Is Your Bath Soap Stealing Your Mind?

Every day, you take a shower, moisturize your face, and brush your teeth so you can look and feel your best. But the bath soap, moisturizer, toothpaste, and other personal care products you use could actually be having a negative impact on your life.

Although these everyday items may seem harmless, they often contain harsh chemicals and harmful toxins. Over time, using them can add up to big problems for some people. In fact, they could be stealing your mind and leading to anxiousness, mood issues, and brain fog.

Personal care products often contain harsh chemicals and toxins. Over time, using them can add up to big problems for some people. In fact, they could be stealing your mind and leading to anxiousness, mood issues, and brain fog.
Click To Tweet

TOXINS IN PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS

On a daily basis, we are exposed to a host of chemicals and substances that poison the human brain. Common toxins can be found in the products we put on our arms, legs, faces, and hair, including:

• Bath soap
• Shampoo
• Toothpaste
• Makeup
• Deodorant
• Hair dyes
• Sunscreen
• Nail polish
• Fragrances
• Liquid soaps
• Shaving cream
• Anti-aging creams
• Hair straighteners
• Nail polish removers
• And more

For example, in 2019, the FDA found asbestos in cosmetics marketed to teens, prompting a voluntary recall. The harmful chemicals in these everyday items are easily absorbed through your pores and can be transported to every organ in your body, including your brain.

Your brain is the most metabolically active organ in your body. As such, it is vulnerable to damage from toxins.

This means that while trying to look better on the outside, you could be poisoning yourself on the inside and increasing your risk for brain health problems and mental health issues. The more exposure you have to these everyday toxins, the more you are putting your brain at risk.

Think about how many personal care and cosmetic products you use each day. If you’re like the average American woman, that would be about 12 products. The average American male uses about 6.

The risk from these items is real. In 2016, Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay $72 million to the family of a woman whose death from ovarian cancer was associated with the daily use of Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower, which contain talcum powder.

In 2024, J&J announced that it would pay $6.5 billion to settle thousands of similar lawsuits claiming the talc-based items led to ovarian cancer.

Cancer isn’t the only issue associated with toxic personal care products. They can also wreak havoc with your mind.

TOXINS AND MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS

Environmental toxins found in cosmetics and personal care products can impact nearly every aspect of your body and can damage the brain and lead to a variety of symptoms.

On the physical side, issues can include autoimmune diseases, diabetes, cancer, fatigue, weakness, aches and muscle cramps, numbness/tingling, tremors, allergies, abdominal pain, diarrhea, smelly stools, bad breath, low appetite, weight issues, skin rashes, sweats, temperature regulation problems, and more.

From a brain and mental health standpoint, exposure to toxins in everyday products can increase the risk of:

• Anxiety disorders
• Clinical depression
• ADD/ADHD
• Learning problems
• Brain fog
• Autism spectrum disorder
• Aggression
• Psychotic behavior
• Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia
• Suicidal thoughts and behavior

Working in an environment where harmful neurotoxins are used increases the risk for such issues. For example, research shows that hair salon workers and nail salon technicians have a higher-than-average risk for cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.

Even though toxic cosmetics and other products are one of the major causes of mental health issues, they are almost completely ignored by most healthcare professionals.

If you go to visit a primary care physician or psychiatrist with complaints of depression, for example, it is highly unlikely they will ask you anything about your exposure to toxins. And because most psychiatrists never look at the brain, they don’t see the evidence of brain toxicity.

Instead, in the case of depressive symptoms, it is common to be given a prescription for anti-depressant medication. But if you have brain toxicity, traditional mental health treatments may not be effective because the brain needs to heal from the toxic exposure.

BRAIN SCANS CAN SHOW BRAIN TOXICITY

With functional brain scans, it is possible to see evidence of brain toxicity. Brain-imaging technology called single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) assesses blood flow and activity in the brain.

On SPECT scans at Amen Clinics, which has the world’s largest database of functional brain scans related to behavior, an overall pattern of low blood flow with a scalloping effect is commonly seen when there is exposure to toxins.

Healthy SPECT Scan

Healthy blood flow

Toxic SPECT Scan

Low overall blood flow and scalloping effect

Seeing these signs can prompt your psychiatrist to ask better questions about the personal care products you use or other toxic substances that might be causing the problems. Finding the root cause of mental health issues is a critical step in getting the right treatment.

HOW TO LIGHTEN YOUR TOXIC LOAD

In most cases, when a specific toxin is identified as contributing to mental health issues, the first step is to eliminate your exposure to it. In general, to minimize your exposure to toxins, it’s a good idea to check ingredients on labels and avoid the following:

• Acrylates
• Aluminum
• Formaldehyde
• Fragrance
• Oxybenzone
• Parabens
• Phthalates
• Polyethylene glycols
• Triclosan
• Lead

Remember: What goes on your body, goes in your body and in your brain. To detox your brain and body, ditch any toxic personal care products containing harmful ingredients. Use an app such as Think Dirty, which allows you to scan beauty products to find out if they contain toxins.

Instead, use natural products that don’t contain toxic chemicals. Your body, brain, and mind will thank you for it.

Toxic brain, depression, anxiety, brain fog, and other mental health issues can’t wait. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, clinical evaluations, and therapy for adults, teens, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here.