Earlier this week in our Thursday Links we posted The Story of Cosmetics.
My question is, how far do you go to avoid chemical ridden cosmetics or products in general?
We (humans) have been exposed to chemicals in the home for centuries. Think of all the cases of poisoning in Victorian England, with people mistaking deadly poisons, especially arsenic, for eatable potions or powders. Or lead and arsenic skin lightening products, still used today in some countries. Or even the use of belladonna to dilate the pupils. Humans have been using dangerous and toxic methods to achieve a measure of beauty for a long time.
The more natural cosmetics solutions also tend to be more expensive, and less affordable to people. Even though I was aware of these issues with cosmetics, the prices of more organic and natural solution were out of my reach until the last year. Still, I did not purge all my products, but instead am integrating new ones to minimize waste. Overall the switchover can be difficult and we have been falling off the wagon from time to time. Better than not I suppose.
I am in no way advocating these products, just describing what my experiences have been with them, and how I have been incorporating more natural products into my lifestyle. I’m sure they are just a selection of what is available to me, or brands that I am aware of.
Deodorant – About ten years ago, a couple years before going to university, my mom tried to convert us all to the crystal deodorant. It took with my parents, but not with my brother and I as well. Over the past few years I have been trying different natural deodorant sticks, and slowly it is beginning to faze in permanently. I have used Tom’s of Maine, and now Kiss My Face Lavender, which is one of my favorites, along with Nature’s Gate Lemongrass and Clary Sage. The downside to these is reapplication is more frequent. I also recently used the Lush’s T’eo deodorant bar, it was a bit messy and abrasive – I will try more of theirs though, I particularly want to try the Coconut Deodorant Powder and Aromarant Deodorant.
Hair – I like to buy Kiss My Face or Nature’s Gate shampoo, favoring tea tree oil blends which are good for the scalp. I also likeo citrus and peppermint smells, as well as lavender (those are just personal preferences). I have only been buying these for the past six months, but they seem to be a hit with both S. and I and they last for about 2-3 months. I’ve been able to find these at Winner’s sometimes for a discount (Canadian equivalent to something like TJ Max), as well as the grocery store or pharmacy on sale.
Makeup – I think this is where I struggle to buy safe product the most. I use Burt’s Bee’s chapstick, and Lush’s Celestial moisturizer for sensitive skin. This is as far as I have ventured. Maybe I find the prices too restrictive and the selection limited when I see the products, but to be honest, I don’t think I see these products anywhere very often.
Cleaning – I have been buying Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Lavender All Purpose Cleaner, generally clean with white vinegar and water, as well as Borax. This has been generally what I have used for the last 6 months, but I was usually using a vinegar and water blend for cleaning almost everything.
Laundry – This is a bit more difficult to get into because the price of more natural laundry detergents is a deterrent. We have been buying natural detergent for about a year, but sometimes we will buy the Arm and Hammer stuff when it is on sale.
Interesting related reading: A Victorian Woman’s Toilette
I use moisturizers and shampoos from Burt’s Bees, a North Carolina company that seems to try to keep things pretty natural. For makeup, I use Everyday Minerals powder cosmetics (check them out — they are totally committed to no animal testing, they have a huge selection of colors, and their stuff is way cheaper than the upscale mineral makeup brands). I am also a Mrs. Meyer’s fan for home products. None of these things strike me as insanely expensive but I also know that I might not have bought them when I was ekeing out a lifestyle on a graduate student stipend, either. Or at least, not without my food co-op volunteer discount.
Thanks for the suggestions! I will try to keep an eye out for the Everyday Minerals line.
Along with finding healthier alternatives, another thing to consider is “do I need that product?” I’m not ready to give up on deodorant (although I used to live in a community where it’s more common than you think), but I’ve found I don’t need shampoo. Actually, I found that my hair is much better now that I don’t use it. The past few generations have really been raised on a product consumption mindset that results in us often buying a lot more than we need (case in point: you using vinegar and water to do the work that others might have five cleaning products for). I keep discovering that I can find one product that does the work of several, and that product is often much healthier.
And let me recommend Dr. Bronner’s castile soaps – bathing, leg shaving, hair washing (if you do that sort of thing), hand washing; the stuff’s brilliant, FDA certified organic, certified Fair Trade, and lasts forever!
I know what you mean, about needing products. I’ve been trying to decrease the amount of products I have, and have been especially successful with cleaning products. It seems that I kept acquiring products every time I have moved, so I never really bought them myself, but had so much trouble using them all!
I find my shampoo lasts longer when I only wash my hair twice a week as well, and it stays shinier throughout the week without being greasy or smelly.
I just wish that all these products were easier to find alongside the large makeup and product manufacturers. They are in hidden organic sections, if there is even one, and the packaging is usually the same as all the others too.
I’ve also heard good things about Orglamix and Just Pure Minerals on Etsy, and I’m sure there’s many more if you search.
Another thing I’m interested in is packaging – not just want goes into what we put on/in our body, but what goes into making the packaging it comes in. I’m a big fan of products that let you reuse containers.
Honestly, I don’t use natural cosmetics, etc. that often. I definitely try many of them, but it usually comes down to performance. And well, if the natural eyeliner melts down my face and the “natural” dishwashing liquid leaves a film on my dishes, I go back to conventional products that work better. I’d like to use more natural stuff, but if it doesn’t work as well, I usually won’t. I do give it a fair try though.
That’s fair.