Tag Archive for "Human skin" | The Organic Beauty

5 Skincare Ingredients to Avoid

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC Tuesday, June 4, 2013 Organic Beauty Benzoyl peroxide, Cosmetics, health, Healthy Beauty, Human skin Permalink 0

By: Sabrina Taylor

When was the last time you checked out the ingredient list of your favorite skin care and beauty products? If you’re anything like me, the overly large, unpronounceable, chemical sounding ingredients can be a little bit daunting. If you can barely read the ingredients, how can you be expected to know what you are putting on your skin?

Did you know that 60 percent of what we rub on our skin is absorbed into our bodies? That means all those chemicals are sneaking into your body and harming you. Toxic ingredients can cause skin allergies, cancer, infertility, birth defects, reproductive problems and even learning disabilities.

The possibilities of harming yourself are bountiful, so in order to avoid bodily damage it’s time you know what exactly you’re rubbing on your skin. Here are the top 5 skin care and beauty ingredients you should be watching out for and avoiding.

Benzoyl Peroxide

One of the most common ingredients in acne products, benzoyl peroxide has several harmful side effects. Some of its potential damaging properties include being a possible tumor promoter. It has also been found to act as a mutagen, causing DNA damage to both human and animal cells.

Cellular damage is pretty drastic, but some of the less outrageous side effects include eye, skin or respiratory irritation. Try to avoid sniffing products containing benzoyl peroxide because it can be toxic by inhalation as well.

Dioxin

This is a sneaky one. Dioxin won’t be listed on any labels, but is often found in antibacterial ingredients like triclosan, emulsifiers, polyethylene glycol and ethoxylated cleansers. The potential harms of using products with dioxin are quite damaging. Prolonged use of dioxins can lead to cancer, cause reduced immune functioning and preempt nervous system disorders.

Pregnant women beware. Dioxins can cause birth defects and in some cases, miscarriage. This is definitely one to watch out for.

Parabens

It’s no secret that parabens are unsafe. A common product preservative, they are not always labeled. Be sure to do extra research when picking out a deodorant and other skin care products because that is where they are often found.

Parabens have been found in breast cancer tumors and can imbalance hormones in females. As for males, sterility is possible.

Phthalates

Yet another one that is hard to find on a label, phthalates can cause liver and kidney damage. Though they are being weaned out of many products in North America and the EU, they can still cause early breast development in both males and females, birth defects and decreased sperm counts.

Sunscreen Chemicals

There are a few commonly used chemicals in sunscreens that are known to generate free radicals. Free radicals can damage DNA and even lead to cancer. When choosing a sunscreen, be sure to watch out for avobenzone, benzophenone, ethoxycinnamate and PABA.

Navigating the world of cosmetic and skin care products can be difficult, but hopefully this list helps you avoid some of the more dangerous ingredients.

Author Bio: Sabrina is an allergy-ridden, gluten-free living, lover of green DIY’s. Why buy something when you can make it better yourself; like this homemade anti-aging cream.

Follow her on Facebook and Twitter!

Yes To… Everything!

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC Wednesday, March 20, 2013 Healthy Beauty, Healthy Home, Organic Beauty, Product Reviews Aloe vera, Beta-Carotene, Blueberry, Cleanser, drugstore brands Permalink 0

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC

One of our all-time favorite drugstore natural beauty brands has done it again! (And again, and again, and again!). The nourishing, beta-carotene rich Yes to Carrots collection of skin and haircare products has always been there for us in a pinch, when we’re stuck in an unfamiliar town and need to grab some face wash at the local CVS. All the products are paraben, SLS, and pthalate-free, and feature some potent, organic ingredients. They are such a major standout among all the chemical and carcinogenic crap products available at most drugstores and box stores, and beauty editors have been noticing, and unloading a bunch of awards on some of the standout products below. So we have been super excited to witness the growth of the brand to feature lines specific to different beauty concerns, all packing the same powerful botanical punch.

While Yes to Carrots is still a great go-to for dry skin, we love the soothing, calming, and gentle Yes To Cucumbers line for sensitive skin. For anyone with skin prone to redness, the Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelettes are the perfect solution for refreshing and cleansing the skin while on the go… I always have a pack in my travel bags! The whole line features soothing and calming organic ingredients like cucumber, aloe vera, green tea extract, and spirulina.

For acne-prone skin, the Yes to Tomatoes line really delivers. I’m a huge fan of the Repairing Acne Lotion for controlling and treating mild breakouts. It’s loaded with acne-busting, natural salicylic acid and witch hazel, healing organic aloe, anti-inflammatory organic tomato extract, and antioxidant and anti-microbial pomegranate extract. For major, day-ruining zits, I love the Roller Ball Spot Stick. The roller ball minimizes transfer of bacteria from your hands to an already problematic pimple, and the super potent ingredients also include soothing and anti-inflammatory ginger and bisabolol and healing tea tree oil, in addition to an even higher concentration of acne clearing salicylic acid. The stuff really works!

The two new additions to the line are no less stellar than their veteran cousins. Yes to Grapefruit is a potent line for dull and uneven skin. The Daily Facial Scrub is perfect for bringing out skin’s natural luminosity. Loaded with brightening and smoothing organic grapefruit peel extract and lemon balm, as well as healing and nourishing organic sunflower seed oil, it removes impurities, improves tone and clarity of skin, and lightens scars and dark spots. For uneven skin on the rest of your body, try the Dark Spot Correcting Body Lotion, with masterwort and capsicum fruit extract to soothe and protect skin.

The other new kid on the beauty block is the Yes to Blueberries collection, perfect for preventing aging and the formation of fine lines. Blueberries are bursting with skin protecting antioxidants which reverse the signs of aging, so it makes perfect sense that they would be the headliner for this potent line. Other ingredients like organic cotton thistle, wild acacia and paracress flower are clinically proven to hydrate aging skin, reduce fine lines, and boost natural collagen production. The whole line is great, but we’re particularly into the Deep Wrinkle Filler and Brightening Eye Roller, which both noticeably perk up skin. Check back in to enter to win our giveaway of a collection of six Yes to Blueberries products for face and body!

We are so thrilled that there are non-toxic, natural beauty products like these in the mass market. It is now easier and more affordable than ever to find safe products that are just as effective as their chemical and carcinogenic counterparts. Alright ladies, no more excuses! Clean out that medicine cabinet and say yes to restocking with products tailor-made for your skin concerns, that are actually good for your skin!

Anti-Aging Magic from Avitalin

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC Friday, March 8, 2013 Healthy Beauty, Healthy Home, Lifestyle, Organic Beauty, Product Reviews anti-aging, Avitalin Skincare, Chemical peel, Cleanser, Cosmetics Permalink 0

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC

Marina Volod, creator of Avitalin Skincare, has devoted her life to the study of skin physiology, cosmetic ingredients and skin nutrition, and that immense knowledge base has yielded the creation of an immensely effective, powerful, and best of all, healthy line of vegan skincare products. For the past month, I have been using her products, and I have to say, my skin absolutely loves it!

I follow my oil face wash with Avitalin Firming Fluid ($55), which is formulated with anti-aging skincare powerhouses like hyaluronic acid, peptides, and phospholipids. It also has one of my favorite natural ingredients, seabuckthorn oil, which is a wonderful anti-inflammatory antioxidant. The vegan fluid goes on super smooth, and I actually found that I don’t even need a moisturizer after using it!

When my skin is feeling a little overstressed and red, I love to use Rebalance Calming Complex ($58), which is specially formulated to calm sensitive skin, especially if you’re prone to eczema, rosacea, or dermatitis. It is loaded with nourishing, anti-inflammatory ingredients like rooibos and green tea extracts, licorice and oat extracts, and calendula. It also helps to keep skin cells young and vital with potent vegan embryonic phyto complex and beta glucans. It leaves skin silky smooth and even, and provides non-greasy moisture all day long!

To keep eyes youthful, I love the Smooth Contour eye cream ($55). It is marvelous for getting rid of any puffiness and dark circles, and feels absolutely luxurious around the eyes. It’s made with ultra nourishing shea and cocoa butter, brightening alpha-arbutin, and the patented Syn®-Ake, which is a potent complex that relaxes facial tension, preventing the formation of new lines, and improving firmness and tonicity.

Once a week, I love to exfoliate and rejuvenate my skin with the Active Enzyme Peel ($40), which uses gentle fruit acids and skin lightning ingredients to increase cell turnover, improve skin’s texture and brighten the complexion. Pineapple and papaya enzymes make this peel feel and smell like a treat straight out of the spa, while arbutin and baltic amber extract deliver potent skin transformation.

Marina really embodies our ethos here at The Organic Beauty, that nature provides us with the most effective and potent ingredients to heal and beautify our bodies, inside and out!