Killing me softly with face wash.

My journey into the beauty product world started with a zit. As a teen i tried everything to get my skin under control; making all the same mistakes that most of you probably did: Using alcohol based toners to dry out my oily skin (sea breeze, who hasn't tried it?) Using thick makeup to cover up my blemishes (Ugh MAC should be renamed MACNE). Product after product went in the trash, and i was left with scars. I'm not sure when the light clicked on that there were certain ingredients in products that were making my skin worse instead of better, but it began years of research. The first site i used to help cut out products that were making my acne worse was http://www.zerozits.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=SSC&Category_Code=Article_AcneDetective  Using this site i would look up a products ingredients before buying to see if it contained any pore clogging ingedients. While this list doesn't have EVERY possible ingedient, it's a start. But that got me thinking too, what were all these ingedients that i can't even pronounce? What were they made from? Are they safe? I like to be safe rather than sorry so if there is any research that possibly indicates something as cancer causing, i dont use it. Case and point: Parabens. There's a lot of arguments out there whether these preservatives are harmful or not; but like i said, i'm playing it safe, i avoid products containing it. A good site to check out if you're curious about whats in your products and if they're safe is http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

 It took a long time to pinpoint certain ingredients that were not only triggering my acne but that were also causing allergic reations. And later my doctor would help me discover that i was sensitve to chemicals and fragrances (causing skin redness, itchiness, breakouts, rashes, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, even some memory problems!) My doctor suggested i use fragrance free products and avoid certain ingredients, and so began my adventure in natural and organic beauty. The more i researched what was going into our products, the more i was horrified! So many ingedients have been banned in Europe but not in the States (this video is a nudge to WHY http://youtu.be/pfq000AF1i8) They're not only bad for you but also for the earth; non-biodegradable formulas and chemicals go down the drain evrytime you shower. Also the way they're manufactured and packaged effects our health and the world around us. Did you know that chemicals can leech from the plastic bottle your products are in? Now not only did i want a natural product, but i also wanted to buy from companies that were sustainable, and doing good for the environment and communities. I like to make sure the containers are recyclable and the formulas aren't harmful in any way.

I'm so disappointed in our government for not caring about our health. Everything is about business and personally i find it disgusting. There is lead in lipstick, and the products we use everyday are causing our breast milk to be toxic. There are people trying to fix these problems. The campaign for safe cosmetics (http://safecosmetics.live2.radicaldesigns.org/index.php) is a coalition effort launched in 2004 to protect the health of consumers and workers by securing the corporate, regulatory and legislative reforms necessary to eliminate dangerous chemicals from cosmetics and personal care products. They have excellent ways to get involved. Write your congressman letting him know you want safer cosmetics, just click here, http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5500/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=7022 .

I hope that you found this blog informative, helpful or possibly eye-opening. Later i will be making a blog about companies that make safe and eco firendly products.

If you're sensitive to fragrances, this site is a god-send!   http://www.refreshinglyfree.com/

See if your favorite brands are killing you, this is a list of companies that have signed the compact for safe cosmetics:

http://www.safecosmetics.org/downloads/Compact_Signers_12.15.pdf