The following is a guest post by Cumming Local Mom Writer, Jenie.
Going Green on the Cheap: Moisturizing Your Body
Most lotions contain chemicals that are not good for your body. Your skin “drinks” whatever you put on it. Have you read the ingredients on your lotion? Pretty weird stuff.
Here are a few ingredients you can check to see if it’s in your lotion*:
- Parabens (a preservative) - Studies implicate their connection with cancer because their hormone-disrupting qualities mimic estrogen and could disrupt your body’s endocrine system.
- Mineral Oil, Paraffin, and Petrolatum – These petroleum products coat the skin like plastic – clogging pores and creating a build-up of toxins. They can slow cellular development, creating earlier signs of aging. They’re implicated as a suspected cause of cancer. Plus, they can disrupt hormonal activity. When you think about black oil pumped from deep underground, ask yourself why you’d want to put that kind of stuff on your skin.
- Sodium laurel or lauryl sulfate (SLS), also known as sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) - Found in over 90% of personal care products! They break down your skin’s moisture barrier, potentially leading to dry skin with premature aging. And because they easily penetrate your skin, they can allow other chemicals easy access.
- Dioxane (Hidden in ingredients such as PEG, polysorbates, laureth, ethoxylated alcohols) – Very common in personal care products.These chemicals are often contaminated with high concentrations of highly volatile 1,4-dioxane that’s easily absorbed through the skin. Its carcinogenicity was first reported in 1965, and later confirmed in studies including one from the National Cancer Institute in 1978.
So, here’s a hand made solution you can use instead of chemicals.
-Body lotion & hand lotion-
Use: Olive oil, coconut oil, or grapeseed oil.
Any of these work well. Just pour on some drops and rub in. Or with coconut oil, grab a small scoop of it and rub in.
-Cuticle oil-
I use olive oil. It keeps brittle nails from getting dried out from the cold. You won’t get as many hangnails or cracked cuticles. Applying occasionally won’t work though, you have to use it often.
-Body Scrub-
I love body scrub! It’s great for people like me that are lazy about putting lotion on. It’s just too cold after you get out of the shower some days to do it! (You can also use on your hands, it makes them so soft!)
•easy scrub recipe•
1. Fill a jar 1/2 way with salt or sugar (white or brown works).
2. Mix in olive oil until you get a slushy consistency.
You’re done!
To use: after you rinse your soap off, rub your scrub (in a circular motion) on the dry areas of your body. Rinse off the salt/sugar. Just be careful because it can make your tub slippery.
You can get very creative with your scrub by adding essential oils, dried herbs or flowers, or trying different types of scrubs (like coffee). There are many recipes on the web you can find! Just don’t add synthetic stuff.
Organic products are best, but if it’s too expensive to you, it’s ok. It’s still MUCH better than a regular bottle of lotion.
Here’s a great article to read if you want to know more about the chemicals in lotion & other skin products: http://www.mercolahealthyskin.com/
More About Jenie
I am a newbie to Cumming. I moved here from North Texas at the end of May, and I really like living here. I’ve been married for 7 years and have 2 kids. A son that’s 5 (he just started school this year!) and a daughter that is 3. I am a jack of all trades, but a master of none. I like to cook, sew, garden, read, work out, and my favorite thing is being a mom! Of course this is not everything about me, but I’ll keep this short and sweet so I don’t bore you to death!
Read more about Jenie’s mission to “Go Green on the Cheap”, by clicking here.
Post linked to Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family.
Photo Source: D. Sharon Pruitt
