Mainstream beauty products can be dangerous. Consumers need to be made aware of the fact that big corporate 'beauty' & personal care products carry a wide range of ingredients that are carcinogenic or allergenic. Consumers should watch for chemicals, petroleum-based ingredients and harsh detergents in these products....they could damage the skin, making the absorption of toxic ingredients easier.

Every day society uses countless chemically laden products that contribute to disease, harming the environment, pollution & confusing sexual development in animals. Even before your morning coffee, one can be exposed to over 200 synthetic chemicals. Do you know that approximately 5,000 chemicals are used in the beauty & cosmetic industry? Out of those, OSHA estimates over 884 are toxic! Testing for just one of these chemicals (which can alter hormone levels & functions) was done & those compounds were found in 52 out of 72 name-brand beauty products.

Pick up any big name brand product & read the ingredients -- if you can't pronounce the name or it ends in 'eth' for example...then the ingredient most likely is a very powerful irritant detergent & did not come from any type of natural source. Even if they mention botanicals, herbal extracts or organic...the amount they include are so minute that the chemicals far outweigh any possible benefits one might receive from said extracts! One of the favorite "myths" these companies like to use is the fact that Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) or Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES) is derived from coconuts...this is all hype. It tricks the brain & the consumer into thinking it's natural...it's not!!! It's well known in the scientific community as a common skin irritant. Some of the most commonly used chemicals & some of the most toxic are: Talc, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Aluminum, Alcohol, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBT), Cocamide DEA, Lauramide DEA, Formaldehyde Derivatives, Lanolin, Mineral Oil, Propylene Glycol, Fluoride. We haven't even begun to touch on the preservatives in these products...not sure we want to either!!

One of the biggest newest hypes in this multi-billion dollar industry is the high dollar creams that contain vitamins, retinol, retinoids, fatty acids, salicylic acid, AHA's, benzoyl peroxide, collagen, copper, elastin & amino acids. These are just a few of the key ingredients they use to make the claim "will reduce fine lines, wrinkles, make you look younger," etc... According to medical experts, the molecules of some of these are even too large to penetrate the skin when applied topically. Some are carcinogens. Some can cause irritations, redness, flaking. Some are on the Health Canada, Product Safety Bureau hit list. Some can be contaminated. Yes sireee, I want to put these chemicals on my skin...NOT!!! Are you sure you want too??? Interesting huh & quite scary?? And people pay big bucks for this stuff!! So you tell me...how good are all those vitamins & 'proteins' etc. in those big corporate products when they add yet more chemicals to get their final "miracle" product??!!

There are no legal definitions when it comes to "natural", "botanical" or "organic", so these corporate giants have no laws or regulations to abide by. In cosmetic terminology, the term 'natural' can mean anything the manufacturer wishes. Legally, they don't even have to list the ingredients because of their "trade secrets". They also do not have to submit safety data on any of their ingredients or report cosmetic-related injuries...such as skin rashes, allergic reactions & eye infections. The term hypoallergenic which is used quite often too....again there are no federal regulations defining allergens, nor are there any guidelines, so basically it has very little meaning!!

Even when products say all-natural or 100% natural, it depends on the source, the supplier & how it is processed if this all-natural ingredient stays all-natural. When Mystick Scents uses an all-natural ingredient, it stays as such. Melting & blending does not change that fact. If it doesn't say natural or all-natural, then at least one ingredient is not natural in our products. But why should you take our word for it?? Here's a list of some of the ingredients Mystick Scents uses: aloe gel, apricot kernel oil, citric acid, cocoa butter, coconut oil, jojoba oil, shea butter, sweet almond oil, titanium dioxide, vegetable glycerine, wheat germ oil, witch hazel. Those cover 99% of the basic ones we use in almost every product. Oils reduce water loss in skin care products. No amount of oil alone can moisturize the skin. However, oil does provide a protective barrier that prevents water from evaporating from the skin's surface & it smoothes rough, scaly skin cells. Water on it's own evaporates quickly from the surface of the skin, causing further dryness. THE perfect skin solution is a cream/lotion that brings together the best of both worlds....water to keep skin youthful, fresh & plump and oil to hold back water evaporation. 

Everything we put on our skin/hair is absorbed into our bodies through the pores in our skin. Now stop & think about ALL the beauty, skin care & body care products you use each & every day...including shampoos & hair care products. Kinda scary huh?? Do something good for your skin & your body....try Mystick Scents' products!!! Remember....Knowledge is Power.

(Resources: Natural Health Magazine, Herbs For Health Magazine, "Beauty To Die For -- The Cosmetic Consequence" by Judi Vance, "Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to The Healing Art" by Kathy Keville & Kathy Green, "The Complete Book of Essentials Oils & Aromatherapy" by Valerie Ann Worwood & other Internet sources.)