• 26May

    Product Review - Soleo Organics All Natural Sunscreen

    Sunscreens are controversial. The mainstream says you absolutely must slather it on every time you go out into the sun. However, sunscreen prevents your body from making vitamin D. You need some exposure to the sun, without sunscreen … during the time of day when the sun is not at its hottest, before 10 am or after 4 pm, in order for you body to make vitamin D.

    With natural skin care growing in popularity, there are a lot of sunscreen products claiming to be natural. However, not all of them live up to the claims when you read their ingredients lists.

    There’s also the discussion about the so called natural sun protective ingredients zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Are they micronized? Are they nano size? Or are they larger particle size? In the non-micronized larger size, they go onto the skin leaving a white film. Most sun products contain the micronized or nano sized particles.

    The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified titanium dioxide as a possible carcinogen. Some companies now leave it out, but still use the zinc oxide.

    Recent research is reported to say that micronized zinc oxide is not absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream if it is greater than 100 nanometers in size. That is not true for particles less than 100 nanometers. 

    Soleo Organics recently introduced their All Natural Sunscreen with 22.3% zinc oxide. The rest of the ingredients include oils and botanical extracts.

    The zinc oxide is well above the 100 nanometer size, according to the company.

    One other ingredient caught my attention… vegetable oils. They specifically named four other oils. Why is vegetable oil listed as ingredient instead of naming the specific vegetable oils? It usually means they’re hiding something. When I contacted the company they did admit that the vegetable oils included soy oil and canola oil, both undesirable oils. However, they said it only makes up about 1% of the product.

    Compared to the majority of the sunscreen products on the market, this is definitely a better choice.

    However, here is an even better choice … without the vegetable oil.

    Yours in health,

    Christine H. Farlow, D.C.
    The Ingredients Investigator
    Protecting you from harmful ingredients
    www.dyingtolookgood.com
    dr.cfarlow@dyingtolookgood.com

  • 13May

    Product Review - MAC Cosmetics

    From what I could find, MAC does not claim to be a natural skin care line. They do claim to be cruelty free. However, since I received a call asking me about the ingredients in the MAC Cosmetics, I will review one product here and provide the link to the ingredients for the rest of their products.

    Finding the ingredients for this product line was not easy. Below I have listed the ingredients for one of their skin care items. The ingredients in red are the objectionable ingredients and the reason why I do not recommend MAC Cosmetics.

    Green Gel Cleanser:
    Water (Aqua Purificata) Purified, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, TEA-Lauryl Sulfate, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Cocamide MEA, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Extract, Laminaria Saccharina Extract, PPG-5-Ceteth-20, Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5), Pantethine, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Benzophenone-4, Octyl Salicylate, Sodium Chloride, Octyl Methoxycinnamate, Fragrance (Parfum), Sodium Citrate, Trisodium HEDTA, BHT, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Blue 1, Yellow 5

    What you put on your skin is absorbed into your bloodstream. So you want to make sure that your skin care products are truly natural, preferably organic. The skin care products you use should feed and and nourish your skin with the same kind of healthy ingredients you would find in your kitchen. The best natural skin care products are made from food-grade organic ingredients and are certified by the USDA National Organic Program.

    Yours in health,

    Christine H. Farlow, D.C.
    The Ingredients Investigator
    Protecting you from harmful ingredients
    www.dyingtolookgood.com
    dr.cfarlow@dyingtolookgood.com

  • 06May

    A recent review of the Decleor Product line called it “Solution-Based Holistic and Natural Skincare.”

    Decleor is described as a natural skin care product line that “combines Aromatherapy to purify the skin, and Phytotherapy to protect it from environmental damage” resulting in “high-quality products that support the skin and delight the senses.”

    Looking at the ingredients in a couple of these supposedly natural products in this new skin care line quickly demonstrated that their definition of holistic and natural skin care was NOT natural and holistic at all.

    Take for example the ingredients in the Decleor Cleansing Gel:

    Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Water, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, Acrylates Copolymer, Triethanolamine, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Fragrance (Parfum), Propylene Glycol, Tetrasodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Propylparaben, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone

    The ingredients listed in red should never be found in a truly natural product. The best natural skin care product lines will contain truly natural ingredients. The ultimate best natural skin care brands that are those that are also certified organic.

    Don’t be fooled by misinformation about the healthfulness of organic and natural skin care products. It is abundant. Protect yourself by learning the simple basics of reading product labels.

    Yours in health,

    Christine H. Farlow, D.C.
    The Ingredients Investigator
    Protecting you from harmful ingredients
    www.dyingtolookgood.com