Because of my parrots, I've even learned a thing or two (besides patience)! When I began taking in unwanted parrots I didn't know anything about how to take care of them, so I got on the Internet to research their care and what I learned shocked me. I learned that if I burned a Teflon pan I could kill every bird in my house in less than an hour. I learned that cheap candles are made with lead wicks and the lead accumulates in their lungs and can cause death. I also learned that plug in air fresheners could be deadly to them. This information and much more like it caused me to wonder what these products were doing to my family’s health if they could be so toxic to my birds. So, I began to use only products in my home that were free of harmful chemicals. However, I was still unaware of the harmful chemicals in beauty and personal care products until I was introduced to Youngevity's NuVANTE skincare. My girlfriend gave me a sample of the NuVANTE products and the literature she gave me said that these were products made without harmful chemicals. This made me curious and once again I began researching products on the Internet. I had always assumed that the FDA regulated personal care products. I learned that I was wrong, very wrong!

Food and Drugs are subject to an intense review and approval process by the FDA while cosmetics are not. The FDA classifies cosmetics and personal care products, but does not regulate them. In 1938, the FDA granted self-regulation to the Cosmetics, Toiletries and Fragrance Association. With the exception of color additives and a few prohibited ingredients, a cosmetic manufacturer may use almost any raw material as a cosmetic ingredient and market the product without FDA approval. Up to 70% of what we inhale, ingest or absorb through our skin ends up in our blood stream and most cosmetic and personal care products contain chemicals that have never been assessed for safety. Many drugs today are administered through transdermal patches, which have been shown to be up to 95% more effective than oral medication. This proves that the skin, the largest organ of the body and our first line of immunity, is permeable to all sorts of harmful chemicals. While there is great debate over whether or not these toxic ingredients are really harmful, manufacturers justify their use by recommending small doses. According to the ‘EWG’ or Environmental Work Group, the average adult uses 9 personal care products a day, exposing themselves to over 126 chemicals every day.