Waxing

Waxing at a salon can get expensive. You also have no idea what they are putting on your skin. When I lived in NYC, a co-worker got an STD in her eye while getting her eyebrows waxed. I will spare you the details, but I'm sure you can imagine how that happened. Yuck! With the cost, the chemicals, and the risk for infection, you should just wax yourself at home.

Parissa Organic Wax which is available on the Parissa website, on Amazon, or at Ulta, is made with USDA certified organic cane sugar. It only contains five ingredients, sucrose, aqua, citric acid, glycerin, and chamomilla recutita flower extract. This washable hair remover is gentle on the skin and the environment. Suitable for medium & fine hair types, it can be used everywhere on the body for smooth skin that lasts for weeks. It only costs $20 for the whole jar which is the same price you would pay to get your eyebrows waxed once at the salon.

I know the idea of waxing at home might seem scary, but it's a lot easier than you think. I have been waxing myself for years. It's convenient, safe, and chemical free! Here are a few tips I learned along the way:
     Never double dip with the stick
     When you run out of sticks, replace them with popsicle sticks from Michaels.
     After waxing, your pores are open so stay away from direct sunlight, swimming
     pools, saunas, jacuzzis, hot tubs, and steam rooms.
     Apply a drop of lavender essential oil after waxing to soothe the skin and
     prevent redness.
     Invest in a wax warmer. Parissa Wax Warmer For $15, it's totally worth it. I got
     this on Amazon but Ulta now carries them.

Give it a try... You will be shocked at how easy it is!

Fragrance

Fragrances are chock-full of toxic ingredients. Fragrance is considered a 'trade secret' so companies legally don't have to list the dozens or even hundreds of synthetic compounds it contains. According to EWG, fragrance secrecy is legal due to a giant loophole in the Federal Fair Packaging and Labeling Act of 1973, which requires companies to list cosmetics ingredients on the product labels but explicitly exempts fragrance. By taking advantage of this loophole, the cosmetics industry has kept the public in the dark about the 3,100 ingredients in fragrance, even those that present potential health risks or build up in people's bodies.

It gets worse. Fragrance usually contains some sort of animal urine, whale vomit, or even paste secreted from the anal gland of the civet cat. These are used as the base of the fragrance and act as odor carriers. Some companies stopped using animal ingredients in the 90's, but a lot still use them. 

Fragrance mixes have been associated with allergies, dermatitis, respiratory distress, and potential side effects on the reproductive system. They are also linked to cancer, birth defects, and nervous system disorders. 

If you can't part with your perfume, spray it on your clothes instead of on your skin. Stay away from roller balls and splash bottles. Stick to spray bottles and spray it on your shirt and never directly on the skin. Many cosmetics labeled "unscented" still contain fragrance so always be sure to read the label.

Happy 1st Year Blog Anniversary!

Exactly one year ago today, I started this blog! My vision was to create a centralized space where I could store all the information I had gathered on chemicals in cosmetics. My friends and co-workers used to constantly ask "what can I use for this?" or "what I can I replace this with?" I thought a blog would be the perfect place. Although I had never blogged before, I thought how hard can it be? Well, it wasn't as easy as I thought. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into this blog. A huge thank you to all my followers and everyone who reads my posts. Year two will be just as fabulous! Happy 1st Year Blog Anniversary! xoxo

Hand Sanitizer

Hand sanitizer is used my millions, every day, as a way to wash their hands when soap and water isn't readily available. Hand sanitizers are believed to kill bacteria but they also have a very dark side. 

The active ingredient in most hand sanitizers is alcohol, either ethol alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, or a mixture of both. This is what kills the germs. The problem is that alcohol in the sanitzers are mixed with lots of harmful chemicals. Alcohol enhances the absorption of other ingredients. This means anything mixed with it will move through the skin and into the bloodstream more easily. Let's look at some of the hand sanitizers on the market.

Bath and Body Works Sweet Pea Hand Sanitizer
Active Ingredient: Alcohol 68%
Inactive ingredients: Water (Aqua, Eau), Isopropal Alcohol, Fragrance (Parfum), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Honey Extract (Mel, Extract de meil), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Extract, Dimethicone, Hydroxyproplcellulose, Dimethiconol, Laureth-23, Laureth-4, Glycerin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Alumnia, Isopropal Myristate, Aminomethyl Propanol, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Red 33 (CI 17200), Yellow 5 (CI 19140).

Purel Advanced Naturals Hand Sanitizer (this is marketed as a more natural hand sanitizer!!) 
Active ingredient: Ethol alcohol 70%
Inactive ingredients: Alcohol Denatured, Hydrofluorocarbon 152a, Butyl Ester of PVM/MA Copolymer, Panthenol, Glycerin, Cyclomethicone, Tocopherol, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer, PEG-75 Lanolin, Water (Aqua/Eau), Tetrahydroxypropyl Ethylenediamine, Amino-Methyl Propanol, Parfum/Fragrance, Linoleamidopropyl Ethyldimonium Ethosulfate, Hydroxycitronellal, Dimethyl Lauramine, Isostearate, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, Sodium PCA, Butylphenyl, Methylpropional, Amyl Cinnamal, Geraniol, Citronellol, Hexyl Cinnamal.

Dr. Bronners Organic Fair Trade Hand Sanitizing Spray
Ingredients: Organic ethanol 68%, water, organic glycerin, organic lavender oil

Which one would you choose? Definitely the Dr. Bronners right? That's what I use. Or I make my own (recipe below). Bottom line is to always wash your hands with soap and water when you can. When you can't, find a chemical free hand sanitizer. The chemical ones raise real concerns, especially in children, when used frequently. 

DIY Hand Sanitizer
2oz of 120 proof vodka (any brand will work. I use vodka over rubbing alcohol because it has natural antiseptic properties from natural resources)
10 drops of lavender essential oil (I use Young Living)
10 drops of vegetable glycerin
Mix ingredients and transfer to a 2oz spray bottle. I keep these bottles in my car, purse, and in my desk at the office.