We have all heard that our skin is our largest organ at this point, but have you ever considered something called your body burden
I love this excerpt from Science Direct and the book linked below. (Zero Affiliation)
"Body burden
is the term for the concentration (or amount) of chemical in the body
at any given time, and the biological half-life of a chemical is the
time required to reduce the concentration of the chemical in the body by
one-half, in the absence of further intake. Many pesticides are water
soluble and easily excreted, or are readily metabolized to more
water-soluble compounds that are easily excreted. Lipophilic pesticides,
such as the organochlorines,
however, are stored in fat and are not easily removed from the body,
and most people around the world carry a low body burden of organochlorine pesticides (Burgaz et al., 1994; Durham, 1969; Zatz, 1972).
Repeated exposure to a chemical may result in cumulative storage and an
increased body burden. If the interval between exposures is long
relative to the biological half-life of the chemical, all or most of it
will be removed from the body prior to subsequent exposure, and it is
unlikely that the chemical will accumulate. If the interval between
exposures is short relative to the biological half-life, however, there
will be a residual body burden from the first exposure when the second
exposure occurs, and so on, such that the chemical accumulates in the
body."
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/body-burden
"The body burden of a toxic substance is said to be the amount of the
substance in the human body and represents the difference between
cumulative absorption and excretion of the substance. Measuring body
burdens provides a precise individual measurement of exposure to a
toxin. Such measurements are useful in epidemiologic risk assessments
and provide a means of relating exposure to absorption. The principles
underlying measuring body burdens were discussed. When absorbed, toxins
are usually distributed across several physiologically distinct
compartments. The compartments are defined by the dynamic behavior of
the toxin contained within them and do not necessarily correspond to
specific anatomical sites. Lead (7439921) and polybrominated-biphenyl
(59536651) exposures were discussed as examples of body burden
measurements. Limitations of body burden measurements were described.
Body burden measurements generally are not very useful in providing
information on short term changes in exposure. The body burden does not
respond rapidly to fluctuations in exposure except in the case of very
rapidly excreted toxins. An understanding of the toxicokinetics of
absorbed materials is necessary in order to use body burden measurements
in the most effective manner. Ethical aspects of body burden
measurements were discussed. Because measuring body burdens may tend to
label individuals as being at increased risk of disease, body burden
measurements should be coupled with environmental exposure measurements.
Measuring body burdens of individuals in the absence of environmental
exposure measurements is considered unethical"
- https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nioshtic-2/00173360.html
If you are still with me, you have a good idea of what the body burden is (the accumulation of chemicals and pesticides in the body, specifically fat, and how long that takes to clear the system is directly impacted by exposure, having a cumulative effect.) As a side note, all of these are really great links and references to share when someone asks about why its worth paying extra for Organic, USDA Organic, Organically Grown, or to grow your own food and medicine.
You are also probably wondering what this has to do with skincare, this is a recent study done by the EWG, Environmental Working Group, and it speaks to one of my main concerns.
In a study spearheaded by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) in
collaboration with Commonweal, researchers at two major laboratories
found an average of 200 industrial chemicals and pollutants in umbilical
cord blood from 10 babies born in August and September of 2004 in U.S.
hospitals. Tests revealed a total of 287 chemicals in the group. The
umbilical cord blood of these 10 children, collected by Red Cross after
the cord was cut, harbored pesticides, consumer product ingredients, and
wastes from burning coal, gasoline, and garbage.
- https://www.ewg.org/research/body-burden-pollution-newborns
I know, a lot of quotes from outside sources, but I like empirical evidence. I love old wisdom, like how spit and tobacco pulls out a bee stinger, but I also like medical studies. So, why am I as a skincare formulator and herbalist concerned about chemicals in a baby's umbilical cord? Why do I think you should be as well? I think the most logical place to start is to ask the question of why a newborn baby has 287 chemicals in their system at birth? If the body burden refers to the accumulation over time and this is our starting point, what is happening to our bodies as a result?
This means that the mothers have this exposure while pregnant or that their existing toxin load is so high that it inherently transfers through the blood to baby. If you then add a petroleum derived baby oil and talc based baby powder with artificial fragrance and corn allergens that are so GMO now they don't need pesticide; you have a recipe for disaster. Sick babies, sick kids, sick teens, and more sick adults. If you further combine this body burden from birth with things like parabens, hormone disruptors, and artificial fragrances...it becomes very very clear why everything you put on or in your body matters.
When my Grandpa passed away in 2007 from Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, I started looking into the chemicals in our food, skincare, and general environment I was scared of what my future would look like. I started cutting out things like fragrance and beauty products. I worked in a commercial salon and quickly noticed that my migraines happened there, when I was exposed to all the products; more alarming, I noticed the other women I worked with ALL had similar issues. I eventually quit that job for the sake of my health and within a month my migraines were centered exclusively around my moon cycle, and no longer a daily occurrence. This so drastically changed my quality of life that I kept digging and started making my own homemade skincare.
Not only did my headaches all but disappear, but my acne and even my body acne had started to improve. I wanted to understand the ingredients in my products so I hopped online and started digging. I researched the chemistry and the connection between barrier function and overall health, At the same time I realized my acne prone and sensitive skin was not going to tolerate coconut ingredients, unfortunate since 99% of natural products have coconut or coconut based emulsifiers (E-Wax, Ceteryl Alcohol). I started making my own recipes coconut and palm free and the rest was history.
As I learned more about formulation and got into the skincare manufacturing side of things, I understood more about what products the market really needed. A natural deodorant was one of my first formulas. Your lymphatic system is integral in detoxifying your system. Typical commercial deodorant uses aluminum or alum salts to stop you from sweating, keeping all the things your body is trying to detoxify via your sweat trapped in your armpits. This makes it difficult for your body to reduce the body burden via that pathway. It also further adds to it with chemicals and fragrances on your skin being absorbed.
Our deodorant has been our cornerstone product, quite by accident. I was really into makeup and was initially much more interested in a makeup line, but I soon saw need in the sensitive skin realm for something different.
Coconut has a tendency to clog pores, basically rated an 80% likelihood of clogging your pores (4 of 5 on the comedogenic scale.) This goes for most coconut derived ingredients as well, especially emulsifying wax. I searched for products that were free from coconut and it's derivatives to no avail. It was almost impossible to find products that met my quality standards, that weren't $40 for a stick of deodorant, and that wouldn't break me out. Even now, ten years after we started, its almost impossible to find a coconut free natural deodorant. I make one and it is great.
I think a lot of formulators have the best of intentions and use really great ingredients, but miss the mark when it comes to naturally occurring hormone disruptors in things like essential oils and even naturally fragrances. I use only essential oils, butters, and oils that have a good track record of not causing further hormone disruption.
What this means for you is that you can trust that my products won't worsen skin barrier concerns like eczema and psoriasis, won't clog pores or break you out, and won't cause lasting damage to your body or add to your body burden. If you are over 30 and still struggling with acne, this means you can soothe your breakouts and balance your skin without stripping it and causing dehydration. I actually make an AHA + BHA butter that is EPIC for mature acne and body breakouts.
We are in the process of planning a spring rebrand and release of some updated photos, labels, and products!
I will be doing a personal update blog soon, Thank you for all of you who follow us!
Jerra
