How to Avoid Toxic Beauty Products

Most women and many men these days use some kind of commercial beauty product, whether it is a simple moisturiser or a whole range of make-up.  Whatever we put on our skin, hair, and nails can contain toxic ingredients that add to the overload of substances that we come into contact with every day; substances that can be carcinogenic, cause rashes or a hormone imbalance,  or do some other kind of damage. In fact, many moisturisers also contain an ingredient that dries the skin.

How stupid is that? Not so stupid if you are the company that makes it. People keep on purchasing the product because it feels good – at first. They don’t realise it is actually making their skin dry as well, blaming the dryness on other factors such as the soap they use or even going to the beach, or they may consider it to be a natural thing because they have ‘dry skin’.

You can avoid toxic beauty products by using natural products that are good for you in many ways. Here are some of them;

  • Coconut oil. This can be used externally for many things, from strengthening the epidermal tissue just under the skin and fighting off bacterial and fungal infections of the skin, including atopic dermatitis.  It is also good internally as it helps to prevent inflammation and has healthy fats that nourish the gut and increase immune system health. It is a wound and scar healer and can be used to prevent razor burns.

  • Tea tree oil is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. It’s a great home remedy for acne when mixed with a carrier oil and dabbed straight onto the skin. It is often tolerated much better than other commercial products.
  • Every pantry should contain apple cider vinegar, which can be used for many kinds of skin problems and for cleansing the gut. It can also be used as an anti-inflammatory and a hair rinse instead of a conditioner.
  • Raw honey has many properties, such as being anti-bacterial, making it a good product for healing wounds or breakouts on the skin. It can be used for nappy rash, dandruff, dermatitis and psoriasis, as well as in the bath as a moisturiser. Honey, as a spread, is not raw.
  • Sea salt contains many ingredients that are essential to life and health. It can be mixed with all of the above ingredients and lavender oil to make a facial mask, scrub, toner or moisturiser.
  • Avocado is a fatty fruit you might want to avoid if trying to lose weight, but it is ideal to mash and use on your skin as it contains vitamins A, D and E to boost collagen and treat age spots. It’s also great to soothe sunburn or other burns.