Has anyone really thought about the toxic chemicals we expose ourselves to in the name of beauty? Deodorant, makeup, and dryer sheets are some top offenders.
For years the rumor/warning about a link to Alzheimer’s, dementia, and cancer and commercial deodorants has been out there. Whether or not that is true was enough of a prompt for me to look at different alternatives.
A friend of mine at the gym gave me her recipe for a homemade deodorant, and I have used this for several years now. The recipe includes using essential oils. Essential oils are a subject for another day, but the most important thing is to know that not all essential oils are created equal. Grocery store oils have many unhealthy additives and synthetics in them, which totally defeats our purpose of healthy living! I use doTerra essential oils.
So, on to the homemade deodorant recipe!
3 teaspoons of baking soda
3 teaspoons of melted coconut oil (I pop my 3 tsp. in a bowl and microwave for about 30 seconds)
12 drops of Melaleuca
12 drops of lavender
12 drops of Frankincense
Mix together and store in a glass jar. I find many of my jars and roller bottles from www.aromatools.com. This is just one switch you can make in your daily routine.
The other bigger switch is going to be in cosmetics. I use doTerra’s Essential Skin Care products, which I love. The problem is what I put on my skin after I use all of these lovely potions.
My makeup drawer is quite a smorgasbord. I have used Jane Iredale mineral powder for many years, but am not loyal to all her products.
I use a little of this and a little of that. And that’s where the problem is.
My favorite blogger, Maria Emmerich, made a timely post about Beautycounter products. www.beautycounter.com, which led me to do more research. The conclusion is that cosmetic companies use an obscene amount of chemicals in their products, and I need to make the switch!
While I can’t make the move all at once, I am starting slow with their “Bright side duo”, an evening and morning skincare regimen. So far so good! They say it takes up to 30 days to see results, and I’m only a week in. I’m excited to see the results.
The other switch I made was to stop buying dryer sheets. I replaced the chemical laden sheets with wool “dryer balls”. You are encouraged to sprinkle some essential oils on them to add a bit of scent, which I do. They work just great, and I don’t have to worry that my towels/sheets/clothes are caked in potentially harmful chemicals.
So if this is something that interests you, start slow and see if it works for you. You’ll be glad you did!