Part of my day job requires me to listen to the Dr. Mehmet Oz show on Oprah & Friends radio, and as a result, I learn all sorts of neat science stuff and have even been inspired to make some healthier choices in my everyday life. I now eat things like psyllium husk, agave nectar, hemp milk, and quinoa. It almost makes me want to roll my eyes at myself, but hey, it's good to be good to yourself.So one of the latest things I learned on the show is that a survey by The Environmental Working Group found that the average woman uses 12 personal care products per day. This is an interesting fact on many levels...
...First, it shows just how high-maintenance the modern woman has become; the value we place on physical beauty and appearance; and the extent to which we expose ourselves to potentially harmful toxins which are found in said products.
The message of the show was basically to educate women about the hazards and encourage us to cut out some of those products from our daily routine to limit the health risks. Problem is, I'm not sure what I could possibly cut out. Here's what I use on a daily basis:
1. Shampoo
2. Conditioner
3. Bodywash
4. Facewash
5. Contact solution
6. Eye-makeup remover
7. Mascara
8. Face lotion
9. Lip balm
10. Blush
11. Deodorant
Of course, there are a slew of other products I use frequently, although perhaps not on a daily basis:
12. Shaving cream
13. Body lotion
14. Cuticle cream
15. Lip gloss
16. Bronzer
17. Eyeliner
18. Defrizz hair serum
19. Concealer
20. Tinted moisturizer/Foundation
21. Powder
22. Exfoliating body scrub
23. Foot scrub
24. Nail polish
25. Nail polish remover
26. Professional hair dye
As you can see, that's a lot of product. Personally, I am trying to gradually shift to more "natural" bath and beauty products, although it's really tricky knowing exactly what's in a product regardless of what's on the label. I am also no longer addicted to lip gloss (which I used to eat off my lips and reapply constantly...ew). I'm also stretching the time between my visits to the salon although there's no way I'm giving up the blond. I've also switched to Tom's of Maine toothpaste and I'm a huge fan of Burt's Bees products. Finally, I'm trying to avoid fragrances altogether which is easy for me to do because most scents really bug me to begin with.
I'm curious to know if any of you are worried about chemicals in beauty products and what steps you're taking to minimize the potential health risks. How many personal care products do you use on a daily basis? Would you consider cutting anything out of your beauty regimen?
The message of the show was basically to educate women about the hazards and encourage us to cut out some of those products from our daily routine to limit the health risks. Problem is, I'm not sure what I could possibly cut out. Here's what I use on a daily basis:
1. Shampoo
2. Conditioner
3. Bodywash
4. Facewash
5. Contact solution
6. Eye-makeup remover
7. Mascara
8. Face lotion
9. Lip balm
10. Blush
11. Deodorant
Of course, there are a slew of other products I use frequently, although perhaps not on a daily basis:
12. Shaving cream
13. Body lotion
14. Cuticle cream
15. Lip gloss
16. Bronzer
17. Eyeliner
18. Defrizz hair serum
19. Concealer
20. Tinted moisturizer/Foundation
21. Powder
22. Exfoliating body scrub
23. Foot scrub
24. Nail polish
25. Nail polish remover
26. Professional hair dye
As you can see, that's a lot of product. Personally, I am trying to gradually shift to more "natural" bath and beauty products, although it's really tricky knowing exactly what's in a product regardless of what's on the label. I am also no longer addicted to lip gloss (which I used to eat off my lips and reapply constantly...ew). I'm also stretching the time between my visits to the salon although there's no way I'm giving up the blond. I've also switched to Tom's of Maine toothpaste and I'm a huge fan of Burt's Bees products. Finally, I'm trying to avoid fragrances altogether which is easy for me to do because most scents really bug me to begin with.
I'm curious to know if any of you are worried about chemicals in beauty products and what steps you're taking to minimize the potential health risks. How many personal care products do you use on a daily basis? Would you consider cutting anything out of your beauty regimen?
www.ewg.org
Another great site that they're affiliated with is:
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/
conditioner
body wash
face wash
deodorant
foundation
eyeliner
mascara
Of course, throw in there shampoo on certain days, lipstick, hairspray, etc....
I like this post although I am sure I go well beyond the list of 12 per day... I also started to use more natural alternatives since about 2 years ago. I love this site EverydayMinerals.com. It has very affordable and great quality mineral make-up. I have been using high end products like Lancôme, Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier and I am so pleased with these products. Anyway, if you try it, let me know what you think. Also, there's a free sample kit on the site.
Kay
As for deodorant, try Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Deodorant. It's aluminum-free and I've found it works really well (my boyfriend uses it and he smells great!)
Sounds like a great deodorant. Is it at available at any stores? Looks like maybe Vitamin Shoppe.
p.s. Turns out Jane Iredale is not Budget Babe-friendly makeup because of my...budget.
The only thing I haven't really been able to use in the 'all natural' style is the deodorant... I just can't bring myself to use the hippie kind that does a good job of preventing smell, but wetness not so much.
I've found natural make-up, body wash, shampoo and conditioner, face wash (I'm kinda in love with the BeFine line- http://befine.com/).