Is Your Massage Truly Healthy?
Anyone who has had a therapeutic massage knows how good it makes you feel. You walk in feeling tense and sore and, in a matter of minutes, emerge feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. How could something that feels so good be bad for your health, right?
I’m a big proponent of the health benefits of therapeutic massage and consider it an important part of my own personal wellness routine. In fact, I’ve been saying it for years now – the largest organ on our bodies that is almost entirely forgotten or neglected is our skin. Thanks to recent studies and scientific advances we know that there are things that used to be considered normal or even healthy that are actually very harmful to our skin. And what harms our skin can also harm our bodies because the products we put on our skin are immediately absorbed into our blood stream and lymphatic system and circulated throughout our organs and tissues.
Although we know certain chemicals are harmful, it doesn’t mean that all of the knowledge is gathered and all of the culprits have been exposed. New discoveries are made every day. That’s why research on your part is definitely a smart move to make when it comes to ensuring the safety of your clients and, by extension, the continued growth of your business.
What if a product you have been using for years in your therapeutic massage practice actually contains harmful ingredients and you have not been aware of it all this time? It’s not too late to change your ways. We know that you don’t want to expose clients, or yourself, to potentially harmful ingredients so it’s important to read the ingredients on the products you use and ensure they’re necessary and safe.
If you come across an ingredient that you are unsure of with regards to its use or the recommended amount it should be used in some simple research that can help clarify that for you. For example, we know that preservatives are generally used and considered necessary to ensure that the product doesn’t grow bacteria, yeasts, and molds. However, most products on the market contain excessive amounts of preservatives as a means of increasing their shelf life.
Usually, less than 1 percent of cosmetic preservative is required to adequately stabilize the product and provide a shelf life of one to two years. (Source: MassageTherapy.com, 2001) So what does all that excessive preservative do to the consumer? Harvard University and the Cleveland Clinic both agree that excessive additives have been linked to an increase in chronic diseases such as impaired thyroid function, increased risk for cancers – especially pancreatic and colorectal cancers, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases.
While we can’t imagine what ingredients each individual person has a reaction to or feels that they need to avoid we have compiled a list of the top ingredients to avoid in your massage and skincare products.
A. Ingredients to Avoid in Skincare
- Nuts, nutshells, and nut oils – could be harmful to individuals with nut allergies
- Parabens (i.e.: methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, and ethylparaben) – may stimulate the growth of cancer cells and disrupt endocrine function
- Phthalates, triclosan and benzophenone-3 (BP-3) have been shown to disrupt endocrine function
- Sodium laureth sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) or Ammonium sulfate dry the skin and may cause skin irritation and rashes
- Propylene glycol – petrochemical used in anti-freeze can cause allergic reactions and toxic reactions in high concentrations
- Hydraquinone – skin bleaching agent is known to be toxic and carcinogenic
- Artificial fragrances – can cause skin and eye irritation
- Artificial colors F, D, and C – can cause allergic reactions and skin irritation
- Crude oil distillates like mineral oil, which is associated with at least 24 adverse effects on health including promoting cellular breakdown, preventing cell regeneration, and damaging collagen and connective tissues
Here’s a list of 24 additional skin care ingredients to avoid.
B. What You Should Use Instead
With the rise of information on various toxic chemicals, most people have turned to the organic route with regards to their health overall and rest assured skincare health and organic ingredients work well together also.
You may be concerned about how organic ingredients can possibly last as long or be as viable as the leading top brand skincare ingredients. Remember when we talked about the excessive use of preservatives? Well not only do organic products have an organic preservative (Imagine that!) they use the amount necessary to ensure that you get the most use out of it. It’s not meant to last 10 years! It’s simply meant to last the estimated amount of time that studies have shown the product will exist with average continual usage.
You may or may not be surprised to know that we have the solution you have been looking for right here in-house with our company Castle Baths. As an all-natural, non-GMO, vegan business we can ensure that all of our products are made with the highest quality ingredients and with that specific concern in mind; nurturing your skin without harmful ingredients. We have even stated that our ingredients are so wholesome that they are safe to eat – although you wouldn’t want to!
Before any products are used, extensive research is done and we ensure that our ingredients are safe and free of cancer-causing chemicals or anything that causes birth defects. We aren’t just another fly by night operation either. We have been in the business of caring for your skin for over ten years using wholesome non-invasive ingredients and organic essential oils.
We at Castle Baths Spa Products have very high standards! Our product lines are Vegan, Non-GMO, gluten-free, Green, Made in Virginia, USA… not in some plant overseas or in China. We believe in Fair Trade and sustainability! We are one of the very few, truly Natural, Private Label Manufacturers! In fact, we’re Leaping Bunny Certified Cruelty-Free and a Certified Green Business with Green America, with the highest standing: Gold Standing.
We do not believe in using products that have been connected to Cancer or Birth defects! This statement is very close to our heart and passion for why Castle Baths started this business to begin with… we are trying to build a safer and better world, through products and education.
Below are a few more ingredients to avoid, and they should never be on the label of a natural product!
1,4- dioxane
Chemical sunscreens (padimate-o, PABA, octinoxate, benzophenone, oxybenzone, octyl-methoxycinnamate, homosalate)
Coal tar, Lead, Phthalates, Formaldehyde, Diethanolamine (DEA), Triethanolamine (TEA) monoethanolamine (MEA) ethanolamine (ETA), Fragrance, Diethylene glycol (DEG), Proplyene glycol (PG), Ethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol (PEG), Mercury, Mineral oil, Parabens, Phenoxyethanol, Nanoparticles, Petroleum distillates/solvents
Lastly, here’s another article to help you stay up-to-date on the latest research and developments in massage therapy.
