Sweet Pea Soap Company Cares about Your Hormone Health
Recently I met with Denise Grosdanof from the Sweet Pea Soap Company. She is a small business owner who takes pride in providing healthy natural soap and body products to her community. As a dietitian who specializes in hormone health, I was very interested in The Sweet Pea Soap Company. Most of the women I see are trying to navigate through some sort of hormone imbalance, which is manifesting itself through symptoms like weight gain, insomnia, hot flushes, fatigue, etc. An imbalance of estrogen to progesterone in women causes a host of symptoms that even some of our Medical Doctors do not understand (see my blog post). There are many reasons why these hormonal imbalances occur in mid-life but one of the main culprits in North America is the bombardment of estrogen-like chemicals called XenoEstrogens.
XenoEstrogens are chemicals that mimic the effect of estrogen. One of my instructions to new clients is to remove chemical estrogens from their homes and bodies. XenoEstrogens are dangerous because they disrupt hormones and may cause cancer. Hormone expert, Lorna Vanderhaeghe, states that “XenoEstrogens cause breast cancer, uterine cancer, fibrocystic breast disease, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, premature sexual development, uterine fibromas, heavy periods, infertility and in men benign prostatic hypertrophy and prostate cancer”.
It is important to understand that our bodies will absorb XenoEstrogens from pesticides and herbicides. We also absorb XenoEstrogens from plastics. When plastic breaks down from sunlight, including plastic used in water bottles, baby bottles, and plastics used to pack foods, Bisphenol-A is released. Originally used for synthetic estrogen replacement, Bisphenol-A causes hormone havoc in both women and men. Other sources to avoid include plastic wrap (especially in the microwave), cleaning chemicals, and cosmetics containing XenoEstrogens.
Cosmetics, Soaps, Creams
I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to use clean cosmetics, soaps and creams. Anything absorbed through the skin is ten times more concentrated than an oral dose. Preservatives used in skin lotions, shampoos, and body lotions including methyl paraben, ethyl paraben, proply paraben, and butyl paraben have been proven to have estrogenic properties. Avoiding XenoEstrogens is very important for our hormonal health.
When I was introduced to the Sweet Pea Soap Company, I was excited to learn that all their products are made with natural ingredients containing none of the above ingredients. The Sweet Pea Soap Company website says, “All of our soaps are made with olive oil and other natural ingredients like essential oils. These oils are not found in store bought soaps, and that’s the main reason these handmade soaps are so nurturing to the skin. You can use these soaps with confidence, knowing they are all made with earth-friendly, all-natural ingredients.” Hurray, for an ethical company that wants to provide you with the healthiest of ingredients!
If you are suffering from the symptoms of hormone havoc, I encourage you to come out to the free information day at the Sweet Pea Soap Company, Saturday February 8th at 3:00 p.m. when I will be speaking about hormone health and what we can do to make changes to obtain hormone balance. I look forward to meeting you there.
