okay, so, i'm rather passionate about
"safe cosmetics." i became interested in the whole idea a couple years ago when a woman told me about her battle with breast cancer, and how she thought deodorant and synthetic preservatives in cosmetics have a lot to do with the
rise in breast and other cancers and various health problems in women. i set off to do a little research and came across this
site that has a
Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. some horrifying tid-bits i learned: that there are loopholes in federal law that allow the $50 billion cosmetics industry in the United States to get away with putting known cancer causing and other harmful chemicals in most of their cosmetics. the European Union has many more laws and have outlawed the use of 1,100 chemicals in cosmetics, in contrast to the US that has only restricted 11 (one of them being lead...oh, that)!
the whole notion of safe cosmetics makes so much sense to me for, as a female, I use a lot of different products daily, from hair-care, to make-up, to my essential generous lathering of body lotion after each shower, and, supposedly our skin is the largest organ on our bodies and is very capable of absorbing anything that may be layered on top of it, thus, infiltrating our insides and possibly causing cancer over years of use! that is too scary to ignore, so, rather than become completely au natural, or lick myself like my cats, i've committed myself to buying and using "safe" cosmetics, that don't have any of the black listed (according to the Europeans) ingredients.
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is an amazing resource. Here are the
chemicals you should immediatly go check your favorite products for, they probably have one or two... sorry. Next go
here the Skin Deep database, where they rank a TON of every kind of cosmetics from 0 to 10, depending on how many at risk chemicals are in each one... then find your new favorite SAFE products!
my artsy deodorant photography shows my favorite "safe" deodorants. i figured this was a good cosmetics example to give, because the antiperspirant deodorants that most women wear daily, have some big at risk chemicals in them, including
Aluminum Chlorohydrate which is suspected of causing cancer, developmental and reproductive toxicity, etc. and we wear it under our arms, where the pores are always open to
eliminate toxins, not
absorb more! Another thing I noticed is that in the drug store there are hardly any options for women's deodorant that
aren't antiperspirants, but many options for men that are
just deodorant....aren't men supposed to more stinky!? well, anyway, here are my
top choices: #1
Miessence roll-on in Tahitian Breeze (my current favorite I carry the small roller in my purse to reapply a couple times and it works great!) haven't found it in stores, so order online. #2 and #3
The Crystal, there are many brand options for this and it works amazingly! I was unsure when I first tried it because I felt like an ass rubbing a pretty crystal on my pit, but there is never any odor! I would still be using it, but I get dry skin easily, and since it is a salt crystal it dried me out too much (sad face icon). But my boyfriend (who is a drummer and sweats for a living) wears it and it even works for a sweaty boy! It comes in the rock form or a liquid roll-on form which is my preference. #4 If your not into roll-ons, or rubbing rocks on your pits, than my fourth choice is
Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil Deodorant, I like the smell of tea tree oil because it smells very clean and this stuff has a good consistency and works pretty darn well. *Remember, all of these aren't antiperspirants so you will
sweat but just not stink, but *news flash* sweating is natural and
healthy so
embrace the sweaty pit look and love it because you won't get cancer!
my artsy deodorant photography shows my favorite "safe" deodorants. i figured this was a good cosmetics example to give, because the antiperspirant deodorants that most women wear daily, have some big at risk chemicals in them, including Aluminum Chlorohydrate which is suspected of causing cancer, developmental and reproductive toxicity, etc. and we wear it under our arms, where the pores are always open to eliminate toxins, not absorb more! Another thing I noticed is that in the drug store there are hardly any options for women's deodorant that aren't antiperspirants, but many options for men that are just deodorant....aren't men supposed to more stinky!? well, anyway, here are my top choices: #1 Miessence roll-on in Tahitian Breeze (my current favorite I carry the small roller in my purse to reapply a couple times and it works great!) haven't found it in stores, so order online. #2 and #3 The Crystal, there are many brand options for this and it works amazingly! I was unsure when I first tried it because I felt like an ass rubbing a pretty crystal on my pit, but there is never any odor! I would still be using it, but I get dry skin easily, and since it is a salt crystal it dried me out too much (sad face icon). But my boyfriend (who is a drummer and sweats for a living) wears it and it even works for a sweaty boy! It comes in the rock form or a liquid roll-on form which is my preference. #4 If your not into roll-ons, or rubbing rocks on your pits, than my fourth choice is Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil Deodorant, I like the smell of tea tree oil because it smells very clean and this stuff has a good consistency and works pretty darn well. *Remember, all of these aren't antiperspirants so you will sweat but just not stink, but *news flash* sweating is natural and healthy so embrace the sweaty pit look and love it because you won't get cancer!
