It's been a couple of months...
I wanted to update you all on where I'm at and what has been going on.
About halfway through the Baby Steps to Natural Living series, I realized that I have been doing some extra work... & then I was given a very good idea.
I have given you all the first few steps. I feel that before I go into health, nutrition & all the DIY stuff that goes along with it, I need to be real with you all. I am still working through all of this crunchiness. It is a long journey, this natural one.
So, in light of that, I have decided to do something big. I will be researching these topics a little more in the coming months. I want you all to have updated, valid information. When I have completed all of my studying and digging, I plan to release this entire series as an E-Book.
This is something that I believe will benefit many of us. I *wish* I would have had something like this when I began my natural journey years ago.
Be watching for release dates &, of course, lots of fun stuff leading up to that.
In the meantime, I'll keep posting my weird stories & you can follow along as we do life with the Splendid Six.
XOXO
Kourtney
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Day 12 LINKS
As promised, my friends... it's time for some LINKS!
Here are my favorite Vitamins & Supplements that we use:
Our kids use:
JUICE PLUS
WE USE (& love):
doTERRA's Lifelong Vitality Pack
Vitamin D
Vitamin C
Magnesium
Since the Lifelong Vitality has an Omega supplement, we are good on our oils. However, the kids also take an Omega supplement. Barlene's is super yummy... it tastes like a Dreamsicle.
We all also take a probiotic. We will chat about the reasons for that in the coming days, but for the moment here is what the adults at our house use:
My hubby like THIS
I like THIS
& then what the kiddos use.
That's all for today's link round-up... See you all tomorrow!
Here are my favorite Vitamins & Supplements that we use:
Our kids use:
JUICE PLUS
WE USE (& love):
doTERRA's Lifelong Vitality Pack
Vitamin D
Vitamin C
Magnesium
Since the Lifelong Vitality has an Omega supplement, we are good on our oils. However, the kids also take an Omega supplement. Barlene's is super yummy... it tastes like a Dreamsicle.
We all also take a probiotic. We will chat about the reasons for that in the coming days, but for the moment here is what the adults at our house use:
My hubby like THIS
I like THIS
& then what the kiddos use.
That's all for today's link round-up... See you all tomorrow!
Baby Steps Day 12: Vitamins & Minerals
Thank you for your patience friends... as I posted on the Facebook page last week, we had a friend suddenly pass away in a tragic car accident, leaving behind his 2 young children. After that happened, I committed to spending my week with my babies. I pushed pause on life as much as possible & enjoyed being their mommy.
So, this week, we will be picking up where we left off & talking about WELLNESS! In our last post, we learned about how our bodies work. We learned about how they fight sickness and disease.
A huge part of that is having the sufficient levels of vitamins and minerals in our bodies that help every organ, every system, every cell function at it's best. What is the best way to get that? By eating well, right? By consuming a variety of nutrient-dense foods on a daily basis... right?!
I'm going to assume for a moment that most of you have never eaten a purple carrot. Or a beet for that matter. What about something more simple... spinach. Do you eat spinach every day? Do you even eat vegetables every day? Our Standard American Diet is unfortunately not made up of such nutrient dense foods! In fact, even the foods we *think* are nutrient dense, are so processed that a large part of the vitamins and minerals have actually been lost.
We are going to get into our diets more in the future, but today we are talking about these vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and minerals from food sources are ideal. And honestly, if we lived in a perfect, organic world, we could all get thoes items from our diets... the problem is, this isn't the Garden of Eden. And we also have seasonal issues. For example, I can't get a good batch of Strawberries right now in St. Louis. They just aren't very good! In certain climates, specific fruits and vegetables don't even grow! I just cannot grow a banana tree in my backyard. It's not warm enough. Despite my children eating an entire bunch a day, I'm stuck without a banana tree. So, we outsource... we buy stuff at the store & hope it's not loaded with pesticides (more on those later, too!). We have busy lives, so we turn to convenince. We run out of time in the morning, so we have to grab lunch out. We have to settle!
This all leads me back to this: if we aren't getting the essential vitamins and minerals that our bodies need to keep us healthy in our FOOD, we have to get them from somewhere... Supplements!
There are a few supplements that most Americans need in our diets. I've got a whole bunch of links to go with today's post & you'll catch them all at the end of this.
Vitamin D, B12 & C are examples of 3 major vitamins that we just don't get enough of in our lives.
Let's start with Vitamin D... the sunshine vitamin! Why do you think we don't get enough of that??? Well, consider the fact that you will probably spend most of your day today, inside of a building. There has been a link found between individuals that get sick a lot & Vitamin D deficiency.
So, I wonder what that means in the middle of the winter...
when we are inside because it's cold...
when it's cloudy & dreary...
catching on?
Our bodies need these things to function at their best! And that's not all: magnesium, iron, calcium... all things that our bodies need!! Some are easier to get through food than others. We can't overlook them though, or our immune systems may take the toll.
I'll let you do a little research and check out these links. Be on the lookout today though as I'm going to highlight my 2 FAVORITE supplements & give you links to all the awesome stuff we give our own family every day to stay healthy & to help our bodies ward off sickness.
Vitamins and Minerals | Weston A Price
Dr. Oz Explains The Importance of Vitamin D | The Dr. Oz Show
7 Signs and Symptoms You May Have a Vitamin D Deficiency
Link Between Vitamin D Deficiency and Dementia Confirmed
Vitamin D Deficiency Is Prevalent in Multiple Sclerosis
Magnesium: Why You Need It | The Dr. Oz Show
Magnesium: The Missing Link to Better Health
Vitamin B12 Deficiency May Lead to Brain Shrinkage
Vitamin B12 Benefits & How to Prevent Vitamin B12 Deficiency
How Vitamin C and Iron Can Help Reduce Your Stroke Risk
Whole Food vs. Synthetic Supplements | Melissa Wood, ND
Real or Synthetic: The Truth Behind Whole-Food Supplements
So, this week, we will be picking up where we left off & talking about WELLNESS! In our last post, we learned about how our bodies work. We learned about how they fight sickness and disease.
A huge part of that is having the sufficient levels of vitamins and minerals in our bodies that help every organ, every system, every cell function at it's best. What is the best way to get that? By eating well, right? By consuming a variety of nutrient-dense foods on a daily basis... right?!
I'm going to assume for a moment that most of you have never eaten a purple carrot. Or a beet for that matter. What about something more simple... spinach. Do you eat spinach every day? Do you even eat vegetables every day? Our Standard American Diet is unfortunately not made up of such nutrient dense foods! In fact, even the foods we *think* are nutrient dense, are so processed that a large part of the vitamins and minerals have actually been lost.
We are going to get into our diets more in the future, but today we are talking about these vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and minerals from food sources are ideal. And honestly, if we lived in a perfect, organic world, we could all get thoes items from our diets... the problem is, this isn't the Garden of Eden. And we also have seasonal issues. For example, I can't get a good batch of Strawberries right now in St. Louis. They just aren't very good! In certain climates, specific fruits and vegetables don't even grow! I just cannot grow a banana tree in my backyard. It's not warm enough. Despite my children eating an entire bunch a day, I'm stuck without a banana tree. So, we outsource... we buy stuff at the store & hope it's not loaded with pesticides (more on those later, too!). We have busy lives, so we turn to convenince. We run out of time in the morning, so we have to grab lunch out. We have to settle!
This all leads me back to this: if we aren't getting the essential vitamins and minerals that our bodies need to keep us healthy in our FOOD, we have to get them from somewhere... Supplements!
There are a few supplements that most Americans need in our diets. I've got a whole bunch of links to go with today's post & you'll catch them all at the end of this.
Vitamin D, B12 & C are examples of 3 major vitamins that we just don't get enough of in our lives.
Let's start with Vitamin D... the sunshine vitamin! Why do you think we don't get enough of that??? Well, consider the fact that you will probably spend most of your day today, inside of a building. There has been a link found between individuals that get sick a lot & Vitamin D deficiency.
So, I wonder what that means in the middle of the winter...
when we are inside because it's cold...
when it's cloudy & dreary...
catching on?
Our bodies need these things to function at their best! And that's not all: magnesium, iron, calcium... all things that our bodies need!! Some are easier to get through food than others. We can't overlook them though, or our immune systems may take the toll.
I'll let you do a little research and check out these links. Be on the lookout today though as I'm going to highlight my 2 FAVORITE supplements & give you links to all the awesome stuff we give our own family every day to stay healthy & to help our bodies ward off sickness.
Vitamins and Minerals | Weston A Price
Dr. Oz Explains The Importance of Vitamin D | The Dr. Oz Show
7 Signs and Symptoms You May Have a Vitamin D Deficiency
Link Between Vitamin D Deficiency and Dementia Confirmed
Vitamin D Deficiency Is Prevalent in Multiple Sclerosis
Magnesium: Why You Need It | The Dr. Oz Show
Magnesium: The Missing Link to Better Health
Vitamin B12 Deficiency May Lead to Brain Shrinkage
Vitamin B12 Benefits & How to Prevent Vitamin B12 Deficiency
How Vitamin C and Iron Can Help Reduce Your Stroke Risk
Whole Food vs. Synthetic Supplements | Melissa Wood, ND
Real or Synthetic: The Truth Behind Whole-Food Supplements
Monday, January 12, 2015
Baby Steps Day 11: Intro to Wellness
Welcome back to our Baby Steps to Natural Living series!
We have been learning lots, and HOPEFULLY you all are feeling more empowered and prepared to start taking some of these baby steps in your own homes!
Last week, we covered Personal Products & ended with a post about our "Private" health. It's been one of the most popular posts in this series! I would encourage you to head over and check it out if you haven't read it yet... LADIES! This is an important one!
This week we are going to dive into Natural Health & Wellness. We will talk briefly about medications, but the goal of this week is to EMPOWER you all to take charge of your own healthcare. Doctors are wonderful & I believe that medications and prescriptions can be a wonderful TOOL! Notice I did not say "answer". I believe that they are a tool in our toolbox that we need knowledge of (both pros and cons) and that we should use when we have tried all the other options first. When we have gotten to the root of an issue and are treating that ROOT, not just the symptoms. Unfortunately that is not the way most mainstream doctors operate.
I should warn you though: this a hard transition! Especially if you come from a very medically-minded background. My goal this week is to arm you with all the information you need to FIRST prevent sickness and disease, but then to combat these ailments in the least destructive way possible.
I feel like it's always a good idea to have knowledge about alternative health options also, for the sake of emergency preparedness. In fact, you'll notice that most of the topics we have covered are good for this purpose. If there were a natural disaster or any kind of devastating war in our country & we suddenly did not have access to medications or hand sanitizers or shampoo... knowing how to make these items easily is a wonderful skill to have!
I'm so excited to get started!
The first thing we need to do is determine how our bodies WORK! Human biology here we come!
I'm going to give you all a few links to read up on & then when you are ready, you'll be more able to understand all of our posts for this week!
Here is an in-depth look at how our immune system works:
http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/immune/immune-system.htm
This talk in depth about all of the various ways our bodies prevent illness. I do not agree with ALL of the linked articles, but the info here is pretty good:
http://www.humanillnesses.com/General-Information-and-Infectious-Diseases-A-Co/Body-Defenses.html
Tomorrow we will get into the meat of this topic, but I felt like a good intro was necessary when we're talking about health & wellness. See you all then!
We have been learning lots, and HOPEFULLY you all are feeling more empowered and prepared to start taking some of these baby steps in your own homes!
Last week, we covered Personal Products & ended with a post about our "Private" health. It's been one of the most popular posts in this series! I would encourage you to head over and check it out if you haven't read it yet... LADIES! This is an important one!
This week we are going to dive into Natural Health & Wellness. We will talk briefly about medications, but the goal of this week is to EMPOWER you all to take charge of your own healthcare. Doctors are wonderful & I believe that medications and prescriptions can be a wonderful TOOL! Notice I did not say "answer". I believe that they are a tool in our toolbox that we need knowledge of (both pros and cons) and that we should use when we have tried all the other options first. When we have gotten to the root of an issue and are treating that ROOT, not just the symptoms. Unfortunately that is not the way most mainstream doctors operate.
I should warn you though: this a hard transition! Especially if you come from a very medically-minded background. My goal this week is to arm you with all the information you need to FIRST prevent sickness and disease, but then to combat these ailments in the least destructive way possible.
I feel like it's always a good idea to have knowledge about alternative health options also, for the sake of emergency preparedness. In fact, you'll notice that most of the topics we have covered are good for this purpose. If there were a natural disaster or any kind of devastating war in our country & we suddenly did not have access to medications or hand sanitizers or shampoo... knowing how to make these items easily is a wonderful skill to have!
I'm so excited to get started!
The first thing we need to do is determine how our bodies WORK! Human biology here we come!
I'm going to give you all a few links to read up on & then when you are ready, you'll be more able to understand all of our posts for this week!
Here is an in-depth look at how our immune system works:
http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/immune/immune-system.htm
This talk in depth about all of the various ways our bodies prevent illness. I do not agree with ALL of the linked articles, but the info here is pretty good:
http://www.humanillnesses.com/General-Information-and-Infectious-Diseases-A-Co/Body-Defenses.html
Tomorrow we will get into the meat of this topic, but I felt like a good intro was necessary when we're talking about health & wellness. See you all then!
Saturday, January 10, 2015
TOP 7 WAYS to improve your "PRIVATE" health!
This post is a special, little, extra post for you ladies!
I mentioned in my last post that we would be focusing on more "private" personal products. Well, I'm a Birth Educator and a firm believer in teaching my kids about their REAL body parts, not avoiding those conversations with some cute name. So... lets talk about VAGINAS!
Vaginal health is a big deal. Anyone who suffers from chronic Urinary Tract Infections or Yeast Infections can attest to that. Most of us are never taught how to care for this sensitive part of our bodies early enough in life. Honestly, most of our moms didn't have a clue either!
So, how DO we care for our vaginas in a natural, healthy way? Here's my TOP 7 ways to give your vagina it's best health:
7. Wear loose fitting clothing/pants
Vaginas need air... and circulation! This isn't 24-7, but if you choose to wear tighter clothing one day, make sure you change when you get home & give your lady bits some fresh air! I'm not saying you should never wear skinny jeans, leggings or yoga pants. Honestly, I would not wear pants if it weren't for those. Speaking of not wearing pants...
6. Sleep without underwear
I freaked out the first time I read this. This little church girl could never... but my vaginal health depends on it. Dr. Robert Bradley of The Bradley Method of Childbirth suggests women abstain from wearing underwear as much as possible to avoid perineal tearing in birth. Women in nudist communities naturally have healthier vaginas and tear less during childbirth... coincidence? Probably not. I'm not saying everyone has to sleep nude. That could get chilly! Even if you wear pajama pants, but no undies, you're improving the atmosphere for your vag! Encourage your girls to do the same. My girls and I choose 2 days a week to go without panties at bedtime. Any improvement is better than none!
5. Wear only 100% cotton panties
No synthetic fibers, no flame retardent material (read more about that subject HERE), no funny fabrics... While on the topics of synthetics...
4. No synthetic fragrances or scents near the vaginal area
That goes for toilet paper, lotions, soaps, bubble baths, pads and tampons.
3. No tampons or synthetic maxi pads
Okay, so most of us have this routine of running to the store when Aunt Flo is coming to town. Well, that has to change. There are numerous health reports and studies on the dangers of synthetic materials and toxins being inserted into our bodies via tampons, not to mention rubbing against such sensitive skin via pads. Check out these articles to get you started:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/01/23/dangers-of-feminine-hygiene-products-every-woman-should-know.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/08/06/tampons-feminine-care.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/05/22/feminine-hygiene-products.aspx
There are several great options for vagina-friendly tampon alternatives:
http://shop.mercola.com/catalog/feminine-products,65,0,0.htm
http://divacup.com/
And wonderful, small business supporting options for pads:
https://www.etsy.com/search?q=reusable%20cloth%20pads&ref=auto7
2. No soaps
This is another hard one. Many times we use soaps and cleansers because they think it will keep things smelling better down there, but they actually do the opposite. Our vaginas are beautiful self-cleaning organs. A normal vaginal pH is 4.5... At this pH level, your vagina contains a delicate balance of necessary bacteria, even some yeast. This balance can be easily messed up. So when this happens, things like odor, irritation, discomfort and infections are more likely to occur.
1. Pat-pat-pat!
We all should know to wipe front to back, right? This helps our vaginas keep clear of bad bacteria that comes from our bottoms. However, many women do not know that wiping is often too harsh. Our vaginas are sensitive, delicate body parts! Rather than wiping (or rubbing, or chafing) we should be patting the area dry. If there is any irritation at all, spraying the vaginal area off with water first is also acceptable. So, remember... DON'T WIPE... instead just pat-pat-pat!
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/09/05/vaginal-health-stay-healthy-clean-_n_1854398.html
Vaginal Yeast Infections 5/24/03
Causes and Natural Remedies for Yeast Infections
Hope this has been a helpful piece of info for you mommas and also to share with your girls! Here's to healthy vaginas! See you all on Monday!
Baby Steps Day 10: LINKS GALORE
Are you all ready to get your link on?
I've gathered all my favorites for you right here! Obviously these are not the ONLY products, but they are the ones that we use at our house or that we intend on using as we continue this journey of switching out our mainstream personal products!
You're going to see a lot of the same brands, because I have six kids. I can't mess around ordering from a hundred different websites. If I can get it at Target... I will. If I can place ONE order each month and get everything we need... I will.
So, please don't feel like if you don't like these or can't afford these then you HAVE to stick with the old, toxic products. Shop around, do your research & find what works for your family! Now, I will tell you, we are on a crazy tight budget. So, if we are using a product, you can be pretty sure I've already shopped around to find a good deal. But again, I've got six kids, so I don't spend all day, every day, researching products. I find what fits in our budget, what works for us, what we like... and you should do the same.
So, without an further explanation, here are my favorite personal products:
TOOTHPASTE
Honest Company has a great option. I do not use their toothpaste, but Michael and our kids do! $5.95 and eligible to go onto a bundle with Honest Co.
https://www.honest.com/bath-and-body/kids-toothpaste
Michael likes the adult version a lot. It's $3.95 for 2 smaller size tubes. The cool thing is, they're smaller so he can take it on a plane without needing to get a travel-size toothpaste full of yucky ingredients!
https://www.honest.com/bath-and-body/toothpaste
Personally, I LOVE using my doTERRA OnGuard Toothpaste. Next week we have 2 days designated to Essential Oils, BUT I have stained, sensitive teeth from LOTS of antibiotics as a child. Since using this toothpaste, my teeth have actually been whiter & less sensitive. Also, I'm pretty sure I had a cavity & it hasn't bothered me since using this. AWESOME! Even, better, as a Wellness Advocate, I get this at a 25% off discount, not to mention if I order it through our Loyalty Rewards Program, I am earning another 25% in points to buy more stuff next month! BONUS!! So, I highly recommend this product!
You can check it out at the link below, or by going through my website at www.mydoterra.com/kourtneyowens & selecting SHOP.
https://nettrax.myvoffice.com/doterra/ShoppingCart/Shop.cfm?CurrPage=FrontPage&NextPage=CategoryDetail&CategoryID=182&pid=18756907515171994
LOTION, HAND SOAP, BODY WASH, CHAPSTICK & BUBBLE BATH
This category is another that we stick to Honest Company & doTERRA!
Honest Company has a great line for lotion and a Shampoo/Body Wash that we use for our kids. We also use their Bubble Bath for our boys (not for our girls... more on that in the next post). The hand soap is really awesome, too!
https://www.honest.com/bath-and-body
Then I really love doTERRA's Wild Orange hand lotion, OnGuard hand soap and chapstick. The chapstick has peppermint and wild orange Essential Oils in it, so my kids won't touch it because it's minty, BUT I like it!
www.mydoterra.com/kourtneyowens
Another great chapstick we use is the EOS brand. I first got it because... TARGET! But I really love it. They also have shaving cream that is really lovely. And check out these ingredients! Fantastic!
http://evolutionofsmooth.com/
DEODORANT
This is our family's next Baby Step. These are the options I plan on trying for myself, my hubby & our 9 year old:
Honest Company
https://www.honest.com/bath-and-body/deodorant
Burt's Bees
http://www.burtsbees.com/Natural-Skin-Care-for-Men-Deodorant/57500-00,default,pd.html?cgid=forHim&start=4&q=#start=4
http://www.burtsbees.com/Herbal-Deodorant/131-111,default,pd.html?cgid=forHim&start=10&q=#start=10
Naturally Fresh Crystal Deodorant Spray
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001ZZH0M/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_V-fVtb1Z847BF
Primal Pit Paste
http://primal-pit-paste.mybigcommerce.com/primal-pit-paste-stick/
http://primal-pit-paste.mybigcommerce.com/primal-pit-paste-jar-kids-1/
AS ALWAYS, There are a lot of really awesome DIY recipes for all of these...
http://healthylivinghowto.com/1/post/2014/02/ditch-your-toxic-toothpaste-10-diy-toothpaste-recipes.html
http://doterrablog.com/diy-essential-oil-deodorant/
http://doterrablog.com/diy-foaming-hand-soap/
http://doterrablog.com/diy-moisturizing-lotion-bars/
http://www.lifecouldbeadreamblog.com/diy-miracle-moisturizer/
Instead of food coloring on these you could use a fruit juice- like an organic cranberry or raspberry.
http://www.couponsandfreebiesmom.com/2013/11/homemade-peppermint-bubbling-bath-salt.html
http://doterrablog.com/do-your-hands-and-feet-resemble-sandpaper-try-this-diy-scrub-made-with-essential-oils/
Have fun looking through all of these great products & recipes! Feel free to check out my Pinterest page for more great ideas! And I'll see you all soon as we cover some more PRIVATE personal products that are of great importance!
I've gathered all my favorites for you right here! Obviously these are not the ONLY products, but they are the ones that we use at our house or that we intend on using as we continue this journey of switching out our mainstream personal products!
You're going to see a lot of the same brands, because I have six kids. I can't mess around ordering from a hundred different websites. If I can get it at Target... I will. If I can place ONE order each month and get everything we need... I will.
So, please don't feel like if you don't like these or can't afford these then you HAVE to stick with the old, toxic products. Shop around, do your research & find what works for your family! Now, I will tell you, we are on a crazy tight budget. So, if we are using a product, you can be pretty sure I've already shopped around to find a good deal. But again, I've got six kids, so I don't spend all day, every day, researching products. I find what fits in our budget, what works for us, what we like... and you should do the same.
So, without an further explanation, here are my favorite personal products:
TOOTHPASTE
Honest Company has a great option. I do not use their toothpaste, but Michael and our kids do! $5.95 and eligible to go onto a bundle with Honest Co.
https://www.honest.com/bath-and-body/kids-toothpaste
Michael likes the adult version a lot. It's $3.95 for 2 smaller size tubes. The cool thing is, they're smaller so he can take it on a plane without needing to get a travel-size toothpaste full of yucky ingredients!
https://www.honest.com/bath-and-body/toothpaste
Personally, I LOVE using my doTERRA OnGuard Toothpaste. Next week we have 2 days designated to Essential Oils, BUT I have stained, sensitive teeth from LOTS of antibiotics as a child. Since using this toothpaste, my teeth have actually been whiter & less sensitive. Also, I'm pretty sure I had a cavity & it hasn't bothered me since using this. AWESOME! Even, better, as a Wellness Advocate, I get this at a 25% off discount, not to mention if I order it through our Loyalty Rewards Program, I am earning another 25% in points to buy more stuff next month! BONUS!! So, I highly recommend this product!
You can check it out at the link below, or by going through my website at www.mydoterra.com/kourtneyowens & selecting SHOP.
https://nettrax.myvoffice.com/doterra/ShoppingCart/Shop.cfm?CurrPage=FrontPage&NextPage=CategoryDetail&CategoryID=182&pid=18756907515171994
LOTION, HAND SOAP, BODY WASH, CHAPSTICK & BUBBLE BATH
This category is another that we stick to Honest Company & doTERRA!
Honest Company has a great line for lotion and a Shampoo/Body Wash that we use for our kids. We also use their Bubble Bath for our boys (not for our girls... more on that in the next post). The hand soap is really awesome, too!
https://www.honest.com/bath-and-body
Then I really love doTERRA's Wild Orange hand lotion, OnGuard hand soap and chapstick. The chapstick has peppermint and wild orange Essential Oils in it, so my kids won't touch it because it's minty, BUT I like it!
www.mydoterra.com/kourtneyowens
Another great chapstick we use is the EOS brand. I first got it because... TARGET! But I really love it. They also have shaving cream that is really lovely. And check out these ingredients! Fantastic!
http://evolutionofsmooth.com/
DEODORANT
This is our family's next Baby Step. These are the options I plan on trying for myself, my hubby & our 9 year old:
Honest Company
https://www.honest.com/bath-and-body/deodorant
Burt's Bees
http://www.burtsbees.com/Natural-Skin-Care-for-Men-Deodorant/57500-00,default,pd.html?cgid=forHim&start=4&q=#start=4
http://www.burtsbees.com/Herbal-Deodorant/131-111,default,pd.html?cgid=forHim&start=10&q=#start=10
Naturally Fresh Crystal Deodorant Spray
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001ZZH0M/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_V-fVtb1Z847BF
Primal Pit Paste
http://primal-pit-paste.mybigcommerce.com/primal-pit-paste-stick/
http://primal-pit-paste.mybigcommerce.com/primal-pit-paste-jar-kids-1/
AS ALWAYS, There are a lot of really awesome DIY recipes for all of these...
http://healthylivinghowto.com/1/post/2014/02/ditch-your-toxic-toothpaste-10-diy-toothpaste-recipes.html
http://doterrablog.com/diy-essential-oil-deodorant/
http://doterrablog.com/diy-foaming-hand-soap/
http://doterrablog.com/diy-moisturizing-lotion-bars/
http://www.lifecouldbeadreamblog.com/diy-miracle-moisturizer/
Instead of food coloring on these you could use a fruit juice- like an organic cranberry or raspberry.
http://www.couponsandfreebiesmom.com/2013/11/homemade-peppermint-bubbling-bath-salt.html
http://doterrablog.com/do-your-hands-and-feet-resemble-sandpaper-try-this-diy-scrub-made-with-essential-oils/
Have fun looking through all of these great products & recipes! Feel free to check out my Pinterest page for more great ideas! And I'll see you all soon as we cover some more PRIVATE personal products that are of great importance!
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Baby Steps Day 9: The TOP 5 chemicals you should steer clear of in personal products
Well, we are halfway through the list of personal products...
This week we've talked about cosmetics, nail polish, and hair products. Today & tomorrow we have lots to cover!
Have you ever thought about what might be in your handsoap? What about your lotion? Toothpaste? No? How about deodorant?
It's okay! Most people haven't!
We are going to talk a little about what exactly ANTI-BACTERIAL means. This word is slapped on everything from hand soap and hand sanitizers to deodorant and body wash to laundry detergents and dish soaps!
It's important to remember that OUR BODIES NEED BACTERIA!
We don't need all bad bacteria, but some is beneficial to developing a healthy immune system! We also need good, healthy bacteria... we'll talk more about this next week when we dive into NATURAL WELLNESS, but for now you should know that ANTI-BAC is not Jesus! It will not save you from every sickness and disease... in fact, killing every single bacteria and sanitizing every surface 10 times a day could actually be doing more harm than good!
Check out these articles if you want to get a head start on that topic:
http://www.neatorama.com/2011/08/07/antibacterial-hand-sanitizer-may-actually-make-you-sicker/
Antibacterial soaps: Being too clean can make people sick, study suggests -- ScienceDaily
Scientists Discover That Antimicrobial Wipes and Soaps May Be Making You (and Society) Sick | Guest Blog, Scientific American Blog Network
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/03/20/immune-systems-increasingly-on-attack.aspx
So, what makes a product anti-bacterial? Oh... this is where it gets good...
We're going to talk about the top 5, but then I'll list a few more that you should look into on your own! It becomes so much more real when you start to do the research for yourself!
1. TRICLOSAN
Remember this one from last week's chat on household products? Let's dig a little deeper! Well, not only does it kill bacteria, but it has been found to actually KILL HUMAN CELLS!
Once it's on your skin, it stays there for many hours. It is actually similar to the chemical Agent Orange and can cause decresed frtility, birth defects & damage to major body organs. When combined with the chlorine in our water, it can create chloroform gas. It can bioaccumulate in fish and be detected in human breast milk!!! THIS CHEMICAL is found in almost every standard "anti-bacterial" product on the market!
2. Sodium Laurel Sulfate or Sodium Laureth Sulfate
This chemical is in 90% of products that foam! That's shampoos, dish soaps, hand soaps. Interestingly, the very product used in SHAMPOOS that are for your hair's health also is linked to HAIR LOSS! It is also linked to skin and eye irritation, organ toxicity, developmental/reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, ecotoxicological, and biochemical or cellular changes, and possible mutations and cancer according to EWG.
3. PARABENS
This is an ingredient used to preserve shelf life. It also includes many in the paraben family: methylparaben, propylparaben, beutylparaben, etc. It is endocrine disrupting and linked CLOSELY with Breast Cancer. In fact, it has been detected in human breast tumors. This is concerning because parabens have been shown to mimic estrogen, which can encourage the growth of human breast tumors.
4. SYNTHETIC COLORS
Made from coal tar, these contain heavy metal salts and leave deposits on the skin. We know that the skin absorbs what is put on it, then putting these toxic heavy metals into our bodies!!! This is especially concerning for anyone who has any sort of metal toxicity already, which we will also get into next week, but many of us do! Labeled as FD&C or D&C, followed by a number or color, studies have shown almost all of these to be carcinogenic, or cancer-causing!
This is the main ingredient found in anti-freeze and is listed by the FDA as a human carcinogen. Makes sense, right? We shouldn'tdrink anti-freeze! However, this chemical is found in hand sanitizers, moisturizers, shaving creams, deodorants and baby products. It weakens skin cells, and is linked to cancer, developmental and reproductive toxicity, allergies, immunotoxicity, and organ system toxicity!!!
Here's a list of a few ingredients to research on your own:
Diethanolamine
1, 4-Dioxane
Ethyl Alcohol or Ethanol
Benzalkonium Chloride (BAC)
These chemicals are in so many of our products!
I went through my house this morning to search for products that could have these chemicals and I found lots! I have a pretty crunchy house & have already begun to toss the yucky stuff... even after all that I still found plenty of products I needed to toss! Old hand soaps under my sink, "natural" shampoo & conditioner, "natural" toothpaste... so like we mentioned last week, just because something says "GREEN" or "NATURAL" doesn't mean it's free of toxins!
I want you to feel empowered to start finding this info on your own, so I've given you a few links below to read through. Each of them will get you started to the road to research!
Check out these articles on DEODORANT:
http://organic4greenlivings.com/5-reasons-you-should-not-use-deodorant-or-antiperspirants/
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/09/20/does-your-antiperspirant-cause-breast-cancer.aspx
Check out these articles on TOOTHPASTE:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2001/05/30/toothpaste-part-two.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/10/20/are-your-toothpaste-shampoo-and-body-wash-harming-your-health.aspx
http://www.livestrong.com/article/167101-what-are-the-harmful-ingredients-in-toothpaste/
So, what are we supposed to do? Be dirty and gross? OF COURSE NOT! There are natural options that we can use in place of the traditional, chemical-laden, cancer-causing stuff we would typically buy at the store. And places like Target are even starting to stock more natural products! Gotta love Target!
In our next post we will have a link party! I've been saving up product links, DIY links and much more. Get ready!! I'll see you all back here tomorrow!
http://www.beyondpesticides.org/antibacterial/triclosan-research-3-09.pdf
Immune Systems Increasingly On Attack
We are going to talk a little about what exactly ANTI-BACTERIAL means. This word is slapped on everything from hand soap and hand sanitizers to deodorant and body wash to laundry detergents and dish soaps!
It's important to remember that OUR BODIES NEED BACTERIA!
We don't need all bad bacteria, but some is beneficial to developing a healthy immune system! We also need good, healthy bacteria... we'll talk more about this next week when we dive into NATURAL WELLNESS, but for now you should know that ANTI-BAC is not Jesus! It will not save you from every sickness and disease... in fact, killing every single bacteria and sanitizing every surface 10 times a day could actually be doing more harm than good!
Check out these articles if you want to get a head start on that topic:
http://www.neatorama.com/2011/08/07/antibacterial-hand-sanitizer-may-actually-make-you-sicker/
Antibacterial soaps: Being too clean can make people sick, study suggests -- ScienceDaily
Scientists Discover That Antimicrobial Wipes and Soaps May Be Making You (and Society) Sick | Guest Blog, Scientific American Blog Network
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/03/20/immune-systems-increasingly-on-attack.aspx
So, what makes a product anti-bacterial? Oh... this is where it gets good...
We're going to talk about the top 5, but then I'll list a few more that you should look into on your own! It becomes so much more real when you start to do the research for yourself!
1. TRICLOSAN
Remember this one from last week's chat on household products? Let's dig a little deeper! Well, not only does it kill bacteria, but it has been found to actually KILL HUMAN CELLS!
Once it's on your skin, it stays there for many hours. It is actually similar to the chemical Agent Orange and can cause decresed frtility, birth defects & damage to major body organs. When combined with the chlorine in our water, it can create chloroform gas. It can bioaccumulate in fish and be detected in human breast milk!!! THIS CHEMICAL is found in almost every standard "anti-bacterial" product on the market!
2. Sodium Laurel Sulfate or Sodium Laureth Sulfate
This chemical is in 90% of products that foam! That's shampoos, dish soaps, hand soaps. Interestingly, the very product used in SHAMPOOS that are for your hair's health also is linked to HAIR LOSS! It is also linked to skin and eye irritation, organ toxicity, developmental/reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, ecotoxicological, and biochemical or cellular changes, and possible mutations and cancer according to EWG.
3. PARABENS
This is an ingredient used to preserve shelf life. It also includes many in the paraben family: methylparaben, propylparaben, beutylparaben, etc. It is endocrine disrupting and linked CLOSELY with Breast Cancer. In fact, it has been detected in human breast tumors. This is concerning because parabens have been shown to mimic estrogen, which can encourage the growth of human breast tumors.
4. SYNTHETIC COLORS
Made from coal tar, these contain heavy metal salts and leave deposits on the skin. We know that the skin absorbs what is put on it, then putting these toxic heavy metals into our bodies!!! This is especially concerning for anyone who has any sort of metal toxicity already, which we will also get into next week, but many of us do! Labeled as FD&C or D&C, followed by a number or color, studies have shown almost all of these to be carcinogenic, or cancer-causing!
5. Propylene Glycol, Propylene Oxide, Polyethylene Glycol
Here's a list of a few ingredients to research on your own:
Diethanolamine
1, 4-Dioxane
Ethyl Alcohol or Ethanol
Benzalkonium Chloride (BAC)
These chemicals are in so many of our products!
I went through my house this morning to search for products that could have these chemicals and I found lots! I have a pretty crunchy house & have already begun to toss the yucky stuff... even after all that I still found plenty of products I needed to toss! Old hand soaps under my sink, "natural" shampoo & conditioner, "natural" toothpaste... so like we mentioned last week, just because something says "GREEN" or "NATURAL" doesn't mean it's free of toxins!
I want you to feel empowered to start finding this info on your own, so I've given you a few links below to read through. Each of them will get you started to the road to research!
Check out these articles on DEODORANT:
http://organic4greenlivings.com/5-reasons-you-should-not-use-deodorant-or-antiperspirants/
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/09/20/does-your-antiperspirant-cause-breast-cancer.aspx
Check out these articles on TOOTHPASTE:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2001/05/30/toothpaste-part-two.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/10/20/are-your-toothpaste-shampoo-and-body-wash-harming-your-health.aspx
http://www.livestrong.com/article/167101-what-are-the-harmful-ingredients-in-toothpaste/
So, what are we supposed to do? Be dirty and gross? OF COURSE NOT! There are natural options that we can use in place of the traditional, chemical-laden, cancer-causing stuff we would typically buy at the store. And places like Target are even starting to stock more natural products! Gotta love Target!
In our next post we will have a link party! I've been saving up product links, DIY links and much more. Get ready!! I'll see you all back here tomorrow!
http://www.beyondpesticides.org/antibacterial/triclosan-research-3-09.pdf
Immune Systems Increasingly On Attack
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