Our skin is a highly efficient delivery system. Its key role is to provide a natural barrier between our body and our environment. It was never designed to cope with the myriad of synthetic compounds and nanoparticles in the skin products most of us use today.

Chemical pathways into the body

Chemicals can enter our body through our skin in at least 4 ways;

• THROUGH our cells,
• BETWEEN our skin cells,
• ALONG our hair follicles, and
• Directly through CUTS and ABRASIONS.

Our skin has become a chemical warzone, under constant attack from airborne pollutants and chemical-laden personal care products.

Many of the chemicals are microscopic, making it easy for them to pass through the skin and into our bloodstream. The blood carries them to every organ of the body where they can wreak havoc on our heart, lungs, liver, brain and reproductive system, causing premature ageing, illness, and even death.

Despite a tsunami of evidence of the potentially catastrophic effects of toxic cosmetics, in my humble opinion, the world’s largest and most powerful brands continue to mass-produce beauty products that are packed with harmful, even lethal ingredients. These ingredients are used to improve the appearance, fragrance, texture and shelf life of products to maximise profits and minimize manufacturing costs.

Some people and organisations believe that lack of long-term independent scientific studies or effective regulation in the beauty industry means that there is little oversight or protection for consumers. As a result, we are literally being left to fend for ourselves!

Killer cosmetics are not new!

Killer cosmetics date back to the ancient Egyptians and Romans and probably well before.

Cleopatra’s dramatic eye makeup was a mix of malachite (a green ore of copper), galena (lead sulfide), and Kohl made of soot, fats and metal (usually lead, antimony, manganese or copper).

From the 15th to the 18th centuries, people at the highest levels of society applied thick layers of white lead and vinegar to remove freckles, improve their skins’ texture, and create the popular ‘dead white’ look. As their skins eroded, they had to apply more of the deadly concoction to cover the scarring.

Sad Death in the Pursuit of Beauty

Many people died from lead poisoning until 1760 when famous Irish beauty, Marie Gunning, the Countess of Coventry died from cosmetic poisoning aged only 28 years old.

After her wedding, she and her husband honeymooned in Paris where she adopted the high fashion of the day, whitening her skin with Ceruse, a combination of lead oxide, hydroxide and carbonate. To redden her cheeks (for that alluring blush!), she applied, cinnabar, a scarlet form of mercury sulfide. To finish the look, she used a lipstick which also contained mercury.

Maria’s skin started sloughing off developing deep scars and sensitivity, she applied more and more cosmetics to cover up the blemishes and ultimately spent the last year of her young life in a darkened room.

The newspapers of the day labelled her “a victim of cosmetics.” The medical community started warning the public about the dangers of chemicals in cosmetics.

The media and presumably science have been warning us about toxic chemicals in cosmetics for over 250 years… When are we going to listen? Is our need for social approval and acceptance even more powerful than the desire for a long and healthy life?

What is the benefit of beauty if we are dying and decaying on the inside?

The Cerule Skin Solution…

If you would like to find out more and order some beautiful, effective, beneficial skin care products derived from pristine natural environments, please visit https://mark.cerule.com/