I’m getting depressed when I think about all the nasty stuff that’s inside our cosmetics, shampoo, toothpaste.. and so on. I just feel that I’ve got no clue about what all those chemical names really stand for. But I care, and that makes it so hard.
Even if I’d rather not think about all this, I want to say thanks for this week’s Change the World Wednesday challenge. I’m going to warn you that this post will be loooong and depressing. But I have no other way to do this if not trying to ignore it completely.
This week refuse to put chemicals on your body. Read the labels on everything which comes in contact with your skin and only use it if it’s chemical free.
Or …
If your skin is already glowing with chemical-free happiness, please share tips and ideas. Feel free to suggest products or share recipes for homemade items … tell us about how you transitioned from toxic ingredients to healthy ones … or share the differences you’ve experienced since switching over. We’d like to know about anything which will help us eliminate chemicals from our body care products.
UP THE ANTE…
Jennifer is raising the bar on this challenge and asks us to research at least one ingredient in our cosmetics. By research she means read at least two scientific studies and/or talk to several chemists/endocrinologists.
Even if I don’t use that much different products and at least try to choose the better alternatives (without knowing for sure what is really good) I know I have some chemical substances in me that I wish never existed. Science struggle to keep up with all the new stuff on market. I believe the real problem is just that; “the Market” and the way our economy rule. But today I guess I will have to talk about what one can do as a person. I really hope the small steps of individuals can make the change.
The first question one should ask is “what is a chemical?”
Oxford dictionaries tells me a chemical is “a distinct compound or substance, especially one which has been artificially prepared or purified”
Ok, all of them can’t be bad.. all natural compounds aren’t healthy either and just because they have been used for a very long time doesn’t mean we know all the effects. This is almost impossible for a single person to keep track of.
“Chemical” is perhaps not the right word to use for this challenge, since they are everywhere, but still I think it’s important to know and care about what “not so healthy”-substances you put on your skin.
If you have time I recommend you to read this study from the Environmental Working Group (EWG). It talks about the most vulnerable category of people; Teens, what substances to avoid and how they can affect your health. For me it was shocking to read. Don’t miss the EWG’s shopper’s guide at the end!
Products I use
I am not a big consumer of make-up.. or anything really. I still use the first make-up I bought several years ago (don’t know if that is good either). Back then the best thing I could think of was the products from The Body Shop since they weren’t tested on animals. I remember I went into the store and asked the clerk if they had any organic products and then she stared weird at me.. but hey.. nowadays I know they have organic products with the Ecocert standard.
My toothpaste is from Weleda. They claim it’s made of “natural” ingredients. It’s free from flour, surfactants, synthetic fragrances, colours, and preservatives and it’s not animal tested. From Weleda I also got a body wash and a hand cream that I use sparingly. Mostly I use an almond oil for dry hands during winter.
My shampoo and my hand soap is from the same brand, called Garant Såklart. It has as low impact as possible on the climate and they compensate any carbon emission that occurs during production and transportation. The climate compensation is done in cooperation with Tricorona Climate Partner.
The brand is also marked with 2 labels. Svanen is the “official” Nordic ecolabel.
The other is showing that the product is free from allergens, fragrances and irritating substances in such quantities that there are no known medical cases reported.
On the list of ingredients for my shampoo I still found both Sodium Laureth Sulfate and PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate. Do I really have to choose between environment and health?
I also own a few products that I’m not that proud of.. but I can happily let you know that I don’t believe I will ever use them up.
I have sensitive skin and when I was a child I had eczema on inner elbows and back of the knees. Now it’s gone, but it can appear on my hands during dry winters.
When searching the web I found that linalool; an ingredient that is widely used as fragrance in shampoos and conditioners is a frequent cause of eczema. This article tells that “Linalool is found in 60-80 % of the perfumed hygiene products, washing up liquids and household cleaning agents that can be bought in the nearest supermarket”. People may develop allergies when linalool oxidizes. Linalool is antibacterial and antifungal also, which reminds me of my mission to find a new deo. View my post about Pineapple weed that has the same properties.
Linalool is actually found naturally in many herbs and flowers. When I was looking for a new deo by Weleda I read that it contained linalool and limonene (a similar ingredient) from natural essential oils. But I guess that even “natural” linalool can oxidize.
If this post gave you any ideas on how to keep green and healthy, please let me know. I feel more confused and insecure than before.. without a new deo.
Gaia Perspective 