A commonly quoted phrase is that the skin is the largest organ of the body. But what exactly does that mean for health purposes? If you think about it in practical terms, it breaks down along sex lines.

Women are consumers of far more skin care products than men?not to mention cosmetics. Whereas many men only use a minimum number of products, women generally consume three or four times the number of products men use.

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Often the illness is a syndrome where the endocrine system is affected. This is not surprising as many cosmetics and skin care products are endocrine disruptors. What exactly are endocrine disruptors? Endocrine disruptors are synthetic chemicals that mimic hormones. They displace natural hormones and interfere with hormonal function.

For years the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry have used endocrine disruptors in their skin care formulas.

These chemicals displace are responsible for six year old girls having menstrual periods and young boys having breast development. They leach into the environment and cause fish to have both sexes.

Today, many diseases that were unheard of 50 years ago are rampant. It is believed that endocrine disruptors play a role in diseases such as Alzheimer's, Cancer, ADHD, and various birth defects in humans and animals.

Keep in mind that skin care products do not stay on the surface of the skin. They migrate throughout the body. It's no wonder that they have a systemic effect.

In addition to endocrine disruptors, many skin care products have been found to contain known carcinogens. This is especially true of sun tan lotions which contain diethanolamine, padimate-o, and titanium dioxide.

The good news is consumers are becoming much more savvy. They are becoming much more discriminating about what they put on their bodies. An emerging trend is buy your skin care products and cosmetics at the health food store.

Products sold in health food stores will not contain harsh chemicals. Better yet, the consumer can understand the ingredients on the label. It's much easier to understand shea butter and tea tree oil than it is to wrap your mind around diethanolamine and benzophenone.

This trend has spilled over to the Internet where the choice of products is more diverse than you can find locally. The Internet allows you to shop for healthy versions of all your commonly used products?wonderful lotions without petroleum byproducts, deodorants minus the aluminum that's suspected in Alzheimers, and lipsticks without the harmful dyes derived from coal tar.

In addition to general skin care, the average woman spends a good bit of money on cosmetics. Unfortunately, makeup can be toxic too. Manufacturers add many harsh chemicals to act as preservatives and add color to products.

Men are not exempt from the natural skin care trend. Thanks to a spate of television shows, it's now cool to be metrosexual. Rusty knuckles and ragged cuticles are being banished thanks to herbal lotions and essential oil.

Since some of the most popular cosmetic lines contain suspected carcinogens and known endocrine disruptors, it's no wonder, that people are rejecting the status quo and searching out healthier options. Become part of the trend and visit Face-Natural.com.

© 2007, Clara Myers. Visit Face Natural at http://www.face-natural.com for information about natural skin care, recipes for natural skin care products you can make at home, and links to great natural skin care and cosmetic retailers. You are free to use this article (unedited) on your web site provided the byline and site attribution remain as-is with live hyperlinks to our web site.

About the Author

Clara Myers is the webmaster for such sites as http://www.face-natural.com.