in , ,

From Fridge to Face

cucumber is a handy ingredient in home made beauty products

Ecolocalizer had a great post from Randi Ragan today about the disconnect between nature and the typical beauty products we find on store shelves. Here’s an excerpt:

Plants are healing gifts that the Earth has given us – not only for nourishment, but to cure health problems and provide ingredients for a bounty of natural beauty recipes. People all over the world have known this since the beginning of time. Modern science has effectively learned how to synthesize those properties artificially in a lab for medical and economic benefits, but in the process, has short-circuited our culture’s interaction with plants on a level other than for food. We’ve come to believe that unless we buy our beauty products in a box that’s been made commercially, then it isn’t going to be as effective. Some people even believe that the more expensive the product and exotic the ingredients, the better the results will be. By following this line of thinking, we’ve also bought ourselves a boatload of chemical components we’ve discovered are unnecessary and, in fact, doing more harm than good.

Some of these chemicals have been linked to cancer, hormone disruption, chronic allergies, and a host of other problems. For example, there are common beauty products that contain the same ingredients as found in car wash de-greasers and oven cleaners, a large percentage of which are extracted from petroleum (mineral oil, paraffin waxes). The average American woman who wears conventional lipstick on a regular basis, will swallow about 10 pounds of petroleum by-product in her lifetime! All personal care products (defined by anything we put onto our face, hair, body) are absorbed by our skin into our blood stream, and end up in the same places as the food we eat.

You can read the rest (including some great home made beauty recipes) over at our sister site, Ecolocalizer!

What do you guys think? I feel like readers here are in a unique position: you guys probably aren’t using chemical-laden products, but you probably do buy organic beauty supplies at the store. Do you make any of your own beauty products? If not, is it something you’re interested in?

Looking for more DIY beauty?

We’ve got you covered! Check out these DIY beauty recipe roundups:
Five Home Made Beauty Products Using Seasonal Produce
Five Natural Exfoliators for Glowing Spring Skin
Five Home Made Tea Blends to Get Your Health Back on Track

Photo Credit: viZZZual.com via flickr

Five Alternative Outdoor Exercises

Norabloom Organic Facial Steam Blends Perfect for Spring