HOW TO AVOID MERCURY POISONING FROM SKIN CARE PRODUCTS
Symptoms of mercury poisoning. Which means should be treated with caution. Consequences of mercury poisoning.
INNA CODRU , FEBRUARY 18, 2019
Mercury poisoning is not something you hear about often. In fact, this happens quite rarely, but this does not mean that mercury poisoning is impossible.
You probably know that mercury levels are most common in some fish. Doctors, by the way, recommend eating fish twice a week and making sure you don't eat shark, swordfish, or other similar fish due to their high mercury content. Especially during pregnancy. But what about your skin care products?
Even though mercury is poisonous, did you know that it is often used in skin care products? The ingredients are absorbed into your skin and go directly into your bloodstream. Although mercury poisoning is not as common as it used to be, it is still possible.
You can prevent this by following the tips below to avoid mercury poisoning from your skin care products.
SIGNS OR SYMPTOMS OF MERCURY POISONING
Before we move on to tips for avoiding mercury poisoning, it's worth learning more about this metal.
MERCURY is a dangerous metal . It is liquid at room temperature and is often used in medical thermometers. In principle, in a thermometer, it is safe, although some companies are moving away from using mercury as much as possible. After all, it’s not easy for our body to get rid of mercury, but mercury can get into it quite easily!
Even if you are the only person in the family using a high mercury product, you are putting your entire family at risk. It can be passed between people, and mercury vapor is easily spread around the home. Towels and clothes may also be contaminated. Children, and especially infants, are most at risk of mercury poisoning.
This metal affects the entire nervous system . Mercury causes the kidneys to malfunction and leads to a number of symptoms that may be initially missed. In the end, these symptoms turn out to be similar to those of other diseases and can often be ignored as "it's time of the month" or due to natural hormone changes.
Children will not be able to explain some of the symptoms . They may appear to be just a little overexcited and write it off as "puberty" when in fact they are suffering from mercury poisoning and this puts them at high risk of serious medical complications.
Mood swings, irritability and nervousness are all common symptoms . You may have other mental health problems, including insomnia or other emotional changes. Depression and anxiety are also common, especially if you don't understand the cause of your hormonal changes and can't cure it.
Some physical symptoms include muscle tremors, twitching, or weakness . You may feel like you have a cold or flu that doesn't seem to go away.
Skin irritation is also common, especially when mercury poisoning comes from skin care cosmetics . You apply the mercury directly to your skin and allow it to be absorbed. A hallmark of such an effect may be that nothing helps to eliminate irritation, unlike other rashes and itching.
In children who suffer from mercury poisoning, brain development may be impaired . Pregnant women may also be diagnosed that their mental health is deteriorating when they suddenly begin to feel as if they are "in a fog".
The accuracy of the symptoms you find will depend on a few more things:
- Received dose of mercury
- How did you get this dose
- How long have you been exposed to mercury
- If you have any other health problems
- Age
All this combined means that everyone in the house can suffer from DIFFERENT symptoms, although the source may be the same. Do you see how it can be so difficult to diagnose mercury poisoning? This is part of the reason why few people see a doctor for this particular problem, compared to other health problems.
AVOID USING PRODUCTS WITH A HIGH MERCURY CONTENT
It sounds simple, but it's actually not as simple as just finding the word "mercury" on a cosmetic product. Most manufacturers know that this is the first thing you will notice, and you probably know how dangerous it is. Thus, they tend to list chemical names instead of explicitly listing mercury.
Pay attention to terms like mercuric chloride, Mercury, Mercury, Hg and even calomel at the end of the ingredients list. If you see any of these, be aware that this product contains mercury.
The closer the name of a given substance to the top of the list of ingredients, the greater its content compared to other ingredients. This will give you an idea of how serious the mercury content is in your product.
WHEN NOT ALL INGREDIENTS ARE SPECIFIED
The remedy you found does not contain the composition of the ingredients? Then forget about it, it is always suspicious if the manufacturer does not indicate the composition, in addition, this is contrary to federal law.
Even if it's not mercury they're hiding, it's definitely something you'd like to avoid. You just don't know what's in them. There may be many other hazardous chemicals in there.
However, keep in mind that not all ingredients can be found on the label. Although the manufacturer is now required by law to include all ingredients, manufacturers can use "special" or "secret" formulas to hide the real name of a substance. They are usually listed as perfume or fragrance, however they may be mercury.
BE VERY CAREFUL WITH ANTI-AGING AND SKIN LIGHTENERS
While any skin care product may contain mercury, you should pay particular attention to anti-aging formulas and skin lighteners. In one study, 12 of 367 skin lightening products included mercury as one of the ingredients. This figure is not so big, at first glance, but it confirms that there are many products that include this metal toxic to humans. The study was conducted on products manufactured in the United States.
When products from the rest of the world were considered, 33 out of 549 contained mercury in relatively alarming levels (1,000 parts per million).
One product that the US Department of Health has banned is Crema Piel De Seda. Based on lab tests, this is a bleaching cream from Mexico that contains mercury. And if the Ministry of Health has raised this topic, then it is clear that this is becoming a problem, because even the use of formaldehyde in skin care products is not prohibited.
CHECK ANTISEPTIC SOAPS AND LOTIONS
Mercury can be found in more than just skin creams and anti-aging products. Researchers have found that many antiseptic soaps and lotions contain mercury. The idea is that this toxic metal helps get rid of bacteria and quickly kills them.
As a result, this metal does much more harm than good. Be sure to check the ingredients of all antiseptic soaps and lotions.
If you find a company that prides itself on not using mercury, you can verify this by examining what they have listed on the label. But in principle, the addition of mercury is not as popular, since mercury components are not as common as parabens.
BEWARE OF USING UNLICENSED SKIN PRODUCTS
Some cosmetics may not have been tested in your country. The full list of ingredients may not be known and this includes the possibility of mercury being present. If you are purchasing something from outside the country, be sure to check the ingredients yourself.
Some countries do not have serious state control. There are also brands that create products illegally or don't care about the damage they do to the skin. If you can't find information about a tool you're interested in, use it with caution.
If they are imported from countries where there is no law on the full list of ingredients on the packaging, then it is better to simply avoid them. They may include more than just mercury!
BUY COSMETICS IN VERIFIED STORES
Different cosmetics stores will sell different brands and different types of skin care products. Usually, smaller chain stores carry fewer brands, but are easier to research and check out first. Although in large chain hypermarkets you can pick up something worthwhile.
Supermarkets, beauty salons, and even health care stores may prefer certain types of beauty products. And some of them, for various reasons, prefer certain products that contain mercury. These companies do not always research the resulting brands as they are doing business. Therefore, your health depends on you.
Only your personal research will help you determine with greater accuracy which companies are more likely to produce products containing mercury. After that, just avoid buying skin care products from these companies in stores. Let your friends and family know about your observations so they too can avoid mercury poisoning from their skin care products.
GET RID OF SUSPICIOUS PRODUCTS NOW
If you think that the products you have used up to this point have included mercury, then you need to get rid of them immediately. It is not worth risking your health by testing or using the product on yourself until it runs out so that the money is not wasted. Put your family's health first.
When you get rid of these funds, you will need to properly dispose of it. Mercury can be released from the product and affect everyone in the home even without direct contact with it.
Always place such cosmetics in a tight bag when throwing them away. Take them to the trash right away. It may seem like we put too much emphasis on this, but eliminating the use of mercury in skin care is even more important.
GET RID OF CONTAMINATED MATERIALS
Pay attention to the materials you have used with mercury skin care products. Mercury can remain on towels, sheets, and clothing. Your family will inhale the mercury vapor until it has completely evaporated from these items. Therefore, health risks remain even if you have removed the skin care products themselves from your home.
You need to dispose of these contaminated materials as much as possible. Even anything that you think might be considered contaminated should be removed. As with getting rid of skin care products, place all items in tightly sealed bags and throw them in the trash.
Yes, this can be a costly move. However, the cost of doctors and medicines for mercury or mercury vapor poisoning will be even higher. And is there anything more precious than life?
ANALYSIS FOR MERCURY POISONING
Once you've cleansed and you're left with a suspicion that your body is still poisoned by mercury, you'll need to test yourself and your entire family for mercury poisoning. Your healthcare provider will ask you to do a urine test to find out what level of mercury you have in your body. And if it turns out that this is the case, then in the course of treatment it will be necessary to undergo regular tests to make sure that all this is gone from your body. Mercury is very difficult to remove from the human body.
Dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) can be used as a treatment, and Chelation therapy is carried out - a therapeutic method for removing heavy metals from the body in order to get rid of mercury from the body. It is the only U.S.-approved treatment for children currently available. Studies on the effectiveness of the treatment are currently inconclusive, but there are no obvious side effects of concern to the US Department of Health. This is an oral treatment that is prescribed only by doctors.
IT IS BETTER TO BE OVERVIEWN NOW THAN TO REGRET LATER
While there are many other toxins and chemicals you'd like to avoid, mercury is the most toxic of all. This is confirmed by doctors, as we have already mentioned, the US Department of Health advises to avoid such cosmetic products.
Mercury is an extremely poisonous metal. Although you may think that in small quantities it will not harm my health, but do not forget, this substance remains on your clothes, towels, sheets and more. You inhale vapors without knowing it, because this metal has neither smell nor taste. Therefore, even if you no longer use the product, you may still be at risk of mercury poisoning.
The eight tips above will help you avoid mercury poisoning. If you notice that you or someone in your family has any of the symptoms of mercury poisoning, talk to your doctor for testing and, if necessary, treatment.