June
2008
Dear Mark: Primal Personal Products?
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How safe is all this stuff?
Dear Mark,
What are your thoughts on using personal products such as lotion, deodorant, or even toothpaste? I use these daily, but it certainly doesn’t jive with my “caveman diet” philosophies.
Thanks to reader Steve for his question. It’s true, old Grok wasn’t exactly getting facials and eyebrow waxings at the spa over yonder. While he might not have been the dusty, grungy figure he’s often made out to be, he was undoubtedly rumpled and unkempt by our standards. Alas, we find ourselves in a much different age, an era of rather obsessive personal sanitization (if you ask me) and more attention to “product” than to health. Nonetheless, few of us are happy to take up residence in a backwoods shack. We’ll readily make compromises to live among the rest of civilization. But, when it comes to lotions, soaps, deodorant, etc., how can we be healthy in the primal sense but still accepted by contemporary, “polite” society? Call it the modern caveman’s/cavewoman’s dilemma.
The skin is an organ, after all. It’s our first line of defense against pathogens, toxins, etc. It’s porous, permeable. It interacts with the world and substances it comes in contact with – whether it’s clean, pure water from a mountain stream or the infinite variety of petroleum compounds (and worse, oh so much worse) found in everything from lotion to aftershave to makeup.
Bathing/showering: I’d recommend it. Your spouse, co-workers, kids and others will thank you for your efforts. Jokes aside, a simple shower with some basic soap suffices pretty well by itself without the help of every pine fresh, floral or citrus-musk, natural woods, rainforest cloud scent that they pump into all the body washes, specialty shampoos, bubble baths, colognes and personal sprays (don’t worry, I’m not touchin’ that one!) they try to sell us these days. One shower indulgence I’d recommend: a shower/bath filter to get rid of the chlorine. Sure, you’ll fork out a little money for it, but you’ll save it over time with less conditioner and lotion. No more dry skin and hair? Hmmm. Guess Grok had it good in some respects. And it’s possible you’d be giving your lungs a break. There’s some concern regarding the daily inhalation of chlorine during showers.
That deodorant/anti-perspirant in your medicine cabinet? That’s a little trickier issue. When it comes to deodorant, I’d use what you need to but proceed with caution. A daily shower is enough for some people, but most of us need a little extra help in that department. Aluminum salts, in addition to other common ingredients (like dyes and fragrances) in anti-perspirants/deodorants, can irritate the skin, causing inflammation and tenderness. In fact, two popular ingredients, neomycin sulfate and cobalt chloride, were found by Mayo Clinic researchers to be among the top ten causes of allergic contact dermatitis.
A more serious concern with anti-perspirant/deodorant is the aluminum content in anti-perspirant products. (The aluminum is there to clog the pores and prevent the release of sweat from the glands.) It’s true that the human body doesn’t need or use aluminum, and enough of it can cause aluminum toxicity (which can result in neurological damage, osteoporosis and kidney malfunction). However, unless you find yourself snacking on that stick of Old Spice or Soft and Dry, you don’t have reason to worry about getting near any level of aluminum toxicity. Claims also abound regarding its connection to Alzheimer’s and breast cancer. To date, no significant studies with accepted methodology support either claim.
Yet, I’d add a wrinkle to this issue. It’s commonly (albeit not universally) believed that the aluminum compounds in anti-perspirants are unable to pass through the skin to begin with. However, the growing number of physicians and health advocates suggest that aluminum compounds have a much higher chance of being absorbed when they’re applied to freshly shaven skin. This concern somewhat bolsters (but doesn’t, of course, prove) the breast cancer claim, particularly because directly beneath the armpit area you find the lymphatic system, which is connected with breast tissue. My ultimate recommendation: avoid anti-perspirants if/when you can and definitely delay using them for a day if you shave the armpit area. If you’re going to go the “deodorant” route, use only 100% natural scents due to the dangers of phthalates (chemical plasticizers that are part of synthetic fragrances).
As for lotions? A bit of coconut oil can work wonders. Some people swear by olive oil for hair conditioning. In terms of other products, I’d boil it down to ingredients. Phthalates are found in close to all conventional and even some “natural” personal products. They’re known cancer causing agents and can result in serious birth defects. Do you see “fragrance” on the label? Drop it like Grok would a torch he picked up from the wrong end. Does the product say unscented? Still, check the label. In all likelihood, there’s still some kind of masking fragrance. The only safe fragrance is a 100% natural extract.
Another set of ingredients to avoid at all costs: the parabens. Methyl-, propyl-, butyl-, ethyl-, consider the whole family a lot of bad seeds. They’re known endocrine disruptors, these preservative hooligans that inhabit the majority of conventional soaps, shampoos, lotions, makeup, and sunscreens.
A few other common “offenders” to steer clear of? Methylisothiazolinone (MIT), toluene, mineral oil, paraffin, and petrolatum, DMDM hydantoin, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, quaternium-15, and bronopol, -eth compounds, coal tar (to name a few). But take a look at the ingredient label of anything you pick up. Anything “primal” about it? A mind-boggling laundry list of chemical compounds that all run together? Are your eyes totally glazed over yet? Yes, it’s enough to make you rethink that backwoods shack possibility.
Instead of hearing just what to avoid, here are a couple resources that actually offer some suggestions for what to buy instead. National Geographic’s Green Guide publication tests and analyzes numerous personal care (and other) products for human health as well as environmental impact.
Also, be sure to check out the Skin Deep database compiled by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics for more information on common ingredients as well as less risky alternatives to conventional care products.
The simplest rule of thumb for modern primal living is to use as few products and as little of them as possible, but what this means to each of us will vary by personal aesthetic, professional expectations, and other factors. Personally, I use a little sunscreen if I’ll be out all day and some lip balm from time to time. I use about the most basic toothpaste on the market. Look for the most natural products you can find. If the “crunchy” stuff isn’t up to snuff, use the conventional products but go old school and keep it simple. The more new-fangled ingredients and additions to the formula, the more questionable its effects on your body.
Thanks, as always, for your questions. And I hope you’ll share your own recommendations and thoughts.
savor soaps, .snow, slight clutter, LuluP Flickr Photos (CC)
Further Reading:
A Sanitized World is a Healthier World?
8 Unusual Uses for Hydrogen Peroxide
That’s Fit: Deodorant Linked to Breast Cancer?
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We err on the side of “less is better” here. Yes, we shower, shave, etc., but we’re not obessed with it. My boys, this time of year, play outside a lot, but also play in the water hose and the kiddie pool, and so if they are getting rinsed off outside every day, they might not get in the bathtub for weeks. I think, especially for kids, soap is mostly unnecessary and plain water does the job pretty well.
We’re looking for the most natural products we can, and once I run out of my shampoo and conditioner, I’m going to try olive oil for that. I’ll confess that we’re not big on deodorants either - I don’t like to stink, but soap and water takes care of that, too, and frankly I prefer a man who smells manly rather than like a fragrance.
Unpopular things to admit, but we’ve never had anyone complain, so we must be taking care of things well enough.
I use coconut oil as a moisturizer and I love it. I sometimes mix a little vanilla extract in, but usually just like the simple scent of it plain.
Another simple, natural bathing product: make your own salt scrub. Take a coarser salt, like kosher salt, and mix with your favorite good oil. You can add a natural extract scent if you want, or leave it plain. Rub it on and rinse off. The salt clears off dead skin layers and the oil moisturizes. It’s the same stuff you can buy for large amounts of money, only without the large amounts of money part.
Food Is Love
I’m 100% against the hand lotions (can we include hand sanitizers in there as well?). Beyond the toxicity of the chemicels you’re smearing across your palms, the lotions act to temporarily soften the skin, only to leave the skin more cracked and dry once the lotion wears off (usually less than an hour). Thus the cycle begins of using more and more hand lotion, and needing more and more hand lotion to smooth out skin that dries out from the use of unnecessary hand lotion. The same principal works for Tums. The more Tums you take, the more Tums you need next time you take Tums as your body’s ability to fight indigestion weakens.
What about the modern ubiquitous hand sanitizer? I’ve heard mixed things…
I use a chlorine filter in my shower and it works great. I am much more aware of the chlorine smell/taste when I’m not at home.
I use quality aloe vera as a moisterizer, especially in the summer. Baking soda is the best skin exfoliant! I’ve been using it for years.
I found a good shampoo/cond. -the basic ingredients are aloe vera, coconut oil, avocado oil, essential oils and smells great.
32Simon,
We did a post on hand sanitizers awhile back. Check it out:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/immune-system-strength/
I have heard that hand sanitizers are not a good idea, that it weakens the bodies natural defenses against bacteria. I would love for someone to either corroborate this claim or refute it based on facts not opinions. I would also like to say that I agree, using hand lotion daily is counter productive, but there are good products out there to be used sparingly.
Women especially should steer clear of parabens, a common type of preservative. Most conventional products are chock full of them. Parabens act as estrogens in the body and can cause serious consequences, from endometriosis to estrogen-related cancers.
Crystal, I’m curious what the name of your shampoo/cond is, it sounds great!
I found mine at the health food store but if not here is a website: http://www.drchristophers.com
It is under specialty items and it is called, BFC Shampoo. It lists all ingredients. I’ve only tried their shampoo/conditioner.
Some of you may find the Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetic Safety Database helpful.
Unfortunately, a lot of pure oils, like olive oil, jojoba, etc., break my skin out like crazy. And salt scrubs. And most hair conditioners . . . I’ve only had success with Paula’s Choice, and she has a lot to say about the cosmetic and body care industry’s misleading uses of the word “natural”.
shaving foam is a con
i have fairly sensitive skin and used to get only slight reddening with “sensitive” shaving gels - however, i get no reactions whatsoever if i just use warm water
all gels or foams strip the skin of its natural oils, even if it replaces them with other oils - there contain some alien agents
it is a complete myth that you need to use any application shave - in may experience - just make sure you use warm water on your skin first and rinse the shaver in warm water before using it.
Also, many people need not use any shampoo to wash their hair - many can have lovely soft hair without smell if they just use warm water daily. UK Telegraph journalist Matthew Parris is a prominent advocate - challenging anyone to sniff his hair and not find it practically fragrant - note - it takes several weeks for your hair to adjust itself to non shampoo washing.
note the daily mail’s “soapless experiment too -
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-477378/Six-weeks-wash-The-soapless-experiment.html
I had to give up the non hair washing lark because, though my hair was healthy, the smell was a bit too earthy for my wife - maybe more of a modern perception but you have to accept your partner’s viewpoint sometimes)
don’t believe all the hype, though
m
Scientists have listed a number of reasons to explain the huge differences between breast cancer rates among Western women and Asian women, among them diet, weight, and genes. Reading about the anti-perspirant link, I was reminded that Koreans, Chinese, and Japanese traditionally don’t wear deodorant because their underarm perspiration is relatively odorless.
I used to shave with shaving cream. But once I had read about an article on shaving cream being a racket I had to find out the truth for myself. It turns out shaving is better without the cream. Get out of shower, position one’s self in front of mirror and then shave the facial hair in less than 15 secs. The first week, I was afraid to hurt my skin so I put on soap on my face. After about 1 or 2 week, I stopped with the soap and went raw with wet skin/razor blade. Results in faster and better shaves.
Here’s the article:
http://www.lewrockwell.com/tucker/tucker65.html
i have to add to this that i stopped ushing shampoo and conditioner a year ago and my hair looks better than ever. sodium laureth-sulfate (found in most soaps and shampoos) strips your skin and hair of natural moisture and then conditioners with silicone and other “one” products covers it in “moisturizing” film. what’s the point? i now use a natural bar soap (from health food store) followed by a rinse of a rosemary-infused (just float the rosemary in there for a while then strain out) apple cider vinegar and water mixture, and then rinse again with water. sometimes if i am down to my last nub of soap, i wash my hair with a paste of baking soap, rinse thoroughly, and then do the ACV rinse. i wish someone had told me all this earlier. my hair is fantastic now!