There are a number of reasons why petrochemicals are bad for you. For starters, they’re made from petroleum, aka the same stuff that goes into our cars. Ick, right? They’re incredibly harmful to the environment and to humans.

One of the main side effects of petrochemicals is Endocrine Disruption. This is basically when something alters the fine balance of hormones in the body. One of the major disruptors is petrochemicals. These disruptions can cause cancerous tumors, birth defects, and other developmental disorders – any system in the body controlled by hormones can be affected by hormone disruptors.

Synthetic Colours

On the back of your label, synthetic colours will show up as FD&C or D&C, followed by a color and a number. Example: FD&C Red No. 6. Synthetic colours are derived from petroleum or coal tar sources – in other words, they’re derived from extremely harsh petrochemicals! There is concern that these artificial colours are a human carcinogen – aka, a leading agent in causing cancer. They also irritate the skin and are linked to ADHD in kids.