A friend of mine recently had a skin irritation in her armpit that turned into an abscess that had to be surgically removed. OUCH! A course of antibiotics followed. She had been using an antiperspirant for 20 years and apparently her pores just clogged up. Antiperspirants work by using aluminum to stop the functioning of sweat gland. Deodorants, on the other hand, use antibacterials to stop odor, but they don’t stop the flow of sweat. She switched to using a deodorant until the abscess healed and then went back to using the same antiperspirant. The same thing happened and she had to go on antibiotics again to avert another surgery.

This is one of those anecdotes that illustrates the choice we all have between a conventional approach and a holistic approach to our self-care.. The conventional approach uses science to press the pharmaceutical mute button, to rectify the “failings” of our human physiology and then regards the (sometimes considerable) side effects as “collateral damage.” The holistic approach aims to work with the natural systems, not against them, and to redress imbalances using non-toxic products.

Frankly, “better living through chemistry” is bollocks. Look, I know that our ancestors didn’t have all the answers. Their lives were nasty, brutish and short, but clearly WE don’t have all the answers either. When it comes to food I ingest or substances I apply to my skin, one of my main litmus tests is: how long has humanity used it? According to the Environmental Working Group;(EWG)

“Cosmetic ingredients do not sit tight of the surface of the skin — they are designed to penetrate, and they do. Scientists have found many common cosmetic ingredients in human tissues, including industrial plasticizers called phthalates in urine, preservatives called parabens in breast tumor tissue, and persistent fragrance components like musk xylene in human fat.” (1)

The impact that personal care products can have on your health is significant. First of all, we each use an average of 10 personal care products every day. Secondly, we get into habits, like my friend who used a certain brand of antiperspirant for 20 years. Thirdly, most products are untested and unregulated!  EWG again:

“Nearly 90 percent of the 10,500 ingredients FDA has determined are used in personal care products have not been evaluated for safety by the CIR, the FDA, or any other publicly accountable institution.” (2)

Fourthly, you would be astounded at what some manufacturers think is a reasonable component of their product. How about lead, mercury, placenta, phthalates, or petroleum products? Nanoparticles? No thanks. See EWG’s list of products to avoid.

So knowing that about 25% of those unpronounceable chemicals in skin care products would make it into my bloodstream without having the benefit (as my food does) of first being filtered by my liver, I opted for pure oils that were edible to use on my face. Shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil…. these are all at least theoretically edible, (though I never tried to eat the first two,) but I lavished them onto my skin. I felt very wholesome. And then about a year into this regime, winter hit and my skin went all papery and weird. So I tried a different cream made from high quality oils– and I broke out in pimples. So at that point I slightly relaxed my damnable standards of purity and tried another concoction. It stung going on and made my skin red. AGH!

So what’s a girl to do when she’s staring down the barrel of the big 4-0? I have been the low-maintenance type with regard to my skin regime. I wanted to find something that works so I don’t have to think too much about it, actually. And I’m not about to hit the lab to concoct something on my own.

This is when I hit upon Dr. Hauschka. Not only is it all gorgeous, organic ingredients and essential oils, but every botanical element in the product line was grown biodynamically. This means with an eye to sustainability and maximum nutrient density. This is how the food at my CSA is grown. (which, by the way, is selling shares now.) It’s some magical voo-doo that has won me over completely.

Here was another opportunity for me to choose between the conventional and holistic approaches to my body. The transition to Dr. Hauschka products required that I moisterize my skin LESS in the winter, so that my skin would start creating its own moisture again. (Wait, who ever tells you to use less of their product?) OK it was hard. I trusted the process, though,  because redressing imbalances naturally always takes time. It took about 6 weeks, by my skin DID start moisturizing itself, along with a little Hauschka help! I was actually pretty amazed. To learn more about this process, go here or talk with Rhonda Nordstrom at Rheal Day Spa, who is a Dr. Hauschka specialist. (and– shout out!– my sponsor for this month’s newsletter!)

Rhonda says that skin inflammation can be a result of various factors like allergy, stress, eating habits (of course!) and toxicity. She says that it’s important to read the labels of your products, even if you’re getting them from a health-food store. Many natural products can still contain parabens as preservatives (why is this controversial?) and long lists of ingredients. She also notes that products that foam can be drying– even if they are moisturizers– because the foaming agent itself is drying.

So! That’s my face cream. Onto hand cream, deodorant, toothpaste, mouthwash, make up, hair care… When did self care get to be so complicated? Well… I guess that would be back when there were people who cared more about making money than they did about your wellbeing. “Caveat Emptor” was a term coined back in the days of the Roman empire. Let the buyer beware. Back when our nasty, brutish ancestors had to worry more about being marauded by the Visigoths than by the tens of thousands of chemicals that got unleashed into our households within one short generation.
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