There are a lot of chemicals in our environment, body care products included. Some people are negatively affected by the ingredients in these products and have reactions as mild as a rash to as extreme as vision problems and cancer. But there is hope!
There are approximately 175 chemicals that are not regulated in body care products. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics performed a study which found that lead was found in approximately 15 of the most popular brands of lipstick. There is no safe level of lead exposure in the human body.
What can be done?
In our town there are 7 health food stores. Each carries a variety of body care products but very few have all chemical free ingredients. However, companies that advertise on the web often carry a variety of products just right for the chemically sensitive person. Products range in type from cosmetics, bath and body care, sun care, hair care, baby care, products for men and even natural pet care and laundry soap. Hand soap is easy to come by and, surprisingly, so is sunscreen. One website lists whether the ingredients are organic (more then 70%), safe for vegans, fragrance-free, gluten-free, and soy-free.
Just like with any body care product, test it on your skin and make sure it works for you before buying a lot of the same product. I bought a chemical free sunscreen and loved it. I loved the feel. I loved the scent. Strangers approached me to find out the name of the perfume I was wearing, the sunscreen smelled that good! I felt so good when I wore it I began to picture myself in glamour images, in advertisements promoting this sunscreen. So, thinking that I would be a loyal customer for years, I bought a case on Amazon. The sunscreen was kind of expensive and I wanted to get the discount Amazon offered for buying a case. A few months later I ended up at the dermatologist with severe skin irritation. It was awful. I did not look glamorous. It took weeks for me to recover and I had to use gobs of chemical laden body cream to fix the problem. The culprit? The sunscreen. So although the sunscreen had good quality ingredients, they weren't right for me. That was an expensive lesson.
As I mentioned above, products can be pricey. If you'd like to save money, you can make your own body care items. Often, they're quick and easy to make. Google the words “organic homemade body care” and you will find a plethora of recipes, including a chocolate face mask and a cherry honey face lift. You'll smell wonderful and look great.
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