Before starting Frugal and Thriving, I considered creating my own natural skin care range.

I spent about six months or more researching the industry: the various ingredient, formulations and manufacturing options (talking to both chemists and manufacturers); I also looked into labelling laws, organic standards, packaging options, natural preservatives, business plans, registration, logos, marketing, start up funding, export opportunities… in other words, I went right into it.

At the end of the day, I decided it wasn’t a good time to try and raise the $20,000 I needed to create my first product, so instead I wrote an eBook (which I never published) all about what I learnt when it comes to having beautiful skin, naturally.

Here are a few tips on getting glowing skin both naturally and without spending a fortune on specialty products.

[Note: After finishing this article, I realised I’ve written about this before. Oops. At least I’ve been consistent and there’s a bit more info in this post. The one thing I didn’t mention in today’s post was smoking. Smoking is bad for your skin. Oh yeah, and your health and finances.]

Drink plenty of water

There is a lack of agreement on whether drinking water improves skin or not. From personal experience I can say that it definitely does help improve the look of skin. I’m not saying that you have to stick to your 2 litres everyday, but keeping adequately hydrated (many people suffer from chronic, mild dehydration) goes a long way to healthy looking skin as well as good health in general.

Skin is made up of cells and skin cells (like any other cell) are made up of water – around 60% of the body’s water is intracellular. Adequate hydration will ensure your cells function at their optimum and will also help flush out toxin build up in the body, which can show up as skin problems.

Eat a balanced diet of wholefoods most of the time

The first signs of ill-health or ‘dis-ease’ in the body will manifest in the skin. So if skin tone is dull, it often a reflection of poor diet.

A diet full of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes…you know the rest, will help keep skin looking great.

Fruit and vegetables provide essential antioxidants – the well know anti-aging ingredient for your skin. Rather than slapping expensive stuff from a bottle on your skin, feed your skin cells more effectively from the inside out.

You have to eat anyway – a healthy diet is cheaper than junk and cheaper than expensive face creams.

Be sun smart

Sun is the great skin ager. Protect your skin when out in the sun by wearing a hat and a good sun block or sunscreen. I prefer the natural sun blocks (these provide a UV barrier, often with zinc, rather than chemicals penetrating your skin and screening out UV rays), but use what suits you. The downside to natural sunscreens are that they can be greasy and the zinc can give you a pale look.

Eat less sugar

You probably know that collagen is a protein in the skin that gives skin it’s youthful look. Simple, refined sugars attack collagen, weakening or destroying it.

So in order to maintain healthy skin, eat less simple sugars. You will find these in soft drink, baked goods like biscuits and bread, added to tea and coffee, commercial cereals, commercial sauces, junk food… in other words, stick to a mostly wholefood diet.

Get your good fats

Fat is an essential part of the diet. It not only keeps skin supple, it carries fat soluble vitamins, keeps cell walls strong, and helps maintain proper hormone function (and we all know the link between hormone fluctuations and pimple outbreaks). Good fats are those found in nature like in nuts and olive oil etc.

Bad fats are trans fats and vegetable oils high in omega 6. These fats can cause inflammation in the body, which not only affects the look of your skin, of course, but your overall health. These fats can also increase the occurrence of acne.

Drink less caffeine and alcohol

Caffeine and alcohol can dry the skin. If you’ve ever spent the night at the pub, you will know that one look in the mirror the next morning will see you searching for a paper bag (or is that just me?).

Caffeine and alcohol have also been linked to an increase in acne.

Get your beauty sleep

While we are sleeping, the body is actively repairing and regenerating cells, so for healthy skin cells, you need plenty of healthy, good quality sleep.

Lack of sleep can also increase stress hormone levels in the body which can lead to inflammation and poor skin (not to mention poor health). It can also reduce the skin’s ability to stay hydrated.

Avoid chemical skincare products and stick to a simple cleansing regime

Mainstream skincare products are full of chemical ingredients that are bad for your skin as well as your health. I’ve written in depth about some of these ingredients: parabens, petroleum and sodium lauryl sulphate. So avoiding mainstream products is a good start for healthy skin.

On the other hand, natural products can be quite expensive (I found when doing my own research, the biggest cost by far when producing these products is the packaging). There are many lovely products out there and they are lovely to use, but you don’t need any of them.

A simple, natural soap is sufficient for cleaning your skin, particularly if you have oilier skin. Or you could try cleaning your skin with oil, which surprisingly, actually works really well, even with oily skin.

You can also make your own skin products fairly easily – Natural New Age Mum recently shared her recipe for an organic face wash, and you can find a recipe for a natural body butter here. I often put a little plain shea butter in the palm of my hand and mix it with a drop or two of oil like jojoba for a quick and easy ‘homemade’ moisturiser.

Also, your kitchen is a treasure trove of natural ingredients for a frugal facial (there’s also a link all about using oil as a cleanser).

The old adage that beauty is skin deep isn’t quite true – for beautiful skin, you need to work from the inside out. Beauty isn’t found in a bottle after all. Not surprisingly, all of the suggestions are about overall good health as well as good looking skin – our skin reflects our health and is often the first sign that something’s not quite right in our body. And none of the suggestions require an outlay of money – in fact, you may actually save money if you switch to wholefoods and ditch all the skin care products.

Have you read these articles?:

1. six ways to save money and have beautiful skin
2. cleaning the toilet – naturally
3. what’s in our products? – petroleum

I’m not normally one for beauty treatments; some days I’m lucky just to brush my hair. I use a bar of soap to wash my face and for almost a year I used oil as a moisturiser because I couldn’t be bothered buying commercial stuff. It worked fine.

But there are occasions, particularly lately, when I feel like I need to get back in touch with my feminine side and spoil myself. Do something just for me, to make myself feel good.

A home facial is just such a way to do that, without the expense of a professional one (although sometimes I wouldn’t mind one of those either).

I’ve done a bit of reading and research around the web and came up with this home facial that works wonders, feels great and is made from natural, inexpensive ingredients you can find in the kitchen.

What you need:

• Time alone (most important ingredient!)
• A towel and face washer
• Atmosphere (music, candles, a book, pillows to relax etc.)
• Oil to cleanse – weird idea, I know, but it works! Plain old olive oil is great and is what I use, almond, macadamia or coconut oil are alternatives, just avoid your rubbish poly-oils or any hydrogenated oils or any oil you’re allergic to.
• Herbs or camomile tea bags (optional)
• A scrub: Oatmeal or almond meal mixed with a little honey; or baking soda mixed with a little water; or sugar mixed with a little water or oil; or sugar and lemon.
• A mask: You can use plain yoghurt or try one of these natural face mask recipes.
• A toner (optional): Witch hazel; equal parts of cider vinegar and water or lemon juice and water; Chamomile tea, cooled.
• Your favourite moisturiser.

How to do it:

Before you begin, gather your supplies, tell everyone else to leave you alone for an hour (it won’t take that long, but take all the time you can get) and make sure you can be comfortable for a while.

1. Cleanse

To cleanse your face, massage your oil of choice into your face. You don’t need a lot of oil but take time to really give yourself a nice, relaxing massage. One of my guilty pleasures is watching massage how-tos on YouTube – it’s almost as relaxing as getting the real thing. If you’re not sure about face massage, check out some YouTube videos before you begin, I like this one and this one (a little more intense!), but do what feels good to you. Even better, convince someone else to do this step on you! Once you’ve finished, take a warm, damp face cloth to wipe off any excess oil.

2. Scrub

A scrub exfoliates the dead skin cells off your skin. I actually do this on a semi-regular basis (about once every six months) by taking in a spoonful of sugar into the shower, dampening it, and rubbing lightly over my face before rinsing.

Using one of the scrub ideas above, lightly massage the scrub all over your face and neck. Rinse off with warm water. I use a combination of raw sugar, honey and lemon or lime juice and my skin looks great and feels smooth and soft, even after just this step.

3. Steam

Steaming opens the pores of your skin, can help you breathe but most importantly, can be relaxing. Steam from plain water is fine, or you could add some herbs, camomile tea bags or a drop of essential oil. Drape a towel over your head, relax and breathe in the steam for around 10 minutes. Pat your face dry.

4. Mask

The next step is to apply your mask. I use plain yoghurt with a little lemon or lime in it, but check out the recipes (link above) for alternate idea. Apply the mask then lie down and relax for 10 minutes. If you like, you can apply some cotton balls steeped in cold camomile tea to your eyes. Rinse off the mask in warm water and pat your face dry.

5. Tone

Toning is optional. I don’t bother as I add lemon to the mask, but you can tone you face using one of the ideas above if you feel it needs it. Simply wipe your toner over your skin with a cotton ball.

6. Moisturise

Finally, finish off by applying your favourite moisturiser.

Tips

• A little goes a very long way. You only need a tiny dribble of oil, a tablespoon of mask and half a teaspoon of scrub.
• If you want to massage along to a YouTube video, put the video on before applying the oil and use the auto play so you don’t get oil all over you computer mouse.
• Rinse the mask off well; you don’t want to be smelling like rancid milk later on.
• The scrub mixed with the mask tastes delicious and makes a nice treat.
• If you eat your mask before you use it then you have to go down and face a messy kitchen to get more, and that can kill the mood.

Have you read these articles?:

1. too many choices spoil the decision
2. Homemade Face Masks
3. frugal (and natural) cleaning

I’m not really one for ‘doing’ my hair. On a good day, it gets brushed. On a busy day it doesn’t get that kind of luxurious treatment.

I have two types of hair days: frizzy hair days from the tropical humidity or static hair days from the dry winter. In other words, every day’s a bad hair day. But I’m not keen on putting gunk with who knows what ingredients in it to make it behave.

Well, I came across a solution by accident: nut butter.

I have a few nut butters left over from my attempts at making natural skin care. At the moment I’m using pure mango kernel butter as a moisturiser for my hands and, after an incident that resulted in a little frustrated hair pulling, for my hair.

The benefit: non-frizzy, non-static hair, takes seconds to tame the mane, is all natural and is probably good for my hair.

As with any ‘product’ (‘cause I’m a hair expert now) a little goes a long way. Start at the back ends of your hair and work up and forward to avoid that gunked up fringe look.

What are your tips for stying your hair?

Have you read these articles?:

1. Power To The Consumer. Using Product Reviews
2. tip tuesday – free entertainment from your personal DVD collection
3. tip tuesday–clean your drains chemical free

This is a guest post by Bailey Harris of Homeowner’s Insurance Guide.

Massage is a centuries-old method of healing. Some of the earliest forms of civilization used massage as a way to heal and soothe the body and soul. It is believed that massage releases toxins that can build up in sore, tight muscles. Many forms of massage exist, each with their own purpose and benefits. Different massage oils can be used for the various types of massage and skin types. Many massage oils are available on the market today, most being very pricey. You also have to worry about store-bought oils going bad before you can use them up. You can create your own massage oils at home using a few basic oils, along with some essential oils. You can find these oils at natural food and health stores.

Massage Oils for the Body

Many types of massage oil recipes exist for the body. They are based mainly on your skin type and the main focus of your massage. You will want to choose a base, or carrier oil, based on your skin type. One popular choice for a base oil is sweet almond oil, which glides over skin easily and is absorbed pretty quickly. It is light, won’t leave you feeling too greasy, and shouldn’t irritate your skin. Sweet almond oil is well tolerated by people with normal to dry skin. Another popular choice for base oil is jojoba oil. Jojoba oil is great for people prone to acne because it contains antibacterial properties, which can help fight breakouts. Coconut oil is an excellent carrier oil choice for very dry skin. It restores moisture to flaky, damaged skin and shouldn’t cause irritation. Because coconut oil can become semi-solid at room temperature, it may need to be heated prior to use.

In addition to your carrier oil, you will need essential oils. Various types of essential oils exist, each with their own benefits. For a nice, relaxing massage oil for the body, simply mix 4 tablespoons of your preferred carrier oil with 10 drops of lavender essential oil, 10 drops vanilla essential oil, and 10 drops of rosemary essential oil. Just mix the oils in a small container and it is ready to use. This relaxing oil will calm your senses and soothe sore muscles. If you are looking for an energizing massage oil, simply mix 4 tablespoons of your preferred carrier oil with 10 drops lemon essential oil, 10 drops bergamot essential oil, and 10 drops eucalyptus essential oil. This blend will leave you with a refreshed, rejuvenated feeling.

In the past decade, baby body massages have become increasingly popular. Massaging an infant can ease crankiness, gas, colic, and can promote a restful sleep. Many parents swear by this method. An easy recipe for baby massage oil can be made by mixing either 4 tablespoons sweet almond oil or apricot kernel oil with 3 drops lavender essential oil. When used with a gentle massage, this oil should soothe and calm your baby.

Massage Oils for the Feet

A good foot massage can really soothe tired, aching feet. To make foot massage oil, you will first need a carrier oil. Olive oil and jojoba oil work great for this purpose. An easy recipe for foot massage oil uses 2 to 3 teaspoons of a carrier oil, 2 to 3 drops of peppermint essential oil, and 2 to 3 drops of rosemary essential oil. Just mix your ingredients and it is ready to go. Peppermint oil has anti-inflammatory and soothing properties, and rosemary oil can soothe aches and pains. A refreshing recipe for foot massage oil uses 2 to 3 teaspoons of your preferred carrier oil, along with 2 to 3 drops of eucalyptus oil and 2 to 3 drops of tea tree oil. Mix all and apply to yourself or someone else. Eucalyptus oil has anti-bacterial properties and is a great disinfectant. Tea tree oil is a natural disinfectant and deodorizer. This blend is especially useful for athletes, or people that may suffer from blisters or athletes’ foot.

Anyone who has ever had a good body or foot massage knows that they are hard to beat. Massages are natural pain relievers, and the oil recipes discussed will make them much more enjoyable. When you realise how easy it is to make your own massage oils at home, you will most likely never go back to expensive, store-bought oils again.

[Mel’s note: Now all I need is someone to do the massaging .]

Bailey Harris also writes for the Homeowners Insurance Guide.

Have you read these articles?:

1. Make Your Own Natural Body Butter For Less
2. what you need to know about tea tree oil
3. what’s in our products? – petroleum

Our skin is our first sign that something is not quite going right with our health. Poor diet and poor lifestyle choices will show up in our complexion long before our internal organs show signs of stress.

All of the skin care remedies below are about having a healthy body, which will result in glowing, healthy, youthful skin without forking out hundreds of dollars on skin care products. In fact, your savings will extend far beyond the vanity basin when you avoid those things that can be destructive to your complexion.

1. Drink more water. Every cell, including skin cells, need adequate amounts of water to function optimally. Research suggests that rather than getting enough water, most people suffer from chronic low level dehydration. It’s cliché but it works. Get that glowing skin look by drinking adequate amounts of water over the course of a day. How much is enough? The conventional wisdom is 2 litres a day, but it will depend on your weight, how hot the day is, the activity you do (how much you sweat) and the foods you eat (some foods have a high water content). This calculator shows some of the lifestyle factors to take into account when working out how much water to drink. Savings: the more water you drink, the less expensive beverages you consume.

2. Eat a healthy diet. Sugar and hydrogenated oils play havoc with your body. Sugar breaks down collagen in the skin cells, leaving skin looking less than youthful. Hydrogenated oils (also oils high in Omega 6) can cause free radicals and inflammation that damage cells and accelerate skin aging. On the other hand, adequate amounts of good quality natural fats encourages collagen and elastin production. Fibre helps with toxin elimination and plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables provide the vitamins minerals and antioxidants your skin needs to stay looking great. A healthy diet will also help to mitigate the affects of hormone imbalances that can occur during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy and menopause that can cause those dreaded pimples. Savings: junk food is much more expensive than fresh.

3. Stop smoking and reduce caffeine, soft drink and alcohol. If you want sallow, grey, wrinkled, lifeless skin, smoking and drinking lots of alcohol is the way to go. Quitting or reducing consumption of the above will not improve skin tone, it will leave you with a healthier bank balance. Savings: potentially thousands of dollars a year could be saved, depending on your habits.

4. Get plenty of sleep. There’s a reason it’s called beauty sleep. Cell rejuvenation is at its peak during sleep. The anti-aging hormone HGH is also at its peak production while you’re getting your shut eye.  So plenty of sleep will help keep your skin, and your body, healthy. On a related note, learning to manage stress (through meditation, deep breathing, boxercising etc) will also prevent the stress hormones ravaging your health and your skin. Savings: This one is free.

5. Avoid skin care chemicals. Most mainstream skin care products are full of chemicals that are not only damaging to your skin, but also damaging to your health because about 60% of what we put on our skin is absorbed into the body. Even the top of the range beauty products are full of questionable ingredients (the same ingredients as the cheap stuff). Save money by using plain, natural soap that is not made from petrochemicals. Natural soap contains glycerine, which is moisturising and makes the soap gentle on the skin. Savings: avoid expensive beauty products, nature has provided cheap and healthy cleansing alternatives.

6. Stay sun smart. Exposure to sunlight each day is essential for good health. Studies are revealing that our indoor lifestyle and fear of sun cancer is leading to a chronic deficiency in Vitamin D, an essential vitamin needed to absorb calcium as well as enhancing immune function and is necessary for cell regrowth. There are also suggestions that vitamin D deficiency can be one cause of depression. On the other hand, over exposure to UV rays damages the upper layers of our skin, reduces the rate of collagen production, causes free radicals, attacks antioxidants and reduces our means of producing melanin, our natural defence. This results in sun spots, leathery skin, uneven skin tone, crows feet, spidery veins and of course, potentially skin cancer. Don’t avoid the sun, but stay sun smart when out and about. Savings: Free skin friendly vitamin supplement: the sun. Take in small but regular doses.

Each of these tips will see you not only saving money on expensive skin care products (most of which don’t work anyway) but also saving money on junk foods, beverages and chemical products that are also doing harm to your health.

There is no miracle cream that will ‘stop the seven signs of aging’ but there are smart lifestyle choices that will. The added benefits: improve your overall health and save money at the same time.

Have you read these articles?:

1. how to have naturally glowing skin without spending a fortune
2. 10 ways to save money today
3. 10 easy tips to save water and money in your home

Almost all personal care products today contain parabens. Parabens are preservatives. They extend the shelf life of our products. Without preservatives, most of our skin care products and cosmetics would either have to be kept in the fridge or used within a few days.

It is the water content in products that make them susceptible to spoilage. Water makes an ideal environment for mould and bacterial growth, and when we open our skin care products, air borne spores come in contact with the water and can potentially grow (this is why pure body butters are easy to make and preserve, there is no water). Parabens have bactericidal and fungicidal properties that prevent bacterial growth once personal care products are opened, thus preserving the product and extending its shelf life.

When it comes to natural skin care alternatives, preserving products is a big issue. As consumers, we have expectations as to the shelf life of our products. But natural preservatives don’t give the same results as parabens. Things in nature aren’t meant to last forever. As a compromise, many natural products do include parabens as their only synthetic ingredient. As far as natural preservatives go, a popular alternative is grape seed extract and special ‘upside-down’ packaging can create a natural vacuum, helping to preserve products.

The debate is still raging about how safe parabens are. Mainstream claims are that parabens are completely safe, and testing that shows otherwise tends to be “inconclusive”.

The potential danger of parabens is that they are classed as endocrine disrupters: chemicals that mimic hormones (particularly oestrogen) and therefore upset the hormone balance in our bodies. Our endocrine system runs every function in the body. A small imbalance in one hormone can result not only in an imbalance in other hormones, but also in other systems in our body. These imbalances can affect our overall health.

Studies have revealed that some breast cancers are a result of high oestrogen levels and as parabens mimic oestrogen, increasing the overall oestrogen in our body, there is a link between using parabens and breast cancer. Some tumours have been found to have high levels of parabens in them.

Other possible side affects of parabens include allergic reactions and skin irritation.

At the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide whether the chemicals in your products are appropriate to use or not. I’ve tried to give somewhat of a balanced view, although it’s obvious I think nature is best. I think it’s good to be able to make informed decisions about what goes on or in your body.

Personally, I choose not to use products that contain synthetic chemicals. While they may prove to be safe, we have no evidence of safety yet. Many of the current claims that parabens and other synthetic chemicals are safe are, in my opinion, based on faulty logic.

Firstly, the statement that these chemicals are safe because they occur in our products in very small doses doesn’t take into account the compounding factor. These parabens are in everything, including some food products. Because of this, we are getting anything but ‘small doses’.

No study has ever assessed the long term affects of using these chemicals either alone or in relationship with the other synthetic chemicals in everyday products. While these compounds may really be safe, we just don’t know that yet, we don’t know what a lifetime of constant exposure does. We don’t know the affect of one synthetic compound mixing with another (or multiple others) within the cells of our bodies.

And finally, there is the often quoted faulty logic of direct correlation. We assume that if there is no immediately discernable cause and affect, then there is no cause and affect at all.

This logic just does not do justice to the complexities of life and in this case the human body. Just because someone doesn’t immediately develop cancer from using “synthetic compound X”, doesn’t mean that the cancer that they develop later in life was not at least in part caused by continual exposure to low doses of the synthetic compound.

Assuming that no immediate and direct correlation equals no correlation at all is very short sighted.

There are many other common chemicals in our personal care products (actually there are over 10,000 synthetic chemicals in common use in personal care products of which only about 11% have ever been ‘tested’). Some of these chemicals are know to be carcinogenic but are still found in our products. However, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, petroleum and parabens are the top three most common synthetics. Avoid these and you can make a safe bet that you are avoiding the multitude of other chemicals.

Have you read these articles?:

1. what’s in our products? – petroleum
2. what’s in our products? – sodium lauryl sulphate
3. Seven Good Reasons For Making Your Own Household Products

In a world of increasing demand for fuel, rising fuel costs and peak oil concerns, spare a thought for the petroleum products(mineral oil, petroleum jelly) that get smeared on your skin every day. Yes, there is a good reason why Vaseline rhymes with gasoline: the inventor of petroleum jelly (petrolatum) as a skin care product came up with the idea when visiting an oil rig.

Petrolatum is a mixture of hydrocarbons that repels water and is used in skin care products where a smooth texture is required (as in lipstick) but is particularly common in “moisturising” creams and lotions. Almost all ‘mainstream’ moisturising creams and lotions contain petroleum products because it is relatively cheap, it gives cream a ‘nice’ texture, and provides an effective barrier on the skin, trapping in moisture.

This barrier quality sounds great, but is actually one of it’s downfalls. Using petroleum based products is often likened to wrapping the skin in cling wrap. It effectively prevents the skin from functioning properly or ‘breathing’.

One of the skin’s main functions is to help detoxify the body. We do indeed lose moisture through our skin (sweat), but we’re supposed to. That is the skin functioning properly. The best way to keep skin hydrated (and every cell in the body) is not to smother your skin with clogging petroleum, but to drink plenty of water.

The irony is that petroleum based skin products can cause skin to become dry and crack and increase the likelihood of premature aging, the very problems that the products are meant to prevent in the first place.

And if you have any skin conditions like acne or eczema, the last thing you want to be doing is clogging your skin and preventing it from functioning properly.

Unless you’re exposed to extremes in temperature, like when hiking through the Himalayas, or when you’ve got the flu and are constantly wiping your nose, your skin doesn’t benefit from having a ‘barrier’. Your skin is the barrier for your body.

Apart from preventing the skin from functioning properly, petroleum products have been found to also disrupt the immune system and nervous system.

The potential carcinogenic effect of petroleum based skin care products was revealed by studies conducted by the Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research. These studies suggest that products with petroleum increase the risk of cancerous skin tumours in mice exposed to UV light (study published online here). While the study is far from conclusive and there are other factors in the study that could have caused the increase in tumours, the inconclusive nature of the safety of petroleum based products is enough for me not to use them.

And with all of these potentially bad side affects, it’s good to remember that baby oil is pure mineral oil and using it exposes our bubs to petroleum right from birth.

For skin hydration and moisturisation, natural alternatives include plant based oils, waxes and butters. Unlike petroleum based products, these oils are closer to the skin’s natural moisturiser, sebum, and are more effective and less damaging to the skin.

Have you read these articles?:

1. what’s in our products? – parabens
2. what’s in our products? – sodium lauryl sulphate
3. Seven Good Reasons For Making Your Own Household Products

At some point a couple of years ago, I became aware of the chemicals in our personal care products. I can’t remember how, but I got really interested in the subject, so interested in fact I spent six months researching everything to do with skin care, including talking to manufacturers about starting my own private line of natural skin care products.

Recently I rediscovered my draft 60 page eBook I wrote on natural skin care and thought I would share some of the information I gleaned from doing the research.

It’s important to know what we’re putting on our skin and in our bodies. Up to 60% of what goes onto our skin gets absorbed into our bodies (that’s why nicotine patches work)! I thought I would start with the very common ingredient: Sodium Lauryl Sulphate / Sodium Laureth Sulphate.

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) is a surfactant (it reduces surface tension of water and tension between water and oil). It is used in cleaning and personal care products where it is necessary to remove oil stains. It makes products “foam up.”

It is commonly found in liquid soap, face wash, shampoo, toothpaste, bubble bath, baby shampoo and soap, shaving foam and anything else that has a cleaning purpose.

It is also a common ingredient in dish washing detergent, cash wash, laundry detergent, floor cleaners, engine degreasers and paint stripper.

All chemical compounds have a Material Safety Data Sheet that gives information about the chemical, safe use practices and first aid procedures. It is interesting to note that the MSDS for Sodium Lauryl Sulphate states to avoid contact with skin.

SLS is used in laboratories to test the healing and soothing properties of creams and lotions. Why? Because it is a known skin irritant. Testers first irritate the skin with SLS, before trying to sooth it with the preparation being tested.

SLS can damage the skin causing dryness and acne. It can also cause or exacerbate skin conditions such as dermatitis and eczema.

Studies by the Journal of the American College of Toxicology show that SLS can cause harm to the eyes and mucous membranes (so keep shampoo out of your eyes). 

According to the Journal of the American College of Toxicology, SLS penetrates our skin and has a degenerative effect on cell membranes. Other studies have shown residual levels in the heart, liver, lungs and brain from skin contact. It is also said to be damaging to the immune system.

SLS is not considered carcinogenic and is generally considered “safe” by the ‘powers-to-be’ in small amounts where the product is rinsed off. However, what is a small amount? And how do you know how much is in any given product? And what kind of cumulative exposure are you getting if it’s in your soap and shampoo and detergent and toothpaste…?

On a personal note, I had terrible eczema on one hand for a couple of years. It completely went away when we switched to all natural products and hasn’t come back since. I have absolutely no way of telling which ingredient was irritating my skin, only that something in these products was irritating it.

We try to avoid SLS altogether. If you have skin problems like eczema, I would definitely try switching to products that don’t contain SLS. And I would also consider carefully whether you want to use baby shampoo and soap if it has SLS in it.

Just to confuse the issue, the brand Natural/Organic Instinct (I’ve been using their shampoo because it’s the cheapest supposedly “natural” brand) has been claiming that their products are “SLS free” and listing Sodium Salt of Sulphonated Laureth 2 as their alternative “naturally derived from coconut” ingredient. They have since been busted for this by the ACCC for breaching the Trade Practices Act as their products do actually contain SLS.

It’s a jungle out there when trying to pick good (inexpensive) personal care products. I was pretty disappointed to find this info out. I’m generally fairly well informed, and yet I still got suckered into believing I was using a natural product. It just goes to show you have to really read the labels, dig deep and not just take them at face value.

Have you read these articles?:

1. what’s in our products? – parabens
2. what’s in our products? – petroleum
3. Seven Good Reasons For Making Your Own Household Products

One day I want to have my own range of natural skin care products. I’ve spent about a year looking into the process of making different products, researching ingredients and the value of choosing natural over chemical skin care.

A few interesting facts on skin care:

• The average woman is exposed to around 200 chemicals a day just through use of personal care products alone
• Up to 60% of what we put on our skin is absorbed into the body
• The skin care industry is not regulated
• Of the 10,000 or so chemicals used in everyday products, only 11% have ever been tested.
• The chemicals aren’t tested in combination and exposure over long periods of time has not been tested. Many of those common to skin care products are known to be dangerous, but are still used anyway.
• The Material Data Safety Sheet of many common chemicals tell you not to get them in contact with skin.
• Sodium Lauryl Sulphate is common in many soaps, shampoos, cleansers and detergents. It is used in labs to irritate the skin on purpose when testing the healing property of creams and lotions. It is also found in paint strippers and engine degreasers. It is said to cause eczema. My eczema disappeared once I stopped using it.
• The parabens in products are preservatives and are said to be hormone disrupters
• Many products contain cheap ‘fillers’. These don’t do anything except add bulk so that manufacturers can make more money by including active ingredients in the product.
• Depending on the product, anywhere between 20% and 90% of the product is water.

Last week I wrote about making face masks out common foods. If you want to step up your skin care making a little, one of the easiest things to make yourself at home is body butter. There is no water in body butter, so there is no emulsion process that can be fiddly, and there is less need for preservatives as it is the water in products that attracts bacteria and mould.

Body butter a luscious skin treatment that’s all natural without any chemicals or fillers. It’s a bit oilier than what you buy because it’s an actual butter rather than a cream with butter in it. Have a look at the commercial products and you will see that many contain water.

The consistency of the final product will depend on the ingredients that you choose and the ratio of oil to butter. Cocoa butter is harder and will produce harder butter, it’s also richer. Jojoba oil is a nice light oil, using olive oil will make the cream a little heavier.

Method

1. Place butter, wax and oil either in a microwave save bowl, or a Pyrex bowl over a pot of simmering water. Melt slowly stirring. Don’t let the mix overheat and don’t leave unattended.
2. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for about 10 minutes or until it just starts to set before adding essential oils and vitamin E oil if using. Give the butter a good whisk and place into jars. Leave to set in the fridge.
3. Will last a couple of months in cool conditions, longer if you keep it in the fridge.
4. Smear on with delightful abandon

Choose your favourite essential oils or for rich healing skin oils try neroli, patchouli or clary sage.

So where do you get these ingredients? Chemists and health food stores may stock many or all of these ingredients, or alternatively online soap making suppliers will definitely have them.

Of course, I have a favourite supplier to recommend to you: Escentials of Australia.

This business has a great range of pure ingredients, their prices are reasonable especially their essential oils compared to buying them retail, their customer service is great and they just happen to be local.

If you’re wanting to learn more about making your own skin care products then check out the Australian Soap Conscious, a great resource for eBooks, online courses and workshops;

Or in America Joan Morais Naturals for eBooks, online classes and face to face classes.

By the way: I have no affiliation with any of these websites, and I don’t receive any benefit for recommending them. Just passing on great resources that I hope you will find helpful.

Have you read these articles?:

1. tip tuesday–natural hair product
2. how to make your own massage oils
3. tip tuesday–making peanut butter and honey more efficient

We all deserve a little pampering every now and then, but professional facials and store bought treatments can be costly and include all sorts of ingredients that we’re better off not putting on our skin.

That doesn’t mean we have to miss out though. Here are a few ideas for quick and easy masks that can be made out of everyday ingredients in the kitchen for a inexpensive facial pick-me-up.

• Citrus fruits especially lemon are toning, astringent and antiseptic. Good for normal to oily skin.
• Strawberries, apples and cucumber soften skin and reduce oiliness.
• For dryer skin, bananas and avocado nourish.
• Kiwi and paw paw are packed with good skin enzymes.
• Egg yolks are nourishing, while egg whites tighten skin.
• Milk and yogurt are full of natural enzymes that are great for the skin.
• Honey is full of goodness to nourish skin. It is also healing.
• Mash some strawberries and apply directly to the skin for a toning mask.
• For dry skin mash either an avocado or banana and apply to skin. Leave for 10 minutes and rinse off with water.
• Mix 1tsp of honey with some fine oatmeal and a little almond oil (olive oil just as good) to the consistency of a smooth paste. Smooth on and leave for 20 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water.
• Beat 1 egg yolk with 2 tsp of lemon juice and 1 tsp of honey until thick. Spread over face and leave to dry – about 10 minutes. Rinse off with cool water.
• For dry skin mix together 2 egg yolks, 2 tbsp glycerine (buy it at the chemist or health food store) and 1 tbsp of cream. Leave on for 10 minutes and rinse off with lukewarm water.
• Mix together mashed cucumber, yogurt and oatmeal for a refreshing mask.
• Try yogurt and honey, yogurt and lemon, yogurt and turmeric, yogurt and eggwhite. 
• Mix together some banana yogurt and honey. Leave on for 10 minutes and rinse. Eat the rest while you’re waiting.
• Beat an egg white until stiff. Add 1 tsp honey and leave until dry. Rinse off with cool water. 
• For a facial scrub, try plain sugar or add sugar to one of the masks. For a gentler option use oatmeal instead. Avoid scrubs if you have acne.
• Try witch hazel (found at the chemist) as an alcohol free toner
• Try pure aloe vera juice to sooth skin.
• For the eyes the old cucumber slices work wonders or keep your used tea bags for a refreshing eye pad. Try camomile tea bags for the eyes.

Try these ideas for an awesome at home spa experience:

• Set aside some ‘me time’ regularly. Take the phone off the hook, inform the family, lock the bathroom door, get dad to take the kids to the park. You deserve some pampering time – you can’t look after everything else if you’re feeling frazzled.
• Create a personal oasis. Light some candles, burn some oils, add some music.
• Grab everything that you need before hand. Bowls, oils, masks, towels, bath pillows, robe, headband.
• Wash your face as usual
• Place some hot water in a bowl, add a couple of drops of your favourite pure essential oil and placing a towel over your head, enjoy the steam for up to 15 minutes.
• Apply your favourite mask and relax. Time to relax in the bath, meditate, read a book, write in your journal or listen to your favourite music. Drink your favourite cup and forget about everything else for a little while.
• Rinse off your mask and finish off with some cold water or non-alcoholic toner. Apply moisturiser.
• Consider giving yourself a nice relaxing massage. Grab some olive oil from the kitchen and spend a few moments unwinding those tight spots.

For more information, there is a wonderful book on looking after your skin and the rest of you naturally, you can’t go past about face. I love this book, it includes information on skin care for different ages and for different stages of life, natural v artificial skin care products and foods to eat for great looking skin. I really like the idea about creating rituals to pamper ourselves – don’t we deserve it!

The authors are local and I’ve heard them speak at a couple of functions – they are very passionate about living healthy and looking after ourselves.

What is your favourite homemade facial recipe?

Have you read these articles?:

1. homemade laundry detergent
2. What Is In Homemade Laundry Detergents?
3. pan fried fish with homemade chips