Follow up: Natural Beauty Products!

Hey fans,
Just wanted to give you a follow up and give you an inside scoop of what I've been experimenting with lately: with my quest for an all natural beauty routine.
       If you read my last blog entry, you know that I was most concerned with hair care products, so that's  what I tackled first. I was previously using Kevin Murphy products - which are not terrible on the chemical scale, but they do have sulfates and I wanted to try to avoid those. I'm probably going to save my Kevin Murphy Luxury Conditioner for special occasions. What I did add though is John Masters Organics Zinc & Sage Shampoo and the Citrus & Neroli Conditioner, plus the Sea Mist spray for some added texture and to enhance the waves in my hair.
        What's been different: The shampoo did take some adjustment. It doesn't have sulfates so it doesn't lather. So I just add a little water and smooth it over my hair instead of piling my hair on top of my head and working that lather through like I used to. I use the conditioner pretty much the same way- just smooth it down to the ends, make sure its coated well, and let it sit while I shave my legs. I'm finding that I'm able to get my hair just as clean- it may not feel quite as soft and fluffy like it once did but that's ok with me because it also doesn't feel like it gets dirty as often and I'm actually washing my hair less. (which is better for your hair)
          Deodorants: This has been tricky because I'm just as stinky and sweaty as the next gal. My favorite deodorant (and the one that works the best for me) has been La Vanilla Healthy Deodorant in vanilla grapefruit. It has the white color and moisturizing texture that I used to like from my Dove deodorant. Some of the other brands like Tom's of Maine, work okay but they more of a sticky texture that I don't seem to like as much. One type from Weleda actually comes in a spray (it looks like a Toner bottle) and it's not bad either but requires frequent re-application. I'm not through researching this category for sure!
           Nails:  This is a category that might not mean much to you if you don't wear nail polish, but I have gotten quite attached to painting my nails in all kinds of different colors. Especially this spring, because very bright and cheery colors are being released from all major brands. What I discovered though is that some major nail companies are getting with the program reformulating their products without Formaldehyde with is fantastic! OPI has deleted 2 out of the 3 yucky chemicals and Spa Ritual (which I love) doesn't have any of the 3 chemicals. (Formaldehyde, Toulene, and DBP) Zoya is another completely chem free nail brand and there's another newer one called RGB- this company has gorgeous, fashionable colors that are miles away from your basic baby pinks and reds. I bought one called "Deep", a sultry deep merlot red, and I plan to go back and get the "Sea" which was sold out- it was an amazing shimmery, deep emerald green.
          Make up: I've been trying many different all natural make up lines and there's definitely some highs and lows. Here's what I've been using on a daily basis: After my skin care routine and applying moisturizer I put on the new Eminence tinted moisturizer in Caramel. (spf 25) I blend it thoroughly. Then I put on my Eminence sun defense powder in Peaches & Cream (spf 30). I spritz one of my Eminence toners to set the powder and make it water (read: sweat) resistant. I discovered W3LL People make up and it is really fun. The multi-stick cream foundation + concealer "Narcissist" is cool- just dab it on with your fingers: just where you need it -on the redness and blemishes and blend well. Voila! You have even skin and look polished. I also got a multi-stick blush "Universalist" that you can even put on lips and eyes too. Its trickier to master but really pretty. I got a loose powder eye shadow, Elitist: a light gold with some twinkle, and the Nudist lip gloss/stick. I use Glo Minerals Papaya Glo Blush when I want more color on my cheeks. So far I have 2 eye shadow palattes from Mineral Fusion (in Stunning and Symmetry) which I sort of like. The colors are nice but I wish they had a softer texture. I'm using Josie Maran's Volume Argan Mascara and it's not bad. It works well but tends to run if I get sweaty or have a cry. I also am really loving the new Eminence Illuminating powder blush in Chai Berry. Its nice on the upper cheek bones. Then I may or may not set everything with my Mineral Fusion Setting Powder.
So that's it! You too can look beautiful without using suspicious chemicals in your beauty routine. Remember: you don't have to change everything at once- just one at a time will be easier to handle and eventually you'll be chemical free!

Do you want cancer? Put down that foaming body wash!

I think I just found a book that will change my life. No More Dirty Looks: The Truth about your Beauty Products, by Siobhan O'Connor and Alexandra Spunt. The authors of this book have done what I have wanted to do ever since I became an Esthetician: research all the major ingredients in thousands of personal care products, talk to a few doctors and really determine what you should and should not be putting on your body. The results are depressing for sure, when you realize that your beloved Nars eye shadow and Bath & Body Works lotion is gonna have to go... But sort of inspiring too. Because now I'm informed and get to experiment with a whole slew of natural products that work just as well, smell fantastic and won't give me weird rashes and pimples like the chemical varieties. And keep in mind too, that the reasons to ditch go beyond rashes and pimples. Some ingredients could be contributing to cancers, tumors, allergens, organ functions, breathing problems, and in the right concentration: even death.
Whoa. That's pretty serious. Now, some ingredients don't have enough data to really tell us exactly what harm they can do to our bodies, but why risk it if its a product you only sort of think works for you?
To get the most out of this subject, I really think you should pick up this book and read it cover to cover. But for the interest of this blog entry I'll briefly tell you about your hair care. (Your skin care and body-cleansing needs are taken care of with Eminence products since they are 98% organic and contain absolutely no chemicals!)

Why you should care more about what hair care products you're using: Because your scalp is one of the most absorbent part of your body. Anything you put on your hair and head goes into your blood stream and can therefore travel all over the body! So why would we want to help those chemicals? Some will be eliminated when you pee but others can hang around, up to a year. This is scary stuff.

Ingredients to avoid in your shampoo and conditioner:
Sodium Laurel Sulfate- it's byproduct produces a carcinogen, which is cancerous.
Preservatives, like DMDM hydantoin and methylparaben: can release formaldehyde, which when in the body can effect estrogen, thyroid, and neurological function.
Fragrances/Perfume- This is a big category. The perfume industry has it's own trademarking laws and is not included with FDA testings. Each fragrance can contain hundreds of chemicals and none of them are considered safe. They are known neurotoxins, and can affect allergies and hormone levels.

Those are just 3 reasons to switch your shampoo and conditioner- but what about your de-frizzer? Your de-tangler? Hair spray, hair gel, mousse? And here's a biggie: hair dye.  I'm not quite ready to tackle hair dye, but am going to look into more natural henna dyes.

When you're ready to go shopping for new products, you can consult this book (it has great recommendations) or just read those labels. Look for natural ingredients and fewer rather than  more ingredients. Go to trusted product lines like John Masters Organics, Aubrey, Avalon, and Dr. Hauschka. You can even make your own products using basics like baking soda, apple cider vinegar and cornstarch!
Remember that Most Commercial Beauty products have chemicals to some degree. Even the ones that claim they are "natural" or "organic". The USDA only requires products to have a small percentage of "natural ingredients" to be able to label them that way. You will find much cleaner products at Whole Foods or your local natural grocer. Even some drug stores are now carrying the cleaner lines. Also, Most products advertised on TV and in magazines are likely to have chemicals. Do not be swayed: Even if your favorite actress says that product is the best she's ever tried.

Next on my list to tackle: Makeup and Nail care. That's going to be a doozy.

Brand new to Pearlescent: Organic Beauty!

Now carrying the new Organic Mineral Beauty line from Eminence! This is the first time Eminence has released any type of make-up line and I am thrilled! The line includes:

-Tinted Moisturizer SPF 25 in 2 different colors: Caramel Latte and Cocoa Latte. 

(Antioxidant rich ingredients include Linden tea and Shea butter to moisturize, Aloe to soothe and calm the skin, and Zinc for sun protection.) 

-An Illuminator Blush: Chai Berry Glow 

-A Bronzer: Mocha Berry Bronzer 

(both blushes have Acai berry, Green tea, Vitamins A & E- help to control oil and give your skin a beautiful subtle glow.)

-And the Cinnamon Lip Plumper Gloss (Cinnamon oil stimulates circulation-- like that Paprika masque! 

which gives the lips a sexy pout, a healthy pink color, and Pomegranate oil soothes and moisturizes)

A beautiful Powder brush rounds out the collection to smoothly blend all the products. 

And for a limited time a FREE organic cotton linen make-up bag will be given away with purchases of 2 or more Organic Beauty products! 

 

*This introductory beauty collection is meant to give you a youthful, sun-kissed glow. The tinted moisturizers are not meant to match specific skin tones, like conventional foundations, but rather to give a slightly darkened appearance resulting in a SAFE tan. So instead of laying out in the sun or (God forbid) using a tanning bed, try the new Beauty line! Make-up applications and tutorials are available with your appointment! 

Detox Experiment: What am I putting in my body?

       2011! It's a new year and for many, that means new beginnings. During the month of January we are bombarded with commercials telling us it's time to get healthy and loose weight. It's actually a lot of pressure! I don't necessarily think you need to immediately join Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig, but it does tend to be a good time of year to reflect on your life and start making healthier choices. 
       I came upon an article in Austin's Natural Magazine about how to detox your diet. There were lots of good tips and some sorta far fetched ones... (buy a calf, take it to a butcher and put all the meat in your freezer?? Good idea, but not sure that's gonna happen for a lot of folks.) 
       So, here's a question: Why should I care about detoxing? 
-When you fill your body with toxins, you overwork your liver. So eliminating those toxins allows your liver to catch up on its task of detoxifying and in turn your body functions better, you feel better, and have more energy! [Toxins include processed foods, chemicals, alcohol, and parabens (preservative ingredients in some cosmetics that have been proven to lead to breast cancer) and anything foreign that is difficult for your body to process.] 
       The article suggests eating organic foods as much as you can, avoiding processed foods whenever possible, taking a daily probiotic, and cleansing your body once a year. A cleanse can be done in a variety of ways. It can be as simple as having a "clean" diet for a period of time: 7, 10 or even 21 days. Clean foods are the ones found in nature- fruits, vegetables, and legumes. Its also important to avoid breads, dairy and alcohol during this time. You could describe this diet as mostly Vegan. Some choose to take this detox even further by doing a liquid diet of Miso soup, no sugar juices and then supporting your body with supplements. In addition you can add in colonics which really ensures your body to expel all toxins. This is definitely a difficult plan and tough to stick with, however people with fungal and yeast problems, digestive problems and/or parasites will notice huge differences in the way their body's function. 
     Don't forget about the toxins in your cosmetics! What are the ingredients in your soap, shampoo, toothpaste, lotions and make up? 
     So this got me thinking: What am I using on a day to day basis? Here is a short list of what I did just today. I'll designate a - or + sign to signify either -chemicals or +chemicals. (from the majority of ingredients) 
     Morning routine: Jason Sea fresh toothpaste (-), Yardley Lemon Verbena bar soap (-), Enfusia Organic Pomegranate Berry body wash (-), Kevin Murphy shampoo and conditioner, and detangler spray (-). Eminence skin care (-) including cleanser, toner, serum, and moisturizer. 
     Makeup: Eminence sun defense powder (-), Sephora Mineral Pressed Powder (-), Nars eye shadow and blush (+), Clinique eye liner (+), Josie Moran Argon Mascara (-), Eminence lip balm (-)
     Foods: Organic Zhi hot tea White Pomegranate (-), Central Market Flax Seed Oatmeal (-), Sun maid raisins (-), Wallaby Black Cherry Yogurt (-), Grilled Cheese Sandwich w/ Eziekel bread (-), HEB cheddar cheese (+), HEB Genoa Salami (+), with spicy pickles (-) and Smart Balance butter (-), and Loaded Baked Potato with chopped beef (+). More Zhi tea (-)
      Obviously there are things I can do differently. And each day is a little different for me. This might be a fun experiment for you to try too! Just think about everything you put in or on your body in one day. Maybe there are small changes you could make to put less toxins in your body? It doesn't have to be all or nothing!