Cosmetic Safety

I stumbled across the cosmetics database yesterday that ranks how hazardous your cosmetics and other products are to you. I have not stopped looking up my products since yesterday. It's addicting and also a little freaky??! It makes me wonder how far I want to go to actually cut hazardous products I love out of my life. How can I part with Clearasil Daily Face Wash after clear skin for the last 3 years?? My life is, all of the sudden, full of difficult choices. It is interesting (and not surprising) to note that some of the brands I would consider to be more "natural" and "organic" actually have higher hazard ratings than some of the more mainstream brands. Beware - if you have a tendency for OCD issues about health/chemicals, this website could put you over the edge.

True Life - Fragrance Free Laundry

Since the beginning of March, my skin started to show signs of irritation and itchiness. After 2 different doctor opinions it seems that it's my laundry detergent & fabric softener. How Depressing!! I have a whole shelf of products that will now have to sit there until (hopefully!) the day my skin can take fragrance and dyes again.

I switched to extra moisturizing soaps and gels over the harshly cold winter we had. At the same time, I tried a whole new brand of dryer sheets that I remember being extra-weary of. I also add extra detergent when I don't see enough suds in the washer. The NY Times had a "real eye-opening" article last week on the last issue. I am in the group that does think suds = more cleaning power. I've had to cut that practice ASAP.

Yesterday I was in search of a fragrance & dye-free laundry detergent. The fact that it has its own section at Target makes me think that we're not doing right by our skin. Years of overly harsh formulas must be taking their toll. Or parents are extra OCD about their kids? Probably both. Another find - that most of the Free & Clear formulas smell chemically. What gives? Scientists haven't figured a way around this by now?? Normally I use Cheer, and I thought about going with Cheer's Free & Gentle formula, but I feel like that will be harsh and also it smelled bad. Reviews say the smell disappears in the wash, but I was not buying it- literally or figuratively. Target was sold out of All's Free & Clear in every possible size. Apparently everyone thinks this is the best one? Or they just had a really good sale on it? It gets high marks in all the sensitive skin formula ratings, so I'll try a trial bottle at some point. I want to know what it smells like. Another favorite of Carrboro-esque sites is Charlie's Soap. It's free of everything and biodegradable, but it came with some warnings of mineral build-up around collars and sleeves.

I purchased Purex's free & clear version. I've used Purex before and haven't had a bad experience, and it had a pleasant chemical-free smell. So far so good. What I'm missing most is the softness that my liquid fabric softener and dryer sheets added. I know they're a waste and the sheets are bad for the environment, but scratchy towels are bad for my hands. Maybe I'll purchase Bounce's fragrance-free dryer sheets in the future but who knows.

Returning Faves

I went into The Body Shop yesterday and to my surprise, some of my old faves are back!!! For a limited time only, the Body Shop is bringing back some of their original products from the 80's. Let me highlight my top 4:

Passion Fruit Cleansing Gel. I've talked about this one up before because as I kid I loved this stuff. It's gentle and smells great. I don't use it as an everyday cleanser because my oily skin needs acne fighting ingredients every now and then. This is more along the lines of a "special occasion" shower gel. A few years ago I found this product in London and stocked up. Is it bad to still be using products after 4 years? It doesn't seem to have affected the way this gel works and the scent is still fresh.

One product I had forgotten about until I unleashed the scent again was the Green Apple Shower Gel. This stuff is genius! It's a little on the fruity side for those that try to steer clear of these kind of scents, but it's their loss. It's got more of a zest fragrance than an overwhelming sweetness, and I love how strong it is. Obviously it goes without saying that if you get the right scent than the Body Shop shower gels are the da bomb. See: Strawberry shower gel.

This last product is a little controversial for me. Banana Shampoo and Conditioner. The scent is a very pleasing banana, but I've just found that it's a basic shampoo that sometimes has left my wavy hair limp on occasion. Which is ok! Because every now and then I need that scent life to perk up my shower plus it does leave my hair feeling soft. Does anyone else do this? I sometimes buy products knowing full well that overall it's just standard, but some aspects of the product makes it worthwhile for me. In this case, it's the scent and the softness factor. Which let's just all agree - the Body Shop does scents well. I think these products are more about nostalgia for everyone and when I use these they remind me of being 10 and getting beauty products for the first time.

Happy 2010!

Hi friends!

It's been awhile! But I'm back with more questions, comments, and thoughts regarding the products that can be purchased at drugstores. While in a CVS today, I had a few of these thoughts such as:

CVS is now featuring a futuristic entrance sign. This particular one is in a shopping center in Arlington, VA, which currently holds a grocery store, Starbucks, dry cleaners, etc. but is suffering from a 1980's facade that is in dire need of a facelift. CVS, however, may have taken this a bit too far. It looks like a spaceship.

Now I have been really struggling lately with purchasing a new shower gel. I spent quite a bit of time at the beginning of the new year searching Sephora, The Body Shop, Target, the internet...and haven't really found an adequate shower gel for mid-winter. I typically pick shower gels that are on the heavier side, both in scent and viscosity, since there's really no other time of year to use them. Plus, I have been dryer and static-ier than EVER this winter, so I need to load up on the moisturizers. These were my considerations:

1. Philosophy - Cherry On Top @ Sephora. I wanted to love this one. It's new for Valentine's Day and I can't really say "no" to cherry anything. But, alas, I was underwhelmed. I think it might be best with a mix of that and some almond flavored soap, or perhaps the Belgian Waffle Philosophy. Just something to cut the sweetness of the Cherry. If I wasn't on a budget right now, that would probably be something to look into.

2. Philosophy - Snow @ Sephora. When I stopped in the other day, they were o

ut. I checked online and discovered it's still available, but wow people are divided on the scent. The comment section is about 50/50 with most people agreeing it doesn't smell like snow, but diverging on their opinions of the scent. Most people think it smells citrus-y, for better or for worse. I happen to like it, but since it wasn't readily available, I moved on.

3. Nivea - Touch of Honeydew. I was really attracted to the bottle and thought, maybe this would be pleasant. The shower gel sort of looked like a refreshing Italian soda, so I was pretty excited. It had a nice enough scent, but I decided I'm not ready to commit to a summery shower gel just yet. Stay tuned for my thoughts on this one.

4. St. Ives - Energizing Citrus @ CVS - Again, too summery for now.

I couldn't make up my mind, so I decided to buy two:

Softsoap - Apricot Scrub. I used this last winter, so it sort of reminds me of that shower. But I figured it's perfect for my needs right now. It's affordable, has a strong scent and it's a lotion soap with bead

s for extra moisturizing. I don't remember being so dry last winter even though I kept my bedroom at a solid 85 most of the time. So I'm going for it. It was between that, and the Johnson's soap Susan recommended on the previous post. That one totally reminds me of the Spanish Harlem apartment I shared with

her, when I totally copied off of her shower gel preferences. I will buy it again someday, but right now I already have a large amount of Johnson's Melt Away Stress shower gel, and one 20oz bottle is enough for that little shower.

I also purchased Johnson's Baby Magic. This was a childhood staple. I feel like I'm right back in my old bathtub. I purchased it a couple years ago and noticed that my skin felt extra soft, even when I wasn't expecting it to. But due to this obsurd skin-dryness I have going right now, it's worth bringing out for reinforcement.

So what winter shower gel/soap are you using right now? Have you tried Susan's 24 Hour Moisture recommendation? Is bar soap the way to go? Should I take that plunge into the Creme Ribbon soap?

Mid-Winter Update

Happy 2010! Here's what's new for me product-wise this January:

Laundry - I'm digging the new Cheer brightClean formulas. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like my whites are whiter and my colors brighter. Good job guys! As for dryer sheets, I'm in a bit of a bind. Downy stopped making the lemon verbena soothing sheets, and I was forced to pick up some Bounce sheets at Target. Bounce has never appealed to me as a brand, so we'll see how it goes. So far, the scent is more obnoxious in the box than it has been on my clothes so I will be using all 40 sheets.

Side note - Why doesn't Target stock more diverse brands? The dryer sheet selection was limited to 2394872384 Bounce and 2 Downy scents. What gives? I feel like Target is creating a monopoly with select lines and it's affecting my selection.

Shampoo - On a whim I purchased Nature's Gate Herbal Daily Cleansing shampoo last week. I really wanted to like it but the scent! The scent kills me. I felt like I had washed my hair in my grandfather's old spice. It is just too much for me to have to smell all day. I like Nature's Gate though so I'll give them another chance with another formula.

I'm also looking for suggestions on where to get a good brush. My trusty old cheap-y Revlon one from the last 5 years is basically RIP. Any ideas/suggestions where to go? I'm trying to avoid Target/Wal-Mart in the hope of a more substantial investment.

Soap - During the recent cold snap, my skin could have been in real trouble. Lucky for it, I use Johnson & Johnson's 24 hour Moisturizing Body Wash during the winter. This stuff is a life saver. It's just like the package says - all day moisture without being greasy. I've been using this for the past 3 winters and the smell is forever tied to this time of year. Also of note was a new find this year - Irish Spring's Moisture Blast bar soap. I like this variation because the smell is great. Aren't all Irish Spring smells great though?? I really like the zest it can put into a shower. Moisture Blast is a nice winter substitute for the regular formula.

Tea - Just because. I've really been enjoying Bigelow's Lemon Lift this month. It was good for my throat when I was getting sick.

dry shampoo

I was wondering, does anybody know of a nice talc-free, dry shampoo? If you haven't gotten into dry shampoo, it is a lifesaver. Well, it has been for me anyway. Especially in the winter, when the heat is on 24/7 and hair tends to get dry, dry shampoo is the way to go. I only have to wash my hair once every three days when I use this stuff. And hair is shinier and more healthy from not washing it so much. Just put some on your roots to get rid of the greasiness. If you are blonde, its especially helpful because roots tend to look a lot darker after a few days of not washing. It also seems like it saves $ and time from not having to wash and condition your hair so often.

I've been using baby powder, but I would like to try an actual product meant for this purpose. I worry a little bit about putting baby powder on my head a lot. Apparently inhaling too much baby powder can cause breathing problems. I'm not too worried because I know enough people who do this, but still. It seems a lot of dry shampoos come in spray form these days. I'm not sure if I'm down with that. But if it works, I may be! Also, I'm pretty cheap, so I'm not going to shell out for expensive brands like in the picture unless they last a long time.