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I’ve got another bare-bones honest post for you today…
Thank you to Nancy who recently sent me this sweet email, and when my answer to her got very long, I realized it would make a good post…
“Kelly, Last month I attended the Weston Price Conference. I was able to get to see you there and I noticed your hair was more blonde than it is in your blog picture. I thought it looked nice, and it made me feel better about the possibility in the future that I could color my hair. I’m hoping that you could do a blog post on enhancing our looks with safer products. Would you care to share some of your beauty tips? What makeup you use or hair color products you use? I know this is not a food related question but I feel like you have done a good job of representing eating the traditional way and it was so encouraging to see how healthy and pretty you looked in person, so maybe you could share some of your tips! Thanks.”
Hi Nancy, well aren’t you a big sweetie?! Your question made me laugh because before the Weston Price Conference in November I got my hair lightened (I usually do it once a year in November for a “pick-me-up”) and when I had it done I asked the gal not to make it “too” obvious, because I didn’t want the all-natural people at the conference to be appalled that I used bleach on my hair.
So now the secret is out, don’t hate me everyone!
Besides that my only tip is to eat lots of healthy fat! I truly think that will help all of us in a variety of ways as we age. (What do you think, do you agree?) I’m NOT good about my hair and skin products yet. I’ll go in streaks where I’ll think, “I’ve got to get organic shampoo, otherwise all those nasty ingredients are going right into my scalp!” I pay the big bucks a couple of times, then I’ll go backward and think, “I can’t spend that much on hair stuff!”
I don’t use much make-up at all (although I really should use more to tone these freckles down), and what I use is your basic over-the-counter stuff. (Below is a link with more about the products I use.)
So now is where all of you, my Reader Friends, jump in and tell me that the crap I put in my hair and on my skin is no better than the crap we’re avoiding in the junky foods. So you’ll convince me I have to do better in this department. OK, but realistically, we can’t afford to do it all, and food still takes priority.
How about this: comment below and tell me, if you had to pick ONE THING you think I should do FOR SURE, what would it be?
- Here’s another oldie but goodie post I did on this topic: Natural Body Care Products for Real Foodies. At that post I tell you more about what products I love.
HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND EVERYONE! 
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It is very difficult to switch over entirely to healthier alternatives, so I cant condemn you for your beauty no-nos. I am still very new to all of this, so you are light years ahead of me! But one thing I can tell you is to check out Etsy. It is a website devoted mainly to homemade/handmade goods. I have found dozens of sellers who make very pure and natural shampoo/conditioner/soap/makeup. Their ingredient lists are very transparent, they are very connected with their customers, and you are supporting small business! So although I cannot advise one absolute “must change”, I can definetly recommend this site as a way of getting great (and safe) products at really reasonable prices (since cost is the main excuse for all of us) along with supporting great, honest people! Cheers to your honesty, thanks for your great blogging!
I attempted to go No-Poo a while back, and it didn’t really work. My hair is fine and straight and the least bit of oil makes it look awful. That said, however, I no longer use shampoo!
I guess I really am “No-Poo” but I do wash it every 2-3 days. I use about a tablespoon of baking soda dissolved in water to wash. Then I condition with apple cider vinegar—same thing, a couple of tablespoons. I haven’t used shampoo for almost 2 years!
I use oil for washing my face, and a mixture of oils (coconut, almond, and shea butter) for my body.
I still go full force using regular beauty products . . . but I do try to keep the number of ingredients in the products to a minimum.
I usually have to get my hair trimmed and thinned every 5 weeks to keep it in style, but I just postponed my Jan. appointment. With the change in my diet over the holidays (lots and lots of baked goods and other stuff I usually don’t keep in the house), my hair has not grown nearly as fast.
I really like Ashley’s idea of the support the small business on Etsy.
I really like a line of products called Aubrey Organics. The ingredients are really and truly natural (looks more like a food list!). The shampoo I’m not crazy about, but their facial care products are awesome. For shampoo, I’ve contented myself with finding a brand that keeps my hair looking presentable for several days, so I’m only washing every 2-3 days (at least that cuts my exposure by half). For me, this shampoo is Matrix Sleek Look (I have straight oily hair, and I love this stuff!). Expensive, but I use so little I only buy it every 6 months or so. For my kids, I only wash their hair once a month or so. Sounds crazy, but I’ve done it that way since they were born, and their hair always looks clean – maybe our scalps adapt to the way we treat them? My daughter is almost 10 and just now starting to need to wash hers once a week.
It *is* no better than the junk we put in our bodies.
That being said, I haven’t switched over completely either. I do use all natural skin products (oil cleansing for my face, coconut oil for moisture, and an all natural lotion for body moisture) and ‘organic’ makeup when I do use it.
But still have yet to go all natural for my hair. Currently I wash it only every few days to cut down on my chemical exposure as well as trying to get it used to going all natural, hopefully this year. I normally had been getting my hair colored 2x a year – in the spring for some quick color and in the fall to take the color out when my hair goes dark from no sun. (except for times when I was pregnant!) I didn’t get it done last fall…..I’m seeing if I can make it through without the color!!
Skin is our largest organ. It absorbs stuff. ‘Nuff said!
Hey Kelly,
My experience has been much like yours. I frequently try all natural products, for hair, skin and makeup, but I don’t usually continue with them. Recently I decided that I’m just going to make one change at a time and stick with it before I add another. At least I’ll be moving in the right direction. So I’m buying bar soap with all natural ingredients for showers and bath. (I tried the no-poo thing, and I also tried the baking soda and apple cider vinegar thing, but without success.) I’ve been using Nellie’s Nuggets for the laundry for a couple of years now and they work great. I’ve been experimenting with coconut oil as a deep conditioner on my hair. All little changes, but over time they will add up and we’ll have less and less toxic or potentially dangerous substances in our home.
In the meantime, I continue to focus on what we put into our bodies and I’m still focusing on healthy fats!
It’s hard for me to say what ONE thing I would do, if I could only choose one thing, b/c no way am I going to eat SAD and/or poisonous meat, but there’s no way I would live w/o my shower filter, either.
On to hair…I use Nurture My Body shampoo and only wash hair/shower every other day. My hair still looks pretty good on the no-wash day. A couple months ago I noticed that I “suddenly” had a lot more gray hairs than just last year (or so it seems), but I’m not going to color it any more than I’m going to wear make up.
I’ve decided to do a heavy metal and other cleanses after DS weans. If that doesn’t do it, I will suck it up to being almost 40. Since I pretty much figure that most women over 40 without gray hair are just hiding it–and that everybody else knows it–it’s not a big deal.
PS–Robyn, thanks for sharing, LOL. I’ve been feeling a bit guilty when I forget to wash DS’s hair, which I aim to do twice/wk.
Like Sara, I use baking soda/water to wash my hair and a vinegar/water/essential oil rinse every 2-3 days. It’s working better than any shampoo I’ve ever used- my hair is soft, not too oily or dry, and I’m sure it’s healthier. It does take a little getting used to the new system, but its definitely worth it, both in health and monetary cost.
I’m going to try homemade deodorant when my current stick runs out, I hope that goes as well as this has.
I’ve never had the nerve to color my hair. Now it’s graying in a way that makes it look like I’ve gotten it highlighted – haha – much cheaper and less chemically induced than a beauty salon.
Of course, I do use makeup – and I go for the non-natural Cover Girl brand. I find myself wanting to be better about it, but I flinch at the cost and go cheap instead of healthy.
I tried to make my own shampoo out of soap flakes, which are a coconut oil base product, but it didn’t work. The flakes never dissolved completely. If anyone has a good suggestion for making shampoo out of soap flakes, I would appreciate the response. I still have some left and would like to try again. Otherwise, I use coconut oil on my face and body every day as a lotion. It feels wonderful!!
For those that mentioned they use oil for washing their face…will you please explain? I tried using coconut oil on my face, and it broke out badly.
Also for those that use the apple cider vinegar rinse in their hair…do you end up smelling like it? LOL! Thanks!!
Stephanie–Glad the no ‘poo thing works for you. I would have loved sticking w/ b. soda for shampoo, but I tried it for 7 months and my hair was always gross. I use a 50-50 mixture of b. soda and corn starch as a deodorizer. It doesn’t last all day, but it works and will last for at least a few hours if you’re doing regular daily stuff, not exercising.
Erin–check out this article: http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com/
i use arbonne products when $ allow, but don’t splurge on day to day products except moisturizer and foundation from arbonne. they don’t use petroleum products in their stuff, which is the main culprit in skin products as it covers the skin and doesn’t allow toxins out. it’s pricey and i choose to spend most of our extra $ on the right food vs. the right stuff for the body. that being said, our skin is our largest organ, and something like 80% of the detoxifying our body does is done by our skin. that suggests of course that it makes a whole lot of sense for those of us treating our internal organs right with as much non-toxic food as possible to do the same for our skin. even though i’ve known that for 3 years, i still haven’t switched to natural soaps, shampoos, and lotions.
thanks for the coconut oil as moisturizer tip! i love the smell! can I use the extra virgin stuff i cook/bake with, or do i need to buy something different?
i do use crystal deodorant on days when i’m just mulling around the house, running errands, manning kids at the playground, etc. if we go out socially in the warmer months i wear anti-perspirant otherwise i stink, ick!
emily-shower filter? what does that do for the body?
Kelly, You are amazing! You are so real and down to earth, I love it! How can anybody really be perfect unless we have unlimited access to funds and fitness gurus? We sacrifice where we can, and hope it makes a big enough difference. I do what feels right for me, and I’m learning to like it.
}
I have always been a bit shy about my claim that I don’t shower or wash my hair everyday, and I seldom use deodorant! (I hate that dangerous stuff!) But I feel healthier limiting my body to un-necessary chemical exposure, because I can’t afford the organic stuff! I have 4 kids for crying out loud! (haha)
I only color my hair “maybe” twice a year and I have been considering using natural Henna next time. I don’t wear much makeup at all (I do like my powder and mascara) because I really hate the way make-up feels on my skin and it really doesn’t make much difference in my appearance. I am all about being as natural as possible… if it don’t feel right, don’t do it! Being natural is also more comfortable… and there’s nothing wrong with THAT?
What’s wrong with the way things were? – Saturday night was bath night, and people usually only washed their hair once a week (or less)! My kids get a bath almost every night (if they earn it from playing in the dirt! haha) Usually, it’s 2 or 3 times a week. But I don’t always wash their hair… sometimes we just use a good dunk and rinse and I wash it once a week. We save money on our water bill this way too! I do like the idea of the baking soda/essential oil rinse…. I may give that a shot.
Thanks for this blog Kelly, a lot of great (honest) info being shared here!
Great posts from everyone! I have tried many products (Aubrey Organics, Dr. Bronner’s soaps, Arbonne, for example) and they work fine most of the time. However, in the winter months, I merge over to Suki skin care products. They relieve any dryness and redness. Nothing else worked as well for me. They last a long time as well.
I agree with other posters concerning the use of natural oils (including coconut oil at the top of the list). Simple and effective.
Sun and Earth are my favorite cleaning and laundry products.
Thanks so much for that link Emily! My teenage son uses an oatmeal/epsom salt scrub and all natural REAL oatmeal mask (that he grinds and makes himself) for acne, and it works better than any commercially prepared product or prescription he’s ever tried! I’m going to give him the info on the facial oil massages! Looks wonderful! I’m almost 45, I’m going to try it to give my own skin a little refresher. Thanks again!
Hi
9years ago I listened to the founders of natural ovens breads. They talked about the school in WI where they brought in salads and changed bad behaviors. At the end the wife talked about makeup. She said read ingredients bc for those of you using almay you are NOT wearing natural makeup. That was me. I threw my makeup out. I now use Eco Bella. I don,t wear makeup every day but would feel comfortable wearing these products every day. Their foundation is very nice.
At night I use emu oil on my face. My whole faminly does. It nourishes the skin. Takes somegetting used to bc it’s like putting olive oil on your skin. But it is amazing. We use emumagic.com
for hair and soap I go to the co-op and buy in bulk. It is cheaper and it is the same stuff you can get in packages but much cheaper. I have some of the best shampoo I have ever used.
For hanD soap I bought a soap dispenser at the co-op that foams. I buy Dr Bronners liquid soap in bulk. I use 1/4 soap to 3/4 water. It’s just great soap!
I also use deodorant that doesn’t have anti persperant or aluminimum but I have to carry it in my purse bc it does’t last more than a couple of hours.
Hope that helps.
My guideline is “don’t put anything ON your body you wouldn’t put IN it.” Harsh, I know. Especially here in the south where most women in my town still have big hair and wouldn’t even walk to the mailbox until their eyeliner is on.
I use homemade lip gloss with herbs for color, and use the same thing on my cheeks if necessary. I’ve never found a foundation I like. Being strawberry blonde I have no visible eyelashes or eyebrows unless they are made up, but I just won’t such awful gunk that close to my eyes. Not doing it. Once a year (hubby’s company Christmas party) I’ll buy a tube of mascara. The next day, into the trash it goes.
I like Nature’s Gate shampoo (but not the company Nature’s Gate) for now but I’m actively searching out options. No-poo was a disaster on my waist-length thick hair. I only wash my hair twice a week. Getting old has its advantages, I guess. I put my hair “up” most days, but skip the hairspray except for that one Christmas party.
I use coconut oil exclusively for lotion and make homemade soap. We have a shower filter on all our showers to reduce the chlorine that gives me rashes and makes me cough horribly.
My deodorant is nothing on the day I shower, baking soda the next day and tea tree oil the day after that (I shower every three days unless I’ve been working alongside Sisyphus.)
But my number one beauty tip is fermented cod liver oil. Next time we run out and I have to go a few days without taking it, I’ll shoot some photos. My skin dries out like an alligator. My cuticles crack and bleed, my face wrinkles up like a prune and I get callouses on my feet to the point of deep cracks that are incredibly painful. Within a few days of taking it again, my skin is soft like a baby’s, the fine lines in my face relax and the callouses on my feet go away.
Hi Kelly!
I have been reading your blog for quite a few months and I just love it!
This is a great post. I just wanted to put in my 2 cents worth as to what I do for skin care prducts. For my hair, I use a product that I purchased on an infomercial called WEN. It does not suds up has a quite a few natural ingredients but I don’t think it is all natural and definitely not organic. I would love to try the baking soda method. As of now I only wash my hair 2-3 times a week and have a chlorine filter in my shower.
I use coconut oil on my skin and face. I absolutely LOVE it! I mix together a facial scrub out of organic virgin coconut oil, celtic light gray sea salt and raw honey. This stuff is amazing! I make some for a friend of mine with adult acne and everytime she uses it her acne will go away. When she runs out it comes back.
I still use conventional makeup the 10 times a year I wear makeup. I just don’t wear it enough to feel like I should buy organic. For now I use Tom’s deordorant and I think it works just fine. It just has natural oils in it. I may have to apply it twice a day. I found that when I gave up anti-persperants I needed to use a deordorant quite a few times a day. After a while I think my body adjusted to not using the Aluminum filled stuff and I don’t need to use as much. I have been thinking of making my own out of some coconut oil and tea tree oil and see if that would work.
I get my coconut oil from tropical traditions and also use their teeth cleaner. I have been trying to find a better way for my family’s mouth care other than using flouride filled toothpaste. I have been using a method for cleaning my teeth lately called “oil puling”. I love how clean my mouth feels after.
I love the etsy tip – never thought of looking there! I have cut way back on my makeup wearing – pretty much to church on Sundays and if we are going to a party. I am like you Kelly – organic this time, back to the crap the next. My kids accuse me of being a split personality!
Sarah already mentioned baking soda, but here is an article I wrote for someone else’s blog on going “poo-free” (i.e. using baking soda and apple cider vinegar (ACV)):
http://sortacrunchy.typepad.com/sortacrunchy/2009/05/shampoofree-why-and-how.html
I’ve been “poo free” for a year and a half and don’t plan on ever going back. My girlfriend, who uses the baking soda as shampoo AND gets her hair colored, said that her hair colorist said that her hair was “too clean” to color, so she just doesn’t wash her hair for a couple days before getting it colored, and then she skips the ACV because it strips the color too quickly. I imagine that if you were simply bleaching your hair, then the ACV wouldn’t be able to strip color, but perhaps you could talk to your colorist about it.
I, too, love your transparency about this Kelly! Thanks for sharing and for opening such good dialog!
I love your blog . I am very new to eating right and starting at 63 years might seem strange but, it goes back to the way I was raised and feels good!! I have no big helpful comments about hair products etc………just “leave your freckles alone……they are great!”
Hi,
The makeup brands I have been using are After Glow, Rejuva, and Honeybee Gardens. Most of the ingredients in these products are organic. After Glow’s mascara is the best I have ever used. It goes on without clumps and does not flake.
Skin care products I use are by Aubrey, Mychelle, and Derma E.
Haircare products I use are Giovanni and Aubrey.
Vitacost, Lucky Vitamin and iherb have the best prices. After Glow and Rejuva are bought directly from their companies.
The oil cleanse method for sure. I have tried and had success with the no-poo stuff (at least until pregnancy hormones kicked in and I caved) but it takes a while to work it out for each individual’s type of hair and you need to have persistence or you will give up. But I have loved oil cleansing from the first day I tried it (well over a year ago). It’s great for getting a good change under your belt and motivating you to try more, plus it isn’t expensive or hard at all. I described my take on it here: http://brcbanter.blogspot.com/2008/08/undercover-hippie-files-ocm.html but a quick google search will bring up lots of information on the idea.
I thought natural stuff was too expensive, as well. I now use a local company (but they ship all over the world!) called Prairieland Herbs http://www.prairielandherbs.com for just about everything save my mascara and eye shadow, which are organic and I get at Target. I especially like the whipped shea body butter and the head to toe shampoo bars. They carry tons of other body products,though, as well.
Jenna–
A shower filter keeps your skin smoother and silkier, and protects your skin from all kinds of nasty chemicals. Here’s an article from my site: http://www.thecrunchycoach.com/shower-filter.html
I focus on chlorine, but there’s a lot of other poison in tap water that we shouldn’t be putting on our skin.
BTW–I also love using coconut oil as moisturizer. You can use either virgin or refined, but IMO the virgin smells better. May even be a little more effective?
Time for the corn allergic to chime in….I am too exhausted to look for makeup and skin care products that are corn-free. I looked high and low and this is what I settled on: pure coconut oil soap bar for bath and shampoo – I would like a pure olive oil bar and I am going to etsy right now to look (Thanks for the tip, Ashley). Virgin coconut oil for moisturizing body (apply while still wet from shower) and face and virgin coconut oil mixed into a paste with baking soda for deodorant. This has been working for my family for a year now since we cut out all corn and soy. At first, our hair was horribly oily, but we rode it out and it did adjust to the lack of detergents and harsh chemicals after a little while. I haven’t found any makeup, but I admit that I gave up easily. Cornstarch seems to be a favorite in makeup along with vitamin E (soy). I do wish I could find something like hairspray since my hair is fine and thin.
I agree with Local Nourishment – I can absolutely tell a difference in my skin according to how well I am doing with diet. Anyone with chronically dry skin should look very closely at their diet, especially lack of healthy fats. My hands will really suffer from exposure to corn or soy, too, so allergies can cause dryness. I am trying to make fermented CLO a habit every day, but I have been dropping the ball on that. I am inspired to move it to the top of the priority list now and there it will stay. If I had to pick one thing to recommend, I would have to pick fermented cod liver oil.
I found several small makers of soaps at our local farmers market and I have enough that should last until the market opens again in March (or close enough!). I do still use a traditional moisturizing soap on my face–but it’s worked well. I love the idea of Etsy for other products. I don’t wear makeup usually but I do have some eco friendly stuff for special occasions. For me, it’s worth while because it lasts YEARS (perhaps decades).
As an over 40–I’m laughing–never colored my hair and it’s still dark brown. I can find three grey strands so not all of us have grey!
My hair tends to be long and straight and when I cut it I prefer to have it permed but have been avoiding that because of chemicals. My hair tends to just hang. Long I can pull it back.
Kelly, your freckles look great!
I use more natural moisturizer on my face at night (the stuff from Dr. Mercola), but haven’t yet found a good daytime lotion that will give some sun protection. I burn very easily and need sunscreen in the warmer months. Also, I’m a big believer in the importance of Vitamin D, but I would be fried to a crisp using just a hat!
So, the problem is finding a moisturizer that uses zinc oxide or titanium dioxide that hasn’t been cut up into teeny, tiny nanoparticles AND that won’t make me look like a ghoul! Zinc oxide on the face is a great way to make teeth look more yellow, too
When I’m obviously out for a run or a swim I wear sunscreen with zinc oxide despite the effect. However, when I use another daytime moisturizer I try to check first on the Environmental Working Group “skin deep” site to find one that isn’t rated too terribly. Oil of Olay recently changed their sensitive skin formulation to something more hazardous and I’m trying to find a better option with no parabens!
I agree beauty products are the hardest switch to make. Plus the alternatives are SO much more expensive! Last year I blogged about going shampoo-free and got a great response. I thought I could never do it but I finally found a way that worked. I also wash my body and face with coconut oil only (serves as a cleanser and lotion in one, very easy and economical). For someone with oily skin and hair, this change is a miracle for me, but it really works! I did break out a little at first but now I get fewer blemishes than ever.
That said, I do go to the salon for a color or perm now and then. I figure if I’ve got the daily chemicals under control then it (somewhat) justifies the 2-4 times a year I go to the salon. But that’s just my rationale.
I’ve started using Oyin Products, starting with “Funk Butter” deodorant. And I was a die-hard aluminum laden antiperspirant wearer. Funk Butter works! All natural and handmade in small batches. Check them out here: http://www.oyinhandmade.com/ It seems their site is undergoing a relaunch, but when they are back up, go in on an order with some friends to save on shipping. Oyin is in our order rotation in our tiny (20 member) food co-op and every product gets rave reviews from us. (funk butter and the whipped cream moisturizer especially)
Elizabeth, How do you wash with coconut oil? That sounds like it would work so well for me. Do you use coconut oil in place of deodorant? I can’t believe how great it works and no more itchy and red underarms (as long as I avoid razors with “moisturizing” corn strips, too).
One benefit of being corn allergic or going all natural: there are so few products that your bathroom cabinets and shower will be nice and empty. I have tons of room in my bathroom now. I couldn’t believe how much junk I threw away when I learned of my allergy.
I no longer buy or use chapsticks, lip creams, lip protection of any kind. My boyfriend told me awhile back that he’d read or discovered somehow that they just dry out your lips and create a cycle where you need to use them but they create that need. Talk about a racket! Whatever the truth of that observation, my experience has been that they are not needed. I eat lots of healthful fat (butter, ghee, coconut oil, meat fats, a bit of olive oil) and take my fermented cod liver oil, and my lips never dry out or get chapped anymore. Now, I live in Northern California, not Antarctica, so I can’t swear this would work for everybody under any conditions, but I don’t even put coconut oil or natural products on my lips anymore, and zero chapping. Zero! And I’m sure there is nothing remarkable about my lips.
Needless to say, perhaps, I don’t use lipstick anymore. I’ve gradually been tossing make-up and lipstick. It’s painful to realize how much money I wasted over the years on stuff that I mostly used just a little bit, and I used to stock up on trips home while I lived in Japan, so I have unopened Lancome products with no need to use them. I live on a farm now, never go anywhere I’d feel naked without makeup, and at it’s just not a priority anymore. Still, I hold on to some just in case I move back to the city and want to dress up sometime.
I make my own oil and lotion mixtures, putting together dribs and drabs from near-empty bottles, maybe combining with melted coconut oil or other oils from the health food store. After trying the Oil Cleansing Method on my skin, and finding to my surprise that oil actually feels good on my skin (having acne my whole life, I always avoided it), but I find it wasteful of hot water to just use hot washcloths to remove the oil, I have instead added oil to my remaining store-bought cleansers. Sometimes I oil up my face and massage it a bit, then emulsify with a bit of my oiled cleanser and water and remove with a microfiber face cloth (from Bed, Bath and Beyond).
Natural deodorant is still tricky. I haven’t really liked any of the store-bought ones. I’ve made my own concoctions with coconut oil and baking soda etc. They all work ok for maybe a day. The problem is, I no longer shower daily, don’t go to an office and live on a farm with a man who doesn’t shower much, so I’m now down to about twice a week. I do sponge-bathe my armpits in between times, though, so I can stand to be around myself.
I know this is much more than you ever wanted to know about me, Kelly!
I’m experimenting with “No-Poo” by mixing baking soda with a bit of the last of my shampoos, then rinsing with vinegar water I’ve scented with essential oils. Otherwise I use Dr. Bronner’s shikai body shampoo on hair as well as body. So far, so good.
I don’t wear makeup at home but I do put a little something on when I go out. I use Physician’s Formula organic line of mineral powder, eye shadow and mascara. They are affordable as most items are under 10 dollars. http://www.physiciansformula.com/en-us/staticpage/organic-wear.html
For hair color there is Logona powders and their new cream line , Eco Colors and if you want a pretty blonde color that is not brassy you may have to go with more conventional like Aveda.
http://www.logona-usa.com/herbalhair-powders35.cfm
http://www.ecocolors.net/
What a great topic, Kelly! The comments so far have been very enlightening and I think I’m going to finally give no ‘poo a shot when I finish up my bottle of Pantene (I know, I know…) The oil cleansing method, with which I wasn’t familiar until today, is now on my to-try list as well.
I’ve been scaling back my use of conventional beauty and hygiene products in the last 9 months and have incorporated the following changes pretty painlessly:
1. Homemade deodorant (baking soda, cornstarch, coconut oil and essential oil) – very important to me since both of my grandmothers died of breast cancer
2. Coconut oil for body moisturizer (I’ve also tried jojoba and grapeseed carrier oils from New Directions Aromatics but CO seems to absorb better)
3. Bare Escentuals for the little make-up I do use (still using conventional mascara though…any suggestions for a more natural mascara that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg?)
4. Dr. Bronner’s Baby Mild liquid soap + essential oil for body wash and shaving
5. Essential oils (patchouli is a favorite) in lieu of perfume
6. Last, but certainly not least: Devita Solar Body Block SPF 30. Yes, it’s made with micronized zinc oxide (a whopping 14%), but it rates a 1 (!) in the EWG cosmetics database. I’ve only started using sunblock in the last week but it leaves no white cast, has a fabulous ingredient list, doesn’t cause breakouts and absorbs well, and doubles as a moisturizer this time of year. I cannot rave enough about it and I’m going to be trying a few of the other Devita products (particularly the Accelerator C Serum and Hyaluronic SeruGel) for more advanced but natural skin care.
Wonderful information! Emily, thanks for that oil cleansing link. Has anyone had success with using coconut oil together with castor oil?
Yes Erin W., I use a mixture of castor oil with coconut oil, grapeseed oil, almond oil for my cleansing blend.
Wow! What fascinating information. I am all for my natural and healthy food but this is amazing! You guys are so much farther along the “continuum” than I! (and I mean that in a good way, truly, it will be a goal for ’someday’ when I have extra time and money!) Basically all we do now is use Melaleuca products. Anyone have any idea how those “rate” in health value for our skin bodies etc? I also use their Nicole Miller make-up products about once every week when I go to church…looking forward to learning more!
thanks emily! thanks kelly, this post has been very enlightening. turns out “skin products” are much more than soap, shampoo and cosmetics. it’s as comprehensive as water filters in the bath. i. had. no. idea. not sure why i’m so stunned now. it’s either the duh factor, like really i should have known all that, and partly because i’m overwhelmed with all changes i’m now inspired to make to keep our skin as toxin free as our diet is. YIKES.
Absolutely, without hesitation, you should switch to the Oil Cleansing Method if you haven’t already. After being pampered with oil for cleansing for, gosh, almost two years now, my skin REBELS at the hint of soap.
Also, minerals make-up is amazing and worth every extra penny I spend on it. I don’t wear much make-up, so I feel I can justify a splurge in this area.
kc – I use coconut oil with exfoliating gloves in the shower. My skin comes out so smooth and soft, I love it.
Local Nourishment would you please tell me how much fermented cod liver oil you take and how long it was before you saw results? I take 3 capsules a day. So far it is not doing anything for the wrinkles. Thank you.
Kelly you look so cute with the freckles, honestly Id not tone them down one bit, you’re beautiful!
Have you heard of Everyday Minerals? It’s all natural and awesome in my opinion. No bismuth like other mineral make up. I’m not affiliated with them at all, just a happy customer.
http://www.everydayminerals.com/
I also use nutiva EVCO to wash my face, and a combination of the Nutiva, unrefined shea butter, unrefined cocoa butter, EVOO and sweet almond oil as a…pre wash hair conditioner, moisturizer, deep conditioning hot oil treatment you name it. Easy and cheap. My 12 yr old with acne issues has had great success with kukui nut oil as a cleanser. Brown sugar and honey make and awesome face and body exfolient. Salt and olive oil, heated up make a great scrub for dry cracked hands and feet.
Chagrin Valley soaps makes awesome all natural soaps and shampoo bars. I have dry naturally curly hair and use their babassu marshmallow shampoo bar, and I don’t even need conditioner!
http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/
I’ve been using Yes to Tomatoes from Walgreens. I found a 17 oz bottle for $4 on sale yesterday…not bad for organic body wash!!
This post is def. getting bookmarked! What a wealth of info in the comments.
My 2 cents:
-I’ doing no ‘poo, which is alright (and Erin, you don’t smell the acv unless you’re using too much, at least once it dries), but I just got a NaturOli soapnuts shampoo bar for Christmas, which is pretty cool. (my review of their laundry soap has a link to it: http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/09/30/my-favorite-non-toxic-laundry-option-soap-nuts-review/).
-for local GR folks, there’s a cool etsy store called Natural Momma based in EGR. She makes a super face soap, chapstick, and bunches more – those are just my favs. http://www.etsy.com/shop/naturalmomma
Hi Kelly – I think you look great just the way you are, but that’s easy for me to say. We are all hyper-critical of our own selves, to one extent or another. If there was just one thing to change, I’d say ditch the hair color or bleach. I used to color my hair many different shades. I was a music promoter and involved in my local underground music scene for some years. I had raspberry, purple, fushia, flame red, dark red, black, dark brown, lavender., etc. And while it was fun and I enjoyed it immensely, I’m pretty sure my days of coloring are over. I’ve also had synthetic dreadlocks and real dreads in my real hair for 8 years. That’s one thing I haven’t been able to give up because it’s so easy to care for (it’s actually just about no care, to tell the truth) and still a lot of fun. Originally I got them as a way to stop coloring my own hair because you can put color in the synthetic dreads to your heart’s content without continuing to damage your own hair. But I continued to color my own hair for a number of years too. Now it’s all natural (what you see in my pictures is my real hair color). I am starting to get more grey as time goes on too, but since my hair is a light brown, it’s less noticeable.
I also used to wear a lot of makeup as well. Now it’s either nothing on most days, or a bit of mascara (I use Dr. Hauscka’s, which I love!).
And about shampooing, I don’t shampoo much. Having dreadlocks eliminates the necessity to shampoo a lot by its very nature. My bangs are really the only thing that still gets greasy – and my hair is fine, so that happens quickly. But now I’m washing my bangs about every few days with Aubrey’s organic shampoo. So I’m not using much. The rest of my hair I wash whenever I feel like washing it. My hair has ceased to be oily, though, from years of so little washing, which I love. I’m going to convert my bangs over soon by washing them in vinegar like some of these ladies have talked about. But honestly, I think coloring hair affects the PH in it and causes the wearer to have to wash more frequently. I really believe product begets more product, in a nutshell.
I also don’t use anything on my face – no powder, concealer, moisturizer, etc. except for the occasional coconut or almond oil. I’ve always had really clear skin, even when I was eating the SAD some years ago. Many people don’t believe I’m 40. I don’t know if this is good genes or something I’m doing with my diet, because I didn’t change my diet until about 5 years ago.
I think you look quite young and healthy. And you have a great attitude and are helpful to people. I think this type of outlook really can help a person to look great as well, and maybe this is one reason why your outsides are in great shape, because your insides are too (diet and mood)! Just a theory, but maybe if you tried the no color, you might like the results better than you think.
Sue, I take four fermented CLO/butter oil caps a day, two in the AM and two in the PM.
I’m a total beauty products junkie. :c)
I use Burt’s Bee’s hair products, but I’ve toyed with the idea of going no-poo. Maybe when all my bottles I bought on sale run out. I use Giovanni (?) for my fine, limp, short hair and it works so much better than commercial mousse/volumizer. I’m going to order henna from Lush soon to make my hair a little auburn. (I LOVE Lush! It’s awesome. I want to eat the products, they smell so good, and they are an all-natural, very crunchy brand. LushUSA.com)
I like Alba for my skin care products–they have effective products and big bottles for more economy.
I make my own deodorant, and I swear it works better than the commercial stuff. Here’s the messy link:
http://procraftinate.blogspot.com/2009/05/diy-deodorant-yes-you-read-that-right.html
And I use mineral makeup, for my skin and to decrease the exposure to junk. Plus it has some natural sunscreen. I do use regular eye shadows and mascara, because the exposure is so minimal, I’m not going to stress about it. Besides, I found that having big, pretty eyelashes to bat at my husband helps to make the grocery bills more tolerable!
All good comments, there is a great website called Skin Deep, the Cosmetic’s Database, http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/index.php?nothanks=1 You can look up almost every personal hygiene product that is made. They each have a score based on the ingredients, they even have info on the studies and available info about each ingredient so that you can better understand WHY it may not be good for your skin.
Kelly, as far as your ONE change. If only one product change then I would change the body wash that you use. Here’s why, your skin is your body’s largest single organ and it readily absorbs ANYTHING that is put onto it, hence the use of topical meds. But we often think that lotion/soaps that we put ON our skin only effect the skin but all of the things we put on our skin get into your blood stream and are deposited around your body in different ways (I’m not an expert so I can explain what gets deposited where). What’s important is that it CAN so think about what you want floating around INside your body.
There are lots of good suggestions for actual products that people like so I won’t go there (most of the ones I use have been mentioned). I have just slowly tried to replace each item with a better one as I use them up but I also do buy according to budget. I use the Skin Deep to help me choose and find new products.
Blessings, Jennifer
I still use my regular shampoo and wash my hair daily. BUT, I wanted to add that since I have starting eating lots of good fats in the past 6 weeks, my dandruff has vanished! Before, I always had to use Head and Shoulders, but I’ve been mooching my husband’s shampoo for weeks with great results.
Thanks for your blog, Kelly. It was one of the first resources I found that got me onto the Traditional Food path.
I’m another one who uses Nutiva Coconut Oil to wash my face. I love it but I have learned not to rinse *too much* because my skin is *so dry* in the winter. I put it on, hop in the shower, and then rinse it off with my hands (not the wash cloth.) I just started doing this recently and my skin doesn’t look as dry… and it ALWAYS looks dry in January no matter how much lotion I put on it.
I do have an issue I need help with though… I have a patch of (I think) contact dermatitis on my chin, in one spot. Or I *think* it is that, because I had something similar that my doctor said was that. I can’t for the life of my figure out the cause or the best way to address it- hydrocortisone didn’t seem to help. I decided to stop using a washcloth (oil cleansing method) in part because of this, to see if it would help… I can’t think it would be the coconut oil, though, because I eat it and put it on my skin all the time and the rest of me is just fine! I’d love to hear if anyone has an idea about what might help it, other than time.
Kelly, if I could advise you to do ONE thing in your beauty routine it would be the thing that brings you the most pleasure and joy – wheather that is outside the realm of “natural” or not. The mind is a powerful organ as well! Good luck to you.
I’m not gonna lecture you – you already know you need to make that switch and you will when you’re ready.
I do have two comments though. The first is that I appreciate and respect your honesty in this post – I imagine it was a bit scary to write.
The second is that I think freckles are great! Let ‘em shine forth girl!
My favorite product to buy for others and recommend is for your teeth. Tooth soap. The type I have tried is at: toothsoap.com
You only have to try it once and you can’t wait until its time to brush again. My sisters are great critics and they are believers. The one had trouble with her gums due to having to have orthodontia work and she is a middle aged adult. Well, now we all have white shiny CLEAN teeth and gums. I also use the tooth swish at work or when I can’t brush and the tooth whitener 2x a week. I was only using for a couple of months when it was time to go in for my checkup. There was very little plaque to remove! I am a floss using nut and could never prevent the plaque build up on my lower front teeth. Plus I suffered from dry mouth, and was a mouth breather. The tooth soap has stopped all of this. My mouth is no longer dry and I am breathing from my mouth. Amazing. What a help and what a change for the better.
I have purchase hair soap at this site also.
I also have very thin hair on the top of my head. I have had great luck with the hairsoap I and hairsoap II with the hair spritzer (apple cider) to alternate. I have tried coconut oil and apple cider but the hairsoap has better, more controlled and consistent results. Makes my hair feel and look thick, fills in my thin spot. I am VERY grateful because it is depressing to have thinning hair so this that the top of my scalp shines through. I am a middle aged, and of Irish German dissent (freckles) if this would help anyone with like challenges.
My daughter has freckles and I always look at her and think she’s beautiful (hubby thinks I’m crazy). Can’t say the same about her yellow teeth (can’t get her to drink raw milk or take cod liver oil). So you’re beautiful as well.
I haven’t used make up since I was a teen and actually only use it for family portraits to even out the skin tones, etc. I hope my daughter won’t want to use make up when she gets older and cover up her lovely freckles.
Being chemically sensitive, I’ve used all-natural personal care products for years. What we put on our body gets absorbed so I think we need to be as careful with that as with what we eat. For my hair, I use the shampoos & conditions by Young Living Essential Oils. I started doing that in 2001 when my husband took over his mother’s essential oil distributorship and their shampoo/conditioners work better for me than any other brand. My hairdresser raves about what good shape my hair is in. I can’t do “no poo” as I have fine, straight hair. I think that only works well for people with curly hair. If I need gel or hairspray (which I just use occasionally), then I use Aubrey Organics, which is the only brand of hairspray I’ve found that doesn’t contain chemicals. For the body, I use a goat milk soap made by a local farm, which is less drying than anything I’ve been able to find commercially. For moisturizing, I use Tropical Traditions hand cream and body lotion, as even the stuff in the health food store often has parabens, which are hormone-disrupting (and I don’t like all the herbs and oils that Young Living puts in their body lotions). For toothpaste, I use the tooth cleaner from Tropical Traditions since it doesn’t have glycerin in it (which can coat the teeth), or sometimes I use tooth soap, though I find that feels a little harsh in my mouth. I don’t wear makeup and don’t color my hair, so I really don’t spend that much on personal care items. A good source for finding non-toxic, natural products is Debra Lynn Dadd’s site–she is the “queen” of non-toxic & natural and spoke at a WAPF conference: http://www.dld123.com.
I’m a fellow WAPF’er and I wanted to pass along my beauty secret weapon – http://shearmiracles.net/ !! Everything is so pure you could eat it, the owner is also my hairstylist. She is also a rep for a European organic hair coloring system that relies on heat and pharmaceutical grade hydrogen peroxide rather than the harsh burning chemicals that most hairstylists use, to color hair. I’ve been getting my hair colored by her for over 2 years and it’s never ever dry or nasty, it doesn’t smell fumey. I love it! I would suggest perusing her site for info on contacting her about it. One of her missions is to convert salons to this hair color system and her organic styling products, and the more you ask your current hairstylists about them getting in products that YOU want, the better – they listen to their customers because they don’t want to lose them! Robyn can provide you with any information you need, especially about the coloring system. Her stuff is amazing, and she’s a fellow WAPF’er!
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