Did you know that over the past 100 years, thousands of chemicals have been introduced to our society due to the industrial chemical revolution? 80,000 chemicals are on the market in the USA today and are in almost everything we buy from the materials used to build our homes, to the furniture and electronics we use, to cleaning products, to the foods we eat and products we put on our skin. In the last half century, chemical use has gone up by 2000%! What’s even crazier is that most of these chemicals aren’t even tested for their safety before they’re put on the market – they’re ‘innocent until proven guilty’.
Woah. That’s shocking, I know! So what can we do?
Well let’s start with skin care, seeing as though our skin is the largest organ of our body and it absorbs everything we put on it and goes into our bloodstream.
When buying skin care, first consider these two things…
- Go Organic – But be careful with this one and make sure it says ‘Certified Organic’ as any brand can sadly say its organic and still put nasties in! The closer to nature the better!
- Read the label – Here are the top 10 most common and toxic ingredients found in skin care. If a product has any of the chemicals listed below I won’t buy it.
- Parabens (ethyl, butyl, methyl, propyl)
- Fragrance/Parfum
- Phthalates (dibutyl, diethyl, dimethyl)
- Triclosan
- Toluene (benzene, phenylmethane, methylbenzene)
- Formaldehyde
- Artificial /Synthetic Colours
- Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS)/Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES)
- Propylene Glycol
- Chemical Sunscreens (benzophenone, PABA, avobenzone, homosalte, exthoxycinnmate)
So, what skin care products do I use?
- Moisturiser/ body lotion – I use 100% Raw Organic Coconut Oil as my body lotion, it’s hydrating, keeps my skin soft and is also a natural anti-bacterial! It’s also great for sensitive skin. You could also use Olive Oil, Sesame Seed Oil or Castor Oil and Shea Butter as a heavier moisturiser in the cooler months or for dry patches Or Aloe Vera if you want a lighter, non-greasy, fast absorbing moisturiser in the hotter months. Rosehip Oil works wonders for the face and a brilliant anti-ager!
Eye and hand cream – 100% Raw Pressed Shae Butter. This is such a dense and hydrating cream that I only use it around my eyes (or on any other fine lines), as a hand cream at night or on my bod in the cooler months when my skin is dryer. I LOVE this product.- Toner – Diluted Apple Cider Vinegar helps cleanse tone, brighten and even out the face complexion. It helps fade red and dark spots and also acts as an anti-bacterial.
- Hair treatment – Castor Oil, Coconut Oil and Argon Oil are all great hair treatments!! I do this once in a while to re-hydrate my hair and rinse through some Apple Cider Vinegar to help look in the moisture. My hair is always SO shinny and soft the next day! Castor Oil has been proven to help hair grow much faster.
- Blemish Treatment – Tea Tree Oil and Zinc are wonder workers for me! Anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. I cannot have without these two! Eucalyptus Oil works in a similar way but I prefer Tea Tree. Don’t use everywhere on your face, only on your spots as it does dry it out.
- Face mask – 100% Natural Calcium Bentonite Clay- this facemask is awesome!! I mix it with water and some apple cider vinegar and wow does it draw out all the dirt and impurities. Seriously powerful this stuff.
- Sunscreen – Soooo many chemicals in sunscreen but all you need to block the sun’s harmful UV rays is one ingredient – Zinc! Can mix it in with any of your natural moisturisers or oils or simply use a Zinc stick for the face! You can get tanned, natural colour and clear zinc these days – thank god 😉
If you have any questions on the natural products I use please give me a shout. I will go over the other safe and chemical free products I use daily and around the house in future newsletters. In the meantime, If you love a good doco like myself, and want to learn more about the toxic chemicals that surround us in our daily lives, I highly suggest watching the documentary ‘The Human Experiment’. It’s rather shocking, though informative and can be easily found on YouTube with the link below and might give you that extra inspiration you need to live a toxic and chemical free life!