Why we create with Natural and Organic Ingredients.

Why I use Natural and Organic Products myself.

The reasons my household and I use natural and organic products are many but I will break them down into a few categories.

The first one and I will keep it short and sweet is religion. I believe that God created the heavens and the earth and everything in it. If I use things the way God intended that my life would be simpler and healthier. The fact that the Bible talks about how to eat, take care of ourselves, and uses of some essential oils, this points me in the right direction for my life.

Moving on, it's good for the environment. Simply put, the less chemicals, pollutants, and toxins we put in the environment, the healthier we will be and we will leave a better future for upcoming generations.

The next reason is my own skin sensitivities. I broke out from so many detergents when I was a child my parents found one that works and 30 years later, I am still using the same detergent and so afraid to try any other out of fear of having my body totally breaking out in hives. Soaps and lotions with too many chemicals and fragrances case me to break out in rashes. And I am just one of those freaks of nature, with that one obscure ingredient will probably case me to break out in rashes and hives. So I figured that the less chemicals and ingredients there were in a product and the more simpler they were made, the less reactions I would have.

Finally, it came down to my husbands health. Just over three years ago, my husbands doctor found suspicious looking nodules and with further investigation, they were turning into per-cancerous cells. The treatment they offered was really aggressive and with further research, with his other preexisting medical conditions, the side affects of the treatment were going to be worse then if we did nothing. And we were told that this was the only treatment option. So we got a second opinion. We had to completely change his diet to an organic based diet with no pesticides, antibiotics, and growth hormones. We also had to eliminate as many environmental toxins as we could. So three years later, through diet, exercise, chiropractic care, vitamins and supplements, essentials oils, prayer, and doing our best to eliminate toxins, he has come back every doctor visit with improving results. The nodules have shrunk and are almost gone, and his blood work comes back with positive results. This part of the journey has been a slow and difficult process, however, this is the healthiest my husband has ever been. And you know I kinda like have this guy around.

Your Skin

Your skin is an amazing part of your body that is your largest organ by size and weight. The skin has 3 main functions, protection, regulations and sensations.

Protection

Your skins main purpose is to be a barrier. It provides protection from chemicals, impacts, microorganisms, pressure, radiation, and variances in temperature.

Regulation

When it comes to your skin regulation means is takes care of your body temperature by sweating and receiving vitamins such as Vitamin D.

Sensation

Your skin works with your nerve cells to detect and relay vital information about environmental changes. These would include heat, absence of heat (your nerves don't feel the sensation we understand as cold), touch and pain.

I think that we all kinda forget that our skin is a vital organ and we tend to treat it like a tool for vanity. We always focus on "Is this heart healthy", "What vitamin can I use to detox my liver", "Can't eat too much sugar, it's bad for my pancreas", you get the picture. But when it comes to our skin the attitude changes to " I don't care how much it costs or what the ingredients are as long as I look young and beautiful/handsome/sexy and I smell good."

Up to 60% of anything absorbed into our body is through our skin. Good news it means that healthy things like Vitamin D go directly into our skin. Bad news this includes toxins. Absorption of anything good or bad into your skin depends on a couple of thing, these include, concentration, molecular weight, size and structure, duration of contact, solubility, condition of skin and which part of the body. The fastest to slowest absorption rate of the parts to the body are forehead, armpit, scalp, back and abdomen, and palm and under the foot. So pretty much where you put most of your skincare is under the fastest absorption rate.

Toxins

So after reading report after report on the safety of chemicals and other ingredients in skin care my eyes got a little crossed. Depending on what source you want to read from the ingredients are safe and effective to if you use these you are going to die. So I was trying to find credible and logical reports on these ingredients. Also I focused on reoccurring ingredients with the thought process use an ingredient once whatever, but using an ingredient since your first bath to the present, these ingredients build up overtime. The last thought was that toxicity studies are based on oral exposure, so unless you eat your deodorant I took some of the studies with at grain of salt.

Aluminum

Aluminum is not normally found in the body and has no biological purpose. It is used as an antiperspirant and works by blocking, clogging or closing of pores. It basically prevents your body from sweating, which is actually healthy and a normal function of your skin. Aluminum is a known neurotoxin and has a growing amount of studies and evidences that are dedicated to see that if chronic exposure to aluminum is a factor in neurological diseases such as Autism, Dementia, and Parkinson's.

Parabens

Parabens have been used since the 1950's as a preservative and to prevent bacteria in skincare products. Parabens mimic the activity of estrogen. Extra estrogenic activities are associated with certain breast cancers. The EPA has linked methyl parabens in metabolic, developmental, hormonal, and neurological disorders and various cancers.

Propylene Glycol

In skincare and cosmetics propylene glycol is used as a humectant and to help prevent products from "melting". Other uses for propylene glycol include adhesives, antifreeze, coolants, enamels, paints, solvents, surfactants, tires sealants, and varnishes. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) reports to avoid skin contact since it is a strong skin irritant and can cause liver abnormalities and kidney damages.

Sulfates

Sulfates are used as a cleansing and foaming agents. They also break down proteins which could lead to deterioration of cells. Also there been sulfate residues found in the heart, lung and brain. Ongoing studies are being done to see the links with sulfates in areas of developmental and reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruptions, ecotoxicity, biochemical and cellular changes and possible mutations and cancers.

Synthetic Fragrances/Fragrances

Synthetic Fragrances or how they are labeled as Fragrances are use to make the product smell appealing and to cover up the smells of the other chemicals. They are also known as skin irritants, harmful to the environment, allergens, and can cause organ system toxicity.

The part of this blog is not to scare you or to pick sides of which ingredients are safe and effective and which ones are not but just a thought. The thought being, using an ingredient in moderation may or may not be harmful but what harm is being done to your skin with chronic use up to 3 times a day, everyday, for your whole life?

Natural and Organic Ingredients

It has been said that if you can't pronounce it don't eat it. The same also applies with skincare. But if you are a smart aleck like me you can pronounce long winded chemical compounds, then I say, if it doesn't come from the earth and can't be naturally or organically cultivated and then processed into a product that has to use chemicals to do so, don't use it. To keep the rest of this blog post short and sweet I am going to talk about two main ingredient groups and go into individual in depth information on them at later times.

Base Oils

Base Oils or Carrier Oils are used to make skincare products or to dilute essential oils. When I look for these oils I make sure that they are organically or naturally grown and cultivated and that they come from sustainable farms. Not that these do not have an inherit risk to them, if you are already allergic to the plant you will be allergic to the base oil as well. Example I am allergic to avocados so I am also allergic to avocado oil as well. I am also allergic to hops so no beer soap or shampoo for me.

Essential Oils

Essential oils are natural oils obtained through the distillation of plants. Some people use them for a safer fragrance while others use them for their holistic care. I look for organically or naturally grown and cultivated and that they come form sustainable farms as well. Essential oils are highly concentrated and when they are not used properly (use in carrier oils) can cause irritations. Also if you are allergic to the plant you are allergic to the essential oil as well. I am allergic to coniferous plants. The essential oils I need to avoid are firs, spruce, cedar wood, cypress, juniper berry, and pine.

This is an ongoing research project for me to find the best product for myself and my customers. This blog post is just a window into the world of what goes into creating natural and organic products. And all this is done to create natural and organic ingredients with You in mind.

***Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent and disease or condition. The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please confirm any information obtained form or through this blog or website with other sources, and review all information regarding any medical condition or treatment with your physician. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something you have read on this blog or website.***