Natural Skincare

I went out the other day to visit a local business. It was once a place where folks could buy organic produce (before the fad hit) and other natural items. However, it’s been revamped and turned into a natural skincare/cosmetics store. They sell a number of vitamin supplements and other green dietary things. I am in the market for lip balm, lotion and perhaps some vegetarian Omega-3 DHA/EPA supplements. I thought this place would be perfect because it would be supporting a local business owner, as well as allow me to talk to a real live person concerning the natural products and their ingredients. Unfortunately, I was not impressed and left without purchasing anything. The shop came off as being more interested in making profit off the natural care industry than being genuinely interested in natural products. The saleswoman told me several times that the cosmetics adhered to the European standards and were “high-end”. When I inquired as to why the products were better, she again said they were high-end. She told me that petroleum cosmetics were bad for the skin because they couldn’t penetrate, and so I inquired about the wax (bees and such) which were in the lip balms and if that was similar to the petroleum. The lady honestly seemed stumped by this question.

She then went around the store checking the ingredients in assorted products while repeating that they were high-end and agreeing there was wax in them. Oookay, so I’m thoroughly confused. I should point out that these lip balms were $8 a pop, and yet she could not give me any real information on why they were better. I also saw a bottle on the shelf which was labeled as a hair care product, 100% jojoba oil. I was confused by this. Jojoba oil, as I know it, isn’t just used to treat hair but also as an excellent skin moisturizer, among other things. Yet they were selling this $20 bottle of 8oz Jojoba oil (I didn’t see anything about certified organic either) and proclaiming it this wonderful hair tonic. Seriously, slapping a fancy label on something does not make it worth $20. This lady also spent 10 minutes looking for a vegetarian Omega-3 supplement, swearing they had one before pointing out the “high-end” one they can’t keep on the shelves. Why is it high-end? I ask, and was directed to the brand name and how quickly it sells. Cue the eye rolling.

So I went online to my favorite LiveJournal natural community to see if they had any suggestions. I found several rave reviews about a place called My Lip Stuff. It’s made by one woman called Brea, and is 100% natural. There are even several Vegan options. It’s not just lip balm, but lotions and body scrubs and body sprays. I decided to buy a Vegan lip balm for myself, a no-nonsense balm for my husband (labeled as men’s, which basically means there is no scent or taste; I didn’t like the gender label but not everyone is perfect), and a body butter stick. All three cost me $14.75, which included shipping. I was impressed that I placed the order on November 4th at 3:30pm EST and it was shipped by November 6th. Most orders are shipper Priority Mail, but since I got samples (same size as normal, just shipped first class instead) it’ll take a couple days longer.

I’m looking forward to this. I opted for non-scented body butter since I’ve never used a body butter and wanted to try it raw, and a Sweet as Sugar lip balm. Apparently it’s flavored with vanilla and Stevia. I’ll post my thoughts once it gets here and I try it out. Yay for natural products from small businesses!

Natural Disinfectants for the Home

I have been trying to create a more natural life, one that harms the environment less and yet still provides me with everything I need. One of the first steps I took was to start recycling. Since I’ve spent most of my life in a town of less than 3,000 people, recycling has never been the forethought in people’s minds. Moving to a bigger city allowed me to embrace recycling and the enjoyment I received from it was beyond description. Every week when I took the recycling out, I just stood there and acknowledged the sheer amount of items I was saving from being shipped off to the landfill. It amazed me how much trash a two person household could create. Unfortunate events lead me back to living in a small town recently, so I haven’t been able to recycle the way I want, but it has inspired me to apply this concept to other parts of my life.

Another benefit of moving to more natural endeavors is that I can save my family a lot of money. One of the largest unnecessary expenses, as I see it, are cleaning supplies. I must have bought 20 different cleaning products for my home, most of which I rarely used (being a homemaker has never been my strong suit) and the expense was nuts. At at least $3 a pop, that’s $60 in cleaning supplies that needs to be bought at least once a year. That doesn’t include things like laundry detergent, dish soap, dishwashing liquid, and hygiene products. Of course, with cleaning products a concern is always whether natural products can clean as well as the commercial ones. Vinegar, which is natural and really inexpensive, is reported to kill 99 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of mold, and 80 percent of germs (viruses). This is the same vinegar that can be purchased in any grocery store and is easily accessible to most anyone. So it doesn’t take a lot of money or privilege to keep a house sanitary.

Vinegar isn’t perfect, as reported by CNN this natural disinfectant didn’t do as well as commercial products like Lysol, Mr. Clean and Clorox. To some people this may not dissuade you because you know that our Society’s obsession with killing germs will eventually lead all of us to living in plastic bubbles because our immune systems will be unable to handle contact with the outside. For others you may be concerned for your kids and personal health, especially if you already have a disease which compromises your immune system. Well, you don’t have to go back to commercial cleaners. In addition to Vinegar, Hydrogen Peroxide makes an excellent natural disinfectant. Hydrogen Peroxide is just an oxygenated bleach^*, similar to the Oxiclean product that is being sold nationwide. Used in conjunction with Vinegar, Hydrogen Peroxide can help bridge the gap between natural and commercial cleaners. Just remember not to mix these two together into one solution, as it creates Peracetic Acid which is toxic; apply them both separately to the needed area. Peracetic Acid is toxic through inhalation, absorption through the skin and ingestion.

The vinegar most often used for this sterilization process is plain white, but there have been reports of success using apple cider vinegar as well. The hydrogen peroxide is the same 3% solution found in most stores. For those who dislike the smell of vinegar, or have loved ones who do, a dash of lemon juice, or essential oil, can nip that in the bud.

Another great disinfectant that is natural is Tea Tree Oil. The disinfectant was first researched in the early 20th century. Tea Tree Oil is also used as an essential oil, though some find the aroma too potent (like my dear husband), and Tea Tree Oil, like most essential oils, can be lethal to cats. Tea Tree Oil can be applied directly, or diluted in water. It can also be mixed with soap or lotion for beauty regiments.

I don’t know anything about commercial natural cleaners, but I figure why pay for the label when I can get the same results for much less

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^* In every-day culture, the word “bleach” is almost exclusively defined as the sodium hypochlorite, A.K.A. chlorine bleach, but that’s not technically correct