Natural Personal Care Products
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More and more people turn to natural personal care products as the negative side effects of chemicals are made known. So many times our email inboxes are stuffed full of messages from friends and relatives who warn us of the latest danger, whether it aluminum in our deodorant or the carcinogens produced from cooking with plastic in the microwave. The long term effects of many of our skin care products that seep directly into our bloodstream may not be known, and while the FDA does check on many products, hundreds of cosmetic products have ingredients that are banned in other countries. The Environmental Working Group claims that ninety-eight percent of all merchandise that is considered personal care in nature have at least one ingredient never assessed as being safe for the public. The recent new millennium has give rise to a while new public interest in organic foods and natural personal care products that are free from chemical intrusion. This lens will discuss a number of organic ways to take care of the only body that we all get in a lifetime. After all each of us, on average, uses forty five pounds of shampoo, lotion, lipstick, cologne and soap a year.
The term natural or organic is as confusing as the term "serving" is to restaurant food. Have you seen the size of servings in restaurants? Their portion sizes are about three times what an actual serving should be. And many merchandise items get labeled organic when much of most of their ingredients are not. The NPA, the umbrella under which natural personal care products falls says that a product labeled natural or organic must have at least 95% organic ingredients which come from flora, fauna and mineral. It can be difficult finding which manufacturers that belong to this association but Burt's Bees, Aubrey organics, Badger Balm, California Baby, Farmaesthetics, Trilogy Fragrances and Weleda are among the advisors.
Let's talk first about one of the most controversial issues regarding manmade products, deodorant. Aluminum in antiperspirant brands have been linked to increased susceptibility to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. So there is much discussion on the Internet regarding the effectiveness of natural ingredient deodorants. Some of the loudest complaints regarding non-chemical deodorants is their ineffectiveness at blocking odor. With something as strong as body odor can be, one has to wonder if tea tree and lavender oils is going to do the job. The same goes for lavender, mint and lichen plant extract that go into so many natural personal care products, but perhaps the only way to know for sure is to try more than one of these products to see if the product works for you. Since each body is different and reacts in various manners, one may be able to find a deodorant that is non-chemical and safe, but if it doesn't, don't be offended if someone asks you to move further down the sofa.
Because the skin absorbs most everything that is placed on its surface, lotions and creams are certainly of interest and concern for their users. Trying to buy natural personal products while standing in a drug store aisle can be pretty daunting considering that so many labels have to be read. When a person takes the time to sit down and explore the many ingredients on line that so many of the natural personal care products have, he or she can have a much better idea of the ingredients. A company's 98.22% organic claim looks good for a sun block it sells, but it has some titanium diosice in it which helps in the protection of UV rays. How the body reacts to that specific chemical can be explored online to investigate its actual harm or no harm to the body. So much money and time is put into how we look and trying to fight the march of age upon us, but Jesus said: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness...therefore take no thought for the morrow for the morrow shall take thought of the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." (Matthew 6:33a and 34)
When a person thinks about the scalp being one of the most copious places on the body for blood vessels and being so near the brain, it's a bit odd that not more thought is given to what shampoo and conditioner we use. Some well known brands of shampoo contain MIT, which can cause neurological damage. So look at the ingredients of many of the natural personal care products that happen to be shampoos: orange peel green tea, tea tree oil, rosemary mint, and chamomile and so many other wonderful ingredients. No dangerous chemicals, but in most cases, you better get used to one thing, no foam or sudsing. And this can make a person feel like there is nothing going on up there. Just like everything else natural, a person will have to experiment to find the right product for him or her.
There is little doubt that if a person can go the natural way instead of using chemicals and harsh agents, it is a safer and less unpredictable path health wise. Natural personal care products smell good and they can make a person certainly feel good about using them. Many of the lotions and creams for skin care use are very effective and so are some of the cosmetics that are available. Hair dye is less predictable in terms of effectiveness, and natural products for hair loss are iffy at best. Shampoos seem to differ from person to person so it may take a little experimenting to find the one that suits you. Natural personal care products to clear acne can be the most difficult to find, so the advice again is begin patient experimentation, but consider taking Echinacea orally and find products with aloe vera and tea tree oil for topical application.
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