Tag: Non-Toxic

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Non-Toxic Skin Care

I posted a question on my Facebook Page: What do you want to know more about? I definitely want to write on topics that are powerful and helpful in your journey. One request was for information on skin care and how to do it without all the chemicals. So, I’ve gathered information and resources that I hope will help you!

Could there be anything wrong with your current skincare regimen? Maybe. Maybe not. Have you read the ingredients? Yes, all the ingredients. Are they pronounceable? Are they edible? Okay, maybe you think I’m going off the deep end here, but the majority of the things you put on your skin (try 60-80%) get absorbed into your bloodstream, not unlike the food you eat being absorbed and assimilated as well. So, is it edible? Chances are, it’s not.

Some ingredients to look for and AVOID are:

  • Propylparaben: presents toxicity for developmental and reproductive systems, disrupts endocrine system, inhibits immune system and is toxic to the environment. Found in over 7,000 products including those made by: Suave, Cover Girl, Clairol, Physicians Formula, Aussie, Avon, Biolage, Elizabeth Arden, Clinique, Neutrogena, et al)
  • Methenamine (formaldehyde releaser): cancer-causing agents toxic to organs, and inhibits immune system. Found in 4 products including those made by: Suave, Sally Hansen, St. Ives, et al)
  • 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1.3-Diol (formaldehyde releaser): cancer causing agent, toxic to the environment, inhibits immune system, causes irritation to skin, eyes and lungs, and toxic to organs. Found in 146 tested products including those made by: Suave, Boots, CVS, Davines, Simple, et al)
  • Butylparaben: causes changes at cellular and biochemical levels, toxic for developmental and reproductive systems, disrupts endocrine system, and inhibits immune system. Found in over 4,000 tested products including those made by: Clinique, Maybelline, Boots, Clearsil, CVS, LORAC, Avon, Back to Basics, Neutrogena, et al).

These are just a few that caught my attention. Trust me, there are more! Are you curious about your products? Go to EWG Skin Deep and type in your favorite product or brand and read about it. They give an overall score of skin products from 0-10. A lower score doesn’t necessarily mean it doesn’t contain toxic ingredients, but it does mean it contains less than others. Try searching for a new body wash (something that you use all over your skin and is absorbed so easily with warm water and open pores). Look for one that received a better grade like Coastal Classic Creations (score: 0), Loving Naturals (score: 0), Bare Organics Inc. (score: 0), Celadon Road (score: 0), or Dr. Bronner’s (score: 0). A facial moisturizer by Be Natural, Aura Cacia, Gio’vane, or Kiss My Face is going to be far less toxic for your skin and your health. Check out the website, search for some new options. Let me know what you discover!

Remember when I wrote about boosting immunity to remain healthy or recover quickly from an illness? So many of these chemicals inhibit the immune system! Maybe we should start there! And then the issues of infertility and cancer come to mind and I think, “Why aren’t we looking at the crap that goes into our bloodstream through our skin? This stuff is supposedly regulated and somehow approved for us to use and absorb?!” Are we science experiments or what? Besides, who told us we needed all this stuff anyway? I am 99% makeup-free. I wear eyeliner sometimes, but that’s about it. Do you know what one of the most toxic substances is? Mascara. Haven’t worn it since middle school, but I know lots of women who do. I promise you: you’re beautiful. I know it. You should know it too. Smile. Laugh. Kiss. Breathe. Beauty is made of these things, not hundreds of dollars of toxic products.

I know it’s overwhelming. Learning to live a more healthy life is not a destination that you have to try to get to quickly. It’s a journey and it’s an evolution. The more you know, the more power you have over your health and your family’s health. One method that’s helpful in order to make changes is to replace products as you use them up. So when you run out of body wash, search for a healthier option. As your moisturizer runs low, look for a new one that has received a good grade on EWG Skin Deep or at the very least contains ingredients you can pronounce and define!

We can’t rule out home recipes for non-toxic skin care either. A good quality coconut oil will go a long way in the skin care department. Used sparingly as a moisturizer before bed, you may find you need nothing else. Coconut oil contains one ingredient: coconut oil. It spreads easily and works into your skin not leaving you greasy or sticky. An easy skin toner you can use is a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water spread on with a cotton ball. You can find 9 other recipes for homemade toners at BeautyHealthTips. Just think about one thing at a time. I’m happy to review products if you like or try out some homemade recipes. Just let me know. Remember, we are in this together!

P.S. If you’re not buying my whole “you’re beautiful without all the crap” message, check out No More Dirty Looks. They are some gorgeous make-up wearing divas who review and write about non-toxic products so you can still get your glam on without trashing your insides.

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A New Mop for Non-Toxic Floor Cleaning

Remember that post I did on non-toxic floor cleaner? You can see it here: Non-Toxic Floor Cleaner. I still love this cleaner, but I wasn’t thrilled with the method. It worked when I had the house empty and I could pick everything up and mop and let it dry. It worked great. However, when there’s one messy floor or a spill or a sticky spot, it became wasteful to make a bucket of cleaner, only to have to clean one area. I put it in a spray bottle too, as a good friend suggested and it is one of my favorite cleaners for all surfaces, but mopping was not simple.

Then I heard about this mop in a mom’s group and I went to check it out. While it’s $31 on Target.com, it was on sale for $18 at Target. I hear the sale is over but it’s still only $19.99 now. I wanted to use it a few times before posting about it and now that I’m sure I love it, I’m sharing it with you. It is the Rubbermaid Reveal Microfiber Spray Mop System. The one on-line comes with extra microfiber pads, whereas the one in the store only has one pad. They’re washable and the bottle can be filled with the cleaner of your choice. If you want the $19.99 version and don’t have a Target near you or you want to order online, like I prefer, check out Amazon:

I’ve now used this mop more times than I can count and I only purchased it a week ago! I have quickly mopped the dining room, the bathroom, the kitchen floor or a hallway whenever I had a minute and didn’t have to wait til the kids were sleeping or the house was empty. I fill it with ¼ peroxide, 10 drops of tea tree oil and the rest water and it’s ready for me whenever I need it. I just thought you should know, in case, like me, you can only get around to mopping once a week just because there’s not enough time. This mop makes it easy!

I have no affiliation with Target or Rubbermaid. I only want to share with you because I love it! I do have an affiliate account with Amazon, and purchasing through the Amazon link above will contribute to this website (and cost you nothing extra!).

  • This is the trigger you pull to release the spray.
  • An all-in-one system that makes cleaning easy.
  • The refillable bottle snaps right in.
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Non-Toxic Floor Cleaner

    A year ago we moved into our first real home and most of it has tile and laminate flooring, which led me to search out convenient, non-toxic ways to clean it. Not the easiest task, actually! I was tempted by the Swiffers, which look to be so easy but there are chemicals in the wet (disposable) cloths and there’s a lot of waste involved, so I didn’t choose that option.

I found a mop at Bed Bath & Beyond that has a microfiber washable cloth and decided this would be my vehicle for cleaning all these floors. The next decision was to find a recipe for a cleaning solution. I started using a hot water, vinegar, baking soda, dish soap and tea tree oil solution. It was effective but it left spots and sometimes a film from the baking soda. My search continued.

This is my new non-toxic floor cleaner: peroxide, hot water and tea tree oil. Less ingredients to remember, super cheap and really cleansing! I loosely followed this recipe and combined:

¼ cup of peroxide

3 drops of tea tree oil (therapeutic grade melaleuca alternifolia)

3 drops of Thieves (therapeutic grade)

8 cups of hot water

I’m very happy with the results! I still have to battle the little people footprints and often employ the daddy-take-the-children-while-I-mop method, but such is life! Let me know if you try it, if you like and it what you think of using peroxide.

 

Non-toxic floor cleaner: 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide, 3 drops tea tree oil and 8 cups hot water
 
EDIT 7/1/2014: I have learned the importance of buying Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils. I recommend, in order to get the health and cleaning benefits of Tea Tree Oil, to purchase Melaleuca Alternifolia directly from Young Living. You can sign up here and use Sponsor ID / Enroller ID: 1414775. They also sell Thieves oil, which has been included in this edited version of the cleaning recipe.