Natural Products are Impossible

Since my new interest in completely natural beauty products I've been researching more into natural products. One argument I've come across are people that are adamant that an all natural product is impossible. Beauty products MUST have some sort of preservative if they are going to sit on your shelves and last.

But is true?

No. You can use all natural products from head to toe. It may take a little more time to seek out a natural product that works for you...but I assure you it is possible.

Why are all natural products important to me? For years I've used any old thing I picked up in the stores...then I tried to change my diet to avoid all the junk added to processed foods. I slip up every now and again....but I generally eat a lot better than I was previously. Along with changing up what I eat I figured I would try to change what I use on my body.

 I've always recognized ingredients I didn't like but I used them anyway because they were readily available and convenient. But since I  started paying attention to how many people have eczema, psoriasis, and various other skin conditions I wondered if the convenience was worth it. Is is possible they are caused by the stuff we are putting on our skin from the time we are babies onwards?

 Plus I developed a rash I suspect is eczema last month. My older brother got the same thing around the age I am now too, but eczema doesn't run in our family.

Like I said earlier companies add preservatives to products so that they can sit on the shelves for months, kinda like your food. The best analogy I can think of is comparing chips ahoy to from scratch fresh baked cookies. Which would you rather have? 

Besides companies adding preservatives is in their best interest...not necessarily ours!

That's not to say I think all preservatives are bad-better that there be a preservative that prevents mold and bacteria that could potentially harm you than to leave it out completely. But there are some compromises you can make if you truly want to use all natural products. 

1. Bar Soaps- It's been my experience that finding a completely natural bar soap is easier and cheaper to find than finding an all natural liquid cleanser. Most liquids have water...and anything with water usually needs a persecutive. Bar soaps don't need a any preservatives. Of course, castle soaps are exception. If you can't do without liquid soap, Dr. Bronners are a great option- just keep in mind some of them can be a little drying!

Take these for example:

South of France Shea Butter Soap: 

Saponified mass balance sustainable palm oil, saponified coconut oil, vegetable glycerin, organic shea butter, natural colorants, blends of natural and essential oils and fragrance.

Plantlife Lemongrass soaps:

 Saponified Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Kernel Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Proprietary Blend of 100% Pure Essential Oils. May Contain Organic Spices, Herbs or Earth Clays.

These days you can find gentle bar soaps for the face...so that takes care of your body cleanser AND your face wash! 

2. Moisturizers- For the sake of shortening this post I'm lumping body moisturizers, facial moisturizers, AND hair moisturizers. So there are two types of moisturizers I would recommend checking out : oils and vegetable butters. Coconut oil is good head to toe for most people (it can be comedogenic on your face though!). Shea Butter is also great head to toe. You may have to wait a minute or so for it to absorb but that's a minor inconvenience! You can also buy body butters or lotion bars that are all natural- they will be thicker and may take a little longer to apply but that's just a trade off you make. 

Nourish Organics Almond Vanilla Body Butter:

Organic butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), organic vanilla planifolia fruit infused organic helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, organic helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, organic cocoa nucifera (coconut) oil, organic fragrance, organic olea europaea (olive) oil, tocopherol (vitamin E).

Shea Butter

Jane Carter Nourish and Shine:

Organic illipe, mango, kokum, and shea butters, grapefruit, (vegetable derived) sources of vitamins A, D, & E, squalene, love. Nothing else!

3. Scrubs- I just recently got into all natural scrubs and the one I'm using now beats the pants off of any junky scrubs (non natural) I've used. I actually have a couple of Deep Steep scrubs too and they have excellent ingredients. Of course just as you can get all natural scrubs for your body, you can get them for your face too! Or you can even make your own.

Deep Steep Argan Oil Scrub Fig Apricot Scrub- Sucrose, ficus carica (fig) fruit extract, prunus armeniaca (apricot) fruit extract, organic butyrospermum parkii (shea) butterr, organic cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, argania spinosa (argan) kernel oil, aroma, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract.

Deep Steep Argan Oil Coconut Lime Scrub-Sucrose, organic argania spinosa (argan) kernel oil, organic cocos nucifera (coconut) fruit extract, organc citrus aurantifolia (lime) peel extract, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter, organic cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, aroma, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract.

4. Shampoo and Conditioner- I've actually had great luck with all natural shampoo....still working on trying out some more natural conditioners! Again, I have had great luck with solid shampoos (from Anita Grant!). Completely natural, not one junky ingredient.

Anita Grant Babassu Amla Shampoo Bar:

Ingredients: Aqua (Ashbeck mountain spring water), *Organic Babassu (Sodium babassuate), *Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Olea eurpaea), Refined Mango Butter (Mangifera indica), *Organic Castor Oil (Ricinus commonus), Amla/Indian Gooseberry Powder (Emblica officinalis (Amla) fruit) & Love!

Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Conditioner:

eionized Water, Butyrospermum Parkii ( Shea Butter)*, Argan Oil, Coconut Oil*, Behentrimonium Chloride, Essential Oil Blend, Vegetable Glycerin, Emulsifying Wax, Sea Kelp Extract, Panthenol (Vitamin B-5) Avocado Oil, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower (and) Lonicera Japonica ( Japanese Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil

5. Toner- Toners are one of the easiest things to switch to all natural. Diluted apple cider vinegar, rosewater, witch hazel, take your pick!

Of course this list is just a starter- you can use all natural makeup, perfumes, face masks, deodorants, etc. This is just a starter to show you that all natural products are completely possible!