Wednesday, August 1, 2012

The First Five Products to Change When Making the Switch to Natural and Organic

When I first decided to start the process of moving to more natural products and foods, I was overwhelmed. So many brands and products that we see and use everyday in our lives are actually not all that good for us. I honestly didn't know where to start, especially since I couldn't afford to just throw away everything I had and buy all new products! 


I thought about it and did some research, and realized it's okay to start small. The most important thing is to begin. The following is a list of what I believe to be the first and most important items to change when you are thinking of moving to natural and organic products. 


body lotion, shampoo, conditioner, lip balm, lip gloss, deodorant
My collection of natural products so far: J.R. Watkins lotion, Sunflower Market Brand shampoo and conditioner, Naturally Fresh deodorant, EOS lip balm.

1. Body Lotion - Most commercial and well known lotions (I'm looking at you B&BW, VS, and St.Ives) are filled with nasty carcinogens like formaldehyde, parabens, and petrol chemicals. Body lotion gets rubbed all over your skin and stays there to absorb into your body all day long. Who wants all those toxins on their skin? First and foremost, change your lotion. 

2. Deodorant - Like body lotion, deodorant gets rubbed into your skin to stay there all day, and it's some of your thinnest, most sensitive skin as well. Chemicals in deodorants and antiperspirants have been linked to cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and reproductive problems. 

3. Lipstick/Lipgloss - Lipsticks historically have contained some of the deadliest poisons, including lead, and you're putting that on your mouth where you will inevitably ingest it throughout the day. Also in many lipsticks are proplyene glycol and retinyl palmitate, two substances that have been linked to infertility. Did you know that the artificial colors in most commercial lipsticks are tested on animals? Just another reason to swap this product.

4. Fragrance - Did you know that perfumes are protected under a special "trade secret" law that allows them to avoid revealing all their ingredients? Like lotion and deodorant, fragrance is sprayed on your skin and stays there all day, not to mention we inadvertently breathe some of the particles into our lungs. Just a couple of the hazards include diethyl phthalate, a chemical linked to sperm damage, and linalool, which causes respiratory disturbances and attracts bees to boot! 

5. Shampoo and Conditioner - Like the products above, shampoos and conditioners are full of harmful chemicals, including harsh detergents that just aren't necessary unless you haven't washed your hair for quite some time! You rub these products into your scalp, which means they have the potential to seep into your head. Better to find a natural shampoo that works for you!


Is there a product that you think should be in this list? Let me know! Are you planning on, or have you already made, any product changes? What are they? I'm looking forward to hearing from you! 

Until next time,
J

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24 comments:

  1. I agree wholeheartedly with this list! The only thing I'd add to it is to get a good shower filter that will filter out chlorine as it can be very drying to the skin as well as damaging to the thyroid.

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    1. Thanks for the comment, Robin! I didn't even think about a shower filter, but it is true that our tap water is pretty nasty here!

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  2. Hi Jamie, I just wanted to stop by and thank you for following my blog. I'm looking forward to all your wonderful ideas on better living. Have a marvelous day, Connie :)

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    1. Hi Connie, thanks for the comment! You're quite welcome for the follow. :)

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  3. I am slowly transitioning my products from things bought on the store shelf, to things bought from Melaleuca. I love most of their products that I've tried. (Can't love it all, ya know. lol)

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    1. I've never heard of Melaleuca -- I'll have to look it up! I know what you mean about not loving everything from a particular brand. I wish there was one go-to brand where everything was perfect lol!

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  4. Wow! I had no idea that there was formaldehyde in body lotion! That is horrible! I also was not aware that perfume could be that hazardous! I wear it every day, but maybe I should rethink that! Glad you shared this informative blog post!

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    1. You're welcome! I was shocked and really sad when I found out too, because I love love love some of the Bath and Body Works and Victoria's Secret scents. You want to avoid anything with an ingredient called "urea" (like Diazolidinyl Urea) which is the formaldehyde releaser. DMDM hydantoin also turns into formaldehyde in products.

      I realize that not everyone is willing or able to give up their favorite items, but any small change helps! I can't fathom giving up my Estee Lauder foundation, even though I'm going to work really hard to swap out all my other products! ;)

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  5. Great list and info. I have replaced everything on this list aside from my deodorant, I've only tried one natural deodorant and it didn't work very well, I am still on the hunt for one, any recommendations?

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    1. I'm currently still on the hunt myself, after trying the Naturally Fresh Crystal Deo and finding out that it was okay, but not great (my review is here: http://healthynaturalbeautylv.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-quest-for-natural-deodorant-or.html).

      Robin from http://toxicbeautyblog.com loves the roll-on from Real Purity, or the Pit Putty from Bubble and Bee. I haven't tried either of those yet, though! :)

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    2. I've tried a bunch recently--My favorites were Honeybee Garden's powder, Fig+yarrow's cream, and Naked Eye Beauty's. Soapwalla works too. Cheers!

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  6. Hi Jamie,

    Last year, after reading Curly Girl by Lorraine Massey, I decided to go natural with my hair products. Or at least natural-ish. :) I never thought my hair could be so frizz-free and manageable! I'll never let sulfates touch my hair again!

    I don't have much variety when it comes to body lotions, since I have keratosis pilaris, a skin disorder that causes my skin to produce too much keratin. Most moisturizers don't do it for me, even coconut oil. I need something filled with humectants and emollients and exfoliants before my skin even begins to feel the least bit happy. Right now I'm using Eucerin Intensive Repair, which helps tremendously, but I think I might try their Smoothing Repair next, since it's supposed to be less greasy and contains more humectants, although I'm not too keen on the silicone in it. But I'll do anything to get my skin in good shape.

    I'd really like to try a natural deodorant sometime, though I'll probably end up making my own. I found a recipe long ago but now I can't find it!

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    1. Hi Sarah! Thank you so much for your comment. I've never used Eucerin, but I'm glad it's working for you. If you ever come across it, I would recommend trying the body lotions from J.R. Watkins. I am using the Aloe and Green Tea one and I love it because it is super thick and moisturizing without being too greasy.

      As far as making your own deodorant - a really good friend of mine does that, and she uses the recipe found on this page: http://www.squidoo.com/homemade-deodorant-recipes
      If you try it out, let me know how you like it! :)

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  7. I think that anything that goes near our eyes, mascara or eyeliner, is also a big concern. I admit I haven't gone organic but I've been reading up on it on a few of the blogs I follow and it really makes sense.

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    1. Hi Lisa! Thanks for your comment. I absolutely agree with you that eye products are important. Since I wear contacts and I had an eye infection earlier this year, I am very careful and only wear eye makeup when I go to work, but I haven't tried any organic brands yet. I hope I win the "No Miss" giveaway from Toxic Beauty! If not, maybe I'll buy some anyway! :)

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  8. Hi Jamie, Thank you for the lovely compliment on my bedroom re-do. Someday you will have your own home and hopefully you will have lots of ideas by then for making it your perfect space. Have a healthy, happy week, Connie :)

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  9. Hey! Nice to stumble upon your blog since I too believe it is quite overwhelming first starting out with natural beauty products and making the switch. I just started a blog series this month on switching out a particular product each month to an all natural one because of that very reason and the first one i started with was body lotion! Lol so I agree that's one of the important ones. You can check it out on my blog at www.truebeautybynature.com. It may help out you and your readers.

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    1. Hi Audreiana! Thanks so much for your comment. Your blog series sounds like a great one and I will definitely check it out! :)

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  10. I completely agree. Anything that is close to your mouth, you can breathe in, or is on your skin. Deodorant is especially concerning in light of how many breast tumors are being found to contain parabens. Your armpits absorb more things topically than anywhere else on your body. Great article!

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    1. Thanks! The research on deodorant is quite scary, isn't it? I wish that more people knew about the dangers because then perhaps companies would be forced to change! I am still on the hunt for a natural deodorant that is perfect for me, since the one I'm using now still has potassium alum in it and it seems to wear off in the extreme heat here.

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  11. I agree with you now a days, a lot of company are selling their natural product which contains toxic chemicals in it. Your points will definitely get attention of users and will aware them. Thanks!
    Remove Scratches

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    1. Hi there! Thanks so much for your kind words and for taking the time to visit my blog! :)

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  12. What a wonderful post! Where in the uk can I get organic/natural products? -Nadine x

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    1. Hi Nadine! Thank you so much for your comment. As I live in the United States, I am unfortunately unfamiliar with the UK stores that carry real natural brands. Your best bet is probably to order online. Check my friend Robin's blog (toxicbeautyblog.com) for reviews and lists of good, safe natural products! :)

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