The Unveiled Wife Ministry has evolved over the years. Many of the articles posted are related to marriage topics that are relevant and helpful to wives. Looking at this title you may wonder what parabens have to do with marriage, but my words may surprise you!
As I share on my About page {which you can read HERE} my husband and I could not have sex for the first four years of our marriage. Pain seized my body every time that we attempted to have sex. In November of 2010 my husband was reminded of a story we heard of a woman with PCOS who decided to go all organic and found positive results within just 3 months of switching to organic products.
[Going Organic Produces Results]
Inspired to find a cure ourselves for our intimacy crisis, my husband checked all my products and sure enough kept seeing some of the same ingredients listed over and over again: parabens! After doing a google search we discovered these chemicals are commonly used as preservatives, however, they are also categorized as endocrine disruptors as well as having the ability to mimic estrogen. The FDA does not regulate cosmetics so these nasty ingredients are allowed to be used, unfortunately by the unsuspecting population. A list of sites regarding parabens can be found at the bottom of this article.
The endocrine system in the human body is purposed to produce hormones that tell the body what to do. In my case, I believe I was sensitive to parabens and they disrupted my body’s natural functions. I was suffering from dryness during sex causing extreme pain.
I was a skeptic at first, unwilling to part with my beloved facewash of 8 years, fearful of breaking out without it. The truth is I didn’t have any other choice but to try…so I got rid of all my products containing parabens, starting with my facewash.
I ditched my expensive cosmetics and personal care products and headed down the road of organics, searching every label before I purchased anything! Although a few times I was tricked as a consumer, trusting the word ‘All Natural’ on the front label, later to return the products in frustration of their misleadings.
Here is a list of products I am currently using, all of which are “Paraben-Free”:
Mascara: SmashBox Full Exposure
Eye Shadow: Urban Decay Naked
Paint: Two-Faced Shadow Insurance
Blush: Jane Arydale
Shampoo: Kirkland from Costco (But I will be attempting to make my own as soon as it is gone!)
Conditioner: Coconut Dessert Essence
Face & Body Wash: Dr. Bronners
Lotion: Coconut Oil ( and sometimes Cetaphil)
Deodorant: Jasons
Lubricant: Coconut Oil
Lip Balm: EOS (and sometimes Burt’s Bees)
Just to clarify, even though these products are paraben-free I try not to use them every single day. I am learning the power of what our bodies are meant to do naturally and how little of these products we actually need to enjoy quality of life. I only wear makeup on special occasions, I try to wait a few days to wash my hair and I use deodorant and lotion sparingly as needed. I am a huge advocate of
Less is best!
When I switched my products I felt different within 3 days and experienced pain-free sex in a matter of weeks. I am not sure that this was the only thing that cured my body, for God was transforming a lot in my life at that time, but just knowing I was putting so much of those harmful chemicals on my body was a huge wake-up call for me.
Parabens seemed to be in everything!
In addition to parabens, there are many other questionable ingredients that we should actively research and be aware of including, but definitely not limited to Phthalates, BPA, Triclosan, FD&C Coloring, and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. For me, parabens were the tip of the ice berg.
As I adjust my living with the education I am gaining I am able to make healthier choices for me and my family. However, I realize this is going to take time to tackle, so for me I take it one day at a time.
If you have a testimony of healing after avoiding specific ingredients or going organic please share in the comments! Also, if you have additional paraben-free products you really enjoy please list them for others to see!
I created a board on Pinterest where I will post Paraben-Free products! Check it out HERE!
A List of Resources About Parabens:
http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/705335/PROPYLPARABEN/
http://safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=291
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraben
http://www.terressentials.com/truthaboutparabens.html
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/issues/health/science/toxics/chemicals-in-your-cosmetics—parabens/