Harmful Products In Your Beauty Routine

Why I decided on this as a topic: I’ve said it before in other blogs, but motherhood has opened my eyes to the products I fuel my body with, fuel my daughter’s body with and as much as I can control him from eating bad things, my husband’s body too. However, this article is not just about food, I’m hoping to educate my readers a little on harmful products you use, every day.

It’s not my intent to give you anxiety. It is my intent to educate you with what

I have learned from my obsessive research, in one article. I am NOT a doctor. I am simply one woman hoping to enlighten families on harmful products to keep away from. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s get started.

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When it comes to living a healthy lifestyle, what you put on your body is just as important as what you put in your body. Your skin is the largest organ of your body and since it is permeable, it absorbs whatever you put on it. A study published in the American Journal of Public Health looked into the skin’s absorption rates of chemicals found in drinking water. It showed that the skin absorbed an average of 64% of total contaminant dosage. Other studies found the face to be several times more absorptive than broad body surfaces and an absorption rate of 100% for underarms and genitalia.[1]

Some of you may know this about me, some may not. Before I became a full-time mommy and solely a makeup artist/beauty blogger, I was a marketing director for two very successful beauty industries. When we would discover a new “It” product our creative wheels turned in a direction that went something like this:

Establish the trend.
Understand your market and how to expand from the current competition’s core audience.
Establish how to make the product as cheaply as possible.
Find out how to make your product the best by giving customers what current products are missing.
Find the hottest new celebrity to promote it.
Sold.

Okay...so I’m skipping a few things, but those were the most important. I wish I could say that providing 100% healthy products to consumers was a step in the process, but it is not. Don’t get me wrong, I am not ragging on these companies. Beauty industries do a ton of charity, and provide hundreds of thousands of jobs to Americans. The fact of the matter is, the U.S. is MUCH more lenient than European countries. This is where the problem lies. Our policies and what we allow companies to sell us.

A few weeks back I was invited to the get-together for a brand called Beauty Counter. Their mission is mainly to educate people on the many harmful chemicals you are letting sink into your skin, while creating products that are safe for you and your family. Ultimately, their mission inspired me to reach out to my followers and share what I know and how I personally avoid these chemicals.

Let’s get the point, what are these ingredients? Why are they made? Why are they bad for me? What sick bastard sells them to me? Buckle up……

Okay, now we know the big wigs of product no- no’s. Most, if not all consumer products carry one of these chemicals. Consumer products are broad category that covers mass-market items divided into consumer durables, consumer non-durables, and soft goods. These products are sold at your super markets, drug stores etc. Many luxury products also have these chemicals.

Here’s my advice. Take a look at the products you use, daily. Can you make better decisions with your daily routine? Chances are you can. It’s impossible to stay away from everything, unless you decide to build a farm and grow your own crops.

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In an effort to help get you started, I thought it might be helpful to share where I cut corners to making healthier life style choices in my beauty products and foods:

Bath Soap: I use a brand called “Farmers Market”. It’s a lavender soap that is organic. It smells wonderful and has 0 chemicals. I purchase mine at Harmon’s, but you can also purchase online.
Shaving Cream: One of the women at Beauty Counter recommended using Organic Coconut Oil and I am grateful for it. It works great and as long as you’re using hot water to shave, it does not clog your razor. I’ve noticed minimal razor burn or bumps. I love, love, love coconut oil.
Face Wash: I oil cleanse using organic oils. See my earlier blog on oil cleansing.
Nail Polish Remover: Abe’s Market
Makeup: This is tough. Organic makeup is nearly as great as your luxury product. The coverage is less than mediocre, the longevity is not great and the price is high. I do cut corners with mascara and lip products. During the week I wear minimal makeup (concealer, mascara and some blush). My organic brand of choice is NYR for my daily makeup. 100% safe beauty and skincare products.
Hair Dye: Vegetable hair dye is your best bet. It is more expensive, has a longer processing time, but it is pregnancy safe and is smells quite delightful. In my area, my favorite organic salon is “Eco Chic” in Morristown. The healthy living epidemic is expanding and if you google organic salon, I’m sure you can find one in your area.
House Cleaners/ Air Fresheners: It turns out Method is a safe bet brand. I have found the best for me and my family is to create my own. It’s not nearly as time consuming as you think. You can buy empty spray bottles on Amazon along with the products to create your safe cleaners. Same goes for candles using organic oils and waxes. I can’t say that I have found a home-made glass cleaner that doesn’t leave streaks, so I haven’t given up Windex just yet.
Food: Obviously, organic is your best bet. Unfortunately, organic is expensive as all hell, and it spoils quickly. I purchase all of my produce at a local farmers market. Local markets use less, if any chemicals on their produce because it is not traveling to you. The produce is grown and brought directly to your local market. I wash all of my produce in vinegar to remove any germs etc.
Sweeteners / Diet Products: This is where I never sway….Just DON’T. These ingredients are laced with chemicals that are aching to make you sick. Sweeten with organic agave, add flavor to water with fruits, use organic brown sugar, and for the love of god put the Diet soda down. Your skin and organs will thank you later.

There is so much more to learn and be aware of, but in an effort to keeping this blog short, here is a link for one of my go-to sites on healthy beauty products. The site dives deeper into harmful products divided by categories: http://www.safecosmetics.org/get-the-facts/healthandscience/

Keep educated my beauties. We’ll chat soon.