You Are What You Touch?

Pop quiz!

What weighs up to 8 pounds, measures an average of 22 square feet and is the body’s largest organ?

Answer: The epidermis (AKA your skin).

Ahhh, your skin. Protecting you from the elements and pathogens, keeping you from evaporating away and falling apart, and regulating your body’s temperature – these are just a few of its fabulous functions. But with the growing interest in natural and organic products, the skin has become a subject of great debate.

You might have heard a startling statistic that your skin absorbs 60% of everything you put on it. You might have also heard that many of the personal care and cleaning products on the market contain dangerous chemicals – many of which are carcinogens and toxins. And if you think about all the products you put on your skin – soap, shampoo, conditioner, perfume, deodorant, lotion, topical ointments, make-up, after-shave, shaving cream, etc. – you might start to wonder, “What exactly is my skin absorbing?”

Skin is sometimes thought of as an impermeable barrier. However, we know from things like the use of transdermal patches (nicotine patch, birth control patch, etc.) and the fact that we turn into a raisin after sitting in the tub too long, that our skin is not impenetrable.

At the same time, it’s evident our skin doesn’t absorb everything. So, what about that statistic? Is it true that our skin is absorbing 60% of what we put on it, including dangerous chemicals?  

The answer? It depends.

The science of how and to what extent the skin absorbs and expels substances is complicated. So, let’s try to uncomplicate things a bit.

In addition to being a barrier, our skin is a two-way membrane, which allows substances to enter and exit the body. Some things are able to get in, some things are not. And to make the discussion more interesting, some substances, which can’t pass through the membrane on their own, are able to with the aid of a carrier.

The skin is an extremely complex organ and the factors to consider regarding whether something can be absorbed by the skin are countless. What is the molecular structure of the substance? Is it water or oil based? What is the condition of the skin? How hairy is the skin? And if something is absorbed by the skin, what happens to it?

As you can see, to make a blanket statement that our skin absorbs 60% of what we put on it is far too simplistic a statement. The statistic should be: Our skin can absorb 0%-100% of what we put on it.

So, how are you to know what’s getting absorbed by your skin and how much? Considering the complex factors, I think it’s safe to say there’s simply no way to know. Additionally, as we look at this debate of chemicals being absorbed by the skin, we can’t overlook the fact that the skin is not the only way dangerous chemicals enter our bodies. For example, inhalation of chemicals into the lungs is one of the quickest ways for them to get into our bloodstream. Furthermore, what is the affect on the environment of these chemicals washing down the drain, ending up in the landfill or even being produced?

There are a lot of unanswered questions and that can be frustrating. In the end, the only thing we can really do is educate ourselves and seek wisdom about what to use on our body and in our household. The fact that there are dangerous chemicals used in many products and the fact that there are multiple ways for those chemicals to come in contact with and enter our bodies is enough for me to choose to find alternatives that pose less of a risk to me and my family.

So, how do you know which ingredients to avoid? And does the fact that a product says it’s “all natural” or “organic” mean it’s safe?

Stay tuned for a post that addresses these questions!