Absorption

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the many chemicals with which we are bombarded on a daily basis contribute in a huge way to the cancer rate in the U.S. and worldwide. I recently spoke with a long-time friend of mine who is a breast cancer survivor of seven years. We are blessed to have her in our lives. She and I share the viewpoint that cleaning our bodies and our homes with home-made, natural products are a great way to avoid many carcinogens.

Aside from injection (via hypodermic needles), there are three ways for chemicals to enter our bodies. If I can control just one of these, I'm better off:

• Ingestion - eating and drinking


• Inhalation - breathing


• Absorption - coming in contact with the skin
  

The one I believe I can control the easiest is absorption. This is because I can truly control what is spread onto my skin. I'm the only one doing that. As for inhalation, I can choose to live in an area that has documented cleaner air than other places. This is very helpful in eliminating chemical exposure via inhalation, but not foolproof due to many factors beyond people's control. Ingestion of chemicals is also a little tougher to control, but can be minimized by choosing better foods. I'm guilty as sin in this arena (I'm a foodie!), but I am trying to get it right by growing more of my own food.

My friend and I talked about our recipes for homemade products and we agreed we would exchange recipes. I figured I'd go ahead and make a blog entry out of my recipes so that I could share them with everyone who might be interested. Not only are these recipes free of harmful carcinogens, but they are also cost-effective and simple. If you have any recipes that you would like to share, please add them in the "comments" section of the blog.

• Here's the goat's milk soap from MarthaStewart.com that we LOVE in our house. We will never use regular soap again. They don't mention in the video or in the article that all measurements (besides the goat's milk) are by weight, not fluid ounces. Be aware of this, and get a kitchen scale if you are going to make your own soap:
  http://www.marthastewart.com/article/making-goat-soap?autonomy_kw=goat%20milk%20soap&rsc=header_1
  
• I spray a water/vinegar mix on all of my produce before washing. The vinegar helps loosen a large portion of the pesticides used on fruits and vegetables - as much as 75%! I use a spray bottle with about 10 parts water to 1 part vinegar and let it sit on the produce for a couple of minutes. After spraying, I triple-rinse. Produce with the highest levels of pesticides are strawberries, peaches and broccoli due to their absorbent qualities. I am extra-cautious with these, making sure they are cleaned well.
  
• I love to make this simple body scrub: mix equal parts epsom salt with grapeseed, soybean, almond, or olive oil. Add a little lavender essential oil or tea tree oil, if you'd like. Scrub the mixture on the body and let it sit for a few minutes. This is a very cheap alternative to all of those expensive, chemical-and-fragrance-laden body scrubs out there.
  
• Here are some recipes for natural hair color solutions from Mother Earth News, my favorite magazine:
  http://www.motherearthnews.com/Natural-Health/1982-03-01/Color-Your-Hair-Naturally.aspx
  
• Here are recipes for safe household cleaners, also from Mother Earth News:
  http://www.motherearthnews.com/Modern-Homesteading/2004-04-01/Green-Cleaners.aspx

It's time we all opened our eyes to the fact that we can clean ourselves and our bodies quite effectively without the use of chemical-laden products manufactured by large corporations. These corporations' only interests are to make huge profits and to keep us sick so that we consume their pharmaceuticals. I'm not buying it anymore. The freedom I am rewarded with is beyond measure. I just breeze right past the household cleaners and beauty aisles when shopping. I am no longer tempted with the latest fragrances or anti-bacterial wonder-cleaners.

Hoaxed

Let me get this straight: being out in the sun is bad for my skin. Putting on moisturizer is good for it. Okay, great, I think I got it. It's been beaten into my brain since I was born, so it's now a no-brainer: to keep that stinkin' sun off my skin, I should apply this nourishing moisturizer with all kinds of good stuff in it. Alright, here I go... rubbing it in... rubbing it in... smells great... good for me... it's going to keep me looking young and chipper.

One problem, though. That moisturizer they're throwing at me contains parabens. Researchers have found traces of parabens in tissue taken from women with breast cancer. While there is no direct evidence (yet) that parabens cause cancer, scientists have called for the use of parabens to be researched. I have a problem with the fact that no research has been done on this chemical. Why do cosmetics companies need to put parabens in their stuff? Oh, I see. It's a great preservative. Extends the shelf-life. And, since no good research has been performed on it, one can deduce that it is harmless and therefore belongs in most of our cosmetic products. The cosmetics industry insists that parabens are safe. Well, if they insist, then it must be okay.

Since I trust that the cosmetics company's main goal is to keep me looking young and sweet, I guess I'll slather some more of this good stuff on my skin to keep the hot 'n nasty sun off of it. The propylene glycol will do a great job nourishing my skin - it'll keep it nice and moist, since my skin doesn't know how to do that naturally with its own oils. Wait. Propylene glycol? Isn't that anti-freeze? Well, since the cosmetics industry wants me to look younger, I guess I need anti-freeze in my moisturizer to keep my skin silky-smooth and to stave off wrinkles and cancer that can happen from the horrible despicable sun.

I think I'll ignore this quote from the Breast Cancer Fund website and keep slathering more of this good stuff on me: "Breast carcinogens have no place in cosmetics and personal care products. Yet despite growing concern from consumers, the U.S. government does not systematically assess the safety of personal care products, and major U.S. companies continue to market cosmetics with known and suspected carcinogens, mutagens and reproductive toxins."

Hmmph... something smells funny. I think it's the lotion on my face. Maybe next time I'll just use a hat.



Call me crazy, but I believe that these chemical-laden products are far more harmful to our bodies than the sun. And call me double-crazy, but I believe cosmetics companies' main goal is to make a profit.

I stopped using most commercial products on my body when I was pregnant, because I was concerned about my skin absorbing so many chemicals and sending them to the little one inside of me. I used straight soybean oil as a moisturizer on my belly to prevent stretch marks. That was it. After the birth, I felt no need to go back to the chemicals (that includes deoderant. Yes, deoderant. And yes, sometimes I smell European because of it). It's been three years now since I opened my eyes to this issue. I don't believe the quality of my skin has decreased. In fact, I think it may have increased. My natural oils are doing a darn good job protecting me from most of my normal sun exposure. If I know that I will be out in the sun for prolonged periods, I like to use a hat and a small amount of titanium dioxide-based or zinc oxide-based sunscreen. These two naturally-occurring minerals act as a physical barrier on the skin, rather than being absorbed into the skin. Other than during periods of prolonged exposure to the sun, I have found no other time that it has been necessary to use a commercial moisturizer on my body or face for the last three years.

Suggested websites to do your own research:

An excellent series from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (thanks to my hubby for finding this): http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/34405049.html
Choosing safe cosmetics: http://www.pureprevention.org/act_safecosmetics.php
Creating a healthy home: http://www.pureprevention.org/act_healthyhome.php
Eating smart: http://www.pureprevention.org/act_eatsmart.php