What goes into your body…you decide!

Our skin is an important organ and one that is often taken for granted in our daily lives. On average women use around 200 chemicals on their skin daily, 60% these chemicals are absorbed, so it is important that we know what is going on our skin. Putting products on your skin can be more dangerous than eating them as it is absorbed straight into the bloodstream. Whether you are a consumer, make-up artist or dietician it is our responsibility to know what is in the products that we are using. Many of these products are highly unregulated by the Cosmetic, Toiletry & Perfumery Association (CTPA) - the UK regulatory body and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). I’m going to go through the main ingredients that should be avoided in cosmetic products and outline what the products are and the possible effects of them. I will not be able to list all toxic ingredients in products however, these are the most popular. We may not be able to see the immediate effects of these products however in the longer term many of these products can be harmful. If like me you are currently in your 20’s or a bit older- you may not see the effects of these products on your skin until later on in life when your skin is more mature. Living in our 20’s we think we have so much time however, it is also the time when we start to think about preparing our future therefore investing in healthy products is essential. The good news is that many brands are starting to eradicate toxic and useless ingredients from their products and with some pressure hopefully someday we can say bye bye to all toxic chemicals! Join me in the team #GoingClean campaign (on instagram, name:organicbeautyjourney) to educate ourselves and eliminate toxic ingredients from our personal products and cosmetics. Brands will continue to contain the toxic chemicals listed below because we allow them to (it’s as simple as that). Where has all the compassion in this world gone :(. Anyway enough of feeling sorry for myself (lol), lets educate ourselves…

INGREDIENTS TO AVOID:

Petroleum and Mineral oil: This smothers the skin leaving it unable to breathe, it can clog pores leaving the skin unable to let out natural toxins, it can also slow down the way cells are renewed. Thankfully there are many products out there that avoid using petroleum and mineral oil.

Parabens: (Usually seen on ingredients as Propylparaben, methylparapen). This is a popular preservative, meaning it is used to prevent the growth of yeasts, moulds, and bacteria in cosmetics products. As a strong hormone (estrogen) mimicker, traces of it have been found in cancer tissue. It can contribute to hormone imbalance in females. Check personal care product labels and avoid any products with parabens or any word ending in "-paraben."

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate:  These are cleaners that separate molecules making it easier for the product to interact with the product and the surface. This product is included in nearly all shampoos, toothpastes, mouthwashes, body washes, soaps, detergents and body wash.

Fragrance/ Parfum: Fragrance can be the code-name for many toxic ingredients, it used so that brands do not have to reveal secret ingredients in their products. This is also responsible for making soap foamy. It has been connected to cancer, dizziness, headaches asthma and allergies/irritation.

Toluene: This is  used in nail products and hair products and hidden under the ‘fragrance’ ingredients. It is used in the making of many products including paint thinners, adhesives, rubber and hair dyes. It is also used in nail products to form a smooth finish across the nail. It explains why Salon workers should wear face masks when working with nail polishes and nail products containing such toxic substances!

Alcohol, Isopropyl (SD-40): a very drying and irritating solvent and dehydrator that strips your skin’s moisture and natural immune barrier, making you more venerable to bacteria, moulds and viruses.

Lead: Found in lipstick and hair dye but it is hardly ever listed. Lead is used in lipstick to give its pigment and most of the time consumers do not know what is in the lipsticks that they are buying.

Toxic Sunscreen Chemicals: Oxybenzone: Oxybenzone is used to absorb ultraviolet light, however,  believed to cause hormone disruptions and cell damage that may provoke cancer. Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A palmitate): Retinyl palmitate is used in sunscreen because of its antioxidant properties and gentle nature, it is also thought to cause cell damage that may provoke cancer.

How to avoid these and other toxic products:

• Read, read, read the ingredients labels on all your products!
• Take time to research your staple cosmetic products and brands and what they are doing to contribute to the safety of their consumers.
• Make the switch to natural and organic products- it’s better to be safe than sorry if in doubt of what is toxic and what isn’t! Organic products do not have to be overly expensive it is all about doing your research- over the next few weeks I will be reviewing some affordable organic cosmetics!

Make sure that when you are choosing products that claim to be ‘natural,’ you read the ingredients!

#organicbeautyjourney #obj

Lots of Love,

xoxo

References:

http://www.breastcancerfund.org/

http://www.naturalnews.com/

http://www.safecosmetics.org/

http://www.fda.gov/

Picture: www.farsali.com

Where it all began…

Hello Beauties...

I just wanted to introduce myself, I've been wanting to start this blog for a while now but it seems as though fear has been really holding me back, as well as not wanting to let go of some cosmetic brands  which I really love! 

So, I began this healthy beauty journey with my hair, I really wanted long, thick, healthy hair and I found myself coming across all these girls on social media also searching for healthy hair and documenting their journey towards it! I began to really look into it and look at what I could do to make my hair grow, I think I was so focused on wanting my hair to grow and imitating the girls and products on YouTube that I wasn't really aware of what I was actually putting in my hair. At that point my hair was relaxed (now for those of you who don’t know what relaxing is, it is basically chemically straightening your hair so you lose your natural curl pattern). I am of African descent so I have afro hair which is known to be thick and coily so from a very young age (I think the age of 10) my mum had been relaxing my hair, it became such a norm for me. I didn't even ask questions it was just a way of life to make my hair more manageable and more silkier. So for years I wasn't really looking after my hair, I was washing it every 2 weeks and adding petroleum based products here and there to ‘moisturise’ my hair. To be honest my hair looked pretty healthy it was longer than most of my peers with the same texture hair so I thought this whole relaxing regime was working out for me. It wasn't until I was watching these girls on YouTube that I actually started taking notice of what I was actually putting in my hair and the effects of it. Anyway so I started looking into natural and organic products that were free from certain toxic chemicals and preservatives. This is when my eyes were really opened! Everyday we use dozens of products that we think are safe and the reality is they are not! What is worse is that we are not made aware of these ingredients and the possible long term effects of them- this really scares me! The fact that some of these toxic chemicals that are linked to severe health problems are not being talked about is shocking really. Anyway I’ll get into that in another post; you can see that there is a lot of passion there!

So yes! I began to really look at what I was putting in my hair the products I was buying and really opting for more organic products, I also eventually stopped relaxing my hair as I realised that it completely did not make sense for the direction I was going, I am currently 6 months post my last relaxer. The decision was not an easy one to make as relaxer is all that I have known and it’s not like my hair was extremely unhealthy! Anyway I rest assured that I have made the right decision, cutting out the chemicals was never going to be a bad decision just an uncomfortable one! Around that time I also began taking my Christian faith more seriously so treating all of my body as a temple was very important to me.

So given that I was on the right path for my hair I turned the direction onto my skin! I can’t really complain, I’ve always had good, clear skin, apart from struggling with a bit of uneven skin tone my skin was never really a problem for me growing up. However, I never really looked after it, I would always take my make up off before I went to bed and give it a quick wash but never the TLC that it really need and this was when I started to notice that my skin was starting to reflect this, I started to get small break outs here and there which left a small bit of scarring, I didn't know what was going on as I had been so used to clear skin. This was when I really made that decision to consciously take care of my skin, so I went over to my beloved YouTube to see what products people were using for their skin and I came across Farah Dhukai’s channel of DIY and organic skincare masks, cleansers and toners and I really was amazed. Not only was she using clean ingredients for her DIY products but they were also cheap too. I also come across SunkissAlba on YouTube who is also an advocate for natural skincare and make-up! It was so great to see people really educating themselves and wanting to educate others on natural skincare. I soon became obsessed with finding out more about organic skincare and this is where the passion began! Currently I am transitioning to using only natural and  toxic free products and DIY products and I love it. Knowing what the ingredients are, being able to pronounce them and knowing what is going inside my body is an amazing feeling. 

I started this blog because I am now making the full transition to non toxic make up, everyday cosmetics, skincare and haircare; I know that this is going to be very hard especially on the make-up side. As a young black woman I know how hard it is to find products that aren't organic that match and compliment my skin tone, so finding organic products is going to be a mission and it is going to take a lot of perseverance to let go of those staple products and brands that I love but once again I know that it’s not a bad decision it’s just an uncomfortable one but I guess nothing ever great came from staying in comfort zones! I am also on this journey to help and educate others of all skin tones and types and be some sort of role model I guess. At the end of the day our health should be the most important thing and I believe that if people really knew and were conscious of what they were putting into their skin they would really wake up and make a change! I also want to show people that you can still look amazing and fabulous with organic products and to really set and establish this healthy, organic, toxin free make up and skincare trend. I am based in London, so it is also a platform for UK based organic beauty brands to stand up and be heard.  

A lot of us, including me are very happy with our make-up brands so we don’t want to let go. I am here to make it known that letting go is the right decision and knowing what I know now about the products that are in some of these popular brands I don’t think I can ever fully be ignorant to it. Yes, ignorance is bliss but prevention is also better than cure! So join me as I embark on this journey to being healthy, beautiful and staying fabulous with no compromises. Think about it wouldn't you want to look amazing and know that it’s in a healthy way as well? Having people ask you what make-up you’re wearing and what you do to get your healthy glow and being able to tell them that it’s all toxic free and organic products. A quote that I really love is: ‘Wisdom always chooses to do now, what it will be satisfied with later on’ so let’s get started! 

#organicbeautyjourney #obj

Lots of Love,

xoxo

Pictures from google images, I do not own them