Popular shampoos contain toxic chemicals linked to nerve damage

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Popular shampoos contain toxic chemicals linked to nerve damage

 

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have found a

correlation between an ingredient found in shampoos and nervous system

damage. The experiments were conducted with the brain cells of rats

and they show that contact with this ingredient called

methylisothiazoline, or MIT, causes neurological damage.

 

Which products contain this chemical compound MIT? Head and Shoulders,

Suave, Clairol and Pantene Hair Conditioner all contain this

ingredient. Researchers are concerned that exposure to this chemical

by pregnant women could put their fetus at risk for abnormal brain

development. In other people, exposure could also be a factor in the

development of Alzheimer's disease and other nervous system disorders.

 

The chemical causes these effects by preventing communication between

neurons. Essentially, it slows the networking of neurons, and since

the nervous system and brain function on a system of neural networks,

the slowing of this network will suppress and impair the normal

function of the brain and nervous system.

 

These finding were presented December 5th at the American Society for

Cell Biology annual meeting.

 

I have frequently warned readers about the dangers of using brand-name

personal care products. The vast majority of these products contain

toxic chemical compounds like MIT that contribute to cancer, liver

disorders and neurological diseases. In fact, this chemical, MIT, is

just one of dozens of such chemicals that are found in personal care

products.

 

Why are these dangerous personal care products allowed to remain on

the market? Because the FDA, which is responsible for regulating these

products, spends almost no time, money or effort actually

investigating the safety of such products. Instead, the FDA spends the

vast majority of its time approving new prescription drugs rather than

protecting the public against the dangers from such drugs or personal

care products like shampoos, soaps, deodorants and fragrance products.

 

In fact, it may surprise you to learn that manufacturers can put

practically any chemical they want into shampoos, even if it is a

hazardous chemical listed in the RTECS database of toxicity and even

if it is considered a toxic waste chemical by the EPA. The FDA allows

all sorts of chemicals to be used in these products, including

chemicals that are known carcinogens and that contribute to liver

failure and nervous system disorders. How's that for protecting public

health?

 

If you thought prescription drugs were dangerous, just take a look at

the toxic chemicals found in personal care products used by virtually

all Americans every single day. Americans bathe themselves in toxic

chemicals and they do it by buying and using products made by brand

name companies that have premier shelf positioning at convenience

stores, grocery stores and discount clubs.

 

One of the more curious personal care products on the market is Herbal

Essences Shampoo by Clairol. Personally, I think this product is a

joke because it's trying to exploit the word " herbal " to imply that

the shampoo is healthy, even though it is primarily made with the same

ingredients as other popular shampoos. The first three ingredients,

for example, are: water, sodium laureth, and sodium lauryl sulfate.

Big deal, huh? You can find the same three ingredients in 99-cent

shampoo at Wal-Mart. Plus, the product contains all sorts of other

ingredients that I personally would never allow to touch my skin (like

methylchloroisothiazolinone, if you can believe there's actually a

chemical with a name that long). Think the color of the shampoo is

from the herbs? Think again. Three other ingredients in the shampoo

are Yellow #5, Orange #4 and Violet #2.

 

In other words, this is a shampoo product purchased by naive

consumers, in my opinion. People who really know herbs and natural

products can only laugh at a product like this. Want a real shampoo?

Buy Olive Oil Shampoo from Heritage Products, available at most

natural health stores.

 

The bottom line to all of this, though, is that every week, it seems

like we see a new announcement about some toxic chemical found in

personal care products that is related to either cancer or

neurological disorders. And yet week after week these products are

being sold by retailers and consumed in large quantities by the

American people who remain oblivious to the real damage these products

are causing to their health.

 

Once again, the solution here is to protect yourself by learning the

truth about these products and switching to products made with safe

ingredients. There are safe shampoos, safe soaps, safe laundry

detergents, dishwashing liquids and even deodorant products. You don't

have to expose yourself to toxic chemicals to take care of personal

hygiene, because whether you agree with it or not, these

disease-causing chemicals are going to remain quite legal in the use

of personal care products for many years to come. Why? You can bet

that the manufacturers of these products will fight against any

attempt to regulate or outlaw these toxic chemicals. That's because

the chemicals are convenient for such manufacturers. It's much the

same way in which food manufacturers use sodium nitrate in bacon and

other packaged meats. It's all about their convenience rather than

protecting your health.

 

So, here's the idiot test for today: if I was standing on a street

corner with a bottle of colored liquid, and I told you that liquid

contained a toxic chemical that caused neurological disorders,

Alzheimer's disease and birth defects, would you buy that product from

me and scrub it into your scalp under warm water?

 

Of course not. But if you're buying these popular shampoo products,

that's exactly what you're doing right now. Such is the power of brand

marketing in America.