Natural Health Articles

We all want to be beautiful, there is no denying that. Millions of dollars are spent each year on cosmetics, but at what cost to our own well-being? Along with the boom in popularity of alternative medicine, people are searching for natural alternatives to cosmetics.

Commercial deodorants, hair spray, nail polish, perfumes, hand and body lotions all contain what are called phthalates. This chemical has been known to cause birth defects and has shown up in higher than normal levels in pregnant women. Some would argue to simply avoid using products with phthalates, but the problem is that not all products list them on their labels.

One would also think that by walking into a health food store and simply buying “all natural” cosmetics would easily solve the problem. The bottom line is this is a lot more difficult than you would imagine.  Much of this is due to companies wanting to cash in on the movement towards “all natural” products.  Just because a products says they have one or two natural products in it, such as lavender or aloe, does not a safe product make. Get in the habit of reading labels, take a close look at what is going into the product you are buying and don’t take the advertisement’s word for it that all the ingredients are safe.

The best thing you can do for yourself is to become an informed consumer. Read the labels on the products you buy, become familiar with the terminology. Hand and body lotions are probably the easiest items to find with truly all natural ingredients. The difficulty comes when looking for products such as makeup. There are very few companies out there that offer true all natural products. However, there are companies that make an honest attempt to keep their products as natural as possible. Some of these companies are Origins, Aveda, and Clarins.

As with any cosmetic there is still the chance of allergic reactions, such as skin rashes when the product comes in contact with the skin. Always try the new product on a small patch of skin first to make sure you will not suffer any adverse affects and stay away from ingredients you know you are already allergic to. Some of the ingredients attributed to allergic reactions are jojoba oil, tea tree oil, and lavender. Even vitamin E and aloe have been known to cause allergic reactions. As with any natural product, research and knowledge are key to choosing the right product for you.