Fran and others:
I have been in health and wellnes for 10 years now and every year we keep learning about harmful ingredients that are used in products we use every day. Yes, it is true, the FDA does NOT regulate the personal care industry so it truly is Buyer Beware! I changed over to natural products 10 years ago and we are so much healthier for it. Many products claim "natural or botanical" but any company can advertise this if they have one ingredient in it like Vitamin C or Lavendar oil, the rest can contain anything. Fragrances are masked with many additives. It is good advice to educate yourself on the products that you use on yourself and your family. Just because it has a "household brand name" on it, does not mean that it doesn't contain harmful ingredients. I know we all want to trust what the BIG companies put out, but the truth is out there and if you went online you will find many things to back up all the postings about hazards in just about everything. I have done years of studying and am still learning every day! That's my goal in my life now, to educate people on alternative means of products that you use everyday that may just be causing your allergies, your sickness, and eventually, even cancer down the line. I wish this wasn't the truth, but I just received an email today about things that I know about that was just released from Johns Hopkins Hospital telling about our foods, how we prepare them, chemicals that get into our body, etc. Maybe people will listen to a big institution like Johns Hopkins!
Our skin is our largest organ and anything we put in and on our bodies goes directly into our organs and into the bloodstream. That's why they make "the patch" for medicinal purposes because the skin absorbs 76% times faster than orally.
I am not posting to alarm or scare anyone. Merely to state a fact that has been known for many years, but you are just now hearing about it. It's never too late to learn and change the way you live and what you eat and use on your body. Unfortunately, the US government does not have a governing body that truly regulates all of the products we use.
If anyone would like more information on healthy alternatives, I would be more than happy to share what I have learned over the years. Because of the internet, information like this is finally being publicized - but not spread by advertising. Why would companies who are making large profits take a product off the shelf if it sells anyway? Think about it - it truly is giving the American public what they want because of convenience and cheap materials - but what price are you really willing to pay in the long run??
Here's to your health! Be informed....