Are your personal care products unhealthy?

nancy324

nancy324

Cathlete
I just stumbled upon this website and was very surprised. I never really thought about the stuff I put on my skin not being good for my health. Most of the products I use are in the "moderate risk" category. I'm really glad that my new deodorant is in the "low risk" category. I'm going to change my shampoo right away.

http://www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep2/index.php
 
I've been concerned about this for years, so I buy very few products and all of them from healthy organic suppliers. I also just use oil on my skin, like olive oil with a few drops of essential oil in it. I make it myself so it's cheap and just rub it on after my shower. I use cocoa butter for lip balm, vinegar for a toner.

I'm glad you posted this Nancy.
 
Any chemical we use cannot be good for us but I cannot see worrying about every little thing. We can't stop breathing and I hate to think of what we take in when we do :)
 
I understand what you're saying, Candi, but I don't really care that much what soap or shampoo or deodorant or toothpaste I use, so I might as well use the ones that are rated "low concern" rather than "high concern". For me, it's just as easy to use the stuff that's safer.

For example, I recently tried a new deodorant called "Crystal" which is all natural. I was very surprised to find that it did just as good a job as my commercial deodorant did, and I think the price was the same or less. It is rated "low concern". It's better for the environment and it's better for me, so why not?

-Nancy
 
Hi Nancy,

I was recently on vacation and my husband showed me an article in either the St. Petersburg or Tampa, FL paper and they were saying how OPI nail polish is harmful to you (it was a key ingredient, but I'm not sure which one). The article was geared more towards teens but I have actually used that nail polish.

Thanks for the site.
Debbie
 
>What kind of oils are good for senstive skin?
Oh good I was hoping someone would ask :) I love using oils on my skin, and while I don't worry about every little thing (there are far too many) some nasty things are easy to avoid and worth the little effort especially if the old way makes you break out in rashes.

A very good oil for skin is emu oil, (yes, that's emu and it's a bird). Emu oil has a very similar lipid profile to human skin, and is absorbed well and *used* by the skin. Here's an excerpt from http://www.newstarget.com/009126.html

"Emu oil is a non-inclusive barrier. It doesn't plug your pores, and it's nearly identical to fats found deeper in the dermis layers of your skin. Studies done by Dr. Robert Nicolosi of the University of Massachusetts have proven that emu oil is a transdermal, and it has been published as such in medical journals. It's one of only a few substances known to be a good transdermal, meaning that it can easily pass through skin. It's also published as an effective anti-inflammatory."

A lot of people don't like it because it comes from a bird and also because it is heavy. This is a good producer of emu oil, their triple refined oil is a good quality: http://lbemuoil.com/ Jojoba oil is another good oil that has a similar lipid profile to human skin.

There are lots of other good oils though too and I usually make my own mix of oils for my body. You want carrier oils and not essential oils. Essential oils are very concentrated and are supposed to be diluted before using on the skin. In the summer I use lighter oils and include grapeseed oil in the mix. Grapeseed oil is light and absorbs very fast. Almond and apricot oils are traditionally used as massage oils because they don't penetrate the skin quickly, so if I add any of these I use very little in the mix. Here is a good place to describing the properties of some of the oils: http://www.naturesgift.com/aromatherapycar_ord.htm

The oils that I use on my sensitive skin are:
emu
jojoba
rose hip
camellia
grapeseed
squalane
shea
apricot
almond

Everyone's skin is different so just because my skin likes these oils doesn't mean someone elses will. There are lots of places online to read about the properties of oils for skin. Some are a little overwhelming though because there are so many oils.
 
I have been keen on organic stuff for awhile. I switched shampoos at my hair stylist's recommendation to one that has no Sodium Laurel Sulfate, which is a detergent, is not organically derived, and strips your hair of color. Once I switched, my hair color stopped going so red/brassy on me. Sodium laurel sulfate is in everything - hair products, household cleaners, the works. Hard to avoid. Shampoo I use is called Blinc. I get it from Glow.com - yes I have forked over up to $21 a bottle for it. But Glow has it now for $9 so I stocked up.

Also check out Annie Bond's books - she has recipes for some skin care items that you can easily whip up. I make my own toners with lavendar from the garden and bottled water (takes 5 seconds). Then I mortgage my house for other botanical skin care products since I feel I have earned it with all that virtuous behavior of mine. So yes I am a hypocrit, but my hair shines and my skin looks great so why quibble?

Take care!

Julie
 
Right--I read that in Paula's book--but she recommends using shampoos with sodium LAURETH sulfate rather than sodium LAUREL sulfate as they won't irritate the skin.

Both are essentials to shampoos--without one or the other shampoo will not lather. Unless you're OK w/a latherless shampoo.
 
Thanks Nancy - it never occured to me to question this as well... Especially when there is a link (tentative or not) between breast cancer and deoderant.
 
EMU oil? yuck
And really - let's slaughter more animals for human consumption/vanity/etc - we don't do enough of that - let's bring back commercial whaling, too!
 
>EMU oil? yuck
>And really - let's slaughter more animals for human
>consumption/vanity/etc - we don't do enough of that - let's
>bring back commercial whaling, too!

Animal products in general aren't for everyone.
 
Just as a point of interest, it's possible to make your own cosmetics. I've recently found recipes for homemade conditioner and gel. Haven't tried them yet but it's on my list of things to do.

Sparrow

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow - what a ride!’ — Peter Sage
 
I agree NY25!!! I'm pretty sure the emu wasn't put on this earth so we could destroy it for our own selfish uses. I wonder if people would use dog oil because it was so great on the skin as well??? Disgusting and heartless!!

Carolyn
 
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