Nicky is convinced it is to do with a sudden break from the chemicals seeping into her body.

She’s back to using products and bathing frequently but she’s definitely learned a lesson and has “recovered” from her dependency on health and beauty aids. (Of course, whether or not this could be considered an addiction is an entirely separate subject). She doesn’t believe she needs all those products anymore, nor does she believe she needs to use them as much.

A topic of interest to me has always been how products (and those who benefit from sales of said products) will advise a person to use the product more than is necessary and sometimes more than is actually healthy. Shockingly enough, the people pushing us to use more than we need, can include our doctors.

But seek an unbiased, outside source which will have no monetary gain (or won’t lie to you regardless) and you might see a completely different answer.

For a few years I’ve used a toner and moisturizer on my face to clear away dead skin and to keep my skin moisturized but not greasy, respectively. Both of the products instruct me to use them twice a day; however, outside sources say I need only use the toner twice a week and the moisturizer daily. Although the moisturizer isn’t a large stretch, the directions for my toner tell me to use it 7 times more often than the outside source says is actually healthy for my skin! Crazy.

Needless to say, I don’t use it twice a day. I don’t actually use it twice a week because I usually forget but I remembered today and this subject popped into my mind. Of course, I understand that companies want to have money and if we buy their products and use them quickly, we have to buy more and more often which equates to more revenue (and possibly physical or mental addiction which leads to even more revenue). I can’t really blame them.

I can, however, blame medical professional and doctors who would do the same because of their affiliation with drugs companies, pharmacy and what-have-you. You wouldn’t want to believe it, but it’s just as common. Find a doctor who isn’t actually making money off you and his recommendations might vary drastically from someone who is. (Rian was wearing his contacts for 2 weeks per doctor’s orders until another doctor told him they can be used for twice as long.) These people, who are supposed to have our well being and health in mind, are too busy thinking about a buck in the pocket and this is absolutely unacceptable (and also bordering on being another topic completely).

So next time you reach for something in your medicine cabinet (or shower or makeup bag), take a look at the directions. Then, take a look at an unbiased source (say a health or education website). Do we really need all these chemicals on our bodies? And, even if we want them, do we need as much?