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The other day I was browsing one of my favourite research sites www.ewg.org and I came across their list of Safe Shopping Tips for skincare. It is a useful list but I thought that it could be added to and so here an extended version of the Safe Shopping List from the Environmental Working Group:

1. Avoid the most toxic ingredients in skin care. These are the especially problematic ingredients such as formaldehyde, phalates, artificial fragrances, parabens, Diethanolamine, 1,4-Dioxane, mercury & lead, triclosan, nanoparticles, petroleum byproducts, hydroquinone (skin lightener), coal tar and so on.
   

   Chemicals in Skin Care

2. Use fewer products. On average women use over 14 personal care items a day. I know I am one of them. The reason I don’t mind using so many is that they are all natural and mostly organic so I am not exposing myself to harmful chemicals. However if you are using conventional skin care, it might be wise to either cut down on the number of products you use. By cutting down on the number of chemicals contacting your skin every day, you will reduce any potential health risks associated with your products. Alternatively you can change over to natural & organic skin care as you run out.
3. Read labels. Be aware of greenwashing. Marketing claims on personal care products are not well regulated in Australia, and can mean anything or nothing at all, including claims like organic, natural, hypoallergenic, animal cruelty free, and fragrance free. Read the ingredient label carefully to find evidence that the claims are
   

   Olive Oil Soap

   true. If in doubt ask the manufacturer or retailer for proof of label claim.

4. Use milder soaps. Soap strips away the dirt and oil build up on the skin. Strong soaps or those containing ingredients such as SLS can further disrupt the acid mantle and slow the skin’s pH recovery time, which can lead to increased skin sensitivity. Choose soft soaps such as those based on oils – olive, hemp, castor, rice bran etc
5. Reduce the use of dark hair dyes. Many contain coal tar ingredients that have been linked to cancer in some studies. Alternatively do the research and find a hair dye you like that contains no formaldehyde, phalates, ammonia or coal tar. They are available. See my blog on non-toxic hair dye.
6. Avoid using baby powders or talc; A number of ingredients common in powder have been linked to cancer and other lung problems when they are inhaled. In addition standard talc products are a potential source of lead, which is linked to brain development issues in young children. Choose clay-based powders instead.
7. Choose products that are artificial “fragrance”-free. Fragrances are the number one cause of allergic skin conditions and irritation. They are also a primary source of phalates, a toxic chemical that has even been found in the placental blood of newborn babies. Be cautious – products that claim to be “fragrance free” on the label may actually contain masking fragrances that give off a neutral odour. Read the ingredient label to make sure. Alternatively, choose products that only contain natural essential oils.
8. Reduce your use of nail polish. It’s one of the few types of products that routinely contains ingredients such as formaldehyde and phalates, both of which have cancer-causing potential. Choose non-toxic nail polish such as Zoya. Paint your nails in a well-ventilated room and avoid the use of acetone based polish remover.

I would love to hear if you can add any other safe shopping tips when it comes to skin care. Or if you have had any adverse reactions to skin care of any type, conventional or natural.

Reference: www.ewg.org

Each fortnight a box of organic fruit and vegies is delivered to my door. I love this arrangement because a. it means I don’t have to go to the shops as regularly (I hate going to the supermarket and generally avoid it when possible) and b. it is organic! This fortnight the box contained peaches and nectarines, which I have been enjoying immensely. As I was eating my organic peach this morning I felt especially good because I remembered that peaches are on the Dirty Dozen List, a list of fruit & veg most affected by pesticide contamination. The other fruit & vegetables on this list include (most affected to least):

1. Peach
   

   Strawberries have the potential for a higher pesticide load

2. Apple
3. Capscicum
4. Celery
5. Nectarine
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Kale
9. Lettuce
10. Grapes
11. Carrot
12. Pear

While I momentarily felt ok because I was eating an organic peach I realised that my other favourite fruits are also on that list, namely cherries (cannot share them with anyone) and nectarines.  There are some alarming statistics and facts bandied around about pesticide contamination:

• If you eat the 12 most contaminated fruit & vegies, you consume an average of 10 pesticides a day
• Washing or peeling fresh produce reduces pesticide residue but it does not eliminate it.
• Conventionally grown produce contains less nutritional value than organically grown produce

Reading all of this I felt a bit glum so I did a search to find out if there was any produce that wasn’t unduly affected by pesticide residue. At one of the best resources I have come across, www.ewg.org, I found the answer which cheered me immensely. Eating from the list below minimises pesticide ingestion significantly (around 2 pesticides daily and less if washed).  So my new resolution is to ensure that when I buy conventionally grown produce, I will choose from the list below:

1. Onion (from least contaminated)
   
2. Avocado
3. Sweet corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mango
6. Asparagus
7. Sweet peas
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Papaya
12. Watermelon
13. Broccoli
14. Tomato
15. Sweet Potato

How does this relate to skin care? Well the pesticides, herbicides, synthetic chemicals, petrochemicals we eat, inhale

How & Why we choose our products

or absorb all contribute to our overall toxic burden. The more burdened our body’s are, the harder it is for them to get rid of all the toxins and waste byproducts which are either stored or eliminated via alternative pathways such as the skin. In those with skin conditions, reducing the overall toxic burden by eating whole foods, choosing organic where possible and using natural skin care & cleaning products can help improve the condition of the skin. For those that just want to improve their wellbeing, it is also a good idea.

Do you eat any organic produce and if so how important is it to you and your family. Is it as important as using organic skin care? I would love to hear your comments.

Hi dear readers…I feel like I am going to confession because I haven’t blogged in over 2 weeks!! Oh dear. Moving on, I am back, I am refreshed and I have LOTS of freckles from being at the beach for two weeks. Despite slathering myself in lots of sunscreen daily and wearing a rash shirt in the water I have a tan…kind of. I am now off-white with lots of freckles instead of just white. I am pretty pleased really as I went to the beach every day and didn’t get sunburnt once!

Now that I am back into the swing of things, I have lots of new topics to write and video blog about which you will see over the coming months. But before I get started on skin care issues I thought I would share an inspirational blog I read with you. This blog is from another skin guru called Sarah Stacey, the author of the UK Green Beauty Bible and reminds me that true beauty comes from within. Sarah writes “Health Notes” in a British Tabloid and this is an excerpt from her column which I hope you enjoy:

Health Notes, December 27th 2009, by Sarah Stacey

000000;">How to be happy
Some ten years ago, I was asked to interview Richard Carlson, the American author of You Can Be Happy No Matter What.  To be honest, I was less than enthusiastic at the thought of talking to yet another personal development guru.  But the man and his books turned out to be wonderful – practical, perceptive and inspiring.  One key piece of advice he gave was ‘treasure yourself, you’re precious’ .  That’s such a difficult thing for most of us to do, but valuing yourself is the key to valuing others and creating good and enduring relationships. So my wish for you for 2010 is that you all start to treasure yourselves.  To set you on the path, here are some of Richard’s guidelines for living well. Very sadly, Richard died in 2006 but he leaves a legacy of truly life-enhancing books which I hope you will investigate.

000000;">Live in the present: many people spend much of their lives regretting what’s gone and worrying about what’s to come.  (And remember the word ‘resentment’ literally means ‘re-feeling’.)  When you find yourself doing this, simply bring your attention back to the millisecond that you’re living right now.  Your body and mind will unite and that brings an instant feeling of peace.  Living in the present also allows you to be wholly with the people you’re with and/or what you’re doing so that you can make the very most of it.  That’s also something that others really notice and appreciate.

000000;">Don’t try to change others: accept that you can only change yourself.

000000;">Think happy: your happiness levels may seem to go up and down with circumstances and of course that’s true to some extent.  But the biggest factor that dictates how you feel is your thoughts.  It’s not the outside world that produce our thoughts, it’s ourselves – and the way we think about someone or something totally influences how we feel. Tell yourself that you’ll have a happy day and you will – even if there’s a mountain of problems in your path.  Think optimistically about recovering from illness and research shows you will do better.  The trick is to recognise negative thoughts but not let them overwhelm your life: when they occur, look for a more positive way of seeing things – of changing your thought pattern.  You might be feeling low one day and think ‘I’ll never finish this project’ or ‘ this relationship will never work out’.  If this ‘thought attack’ goes on, it may spiral out of control and you’ll probably give up – or at least waste time and energy worrying.  Start thinking ‘I know I can do this’ -  and ‘there is no reason why this relationship should not work well for both of us’ – and you stand a good chance.

000000;">Don’t live in the problem, live in the solution: we become accustomed to thinking, talking and living with what’s wrong.  If we think about solutions, we start thinking positive.  When you’re facing a sticky situation of any kind, confront it and work out what would make you feel better.  Emotional situations are usually much more difficult than practical ones but focussing on the healthy parts of a relationship gives you a constructive perspective to start from.

Gratitude Symbol

000000;">Be grateful: appreciating all the good things, big and small, colours your whole being.  (It’s also been shown to boost your immune system.)000000;">

Understand your moods: up, down, up, down – our mood levels swing like a seesaw. Just when it seems as though life is going smoothly, bam!  Our mood level drops and everything seems rocky again.  Sometimes everything seems hopeless, then our mood lifts and everything’s sunshine again. For some people, these shifts are slight; for others, extreme. They vary for all sorts of reasons including hormones, tiredness, hunger, the weather and of course how relationships are going.  When you’re in a high mood, life looks good, you have perspective, relationships flow, communication is easy.  In a low mood, life seems hard, people are out to get you, you take things personally.  Most people have their most serious discussions when their mood is low – and that’s one of the core problems in relationships.  So don’t react or make decisions until the low mood passes.  Just keep putting one foot in front of another – and don’t get hungry, angry, lonely or tired.

000000;">Connect with other people from your heart first, head second. Be open and straightforward and truthful.  Appreciate what others do and feel.  They need the same thing as you – love.  Be sure the people in your life know that they are lovable and loved.

Much of this information comes from a book by Richard Carlson: You Can Be Happy No Matter What