According to health experts, autoimmune-related diseases are on the rise and many believe the chemicals in cosmetics are fueling this health crisis.
Dr Chad Larson is Advisor and Consultant on the Clinical Consulting Team for Cyrex Laboratories specialising in environmentally-induced chronic disease. Here he discusses the link between autoimmune diseases and beauty.
Dr Chad Larson
"Would you be surprised if I told you that your favorite cosmetics products, the ones you may be relying on every day of the week, might actually be causing you harm?
Would you be concerned if I suggested that your everyday cosmetics products could not only aggravate chronic health and immunity issues, but could even cause the onset of autoimmune related illness?
Well, the good news is that these risks can be mitigated if you know what to look for and there are tests available to gauge reaction to the potentially harmful toxins and chemicals we tend to invite into our homes—and onto our faces.
The key is to understand what we’re dealing with.
In his foreword to The Autoimmune Epidemic, Dr. Douglas Kerr, M.D., Ph.D. Professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, says: “There is no doubt that autoimmune diseases are on the rise and our increasing environmental exposure to toxins and chemicals is fueling the risk.
“The research is sound. The conclusions, unassailable.”
There are several possible factors that may link chemicals and toxins to autoimmune disease.
Among those factors, the following hold the most relevance:
- Leaky gut, a condition where the protective lining of the digestive track becomes compromised, allowing bacterial toxins, partially digested food, and toxic waste to pass through. Exposure to toxins commonly found in cosmetics can exacerbate this condition, which often leads to autoimmune reactivity and eventually disease, if not treated.
- Of more than 80,000 chemicals currently used in the United States, most haven’t been adequately tested for their effects on human health (NDRC, 2017). Not good!
- If your makeup, lotion or other cosmetic products don’t come from nature, they shouldn’t be consumed, ingested, inhaled or exposed to the skin.
- Remember, our skin is an organ and it is porous, so it will absorb what it touches. If the ingredients listed on the bottle are a scientific mystery to you, it’s always safest to avoid it.
Healthier options?
Does all of this information mean that you should throw out your entire supply of cosmetics and start over?
No, you likely won’t need to go to any extremes. But this should make you think twice about the cosmetics you allow to come into direct contact with your skin and what those products can potentially do to your health.
The best solution for improving your autoimmune health and preventing the onset of autoimmune reactivity and disease is to take a long look at more organic cosmetic products and brands.
The longer the list of chemicals included, the more likely you are to develop or experience an autoimmune reaction.
If you do experience increased chemical sensitivities, an autoimmune disease or a family history of autoimmune disease; toxicity and overexposure to chemical agents should be considered and testing is recommended.
Cyrex Laboratories, a clinical laboratory specialising in functional immunology and autoimmunity, offers advanced, innovative tests designed to detect and monitor autoimmune reactivities and their possible triggers.
Array 11 identifies the loss of immune tolerance associated with toxic chemicals exposure from household cleaning products, makeup, lotions and more, which may lead to inflammation and autoimmune reactivity.
This blood test assists in setting guidelines for the avoidance of specific chemicals to reduce the risk of igniting the autoimmune process, and monitoring the effectiveness of the clinical management of protocols.
Seek the advice of your health care professional and raise any concerns with them.
Proactivity is the best way to combat the effects of health issues and risk factors.
Everybody can benefit from reducing or even eliminating toxic elements and chemical-laden cosmetics from our environment."