What are chemicals?
Brightly coloured liquids on a laboratory bench? A concoction spewing white gas out of a glass beaker? That stuff marked with the skull and crossbones on the garage shelf?
You wouldn’t want to get too close. You certainly wouldn’t want to touch a chemical. Let alone eat one…
If this is your mental image of chemicals, think again!
FACT: All matter is made from chemicals – every solid, liquid and gas
We would not exist without chemicals. They make up the structure of our human bodies and regulate all of our body processes.
Chemicals also supply the fuel our bodies need daily. Not only is the food we eat composed of chemicals, even the aroma that comes from our food is a mixture of chemicals. And we rely on a complex sequence of chemical reactions to break down food and provide us with energy, nutrients and even the enjoyment that comes from eating something delicious.
With this in mind, it should be apparent that it is impossible to have something that is “chemical-free”.
And "natural substances" are still chemicals, they are just chemicals that come from nature.
We cannot choose to avoid chemicals, but it is possible to make some choices about which chemicals to use and how to use them.
Are you afraid of chemical ingredients in your cosmetics, personal care and household products?
Don’t be. In Australia, our robust regulatory system manages the risks associated with use of the ingredients in these products.
You wouldn’t want to get too close. You certainly wouldn’t want to touch a chemical. Let alone eat one…
If this is your mental image of chemicals, think again!
FACT: All matter is made from chemicals – every solid, liquid and gas
We would not exist without chemicals. They make up the structure of our human bodies and regulate all of our body processes.
Chemicals also supply the fuel our bodies need daily. Not only is the food we eat composed of chemicals, even the aroma that comes from our food is a mixture of chemicals. And we rely on a complex sequence of chemical reactions to break down food and provide us with energy, nutrients and even the enjoyment that comes from eating something delicious.
With this in mind, it should be apparent that it is impossible to have something that is “chemical-free”.
And "natural substances" are still chemicals, they are just chemicals that come from nature.
We cannot choose to avoid chemicals, but it is possible to make some choices about which chemicals to use and how to use them.
Are you afraid of chemical ingredients in your cosmetics, personal care and household products?
Don’t be. In Australia, our robust regulatory system manages the risks associated with use of the ingredients in these products.
