I was glad to read your article on former Ms. America Susan Jeske’s upcoming appearance at USM on March 27 and her mission to warn the public about the dangers of chemicals and heavy metals in health and beauty products. It is disturbing that the cosmetic industry is mostly unregulated and the public is unknowingly using products that could be causing them harm. Many ingredients in cosmetics contain proven neuroendocrine disruptors, that is they interfere with normal chemical signaling in the body and can therefore contribute to disease. Many products contain chemicals known to cause cancer and birth defects. Chemicals such as phthalates and parabens have been linked to hormonal disruption, especially in teens. This is especially disconcerting considering the rapid growth and development of reproductive, immune, and hormone systems which occur in the teen years. I would encourage parents to take a closer look at the products their families are using and become more informed and empowered consumers.

As a licensed naturopathic doctor, I am continually surprised to find that minimizing a patient’s exposure to such products can help conditions ranging from fatigue to infertility. There is a reliable and searchable database of thousands of products ranked according to safety at www.cosmeticsdatabase.com . For anyone interested in seeing a licensed naturopathic doctor, please visit the Maine Association of Naturopathic Doctors at www.mand.org.

 

Dr. Sarah Kotzur
Portland