Facewash: we are never never never getting back together. Oil Cleansing Update

The play by play, hey when you struggle with breakouts detailed info matters right?!!  If not then you must have great skin.  So recap.

Let us preface us with what I USED to do, for like, EVER. 
-I meticulously washed my face with BWC alpha hydroxy cleanser twice a day.
-blemish control lotion (toneresque stuff)
-eye serum ( I'll post what I use soonish)
-blemish touch stick
-mychelle serum
-mychelle spf moisturizer in the a.m.

Anal for clear skin, that is me.  I also used a microdermabrasion scrub twice a week.  Which I will share that with you too sometime.  All... two of you.

So starting Jan 5th, I decided because of running out of my serum so I thought I should dial back on the product usage to save some money.  I started researching, do you reaaaaallly have to wash your face in the morning/oily skin etc;  I stumbled across a plethora of blogs about this oil cleansing method.  Heresy I tell you, but I was intrigued by the oil skin breakout stories that had turned their skin around,  that using the proper oils helped skin to function as it was meant to.  And it does make sense that companies would love to compound your problems and keep you coming back for the NEXT thing that was finally gonna help.  *Tangent alert*  I am just now realizing and learning how amazing our bodies were designed, how man has dinked with that in hopes of bigger and better but we're in worse shape healthwise, stresswise.  Look at how our bodies heal themselves when treated correctly, given the right nutrition ( netflix docs I'm telling you!!  Hungry for Change, Food Inc etc) naturally our bodies can do what they were meant to do.  We forget how amazing the Creator designed all these amazing details of nature and our bodies to work together and function.  Countless benefits to getting your sleep, not living such a fast paced stressed life, eating healthy, exercise.  Anyway enough about that, so that is how I came across OCM.

My skin status before starting OCM, oily, pore clogged always, under control but always clogged areas.  It was also prone to itchy breakouts and irritation in times past.  Skipping washing my face in the mornign didn't seem to make it worse tho it did take getting used to,  do I tone or not tone? serum or not?? splash some water on face? dab my forehead with a tissue?  nothing?  put, dare I say it, moisturizer OVER my unwashed skin??  I've been all over the board here.

Day 1- (or night I should say)I can do this, I have clogged pores oily skin and I. am. rubbing. oil. on my FACE.  I prepared to wake up for church with a disaster.  Morning came and I was no worse off than usual. relief.

-Few more days, finding that I needed to changed my castor oil ratio, it was drying me,  from 60-70% to50/50 currently.  Discovered that putting my oil mix on my eyes irritated them.  So used almond oil for eyes and they were happy again.  I have also been trying this on makeup days, to rub the oil on, then tissue the makeup off before I get into the shower to do the the oil cleansing routine,  I notice my toner cottonball was much cleaner this way.  I started getting zits in places I didn't usually and my pores were releasing grody little plugs, some hard like sand, others softer.  Gross but hey if you have zits you get it!

-Days 8-10  Skin looking crappier than it had in a while, while some pores and the sides of my face were smoothing out, I had some stupid zits that, dad gum it I picked at. GRRR  you know the battle goes in your head, " I can help this resolve faster if I juuuust...."  So while we are talking about " pore clearing" ;) Here are my tips, wait as long as you can, or don't even pick or poke at ALL most zits resolve on their own.  If it's real obvious something needs to be done:  This is what works best for me, sterile needle, sterile comedone extractor, after a steamy shower, prick it once with the needle to make channel, then you use a rocking back and forth motion with the extractor, don't push too hard, you'll make it worse, if the zit won't yield after 1 or 2 times, you're done, walk away, it's not time and it may be itjust needs to resolve on it's own.  I broke my own rules on two zits last week and kept going back thinking THIS time we'll clear it!!  Ok so at this point in the game, I kept thinking, that's it, I have to use my cleanser... I need to do my microdermabrasion!!  But I took the advice of the blogosphere and stayed the course so as to not confuse my skin, let it work itself out.  Ok ok.... ok.

-Day 11, discovered something, almond oil, my newest bestest friend, it downright awesome, I put on my cheeks the night before, my skin there was looking good,  I even put it on my oily forehead, it wasn't as oily in the morning... HUH?  And more zit talk sooorrrreeee, but it brought 2 zits to a head within hours and they cleared easy.  Gross, yes, I'm sorry but other pore clogged suffers need to know this!! 

-Day 12  I think I made it through the wilderness...somehow. ;)

-Day 14 continued improvement!!  Face smoothing out, bumpy forehead getting smoother, I'm really amazed.  really.  No, my skin is not perfect, and it's still working out some cloggs but it keeps getting better and better and I haven't felt my face this smooth in years!! ( since getting off the pill in 2008 my breakouts got worse, tho it is so worth it to be off them fyi)

The Routine Rundown Thus Far.

OCM at night.

If makeuped, oil up and wipe with tissue then procede.

-Wet face

-Massage in oil blend ( I use half castor oil half flax oil with a few drops of tea tree oil)

-Wet your clean washcloth with real hot water, not to burn you, but warmer than you could stand pouring on you in the shower, ring it out, and press on to your face gently till it cools down to room temp.  Wipe the oil from your face, get everywhere, leave no area unwiped.  I then rinse it out.  Heat it up again, use the other side of the cloth, steam and wipe once more.

-now maybe eventually I will get this down to a science where my skin is just fab and well balanced it's good to go with nothing else to do for the face routine but I need to make things are harder on myself, more time consuming and expensive. so next:

-blemish toner lotion stuff
-eye serum
-blemish touch stick on breaking out areas
-mychelle serum
-the little magic bullet that's done so much for me lately, almond oil on the orbital bone eye area is that right?? orbital bone?  And now I've been patting it on my cheeks and forehead, I'm going to get real crazy and let my chin in on this too tonight!!  I also have been putting it around my nose, it always gets flaky and porecloggy and it's helping it, it's so strange!!! oil on those problem areas.

Now morning time, it's not set it stone but here is what seems to be working, no washing, no toning, a splash of water on my forehead and eyes, pat dry, blemish touch stick on zits, almond oil around eye area ( not upper eyelid or makeup will slide all over probably) and forehead clogged area.  IF I plan on being outside that day, spf mchelle.

-unexpected goodies from OCM. longer thicker lashes, not falling out nearly as much!!!  When I'm oiling up my face I use some on my chest, another bumpy unhappy area, I don't steam or anything just gently wipe with the washcloth,  it's so much better, smooth and clear.

-A general guide to the oil mixes:

25 -50% Castor oil to any of the following oils:

Olive Oil, best for DRY skin.

Flax, grapeseed, jojoba oils for normal and problem skin.  Heck, who knows maybe you could do a tiny percent of castor oil to these if you have dry skin, probably so but it takes some tweaking at the beginning.

Play with the ratios, you'll be able to tell if your face is feeling tight and pulling this is not the goal, you don't want the tight feeling.  This may even make a difference from winter to summer how much your castor oil portion varies.  Also my fave to add for anti fungal and anti bacterial, some drops of tea tree oil,  I put maybe 2-3 drops into 2 ounces of my oil mix.

-Tips

-Prepare yourself for your skin to look worse than it did before you started at the beginning, but don't be afraid to adjust your oil ratios while your skin is working things out.

-Stay the course, you're going to want to cop out and use a scrub, a facewash " just this one time..." but be strong, it will mess with your skin adjustment.

-optional : take some lysine for a few days, I did for about 5 days.  Did it help??  It certainly didn't seem to hurt.

-ask yourself, what other products am I using on my face? does your moisturizer you're putting on afterwards, contain fragrance(parfum), parabens and other chemically crap?  This won't help your cause.  Check out the Skin Deep Data link at the top of the blog to see what your products and ingredients rate.  I am a really big fan of using the almond oil or something like it, grapeseed or jojoba on your face,dry, breaking out, where ever.

*if something crazy happens and you break out in HIVES on your face then I would stop, or see what is in your mix you could be reacting to, though in my own research I haven't come across these stories, doesn't mean they aren't out there...

 To think that maybe I can start my daughters on the right foot when they get older and not have them enter into the wretched cycle of crappy skin is pretty exciting for me.

Now, when I slather that oil all over my face, it actually feels good and not freaky weird anymore, my face is smoother and happier.   Now face says " welcome, oil. welcome." ;) 

Flax Oil and..

 Click the pic for this person's take on flax oil for beautifulness.  I also researched jojoba oil and grapeseed oil and castor oil today.

*Castor Oil ~ Studies Support Castor Oil's Efficacy as an Antimicrobial, Anti-Inflammatory, and Immunostimulant

All of these oils are oils that are anti germy pore clearing.  I keep reading to make sure it's organic when you buy it.  All of these oils are supposed to help with acne.  Crazy, I think it just must be getting the hang of using it and your own little personal mix, which I'm still working on.  But gotta say this, it hasn't made my hair greasy around the hairline like I thought and on my 3rd day when I wash my hairline is strangely LESS greasy.  This was a concern for me, also, strange but true, I feel like my face itself is less oily and greasy.  So my face status today, about 1 ugly zit and 3 annoying lesser ones I am riding out.  High hopes, people... high hopes...

ps I also started to take some lysine while my skin, *ahem* "works out" it's nasties while I'm getting use to OCM.  I have no intention of taking it long term.

Oil Cleansing

 

Hmmm so shaking up my face regimine since after the new year, first, I stopped washing my face in the morning, did nothing in the morning for a week but went back to everything, toning, serums but not washing in the morning and just started the oil cleansing last night.(last saturday)  I'm, on the fence, just not sure, I read different things, for and against.  Some people love it, some gave it up.  So far I'm a few days in and my skin is breaking out a little more than usual but I'm willing to see what happens in the next couple weeks to give my skin a chance to adjust.  THIS article I just read today says no, it's crap.  Then there are articles like this that say it's great and why.  I have also read various mixes.  half castor oil for normal skin, 2/3 for oily and a 1/4 for dry, combined with the remaining percent of various oils, flax, evoo, sunflower, jojoba, grapseed, etc;  "Another example: In terms of the blend, it will depend on your skin type. I have very oily skin so I used 60% or so Castor Oil to start off
with but after a few weeks lowered this amount as my skin was getting quite dry. It might take a bit of trial and
error. The basic rule is:
- Oily Skin: 30% Castor Oil to 70% Sunflower Seed Oil.
- Balanced Skin: 20% Castor Oil to 80% Sunflower Seed Oil.
- Dry Skin: 10% Castor Oil to 90% Sunflower Seed Oil."
http://www.mommypotamus.com/oil-cleansing-for-clear-baby-soft-skin-video-tutorial/ check out this link for even more info and a video tutorial.

So I started about 5 days ago, I started with, 2/3 or maybe even 75% castor oil then the rest Flax oil which I didn't realize had some additional ingredients  and that I need to OOPS get in the fridge pronto.  The ingredients :
Organic flax seed oil (cold-pressed, unrefined and non-GE) and a natural antioxidant blend of organic sunflower oil, organic rosemary extract, natural mixed tocopherols, ascorbic acid and citric acid.
Contains soy derivative. < soy dang and I just read how it's no so good, but it's not going in my body so maybe that is not so bad???  Now Foods Castor oil is the brand I got for castor oil.  Anyway so initially it felt wrong, soo soo so wrong, to rub oil on my oily skin. Oh yes and I also added a drop of tea tree oil for it's anti bacterial properties.  I probably have only made.... an ounce to start out.  First thing, believe it or not after a few days, I had to up my flax oil ratio to half because that castor oil CAN dry.  I did start to pull gunk and little plugs (yum!) out of my face and empty out pores a lot easier.  I have started to break out a little more than normal this far into it.  But I really want to give it a chance,  I feel like the zits resolve faster than normal too, so we shall see.  The first night I did it I was wearing makeup and I used my "toner" Home Health Blemish lotion and got dirty looking dark stuff on my cottonball.  So I don't know if I need to try oil then wipe the makeup off with a tissue, then oil again and steam?  Still figuring this out.  The other nights I have  not worn makeup I have not gotten dark stuff to come off on the cottonball.  I also do not know if I should be using the oil mix with the tea tree oil on my eyes, though it does just great at getting off eyemakeup, I do use almond oil to get off whatever is left when I get done.  I know most women just oil cleanse and that's it, nothing else, maybe a little moisturizer if needed.  I think this will take some figuring out, if anyone has insights and tips please let me know!!  I keep using my serum and eye serum because I love just so much but could there be just a good stuff, cheaper made at home stuff out there??  I need to do more research.  Saving money and having great skin with no chemicals, that just sounds awesome!!
Gotta go refridgerate that flax oil.... and one more link for you from Detox Diva. And more info from her on the various oils...maybe I should've gone with jojoba??  More to come I'm sure...

Lysine = Great Skin??

Once a upon a time, many years ago, my husband struggled with canker sores, I asked the pharmacist what could help.  She said Lysine.  And they've been a staple in our med cabinet ever since, they really do heal them FAST.  I don't get them often but when I do, I use this.  I told my BFF about them of course and she told her sister, who had the side effect of suddenly really great skin, enough she got notice form co workers.  Google Lysine and skin.  I was all geared up to start this daily then read this . "Lysine is POSSIBLY SAFE for most people when taken by mouth at recommended doses for up to one year, or when applied to the skin short-term. It can cause side effects such as stomach pain and diarrhea."  So use with caution.

Soy, Good, or Bad?

Answer... bad, unless it is  non GMO-fermented which most is not.  Cancer, hormonely disruptive to all ages, think soy formula???  This article was super duper informative.  I always wondered, soy, good, right, health food, right? tofu, good right? nope.  Soy milk, good right? Pretty much all of it, not good.  We were drinking soy milk for a while... my mom kept telling me negative things about soy she read and heard, but it was right in the health food area of our grocery store... it had to be healthy right??  Isn't it funny the stuff we are pumping in to most all our food, GMO corn products, and GMO soy, it's in almost everrrrrrything we are eating.  Read those labels people, read, those, labels!!  And read this article ;) and spare yourself.

Phthalates, Hormones, Makeup, Yay!

 A Surprising Cause of Early Menopause more info from this blog.  (from k.snyder blog)
"A recent study, however, suggests a very surprising cause of early menopause: wearing too much makeup. Yes, it’s true! Makeup can affect your body’s sacred hormonal cycles. Who knew? Many types of makeup contain chemicals called pthalates – a family of chemicals also known as plasticizers. These chemicals are present in a number of petroleum products, and have been found in a number of articles humans use and absorb including makeup, nail polish, household cleaners, air fresheners and food packaging. Along with exposure to phthalates via makeup and household cleaners, packaged foods provide a significant source of phthalate exposure.
According to the study, women with the highest levels of phthalates in their urine went through menopause an average of 2.3 years earlier than their lower phthalates counterparts, and some women were going through menopause as early as 15 years prematurely.

Dangers of Phthalates

According to the Environmental Working Group, phthalates present a number of health hazards to humans, including:

• Disrupted endocrine function
• Reduced sperm counts in men
• Testicular atrophy
• Increased risk of liver cancer

Scary stuff. Further, the EWG states the effect of phthalate contamination in the human body is cumulative and the negative effects compound as levels increase. About 84 percent of the population shows phthalate contamination at any given time, according to the EWG. It’s so prevalent now that we’ve all most like had lots of exposure. Don’t let that dishearten you though, as there is lots we can do to prevent lots more future exposure (keep reading).

My Newest Little Gem

Almond oil.  Hmm, who would've thought.  What led me here?  Looking for all natural hair serums and in my google submersion came out deciding to give almond oil a try.  I like it. I do.  Just a drop for the ends of your hair when it's wet.  I also wanted to stop using petroleum jelly to get my eye makeup off.  I tried it for a while to make sure it didn't irritate my eyes.  And it didn't, not at all.  It even made the skin around my eyes really soft.  So I started using it as a moisturizer on that ocular bone I think is what it is, every night.  One night I did notice I had a couple light red bumps and I thought, blasted oil you always break me out!!  But they were gone by morning and haven't been back and I then I ended up reading about in the oil cleansing method (which can use almond oil the mix) that it can draw impurities out of your skin and you can break out at first.  I also tend to get bumpy and itchy on the sides of my neck around the jawline so I put some oil there, it's not your oily oil, not like EVOO is.  Anyway, that area of skin is much softer and smoother.  Read about all the uses here!! "

Healing Purposes
Since almond oil is high in unsaturated fat, it brings down the level of bad cholesterol in the blood. When applied on the skin, it heals eczema and skin rashes.
Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/almond-oil-uses.html

   

MyChelle Face Serum

                                

MyChelle Dermaceuticals, Clear Skin Serum, Oily / Blemish Control.  I'm on my second bottle and before that I used MyChelle vitamin A serum which I liked very much, but I needed more pore cloggin acne help and I really love this.  At Iherb, it's 25$ which you can drop no problem as chemically laden crap at walmart.  And if you spend 20 you get free shipping, if you spend 40 it's free 1-3 day shipping.  There's my little IHERB plug, too bad I don't get paid for that.  This has great ingredients, retinol, tea tree oil, witchhazel and minus the crap ingredients.  "Always free of harmful ingredients such as parabens, phthalates, ureas, petroleum-based chemicals and artificial colors."  Check out the link for more info.  I did not find this irritating at all, though it's not my first go around with retinol.  And it's probably been the thing that's cleared up my skin the best in a very long time. Along with getting rid of my crappy aveeno spf moisturizer that contributed to my itchy breakouts and also I think it helped to use better more natural hair products.  I did start using this in the morning also and it really seemed to help clear things up.  Now that I've quit washing my face in the morning I'm still working out on what exactly I do to my face in the morning.  If I could get by I was hoping to save money by not using it in the a.m. to go through it half as fast.  We'll see, the oil cleansing method is awaiting me, and I just got my castor oil and flax oil in the mail from IHERB yesterday!!  A little scared still... ;)

They're Everywhere

Original post date 5/27/08

AWord from EWG

What is it?Phthalates are a common industrial chemical used in PVC plastics, solvents, and synthetic fragrances. They've been around since the 1930's, and now they're pretty ubiquitous; when they tested 289 people in 2000, the CDC found phthalates in all of the subjects' blood at surprisingly high levels. They're often referred to as a plasticizer, which we think sounds rather like a kind of exercise to be done on the living-room floor in front of videos hosted by Jane Fonda. But we digress.
What are the possible health effects?Phthalates are endocrine disruptors linked to problems of the reproductive system, including decreased sperm motility and concentration in men and genital abnormalities in baby boys. (Oh, and did you know that average sperm counts have decreased significantly since the 1940's?) More recently they've also been linked to asthma and allergies.
How can I minimize my exposure?Avoid these, and you'll also be avoiding phthalates:
Nail polish: Dibutyl phthalate is often used to make nail polish chip-resistant. Look for it on the ingredients list, where it may be shortened to DBP.
Plastics in the kitchen: Take a critical eye to your cupboards. Phthalates may be more likely to leach out of plastic when it's heated, so avoid cooking or microwaving in plastic.
Vinyl toys: Phthalates are what make vinyl (PVC) toys soft, so don't give them to children. Opt instead for wooden and other phthalate-free toys, especially during that age when they put everything in their mouths!
Paint: Paints and other hobby products may contain phthalates as solvents, so be sure to use them in a well-ventilated space.
Fragrance: Diethyl phthalate (DEP) is often used as part of the "fragrance" in some products. Since DEP won't be listed separately, you're better off choosing personal care products, detergents, and cleansers that don't have the word "fragrance" on the ingredients list.
Vinyl: Vinyl shows up in a lot of different products; lawn furniture, garden hoses, building materials, and items of clothing (like some raincoats) are often sources. Aside from carefully choosing materials when you're making purchases, there is one easy change you can make: switch to a non-vinyl shower curtain. That "new shower curtain" smell (you know the one) is a result of chemical off-gassing, and it means your shower curtain is a source of phthalates in your home.
Air Fresheners: Just like fragrances in personal care products, most air fresheners contain phthalates. http://www.enviroblog.org/2008/05/cheatsheet-phthalates.htm
Kid-Safe Chemicals Act: It's Time for Change
You deserve to know your family's products are safe. The Kid-Safe Chemicals Act, which was introduced last week in Congress, will protect your family and force chemical companies to prove chemicals are safe before they use them.
Seems like a no-brainer, right? But current law is so deficient that the Environmental Protection Agency couldn't use it to ban carcinogenic asbestos. In the past 30 years, EPA has evaluated the safety of just 200 out of 80,000 chemicals, and banned only five.
Pollution in people is associated with serious diseases like childhood cancer, autism, and ADHD, but right now the government has almost no authority to protect people from even the most hazardous chemicals.
At EWG, we've worked hard to get Kid-Safe introduced and we're dedicated to passing it. Look for more campaign information soon and click here to learn more. http://www.ewg.org/kidsafe
What is it?Bisphenol A is a toxic plastics chemical found in polycarbonate plastic and the resinous lining of food cans.
What are the possible health effects?In April of 2008, the National Toxicology Program raised concerns that exposure to BPA during pregnancy and childhood could impact the developing breast and prostate, hasten puberty, and affect behavior in American children.
How do I minimize my exposure?
Limit canned foods. BPA leaches into canned food from the lining. When possible, and especially when pregnant or breastfeeding, limit the amount of canned food your family eats. Particularly avoid canned soup, pasta, and infant formula.
Avoid polycarbonate plastic. Hard, translucent plastic marked #7 is probably polycarbonate, which leaches BPA, especially when heated. Ditch your polycarbonate water bottles in favor of a stainless steel bottle. Don't microwave plastic -- use ceramic or glass instead.
If you're formula feeding your infant, consider using powdered formulas packaged in non-steel cans. Also, choose baby bottles made from glass or specially-marked plastics that don't leach BPA (like polypropylene or polyethylene).
Where can I learn more?http://www.enviroblog.org/2008/04/cheatsheet-bisphenol-a-bpa.htm

Makeup 1.5

Original post date 1/26/08 ( man how time flys)

More thoughts on Sheer Miracle.

Yesterday I put makeup on for the first time in 8 days. :) I used my sheer miracle for the second time and I really really like it. I think I am getting the hang of the yellow concealer. I just put a very thin layer on my finger and used it on my inner eye circles and around my nose. You have to layer it and I also put a little of the foundation in those areas to tone down the yellow. I think I may have also found a use for the sample foundation that was too light, I used that on top of the yellow concealer. I love the glow finishing powder. Really pretty. Maybe I need to take a before picture, but do I really want to show people that? I'm not sure. Anyway here are pics of me making some neat faces, taking pics of myself in the bathroom. I don't know ifyou can look at them in the orignial large size to really see the makeup when I did it yesterday. The only foundation/powder/concealer/bronzer I have on is sheer miracle.

update* I don't use the yellow concealer anymore, I use the wideawake concealer even on blemishes and the foundation itself for concealer.

Makeup 1.0

Original post date 1/24/08

My Preliminary  Sheer Miracle makeup review
I sent emails recently about mineral makeup and also the link to http://www.safecosmetics.org/, it has a list of companies who have signed a pact not to put hazardous ingredients in it's products. There is also http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/splash.php?URI=%2Findex.php where you search products, companies, ingredients etc; it's daunting esspecially if you are on a budget and just can't order awesome organic stuff off the internet. (http://www.sheermiracle.com/) (they signed the safe cosmetic pact)
Back to my sheer miracle review. I've only used the products once since I haven't been out of the house but once in the past 2 weeks! I ordered samples of the foundation, 2 different colors, the glow finishing powder, the bronzer and yellow concealer, all loose powder. I also got the small flat bronzer brush. The foundations I tried were light warm and medium light neutral. At first I thought the lighter would match since I'm pretty fair but it made me look pasty and lighter than my neck and chest. (I don't tan in the winter) I then did the medium light neutral and it matched very well. It was the first foundation that didn't make me look pasty or orangey. It matched my neck a chest, a more olive tone. The trick for me was to get a small amount of powder in the lid each time and swirl my brush in it and make sure it had a light, even coat, they have application tips online. I thought the finishing powder was very pretty too. You have to work with it, at least for me the first time lots of blending and adding a little at a time, the bronzer I thought was very nice as well, nice non orangey adjustable color, a little goes a long way. The only thing I'm not sold on yet is the concealer, I think I needed to moisturize my dry spots better, it's really important to be well moisturized before applying the makeup. I also didn't have a small brush and I just didn't think it hid my dark inner eye circles very well, but like I say, I didn't have a small brush as I would've liked and I've used this all once. I wore it for an evening grocery shopping, I thought it stayed in place very well. I believe, no matter what you order it's 5.50 to ship and I ordered friday evening and got it the next thurs. They are out of Arizona. Also my friend Katie just started using Sheer Cover which she loves but to compare pricing, I believe she said she pays 14.99 for 4 grams and Sheer Miracle is 18.50 for 10 grams weight ( 30 grams volume) Sheer Cover has not signed the safe cosmetics pact. So that's my latest thoughts on Sheer Miracle. I'm really interested in trying their emu oil. But only as resources allow! :) Any feedback is welcome!

Makeup 2.0

Original post date 3/28/08
For the 4 of you that have expressed interest in my beauty blogging, this is for you, ha! Ok after noticing that in one of the pictures from Easter that my face looked darker than my neck, the king of all makeup offenses, I went back to my clinique training days, got out both of my sheer miracle powders and did the stripe thing on the jaw line, took a mirror the front window and let the analyzing begin. I did about six stripes on different parts of my face and analyzed how they blended etc; I thought the lighter of the two shades, the light warm, seemed to disappear and blend the best. So even though the shade I thought was my shade, the medium light neutral which is their most popular shade is a smidge too dark. Another thing I figured out today is that the foundation works as good as their yellow concealer at, well, concealing. I got out my 2$ shadow brush from walmart that I use for the concealer and it worked great. So the great news is, before I purchased the big size, I figured out my color, that only took 3 months...:) and now I can just use the foundation as the concealer so I saved money not having to buy the concealer. I'll probably just use the darker in case, yeah right, my face gets darker in the summer...Also, I have barely put a dent in my little samples! I wear makeup about twice a week but really that's awesome I think! I am planning on ordering the foundation, Sienna Rose Mineral Blush, Copper Shadow.

*update, if you can believe it I still have not run out of the blush!!  I still have my sample of bronzer I use a lot in the summer and I use the medium light neutral in the summer as well.  Also for a more smokey brown I mix their black shadow with the copper shadow, probably 1/3 black to 2/3 copper.  All their stuff lasts a long time.

Haircolor, Hormones...

Original post date 10/27/08
Well I last colored my hair 7 months ago with all natural henna dye and itwas a pain, on for 2 hrs, I felt like it colored my grays blonde and taht stuff is a bear to get out, it's like dried dirt and it pulled a lot of my hair out with it. Since thyroid issues, from both the imbalance and my med which can cause hairloss, gotta ask the dr about that, I lose way too much hair when I shampoo. And now my ponytail's about half as big as it was.... kinda scary, I used to have annoyingly thick hair, as in I bought my own thinning shears, and now it's I thinking, ok scary, I can wrap the rubberband around more than once here. So anyway after reading how the haircolor you buy at the store is HIGH hazard, pretty much all of it, otherwise I would've colored by now, I researched and found this ecocolors brand. Here is a blog entry I found interesting too while researching. http://organic-skin-care.blogspot.com/2006/06/ugly-side-of-cosmetics.html. So if you care about haircolor toxicity check out the info, I personally don't need anything harsh causing anymore of my hair to fall out. And just check the database in my fyi section and search haircolor if you want to know the ugly truth about the stuff on the shelves.

*update: my hair is much thicker, hormones balanced I would imagine.  Since we are talking about hair I will throw this out there in case it helps anyone.  About two and a half months after I had my last baby, I was started dropping hair like CRAZY!!!  I even posted pics on facebook to freak people out ;)  wads and wads one night.  If you're freaking out about postpartum hairloss, it WILL stop in a few months and it will grow back, sure it looks kinda weird with all these little short hair growing back in but they are a welcome sight.  Another thing related to hormones.  Around the same time I also developed a case of hives that lasted 7 weeks.  So if you are freaking out about that, maybe knowing this could help you.  There were huge huge hives.  It was so strange, but they went away...I know they say 6 weeks is an acute case and beyond that is chronic.  I have my whole life gotten the random little hive, but these were huge, inch or 2 in diamter.  So if it helps anyone freaking out like I did. good.

Clean Well

Original post date1/15/09
I've used this for Clean Well hand sanitizer for months and I love it!! I bought it off iherb but I see now you can get it at target and little purse spray in yummy scents like orange vanilla at bath and body works. It's all natural, no alcohol spray, so you get more uses per ounce, it's safe for kids AND it doesn't dry out your hands and even makes them feel a little soft if you ask me. Orginally I had bought a 50 cent travel spray bottle and poured some it that for my purse until I came across the ones at bath and body works. And as for the price, iherb has it for 6$ but target could be cheaper. More info? click the bottle.
My second favorite thing is Eco Colors hair color. I tried this back in October and I LOVE it. The color was very pretty, the best I've ever used, my hair felt shiny and healthy, it covered my grays great and I didn't feel like I was going to past out from fumes. It's supposed to be nontoxic and great for sensitve scalps. It's a little bit pricey but I don't color every month, I just ordered my second box today. If you go to cosmetic database (in my link list) and type in haircolor you'll see that the drugstore brands rate scary. Click the box for my info. 

*update: ooo this makes me feel real all sorts of guilty for not using this anymore and using perfect 10 haircolor.  it's hard when you're trying to save money.  drat.

Glow

Original post date 1/18/09
Ok another thing I love I've had for a year. Sheer Miracle Glow Finishing Powder. I love this in the winter, it gives you a dewy, glowing look esspecially great when you're dry in the winter months. I usually use the matte finishing powder because I'm oily, but for this winter and last, I love this stuff, and I still have plenty from my little 2.50 sample I got a year ago. So I still love my sheer miracle makeup and I'm not even half way through it, now granted if I wore make more than 2-3 times a week I would've have so much, but worth the money to me for what it is. All natural and I the customer service is really good and prompt. My blush lid cracked and they sent me new one right away and have been great at answering my questions and have given me no problem with returns. ( I got an eyeshadow that just wasn't my color once) Iherb also gets 5 stars from me for customer service as I've had things leak and get lost in the mail they are great at making things right. Click the powder to go the website and check it out if you're interested.

Face

Original post date 2/12/09
Since I had a specific request for more info on what beauty products I use that are chemical free ( or at least fragrance and paraben free) here comes my list. I suppose I will first say that before purchasing things like soap, toothpaste, moisturizer etc, I check the cosmetic safety database. It's in my FYI section on the blog, and if I can't find the specific product, I search the specific ingredients of the product I'm interested in.

I have not yet tried chemical free or low hazard hair products for myself. ( I'll do a separate post for what I use for the kids)I 'll list in the order I use them. *I do now and I will get on posting what I use. hair color is still not.*

0-2 low hazard,3-6 moderate, 7-10 high hazard

-Dove sensitive skin no fragrance bar, I wash with this and use this to remove my makeup and eye makeup. this used to rate a 2 but I just checked online and it's a 3 now... hmm go figure

-Desert Essence, Organics Body Care, Red Raspberry Body Wash, 8 fl oz (237 ml) this used to be a 2-3 can't remember, no fragrance, parabens etc, does have alpha and beta hydroxy for exfoliation. I use on my shoulders and chest with a loofah too. And every night I use this little round face scrub pad with the facewash, it's at walmart, beside the little face loofah but not the loofah. Clear as mud?? * I currently use

Beauty Without Cruelty, Facial Cleanser, 3% AHA Complex, 8.5 fl oz (250 ml) 

I really like this face wash, my only issue is the benzol alcohol, and I like I saw, I'm about try the oil cleansing method...*

-Vaseline for getting the rest of mascara off. rating? a big fat 0. * it rates a 0 but it's petroleum so I just recently started using almond oil and it is working great, and not irritating and it makes the skin around my eyes really soft.  more on almond oil in another post.*

-Home Health, Blemish Treatment Lotion, 4 fl oz (118 ml) database rating, unknown, I looked up ingredients before buying... I'm guessing 2-3 or better. (it's like clinique clarifying lotion) * I use this stuff like crazy*

-Nature's Way, CamoCare Organics, Under-Eye Therapy, 0.5 fl oz (15 ml) looked these up and this has to be low hazard, not listed when I bought but again I looked up the ingredients. * I use something different now, I will update my latest finds and current products but I keep these on here because it gives variaty in safe options.*

Aubrey Organics, Lumessence, Rejuvenating Eye Creme with Liposomes, I use the nature's way in the am, aubrey's in the pm, rates a 2 I believe. I didn't mean to use two at the same time, I just thought I was running out of my aubrey's faster than I thought.

-Reviva Labs, 10% Glycolic Acid Cream, 1.5 oz if you try just one thing, this would be it, it turns the skin over great and rates a 2 last I checked. you may want to opt for the 5% if you think you could be irritated.  * I no longer use this because i found something I liked a little more, I wouldn't be opposed to trying this again sometime though and kep it on here like I say for more options.*

So that's my night regimen, (although I did list am eye cream, I didn't think it would take this long..) I can tell I'm going to have to do these in parts...everything I've used that I've got off iherb, I've reviewed, you can probably tell which ones are mine. My skin is oily and breakout prone lately (always oily...) so I'm always looked for things to help that skin layers keep turning over. Exfoliation!! Sounds obsessive but my skin breaks out when I get lax on exfoliating... annoying but whatever, I'm used to it buy now, I just thought my breakouts were gone for good there for a while... oh well, hormones keep you young right?? *I do not do a face scrub everyday anymore, more like twice a week, slightly more in the summer.*

I try to basically keep what I buy in the price range of what I was already spending and getting as close to low hazard as possible.

updates*

Vitamins

 Original post date 9/11/09
I've been on the lookout for all natural vitamins since my mom got me all preservative conscious and was appauled that she had them in her vitamins. Obviously I could not remain content after that and I came across this brand Rainbow Light. You can also get them at Amazon as well as Iherb.com and probably many other places but I like the detailed info that iherb gives. Now I need to see if I can find them for children.

*update: I now use

Nature Made, Multi for Her with Iron & Calcium, 90 Tablets 

No Artificial Colors

No Artificial Flavors

No Preservatives

No Yeast or Gluten 

Switched because these are cheaper. :)

Long Awaited

MyChelle Dermaceuticals, Replenishing Solar Defense, SPF 30, Step 6, 2.3 fl oz (68 ml) 

One thing over the years I have not be able to find was an spf moisturizer that was natural, that didn't turn my face white, make me breakout or itch.  I had been using Aveeno postively radiant spf 30 until I found this this summer.  And when I quit this and my terminator zit cream... I know I know. bad bad bad.  I quit getting this breakouts that itched me.  I love this stuff, I have not meticulously combed the ingredients but I looked them all over and it looks good to me.  And I love the stuff, no white thick coating and the price is very comparable to the aveeno.  Which then brings me to giving up benzoyl peroxide cream, I don't think I spelled that right but whatever, I have used this stuff for... ever. I'm talking 15+ years, it was my precious and I wasn't going to give it up,  I needed it or else my face would explode with zits.  Or so I thought.  I'm sure it played it's part in my breakouts and itching, I switched to this as well this summer- 

Desert Essence, Blemish Touch Stick, .31 fl oz (9.3 ml) 

and my skin is no worse off as far as breakouts go and no more itchiness.  I have oily breakout prone, sensitive skin.  I am finding, exfloliating excessively and drying the crap out of it just may not be the answer,  I've dialed back on my agressiveness and seem to be better off for it. I still get break outs but things are under control, not overly dry and not irritated, more on that another time.

 

Face

 Original post date 2/24/09

Here are more products that I've found and use. My a.m. regimen is the face wash, the"clarifying lotion" you remember right? My camo eye cream AND this moisturizer, Aubrey Organics, Vegecol with Aloe, Moisturizing Cream, This does well for senstive, breakout prone, rosacea. Rating, 1. It absorbs quickly and my skin does feel firmer when using it as opposed to other moisturizers. I also have beauty without cruelty's oil free moisturizer and I tend to use that more in the summer but I think the Aubrey's does more for my face. One thing I'm stuck on is finding a moisturizer with spf that rates low hazard. I''m currently using aveeno I got last year I don't think it rates very good but I'm using it up before buying something else.

One of my latest finds is this Aubrey Organics, Natural AHA Fruit Acids, Exfoliating Mask with Apricot. Rates a 3. I use this once a week and I think it's helped my skin from breaking out so much. It leaves your skin exfoliated and really soft. I've reviewed the products on these links, you can tell which is one is me probably.

Other stuff I use:

Avalon Organics, Lemon Hand &amp; Body Lotion with Beta Glucan, 12 fl oz RAtes a 3. I think it would've rated lower but the database didn't like that it said other unspecified essential oils.

Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, Hemp Almond, Pure Castile Soap, 32 fl oz (944 ml) this I use for hand soap, it smells SO good, sweet almond. I get those foaming dispensers so it goes a lot further. Rates a 2.

Jason Natural, Powersmile, All-Natural Whitening CoQ10 Tooth Gel, Peppermint Flavor, 6 oz (170 g) rates a 3, contains Sodium Monofluorophosphate 0.76% (Fluoride)

Aubrey Organics, Men's Stock, Spice Island Face Scrub, 6 fl oz (177 ml) Mitch has used this, a cheaper scrub but I dont like it as well as my Jason brand for me. Rates a 3.

Sometimes it's good to look at the details as to why something is rated what it is. Things I always avoid are Fragrance and parabens. I don't need anymore endocrine disruption than I've already had. (parabens are en. distruptors)

*update:  to save money intially and from what I have read online, I have started, just this week to, to... not wash my face in the morning- insert high pitch scream- this goes against everything I hold right and true.  But it's been two days and things are going ok... I also am preparing to try the oil cleanse method, google it, it will freak you out at first.  I will give more links and info on that soon, hopefully.  My castor and flaxseed oil are in the mail. ;)  I will say, it is nice to scratch off a to -do. off my list in the morning.

Kids Products

 Original post date 2/24/09

Here are the products I use on my kids. Look up on the database all the " gentle" baby crap and you'll see how wonderful it is. Again my goal, finding safe, effective, afforable products. So here they are.

Jason Natural, NutriSmile Toothpaste, Orange, Cinnamon &amp; Mint Flavor, 6 oz (170 g) rates a 2-3. contains Sodium Monofluorophosphate 0.76 (Fluoride) which rates a 6 for the ingredient. I think the kids should have fluoride in their toothpaste at this point too, although if your kids are younger they do make this flavor without and this brand has specifc kid toothpaste that rates a 2 and I would assume they don't have fluoride. Anyway I chose these toothpastes for us because they contain Sodium Monofluorophosphate instead of Sodium Fluoride which rates an 8 aka high hazard. Most toothpastes you find at walmart have that in it.

Stony Brook Botanicals, Body Lotion, Fragrance Free, 16 fl oz (470 ml) I can't find this product on the database but I did look up all the ingredients individually when I bought this and if I had to rate it myself I would guess a 2.

Earth Science, Fragrance Free Shampoo, 12 fl oz (355 ml) Rates a 2. Go type in Johnson and Johnson's into the database for fun to compare. I will say with this, I don't think you can just let the soap run in their eyes expecting it not to sting a little so I would be careful there. I saw they also have a conditioner and might look into that for Isabelle.

For washing their bod's I just use Dove soap or the suds off their shampoo if we're washing hair that night.

If you go chemical free with one area, I would do it with your kids, since they are smaller and absorb this stuff more. If you check past posts you can get more info, go to the labels regarding fragrance, bpa etc;

*update: I have totally fallen off the toothpast wagon and need to research it again!  Any suggestions are appreciated!!  Also now that my kids are older (8,6,2) I let them use my shampoo, I don't have to worry about them getting it isn their eyes.  I've been using Nature's Gate, but some of those ingredients vary and they will say fragrance *phthalate free.  but what else could be hiding... I recently purchased Everday Shea Vanilla mint from IHERB, so I will give my 2 cents on that one once it comes in the mail.

Wide Awake Eye

Original post date 5/29/10

Wide Awake Pink Concealer for Dark Under Eye Circles click on this link, go, go NOW!! ok sorry, I'm still pregnant so I may as well blog... I need a break from the sun and heat anyway. So last week I ordered my summer shade from sheer miracle, ( did I mention they have me 10$ off just for blogging/linking to them, which I had done a long time ago, so that was a nice perk) I also decided to order for 2.50 the sample of the pink concealer. The sample was no bigger than a pea and I thought, GEE... that's minute... well a little goes a long way and this is stuff works awesome!!! It's really hydating and smoothing, really smoothing and does a great job masking the darkness I have on the inner corner of my eyes. I feel like all other concealers sort of magnified any texture or fine line issues, but this is quite something in my opinion, you aren't supposed to use it on the whole under eye, just the darkness, I just dabbed a little and blended. It wears amazing throughout the day and I don't know why... but it almost feels like my skin there has been smoothed too, weird, but good. ;) Did I mention all natural?? Oh and I don't know if was just my skin tone but I thought I might really have to work at blending it since it is a pink concealer but it really doesn't go on that pink at all.

MyChelle Dermaceuticals, Fabulous Eye Cream, .5 fl oz (15 ml) Another eye fave. I have been using this for months, and it has really helped smooth my eye area as well, it has retinol but it's really gentle, and I feel like I'm a good judge of that because ever since highschool my left eye is really sensitive and will get itchy and puffy if I get something too harsh near it. Good ingredients.

That First Intial Post

For a few years now I have wanted to separate my quest for chemical free beauty product and health posts from my personal blog.  I didn't want all that info available to whole world but I knew how helpful it was to come across others experiences and info when I went to google random questions about these things.
This all started for me back in 2008 when I decided I wanted to try mineral makeup, I was interested in Sheer Cover but didn't want to do the whole monthly purchase deal and my hunt began.  I started reading a lot about chemicals that are bad for you that soak into your body through the skin which was a new concept to me.  Then  I came across Sheer Miracle.  They had signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, more info on compact itself here.  This opened up a whole new world.  I spent hours till my eyeballs nearly cracked from dryness on the ewg's Skin Deep Database.  The chemicals were everywhere and FRAGRANCE was *gasp* more than just some perfumey crap to make something have a smell.  Many chemicals were hiding under that name, uncluding phthalates  and one of the adverse effects of exposure in baby boys.  Children are esspecially suseptible to the absorption of the chemicals, which many are also in our food, yay.  So long story, not as long,  I was on a mission to rid us ( as much as I could without losing my mind) of chemicals.  It's still a work in progress when it comes to a lot of my cleaning supplies.  It really really is no wonder cancer has such an easy time growing our bodies when we ingest chemicals, inhale them, bathe in them.  It comes back to greed really, and informed consumers are probably all these big businesses worst enemy.  Look at marketing.  I just saw a commercial for putting hidden valley in mashed potatoes as some child/parent family bonding goodtime.  Last I checked those blasted little packets had MSG.  I should know, I made those horrible little ranch oyster crackers for New Year's with a packet from last year, I thought I'd take a gander as to what was  in the ingredients, but alas people were coming over in a couples hours so MSG it was. hmph.
Isn't this a beauty blog?  Yes, and healthiness for the whole bod.  My first order of business will be to edit some old posts and info from my personal blog and post those here.  I have three kids so I will do my darndest.  And please, like I say, I am still learning, I don't pretend to know everything there is to know out there about our chemical laced world, so I am always welcoming legit info.  I will say Netflix has opened up a whole new world of information on organic and health living in their array of documentaries.  So, munch on an organic apple and put on some all natural shea butter and join me, if you feel so inclined...