Goodbye mask - Hello me!

Hey everyone,

As you know, I stopped washing my face with soap a few months ago.  I just rinse with water and I have used apple cider vinegar as a toner and baking soda as an exfoliant once or twice.  As I mentioned earlier, I am very active and sweat a lot, but despite this, my skin is perfectly clear.  I have always had relatively clear skin but I would get the occasional breakout and my skin felt a little dry.  Since I am no longer using soap, I am no longer applying moisturizer - but my skin feels soft and hydrated.  The only downside to all of this "mother nature knows best chatter" is that I cannot wear make-up.  Firstly, I think part of the reason my skin has been co-operating so well is that I do not apply anything to it and secondly it would be a little tricky to get all of it off with just water.

I must confess that last week I wore mascara for a party - and I felt prettier than I have in a long time.  So something has to give.  I feel like I look good but I don't feel that pretty anymore.  Boo hoo!

Before I start speaking about alternatives - let me provide you with a description of some toxic chemicals found in most make-up products:

Blush:
The main ingredient in most blushes is talc, a carcinogen. Colour is provided by hazardous coal tar dyes. Mineral oil, which can clog pores, and propylene glycol, a neurotoxin and skin sensitizer, are binders used to hold the formulation together. Acrylate compounds, commonly used as thickening agents, can be strong irritants.

Concealer:
Concealers contain numerous irritating chemicals like propylene glycol, lanolin and paraben preservatives. Imidazolidinyl urea is the second most reported cause of contact dermatitis. BHA, a preservative, is a carcinogen that can be absorbed through the skin. DEA, TEA and MEA can form carcinogenic nitrosamines that are absorbed through the skin, and may be carcinogenic in themselves.

Eyeliner:
Mainstream eyeliners contain carcinogenic coal tar colours, hormone-disrupting TEA, and PVP (polyvinylpyrrolidone). PVP is an allergen and there is some evidence that it cause cancer in lab animals.

Eyeshadow:
Talc, a carcinogen, is the main ingredient in powdered eye shadows. Cream eye shadows are made with petrochemicals like paraffin and petrolatum, carcinogenic coal tar colours, and lanolin, an allergen which may contain pesticide residues. The glitter in cream eye shadows is created by adding pure aluminum which can cause violent allergic reactions in some people, as well as possibly entering the eye and causing injury to the cornea. The Consumer Agency and Ombudsman in Finland tested 49 eye shadows and found that all contained lead, cobalt, nickel, chromium and arsenic. Researchers say the amounts can cause occasional allergic reaction and sensitivities. However, other research shows chronic exposure to low levels of arsenic can cause hormone disruption.

Face powder:
Mainstream powder products commonly contain talc, a carcinogen. Airborne talc is particularly dangerous because it can be inhaled. Other toxic ingredients include formaldehyde (carcinogenic and a sensitizer), quartenium-15 (can release formaldehyde), lanolin (irritant), imidazolidinyl urea (irritant, can release formaldehyde), MEA, TEA and DEA (hormone disruptors, can release formaldehyde) and parabens (hormone disrupters, irritants).

Foundation:
Foundations are the third leading cause of contact dermatitis among cosmetics users. Because foundation is worn on the skin for many hours, products containing synthetic ingredients can cause skin problems. Mineral oil can block pores and promote cosmetic acne and isopropyl myristate, a fatty compound, can cause blackheads. Other ingredients include propylene glycol, a neurotoxin and skin sensitizer, TEA and 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol which are often found together and which, combined, may cause the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines, parabens, commonly- used hormone disrupting preservatives that may accumulate in body fat, and quaternium-15, a germicide that may break down into formaldehyde which is a carcinogen and sensitizer. Foundations also include coal tar colours and synthetic fragrances. They may also contain lanolin, a common allergen.

Lipstick:
A woman may ingest more than four pounds of lipstick in her lifetime - even more if she wears it every day. Coal tar dye colours are common allergens and also carcinogenic. Lipsticks also contain amyldimethylamino benzoic acid, ricinoleic acid, fragrance, ester gums and lanolin. Some dyes can cause photosensitivity and dermatitis.

Mascara:
Conventional mascara contains petroleum distillates, shellac, acrylates (strong irritants), phenylmercuric acetate (preservative made from benzenes and mercury that can cause blisters, skin irritation and allergic reactions), parabens (hormone disrupters, allergens), quaternium-22 (preservative, allergen), quaternium-15 (eye irritant) pentaerythrityl (resin additive made from formaldehyde). Lash-extending products can contain plasticizers, like polyurethane, that cause cancer in animals, and polystyrene sulfonate which can irritate eyes and may be a hormone disruptor.

Source: http://www.lesstoxicguide.ca/index.asp?fetch=personal#blush

So what are the alternatives:

 - Aubrey Organics sells make-up without any toxic chemicals I outlined earlier http://www.aubrey-organics.com/.

The rest of the options are things I have been experimenting with:

- Coconut oil: (FYI - it's finally out of my hair). For cosmetic purposes - I sometimes apply a tiny bit of coconut oil to my cheekbones and around my eyes for a nice shine.  Coconut oil also makes a great lip balm.  I am not crazy about red lips - but if you are a va-va-voum kinda gal - you can mix a little bit of coconut oil with some berries or beets.  This could replace your standard coloured gloss.

- Cinnamon: Apply some cinnamon and coconut oil to your lips for five minutes before heading out.  It will make them plumper and slightly red - a la Angelina Jolie.

- Coconut oil or Vitamin E - use a little bit of oil with a plain mascara wand - no mascara. (http://www.sallybeauty.com/Disposable-Mascara-Wands/SBS-168970,default,pd.html).  Then curl your eyelashes.  The great benefit of this approach is that you will not get any dark circles around your eyes later in the night.  I would also recommend this method for outdoor music concerts or if you want to look cute while playing sports - lol.

- Potato starch, corn starch and various other ingredients. I haven't tried this one yet - I might this weekend.  For a tinted face powder you would mix some potato starch and corn starch and add a bit of cinnamon.  This will give you a healthy glow without subjecting your skin to harmful UV rays.  For eyeshadow add a little bit of cocoa to the above mix.  A tiny bit of oil added will help the powder adhere to your lid.

I'm a big fan of just get up and go beauty.  I just wanted to provide some options in case you have a night out and you want to dress up a bit.  Also, I have noticed that my features look a little bit plain in photos - so this could be a good solution next time I think there will be a lot of picutres taken at a particular event.

I hope these homemade solutions will enhance your natural beauty without harming your skin and overall health.  Please provide any home made recipes or tips you may have.

Free yourself!