As promised, I am sharing all the different beauty and skin care products I use in this blog post. I started shifting to natural products gradually over the last four years and in the last two years I came to realize that about 90 percent of the products I use are now completely natural and most importantly paraben free. While it is better to choose certified organic products, these are still hard to come by. I’ve become an expert in reading the label of every cosmetic product I buy. I go for those that indicate paraben free, certified bio, organic, or five free. If there are words I cannot pronounce, I research the product using this EWG Skin Deep Cosmetic Database.
Why stay away from chemicals? Because they are toxic!
“In 2005, the Environmental Working Group published a combination of two studies that found toxic chemicals in the umbilical cord blood of newborn babies born in the U.S. in the fall of 2004. They screened for more than 400 chemicals, and an astounding 287 toxins were detected within the umbilical cord blood of these newborns. Of these 287 chemicals, 217 were neurotoxins, and 208 are known to damage growth development or cause birth defects. These toxins included mercury, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polybrominated and polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and furans (PBCD/F and PBDD/F), perflorinated chemicals (PFCs), organochlorine pesticides like DDT and chlordane, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated napthalenes (PCNs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and many others. These study results have been largely ignored by the media.”
I would hear about things like lead in lipstick about 10 years back but never really paid much attention to it until I embrace a more pro- active health and wellness lifestyle. If birth control patches make your way to alter your body’s hormones, think of what all the chemicals found in our makeup and beauty products can do. You will want to avoid products that contain toxic elements like:
- Parabens are added to cosmetics as a preservative to avoid bacterial growth. They often read as methylparaben,propylparaben and butylparaben.
http://thegoodhuman.com/what-are-parabens-and-why-should-you-avoid-them/
- Phthalates are compounds often used in plastic such as toys and food packaging but have recently been found in personal care products such as hair spray, mascara etc. It is used as a plasticizer to make products less brittle and more consistent. Be aware of dibutyl phthalate (DBP), dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP)
http://www.cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient/dimethyl-phthalate-diethyl-phthalate-and-dibutyl-phthalate
- Formahldehyde According to data from the federal Food and Drug Administration, nearly 1 in 5 cosmetic products contains a substance that generates formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen, reports Johanna Congleton, a senior scientist for EWG. (Environmental Working Group has a site and app called skin deep http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ which allows you to research thousands of listed products and ingredients for their safety.
http://www.ewg.org/research/exposing-cosmetics-cover/formaldehyde-releasers
This very harmful chemical has even been found in some baby products! They often list as the following:
- DMDM hydantoin
- Imidazolidinyl urea
- Diazolidinyl urea
- Quaternium-15
- Bronopol (2–bromo–2–nitropropane–1,3-diol )
- 5-Bromo-5-nitro-1,3-dioxane
- Hydroxymethylglycinate
I don’t want to bore you with all the technical stuff so here is what you’ve been waiting for… my list of products. I still try other products given to me all the time by other companies. I am in no way paid to endorse any of these and I am just sharing them because many of you asked. These products work for me and I cannot guarantee they will be suitable for you.
Facial Wash and Scrub:
Everyday Coconut Face Wash I love that this bottle is huge for facial wash. It smells so refreshing, and comes from ethically traded virgin coconut oil. It holds the Fair trade logo (meaning farmers are well compensated for the work they do).
Human Heart Nature Balancing Facial Wash is what I used when I was in Manila and I will likely go back to this product too. I love the light scent and the tiny bamboo scrubs in it.
I also love St. Ives Apricot scrub and I used this even as a teen! It has added so many more products to its’ line and it can be purchased in most drug stores and groceries.
Night Cream and Repair
Nerium Night cream is something I fell in love with. It is an all plant based product developed after 10 years of research by the Princeton University It targets and corrects fine lines, skin pigmentation and acne. It is subtle enough to use under the eyes and works to improve my fine lines and dark circles. This single bottle targets all skin types and every skin problem!. It is not yet sold in Manila but if you are interested send me a message.
I also use Beauty Without Cruelty eye gel. It is a light eye gel suitable for quick use and has a cooling effect.
Day Cream and Sunscreen Protection
I invest alot in protecting my skin, just as much as repairing it. I am prone to freckles and so sunscreen is a must. My favorites are Nerium Day Cream which has a natural spf derived from plants and Coola which is an organic sunscreen brand.
Foundation and Concealer
I love Happy Skin’s ZZ cream which is infused with natural yogurt. The color fits my complexion perfectly and it is light enough for every day use. I alternate ZZ cream with Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue.
Blush and Cheeks I love the flushed healthy glow that blush gives. I use an amazing European brand called Avril cosmetics or Physicians Formula Glow and Mood Boosting Blush which is another Paraben free brand.
Eye Makeup It is important to accentuate your eyes. You may be able to get away with just mascara for an everyday look, but for dressier events I use eyeshadow and liner. I love Eye of Horus liner and eyeshadow and I also use Physicians formula Nude Wear.
Face powder is something I use to set makeup if I want it to last the whole day. I also use these to get rid of shine on my nose. I love Avril Cosmetics face powder because it is organic but superb in quality and I also discovered Physicians Formula Mineral Correcting Powder.
Because this blog post is so long, I’m going to have to cut it into two parts, so please stay tuned for part 2 tomorrow! I’m sharing my favorite mascara, lipstick, shampoo, deodorant brands and much more! I’m also posting a Facebook Live session on my Page to show you all my products so that you can see everything up close! Stay tuned and I will be posting updates on my Instagram!
Leave a Reply