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Beauty Products and Estrogen Dominance

Estrogen dominance could be responsible for many illnesses in America. Here are  a few(ahem) symptoms..

• Allergies, including asthma, hives, rashes, sinus congestion
• Autoimmune disorders such as lupus erythematosis and thyroiditis, and possibly Sjoegren’s disease
• Breast cancer
• Breast tenderness
• Cervical dysplasia
• Cold hands and feet as a symptom of thyroid dysfunction
• Copper excess
• Decreased sex drive
• Depression with anxiety or agitation
• Dry eyes
• Early onset of menstruation
• Endometrial (uterine) cancer
• Fat gain, especially around the abdomen, hips and thighs
• Fatigue
• Fibrocystic breasts
• Foggy thinking
• Gallbladder disease
• Hair Loss
• Headaches
• Hypoglycemia
• Increased blood clotting (increasing risk of strokes)
• Infertility
• Irregular menstrual periods
• Irritability
• Insomnia
• Magnesium deficiency
• Memory loss
• Mood swings
• Osteoporosis
• Polycystic ovaries
• Premenopausal bone loss
• PMS
• Prostate cancer (men only)
• Sluggish metabolism
• Thyroid dysfunction mimicking hypothyroidism
• Uterine cancer
• Uterine fibroids
• Water retention, bloating
• Zinc deficiency
• Pre-mature aging & wrinkles

 Well isn’t that just fanfreakintabulous!! I mean who doesnt have at least 5 of those symptoms at any given time? Are we all just totally flipped?   No, because small adjustments can make a big difference.  What goes in or on your body, remember that, are the largest factors. Being aware is the first step. 

 It’s possible that we are all — men, women and children — suffering a little from estrogen dominance, because there is so much of it in our environment. You would have to live in a bubble to escape the excess estrogens we’re exposed to through pesticides, plastics, industrial waste products, car exhaust, meat, soaps and much of the carpeting, furniture and paneling that we live with indoors every day.  Im always surprised when clients have no idea what I’m talking about when I speak of it in the salon.  So what is it exactly?? Women produce 2 types of hormones- progesterone and estrogen. All of the things above we breath, eat and absorb; dermally break down in our bodies as synthetic estrogen, which in turn,  can create a hormone imbalance. Synthetic estrogen simply means its not estrogen your body created, but absorbed from the environment. When our hormones are balanced everything is functioning great, when they aren't a bagillion different things can go wrong. From just feeling sluggish or in extreme cases, cancer.  In most cases for women, we get the largest doses of  synthetic estrogen from what goes in & on our bodies.  Its scary but in a world where GMO”s( genetically modified organisms) are in most supermarket foods, & petrochemicals( derived from crude oil includes: ethylene, toluene  often in nail polish, and butylene) and preservatives are in most cosmetics , its a reality.  Its unrealistic to think you can avoid all these things, but even slight efforts can make a huge difference in your health.  Where do beauty products play in to this? Well they obviously go directly on our bodies. Many mainstream and VERY advertised products contain the highest amounts of preservatives, sulfates, parabens, and chemicals. Choosing organic, or plant based(natural) skin, makeup and hair products are a great start.  Here are a few other easy things that make a big difference.

•  eat only organic meat and dairy , or at the very least food that says “no added hormones”
• get a tap filter, Brita sells a great one for about 60$ and help the earth & save $ by not buying bottled h20
• dont microwave your food in plastic
• use an organic body lotion- or extra virgin olive oil. I use Eufora’s body lotion & I love it. Did you know a major beauty company tried to buy it from them (Initials are E.L.. can you guess?)  to try to sell in department stores for 60$ a jar for a face moisturizer. They politely declined. Its about 20$ for a bottle. But if that's still to much use the E.V.O.O. It makes your  skin soft and healthy. If you cant bear the smell, add a lil lavender, citrus or rosemary oil. Have fun with it & save major $. Did you know Vic’s Secret and Bath & Body are some of THE most unhealthiest things you can put on your body? They’re loaded with chemicals.
• get a few houseplants, the extra co2 improves air quality
• switch to mineral makeup
• don't smoke, duh
• stop drinking pop, especially diet( hangovers excluded)
• read labels and ask questions! Seriously, quit opening the shampoo bottle to smell it. It kills me when I see a client do this, although I DO IT TOO. I guess its just human nature, but trust me; the fragrance is the LEAST important thing in the bottle.

 The last one is very important. Ask questions. There is nothing I CANNOT stand more than a dumb hairstylist. You know the one. Selling something just because they’re told by the reps or hair companies that its a great product without finding out for themselves.  Is that someone you really want to get beauty advice from over the long haul? No. Whether its health advice from a physician, or beauty advice from an aestheticism or stylist, don't you want the “professionals” in your life to be educated and knowledgeable? 

 I really dislike the word “lifestyle”. It seems so smug. I've been on the ”green” walk since 2002, before it was coined “green”. Making the decision to choose cleaner, healthier options for my body and planet. I still learn new things all the time.  I’m sometimes hyper vigilant, sometimes not so much. But the one thing I know, it’s not going away, its getting worse. Unfortunately, its the world we live in today. Adopting some of the things above will help your body and our planet. In no