things that make me go hmmmm....

Has anyone noticed that the big names (Revlon, Almay, Physicians Formula and Loreal) in drug-store cosmetics are all starting to market their "natural" or "mineral" lines like crazy? I have subscriptions to Glamour, Self and Redbook and Almay's ads are everywhere in them. Michael has just enough airline miles before they expire most of the time for us to get free magazine subscriptions, so we get a ton. Anyway, I cannot fathom the money they are spending on advertising with these "green" campaigns, trying to tout how great their new natural products are. Loreal has big glossy print ads at Wal-Mart on the end-caps, promoting their new line. While I'm glad to see that it's becoming more mainstream, what REALLY irritates me is that instead of changing their other products to get rid of petroleum based ingredients and cut out the parabens and quaternium, they just launch a whole new line! What that says to me is that they're not truly looking out for the health of their consumers, they just want to make money off of the ones who will pay a little more to get the newer, more natural products. Ugh! Out of one side of their mouths, they're saying "Buy our natural lines, they're better for you because they don't have those yucky chemicals!", but at the same time, they go along with their other products and still promote them without informing consumers of what they're putting on their skin and ultimately into their bodies! Sure, there are some people who will never, no matter what they see, switch beauty products, but there are many, who would change, especially if they were educated on what really goes into their skincare and makeup.

The Environmental Watch Group (www.cosmeticsdatabase.com) has a listing of what is generally considered safe and what you want to avoid at all costs. Tons of even the high end stuff is horrible for your skin and the environment as a whole, but because of the brand name, it still sells like hotcakes. I love their site and visit about once a month to see what has changed or what new products they have listed. The thing that gets to me is that no matter how "regulated" you think the cosmetic and skincare industry is, the FDA pretty much lets them do their own thing. For years, women have been fed the myth that petroleum jelly will protect their skin, and if a lotion contains it, it must be good for your skin, right? Seriously think about this...when you grab your Chap-Stick, Blistex, Carmex or your more pricy lines like Clinique or Mary Kay, you are putting a byproduct of crude oil on your mouth! I'm all about having soft and supple lips, but give me a tube of Yes to Carrots Lip Butter any day. I used to be a big fan of Burts' Bees products, and I still use their makeup line, but since they were bought out by the Clorox company, I feel like I'm supporting a company that isn't up front with it's customers. More about that in a bit. I found out last night, via conference call with other Yes to Carrots supporters, called V.I.C.'s, that on top of their already amazing line of skincare and hair care products, Yes to Carrots is launching a line of lip shimmers and glosses, lotions with SPF and baby products! Once that happens, everything except my powder and eyemakeup will be a "Yes to" product! I already use their shower gel, shampoo and conditioner, lotion and lip butter, so adding these to my collection will be amazing! My "beauty" routine is pretty simple, I don't use night creams, wrinkle reducers or anything like that. I've been blessed with a clear complection so I just put on mascara, a little eyeliner, powder and whatever lip goody I want on for the day. My hair is pretty simple as well. It's thick and dry, but using the Yes to Carrots shampoo and conditioner has helped it so much. I wash it, towel dry and put in a bit of organic styling aid from Organix and I'm good to go.

As for the issue I have with Clorox and companies like it...here's how I feel. When I was growing up, my mom used Pine-Sol to clean the floors and Clorox for the dirty jobs, like scrubbing the bathroom or kitchen to "kill the germs". Nevermind that we had to keep the windows open for 2-3 hours so that we didn't kill ourselves in the process. That's just what good American moms did. They were fed the lies that to be clean, you had to use all of the newly found chemical cleaners that were on the market. Now, my generation and those ahead of us are suffering the consequences and so is our environment! Then, when the "green revolution" started, companies like 7th Generation and Method were start-ups that saw the need and ONLY produce bio-friendly products. Clorox and S.C. Johnson found that they were making money, so they tried to green-wash their names too. Green Works from Clorox came out about the same time that Clorox purchased Burt's Bees. Now while I still love Burt's Bees products, something deep within me makes me not want to buy them because of their parent company's deception and lack of concern for their customers and their environment. I did my research and have been making my own all purpose household cleaners for about 2 years now. It's amazing what plain ol' white vinegar, baking soda, lemons and essentials can do! For the products that I can't make, I purchase from Method or 7th Generation. Overall, the cost is about the same because I'm not buying multiple cleaning products to do different things...my all-purpose cleaner really does it all. My home doesn't have toxic chemicals floating around like 85% or more of American homes do. I just clean like my Granny and those before her did and I'm happy! My daughters aren't taking a bath in a tub that was cleaned with a chemical cocktail, it's cleaned with vinegar, baking soda and some elbow grease! Their bubble baths are their greatest delight...and we use Yes to Carrots shower gel for those too! It creates great bubbles, softens their skin and is gentle enough for their sensitive skin.

Please remember that just because a company markets natural products doesn't mean they have your best interest in mind. Look at ALL of their products, their ethics, the way they produce their products and how they treat their employees and customer, then make your decision. For your health, for the health of your family and for the impact that your choice has on our future, choose to say "Yes" to products you know are safe, work great and are within your budget. I choose paraben free products because I know they are best for my personal health as well as that of my 2 daughters. If you don't know what parabens are, do a little research and you'll be blown away. I've reduced the number/severity of my migraines by only using paraben free products and I feel SO much better knowing that I'm not slathering lotion on my girls that will end up turning to estrogen in their little bodies! Even if you don't suffer from hormone-related issues, try to steer clear of parabens in any form. Shampoo, conditioner, lotion, makeup, heck, it's even in toothpaste and deodorant! And if you need help making the switch, I'm happy to point you in the right direction and show you where you can get your own products. For those of you in the Ozarks, sometime soon, I'll be hosting a "Yes to Carrots" house party, and the folks at YTC (Ido and Jeremy) have generously offered to send me some samples to share with all of my pals! If you can't wait that long or if you're outside of my area, you can visit http://www.yestocarrots.com/ and join the carrot club to get a coupon. Their products are available at Walgreens and Target :) They stand behind their products and actually care about their customers! I'm excited to see how many people will detox their beauty routine!


So in closing of this super long blog, here is a summary of the things that make me go hmmmm... 'The FDA said it's ok, so that's good right?!?" "Try our new natural line, it's way better for you than our old stuff, but we're still gonna sell everything else to the suckers who don't know any better." "We have ruined lakes, streams and your lungs for years, but now that we have Green Works products available and we own an eco-friendly skin care company, we're still friends right?!?"
Until next blog,

~jill~

Proverbs 31:30