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Post by ikklehen on Sept 20, 2011 17:50:38 GMT -5
I thought I'd start a thread about health and wellbeing in a corner of our lives we take for granted as being safe... Cosmetics and beauty products. I'm an avid practitioner of safe cosmetics and general living by ways of life for many years now and would like to share - not preach - some of my knowledge and experiences about being savvy on what we slap on to our skin and hair and rinse down our drains. I can tell you now that I will have to make several posts on here as explaining this all in one go is not possible. I will start by saying that the bright lights of the department stores and expensive, pretty pots of "Cremes Des Miracles" will be just a barage of nasty petrolatum based/derived and overpriced ingredients more or less equal to your local cheap store tubs of "Cremes Des Ordinares". If you are interested in this please post on this thread any thoughts, experiences and questions and I would love to support you and offer bonafide, safe advice. It's quite a claim but I have confidence in the simplicity of nature. It works.  |
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Post by The Phantom Lady on Sept 20, 2011 18:11:21 GMT -5
ikklehen you remind me a lot of my good friend; she is very big on organic products and one of my favorite things to do with her is going to the local organic shop. Sadly I can not afford organic products at present but if I had to chose between two cheap products and one was organic no doubt I'd pick the organic!
My skin is pretty tough but my friend I mentioned has very frail skin and even though its a life style for her she can't use 'regular' skin products at all... the worst reaction I ever had was to some stupidly expensive scar removal cream I used on my cheek that gave me pimples and made the scar clearer... but on my friend I can easily tell the benefits of caring for what you use!
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Post by ikklehen on Sept 20, 2011 19:16:30 GMT -5
There are cheap ways around this, it's definately not a market for only rich folk... I'm pretty poor but I manage to stay clear of nasty chemicals! Even organic products can hide nasties, if a product uses the term 'organic' it is the ingredients on the back of the packaging which are of concern.  Did you know that something as simple as almond oil makes one of the best moisturizers ever, and it doubles up as a natural mild sunscreen! You can make wonderful face masks and body rubs with lemon zest, oatmeal and fine grain, ordinary table salt! Advocado and honey is great for dry skins.  It doesn't surprise me one bit about an expensive scar removal cream causing reactions. Also, just because a product may be free from such nasties, it is worth patch testing as some essential oils and natural ingredients may cause reactions. My main concern here is the carcinogenic and xeno-estrogen components in cosmetics that cause a lot of time released toxicity and health problems. Some of these ingredients include: Propylene Glycol (antifreeze) Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (industral degreasers) Petrolium (petrol derived grease) (methyl, butyl, propyl, ethyl) parabens DEA, MEA & TEA's (nitrosamines) Isopropyl alcohol DMDM hydantoin Imidazolidinyl Urea Coal Tar Dyes (FD&C) Parfum/Fragrance (usually synthetic concoction of unlisted nasties)  At first this sample list seems incredibly intimidating, but after time, checking packages for such stuff becomes second nature. Also it is frightening how much these ingredients pop up. But since I started living without this stuff, there are more affordable and accessable products out there for you to choose from. |
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Post by The Phantom Lady on Sept 20, 2011 19:30:24 GMT -5
parabens are what really scares me; my environmental teacher in Receptionist school told us a lot about those. I am still using some products that has them in, but I bought them before I found out what they were and I can't afford to buy a whole new set of beauty products so I am using them up at the moment...
I had some facial mud masks and I thought they were pretty organic, they had at least 5 parabens in them and I nearly died when I read that!
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Post by Cait on Sept 21, 2011 18:25:12 GMT -5
I would be very interested in some more info on this, Ikklehen! I use cosmetics a lot, mostly eye makeup. But I am aware of this SLS. I tried to find a shampoo without it because I was getting sores in my scalp!! Can you recommend a good shampoo that is SLS-free? My hair frizzes easily, so I'd need something that can tame my hair. ;D Also, makeup products I use are a little foundation (the creamy kind, not liquid), eyeliner, mascara. I have no idea what kinds of chemicals may be used in these! I also use Nivea facial treatments. I guess what I'm looking for is equally effective products, but safe ones. Any recommendations would be appreciated!! |
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Post by disarm79 on Sept 22, 2011 10:32:44 GMT -5
oooh thanks for starting this thread Ikklehen! also,like Cait, I have a hair question. I would like to know which hair dyes are the safest? i haven't dyed my hair in over 5years because I get really bad sores,itch like crazy, and lose so much hair. there arent any safe dyes at the stores around here, so was wondering if there is a special brand or an online site I could order from I'm broke too, so i don't buy all that fancy expensive stuff they have in stores. I use oils on my skin(almond and coconut), honey , oatmeal...I also use grapes as a toner. plain yogurt( to reduce the appearance of fine wrinkles). I leave it on face for about 20min. baking soda is a good exfoliate, it can also clean the face. I have very sensitive skin, I have something called Mastocytosis, urticaria Pigmentosa. So in the last few years I been trying to find natural ways to treat my skin without breaking out in hives. all these natural food products never caused me any problems. And I also shock people when I tell them I'm the oldest of my mom's five children, they think I''m around the youngest brother's age, who is 11 years younger.  |
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Post by ikklehen on Sept 22, 2011 11:38:43 GMT -5
Awww I am glad you find this thread useful! Cait Cocamidopropyl betaine is a great alternative soap ingredient in shampoos, soaps and even conditioners: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocamidopropyl_betaineA lot of safer savvy cosmetic companies use this instead. A good website for checking ingredients and online shopping is "Naturisimo" not sure I can put the link directly on the public forum as it equals selling. Google them or ask me to PM the links if you want. They sell a whole bunch of good stuff from make-up to soaps but check the ingredients if you want to be a picky purist like me Also about N*vea products, I would check the ingredients on those products and you can make your own choice about that. I won't give any named product a bad call on a public forum as it can lead to nasty pointy fingers, frowny faces, lawsuits and stuff. Living nature do an excellent shampoo too but a little pricey. Barefoot Botanicals make a divine shampoo called SOS Dry Scalp Shampoo & Conditioner... I had a sachet sample of it in Galway it was gorgeous! Again a little bit pricey but delicious! Jane Iredale and Youngblood are good make-up ranges. Slightly more expensive but Iredale is amazing I've used it for years. It's that safe, it calms the skin even after laser peels apparently! The products last for ages and because they are pure mineral, they do not support bacteria growth in the aging product. (Which is a big problem in our make-up bags!) Living Nature make a fantastic concealer too, it lasts forever and really does cover spots and black eyes (I have zombie eyes) perfectly and doesn't slide or fade but washes off with plain water! Use a clean brush to paint and dab a very small amount from the tiny tube. Please do not confuse Mineral Make-Up with the cheaper drugstore cosmetics using that name - Mineral. They may use minerals in their ranges but still throw a tonne of nasties in the ingredients, luring customers into thinking the whole product is either safe and/or the trendiest thing to use! Also the more pricey department store stuff, again this advice applies.
DisarmI bet you do look lovely and young! This is one of the ultimate results of choosing a safe regime. The body can heal and benefit from the natural substances our DNA accept. I am stuck to find a safe hair dye... it is one thing that perplexes me, I used to be blonde but the lightening also makes me lose hair etc now, so I am red. Vegetable dyes are good. There are some on the market but are subtle effects more than anything. If you need to lighten hair or have a drastic colour, try and have mesh weaves or foils so that the dye does not come into contact with the skin on the scalp, and be careful washing it out. Maybe this would help. And can I just say, the amount of illness and health issues people have - and day to day cosmetics are overlooked as innocent parts of everyday life. Our skin absorbs the soaps, creams and cosmetics we put on it. I say, if you can't ingest it, don't use it. |
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Post by disarm79 on Sept 22, 2011 12:18:48 GMT -5
Hahaha, I don't know if I would go that far and say lovely, but looking young at times can get annoying, I usually end up holding the checkout line at the liquor store because I always forget my ID and all I'm trying to do is buy some cheap chardonnay. Thanks for all this info Ikklehen , I'm so excited about this thread. Just to warn you I might be on here a lot to ask questions. You deserve a CB ;D I also believe "if you can't ingest it , dont use it" but sometimes it's hard to find natural body soaps that work. I usually use Dr, Bronner's magic soap. I'm sure it's not 100% natural, but it helps my skin, and and keeps me feeling "clean" The euclayptus bar soap is my fav. also... it's not really a cosmetic product, but notice dry brushing has help improve my skin. The trick is , to find that right brush. It took me awhile to find. most of them just left scratches on my skin. I finally found the right one, and those other( rough) brush, I now use them for my feet. |
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Post by ikklehen on Sept 22, 2011 12:48:20 GMT -5
Awww yes! Ask away! I also enjoy the advice and tips from you all too! I have heard about dry brushing. Thank you for the Cilly Bar! I have to collect them up again I lost them all on my last account! |
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Post by disarm79 on Sept 22, 2011 12:59:54 GMT -5
you're welcome, and yeah I was wondering that after I gave u the bar..... " I swore she had more". i'm sure it won't be too long. You'll catch up to what you once had before, in no time.
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Post by The Phantom Lady on Sept 22, 2011 13:20:53 GMT -5
ikklehen, do you know any good ways to remove makeup?
I really don't like using the makeup removal I have; I have one that makes my skin dry and one that makes it sticky...
Lately I only use this liquid eyeliner and mascara because I can remove the eyeliner by soaking it in water and the same with the mascara...
But I really miss using eye shadow!
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Post by disarm79 on Sept 22, 2011 13:30:15 GMT -5
@victim
I keep organic virgin coconut oil(unrefined) in my medicine cabinet. I use this for makeup removal, and night treatment. i love eye make up!!!!!!!!use all types,I mostly use waterproof since i wear contacts and my eyes water a lot. Out of all make-up removers the coconut works the best. If you dont like the oily feel, then just wash with mild soap afterwards.
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Post by The Phantom Lady on Sept 22, 2011 13:49:23 GMT -5
I like the sound of coconut oil! I LOVE coconut! my fave tea is coconut and my fave shampoo has a coconut scent lol
I'll try finding some... in this town its really difficult to find anything!
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Post by ikklehen on Sept 22, 2011 14:05:40 GMT -5
Yes coconut oil is amazing OMG I'm lost without it! It's a lip balm, ends of hair serum, dry skin emollient, sqeaky door fixer, scaly face and feet curer for budgies, cooking oil and smoothie ingredient! Plus it is full of Omegas and stuff, it's a superfood! I always said that if I could take only one thing on a desert island, it would be coconut oil... but then again... wouldn't there be tonnes of the nuts growing on trees on the island? LOL Victim, If you use a skin wash to take off make-up or generally wash with use something without Sodium Lauryl Sulphate. Best to use something with Cocamidepropyl Betaine instead which is, funnily enough, derived from coconuts! Can you order on-line? That would help solve any issues with availability in your town hunny. |
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Post by The Phantom Lady on Sept 22, 2011 14:47:27 GMT -5
I will certainly look something up the next time the Danish state sends me some money! I really miss having color on my face!
My dream is also to start using foundation... but it needs to be able to hide a reddened scar across my cheek... do you know any foundation that could help that? it's stupid really; I know people can't really see the scar but I can and I always feel like people are staring at it... and I feel like they are judging me on it when what really happened was that I was scratching my cheek one morning with my long nails and I got a cramp in my hand so I basically drew the nail into my skin...
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