Since I was a very little girl, I was used to spending large vads of cash towards cosmetics. Apparently it's a French thing. If you go into the bathroom of a Parisian, you're very likely to find a collection of high end serums, day cream, night cream, eye day dream, eye night cream, body lotion, toner, bust lotion, leg gel, foot cream, hydrating face mask, purifying face mask, hair mask, the list goes on...As a baby, my mom used brands such as Lancome and Estee Lauder for my butt. Not my face though it was the traditional use for those...but my butt.
At the age of 8 I has the complete Lancome kit, by the time I was 18, I began to look into eye creams and at 25, at anti-wrinkle face products and firming body creams. Why then did I still have stretchmarks, dark circles, and fine lines? My diet was good, I exercised, I slept enough...and religiously layered my skin daily with Sisley, Estee Lauder, Lancome, etc. This went on until I became too poor to buy those products. At that point, I tried cheaper options and ended up with clogged pores. Around the same time, while I was looking for other cheaper yet good quality products, I found lists such as the one below (which I made from a mix of others):
ELEMENTS HARMFUL FOR YOUR HEALTH COMMONLY FOUND IN BEAUTY PRODUCTS
- Acrylamide: Linked to mammary tumors;
- Benzyl/Benzoic Acid: Contains benzene rings & toluene, potential cancer causing agents, endocrine disrupters, and may also cause birth defects;
- Dioxane: These chemicals are often contaminated with high concentrations of highly volatile 1,4-dioxane that’s easily absorbed through the skin. Its carcinogenicity was first reported in 1965, and later confirmed in studies including one from the National Cancer Institute in 1978. Nasal passages are considered extremely vulnerable, making it, in my opinion, a really bad idea to use these things on your face;
FD&C Red 40: Questionable carcinogen & excito-toxin. (FD&C’s are all synthetic)
Glycerin: Unless air humidity is over 65%, glycerin pulls moisture from deeper skin layers to the surface, drying basal layers so cells don’t mature properly & age faster;
Laureths, Ceteareths, and* PEGs: May be contaminated with the volatile carcinogens ethylene oxide and dioxane; estrogen mimic & endocrine disruptor contributes to cancer, prostate, fertility and reproductive problems. Affects fetus & sex organs;
Mineral Oil, Paraffin, and Petrolatum: These petroleum products coat the skin like plastic – clogging pores and creating a build-up of toxins. They can slow cellular development, creating earlier signs of aging. They’re implicated as a suspected cause of cancer. Plus, they can disrupt hormonal activity; - Parabens: Studies implicate their connection with cancer because their hormone-disrupting qualities mimic estrogen and could disrupt your body’s endocrine system;
- Phenol carbolic acid: Can cause circulatory collapse, paralysis, convulsions, coma, and even death from respiratory failure;
Phtalates: Hormone mimic; teratogen (causes fetal damage); Fragrance fixative; ingredient plasticizer, used to make plastics soft; Dibutyl phthalate is one of several different common phthalates that are routinely NOT listed on labels because they are part of proprietary fragrances; - Propylene glycol: May cause dermatitis and skin irritation. May inhibit skin cell growth. Linked to kidney and liver problems;
- Sodium Fluoride: Potent carcinogen, cause teeth mottling, bone problems, irritates tissues;
Sodium laurel or lauryl sulfate (SLS): SLS combined with other chemicals may become a "nitrosamine" – a potent carcinogen also known as sodium laureth sulfate (SLES); - Talc (talcum powder): Acute or chronic lung disease (Talcosis), contributes to ovarian cancers.
TEA/DEA (Triethalonamine): Interacts with nitrites in the formula to form the potent carcinogen nitrosamine. Caused liver & kidney cancer in animal studies; - Toluene Chronic exposure linked to anemia, lowered blood cell count, liver or kidney damage…May affect a developing fetus.
After double checking and triple checking, I ventured in my bathroom cabinet and skimmed through my products: the Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair, and the natural sounding and smelling Swiss Lotion both landed in the trash. I was also surprised to bid a few products from L'Occitane fareweek, keeping only one soap (Verveina). To my dismay, Sisley's pricey (and again, very natural sounding) cucumber day cream and mallow night cream also had to go. After talking to a sales rep at Korres (http://www.korres.com), Sisley's serum was no better in case I had it. Toothpastes were a disaster: even my dear anise toothpaste from Nature's Gate contained Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. So did Tom's of Maine toothpaste.
Thus became my search for new products. After trying several toothpastes, I'm still looking: the secret of thieves brand had a great feel but left me to need to brush my teeth about every hour as my mouth started to feel dirty each time I ingested anything, including unsweetened herbal tea. I also tried plain sodium bicarbonate, but felt my teeth were simply starting to rot.
I was more fortunate with facial products the day I stepped into Live Live in New York's East Village. There I found a brand called Simply Divine Botanicals (http://www.simplydivinebotanicals.com/) which didn't have any ingredients from the poison list, and all had a wonderful scent. I bought a bag of samples for $36 and tried the list:
the facial creams were fantastic: the rose du jour was light and easy in the summer, and I'm now using Amazing Grace in the daytime and rose cream at night, with their elixir underneath. They leave my skin feeling and smelling wonderful, hydrated all day while pimples stay away. The gypsy rose toner is also superb. I ran out now and miss it a bit! Same thing with their black velvet facial cleanser. But my two favorites are their "honey I shrunk the pores" honey and rose mask, and their foot cream, which oddly works to cure a computer induced migraine when you rub a bit on the back of your neck.
I was however less impressed with their body products, as each body cream and body butter I tried left my skin too dry. I recently switched to moisturizing my body with coconut oil which is incidentally much cheaper, so I'm not really looking for more.
For dark circles, as was suggested my a lovely sales assistant from Live Live, I began to drink more mineral water (at least 1,5 liters daily) and began to see some improvement.
And for the odd pimple here and there, a little fresh lime juice goes a long way...
As for hands, nails and hair, I still have to search for more, so any suggestions are welcome!
Sources and Further Info
http://www.simplydivinebotanicals.com
http://www.korres.com
http://www.live-live.com/
http://www.secretofthieves.com/toothpaste-ingredients.cfm
http://www.mercolahealthyskin.com/organic-body-butter.aspx
http://antiagingchoices.com/harmful_ingredients/toxic_ingredients.htm
http://www.eric-clerc.com/index.php?id=151
http://www.neways.com.au
No comments:
Post a Comment