Low-Toxin Lifestyle: Pt.3 — Skincare & Scents
This article is the last part of ‘low-toxin lifestyle’ series. We’ll talk about skincare products and scents/air fresherners.
Skincare products
Our skin is the largest organ on our body; from the top of our head to the tip of our toes. It excretes toxins and absorbs about 60% of whatever we apply on, or wash with. Most toiletries and skincare products are laden with cheap ‘synthetic chemicals’ and are bad news for our health.
In a nutshell, NOT ALL ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ skincare products are free from not-so-great ingredients such as parabens, which are hormone disruptors (it usually comes with prefixes such as methyl, propyl, ethyl, butyl and isopropyl), parfum/fragrance, PEG, DEA, MEA, SLS, PVP/VA Copolymer, triclosan and many more. Please learn to read the ingredients list and educate yourself with ingredients that are harmful. If in doubt, refer to the EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics database to learn the toxic rating of any ingredients you are unsure about. The lower the rating on EWG’s list, the better it is for your health, and vice versa.
The skincare products by NEP Melbourne are the ones my family and I use personally. These are 100% natural and toxin-free made with certified organic unrefined butters, cold-pressed oil, unrefined beeswax and 100% pure essential oils. These products are priced affordably without compromising on its quality so more people can have access to it.
We carry a selection of basic products such as facial serums (for all skin types, mature skin, and troubled skin such as eczema & acne), facial sunscreen, nappy rash salve, hydrating skin salve (for eczema/psoriasis), heel salve, hand salve, body salve, makeup remover, and insect repellent. We have recently added magnesium bath salts, roller scents and lip balm to our product range as well.
Scents/Air Fresheners
I used to purchase air freshener sprays and plugins to eliminate unpleasant odours in the cars, kitchen, and toilets. I did notice that these products only ‘mask’ the offending smells, and I ended up having breathing problems, PLUS major headaches. It didn’t occur to me that these toxic concoctions were making me ‘sick’… until I started to learn more about the list of toxic ingredients.
Now, we diffuse 100% pure essential oils in our home and cars using ultrasonic diffusers. Quoting Dr. Eric Zielinkski, a public health researcher, “Essential oils are extracted directly from the bark, fruit, flowers, leaves, nuts, resin, or roots of a plant/tree through distillation. It represents nature in its most concentrated form. Just one drop contains a network of molecules that deliver myriad effects to the body. They are entirely, utterly natural”. There are plenty of different kinds of essential oils to suit our different needs.
I still remember the days where my Mom would peel fresh oranges/mandarins in the car during our long road trips. The zesty, fresh, and tangy scent helped my Dad stay awake and alert while driving. My brother and I would feel less tired. Mom would stick some of the orange peels in the air vents… the scent is oh-so refreshing! Don’t know why it took me THIS long to figure out natural scents are better than synthetic toxic fragrances. Better late than never!
Some of our favourite essential oils are:
- sweet orange (mood lifting, immune stimulating)
- peppermint (promotes concentration when studying/working on assignments)
- lemon (eliminate odours in the kitchen and toilet)
- lavender (relaxing for bedtime)
There are plenty of essential oil companies out in the market these days. Do your own research on which company/brand you are comfortable with. Start using those instead of the toxic/chemical concoctions you buy from the supermarket aisles or the artificially-scented candle shops. Just make sure you READ the label properly, making sure they are 100% pure single essential oil or 100% pure essential oil blends. Stay away from those that are ‘blended’ with some kind of oil as these oils are usually cheap fillers which are not beneficial for you. It’s also worth mentioning that a 15ml bottle of ‘lavender oil’ that cost only $2 from the dollar shop is definitely the synthetic kind. It takes about 3 pounds (1.361kg) of lavender flowers to produce just 15ml of REAL lavender essential oil. It definitely cost MORE than $2/bottle if you are after the real deal. I can’t stress enough… do your own research and make an informed decision.
As mentioned before, these changes did not happen overnight, but gradually. Now that you are more aware of what toxins you can eliminate in your home, I would encourage you to put what you’ve learned into action. Every little step to minimise your exposure to toxins in your home is a big success. Don’t give up… it can be done.
