Going Natural with Personal Care Products

Whether as a stocking stuffer or through a gift exchange, you may have received some soaps, lotions, or other personal care products over the holidays. Hopefully, if you did, they were free of toxic chemicals. Considering that skin is a person's largest organ (approximately 22 square feet (1) ) that regulate body temperature and provide protection against harmful elements, what it is exposed to directly impacts your health. Although one of skin's functions is to protect our body from exposure to hazards, it will absorb into the bloodstream a significant portion of what it touches. Many people have obvious allergic reactions when their skin is exposed to certain ingredients that are added to soaps and lotions. However, even people who don't have any apparent allergies, exposure to the cocktail of chemicals in many soaps and lotions can results in long-term health consequences. Many added ingredients have been shown to be carcinogenic or result in birth defects and learning disabilities. The vast majority of these chemical additives have never been completely evaluated to determine their safety.

Fortunately, it is becoming easier to find "natural" products, whether it be at a local store, farmers market, or on-line. Just be aware that it's important to read the ingredients list since the words "all-natural" or "healthy" have no defined meaning. I have been misled myself, by picking up a shampoo labeled as "natural", only to find that it may have contained some plant extracts, it also contained propylene glycol (a known carcinogen) and sodium lauryl sulfate (a corrosive cleaning agent).

Lavender Citrus Body Lotion from GPs Place

You can find safe and healthy products from well-known manufacturers such as Burts Bees, a Maine company that started in 1984 making bees-wax candles. As with organic foods, you may be a bit more for toxic-free products, but you don't have to spend a fortune. For example, when it comes to bars of soap, sometimes basic is best. For example, Dr. Bronner's has been making soaps since 1858 in Germany and since 1948 in America. They sell certified organic, fair trade products that can be bought on-line or are sold in chain stores such as Target and Walmart.  Finally, more and more people are venturing into the realm of home-made soaps and lotions, so check around with family and friends. Many people don't advertise, but their personal hobby often results in extra product to sell. For example, in our family, my niece, who is currently studying to become a Physician's Assistant, has made quilts and other crafts for years, but she recently expanded her craft to personal care products. She sells these occasionally at farmer's markets and on-line at gpsplace.etsy.com.

With so many options out there, why not make 2016 the year to go natural, in the truest sense of the word, not just with what you eat, but with what you put on your skin as well?

(1) http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/health-and-human-body/human-body/skin-article/