Whats in your beauty products

[TillyMilly]

Many of you might have heard me bleating on about minimising the amount of products I have and getting 'back to basics'. Since I started this process I have been checking the ingrediants list on my products to identify any common ingrediants and anything I can buy a basic version of ..... which prompted me to start investigating most of the other ingrediants. I have found that an ingediant used in tonnes of products is allatoin which is a type of uric acid. Okay it's natural (and safe) but it works like most acids (lactic, glycolic, alpha hydroxy etc.) in breaking down skin cells (supposedly to aid cell turn over)- okay so it softens skin but at what cost to the cell barrior. Urea and uric acid have thier medical uses for dandruff and excema but I don't want stuff like that in my everyday products- and that's just the tip of the iceberg: parabens, formaldehyde, silcones, alcahol etc. ...... do you know what's in your beauty products?? (...and do you care, if it does the job?)

 

[Antje]

I never really looked at the labels of body and face products.

I used to be totally nuts about not using sodium laureth sulfate in my shampoo's and cilicones and protein and things in my hair products.
But It made me crazy, checking every package, so I use regular shampoo again and don't go crazy with silicones anymore

 

[Jasmine Jolene]

i am on a bit of a 'natural' kick at the moment and i really think it is doing my skin and hair good.

i use Lush Honey I Washed the Kids soap on my face, then moisturise with pure aloe vera gel, then extra virgin olive oil after.

my hair is curly and i am doing conditioner only washing, with a silicone free conditioner. that combined with more pin curls = less heat styling makes for happy hair!

sadly, i have the most enormous pores and can't find any way to make them smaller, or to get the nasty blackheads out.

 

[Miss Scarlet]

sadly, i have the most enormous pores and can't find any way to make them smaller, or to get the nasty blackheads out.

I have one of those face steamers and it seems to temporarily get rid of the blackheads and pores in my nose.

I too try not to obsess over what's in my products, but I did speak to a lady once who studied make up at college and she said she makes all her own make up from home. She said everything in make up is ridiculously basic and all the extra stuff they put in modern make up to make it attractive doesn't make much of a difference. She got fed up of paying £8 for a mascara when in college they taught her how to make one that worked the same for less than £2.

I'm not sure if she's right, but it made for an interesting conversation.

 

[JazzyDame]

I, too, am a "back-to-basics" kind of gal, and am always looking for the most naturally-derived products that still add that special polish to my vintage beauty regimen. I've found this site to be quite helpful when searching out natural (and avoiding harmful) ingredients.

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/

 

[bunnyb.gal]

I, too, am a "back-to-basics" kind of gal, and am always looking for the most naturally-derived products that still add that special polish to my vintage beauty regimen. I've found this site to be quite helpful when searching out natural (and avoiding harmful) ingredients.

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/

fftopic: I'll definitely be perusing that website a bit more later. After only a few minutes browsing, I don't think I'll be buying plastic squeakies for my dogs anymore...Thank you for that one!

 

[TillyMilly]

Thanks for that website, it was really informative.

I've now decided to give up antiperspirant and tooth paste. My mum used neither - she used a bi of talc under arms - and she never had any problems. (I know that tlac is supposed to be bad now - but only if you inhale tonnes of it)

 

[Gracie Lee]

Cornstarch makes a good replacement for talc, absorbent with out the potential respiratory or allergy issues. It's so versatile. I even use it as styptic on my birdies in the rare instances that I have to. Very effective, and irrelevent if they decide to taste it

And you can bypass the toothpaste by dipping your toothbrush in a bit of baking soda. I believe you ladies call it bicarb across the pond.

 

[TillyMilly]

Thanks for the tip Gracie. I'll try that. The newest MAC setting powder is cornstartch based- though none of the assistants seemed to know that- it's on the ingrediants list of the packaging!

I spoke to my sister about bicarb and she (in her infinate wisdom and many more years down the natural path than me) tells me that bicarb is not very natural in that it has many chemical procesess to make it- though it's something I'd definatly consider as my regular toothpaste contained sodium laureth sulphate. She recomended a little bit of soap to help break down fatty deposits on the teeth- she says it's not as gross as you'd think. Not sure about that. She's tried some unsual things in the past like moisturiser made of lard, and watering her plants with diluted urine for the nitrogen it provides. She's trying to go 'no-poo' at the moment (no shampoo) and is gettign exasperated by people claiming that they are no poo but using talc, vinegar or lemon juice- no-poo, means 'nothing' just natural grease so the scalp can learn to balence it'self naturally- she's a little hippie at heart!

 

[swinggal]

I've recently stopped using all of my commercial moisturisers because I have been having problems with my lips cracking severely from dermatitis and dry patches on my face coming up. I have never had anything like this in my life and it was so sore

So now I am using a soapless cleanser from Ego in the shower for my face and a moisturiser from Ego also which doesn't contain the chemicals of my old brands (L'Oreal and Olay). My pharmacist suggest trying it and gave me sample bottles but I am so happy it I'm going to buy more. They are perfume, lanolin and propylene glycol free.

All the problems have gone and my skin looks so much brighter. I've started using straight old vaseline more too on my face and forehead and the lines have lessened (not that I have a heap but still).

 

[Gracie Lee]

Have you heard of Tom's of Maine? It's pretty popular among the natural set that I know of. Toothpaste, deodorant, and other natural bath products. You can avoid the ingredients you don't like, but still maintain a similar lifestyle. I don't think I could give up my minty fresh toothpaste. I just looked, and they do have retailers in the UK. I've always liked their products, and all the ingredients are listed on their website, so no unpleasant surprises when it arrives if you have to mail order.

 

[JazzyDame]

Have you heard of Tom's of Maine? It's pretty popular among the natural set that I know of. Toothpaste, deodorant, and other natural bath products. You can avoid the ingredients you don't like, but still maintain a similar lifestyle. I don't think I could give up my minty fresh toothpaste. I just looked, and they do have retailers in the UK. I've always liked their products, and all the ingredients are listed on their website, so no unpleasant surprises when it arrives if you have to mail order.

Tom's of Maine is FABULOUS!! I love, love, love their toothpastes!

 

[Land-O-LakesGal]

Mineral Crystals?

Thanks for that website, it was really informative.

I've now decided to give up antiperspirant and tooth paste. My mum used neither - she used a bi of talc under arms - and she never had any problems. (I know that tlac is supposed to be bad now - but only if you inhale tonnes of it)

I used to use a mineral crystal on my under arms years ago. It worked pretty well or at least no one told me that I smelled back then but I was thinner and younger now I would be a bit afraid that I sweat more. Maybe I would need to put those arm pit pads (is there a name for those) that I find in some of my vintage dress in all my clothes.

My best thing is usually getting my hair done which I can find challenging cause I can get super busy with kids and finding a baby sitter can be a challenge at times in fact finding the time to pick up the phone and make the appointment can be challenging at time. I also like that I don't get hung up with washing my hair daily and am so happy to have found this forum where this is not thought to be unusual and considered bad hygene.

 

[TillyMilly]

Thanks Gracie I'll look into that.

I used the crystal rock for a while but my problem wasn't the odour it was wetness which makes me chaffe under my arms, so it didn't really help.

 

[AllaboutEve]

I never used to care what was in my beauty products during my 20's but now in my late 30's I've had to remove a number of ingredients due to skin reactions that I now seem to get.

I've not used anything with SLS for many years now, I used to think that it was normal for your scalp to burn after shampooing!!! It's not hard these days to find products that are made without this, MOP, Tisserand, Duchy's originals, Waitrose own brand, Dr Organic, etc, etc. It used to be a real trial and I was normally limited to shopping in some grubby little health food shop to find the stuff I needed. Now you can pick this kind of stuff up with your grocery shopping at the supermarket.

Lately I've switched a lot of my cleansers and shower gels for soap, and it's made a HUGE difference. No more non-specific red patches and itching.
This company in the UK make the best soap that I have used to date: http://www.handmadenorfolksoaps.co.uk/id2.html
It's pure, simple and isn't stuffed full of things I can't pronounce!

Other than that I use regular deodorant, hairspray etc, I get my grey hairs dyed out, and I paint my nails , so I'm by no means a puritan.

 

[MissHannah]

Oooh honeysuckle soap! I'd like to try that, definitely. And so cheap too! And there's one with sea-salt too. Fab!

 

[AllaboutEve]

Oooh honeysuckle soap! I'd like to try that, definitely. And so cheap too! And there's one with sea-salt too. Fab!

The sea salt one is gorgeous, it has frankincense oil in it and it's my absolute favourite so far.
I'm on the rosemary and lavender at the moment and that is gorgeous too.
I love it that they source stuff from the UK as much as possible, you know......, doing your bit for Britain......

 

[Puzzicato]

She's tried some unsual things in the past like moisturiser made of lard, and watering her plants with diluted urine for the nitrogen it provides.

Weeing on your lemon tree is a proud Australian tradition. They seem to do very well on it!

Your family sounds so interesting.

I tried for a couple of months to extend the period between hair washes by rinsing my hair thoroughly and really scrubbing my scalp with cool water, but I found I couldn't get a comb through it.

 

[Gingerella72]

www.storyofcosmetics.org

Watch this video.

I will say, while it's good at pointing out that there is a problem with toxic chemicals being so pervasive and that the FDA isn't doing anything to regulate what goes into these products, it falls short of offering any practical solutions (other than the obvious not using any of the products).

 

[Jasmine Jolene]

Have you heard of Tom's of Maine? It's pretty popular among the natural set that I know of. Toothpaste, deodorant, and other natural bath products. You can avoid the ingredients you don't like, but still maintain a similar lifestyle. I don't think I could give up my minty fresh toothpaste. I just looked, and they do have retailers in the UK. I've always liked their products, and all the ingredients are listed on their website, so no unpleasant surprises when it arrives if you have to mail order.

for any of you brits that are interested in this brand (i had never heard of it before this post was started) in Home & Bargains they have the toothpaste for 99p.