A lot of us are concerned with what we are putting in our bodies without giving a second thought to what we are putting on our bodies. Because our skin is porous, it absorbs the ingredients applied to it. This is harmful if those ingredients are synthetic or toxic, such as those found in mainstream skin care products. To find out what ingredients are in your skin care products, check out this great website: www.ewg.org/skindeep.
There are two main reasons why most mainstream skin care products do not work:
1. They strip oil from our skin, causing our glands to produce more oil to repair the damage. This leads to clogged pores and blemishes.
2. They contain harmful chemicals.
a. Even if they are ‘unscented, ’ most contain fragrance. These fragrances are irritating to the skin.
b. Sodium lauryl sulphate (a surfactant which causes products to ‘foam’) denatures skin proteins, causing irritation and mimics the activity of estrogen. An increase in estrogen causes a wide range of health problems, from PMS to fibroids to breast cancer. Furthermore, foaming does not mean you are cleansing better. Your skin care products do not need to foam!
c. Parabens (preservatives) are carcinogenic and also mimic estrogen.
d. Propylene glycol (found in brake and hydraulic fluid) is a strong skin irritant.
e. Mineral oil (petroleum by-product from crude oil) blocks pores and prevents oxygenation of the skin.
f. The list goes on and on…
So, what’s a girl (or boy) to do? Check out the above website to make sure that your skin care products are non-toxic. Choose organic and natural products and make-up (be careful to read labels because natural does not necessarily mean healthy.) For a great skin cleansing alternative, try combining organic coconut oil and organic castor oil and gently rubbing it over your face every night before bed. Too much castor oil can be very drying, so you may have to experiment to find the right combination for your skin type (I have oily skin and use about 30% castor oil to 70% coconut oil.) The castor oil penetrates deeply to remove dirt and oil build-up from pores. The coconut oil is nutrifying and contains many minerals and fatty acids for healthy, glowing skin. End with a hot cloth applied to your face and gently wipe once the cloth cools. No need to scrub! The next morning, you’ll awaken with clean skin and should only need to splash some warm water over your face.
Happy cleansing!