What you put on your skin, face, and scalp is *just* as important as the food you put into your mouth. Be sure to read the label on all skin care and body care products.

Women need to consider eliminating makeup, which contains enormous amounts of synthetic chemicals, surfectants and "chemical cocktails." If you need makeup, be sure to buy all-natural, organic makeup without synthetic ingredients.

According to The Organic Makeup Company…

"The human skin wraps and protects our bodies. It constitutes a living, dynamic tissue system. It has the remarkable ability to absorb applied products, partially or completely, into the bloodstream."

• Up to 60% of the products we use on our skin are absorbed and deposited into the circulatory system.
• The average woman absorbs 30 pounds of the ingredients contained in moisturizers over sixty years.

Whatever food you ingest passes through your liver. Your liver functions to detoxify and neutralize harmful ingredients. However, body care products applied to the skin are absorbed *directly* through the skin. Since they don't pass through your liver, you want the highest purity level.

Both men and women need to re-evaluate the ingredients in the following household products…

toothpaste
shampoos & conditioners
deodorants
hairsprays, perfumes
lotions
chapstick
soap
sunscreen
nail polish & nail polish remover
houseshold cleaning products
dishwashing soap (which goes on your hands, into your skin, and into your bloodstream)

Here is a list of harmful ingredients to avoid when choosing skin care and body care products.

Another excellent list can be found at Aubrey Organics. Aubrey Organics has been creating natural hair and skin care products for almost 40 years. Here is their list of
10 Synthetic Ingredients to Avoid

Print this list, and take it with you when go shopping for shampoo, dish soap, lotion, etc. After 3 or 4 trips to the health food store, you'll have the list memorized.

Here's a tip: If the ingredient list contains very long words, and you don't know what the words mean, then it's probably synthetically manufactured in a laboratory and should be avoided. Only buy products with ingredients that you understand. If you don't know what the word means, don't buy the product. For example, can you explain what Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine is? How about Butylphenyl Methylpropional? Most people do not know what these ingredients are–aside from knowing that they're synthetically manufactured in a laboratory. They both sound artificial, and in fact they *ARE* artificial. These ingredients have Methyl, Propyl, and Butyl in their names, and should therefore be avoided.

What I Use & Recommend:

Toothpaste–> I use Tooth Soap which helps re-enamelize the teeth. Fantastic, great. Love it.

Shampoo & Conditioner –> Aubrey Organics

Deodorant –> Crystal Stick. This is a natural body deodorant for men & women that is non-sticky, non-staining, and guaranteed to last one year. It contains 100% natural mineral salts, and is completely free of perfumes and chemicals. And yes, it works.

Hairsprays, Nail Polish, Nail Polish Remover & Perfumes–> I don't use nail polish remover or perfumes. I have found a chemical-free nail polish called "No Miss."

Soap–> I use 100% pure olive oil soap. The soap is green (from the crushed olives).

Lotion–> Organic Virgin Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions

Chapstick–> Beeswax Lip Balm from Burt's Bees.

Sunscreen–> Aubrey Organics

Dishwashing Soap–> The brands "7th Generation" and "Earth Friendly Products" both sell dishwashing soap that does not contain Sodium Laurel Sulfate (SLS), artificial colors, phosphates, dyes, or Cocamide DEA. You can find many more natural brands at Whole Foods or your local health food store.

Where to Buy
I buy all of the products listed above from Whole Foods—except for Toothsoap and coconut oil, which I purchase online.

Unfortunately, many products that advertise themselves as "all natural" are not truly all-natural. The next time you go shopping for a bottle of shampoo, take the list of "10 Synthetic Ingredients to Avoid." You'll be amazed at how many so-called "natural" products contain parabens, cocoamide DEA/MEA, and some type of SLS or SMS (Sodium Myreth Sulfate). Start reading ingredient labels for all products you put on your body.

If you wouldn't eat it, don't put it on your skin.