Nat Kringoudis

澳洲知名中醫師、針灸師、作家、演講者和自然生育專家。

Nat Kringoudis 表示：

Do you really know what’s in your skincare products?


It’s fair to say, there can be many contributing factors to your hormone problems. Perhaps you have a diagnosed issue like Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) or Endometriosis or maybe you suffer from Pre-Menstrual Tension (PMS) or ovulation pain. At the core of any reproductive issue lies you very own hormone imbalance, be it big or small. But one of the contributing factors to your unhappy hormones may lie within your personal care products. Cosmetics, hair care and body products play a huge role to your hormone health because our conventional products most often contain endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC’s) and it is these very ingredients that interfere with your own normal hormone imbalance.

It’s a good time to point out, that your skin is indeed your largest organ and whilst it may be all that’s separating your organs from your outside world, it absorbs up to 80% of what you apply topically, which is then directly absorbed into your blood stream.

This is effectively like a slip-stream to your endocrine system.

One of the main ingredients in many skincare products is mineral oil.

Here are some facts you should know about mineral oil:

  • Mineral Oil is derived from petroleum
  • Mineral Oil is occlusive. This means it coats the skin, creating a barrier that inhibits the skin’s ability to breathe and re-balance. It provides no nutrients and little hydration benefits to the skin.
  • Mineral Oil is near impossible to metabolise. This means it will find its way into your body (it doesn’t just create a barrier). Once it’s in your body, it builds up and accumulates over time. A 2011 study in the Journal of Women’s Health reported:

“There is strong evidence that mineral oil hydrocarbons are the greatest contaminant of the human body, amounting to approximately 1 gram per person. Possible routes of contamination include air inhalation, food intake, and dermal [skin] absorption.”

See here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21970597

Mineral oil sadly, is unable to be metabolized by the human body and only adds to the hormone imbalance. You might wonder how it has made its way into our cosmetics. Well, it’s not expensive and that’s why many companies use it.

The impact it may have on your health and your hormones can last a lifetime if we don’t choose wisely.

So, if you are pregnant and using a product for stretch marks, please carefully read the ingredients, as most contain mineral oil or petroleum. The first few ingredients on these products are listed in order of quantity.

If mineral oil or petroleum is at or near the top of the list it’s time to rethink the products you’re using.