• 22Dec

    Last minute natural skin care gifts for Christmas

     

    Did you save all or some of your Christmas shopping for the last minute? Do you want to avoid the crowds and the traffic at the shopping centers and the malls.

     

    Why not consider giving an e-book. It’s immediately downloadable. You can even get it on Christmas day and have it on time!

     

    If you’re looking for a gift for the person who’s concerned about aging, here are some anti aging e-books for the person who wants natural skin care products…

     

    Facial Gymnastics: Complete Facelift In 7 Days Without Surgery

    This book tells you how to give yourself a facelift without plastic surgery… natural anti aging skin care by exercising the muscles of your face. It’s safe, effective and will save you thousands of dollars.

     

    Naturally Skinsational ~ Rejuvenating Skin Care Recipes

    Create your own natural skin care products with the recipes in this e-book. For very little money you can have anti aging skin care with the best natural ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.

     

    Leons Anti-aging Beauty Secrets- Diy Anti-aging Skin Care Recipes

    Here’s another recipe book for creating your own anti-aging skin care from natural ingredients you probably already have at home. Also, you’ll find anti aging beauty secrets from around the world and more.

     

    Perhaps the person you’re buying for has been struggling with acne and paying megabucks for products with questionable ingredients and getting less than desirable results. Here are a couple e-books about making your own natural skin care products for treating acne… with all healthy ingredients…

     

    Acne Free In 3 Days

    This program was developed by a real acne sufferer and this is what he used to cure his own acne.

     

    Acne No More

    A step-by-step, holistic, natural system developed by a severe acne sufferer that he used to cure his acne permanently and have great looking skin.

     

    What about a soap making gift?

     

    Simple Soapmaking

    Learn how to make your own soap the right way, from an expert. A good natural skin care program must include using healthy natural soaps.

     

    Happy holidays!

     

    Christine H. Farlow, D.C.

    The Ingredients Investigator

    Protecting You From Harmful Ingredients…

    www.dyingtolookgood.com

    www.dyingtolookgoodbook.com

     


  • 12Dec

    Ingredients to watch out for in anti aging skin care products

     

    The marketplace is overflowing with all sorts of anti aging skin care products, natural, organic and from the mainstream manufacturers. A great number of these anti aging products contain products that are harmful or have not been adequately tested.

     

    A big problem with the commercially produced anti-aging products is that a great many of them contain nano ingredients. And frequently, if not most of the time, the nano ingredients are not identified on the label. The trouble with nano ingredients is that they are not proven safe. They have not been in use long enough to find out what long term effects may result from their use. Some research has shown that nano ingredients can enter the cell and damage the DNA.

     

    In addition, most anti aging and skin care products contain ingredients that are not natural and may even be harmful.

     

    Here are some of the commonly used ingredients in anti aging skin care that you should avoid:

     

    Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Isobutylparaben

    PEG (any ingredient that contains PEG in its name)

    Imidazolidinyl Urea

    Butylene Glycol

    Hydrolyzed Wheat Gluten (any ingredient that contains hydrolyzed in its name)

    Diazolidinyl Urea

    Triethanolamine

    Fragrance

    Octyl Methoxycinnamate

    Polysorbate 80 (most polysorbates)

    Ceteareth-20 (any ingredient that has –eth in its name)

    Propylene Glycol

    Yeast Extract

    DMDM Hydantoin

    Polyethelene Glycol

    Potassium Benzonate

    Sodium Benzonate

    Sodium Metabisulfite

    Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (any Lauryl Sulfates)

     

    These are just a few of the many harmful ingredients used in your skin care products, whether they be anti aging products, skin care products in general and even some that claim to be natural and organic skin care.

     

    You will not find these ingredients in 100% certified organic anti aging skin care, the best and healthiest skin care products available. You wouldn’t put these ingredients in natural anti aging skin care you make at home.

     

    Remember, a great deal of what you put on your skin ends up in your blood stream. If you wouldn’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin.

     

    Christine H. Farlow, D.C.

    The Ingredients Investigator

    Protecting You From Harmful Ingredients…

    www.dyingtolookgood.com

    www.dyingtolookgoodbook.com

     


  • 01Dec

    Tips to help you choose the best natural skin care products

     

    Always read all the ingredients on the label of every natural skin care product before you buy.

     

    Just because an herbal skin care product claims to be natural doesn’t mean it is. It may contain a few herbs along with synthetic ingredients, contaminants that cause cancer or chemicals that cause some type of harmful effects.

     

    Not all plant derived skin care ingredients are natural. If the label says an ingredient was derived from coconut, it may or may not be natural, depending on the extent and type of processing. Many plant-derived ingredients are so heavily processed they don’t come close to resembling the plant from which they were derived.

     

    A manufacturer of skin care products may claim that their products are natural or organic, but that doesn’t mean it’s true. The cosmetic, skin care and personal care products industry is highly unregulated. There’s a lot of misinformation presented by the companies in this industry. You can’t believe the advertising or the product labels. The truth is in the ingredients list.

     

    If you don’t want to read the ingredients list on all the natural and organic skin care products you buy, make sure that you choose skin care products that were certified organic by the USDA National Organic Program. Other organic certifying organizations allow ingredients that should not be in organic products.

     

    The bottom line: Read the ingredients list and make sure all the ingredients in every natural skin care product you buy are healthy. Or buy only USDA certified organic skin care products.

     

    Christine H. Farlow, D.C.

    The Ingredients Investigator

    Protecting You From Harmful Ingredients…

    www.dyingtolookgood.com

    www.dyingtolookgoodbook.com


  • 28Nov

    Why your baby really needs REAL natural and organic skin care

     

    In post # 10, I mentioned a number of the harmful ingredients you need to watch out for when shopping for natural skin care for babies. This included the various chemicals like the PEG’s, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, polyoxyethylene, oxynol and anything ending in “-eth” like ceteareth, myreth, laureth and oleth, which  may contain the cancer-causing contaminant 1,4-dioxane. These ingredients are in many baby skin care products, including those that are said to be natural.

     

    What you also need to know is that infants and children are more susceptible to harm from dangerous ingredients in their skin care products than adults.

     

    “Through its review of 23 peer-reviewed studies of cancer incidence from the past 50 years, EPA has determined that infants up to age two are, on average, ten times more vulnerable to carcinogenic chemicals than adults, and for some cancer-causing agents are up to 65 times more vulnerable. The Agency also found that children from age two to 15 are three times more vulnerable to carcinogens than adults.”

     

    In addition, “…the new risk assessment methods show that children accumulate up to 50 percent of their lifetime cancer risk by their second birthday.” Source: Environmental Working Group.  

     

    With the increasing incidence of childhood cancers, it’s very wise to make sure you’re doing everything possible to protect your young ones from unnecessary exposure to cancer-causing chemicals.

     

    To be sure that you’re using the safest and healthiest products on your child, the best all natural skin care choices you can make are those skin care and body care products that are certified organic by the USDA National Organic Program… and read the ingredients on every product before you buy.

     

    Christine H. Farlow, D.C.

    The Ingredients Investigator

    Protecting You From Harmful Ingredients…

    www.dyingtolookgood.com

    www.dyingtolookgoodbook.com

     


  • 22Nov

    What you need to know about certified organic skin care

     

    If you read the last post, you already have an idea why you should use certified organic skin care.

     

    Let’s take a closer look at the benefits…

     

    The certified organic ingredients in natural skin care products are safer and healthier for you because they are grown without

     

    ·    pesticides and herbicides

    ·    synthetic chemical fertilizers

    ·    genetically engineered seeds

     

    Certified organic plants are grown in soil that is richer and has more nutrients. They are processed without harsh chemicals and toxic solvents. The final certified organic ingredients used in the natural skin care products are richer in nutrients than those commercially grown and processed and those that are synthetically derived.

     

    Remember, your skin is the largest organ in your body. It absorbs a great deal of what you put on it. Some of the ingredients actually get into your bloodstream. You are in fact feeding your skin with every skin care product you put on it, whether natural, certified organic or synthetic.

     

    It’s important to make sure that the ingredients in the skin care products you use on your body are also substances you want inside your body and circulating in your bloodstream. All your organic and natural skin care products should be nourishing to your skin and body too.

     

    In addition, choosing certified organic natural skin care products is not only good for you, it’s also beneficial for the soil and the environment as well.

     

    Christine H. Farlow, D.C.

    The Ingredients Investigator

    Protecting You From Harmful Ingredients…

    www.dyingtolookgood.com

    www.dyingtolookgoodbook.com

     


  • 19Nov

    Organic or natural skin care – which is better?

     

    If a skin care product states that it is natural on the label, it may contain natural ingredients. However, the quantity and the quality of the natural ingredients are unknown. It may also have other synthetic ingredients that can be harmful, cause cancer or be tainted with cancer-causing contaminants.

     

    If the skin care product is certified natural by the Natural Products Association (NPA), it is required to be comprised of “at least 95% all natural ingredients.” The NPA defines natural as “Ingredients that come or are made from a renewable resource found in nature (Flora, Fauna, Mineral), with absolutely no petroleum compounds.”

     

    The NPA Standard for natural skin care products allows some synthetic ingredients only when “there is not a readily available natural alternative ingredient” and “there are no suspected human health risks as indicated by peer-reviewed third-party scientific literature.”

     

    The natural skin care ingredients as defined by the NPA may have been grown with synthetic fertilizers and sprayed with chemical pesticides and herbicides. In this case, there may be unknown harmful chemicals and contaminants in the product which are not listed on the label.

     

    Skin care products that claim to be natural and organic, without any certification, are similar to products that claim to be natural without certification. These products will contain some organic ingredients, but the same questions that lurk for the uncertified natural products still remain for uncertified natural and organic products. Although some of these companies may have top quality products with impeccably pure ingredients, many do not. 

     

    So, what is the best natural skin care? It is a skin care product that is USDA certified organic to food standards.

     

    The problems with the OASIS and EcoCert Organic certifications have been previously discussed in this blog.

     

    Christine H. Farlow, D.C.

    The Ingredients Investigator

    Protecting You From Harmful Ingredients…

    www.dyingtolookgood.com

    www.dyingtolookgoodbook.com

     


  • 17Nov

    New Natural Skin Care Standards – Prohibited Ingredients

    The following ingredients are not allowed in the new natural skin care standards by the Natural Products Association:

    • Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
    • Amodimethicone
    • Behentrimonium Methosulfate
    • Butylene glycol
    • Carbomer
    • Ceteareth-20
    • Cetrimonium Chloride
    • Coco DEA
    • Cocoamidopropyl Betaine
    • Cyclopentasiloxane
    • Diazolidinyl Urea
    • Dimethicone
    • Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
    • EDTA
    • EthylHexylGlycerin
    • Glycereth-7 Cocoate
    • Isoceteth 20
    • Isopropyl Palmitate
    • Lauramide MEA
    • Lauryl DEA
    • Methoxycinnamate
    • Olefin Sulfonate
    • Oleyl Betaine
    • Parabens (methyl, propyl, butyl, etc.)
    • PEG-150 Distearate
    • PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
    • Polyquaternium 10
    • Propylene Glycol
    • Sodium Cocoyl Sarcosinate
    • Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate
    • Sodium Laureth Sulfate
    • Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
    • Sodium Lauryl Carboxylate
    • Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
    • Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate
    • Sodium Myreth Sulfate
    • Sodium PCA or Na PCA (pyrrolidone carbonic acid)
    • Soyamidopropalkonium Chloride
    • Stearamidopropyl Dimethyl Amine

    Also, natural skin care products are not permitted to contain ingredients that contain the following in their name:

    • “ethoxylate”
    • “PEG”
    • the suffix “-eth”
    • “sarcosinate”
    • “MEA”, “DEA” or “TEA”
    • “taurate”
    • “sultaine”
    • “Sulfosuccinate”
    • “PPG”

    In addition, companies are not allowed to use these types of ingredients in their natural skin care products:

    • synthetic silicone compounds
    • petroleum derived ingredients including petrolatum, mineral oil or paraffin
    • chemical sunscreens like avobenzone and oxybenzone
    • synthetic polymers, i.e. ingredients that contain PVP or acrylates in the ingredient name
    • preservatives that release formaldehyde, including DMDM hydantoin, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, methylisothiazolinone

    This is not an exhaustive list. There may be other ingredients, not on this list, that are not allowed in natural skin care products.

    There are a number of synthetic ingredients that are temporarily allowed in certified all natural skin care products. These are scheduled to be eliminated in 2010. They are:

    • preservatives that do not release formaldehyde and do not contain parabens
    • fragrances that do not contain phthalates and are not irritants
    • coco-betaine
    • quaternary ammonium compounds used in hair conditioners

    It’s important to remember that the best natural skin care products may not be the ones certified by the Natural Products Association. Because of the high fees required to become certified, many small natural skin care companies may not be able to afford the certification, but may provide a superior natural skin care product.

    Some of the best all natural skin care lines are found here.

    Again, it all boils down to reading the labels and knowing which ingredients are safe and which are not.

    Christine H. Farlow, D.C.
    The Ingredients Investigator
    Protecting You From Harmful Ingredients…
    www.dyingtolookgood.com
    www.dyingtolookgoodbook.com


  • 12Nov

    Give the gift of natural skin care this holiday season

     

    Most of the skin care and personal care products on the market are full of ingredients that should never come in contact with your skin, even some of the ones that are labeled natural and organic. Most people don’t have a clue that the products they use on their skin are harmful.

     

    This is the perfect time to introduce your family and friends to truly healthy organic all natural skin care products and to the importance of using natural and organic skin care products with safe ingredients.

     

    Visit DyingToLookGood.com for a variety of great gift suggestions for certified organic personal care and skin care products.

     

    Choose from the best natural skin care and personal care products available, including skin care for teens and women, shaving care for men, creams and lotions, body wash and shampoos. There is also Tooth Soap, the best alternative to toothpaste, mineral makeup sample packages and the best, most effective, all natural deodorant with healing herbs.

     

    We are bombarded with toxic materials constantly in our environment, our foods, our skin care products and our homes. Some of these toxics we have no control over, like the air. We have to breathe it if we want to live, even if it is polluted. However, we do have control over the ingredients in our food, the products we use on our bodies and in our home. The more we take charge and use only those products that are healthy, the healthier we will be.

     

    Share the gift of health with your family and friends this holiday season.

     

    Christine H. Farlow, D.C.
    The Ingredients Investigator
    Protecting You From Harmful Ingredients…
    www.dyingtolookgood.com

    www.dyingtolookgood.com


  • 07Nov

    Anti-aging natural skin care products

     

    There are a lot of anti-aging products on the market. Many claim to be natural. However, if you read the ingredients list you’ll find that a great many so-called natural skin care anti-aging products are far from natural.

     

    Very popular among the highly marketed so called all natural anti-aging skin care products is the use of nano ingredients. This is a technology that is rapidly being integrated into many products, not only skin care.

     

    The main issue you should be concerned with is the fact that these ingredients have not been adequately studied. No one knows the long term effects on your health from the absorption of nano ingredients. However it has been shown that nano sized titanium dioxide enters the cell and damages the DNA. This alone is good reason to avoid all skin care products, whether natural or not, that contain nano sized ingredients.

     

    Here are three of my top picks for certified organic natural anti-aging skin care products …

     

    Rejuvenessence Facial Serum rejuvenates tired and stressed skin with powerful healing ingredients like avocado, rosehips, calendula, jojoba and carrot. There are no synthetic chemicals, no petroleum derived ingredients and no contaminants – just organic, whole, nourishing ingredients to feed your skin and to regenerate and revitialize your complexion.

     

    Firming Eye & Neck Serum decreases the appearance of crow’s feet and fine lines and wrinkles. It moisturizes and tones with organic ingredients like rosehips, avocado oil, olive leaf, horsetail and nettle. It’s ultra concentrated with real food nutrition for the skin.

     

    Ambrosia Essence is the ultimate skin rejuvenation treatment. It’s composed of powerful and effective herbs and flower extracts to tone, soothe and renew the skin. Tamanu nut oil, rosehips and neroli are just three of it’s eight potent and healing ingredients.

     

    Rejuvenate and revitalize your skin with the best natural skin care anti-aging products that contain truly healthy and nourishing ingredients.

     

    Christine H. Farlow, D.C.

    The Ingredients Investigator

    Protecting You From Harmful Ingredients…

    www.dyingtolookgood.com

    www.dyingtolookgoodbook.com

     


  • 24Oct

    Certified organic skin care product reviews

    Miessence is the Australian certified organic skin care line that set the standard for certified organic skin care and cosmetics. Years of research and development went into developing their extensive skin care, personal care and cosmetic product line, certified organic to international food standards, including the USDA National Organic Program. Highly recommended.

     

    Sensatia Botanicals all natural and organic skin care products are made by hand on the island of Bali from the finest raw botanical ingredients. They’re always fresh, 100% natural ingredients that you might find in your mother’s kitchen. Highly recommended.

     

    Dr. Bronner’s has recently come out with a new USDA certified organic skin care line which includes body balms, lotions, shaving gels and lip balms. Although it is not a complete skin care line, it does offer some basic organic natural skin care products at an affordable price. Highly recommended.

     

    Origins is Estee Lauder’s organic natural skin care line. Some of their products are USDA certified organic, most are not, though they may contain some organic ingredients. Origins does not list the ingredients in their products on their website, so if you’re going to buy this brand, your best bet is to go to the mall and look at the ingredients list on the package. Make sure you take a good reference with you so you know which ingredients are safe & which are not.

     

    I did find Origins Bath Matcha Tea Body Lotion on another website with a complete ingredients list. Some of the objectionable ingredients in this product include: Butylene Glycol, PEG-100 Stearate, Yeast Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol.

     

    The bottom line here is that Origins is a product line produced by a mainstream cosmetics company that uses synthetic and petroleum derived ingredients, some of which are harmful. Caution advised, read ingredients list carefully.

     

    The Origins products are priced similarly to those of Miessence and Sensatia Botanicals, which are produced by companies that are committed to producing truly healthy products from the best natural and organic ingredients. If you’re going to invest in organic natural skin care, why not get it from a company that is genuinely committed to exceptionally healthy organic and natural skin care products.

     

    Shop for top quality organic and natural skin care and personal care lines here.

     

    Christine H. Farlow, D.C.

    The Ingredients Investigator

    Protecting You From Harmful Ingredients…

    www.dyingtolookgood.com

    www.dyingtolookgoodbook.com