Cosmetics. Part 1.

I've added "Part 1" to this post since, like food, there's so much to say about cosmetics. What I forget to mention here will be addressed in future posts.

The toxicity of cosmetics was one of the first facts to come out about toxins and chemicals in our environment. Stacey Malkan's book Not Just a Pretty Face. The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry published in 2007 contributed to the awareness.

So here it is folks. The truth none of us want to hear.
How fast you age and how you look depend solely on these factors: genetics, sleep, stress levels, exercise, water intake, alcohol and caffeine intake, and what you eat.

Unfortunately and regardless of what magazines make us believe, no product can replace these factors.

The truth is hard to hear, but very liberating.

As I mentioned in the introduction to this blog, I owe my friend M for telling me the nasty truth about cosmetics two years ago and opening my eyes for good. She started by telling me about the harmful effects of sodium laureth sulfates and other ingredients in products we use every day, and how many we use. Think about your morning routine. It's worse for women, but men are not exempt:

The basics:
soap, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, moisturizer, makeup and remover, some sort of behave-yourself hair product (gel, moose, varnish, putty, spray, etc).

And maybe:
conditioner, face cleanser and toner, more makeup and lip balm, shaving cream or other hair removal product, mouthwash, lotion, nail polish and remover, bubble bath and other bath products, massage oils and lubricants, and hair colour.

Most of these products contain chemicals to avoid like sulfates, parabens, preservatives and if scented, phtalates that don't need to be listed in the ingredients. Actually, even unscented products can contain fragrances to mask the smell of chemicals. These chemicals act as emulsifiers and as penetrating agents, as well as prolong fragrance life.

If you're wondering which of your products contain chemicals, enter the product name in the Skin Deep database and see for yourself. It will give you the ingredients in the product, if it's been tested or not and give you a level of toxicity. It feels like playing Russian roulette. Johnson & Johnson baby products for example, are terrifying. Which is why there's also a safety guide for children's products. This site was created by American lobbyists who call themselves the Environment Working Group and are working on a Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. It seems to be working since some companies have signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics pledge, and American initiative. You can see the companies that have signed on here. In Canada and in the Europeean Union, cosmetics regulations are more strict, but there's still a long way to go to make them safe.

Changing your products can seem overwhelming. Start by thinking "multi-use". We don't need all these grooming products --their existence doesn't make them useful. In fact, some create problems we fix with other products. Take shampoo and conditioner for example. Most shampoos with sulfates strip you hair of its natural oils, which dries it out and makes it dull and unmanageable. We then use conditioner full of xenoestrogen to return its shine and softness. That's why our hair is in such bad condition when we stop --it's on hormonal withdrawal. That and we're still using stripping shampoo. Same goes for drying soap and hydrating lotions.

Here's what we really must use on a daily basis and the alternatives I've found:

a) Something to wash with. People used to wash with oil, and soap is made from lard so it shouldn't dry your skin. Also, our skin is the same everywhere so why use a different cleanser for your face? Here are soaps my family and I use.
Oatmeal baby soap. It's not just for babies and it lasts forever.
All in one cleanser. Mix one part soap with 4 parts water in a foaming bottle to make it last. I have it at every sink in the house.
Both these products come from the Ontario based company Bare Organics started by a mother who's child has overly sensitive skin. I order it through a friend or online. It's worth the shipping and if you have issues, questions or are not satisfied, you can talk to the owner directly.

I just ordered these handmade soaps from British-Columbia based Rocky Mountain Soap Company: the pumpkin (good for skin conditions), the goats milk (always very creamy), the Alpine and the Bar None. I'll let you know what I think of them.

b) Something to wash your hair with, and not every day. It's shampoos containing sulfates that force you to. Of course, if your hair gets stripped of it's natural oils every wash it will make it in excess to balance itself out. No conditioner is needed if your oils are left to work normally. This can take a week or longer. Hair withdrawal is hell but think of the freedom! In my case it's simple, I'm getting brand new undamaged hair. I use Burts Bees shampoo sold in most drugs stores.

c) Something to clean your teeth with. Toothpaste is filled with chemicals, yet alternatives are not great. Have you tried brushing your teeth with baking soda? It's absolutely disgusting. Nevertheless if you want, here's a homemade toothpaste recipe (scroll down to toothpaste). I'll let you know when I find something else.

d) Deodorant. Sweating is your body's natural way of getting rid of toxins. It's counter-productive to stop it considering the amount the toxins we ingest, but excessive stinky sweating is not acceptable. I started using Burst Bees deodorant instead of antiperspirant. It works most days unless I wear synthetic materials or if I'm dehydrated. It doesn't prevent sweating, so I ordered this one from Rocky Mountain, which was suggested by a friend.

e) Moisturizer (if your skin is dry). This is very simple. I use oil. When I go camping, I use olive oil. Why not? I need something to hydrate my skin and protect it from the elements. Oil does that very well. Since I know there's no product out there that will make my wrinkles disappear, I don't waste my money. If your skin is oily, good for you, it has it's own natural protection. Like with hair, if you stop stripping it, it might work well.

f) Make-up (if you're a women, or not). I've known for a long time that make-up is full of harsh somethings, since my face would break out and my eyes don't tolerate mascara. Think of waterproof mascara, what makes it waterproof? I rather not know. I found two brands of cosmetics without parabens or so I was told. One is Plant Love by Cargo and unfortunately, I don't remember the other one. I also use products from the new organic line from Cover girl (I can't find a link) and Burts Bees makes great lip glosses.

Of course, this list can get longer if you choose but you can use more natural alternatives and reduce your exposure to toxins and xenoestrogens. Really, that's a lot of products we use on your body every day, so if they all contain an "acceptable" amount of harmful toxins, how much are you absorbing then?

Sources
Campain for Safe Cosmetics
"Canadian Laws"

Sexy Hormones. F & W Ltd, Markham, 2007.

Smith, R. and B. Lourie. Slow Death By Rubber Duck, Toronto, Alfred A. Knopf Canada, 2009.

Rocky Mountain Soap Company
"Elements to avoid"