Protecting the Beauty of our World

Paula Lepore-Burrough

“According to the Environmental Working (EWG) report, on average teenage girls use 17 personal care products/day, five or more than the average adult woman. The study found 16 chemicals with potentially harmful effects in the blood and urine samples of girls, ages 14-19.”

This is a good reminder that not just what we ingest, but everything we put on our skin is absorbed into our bodies. Most chemicals used in beauty products are unregulated similarly to the home cleaning products we find on our ‘trusted’ shelves. The power of marketing have so many of us believing that some of these products are “healthy” products. However, not all Consumers consider that one of the effects of the development of technology has also aided the production of synthetic components that make these products more economical. It is such a lucrative industry that the cosmetic industry now also heavily invest in men’s grooming products.

One of the biggest concerns is the volume of popular makeup brands that contain highly hazardous ingredients (some of these listed below). Under current law, the FDA doesn’t require cosmetic companies to conduct safety checks on their products and so many teenagers are experimenting with products randomly purchased, which over time will increase their toxic stress. Education is so important from an early age. We recommend not to put fear in teenagers, but introducing them to trusted makeup companies such as Savvy Minerals which uses clean natural minerals from the earth. And, if you are quick, you can pick up one of their limited 2017 Savvy Mineral Christmas collections that contains special edition eyeshadows and the rocket lip gloss color and a travel eye brush. I personally have never been big into makeup, but I have fallen with Savvy and feel a little prettier these days.

“Every Savvy Minerals product was carefully crafted so you can feel fabulous about yourself and what you’re putting on your skin. Our range of products is developed with an unwavering standard of purity and quality, giving you a full variety of naturally derived products made without cheap fillers or synthetics—and that’s a beautiful thing! Wherever life takes you, Savvy Minerals is here to empower you to be the woman you want to be.”
https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/savvy-minerals-by-young-living#story

Our bodies have a natural affinity with natural ingredients and using natural oils such as organic essentials oils in our DIY products can more easily enter and leave the body with greater efficiency, leaving no toxins behind. Natural carrier oils and butters such as shea, cacao and mango butter, help to moisturize the skin and adding essential oils into homemade Do- it- Yourself Beauty products also support the health of our body systems both mentally and physically.

Consider taking steps to be more mindful of the beauty products you are using and may carry a toxic load in contaminating your body. Start by researching a few of the ingredients found in products you use in your daily hygiene and beauty regime. You may find a few of the ingredients listed below, if you have not been mindful of what you have been putting into your shopping cart. The EWG has a “better choice” app that makes it less overwhelming for consumers to evaluate and make wiser choices about their skin products (skindeep) and food choices (food scores). In this case, taking care of yourself and the environment is right at our fingertips with the help of technology.
https://www.ewg.org/apps/

Alcohol- may increase the rise of throat and oral tongue cancer Found in mouthwash.
Aluminum- linked to nerve damage, brain disorders, breast cancer Found in Deodorants and Vaccinations
DEA/TEA-potential carcinogen that is most commonly used as a foam boosting surfactant emulsifier and dyeing aid. Found in shampoos, shaving gels, shower gels and cosmetics.
Propylene Glycol- known to cause dermatitis, kidney and liver abnormalities in animal studies,
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate- side effects may include skin irritation, rash, teeth damage, endocrine disruption, hair loss, cataracts, mouth ulcers, respiratory tract, eye and oral toxicity. Found in shampoos, face creams, and ice cream.
Talc- directly linked to ovarian cancer Found in baby powder, feminine powder, cosmetics
Parabéns-different samples of human breast tumors showed each sample to have traces of paraben chemicals Found in cosmetics, deodorants, face creams as well as food products

Why not make your beauty products all about the ‘natural’ chemicals. This is a great time of year to whip up a few batches of these recipes and gift health this Christmas. All you need is a few recycled glass jars, ribbon and the following ingredients.

DIY RECIPES

Body Scrub
(makes 3 half-pint (8 ounce) jars)

  • 1⁄2 cup coconut oil
  • 1 3⁄4 cups organic cane sugar
  • 1⁄2 cup quality Himalayan sea salt, coarse or fine grind
  • 14 drops essential oil(s) of your choice
  • 8 drops of natural food coloring, optional, if you wish to color your sugar scrub

 

  1. Place coconut oil in a small pot and heat on low until melted. Allow to cool slightly.
  2. Add sugar, salt, and essential oils to the oil. Mix until ingredients are well combined.
  3. If adding a natural food color, mix this in now. If mixture is too wet, add a 1⁄4 cup sugar, at a time, until scrub is to desired consistency. Spoon scrub into air-tight containers (such as a mason jar) and decorate with twine or ribbon

Body Butter Base

  • 1/3 Cup Coconut Oil
  • 3 Tbsps Beeswax
  • 2 Tbsps carrier oil (such as jojoba)
  • 3 Tbsps Cacao Butter
  • 3 Tbsps Shea Butter
  • 10 drops essential oil(s) of your choice; consider pre made christmas blends or peppermint, cinnamon, orange, pine, fir or spruce. Be sure to consider the smell of the butters that you are using in your recipe as well.. This is very important for the outcome of the scent. For example Cacao butter has a chocolatey scent and works very well with peppermint essential oil.

 

  1. Gently melt all of the ingredients together, allow to cool to room temp, add essential oils of your choice, then let cool in fridge for approx 46 minutes.
  2. Once cooled completely, use a hand mixer and whip on high speed until peaks form. Place back in fridge for another 30 minutes and you’re done.

Lip Balm (makes approx 15)

  • 1 tbsp cacao butter (for chocolatey taste) or shea butter (or mix both)
  • 1 tbsp jojoba oil
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tbsp beeswax
  • 6 drops essential oils (choose based on butter chosen)
    • Options: peppermint (with tea tree for extra zing), lavender, grapefruit, cinnamon
  • Optional: Add natural coloring to tint lipbalm such as Raspberry Mica

 

  1. Prepare double boiler with 1 to 2 inches water in the bottom of the pan.
  2. Add the oils and beeswax to top pan. Heat gently until melted. Allow to cool slightly just before mixture begins to set.
  3. Add essential oils of your choice.
  4. Pour mixture into lip balm containers of your choice. Let harden.

Hand Sanitizer (Makes about 150g)

  • 5 tbsp aloe vera GEL (be sure to shake first or may end up too liquidy)
  • 2 tbsp rubbing alcohol (or vodka)
  • 2 tbsp witch hazel
  • ½ tsp vitamin E oil (optional)
  • ½ tsp vegetable glycerin
  • 10-15 drops thieves or tea tree essential oil

 

  1. Mix all ingredients together, use a hand mixer to get a real creamy mix and then place in squeeze tube.
  2. Optional: you can add less or omit rubbing alcohol or vodka, it just takes a bit longer to dry that’s all especially if using on young ones

Want to know more? You can follow this blog.
https://www.youngliving.com/blog/save-face-5-diys-for-your-skin-type/
If you have any questions, you can contact us at hooplaessentials@gmail.com or WhatsApp +85297741222