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How Your Beauty Products Are Making You Sick & Acne Prone

by 55 Comments

Today, we are talking about the dark side of beauty products.

If you are a fan of the Love Vitamin, you know I’m always harping on about “switching to natural skin care”.

The reason I suggest this is because many people are actually having their skin irritated by the chemicals in conventional skin care products, which is leading to more acne for them.

Although I don’t talk about it quite as much on the whole, I also recommend switching away from chemical beauty and hygiene products of all sorts, not just what you use on your face.

So this includes:

  • Anything you do use on your face – cleansers, moisturizers, acne treatments, anti-aging potions, exfoliants, toners, foundation, concealer, mascara, eye shadow, eye liner, blush or bronzer, lipstick or lipgloss, chapstick
  • What you wash and condition your hair with
  • Hair products & procedures such as hair spray, styling gel, curling cream, hair dye, perms, and straightening treatments 
  • Body wash, body lotion, shaving cream, waxes, depilatories, self tanners
  • Sunscreen
  • Deodorant
  • Perfume and cologne
  • Nail polish, nail polish remover, and other nail treatments

Check out this eye opening infographic about the sheer volume of chemicals you are introducing to your body if you are using most of these products daily. It’s scary.

Why Should You Consider Avoiding Chemical Filled Beauty Products?

But why? Why avoid this stuff? Is it really that bad? Why would they sell this stuff if it isn’t safe?

“Darnit, I use all of this stuff all the time”, you say, “are you just trying to annoy me, Tracy?”

Well, no, it’s because I care about you and this is actually serious stuff.

The cosmetic industry is notoriously poorly regulated, which means these industry giants can just pretty much put anything they want into their products without having to answer to anyone. And let’s face it – their choices aren’t about your safety, it’s about their bottom line.

So despite what you might think, many of the chemicals used aren’t jokes.

They may not show serious short term harm in the amounts included in the product, but you are exposing yourself to them day after day after day, and often from several different products.

Many of the chemicals used in conventional beauty products are known carcinogens, meaning they cause cancer. Many more are known endocrine disrupters, aka hormone shit kickers.

And there are plenty more scary ones that can potentially create a whole array of different health problem, some as serious as depression, birth defects, and even brain damage.

Yeah But Most of That Stuff Doesn’t Enter My Body, Right?

Lookin’ so dang innocent

There seems to be a lot of disconnect about what we put on our bodies and what we put into our bodies. For some reason we all picture our skin as this thick rubber suit and keeps out anything and everything except at the most surface of levels. But unfortunately, it’s not like that.

Despite what you might think, many of the chemicals can and do absorb through your skin into your body – apparently up to 60%. And in a way, it’s almost worse than eating it, because it doesn’t have to get past the body guards that are your digestive system and liver. It just gets to go straight into your bloodstream.

Yet, I don’t think you exactly like the idea of chowing down on a bottle of moisturizer, do you? So why put that stuff on your skin?

I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s not like every chemical in the cocktail is going to be harmful. Many are benign, and you may just pee them out. But others stay in your body and don’t leave for years.

In the end, if you get cancer, it’s going to be hard to trace it back and say “yes, it was definitely the hair spray”, and that’s how the cosmetic industry gets away with it. But why take the chance when there are safer alternatives?

Plus Lots of Them Don’t Make You Look Better Anyway

As I mentioned above, the reason I am a big “pusher” of natural (and especially homemade) skin care is because the chemicals in conventional beauty products can often be very irritating, resulting in acne for us acne prone folks.

I thought you were using that stuff so you could look better, right?

But it’s not just acne, it’s dull, lifeless looking skin, rashes, bumps, allergic blotches. Many people find that conventional hair care actually makes their hair damaged, lifeless, dry, split, oily, or limp. And what about premature aging? Many products do that too.

What Are Some of the Really Bad Chemicals Used in Beauty Products?

This list is in no way conclusive, but here are just a few of the very worrisome chemicals found in a dizzying array of your favourite products:

  • 1,4 Dioxane – a known high-risk carcinogen, which is actually a byproduct meaning it doesn’t have to be labeled at all. Found in 22% of all personal hygiene products.
  • Aluminum salts – famous for being in antiperspirants. Known neurotoxin, sometimes linked to alzheimers and breast cancer
  • The Ethanolamine family – known carcinogens found as emulsifiers and foaming agents in many products. Often linked to nasty skin conditions.
  • Fragrance (aka perfume, or parfum)– could be something simple, or most likely a cocktail of chemicals, sometimes up to 500 different ones. Due to trade law secrets, they don’t have to tell us what fragrances are actually made of. Found in virtually everything. Some chemicals used are carcinogens, others hormone disrupters. Fragrances are inked to all sorts of allergies, rashes, and skin conditions.
  • Parabens – preservatives used in 75 to 90% of all products on the market because they are a cheap way to extend shelf life. Can cause premature aging, but they are also estrogen mimickers. This can definitely lead to acne, as well as estrogen related cancers. See this article about xenoestrogens and acne.
  • Phthalates – chemical compounds used in all sorts of cosmetics and fragrances, but also plastics and pesticides (double whammy). Known hormone disruptors which can lead to hormonal acne, obesity, PCOS, and other hormone related disorders. Suspected carcinogen. May be linked to birth defects.

Now What Do You Do?

So now you’re at the point where you’re like “Yeah. Okay. Great. Thanks. Now what do I do?”

Hey, I don’t blame you for the confusion on knowing what you’re supposed to use and what you’re not. Trying to remember all the chemicals you’re supposed to avoid, and deciphering the ingredients on the back of of cosmetics to know whether it’s safe or not is like solving a very difficult riddle.

Well, honestly… my suggestion? Read this book: No More Dirty Looks – by Shiobhan O’Connor & Alexandra Spunt, two entertaining journalists who also run the blog nomoredirtylooks.com.

It’s going to tell you what you need to know much better than I can. I will admit, I’m not really a “beauty blogger”. I use very, very few products now, and even before I saw the virtues of “natural”, I was not super into playing around with makeup, hair products, or perfume.

So if you want the most comprehensive guide you can get, just get the book.

These ladies know what they’re talking about. Plus, they are fun and entertaining and make reading about sucky chemicals pretty interesting.

In the book you’ll learn:

  • Why the cosmetics industry really doesn’t care about your health, and how it gets away with what it does
  • Descriptions of all the really scary chemicals, what they’re found in, and all the names they might be found under
  • A straight up, easy to read list of all the chemical names you need to avoid, so you can easily see if they’re in your cosmetics or not
  • Why even though some products say they are natural and organic, they really aren’t, and the only true way to know if they are safe is by cracking the code on the ingredients
  • And the best part of the book? Instead of making you memorize all those chemicals, they have done the research for you and just give you straight up awesome, no BS, suggestions on all kind of 100% safe, natural, products (from everything from hair to face to body, and more). This includes formulated products you can buy, but also stuff you can make at home.
  • They are conscious of health, but also vanity. So they don’t recommend products that that don’t do the job well, and they have personally tried all the products they recommend.

Again, it’s called No More Dirty Looks. Really great book that I am super stoked that I found it. Really eye opening, and so convenient if you don’t want to go through the mega hassle of endless research and trials of trying to find safe products that you can feel good about.

What are your suggestions for natural products that work really well for you? Please do share in the comments below! 

Related posts:

Suggestions for Chemical Free Hygiene ProductsSuggestions for Chemical Free Hygiene Products How to Choose and Blend the Right Oils for Your Acne Prone Skin Make your own DIY moisturizerThe Basics of Making a DIY Acne Fighting Moisturizer How to Choose the Right Jojoba Oil for Your Acne Prone Skin

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Comments

  1. Thank you for writing something about beauty products! I haven’t worn foundation in 3 months just because i know the chemicals break me out and ive been on the hunt for a natural foundation hut unfortunately a lot of them are high priced and not all that good.. Im definitely going to get my hands on that book! Thanks again! 🙂

    Reply

    • It’s great!! I really like it because they are conscious of how the products actually work from a beauty standpoint. It’s no fun spending money on natural stuff that just doesn’t work as well as the chemical stuff

      Reply

  2. Hi! I purchased this book about a week a go and zipped right through it! Such an informative read. But, now I have some questions.
    How conventional shampoo and conditioner works is the shampoo strips the hair of all its oils, and then the conditioner works to give some of that softness and shine back, right? So if I use a natural shampoo with all natural ingredients (which would then lead me to assume that it is NOT stripping my hair in the same way as a conventional shampoo would), is there any real need to use a conditioner? The ladies in this book recommended both natural shampoos AND conditioners, but I’m curious as to whether or not conditioner is actually necessary if oils aren’t being harshly stripped away in the first place.
    Has anyone been able to find an aluminum-free deodorant that actually works? I’m having one heck of a time finding one that gets great (or, at least, good) reviews; almost all of them have been mediocre at best. Especially the Lavanila one that this book recommended (which, if I’m not mistaken, was the only one they included).
    Tracy, how exactly do you wash your hair with baking soda? Do you dilute it in some water and pour it over your scalp? Do you follow with an ACV rinse or no?
    Does anyone know any great, natural remedies for dry, frizzy hair? I had a pixie cut for a year, and in the past year and a half of growing it out I’ve used almost no heat and taken extremely good care of it. But it’s SO dry and frizzy, much more than it was before I chopped it all off! I’m so confused as to why. Any tips?
    My thought may be that since I wash my hair every day, it’s severely drying it out. However, I work out every morning and not washing my hair afterwards would leave my scalp disgustingly sweaty the whole day. Would just rinsing with water be sufficient, or would the drying nature of water not really help me in any way? Or would merely using a natural shampoo not cause any drying damage?
    Are there any natural heat protectants? For the times when I will wish to heat style my hair, I’d still like to protect it in some way. A perusal around Google showed many people recommending using oils like coconut oil… but the thought of putting an oil on my hair, then heat, kind of freaks me out!
    Finally, has anyone found any natural makeup products/brands that don’t cost a small fortune? The ones listed in this book are just a little out of my price range.
    Thanks for the help! (And sorry for the length of this message!)

    Sarah

    Reply

    • Hi,
      I’ve found a deodorant that I like that isn’t nearly as harsh as conventional deodorants and it actually does a nice job too! It’s by Kiss My Face, the liquid rock roll-on patchouli. It took me forever to find one that I like too, but this one does the trick! Also, diet plays a big role in body odor. If you have a high raw diet (doesn’t have to be completely)and stay away from processed foods the B.O. slowly gets much more tolerable.
      As for natural shampoos and conditioners, I think that if your hair feels dry you should be using some kind of natural conditioner/oil for your hair. I like to use unrefined coconut oil when my end start feeling rough. Hope that helps! I’m new to the natural route, but hopefully you can learn from my tiny bit of experience and save some money in the process! Peace out!

      Reply

        • These are great recommendations… the one I use… honestly, it’s back at the guesthouse, and I can’t remember what it is right now… I think it works “okay”. Another tip I’ve heard is if you use magnesium oil or a magnesium supplement it massively gets rid of BO

          As for washing your hair… well, I only use baking soda and it makes my hair clean and soft, and I don’t need conditioner at all. I just put a tablespoon or so in a cup, dilute it with water, and pour it over my head… massage it in and rinse it out! Some people like to use the apple cider vinegar after as conditioner, but I don’t. Also, I don’t know if this would work as well for dry, frizzy hair, as this is isn’t my hair type. But yeah, I would say don’t be afraid to try coconut oil!

          Reply

    • Primal pit paste changed my life! Best natural deoderant ever 🙂
      I’ve only used natural shampoos and conditioners for many years but I find that I do still need to condition even though I’m not stripping the oils with sulfates/harsh chemical shampoos it does still get rid of any build up of natural oils on your scalp/hair.

      Reply

    • Schmidt’s deodorant is the only aluminum-free kind I’ve tried that actually works!! I love it.. just be careful not to over apply it because that could cause build up.

      Reply

  3. My skin has cleared up, and I haven’t broken out in a month! I didn’t even break out during my period and I am stoked that I feel so comfortable I can be lazy and haven’t bothered to put makeup on at all lately, which was my ultimate goal T_T I feel free from the prison of beauty products now and that means a lot to me. I hate any body “goo” and I refuse to buy it ever again. My skin complexion isn’t perfect, but at this point I’m so grateful for where I have gotten, I’m giving it a break and waiting for the sun to come back to let it get some colour.

    Reply

  4. Hi Tracy! I was wondering, I just recently stopped using Proactive (thank God! I had no idea how terrible it was). I tried numerous natural remedies (tea tree oil wash, a burdock root rinse, natural oils for moisturizing and in my cleanser, apple cider vinegar, etc). But my skin DEFINITELY got way, way worse. I started using Burt’s Bee’s Acne Solutions cleanser and lotion about two weeks ago, they contain naturally occurring salicylic acid from willow bark, but they both contain fragrances, even though they are 99-100 percent natural (which confuses me). It’s actually be working great. My skin has gotten much better and stopped looking irritated and blotchy. Then I added carrot juice to my regimen and that helped a bunch too. But my question is, should I give up the Burt’s Bee’s because it has frangrance? It has none of the other chemicals, and it’s working so well….I don’t really know what to do.

    Reply

    • Hi Elizabeth,
      Meh, I think if it works for you and only has a very tiny amount of chemicals, then go with it. Of course it’s a personal decision, but I think it’s most important to have the majority of your products be free of the baddies… it’s a cumulative thing, rather than a minute detail thing… I think anyway 🙂

      Reply

    • Hi Tree,

      Interesting, well it’s hard to say who’s right, and I can’t say for sure one way or another. It’s up to you to make your own decisions about what you think is right and choose to use on your own body. I was under the impression that the studies are done over short periods of time on single chemicals, which certainly won’t show any problems and therefore get deemed safe, but used every single day in combination with hundreds of other chemicals from all the other products, they can indeed be dangerous. Who knows. I feel better using fewer and more natural ingredients.

      Reply

      • Well, you can know by reading the studies themselves. No need to take anyone’s word for it. But cosmetic products can’t penetrate the skin. It’s just not possible. If some product does penetrate it must be labelled a drug, not a cosmetic product. Skin is a good barrier after all. I just don’t buy these claims about toxicity of cosmetics. But it’s true that many products are not necessary and are more about marketing than anything else. Some natural products are good, some are not. I personally use those that are cheaper and work best.

        Reply

  6. The funny thing is, I’ve tried more or less…everything. I was annoyed and depressed again this afternoon because of a pretty nauseating, unattractive breakout that hasn’t gone away since it appeared about two or three months ago. Just before then, I’d tried using jojoba oil. The best I could get. The jojoba oil did not work, and therefore I’m done trying to get rid of this complexion. It’s time to return to makeup so that I can finally stop making myself and everyone around me sick. I’m done pretending I’m the only one who sees how bad it is because I examine it most. A customer came to my register at work and pointed out my zits a month or so back, then attempted to discuss my face with me. This is the way I look. What I see, everyone sees, and when those who tell me that I’m imagining the worst, they’re really just being dishonest as a way to make me feel better. There isn’t any point in caring about what makeup does to my skin, because this isn’t going away, and I think I just need to throw in the towel after over ten years of failure, and accept it.

    Reply

    • Don’t worry, I never stopped wearing make up and acne forced me to master it. Now I’m using BB cream from Korea and most of the time my skin looks flawless and I get a lot more attention from guys. I also learned how to apply mascara, how to use eye shadow and eyeliner, yesterday I even tried red lipstick (it looks natural, the colour is really good) and I look great! I receive great feedback and more male attention. Using make up on a daily basis didn’t get in the way of reducing my acne and it’s almost gone now. I hope one day I will not need to wear BB cream all the time but I will have to wait till my scars disappear. So use makeup as much as you want – it can certainly make you look better. Btw, the best base for foundation (or BB cream) I’ve found is avocado oil with a little bit tea tree oil in it. I also use it for removing my makeup in the shower (no need to spend money on cotton pads, plus they can irritate the skin and don’t clean as well). Good luck!

      Reply

      • It seems to me that you are rather intent on receiving male attention, which is a rather lame reason to be wearing makeup in the first place. Why would you feel the need to slather your face in makeup that honestly often looks way worse than when you go makeup-free, just to attract some guy’s attention? Life is about more than dudes — I don’t know, friends, family, your own happiness?

        Reply

        • Hi Sam, women don’t only wear makeup to attract male attention, although it can be part of it. We live in a society that puts a huge emphasis on looks, especially if you’re female. Society basically tells us we’re worthless unless we look a certain way. It goes much deeper than just male attention. It’s not right, but it’s how it is. Makeup is a way for many of us to try and look normal despite having a problem with acne which psychologically mars our sense of worth. Most women would much rather not wear a lot of makeup, but feel trapped by all this and as though they have no choice. Try to be empathetic instead of rude please.

          Reply

        • Wow, so somebody is honest and gets this.
          My whole life is not about receiving male attention. Of course there are other things that are important as well. If I write about my favorite recipe or my favorite food will you again say that there is more to life than food?
          Almost everybody wants to be attractive to the opposite sex. If you don’t, fine, but most people want to be liked and want to attract the best possible mate. And it is not society, it is nature that has made men mostly visually driven. No need to shame them for that. It’s not their fault that they are attracted to hot women. Of course, there is more to love than that but it is still a huge part. There are studies that show that people do judge others based on appearance and this is just how humans are built. It’s not fair but as I said life is not fair.
          Yes, it is really not nice to realise that the way you look is important to men but once you do, you can use it to your advantage. It’s much more difficult for men to increase their attractiveness immediately the way we women can – with the right makeup and right clothes we can become more attractive immediately and this is a good thing. It is empowering when you think about it.
          And yes, there are other reasons to look good and to achieve things in life but wanting to be more attractive to the opposite sex is central to most people and there is nothing bad in that. Like really, why do you want to get rid of your acne? Isn’t this for the same reasons that many women wear lipstick?
          I also used to hate that people care so much about appearance and even had some boyfriends tell me how I need to put more effort. They were assholes and I would advise any woman to run as fast as she can from such men. However, as I said, good men are also attracted to good looks. So why not use this “weapon” if you can benefit from it? It’s not enough and it’s not the only thing in life but it does make a difference. Of course, if you don’t care about having a relationship with a man (or making your man happy) and have a job where you don’t need to interact with people, then it’s perfectly fine not to care about the way you look. But this just doesn’t apply to most people. And the truth is makeup will always make you look better if you apply it correctly. And no, it’s not going to kill you or give you cancer.

          Reply

  7. I found it pretty easy to switch our my body care for more natural alternatives, but makeup has been a little harder. It’s hard to find a natural product that gives me the coverage I need. Any suggestions?

    Reply

  8. Hi Tracy, thank-you so much for this post, I’m finding it a real eye opener for dealing with my acne. It’s been YEARS that I haven’t been able to have clear skin and it makes me so depressed that its been years that I haven’t been able to go without wearing makeup in public. I feel so uncomfortable in my own skin because of the super troubling problem areas 🙁 I have literally tried SO many different remedies natural and doctor recommended ones…nothing ever works. I don’t know how to transition myself into not wearing makeup when I have been fully hiding what I truly look like underneath it…your videos and comments are so helpful to me, and I always appreciate your advice. I want to be able to wear a tank top…dress and no makeup (since I never can)but I’m not sure where to start 🙁 I have acne ALL over my chest..back..neck and face (sigh).

    Sending my love from Ontario, Canada ! xo

    Reply

    • Hi Lexie, so sorry to hear you’ve been going through such a bad time with acne! I know how it feels 🙁 I don’t think you necessarily have to stop wearing makeup.. sometimes the stress of that is worse than just wearing it, but it is a good idea to find one that irritates your skin the least, and it could be that the makeup you’re using is very irritating. I don’t know. Check out this article for suggestions on what other people use: https://thelovevitamin.com/3239/i-finally-found-a-great-makeup-that-doesnt-irritate-my-acne/

      If you are still keen on trying to transition away from using makeup, the only thing you can do is do it, and accept that it’s going to be scary and awful at first, but sooner or later it will begin to feel less scary. And that you might find that people don’t treat you any differently whether you had the makeup on or not, and you become more comfortable with it. That is the only way to face your fears and become comfortable with something that you were previously uncomfortable with. It’s scary, but that’s what you gotta do!

      Reply

      • Thank you Tracy for your kind and helpful advice ! It is such a nice feeling to know I am not alone with this as some days I feel the acne is taking over my life 🙁 For the past 5 days I have taken shampoo and conditioner out of my routine and I am only using baking soda and lemon juice. I also have been using only manuka honey and coconut oil to wash and moisturize my face (I haven’t been able to stop wearing makeup though) perhaps down the road… if my skin can clear up, then I would 🙂 ! One more QUESTION: how much lemon juice would you recommend mixed with water? I tried apple cider vinegar before but it didn’t work so well. Tracy you rock! Thank you for all the awesome advice you always have to offer.

        Reply

  10. Here are some of my favorite products I use:

    Jason’s Sea fresh antiplaque and strengthening does not have fluoride or SLS for toothpaste

    Aloe and Almonds all natural roll on deodorant this stuff actually works

    100% pure argan oil hydration SPF 30

    Shea Moisture

    Reply

  11. Hey Tracy 🙂 This article was perfect timing, because I have just thrown out years of makeup due to the fact that I realized how harmful most of that stuff was for me. I guess I never really cared before, because I had great skin. But when I started getting acne a couple years ago, it was almost like a blessing in disguise, because it forced me to really consider the amount of harmful products I was using every day, multiple times a day. Now, the only thing that touches my face is water, manuka honey, hempseed/jojoba oil, and aloe vera.

    The only problem is my makeup. I used to wear makeup every day, but ever since I started breaking out, I only wear it on special occasions. However, I always feel like the day after I wear makeup, my skin feels bumpier and looks more red and irritated. I was wondering if you could recommend a foundation that is as natural and free of synthetic ingredients, preservatives, etc, as possible? I love getting dolled up sometimes and going out with friends, but I hate it now, because I know in the back of my head that my skin is paying the price! I’m on the hunt for a foundation that looks good but doesn’t make me feel guilty haha 🙂

    Reply

  13. I don’t know. I mean I’m not a scientist or anything but I’m pretty sure our skin is like a giant sponge, and 50 years from now people will probably be talking about how crazy we were for using all this crap on our bodies! I know from personal experience that I cannot even use soap on my arms because they flare up with TONS of red bumps.
    I’m not completely bashing makeup. I wear a mineral concealer to cover the few spots I get from time to time, but I’m trying to get to the point where I don’t feel like I have to use any of this crapola anymore. And seriously, wearing it just to get attention from guys or whatever to me is the worst excuse ever. What’s going to happen when you’re married and your husband sees you all the time now without makeup? A guy worth getting attention from and keeping is going to love you and be attracted to you regardless of your flaws, and you him. Just sayin…

    Reply

    • Your skin is a good barrier, believe it or not. If it wasn’t, you would have died by now. If your skin really was like a giant sponge, you have no idea what would have happened. And by the way, since I stopped with the no poo nonsense, my hair has never been better. My scalp was flaking from the baking soda and my hair was so tangled because the vinegar just couldn’t condition it well. I had to cut my split ends all the time. Now I use a normal shampoo (not 2 in 1 because my hair is greasy, you can look up the beauty brains for details) only on my roots – my scalp feels much better and my hair isn’t so dry as it was with the baking soda). I use a cheap conditioner for my length and it’s so much better than vinegar – my hair is easy to comb and shiny. I also use a hair oil while my hair is drying, again, the cheapest one, and I haven’t had split ends or tangled hair since. My life is so much easier and it takes me less time to do my hair.
      And don’t fool yourself. People do care about appearance and men are visually driven, yes, even the good men. It’s very rare to find a man who doesn’t care about a woman’s appearance and there is no guarantee that you will be a good match with him. It’s just how men are wired. And if you want to find a husband or a boyfriend it does help to have a bigger choice. If one man a year asks you out how can you really choose someone? You have no choice. And yes, a husband will see you without makeup but he still prefers to see you dressed up for him. It’s a ridiculous thing to deny human nature and it’s a kind of disrespect not to try to look your best for the man of your life. Men are visual, they are attracted to good looking women and there is nothing you can do to change it. You can fight it as much as you want (I used to) but it’s much better to just accept the reality and you can use it to your advantage. Of course, if you are not interested in men and have no desire whatsoever to find a boyfriend, then you don’t need to do all this. But other people will still judge you and your personality based on the way you look and they will do it even if they are nice people and are trying not to – because that’s human nature. You can find some studies about that. It’s not fair but life is not fair and nobody said it would be. But you can ‘cheat’ with makeup, so why not just do it? There is no evidence that cosmetic products are toxic and more importantly, even less evidence that the natural products are safe. The so called natural products have not been tested yet and nobody knows anything about their safety. Poisonous mushrooms are as natural as you may think, yet they are far more dangerous than any junk food. Don’t fall for the naturalistic fallacy. Not that I think I will change your mind, it took me a lot of time to get over these fallacies but real world results just speak for themselves and you can’t ignore them forever.

      Reply

      • Hi Tree,
        I think we’re still in two minds about the whole thing, but here on the blog every opinion is wanted and appreciated, so thank you very much for writing such a long comment from your point of view! It adds a lot to the discussion! 😉

        Reply

        • Actually, whether to wear makeup is a matter of opinion but whether cosmetics are harming us is a matter of science. If you are not a scientist you can’t really know so I suggest trusting real scientists for that. After all, they have studied all this a lot more than most of us can imagine. Most reports about the harm from cosmetics come from bad science or bad interpretation of science. The claim about parabens causing cancer came to the public when parabens were found in breast tumors. This is not solid evidence in any way but enough to cause people to start fear mongering. Later, more research has shown that there is no link between parabens and cancer and parabens were even found in normal breast tissue! However, fear mongering groups don’t care about the evidence because a lot of the time they don’t understand it. Parabens are some of the safest preservatives and they have been used for decades so there is quite a lot of data about their safety. Other preservatives that are marketed as natural don’t have enough data about their safety yet for some reason they are perceived as safer. But without data we don’t really know. People used to use the natural radium to prevent diseases but later data showed how dangerous this is. And if you are asking why you need preservatives, well, without them cosmetics is really harmful because it will be infected with bacteria, mold and so on. You can read more about the real science of it all by people who have studied this extensively and unless you have at least their knowledge on toxicology and cosmetic chemistry I’m afraid you are in no position to speak against their arguments.
          And I love saving money from cosmetics and I do think olive oil is the best body lotion for me and avocado oil is the best for my face. However, they are good because they are good not because they are natural. I also like using baking soda for cleaning – it is great for this purpose (but is it natural? Where do you find baking soda in nature?)

          Reply

          • “…the safest course is to do nothing against one’s conscience. With this secret, we can enjoy life and have no fear from death.” Voltaire (1694 – 1778).
            I think we agree about much more than we disagree about: I hate that fear making carnival barker fuss just as much as you do, I also like olive oil for my skin and I like baking soda for cleaning. We all know that we only know little or nothing: our bodies have not even been fully explored yet. With this in mind, use whatever products you like to use, as long as they make you feel good. I go with the principle: less is more.

            Reply

  14. I love this. Picking mostly natural products makes a big difference in how I look and feel, and I love how much simpler my routine has gotten!

    My favorites:

    Primal Pit Paste – best deodorant ever. The tiny jar lasts for months, and while you still sweat (it’s not an antiperspirant), I don’t smell at ALL when I use this, no matter the weather or my activity level.

    Kiss My Face – probably my favorite natural brand. I like the toothpaste and the olive oil bar soap – just three natural ingredients! It’s my face wash and works on the body also.

    Dr. Bronners – I use the peppermint castile soap for shaving gel/body wash/hand soap.

    Chemical hair care is my weakness – no poo didn’t work out for me. I also love dying my hair and henna/natural dyes effed up my hair pretty badly when I tried them a few years ago. I only wear eye makeup and concealer, and while I’m less picky about those – the totally natural ones tend to suck, in my opinion – I go paraben-free with those because parabens freak me out.

    As a teenager I used those three-step skin systems for acne, all kinds of hair products, drugstore foundation/primer/powder, etc… so much crap. I’m not only healthier, but I feel so much more free now that I’m down to just a few things. That might be the best part!

    Reply

    • Thanks for sharing your favourite natural items Kit 🙂 I agree with you, I just feel so much better with only using a few natural items as opposed to the chemical crap I used to use as a teenager

      Reply

  15. I’m trying really hard to switch over to completely natural products. Manuka honey, jojoba oil, and apricot kernel oil have been the only things touching my skin these days. Thank you Tracy for presenting so many alternative and healthier skin care options. I’m not sure if anyone has brought up EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database, but it is my go to website whenever I want to know what ingredients products contain; otherwise it can be kind of daunting trying to read product labels on your own.

    Reply

  16. You have skipped the biggest danger of all – dihydrogen monoxide:
    http://www.dhmo.org/truth/Dihydrogen-Monoxide.html

    ‘They’ don’t want you to know about it, but it is a serious danger and it is real! Did you know that Dihydrogen monoxide:
    is also known as hydric acid, and is the major component of acid rain.
    contributes to the Greenhouse Effect.
    may cause severe burns.
    contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape.
    accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals.
    may cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of automobile brakes.
    has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients.

    Everybody, be warned about the dangers and take precautions.

    Reply

  18. Hi Tracy,

    Just wondering where you get the manuka honey for your face and what (if anything) you mix it with to wash your face? Also, how often? Once daily?

    Thanks so much! Love your blog:)

    Reply

  19. There is a great shop in Ottawa, Ontario (where I live) that makes all their own all-natural skin, hair and body products. It’s called Purple Urchin and it’s amazing! They mostly use carrier and essential oils and they clean and smell amazing. Check them out – you can order online: http://www.purpleurchinsoap.com/

    Reply

  21. Hi there, this book looks really interesting and useful but I’d like to know if it focuses particularly on brands available in the US and Canada.
    I’ve just started the Naturally Clear Skin Bootcamp and I’m finding it impossible to find any of the brands suggested, and even the non-branded products as I’m living in the Middle East.
    I’m not sure if it’s worthwhile investing in this book if it’s all about brands.
    Any advice welcome, thanks.

    Reply

    • Hi Ashlee, I assume so, yes. I know, I can imagine finding certain products is very tough living in the middle east. Even Canada can be a pain to get certain things, so I get it. I often end up spending more to ship things from the States

      Reply

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