Did Someone Say That Dirty Word......Organic?

Believe it or not I am totally on the organic band wagon. But I am on there not for the 'cool factor' but because I have educated myself on some hazards I was frankly not aware of. Later in this article you will read where you can go poo free and natural face wash. I am currently doing both of those. And before you check out and think me a little too 'little house on the prairie' just know I was a skeptic before I was a believer and I really tried these out to be more frugal and they have worked really well for me and Mr. Phillips is on board as long as it's less expensive. I have not bought shampoo, conditioner, or face wash for over 3 months now and counting. So check it out and see if it workd for your family. 

Beauty is More Than Skin Deep: Choosing Safer Personal Care Products

from Simple Organic by Nicole

A couple of years ago, I was still blindly slathering my body with products whose ingredients I could barely pronounce. When I learned the truth, that the FDA does not regulate the ingredients in beauty and personal care products, it rocked my world, and fueled the start of a personal revolution towards a more natural lifestyle.
Our skin, is after all the largest organ we have, so it’s a pretty good starting point for developing a healthier lifestyle. With a self-regulating industry, though, it can be difficult to know which products are actually safe. This is where the Skin Deep cosmetic safety database comes in.

About the Database

Built by the smart and caring Environmental Working Group, the Skin Deep cosmetic safety database is a place where you can search for any personal care product and see how it rates on the hazard scale, and learn about its ingredients.
It’s really simple. Zero is the safest and ten is the most hazardous score. Most products on the market are listed, and although it can be a bit tedious, you can actually list products that you don’t find, simply by copying information from the label onto a form on the website.
You can also search by category and see which products in that category have the safest ratings.

Ten Ways to Get Smart About Personal Care Products

1. Don’t trust the labels. I was most shocked when I started researching sunscreen, something that is supposed to protect our skin. Companies throw out words like “all natural,” or even “organic,” but don’t actually have to adhere to any standards for those claims. Instead of trusting trendy slogans and greenwashed labels, look for products that rate low on the database and have a low “data gap.”
2. Go straight to the ingredients. Since we can’t necessarily trust the labels or company claims, the best thing to do is educate ourselves on which ingredients are most toxic, such as parabens and pthalates. And at a glance, I look for products whose ingredients I can easily pronounce.
3. Research the products you have. This can be a very enlightening exercise. Take your favorite products to the database, and while you could be surprised what dangers are lurking within those bottle, maybe you’ve already been using something that’s actually quite safe.
4. Watch out for proprietary information. Possibly one of the more dangerous ingredients in these products, fragrance, is one that most labels only indicate very generally. Since it is considered “proprietary information,” the company doesn’t have to disclose exactly what that term refers to.
5. Be aware of hidden toxins. Some of the most dangerous compounds show up in laboratory tests but not on product labels. For example, 1,4 dioxane, a cancer-causing chemical, is formed when a common ingredient, sodium lauryl sulfate is converted to the supposedly more gentle sodium laureth sulfate. In addition, when we use multiple products, we are exposed to more and higher amounts of toxins like carcinogens.
6. Focus on those most susceptible. The younger a person is, the least they can fight against toxins, and the more concentrated these toxins will be in their little bodies.  My favorite line of non-toxic products is called California Baby (and it’s even sold at Target!).
7. Pay now or pay later. If you’re afraid of the cost of starting over with safer products, consider that it’s probably worth the cost of a few really good products to avoid ingredients that could lead to costly medical procedures down the road. Also keep in mind that when we buy safer, quality products we are also voting with our dollars for better products.

8. Simplify. Instead of an entire bathroom full of products, I’ve realized that what I actually need and use regularly makes up a pretty simple arsenal. Love the feeling of thinning out your wardrobe and getting rid of unused items? Try the same techniques with your beauty products, clearing out products that are expired or rate high on Skin Deep. A simpler beauty routine takes less time and money to keep up as well.
9. Stick to companies who have signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics. These companies commit to discontinue the use of dangerous toxins and adhere to the EU Cosmetic Directive. They might still be in transition to being fully compliant, but at least they’ll be more trustworthy than those who refuse to sign.
10. Skip buying products all together, and make your own. Some of the best ways to take care of our bodies require only a trip to the pantry or the health foods store. Here are a few resources and ideas:

• go ‘poo less {that is, shampoo}
• wash your face naturally {with the oil-cleansing method}
• use coconut oil or pure jojoba oil as a moisturizer
• make your own lotions, bath scrubs, lip balms, and more
• try a facial exfoliator with about a tablespoon of plain yogurt and a pinch of cornmeal flour

Another great resource is the book Not Just a Pretty Face, which details the history of Skin Deep and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, along with information of various toxins and studies. And be sure to check out the Skin Deep Safer Shopping Tips as well.
Have you found Skin Deep to be useful? How else do you avoid toxins in the beauty and personal care products your family uses?
Beauty is More Than Skin Deep: Choosing Safer Personal Care Products is a post from: Simple Organic

Cleaning My Face the Right Way

When my husband ends up calling me frugal mc-froog I imagine an award for frugal lady of the year. Enter applause. But clearly the frugal award would probably just be a piece of paper with woo hoo! written on it in true frugal fashion. So when I tell you about this don't think me crazy. I can actually say after trying this it works. I found it over here at simple mom.

The skinny version is you use mostly natural ingredients to clean your face. I have a friend that makes her own laundry detergent which I fully intend on trying which made me brave enough to try this but back to the face wash. The whole idea actually makes pretty good sense. When you strip the skin on your face of natural oils by using face wash you actually do more damage than good. Your 'kind' little pores then produce double time to make up for the lack. This can account for most of the oil many people find on their face.



So here's the REALLY simple formula I used. I put together 3 parts castor oil (I have pretty oily skin) which to try out I used 3 oz. and 1 part extra virgin olive oil (1oz.). I just used an old eye make-up remover bottle to put it in. Well friends, this skeptic was happily eating a little humble pie afterwards. You can pick up castor oil for about $2.50 at Wal-Mart in the pharmacy area and you know where EVOO is.


My review. It felt extremely weird to actually put oil on my face in stead of suck it all out (literally have tried that by the way). Years of hating on my face I suppose made it feel pretty ikeey. But after I rubbed it in and wiped it off with a warm wash cloth my skin felt a-mazing. It was so smooth and healthy looking. I have been using it for a few weeks now and I'm pretty much never going to use the other stuff again. It was a fantastic eye makeup remover too. Better than most of the high end stuff I have tried and tons less expensive.  Blemishes are caused by built up nasties in pores so when you wash with wonder oil (that's what I'm calling mine) you actually get all that yuck out. 

All this goes to show I can't judge something as ridiculous just because I have been fed the consumer pooh-pooh. And if Mr. Phillips wants to call me fruga mc-froo I guess we're none the poorer for it!