I am very conscious of what I eat
and what I put on my skin and hair.
I eat and use organic products as often as I can. That’s why my massage products such as
oils, lotions, and butters are either organic or natural without harsh
chemicals. I believe it is
unethical to use something for my clients if I wouldn’t use it for myself.
I was first introduced to natural
personal care products such as soap by my husband. And then, I became more aware of natural cosmetics thanks to
a dearest old friend of mine in the Netherlands. She has a PhD in biochemistry and reviews beauty products on her
blog, Mademoiselle Nature. That’s where I learned that mineral
oil used in many cosmetics is derived from petroleum, and doesn’t provide any
benefits like plant based oils do.
I also noticed that the regulations in the EU are much stricter than in the
US. The EU has banned almost 1,400 ingredients in cosmetic products such as parabens and phthalates, while the US has banned/restricted only 11 (By the way, Canada has banned/restricted over
500). It’s hard to remember all
other harmful ingredients, but I strictly avoid products with parabens, sodium
lauryl sulfates, phthalates and artificial fragrances.
You can find safer products in your local health food stores. However, unless they have the USDA Organic seal, products labeled “natural” or “organic ingredients” could be misleading or can vary greatly in quality, so check the ingredients first to see how many of the ingredients are really “natural” and/or “organic.” From my experience, even if it’s natural or organic, you could still get reactions to a certain natural ingredient if your skin is very sensitive. If you would like to find products with safer ingredients, you can check most of the cosmetics and personal care products at EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database, which I have been using for quite some time. It gives you overall safety ratings for products, and also you can check ingredients individually to see how safe or harmful it is.
I like to be in charge of my
personal care products, and I believe you do, too. Weren’t you curious or worried about what oil or lotion your
massage therapist was using? I
would suggest BYOO (Bring Your Own Oil) to your next massage session with me,
so that I can use what you like, and what is right for your skin type. Olive oil, sunflower oil, canola oil,
and grapeseed oil, for example, are all beneficial to your skin and great as
massage oils. My principle is always
to offer peace of mind to my clients.