Test for Toxins- Make Sure your Products aren’t Doing More Harm than Good!

Alana Mitchell, Licensed Esthetician, Day Spa Owner

How well do you really know your skin care products? Are you a sucker for a luxury package and movie star spokeswoman? If so, you’ll be shocked to hear that 884 chemicals commonly used in personal care products and cosmetics were proven toxic! It is estimated that women absorb up to 2 kilograms of chemicals through toiletries and cosmetics every year!!! Yikes! What’s a gal to do? Read on to find out!

1) Read the Label!

The basic way of evaluating a cosmetic product is to read its ingredients. It may sound like a “duh” concept, but most women don’t take the time. A good rule of thumb is you should be able to name the preservatives listed. If the product claims to be “natural”, it should have preservatives such as lemon, honey, glycine derivatives and salicylic acid. When shopping, aim for products that contain natural preservatives in place of chemicals.

2) Use Your Nose!- Natural Should Smell like Nature!

Natural products are products that naturally occur in the environment. So.... the fragrance you should smell when you pop the top is the natural scent of each ingredient. Again, take note of the ingredients used. They should bear names such as, “aloe vera extract,” “honey,” and “lavender oil.” Try to use natural oils instead of harmful synthetic fragrances whenever it’s an option.

Now that you are armed with 2 ways to check out your products, here are some specific items to watch out for:

Pure Organic Lip Balm

La La Lips

You’d be surprised by the amount of toxic chemicals that show up in lip balms! When choosing yours, look for nature’s most moisturizing ingredients; shea butter and sunflower seed oil for soft and sexy lips! I love 100% Pure Organic Mint Lip Balm ($8)! It's %100 vegan, natural, and gluten free!

Serious Action Skin Gel

Zit Creme

I get it- you want that thing gone and off your face ASAP! Listen carefully, put down the toxic over the counter zit creme and grab some tea tree oil. Tea Tree Oil is the bomb because it not only reduces swelling and fights bacteria, it does so without drying your skin! What’s that mean for you? Faster recovery time without the blotchy red mess! A dab of Glymed Plus Serious Action Skin Gel with Tea Tree Oil ($60) goes a long way in the fight against acne!

Agadir Miracle Oil

Hair Conditioning Treatments

Hair care is an easy place to get taken advantage of. I consistently find products promising to “condition” hair with alcohol and other dying ingredients. Fınd natural products that smell like coconut, rosemary, almond, or my favorite, Aragan oil- straight from the Aragan tree. Moroccan Agadir Miracle Oil ($40) truly is a miracle! I use it every day for weightless conditioning!

Hope you are on your way to finding natural, harmless products! It’s a scary, toxic world out there ladies! Let me know if I can be of help!

From so many requests, I have developed a special page on my shopping cart site skincarebyalana.com with a special page set aside for mineral makeup products I love, click here to see it.

Hope this helps, click here to call or email me with questions!