Using 'natural' products

shikashika · 10-08-2007, 01:16 PM

There are so many products these days which claim to be 'organic' and 'natural'. But just because its natural or organic, does it really meanwe should be putting them on our skin??

I admit, i'm a bit of a product junkie...but when I read the back of all the moisturizers.. even if they aremade with 'organic shea butter and tea tree oil ' my body is still going to absorb it and it goes into my system.

BUT when you really think about it.. Why put anything on your skin that you wouldn't put in your mouth???

does anyone make their own facial scrubs, put honey on thier face, eggs in thier hair, coconut oil on their body?

do you think that a lotof these natural moisturisers and cleansers really are that natural?

RayKay · 10-08-2007, 01:23 PM

It depends on the labelling restrictions where you are; organics are still so "new" there are fewer requirements as to what you can label organic (ie does not need to be 100% organic). Research the labelling requirements in your area and see what the requirements are to be labelled as such.

You still need to read the ingredient labels

There are a few natural products I use, but some I can't - for example there is lanolin in Burt's Bees products which give me an allergic reaction; but others swear by the products!

I have used homemade oatmeal masks, one of my friends makes homemade natural lip balm, etc. I don't put oils on my body though as well, honestly, it feels gross and is messy, I just use a regular light moisturizer and sunblock (but I need to use hypoallergenics) and so there is only so much you can do with "natural" products...if I did not use sunblock I would be in far more trouble! I am glad I was born in a sunblock era!

I do however EAT organic and natural as much as I can, even if costs me a little extra and more time searching it out (I have to go to a different store for my chicken, though my grocery store carries organic produce and other things like crackers, etc). I don't eat beef, but my boyfriend does and all our beef comes from my boyfriends parents farm where we know how the cattle is raised and so on. One of his other family members lives way up North and catches fish for us to freeze, etc.

Oh, also for cleaning - I stick to natural products...some that are pre-made natural/biodegradable and sometimes vinegar and water. I try to avoid chemicals; but I find I have to use something stronger in the bathroom on the tiles...but other than that I really limit chemical use in my home as much as I can.

shikashika · 10-08-2007, 01:48 PM

I have used a lot of the burts bees products.. and like them, but when i read the ingredients, i'm still not sure if its something i want my body to absorb

sublock is good.. however now i hear so many things saying that using sunblock has so many bad chemicals in it, its better to leave it off..
don't know about that though!!

i try to buy organic as well.. its gets expensive though when you are single.. oh well, its my health and body and life.. its worth it.

anyone made a homemade shampoo?

doyathink · 10-08-2007, 02:28 PM

I do. I make a lot of the things I use...
I felt like you do.
I think a lot of the cancer we see comes from what we use and is absorbed.
Like deodorant/antiperspirant. That stuff clogs your pores so you don't sweat. Ok, well...if you can't 'bleed' out the impurities from your body...then they are trapped IN you.

shikashika · 10-08-2007, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doyathink

I do. I make a lot of the things I use...
I felt like you do.
I think a lot of the cancer we see comes from what we use and is absorbed.
Like deodorant/antiperspirant. That stuff clogs your pores so you don't sweat. Ok, well...if you can't 'bleed' out the impurities from your body...then they are trapped IN you.

i use this 'natural crystal' deodorant stick.. i agree with you.. we sweat for a reason.. its unhealthy if you can't sweat

RayKay · 10-08-2007, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shikashika

I have used a lot of the burts bees products.. and like them, but when i read the ingredients, i'm still not sure if its something i want my body to absorb

sublock is good.. however now i hear so many things saying that using sunblock has so many bad chemicals in it, its better to leave it off..
don't know about that though!!

i try to buy organic as well.. its gets expensive though when you are single.. oh well, its my health and body and life.. its worth it.

anyone made a homemade shampoo?

It isn't exactly cheaper when you are in a couple either

I have yet to get a couple discount..lol.

Well, yes, sunblock does have chemicals in it. But not all chemicals are automatically harmful. And it is nothing compared to the chemicals and drugs you will inflicted if you get skin cancer! But also that goes to show some chemicals really are beneficial too; they are not automatically terrible, it is just they have that unfortunate name! I have known too many people my age to get skin cancer to skimp on the sunblock; ever....and the amount of time I spend outside it is a necessary. I am too fair skinned to play around with that. I am careful to use natural mosquito repellants though (except when on some of my activities where mosquitos are VERY dense I will dab some DEET on my clothes as I balance the West Nile risks around here with the use of a bit of DEET on my clothes) and not apply them at same time (doing so increases absorption of chemicals in both bug spray and sunblock by something like 80-90%). You should wait 30 minutes before applying the mosquito repellant for example.

As for antiperspirants, you do sweat from other pores in your body to various degrees (at least I sure do when I am working out!); it is a myth that if you block those in your armpits you are not allowing toxins out - that being said there are natural products out there that can be used (Tom's Naturals, etc). There used to by a myth out there breast cancer risk increased with use of antiperspirants/deodorant, but numerous studies have shown otherwise.

If overall you aim to lead a healthy life and avoid exposure to knowingly harmful chemicals as best you can; you should be okay. Unless you live in a pile of leaves in the woods it will be very hard to avoid these things altogether - everything from plastics to foods to the house you live in to creams has some degree of toxins in it that are emitted; even "natural" products will have effects to some degree; and there are plenty of things that are natural, that are also dangerous!

As I mentioned, I am quite cautious and this is largely due to my genetic cancer risk; however there are some things that I realize that I can only go "so far" with (i.e. for example, sorry but I am going to keep using tampons and I am not going to switch to the instead cup!).

doyathink · 10-08-2007, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shikashika

i use this 'natural crystal' deodorant stick.. i agree with you.. we sweat for a reason.. its unhealthy if you can't sweat

I do too!

Do you use the kind that comes in a ball form?

shikashika · 10-08-2007, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doyathink

I do too!

Do you use the kind that comes in a ball form?

it kind of looks like a stick a round ended stick... if you can visualise that ... ha ha!

doyathink · 10-09-2007, 12:07 AM

Ah! You use sticks, I use balls...whats next....booby shaped soap?
Hey, I wonder how I could mold my glycerin soap to look like that!

shikashika · 10-09-2007, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doyathink

Ah! You use sticks, I use balls...whats next....booby shaped soap?
Hey, I wonder how I could mold my glycerin soap to look like that!

ha ha.. i love it!!

10-08-2007, 01:16 PM	#1
shikashika Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Gender: Female Age: 32 Posts: 5,299	Using 'natural' products There are so many products these days which claim to be 'organic' and 'natural'. But just because its natural or organic, does it really meanwe should be putting them on our skin?? I admit, i'm a bit of a product junkie...but when I read the back of all the moisturizers.. even if they aremade with 'organic shea butter and tea tree oil ' my body is still going to absorb it and it goes into my system. BUT when you really think about it.. Why put anything on your skin that you wouldn't put in your mouth??? does anyone make their own facial scrubs, put honey on thier face, eggs in thier hair, coconut oil on their body? do you think that a lotof these natural moisturisers and cleansers really are that natural?

10-08-2007, 01:23 PM	#2
RayKay Offline Platinum Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Middle of Canada Gender: Female Age: 30 Posts: 13,270	It depends on the labelling restrictions where you are; organics are still so "new" there are fewer requirements as to what you can label organic (ie does not need to be 100% organic). Research the labelling requirements in your area and see what the requirements are to be labelled as such. You still need to read the ingredient labels There are a few natural products I use, but some I can't - for example there is lanolin in Burt's Bees products which give me an allergic reaction; but others swear by the products! I have used homemade oatmeal masks, one of my friends makes homemade natural lip balm, etc. I don't put oils on my body though as well, honestly, it feels gross and is messy, I just use a regular light moisturizer and sunblock (but I need to use hypoallergenics) and so there is only so much you can do with "natural" products...if I did not use sunblock I would be in far more trouble! I am glad I was born in a sunblock era! I do however EAT organic and natural as much as I can, even if costs me a little extra and more time searching it out (I have to go to a different store for my chicken, though my grocery store carries organic produce and other things like crackers, etc). I don't eat beef, but my boyfriend does and all our beef comes from my boyfriends parents farm where we know how the cattle is raised and so on. One of his other family members lives way up North and catches fish for us to freeze, etc. Oh, also for cleaning - I stick to natural products...some that are pre-made natural/biodegradable and sometimes vinegar and water. I try to avoid chemicals; but I find I have to use something stronger in the bathroom on the tiles...but other than that I really limit chemical use in my home as much as I can. __________________ [FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=darkolivegreen][B]<--- [COLOR=sienna]Carbun the Super-Bunny[/COLOR][/B][/COLOR][/FONT] [B][FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=#556b2f][/COLOR][/FONT][/B] [FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=darkolivegreen][B]At the end of the day, how you imprinted on someones life and heart is the only true mark any of us leave on this earth and is what we are most proud of... [/B][/COLOR][/FONT][I][SIZE=1]- My Biggest Hero and Mentor: My Mum.[/SIZE][/I] [FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=orange][B]Il faut d'abord durer [/B][/COLOR][/FONT][I][SIZE=1]- Ernest Hemingway[/SIZE][/I] Last edited by RayKay; 10-08-2007 at 01:27 PM.

10-08-2007, 01:48 PM	#3
shikashika Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Gender: Female Age: 32 Posts: 5,299	I have used a lot of the burts bees products.. and like them, but when i read the ingredients, i'm still not sure if its something i want my body to absorb sublock is good.. however now i hear so many things saying that using sunblock has so many bad chemicals in it, its better to leave it off.. don't know about that though!! i try to buy organic as well.. its gets expensive though when you are single.. oh well, its my health and body and life.. its worth it. anyone made a homemade shampoo?

10-08-2007, 02:28 PM	#4
doyathink Online Platinum Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Venus Gender: Female Posts: 5,312	I do. I make a lot of the things I use... I felt like you do. I think a lot of the cancer we see comes from what we use and is absorbed. Like deodorant/antiperspirant. That stuff clogs your pores so you don't sweat. Ok, well...if you can't 'bleed' out the impurities from your body...then they are trapped IN you.

10-09-2007, 12:07 AM	#9
doyathink Online Platinum Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Venus Gender: Female Posts: 5,312	Ah! You use sticks, I use balls...whats next....booby shaped soap? Hey, I wonder how I could mold my glycerin soap to look like that!