October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, where all campaigns focus on the importance of early detection. You may agree with me that the number of cases has significantly increased in the last few years. Unfortunately, these are not just numbers, but a fact.

Let’s not overlook the importance of early detection and how it can actually save thousands of lives. All medical networks recommend self-examination and periodic examinations every six months, especially for women above the age of 40.

My pharmaceutical educational background and the experience I gained throughout the years have taught me that we’re responsible for our own health and there are several factors that play a vital role in our lives, such as sports, maintaining a healthy and balanced diet, minding our mental health, and avoiding whatever might cause body cells toxicity without even feeling it.

Body cells poisoning is mostly caused by some food products or hair and skin products. Non-organic meat and poultry products can contain a high level of antibiotics and hormones. You’ll also find petroleum derivatives, preservatives and other chemicals in non-organic skin and hair products. They can easily penetrate the skin and reach the bloodstream, thus causing severe damages.

Research and studies are still ongoing to try to understand the main cause of breast cancer. Some of these studies mostly focus on the effect of chemicals found in food and personal care products. Their accumulation in our body cells can lead to many health problems and formation of tumors. Some studies have confirmed a solid link between some of these chemicals and breast tumors.

Parabens is the name of a whole family of chemical preservatives and they’re frequently used in cosmetics, skin and hair care products, such as creams, sunscreens, and shampoos. Usually, different types of parabens are used in one product, along with other types of preservatives. Methyl, Butyl and Ethyl are the most common types of paraben used in the cosmetic industry.

In 2004, a study was conducted in England and was published in several scientific journals, like ResearchGate. This study has confirmed the presence of paraben concentrations in breast cancer tissue due to its ability to penetrate the skin and then accumulate in our body cells. Other studies had followed later to demonstrate the destructive effect of these substances on the body’s hormones, specifically the estrogen hormone.

In May 2019, a study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), where researchers have verified that most non-organic sunscreens contained four types of chemicals (avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, and ecamsule).

“I encourage and invite you to change your lifestyle by choosing organic food and organic personal care.”

Traces of these chemicals were found in the blood at a significantly high level. In January 2020, another study was conducted to confirm this detection and additional studies are needed to determine the systemic absorption of additional active ingredients and how quickly systemic exposure exceeds 0.5 ng/mL as recommended by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Some scientists believe that oxybenzone, a main ingredient in most sunscreens, has the same effect of estrogen hormone when absorbed in the body and can also cause hormonal imbalance and thus lead to the inflammation of the endometrium. On the other hand, another group of scientists has confirmed that this substance isn’t harmful, believing that no tangible evidences were detected, and the use of these substances will not cause cancer or any other diseases.

However, this makes me remember the German scientist and doctor, Fritz Lickett, when he published a study for the first-time, linking smoking to lung cancer. At first, his study was rejected and not taken into consideration, until it was proven later that smoking is the main cause of Lung Cancer.

And since the manufacturing of beauty products does not adhere to strict laws to regulate the types of ingredients used, and manufacturers claim that their products are natural and derived from natural sources, non-governmental organizations were established, led by COSMOS ORGANIC, to offer natural products, totally parabens-free, sulfate-free, and doesn’t contain more than 1,500 harmful chemicals or any genetically-modified components, obeying strict laws to guarantee the safety and integrity of these products.

“Body cells poisoning is mostly caused by some food products or hair and skin products.”

The main focus of these organizations is to spread awareness about the importance of organic products. They also encourage farmers to avoid pesticides to ensure consumers have certified and safe products. At Ixora team, our main concern is to fulfil all requirements to obtain a COSMOS ORGANIC certificate for our range of 50 products, for skin and hair, to provide safe and effective organic alternatives.

Today, I’m not going to talk about Ixora, but I encourage and invite you to change your lifestyle by choosing organic food and organic personal care. I advise you to search and investigate every single item you buy for you and your family. If you can take one step away from this disease, please do it right away and change your lifestyle.

The products are available at Dubai Festival City Mall, Dubai Mall and at www.ixoraworld.com.