Parabens and estrogen

Okay - I've been reading this a.m. the posts regarding soy and flax and their affects on estrogens. I have worked with a nutrionist for 4 years now and was advised to stop eating meat because of the added hormones in the meat.  I do not eat any soy or flax that I know of.  I'm sure I get some soy or flax in some of my food when I go out, as I'm not able to read all the labels on foods that are served to me.   But I have another area of concern and estrogens - Parabens.  Parabens evidentally are added to MANY of our cosmetics, beauty and skin care products.  It's in everything!  So, I've been on a search for make-up (cosmetics, as well as skin care products) products that are paraben free.  I found Bare Minerals for cosmetics but I've yet to find a good, cheap skin care product.  There are a handful of expensive skin care products that are paraben free but I can no longer afford them in this economy.  Have any of you heard about this and if so, do you have a good resource of cosmetics and skin care products?  I'm a 4 year breast cancer survivor (estrogen positive).

Carolyn

skin care certainly can be a problem for those who are keeping themselves estrogen depleted to treat or prevent recurrence of cancer. 

I would imagine that you are looking for both cleansing and moisturizing products. I think your best choice might be a moisturizing soap produced locally using herbs, olive oil, and/or goat's milk. I would talk to someone at your local health food store or herb shop - they are most likely to have information on local soap makers. Also, check at any craft fairs/booths in the area or at the mall that might be  selling stuff for Christmas - you might even be able to get some small samples there.  These products may be more expensive than the bar soap and lotions you buy at the store, but they may also last somewhat longer, thus offsetting the price. 

My local health food store sells a generic olive oil soap - that's all it is.  I haven't tried it, but the owner highly recommends it. 

Emu oil is a wonderful moisturizer, and a totally natural product. (Not for use if you have objection to using animal products.)  Initially expensive, but a few tiny drops are sufficient to cover large areas of skin, and a tsp put into warm bath water will moisturize the entire body.   An emu/goat's milk soap and/or creme would be a wonderful choice. 

You might also check out products intended for those who suffer from eczema, seborrhea or psoriasis.  Some of the national brands may be paraben free.  I do know that there are quite a few folks who make soaps/lotions/cremes for use by those with skin problems - you might find that an online search for those keywords reveals a wealth of choices.

Also, some people use herbal teas on the skin for cleansing and moisturizing. A good herbalist should be able to tell you which herbs would be good for that - you may have to do some checking online about the phytosterol content of those herbs. Just off the top of my head, I believe that some people use lemon balm for this purpose, and I know that lavendar has long been used topically for skin care as well as soothing headaches and body aches. There are also people who use organic lemon juice for skin care and to keep hair healthy and shiny - that might be an avenue to check out online.  

I wish you luck in your search.  Please feel free to send me a reply if you find something you think would work well - I am always interested in expanding my knowledge in this area.

Sincerely,

Tre

http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/index.php?nothanks=1

On this site you can enter a product and see the rating of the contents for safety.

Also, you might want to avoid lavender, especially lavender oil. In a study a couple of years ago, young boys bathed in lavender oil developed enlarged breast tissue. The suggested reason was the estrogenic effects of the lavender. You might Google "lavender oil effect" or something like that to find the actual study, if you are interested.