Naturally.
When Divergent came out, I was totally inspired by the movie and by Shailene Woodley. Something about her stood out to me and I spend a few hours that night catching up on interviews that she did over the past few years (...I caught myself in a bit of a Youtube vortex). I came across one article (her interview answers are awesome!) and one video interview in particular that really resonated with me. A lot of what she said is similar to my beliefs (especially her description of happiness at the end of the video) and I really started to admire her. She is a famous movie star living in L.A., all of her belongings fit in one suit case that she lives out of, 97% of her clothes are second hand, she collects her own spring water, makes all of her beauty products (mostly from foods), and cooks all of her meals. She's a cool chick.
Anywho, all of this to say that she very much inspired me to be a be a healthier person and a much more ingredient-aware buyer. I already knew about how diet and exercise affects your health, but one thing I never really put too much thought into was what I was putting on my skin, especially with cosmetics and beauty products.
Before I continue, I should maybe define what I see as a clean, healthy, and natural product. To me, clean and healthy mean that the product does not contain parabens, harsh chemicals, or anything that I would not want to directly put into my body. The word natural, to me, means not man-made, or made with ingredients that came from the earth. I understand that not everything natural is good for you (lead, asbestos, etc.), but I believe that when using carefully selected minerals, oils, etc. that come from the earth, the end product will always be richer, healthier, and better for you than anything synthetic that was produced in a factory. Why eat mystery meat when you can put in a little effort to enjoy fresh game meat?
Do you know how many synthetic chemicals and parabenes are in your make-up? Your skin is your body's biggest organ and it takes roughly 30 seconds for anything that is put on your body to penetrate your skin and, if small enough molecules, enter your bloodstream. Think about that for a second, and then read this short article. Did you learn something? I sure did, this s**t's scary!
After doing more research and blog-searching, I found many ways of making soaps, face scrubs, shampoos, deodorants, toothpastes, make-up, moisturizers (anything - you name it), in ways that I know exactly what is in them and what I am putting onto/into my body. I experimented with a few concoctions and recipes and quickly figured out what I like. I have been using these mixtures/products for over a year now and my skin has never been, overall, so clear and happy. Also, it feels great knowing they're all natural, which makes me feel more connected to the earth (as hippie as that sounds...
) = happy.
Here are some changes that I've made:
. I've also tried make-up remover wipes, but sometimes my eyes would burn if any of the product got in them. Burning my eyes = not good. So, guess what I use now? (....drum roll....) coconut oil! Yep. It works for everything. It takes make-up off effortlessly and leaves your face clean and moisturized = 3 for 1!
I hope I've taught you something and possibly inspired you to make some changes!
Remember - when in doubt: coconut oil.
Hakuna Matata,
J
 |
| Shailene Woodley, the muse. |
Anywho, all of this to say that she very much inspired me to be a be a healthier person and a much more ingredient-aware buyer. I already knew about how diet and exercise affects your health, but one thing I never really put too much thought into was what I was putting on my skin, especially with cosmetics and beauty products.
Before I continue, I should maybe define what I see as a clean, healthy, and natural product. To me, clean and healthy mean that the product does not contain parabens, harsh chemicals, or anything that I would not want to directly put into my body. The word natural, to me, means not man-made, or made with ingredients that came from the earth. I understand that not everything natural is good for you (lead, asbestos, etc.), but I believe that when using carefully selected minerals, oils, etc. that come from the earth, the end product will always be richer, healthier, and better for you than anything synthetic that was produced in a factory. Why eat mystery meat when you can put in a little effort to enjoy fresh game meat?
Do you know how many synthetic chemicals and parabenes are in your make-up? Your skin is your body's biggest organ and it takes roughly 30 seconds for anything that is put on your body to penetrate your skin and, if small enough molecules, enter your bloodstream. Think about that for a second, and then read this short article. Did you learn something? I sure did, this s**t's scary!
After doing more research and blog-searching, I found many ways of making soaps, face scrubs, shampoos, deodorants, toothpastes, make-up, moisturizers (anything - you name it), in ways that I know exactly what is in them and what I am putting onto/into my body. I experimented with a few concoctions and recipes and quickly figured out what I like. I have been using these mixtures/products for over a year now and my skin has never been, overall, so clear and happy. Also, it feels great knowing they're all natural, which makes me feel more connected to the earth (as hippie as that sounds...
 |
| No foundation, concealer, or powders here. Just happy skin. |
Here are some changes that I've made:
Face wash.
Before, I used an exfoliating apricot scrub not knowing that the little 'exfoliating beads' were actually tiny shards of plastic that were scraping my skin every time I used it. I also learned that once these shards of plastic are washed down the drain, fish are eating them thinking they are food and then dying.
But now, I use a mixture of coconut oil and brown sugar. Sometimes I add some vitamin E and vanilla and/or cinnamon in it as well. It's literally good enough to eat :) It hydrates the skin at the same time, so no need for face creams or lotions afterwards.
Face lotion.
I used to use a regular drugstore face lotion targeted for oily skin. Now, I use coconut oil. I was skeptical because I thought it would make me greasier, turns out it doesn't! As long as you don't put a whole teaspoon on your face. Just make sure you start with a little bit because you can always add more. It also doesn't give me pimples, as one might think it would.
*Bonus - you smell good. Try it out!
Make-up.
This is one that really surprised me. Have you ever read the ingredients of your everyday make-ups? I became more aware of this when I cut my hair because I found myself applying more make-up than usual in order to enhance my femininity (something that I've gotten over now). A year ago, I traded my blush in for a dried slice of beet. I just wet it under the tap, dab it on my cheeks, rub it in with my finger tip, and voila. I still use my beet when traveling, but sometimes I want to switch up the color and with some tips from good'ol Shailene, I found a few online stores that make natural, healthy make-up. I just ordered a light powder foundation and a blush (as these two things sit on my face the most and cover the largest surface area) from 100% Pure Canada and I looove them. They are pricey, but one tin will last for a very long time and it feels wonderful being able to pronounce all of the ingredients and know that what you are putting on your face is good enough to eat. Check them out!
Body lotion.
I used to use anything that was laying around for my hands and legs not knowing what I was putting on/in my body.
Now, I either use coconut oil or a natural body butter that I found at a specialty food shop that contains all ingredients that I know. I've also used cocoa butter, which is fun because it's a solid (easier to transport) but it melts with your body temperature when rubbed on your legs, leaving a thin moisturizing film. Plus is smells like, well...cocoa.
When reading ingredients lists, I've decided that if there are big words that I can't pronounce with multiple numbers mixed in it, then it's probably not the best to put in my body. And also, coconut oil works for everything.
Make-up remover.
Before, I usually just used warm water and rubbed really hard, but sometimes this caused me to see back blobs for a second after vigorously rubbing waterproof mascara off
Deodorant.
Easy. Put away the synthetically perfumed, Alzheimer's-causing stick and get one aluminum-free and natural. I've been using Toms Long Lasting Deodorant for years not and love it. I am lucky to say that I am not typically a big sweater (*knock on wood*), so I have had no challenges with this product. Maybe it would be a different story for someone who sweats a lot though..
Soap.
It's easy to find soaps made from rolled oats, coffee, grains, all types of oils, spices, etc. You may need to look a little further than your drugstore but not by much! I think they always smell and feel so much better.
Pimple care.
Tea-tree oil. It contains natural antibacterial properties which make it an excellent alternative to other synthetic chemicals. After dabbing a tiny bit on, it will penetrate the skin and unblock the sebaceous glands, disinfect pores and dry out the pimple, blackheads, and whiteheads. If you use over 15% tea-tree oil however, you may want to dilute it a bit with water as it can be very drying.
Sunscreen.
I think sunscreens can contain many hazardous ingredients. I didn't do a whole lot of research on this topic because I found one right away that I love. It's from the Rocky Mountain Soap Company and is zinc based (20.5%) with 83% organic ingredients (mostly oils from fruits and flowers). It is naturally flavoured with vanilla and coconut and I've been tempted to try tasting it because it smells so dessert-like.
Shampoo.
A good shampoo is hard to find and I've taken a break from searching for now. For the past year I have been using Lush's shampoo bars. A totally healthy shampoo is hard to find because the ingredient that makes it bubbly and able to spread through your hair is one that is not the best for you. But, certain Lush bars are better for you than others and it's a matter of finding what works for you. Plus, Lush confidently lists all of the ingredients for each soap on their website and I find that admirable. I also like these because one small bar lasted me half a year with long hair. To be honest, now that I have short hair, I only wash it about 4-5 times a month (....hehe) so it will be lasting me much longer now!
Laundry detergent.
I have moved away from the chemically scented detergents, but next time I need some more soap I am going to do some further research. I tried some soap nuts, but I found them to not be very 'soapy' and I moved on. I think I might experiment with some recipes as I now have more time for crafts with it being summer again.
Whatever ingredients/chemicals you wash your clothes with will be surrounding your skin under your pants and shirts. I think it's important to have a clean and healthy detergent.
So, there you have it - easy-peasy switches that you can do. If you are interested in making your own beauty and body products, or even house hold cleaners and laundry soaps, here are some blogs/websites that I've looked to in the past and really liked.
- Wellness Mama has awesome home-made recipes for absolutely anything beauty, grooming, and cleaning related.
- Here is a Guide to Less Toxic Products that explains what the hazardous ingredients are in all cosmetic and personal products - very interesting and eye-opening.
- Living Libations is a husband and wife duo who set out to make all of their products after having children and realizing that they want to use only the most natural and healthiest products on their babies. They're a pretty hippie couple who make great things.
- Evolving Wellness compares products and gives reviews. I learned some helpful tips from them.
~*~
"I am a citizen of this planet, of this earth, and I'm indigenous to the soil and I just want to be kind to it and recognize that I am nature, too. What works for me is recognizing that and living by that truth." ~S.W.
I hope I've taught you something and possibly inspired you to make some changes!
Remember - when in doubt: coconut oil.
Hakuna Matata,
J
