By now you have probably heard of what ingredients in products to stay away from or the ones that over time can cause health problems. Or you have been using Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetics Database at http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ to check health concerns on ingredients in your products. This is my favorite website to check on ingredients in products because it is easy to use, the explanations are simple to understand - though maybe a little scary and it is reliable, factual information.
Here is a list that is being called the "Dirty 30":
Acetone: active ingredient in nail polish remover
Artificial colors (synthetic): labeled FD&C or D&C with a color and then number
Benzalkonium chloride: a preservative
Benzene: used in aftershave and is an additive in skin care products
Benzoyl peroxide: used to treat acne
Coal tar: primarily in products used to treat psoriasis and dandruff
Diethanolamine (DEA), Triethanolamine (TEA), Monoethanolamine (MEA): used as emulsifiers and foaming agents
Ethylenediamine: used in moisturizers, sunscreens, and deodorant
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA): a common preservative
Formaldehyde: created when other synthetic ingredients are used including quanternium-15, DMDM, and ureas
Fragrances (synthetic): made up of thousands of different chemicals to create one compound
Isopropyl alcohol: most dangerous in skin care cleansers
Lanolin: only the pure form should be used
Mineral oil: derived from petroleum
Monoethanolamine (MEA): adjusts skin pH
Nitrosamines: toxic impurities formed when chemicals such as DEA and TEA are used in cosmetics and skin care products
Octyl dimethyl PABA (also known as padimate-0 or p-aminobenzoic acid): often used in sunscreens
Parabens (methyl-, propyl, butyl-, and ethyl-): most common preservatives used in skin care
Petrolatum (petroleum jelly): suffocates the skin
Phenylenediamine (PPD): used in hair dyes
Phthalates: simply labeled as “fragrances” or used in nail polish, hair spray, and perfumes
Polyethylene glycol (PEG): a chemical used to make things thicker or stickier
Propylene glycol (PG): commonly found in moisturizers
Quaternium 15: a preservative that also creates toxic by-products such as formaldehyde
Sodium lauryl (laureth) sulfate: often disguised in “natural” products as a coconut derivative, extracted using harmful petroleum solvents
Sodium cyanide: toxin used create EDTA
Stearalkonium chloride: often used in hair conditioners and creams
Talc/talcum powder: proven to cause respiratory problems
Triclosan: often used in antibacterial cleansers and toothpaste
Ureas (imidazolidinyl, diazolidinyl, and/or DMDM): most commonly used preservatives after parabens
These ingredients are used in almost all our skin care products that aren't considered natural and organic. Please watch the labeling and advertising of some products. They may advertise their products as natural or derived from botanical ingredients, please read the ingredient list - there may be natural and botanical ingredients listed but many on the above list will be listed too.
If the company is labeling right - the first ingredient will be the main ingredient in the product and so on and the INCI name should be used (some of these can be hard to pronounce, but they will become familiar). The International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients, or INCI, is a system of names for waxes, oils, pigments, chemicals, and other ingredients of soaps, cosmetics, personal care products, etc. based on scientific names and other Latin and English words. Ingredients in the United States are not regulated on how they are labeled. For example, 1,4-dioxane (found in baby/kid soaps, bubble baths, etc.) is a contaminant produced during manufacturing, so the FDA does not require 1,4-dioxane to be listed as an ingredient on product labels. Very hard to avoid a chemical and toxin when you don't know it is in the product.
You can always use the Skin Deep Cosmetics Database to check on ingredients you are unsure about. As far as those ingredients or byproducts that are not listed on the label, do your research. I'm still behind on technology, especially when it comes to cell phones and their capabilities but their is an App for the database too.
Ingredients Part 2 will be coming soon...
Thank You!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Benefits of Dry Body Brushing
It is getting to be that time of year again - dry, flaky skin. Cooler, dryer weather, spent too much time in the sun over the summer or you might deal with dry, flaky skin all year depending on where you live. This technique is also great to do before shaving. Dry body brushing is done before a shower, while your body is still dry. I recommend standing in your shower-not on, while you dry body brush.
The skin is the largest organ of the body and also a big eliminator of toxins and waste in our body. Buy a body brush made of natural plant fiber, a course bath glove, a loofah, or a course body scrub. The amount of pressure you can use depends on skin sensitivity. Brush vigorously making circular motions and massage every part of your body. Start with feet and legs, then hands and arms, then back, abdomen, chest and neck. Once finished, shower to clean off exfoliated skin cells. 5-10 minutes of brushing is ideal.
The benefits of dry body brushing:
The skin is the largest organ of the body and also a big eliminator of toxins and waste in our body. Buy a body brush made of natural plant fiber, a course bath glove, a loofah, or a course body scrub. The amount of pressure you can use depends on skin sensitivity. Brush vigorously making circular motions and massage every part of your body. Start with feet and legs, then hands and arms, then back, abdomen, chest and neck. Once finished, shower to clean off exfoliated skin cells. 5-10 minutes of brushing is ideal.
The benefits of dry body brushing:
- It exfoliates the outer layer of the skin.
- Stimulates blood flow to the skin, allowing the skin to breathe better.
- Helps eliminate wastes and toxins carried in the blood stream.
- Stimulates blood circulation in underlying organs.
- Stimulates hormone and oil-producing glands of the skin.
- Contributes to a healthier muscle tone and better distribution of fats.
- Rejuvenates the complexion which helps with aging.
The information herein provided throughout this website on various natural products and alternative health principles is for general information only. Please do not use this information to diagnose, prevent and/or cure any illness or health condition.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Scare Tactics
I don't like to use them. I would rather have customers like my products for what they are without having to scare them into using them. Scare tactics work, people hear the message, the fear sets in and we fall for it - we automatically go do what the message is saying to prevent what would happen if we don't. Will I share information that makes you think and possibly research to see what is out there, what is in the products we use everyday and hope you make healthier choices with personal care products and other products you use daily? Sure, my idea of obtaining healthier people and a healthier world is to provide and share information that will help others make those choices.
It doesn't always have to be a negative thing but playing on people's fears has been going on for decades and we are starting to see consequences of giving into the fear. Please do your research - new products anywhere from laundry detergent to personal care products that promise this and that but what they aren't telling you is what you need to find out. We tend to buy products for the convenience of them. Doesn't have to include new products, could be ones you have used for years that could be causing problems.
When I started on this journey of becoming more green and eco-friendly 10 years ago, I focused more on protecting the environment. Recycling, using laundry, dish detergent, shampoos, etc. that didn't have toxins and other chemicals in it that would harm our water systems, the soil around them and all the animals that relied on them. I quit buying paper plates and plastic utensils even for the convenience and started purchasing cloth napkins. I will go into this at a later date.
But then my oldest daughter was diagnosed at 12 with a chronic leukemia that you don't see until 50-70 years of age...I had to find out why and researched endlessly and then had to pick for now what mattered most and that was taking care of my family, getting rid of all the bad stuff so it would not happen again.
There is plenty of scary information out there and reading everything at once can cause information overload. Pick somehwere you would like to start...what matters most to you? I recently read Not Just a Pretty Face - The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry by Stacy Malkan. It was a wonderful book and I thought I knew a lot and this one was an eye opener to me. May not be one you want to start with because the information is unbelievable but definitely one to read on your journey to making healthier choices.
Thank you for reading. I'm new to this so hang with me until I get it figured out and what I actually want to write about...have so many thoughts but don't want to be negative with information. :-) Suggestions, comments are appreciated.
Amanda
It doesn't always have to be a negative thing but playing on people's fears has been going on for decades and we are starting to see consequences of giving into the fear. Please do your research - new products anywhere from laundry detergent to personal care products that promise this and that but what they aren't telling you is what you need to find out. We tend to buy products for the convenience of them. Doesn't have to include new products, could be ones you have used for years that could be causing problems.
When I started on this journey of becoming more green and eco-friendly 10 years ago, I focused more on protecting the environment. Recycling, using laundry, dish detergent, shampoos, etc. that didn't have toxins and other chemicals in it that would harm our water systems, the soil around them and all the animals that relied on them. I quit buying paper plates and plastic utensils even for the convenience and started purchasing cloth napkins. I will go into this at a later date.
But then my oldest daughter was diagnosed at 12 with a chronic leukemia that you don't see until 50-70 years of age...I had to find out why and researched endlessly and then had to pick for now what mattered most and that was taking care of my family, getting rid of all the bad stuff so it would not happen again.
There is plenty of scary information out there and reading everything at once can cause information overload. Pick somehwere you would like to start...what matters most to you? I recently read Not Just a Pretty Face - The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry by Stacy Malkan. It was a wonderful book and I thought I knew a lot and this one was an eye opener to me. May not be one you want to start with because the information is unbelievable but definitely one to read on your journey to making healthier choices.
Thank you for reading. I'm new to this so hang with me until I get it figured out and what I actually want to write about...have so many thoughts but don't want to be negative with information. :-) Suggestions, comments are appreciated.
Amanda
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