In the quest for optimal health, we work out daily and eat nutritious foods, buying only organic. While we are concerned about what our bodies look like and what we put into them, why shouldn’t we also be concerned about what we put on them?
We expose ourselves to chemical-laden makeup and creams, wanting to look beautiful, but in the end we are actually hurting ourselves by adding toxins into our bodies.
The following are seven reasons to consider switching to organic makeup.
For the sake of the rainforest
Many of the ingredients in conventional makeup are hurting our environment. Just a few examples are aluminum, petroleum, and lead, all of which require a great deal of mining. Not only are these ingredients harmful to our ecosystem, they may be harmful to our bodies.
Aluminum is linked with Alzheimer disease, petroleum has been associated with potential to cause cancer, and lead is just plain poisonous, causing long lasting ill-effects to the body.
Your skin is permeable
Your skin is like a sponge; it soaks up whatever you put on it. Its safe to assume that any body cream, deodorant, and makeup you apply onto your skin, goes into your body. So, even if there’s a small amount of toxins in your product, using it every day leads to these toxins accumulating in your organs and tissues over the years.
Fragrance
Man-made scents are filled with toxins that are harmful to the body. You inhale them into your lungs and expose your skin to them. Some research has linked the hormone-disrupting chemicals found in common fragrances to infertility. These toxins are also linked to cancer, allergies, and birth defects.
When shopping for makeup or body cream, be sure the scents are made from 100% natural, organic ingredients. If you’re looking for a great and amazingly healthy fragrance option, check out essential oils. Just remember that they are concentrated and little drop goes a long way.
Nutrients
Because your skin is permeable, you can apply nutrients to your skin and they will be absorb and used in a beneficial way. Applying cocoa butter to your skin, for example, makes a natural moisturizer, and is loaded with antioxidants. Cocoa butter is great for people with sensitive skin and may also help with eczema and other skin problems.
Gentle on the skin
Using makeup products with harsh chemicals that are supposed to make your face look more youthful seems counter productive. By using all organic products that have added herbal extracts like white tea, poppy seeds, grapes and apricots, your skin will be provided with antioxidant protection, which will give it a more soft and supple look. The rule of thumb is: if you can’t eat it, don’t wear it.
Moisturizers
The healthiest way to go for naturally moisturizing your skin is with oils. Extra virgin coconut oil, jojoba oil, almond oil, and olive oil all work great for soothing dry skin.
Use your kitchen
The surest way to know that you’re getting the healthiest ingredients in your makeup is by making it yourself. You can make a face scrub with brown sugar, honey and olive oil, or a facial mask using honey and coconut oil. Your kitchen has all the ingredients you need for your beauty treatments. The best part about that is knowing that they are all natural, and you can eat them too.
Why take a chance on using a product that may cause cancer, infertility or birth defects, when you can go organic and eliminate the chemicals that are added to your beauty products?
Also, just because a product says “all-natural” on the packaging doesn’t mean it’s so. It’s worth it to read the ingredients and educate yourself on what you are really applying to your skin.
-The Alternative Daily
Sources:
http://www.chemicalbodyburden.org
https://www.organicconsumers.org/essays/top-10-reasons-use-organic-cosmetics
http://www.treehugger.com/htgg/how-to-go-green-natural-skin-care.html
