Your Skin is the body’s defense & protection to the environment plus it is your largest organ. Taking Care of Your Skin doesn’t have to be hard.
Do you read food labels? Do you read your skin & body care labels/ingredients? If you are like most people, the answer is NO. Could be because it is so darn confusing or in my case way too small to read!
Everyone deserves to live in a healthy and safe environment.
Understanding the ingredients in personal care products can become so overwhelming and confusing that we shut down. It leaves us with so much information that we cannot possibly control, let alone have the time to comprehend or decipher. The first step when trying to make changes that seem daunting—whether it is to eat better, live a “greener” lifestyle, or clean up your chemical overload from personal care products—is simple: You don’t have to be perfect. You can start to make simple changes in your daily life that will have a big impact.
The key is to do what you can and make changes that work with your lifestyle. Reducing your exposure to toxic chemicals in personal care products can be as effortless as changing where you reach on the store shelf. As a long time, user & ambassador for Arbonne I have learned so much regarding ingredients & safe products. Which is why I continue to purchase these safe products for myself & for my family. Here are some simple rules to live by:
Fit In Boonsboro has been a Brand Ambassador for Arbonne & just recently started offering Mini Facials & Healthy Living Simplified trainings in Studio & Virtually. Free to Members & only $10.00 for non-members. Check out the Arbonne link on the Fit website or visit: jgrovefitinboonsboro.arbonne.com
When choosing skincare look for products labeled:
Non-Toxic, Natural, Organic, Vegan, Plant Based, Pure, Safe, Vegan line of health & wellness products for the entire family.
Natural products tend to be gentler for the skin. Avoid common ingredients that have been linked to Cancer and other diseases, including polyethylene glycols (PEG), polysorbates, triclosan (TCS) and diethanolamine (DEA). Many mascara brands use tar & oils that can cause cancer, plus skin irritation & over time many other problems.
~Use less products to limit your exposure
~ Choose products with less ingredients
~Forget about packaging
~Don’t be sold by name-dropping
Look for fragrance-free, Chemical Free
There are over 500 chemicals on labels listed as “fragrance” because they are protected as “trade secrets.” One common fragrance chemical, acetaldehyde (a probable human carcinogen) has shown in animal studies its ability to cross the placenta to the fetus. It also can cause headaches, tremors, convulsions, and even death as a possible effect of exposure.
Limit your exposure by making sachets filled with dried citrus peels and lavender and keep them in your closets, dressers and fill a decorative bowl with homemade potpourris for a room freshener. Try a dab of pierced citrus peel on your wrist for a subtle scent. Use organic essential oils to add to Jojoba oil or coconut il.
Always use sun protection! Good rule of thumb is to apply sunscreen 30 minutes prior to going in the sun & re apply every 2 hours. Read labels! 6 questionable common chemical sunscreen ingredients:
Oxybenzone, known as benzophenone 3, can be a hormone disrupter. One of the most commonly used sunscreen chemicals. Linked to endocrine disruption, organ system toxicity, contact allergies. Photoallergies’’, meaning exposure to light is required to generate an allergic response. Oxybenzone is also very harmful to aquatic life. It has proven so harmful that in 2018 Hawaii banned it to protect coral reefs.
Avobenzone, also benzophenone
Homosalate, another hormone disruptor & may also enhance the absorption of pesticides, including bug spray
Octinoxate, known as octyl, methoxycinnamate, hormone & endocrine disruptor. Researchers have detected this chemical in breast milk, urine, & blood. Like Oxybenzone this ingredient was targeted in Hawaii’s ban, as it harms coral reefs.
Octocrylene & Octisalate which stabilizes avonebzone.
Consider Mineral options, for those who are concerned about chemicals entering the bloodstream. There are 2 types of minerals used in sunscreen that are considered safe & effective. FDA approved: Titanium dioxide & Zinc oxide.
Nanoparticles can be 1000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. In sunscreen, they’re most commonly found as a nanoparticle titanium dioxide of zinc oxide. Nanoparticles have not been properly assessed for their potential effects on human or environmental health. Titanium Dioxide is a naturally occurring mineral found in the earth’s crust. It is a UV absorber, meaning it can soak up UV rays. This ingredient is safe for people & the planet, when it’s a non-nanoparticle.
Zinc Oxide is a naturally occurring UV absorber. Zinc Oxide offers a broad-spectrum protection, as it protects against both UVA & UVB rays. When non-nanoparticle, zinc is safe for humans & the environment.
So much to learn, so much to read but it is for your safety & the planets. Stay Safe, Stay protected. Have a great Summer!