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Think of how many products are used every day by the average American in order to keep us well groomed. According to a survey by the Environmental Working Group, EWP, the average person uses 9 products daily which contain more than 126 ingredients. From creams, to balms, to soap, and deodorant, we are spreading topical creams and ointments over the largest permeable organ of the human body – our skin.

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With more than two million holes – pores – the skin has the ability to absorb molecules into the bloodstream. According to a Environ Health Insights article, “Potential Health Effects Associated with Dermal Exposure to Occupational Chemicals”, (December 17, 2014, U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health), contact dermatitis is one of the most common types of occupational illnesses accounting for approximately 90-95% of all occupational skin disorders in the United States. Interestingly enough, the occupational industry, first highlighted in the article, was cosmetology.

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In another article “No More Toxic Tubs – Getting Contaminants out of Children’s Bath and Personal Care Products”, out of the baby products tested for contaminants, 61% of commonly known “mass marketed” products – labeled as “safe and gentle” – contained formaldehyde and I,4-dioxane. These ingredients, which can be absorbed into the bloodstream through the skin, gastro-intestinal tract, and lungs, have been recognized as carcinogens in animal studies. More specifically, formaldehyde has been known to trigger skin reactions, such as contact dermatitis.

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Recently the FDA made a final ruling under which OTC (over-the-counter) consumer antiseptic wash products (such as liquid soap, foam, body wash, and bar soap), containing the majority of the antibacterial active ingredients – including triclosan and triclocarbon – would no longer be able to be marketed in the U.S. (Triclosan is a chemical ingredient found in “antibacterial” soap known to block certain thyroid hormone function. These ingredients have been added to many consumer products with the intent of reducing and preventing bacterial infection, however laboratory studies have raised the possibility that triclosan contributes to making bacteria resistant to antibiotics.)

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Do note that the above ruling does not yet apply to hand sanitizers.

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Therese M. Michele, MD of the FDA’s Division of Nonprescription Drug Products says, “Following simple hand washing practices is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of many types of infection and illness at home. It’s simple and it works.”

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As Beatrice says, “The FDA is busy. And these companies continue to use toxic chemicals in these products simply because they are not banned yet, and they are cheaper than organic. I get it. Ten to twenty dollars for a bar of soap is not cheap. But what value do you place on your health? We need to read labels and make better choices for ourselves and our children.”

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OSB (Organic Soap Bakery) does recommend simply scanning labels of the daily products you use on your skin, checking to make sure they do not include the following ingredients, as they have been linked to cancer, reproductive harm, learning disabilities, and other serious health problems: • Phthalates (can block endocrine hormone in body) • Parabens (links to breast cancer, mimics estrogen) • TEA (triethanolamine) + DEA (diethanolamine) – banned in Europe – carcinogen • Triclosan and triclocarbon (endocrine disruptor – encourages resistence to antibiotics) • PEGS – Polyethylene compounds (tied to I,4-dioxine, carcinogen, easily penetrates skin) • EDTA (linked to brain damage in animals, helps enhance skin absorption) • Sulfates (foaming aspect – creates skin sensitivities).

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At present, the FDA has restricted only 11 out of more than 12,000 ingredients currently used in the cosmetics industry here in the U.S. By comparison, the EU has banned 1,100 ingredients.

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“We have a long way to go. I just want to continue to educate the general public about how important it is that we understand what we are putting on and into our bodies. It might look like soap, but it’s not the soap you once knew.”

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All of the soaps produced by Organic Soap Bakery are made by hand in Los Angeles, California, home to 40 percent of all organic commodities sold in the U.S. (68% percent of all organic vegetables sold in the U.S. are grown in California.) Needless to say, OSB sits at the epicenter of the organic movement. And organic ingredients are what gives OSB its namesake.