What gross ingredients are in your everyday items? Eating a slice of whole grain bread or practicing yoga on your favorite mat may seem healthy, but the weird and potentially dangerous chemicals in these items (and others) could do more harm than good.
1. Your bread has human hair. Ever see “L-Cysteine” listed in the ingredients section of your favorite bread? Well, most commercially produced bread companies use this bread conditioner to soften and stretch their dough. The problem is that it comes from HUMAN HAIR.
Read the full explanation of what L-Cysteine is here.
The factories that produce the chemical are all based in China, where it’s cheapest to use human hair clippings to extract the amino acid. Look for breads with 5 or less ingredients, or are marked “vegan” or “kosher” to avoid this gross ingredient.
2. Your yoga mat is dangerous. Most yoga mats are made of that soft, durable rubbery stuff that makes downward dogging a total cinch. Unfortunately most of those yoga mats are laced with PVC– a chemical known to cause cancer. Switch out your mat to a natural fiber one, or cover it with a Gaiam travel mat to avoid direct contact.
READ MORE: Dandelion Tea is Amazing for Health
3. Your wine has fish bladders. Did you know most commercially produced wines are made with fish bladders? That’s because wine has lots of natural sediment, and there’s just something about fish bladders that filters it all out perfectly. If you’re a fish eater anyway, this might not bother you, but if you’re squeamish like I am, the idea of any type of bladder mixing with my wine just isn’t appealing. Opt for vegan or kosher wines, like these by BR Cohn Winery (who makes a variety of good, American-produced wines).
4. You’re smearing formaldehyde all over your face. Did you know that LOTS of your favorite drugstore and even luxury beauty products use formaldehyde to inhibit bacterial growth and rotting? It makes sense, but formaldehyde is a pretty dangerous chemical for living humans. Look at the back of your jars, and consider opting for more natural lines like Aveda.
If you’re wondering about products to stay away from, here are a few good reads:
Baskin Robbins Ice Cream Has Parabens
