Healthy Blood Through Cleanliness - The Skin
Did you know that your skin was your largest organ?
The Largest Organ
You have heard the phrase, "You are what you eat." Others have clarified, "You are not what you eat; you are what you absorb."
The skin is the largest organ of the body and has the capacity to absorb that which it touches. That means you do not have to eat something to ingest it. Whatever comes in contact with your skin, may have instant access to your blood stream.
According to Dr. Jordan Rubin the skin is "a vital and integral part of the immune system. Even traces of chemicals can interfere with the skin cell's ability to produce complex hormones vital for maintaining the integrity of the immune system." And he goes on to say, "Anything that is put on the skin is absorbed systemically—all over the place—in the body."
An Average Day
What kinds of things do we absorb on an average day?
In the morning, before getting out of bed, the average woman has been sleeping all night on sheets and mattresses that have been chemically treated with fire retardant. In addition, the sheets, pajamas, and the clothes she is going to wear for the day have been washed in chemical detergents. Upon waking, she washes her face, hair, and body with chemical laden soap, shampoos, and cleansers; brushes her teeth with poisons such as fluoride; puts on deodorant with toxic aluminum and propylene glycol; rubs chemical laden lotions onto her skin; applies chemicals on her face in the form of all kinds of make-up; she sprays fragrances on her body which could contain any of over 800 known carcinogens; she cleans her house, washes her dishes, and does laundry with caustic cleaners - both inhaling and absorbing them through the skin; and she cooks with pesticide covered fruits and vegetables and all kinds of artificial ingredients. And the list goes on.
Chemicals are being absorbed into your skin from everywhere.
A Challenge
Find three of your favorite cosmetic, skin care, or toiletry products and read the labels.
Now compare the label to this partial list of common carcinogenic and toxic chemicals
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) (Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) - Hazardous in case of skin contact (irritant), of eye contact (irritant), of ingestion, of inhalation. Slightly hazardous in case of skin contact (sensitizer). Severe over-exposure can result in death. The substance may be toxic to skin. Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage. Repeated exposure to a highly toxic material may produce general deterioration of health by an accumulation in one or many human organs.[4]
Propylene Glycol (PG, Polyethylene Glycol (PEG), Butylene Glycol (BG), Ethylene Glycol (EG)) - petroleum derivatives that act as solvents, surfactants, and wetting agents. Easily penetrate skin and can weaken protein and cellular structure. EPA warns to avoid skin contact to prevent brain, liver, and kidney problems. It is also a carcinogen and used as antifreeze. [1][2] May cause reproductive and fetal effects. [5]
1,4-Dioxane - Health factors for 1,4-Dioxane include that it is a “suspected human carcinogen”; it can cause “drowsiness, headaches, nausea, vomiting; eyes, nose, and throat irritation; liver damage, kidney failure, and skin irritation.”[1]
Cocamide DEA
Lauramide DEA
Acetone - On EPA, RCRA, CERCLA Hazardous Waste lists. "Inhalation can cause dryness of the mouth and throat; dizziness, nausea, incoordination, slurred speech, drowsiness, and, in severe exposures, coma." "Acts primarily as a central nervous system (CNS) depressant."[1]
Alpha hydroxyl acid (AHA)
Aluminum
Butane
Dioxin
Fluorocarbons
Formaldehyde
Petrolatum
Fluoride - more poisonous than lead, and just slightly less poisonous than arsenic. It has been used as a pesticide for the control of mice, rats, and other small pests. According to a spokesman from a large fluoridated toothpaste company states there is, “theoretically, at least …enough fluoride [in the toothpaste tube contents] to kill a small child. [1]
Benzaldehyde - Narcotic. Sensitizer. "Local anesthetic, CNS depressant"... "irritation to the mouth, throat, eyes, skin, lungs, and GI tract causing nausea and abdominal pain." "May cause kidney damage." "Do not use with contact lenses." [1]
This list is not complete, nor did I give information on each chemical - but I would recommend that everyone research EVERYTHING they put on their body.
Consider this information about fragrances:
"In 1989, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health recognized 884 poisonous substances (many synthetically derived from petrochemicals) from a list of 2,983 chemicals used in the fragrance industry capable of causing cancer, birth defects, central nervous system disorders, allergic respiratory reactions, and skin and eye irritations." [1]
Government Regulations
Perhaps you believe the government would not allow the use of unsafe chemicals in cosmetics and toiletries. Dr. Jordan Rubin writes:
What complicates this matter is the fact that the FDA allows for the contents of these products. The FDA has stated, “A cosmetic manufacturer may use any ingredient or raw material and market the final products without government approval.”
Part of the problem with not disclosing ingredients, is the legislation for cosmetics and fragrances which regards ingredients as “trade secrets” that do not need to be disclosed on the product label. The industry is expected to be self-regulating and to place a warning on its product labels if any of the ingredients are unsafe. [1]
A Biblical Precedent
During biblical times, people did not have to cope with the environmental concerns of man manipulated chemicals because they did not exist. However, God has established a precedent concerning the importance of what comes in contact with our skin. He warned us not to touch dead animals, human corpses, a diseased male or female with unnatural body discharges, the natural discharges of a male or female, human wastes, and to separate ourselves with those who have a contagious disease. Should we now expose ourselves to unnatural chemicals?
Learn A Simple Solution to Toxic Skin Care Products Now.
Today we do have to deal with the environmental toxins that enter our bloodstream through the air we breathe, as well as what is absorbed by our skin through touch. These chemicals can affect our blood quality, blood circulation, and blood cleansing.
Excess wastes and toxins circulating in our bloodstream from what we habitually put on our skin burden the four areas of elimination, the lungs, skin, kidneys, and colon.
Restricted capillaries exacerbate the waste buildup in our blood, further hindering blood cleansing.
Excess wastes in our bloodstream reduce the oxygen content of the blood and affect the balance and function of the hormones and nutrients, disturbing blood quality.
When either blood quality, blood circulation, or blood cleansing are not functioning as they should, blood as a whole cannot bring life to our flesh in the fullest measure.
Waste Storage Facilities
Because of this excess buildup, our bodies become polluted. The wastes and toxins have to go somewhere, anywhere, in the body to be stored. Toxins gather in such places as the bones, ligaments, muscles, nerves, blood vessels, joints, organs - including the heart, brain, skin, etc. However, the place where toxins are most often stored is our fat tissue, which encourages the storage of fat in order to provide a protection for our organs and vulnerable body parts.
If the causes for this excess buildup are not dealt with and the wastes and toxins are not eliminated from our bloodstream in the normal way God has designed, then over time these pollutants in our bodies will affect the normal operation of our tissues and our organs, which will start to malfunction and produce a multitude of various symptoms - depending on the person and the state of health or illness of the person at the time.
When the toxins or wastes are not eliminated properly and a buildup occurs, we will typically feel sluggish or have a lack of energy along with not being able to have a deep, restful sleep that is so much needed.
Introducing the Next Principle
This leads us to the second biblical way to bring health to our bodies through the blood. In introducing this next topic, I will ask a question.
What historical practice was done throughout biblical history (and beyond) and involved individuals, nations, and the church, but is not practiced at all (if rarely) today individually or collectively in the body of Christ?
The answer is fasting.
Next: Principle #2: Healthy Blood Through Fasting: Introduction
Return To: Biblical Health Study
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[1] Biblical Health Institute
[2] Anti-Aging Choices [Warning - this is a document download]
[3] Snopes.com attempts to debunk the supposed myth that SLS is a carcinogenic substance - yet at the same time admits that it is listed on the MSDS as a hazardous substance. It is important to read everything with discernment. Here is exactly what the MSDS
[4] says about SLS:
Potential Acute Health Effects: Hazardous in case of skin contact (irritant), of eye contact (irritant), of ingestion, of inhalation. Slightly hazardous in case of skin contact (sensitizer). Severe over-exposure can result in death.
Potential Chronic Health Effects: Slightly hazardous in case of skin contact (sensitizer). CARCINOGENIC EFFECTS: Not available. MUTAGENIC EFFECTS: Mutagenic for bacteria and/or yeast. TERATOGENIC EFFECTS: Not available. DEVELOPMENTAL TOXICITY: Not available.
The substance may be toxic to skin.
Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage. Repeated exposure to a highly toxic material may produce general deterioration of health by an accumulation in one or many human organs.
[4] MSDS
[5] View the MSDS list of dangers printed in 2006. Interestingly - this report has disappeared off the Internet and is replaced by the 2007 version of the MSDS sheet which subverts this information. Please compare these two documents and judge for yourself. In 2006 PG was also a skin irritant. In 2007 it was no longer a skin irritant.
2007 Document found at http://www.ppe.com/msds/Propylene%20glycol.pdf
Central Nervous System disorders include Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease, Sudden Infant Death Syndrom [2]