Safer Beauty | Healthy Living

It was a dreary, rainy day here today, so while the kids were sloshing in and out of the house with boots too small and rain jackets inching up their arms, I was reminded of their recent growth spurts and the need for some new gear! However, I’ve found myself a little more particular about what types of clothing I’ll spend my money on these days. 

Did you know that even your clothing can off-gas harmful chemicals as you (or your kids) wear them? Formaldehyde is often used to prevent wrinkles and mildew during shipping. Yes, the very same ingredient used to preserve dead bodies is used on the clothing we wear every day.

In recent years I’ve noticed a direct connection to my eyes burning and throat feeling raw and dry every time I shop in my local department (clothing) store. So, I did a little digging...

The National Cancer Institute reports:

When formaldehyde is present in the air at levels exceeding 0.1 ppm, some individuals may experience adverse effects such as watery eyes; burning sensations in the eyes, nose, and throat; coughing; wheezing; nausea; and skin irritation. Some people are very sensitive to formaldehyde, whereas others have no reaction to the same level of exposure.

If those are the effects I’m feeling in under an hour of browsing, what are the long term effects of formaldehyde?

_ In 2011, the National Toxicology Program, an interagency program of the Department of Health and Human Services, named formaldehyde as a known human carcinogen in its 12th Report on Carcinogens_

This is the world we live in, and there is only so much we can do about it. We have slowly been replacing things as they wear out, or we outgrow them with safer options as our budget allows. The rest, we leave in God’s hands.

A FEW TIPS:

Wash your clothing before wearing! 

Avoid pajamas with flame retardants - instead of pajamas labeled "flame resistant", go for tight fitting cotton. 

While, we love our Hanna’s when we can get them on sale, I was recently pleasantly surprised to see more options for plain old cotton pajamas at stores like Target, Crazy 8 and Costco!

RAIN GEAR:

A lot of rain gear is made with PVC plastic and then pthalates are added to make it pliable. What’s so bad about PVC?

Look for Oko-Tex certified or PVC free rain gear. (Oko-Tex is an organization that tests materials for over 100 harmful chemicals).

Polyurethane doesn't always mean it's bad! I recently learned this from Puddlegear:> …when this particular Polyurethane is in its fully expanded state it is an “inert chemical”  meaning that it has no off gassing left to do.  Atek is fully expanded- and tested to be free of over 100 harmful chemicals.Not all Polyurethane is PVC or Phthalate free– some who don’t heat seal their seams use PVC to make them waterproof…and Phthalates make the PVC soft.  Polyurethane is also a controlled application  when you make it so its not leached into the ground water like PVC plastics.

Hatley is an adorable kids brand that sells PVC free rain coats! We have enjoyed them for many years! They can sometimes be found on amazon for cheaper!

My oldest just outgrew their largest kids size, so I had to look for a larger size this year.  I stumbled on Puddlegear today, and was able to order their largest size for her. They look like a great, safe option, albeit in the higher price range. I’m trying to justify the purchase with the fact that it will hopefully get use by all three kids. I will let you know how we like the raincoat!

RAIN BOOTS:

Look for rain boots made from natural rubber! I found a brand called STONZ WEAR on Amazon last year for my oldest and I am in LOVE with them! They're quality and made from natural Rubber! Free of lead, formaldehyde, phthalates, and PVC. 

Did you know?

Due to major loopholes in federal law, cosmetics can be labeled “natural,” “sustainable,” and nearly any other word that comes to mind without containing ingredients that accurately meet those descriptions.

Even products certified organic can contain as little as 10% organic ingredients, depending on the certifier.

So, today is my 1 year anniversary with Beautycounter. 😍  I have learned so much with this company. I love that they are about educating others about safety in products. They are a company that is completely transparent, and I know that I can trust them with not only myself, but also for my family. I love that. ❤️ 

As a teenager I would wake up with my eyes nearly swollen shut from products that I would use on my skin. I used many brands "recommended by dermatologists", and "for sensitive skin". It didn't matter. I just had extremely sensitive skin. The doctors told me to just wash my face with water. I should have listened. But, as most teenagers battling acne, I didn't feel like water would do enough to clean my skin. So I just continued on using products recommended for sensitive skin, and when I would build up a reaction to it, I would just switch brands, and the problem would disappear for a while. 

Fast forward a few years, I got married, and had a few kids. I had developed chronic indigestion. I basically felt like I had a lump of peanut butter stuck in my throat at all times. It was rather annoying. After seeing a few specialists, they had determined that the only option was to knock me out, stick a tube down my throat, and see what was going on in my stomach. Rather than have to go under anesthesia while I was still nursing a newborn, (and to be honest, partly out of fear), I chose to go a different route. Enter my nutritionist. He sent out a few blood tests, and told me I had a wheat allergy. What?! What was this carb loving girl gonna eat?? Believe it or not. they did not have nearly the array of gluten free options they have today! 

It was hard at first, to cut out all wheat. I had to actually read the labels of food I was buying. Oh. my. goodness. that doubled my grocery shopping time! Thus began my journey into label reading, and ultimately into whole food and organic eating. Reading ingredients on every item you buy can be a real eye opener! I was amazed at how much better I felt! I didn’t even realize that I could feel so good!

A few short years later, my dad was diagnosed with cancer. All I knew of cancer was that if you got it, you usually didn’t live through it. It’s really hard to watch anyone go through pain, let alone your dad. He was always my strong protector. My hero. How could he be so frail? So weak.

My dad had long, beautiful hair halfway down his back since before I was born. He was known for his ponytail. Women were envious of his thick flowing locks!  My mom had been asking him to cut it for a few years, but he hadn’t ever been ready to cut it all off. None of us ever imagined that it would be cancer that would take his hair. I remember that day vividly, standing in the kitchen, watching his hairdresser friend he’d known since highschool hand my mom the scissors. The irony of donating your hair to make a wig for some unfortunate other who might also have lost theirs to cancer. It was all too much to even process at that time. I wish no one ever had to experience these things. He had a long, hard road, but by the grace of God my dad was healed. He has now been cancer free for over 6 years! 

One of my daughter's was struggling in school at this point, so we decided to take her to the same nutritionist that I had been seeing. We discovered that she had some allergies and sensitivities to foods too. We removed them from her diet, and almost immediately we were blown away at the difference in her. Wow. Just wow. I had teachers coming up to me commenting on how remarkable the change in her was! In addition to removing her allergies, we also removed processed foods, artificial food dyes, and cane sugar from her diet. It’s been a few years now, and when we get a little lax and she eats processed foods or cane sugar, her symptoms come right back. Time and time again, without fail. There is a direct connection to her diet and her behavior. 

My skin irritations continued. I started having allergic reactions to my bar soap. As I was running out of products that my body didn't react to. My dad’s cancer, the way I felt after changing my diet, my daughter’s complete turn around, all of this has had a profound impact on me. So, I started doing some research into safe products. If what I put into my body could have such an effect on the way I felt, what kind of impact were the products I was putting on having?

I had heard of EWG’s Skin Deep Database somewhere, and was so thankful for some direction on where to find safe products. I started with bar soap, and that eventually led into shampoo, and then makeup. I learned there was formaldehyde in nail polish, and started searching for some safe alternatives to paint my two little girls piggies with. I started telling my friends about the health effects that many of the products that we had all been using could have on us, and sharing with them the safer alternatives I had found.

It was at this point when I was introduced to Beautycounter by a friend. My passion for cleaner, safer products, and the idea that maybe I could help contribute to my families expenses really drew me in. After all, I was already telling all my friends about these great, safe brands anyway! 

I love this quote by Maya Angelou

Fact: There has not been a federal law passed in the U.S. regulating the cosmetics industry since 1938.

Yep. 1938.

More than 80,000 ingredients have been introduced since then.

Fact: It only take 26 seconds for something to absorb into your skin.

Do you know what’s in your products?

Today marks the two year anniversary of beautycounter! This amazing company is doing BIG things!

Today, we’re calling on our community to help us deliver on our important social mission—to get safe products into the hands of everyone—and take action by insisting on better cosmetic safety laws. Join us to let Congress know that cosmetic safety is top of mind. 

After years of searching store shelves and ingredient lists for products that are safe for me and my family to use, I heard about Beautycounter from a friend of mine. I immediately fell in love with the company and its mission to get safe products into the hands of everyone.

Beautycounter is working hard to educate the public on the lack of regulation in the beauty care industry and is pushing for better laws to protect consumers.