From the Melanated Man:

I noticed that the first part of this series has received a lot of views. It’s a topic that’s gaining interest. No one has necessarily commented or left any feedback, but that’ OK. At least people are out there searching for the truth. I’m more concerned about that. I just want to do my part. They see the information, now it’s up them to make the changes and spread the word themselves.

We have the share the knowledge!

But anyway, when it comes to what harms our gift of melanin, the first thing that comes to mind is what are we putting in our mouths. We tend to forget the most overlooked organ of our body, which is actually the largest organ of our body: the skin.

That melanin-rich we all take so much pride in. We can’t forget to take care of that.

Our skin breathes and eats as well!

We have to take care of our entire bodies, inside and outside. We never think about the types of skin products we to moisturize our skin, to give it a smell good. The majority of us Melanin-Dominant individuals places so much interest in those things, the vanity of it all, not thinking about the harmful chemicals those products contain. I have many memories of drenching myself in cologne, rubbing myself down in some cocoa, getting ready for a hold date. I didn’t even think about the consequences of my actions towards by skin. If I knew what I know now I would have not dare covered myself with poison.

Because that’s what it is at the end of the day.

As mentioned before regarding the foods we buy, if you cannot pronounce the ingredients on the skin products, if they have more than 5 ingredients on the list, and/or they are created by giant corporations (such as Johnson & Johnson), STAY AWAY FROM THEM!

At some point I’ll come up with a list of approved products and post it in the future.

Below is a list of  ingredients taken from a pretty good source, The Melanin Diet by Deanne E. Meningall, that you will more than likely find in you skin care products. This book is a hard book to come across, partly because it is not in publication and people are jacking up the prices.

AND, it’s the perfect book for those who are novices coming across this knowledge.

The perfect layman’s type of book.

Luckily, I was able to get it at reasonable price. It’s a great, simple read.

 

Skin care ingredients list, per The Melanin Diet by Deanne E. Meningall

*Note: This is only a comprehensive list of ingredients. There are much, much more!

1. “Humectants”- Are used in cosmetics. They are really an industrial strength anti-freeze, which is a major ingredient commonly found in brake and hydraulic fluid. All ingredients can be considered to be a strong irritant

a. Glycerin- Is a type of humectant. It is made chemically by combining water and fat. Glycerin is a filler. It is used to prevent creams and lotions from losing water through eveaporation. Try this; leave the cap off and notice what happens. Nothing. It can cause the skin to become drier because it has a tendency to draw water of the skin unless the humidity of the air is above 65 percent.

b. Propylene glycol- Is another type of humectant. It is less expensive when compared to glycerin, although many more sensitive reactions are common. Propylene glycol also causes acne eruptions.

2. Mineral oil-Is derived from crude oil, used in industry as metal cutting fluid. It will suffocate melanin-rich skin by causing an oil film. This oil film will prevent the skin from taking in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. Artificially holding large amounts of moisture in the skin can “flood” the body. This may result in dry, immature, unhealthy and sensitive skin. This is a recipe for fast-aging skin in spite of the presence of melanin.

a. Petrolatum & petroleum- Are products that have the same properties as mineral oil. they are considered to be unhealthy greases.

3. Sodium lauryl sulfate- Must be considered the most harmful ingredient in personal care products. SLS is used as a testing marker to compare the healing properties of other ingredients. Industrial uses include; garage floor cleaners, engine degreasers and car wash soaps.

In personal care products, the danger in using SLS is great. Large amounts of this potentially carcinogenic material may have nitrites and dioxins to form in the bottle of the shampoos and cleansers. This happens when the SLS reacts with commonly used ingredients found in many products. These nitrites may enter the bloodstream after one shampooing. This ingredient is directly or indirectly responsible for dis-ease in the body.

4. Sodium fluoride-Simply stated, is a rat poison! Make sure this is not in your toothpaste.

5. Alcohol in mouthwash-Contains a higher alcohol content that beer, wine, and may types of liquor. Mouthwash with an alcohol content of 25% or higher has been implicated in causing mouth, tongue and throat cancers. Alcohol acts as a solvent in the mouth, making tissues more vulnerable to carcinogens.

6.Titanium Dioxide – Was declared carcinogen as of 2001.

7. Collagen and elastin- Are commonly used, and are derived from animal skins and ground up chicken feet. These ingredients form films over the skin that may suffocate and over-moisturize the skin. Due to their high molecular weight (based on the size of the molecule), they cannot penetrate the skin; therefore they are of little benefit. When the skin cannot breathe, toxins are trapped and therefore keep oxygen out. Elastin is not completely absorbed by the epidermis. Furthermore, in a cosmetic product, elastin cannot restore tone to the skin.

8. Hypoallergenic-is a term that means “less than”, therefore the consumer is led to believe that the product has fewer allergens when compared to other products. since there are no federal guidelines or regulations defining allergens, the term “hypoallergenic” has little if any true meaning.

9. Lanolin- Is “wool fat” or grease chemically akin to wax. The consumer has been told that it is able to penetrate the skin better than other oils. There is no scientific proof to support this claim. In fact, lanolin has been found to be a common skin irritant that will cause allergic contact skin rashes. Lanolin usually contains pesticides and dioxins, also known as carcinogens.

10. Biotin- Is also known as vitamin H. It has been associated with greasy scalps and baldness in rats and other experimental animals. Deficiency in biotin is uncommon. It is extremely rare. Biotin is a useless additive in cosmetic products because its molecular size is too large to penetrate the skin.

11. Kaolin-Is considered natural clay. It is, in fact, quite drying and dehydrating to the skin. Contamination with impurities is also likely. Once again, it will suffocate the skin by blocking out the oxygen needed.

 

Pretty interesting, huh?

 

Remember to watch what you place on your skin. Eating through our mouths is not the only way we are being comprised by the-powers-that-be.

Stay conscious, fam!

 

Peace and Love to my melanated family,

The Melanated Man