Many people are looking for alternatives to commercial cosmetics.  Whilst the reasons may not be that obvious, they are quite disturbing, once you get to the bottom of what’s behind the curtains.  Here are some of the top reasons.

1. Traditional cosmetic products contain dangerous toxins like heavy metals, phthalates and hundreds of others linked to cancer, hormonal disorders, fertility issues etc. The United Nations Environmental Program estimates that approximately 70,000 chemicals are in common use across the world, with 1,000 new chemicals being introduced every year!
2. Women absorb an estimated 2.5 kg of chemicals a year just from the makeup they use. Most items we rub on the skin end up in our bloodstream, and are distributed throughout our body.
3. The skin is actually our largest organ, and it is highly absorbent.A large portion of the toxins we are exposed to on a daily basis comes through our skin, not just through the food.
4. Using chemicals on our skin is actually worse than eating them. When we eat something, the enzymes in our saliva and stomach help to break it down and flush it out of our body. However, when we apply these chemicals on our skin, they are absorbed straight into our bloodstream and going directly to our delicate organs. They tend to accumulate over time because we typically lack the necessary enzymes to break them down.

5. Even when the product is certified as organic (biological) it may still contain some controversial ingredients and preservatives.

For example, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) is an approved ingredient by many eco and organic certification bodies even though nearly 16,000 studies mention the toxicity of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). SLS is a surfactant used as foaming agent, detergent and emulsifier in thousands of cosmetic products and industrial cleaners.

So what to do, what is an alternative?

Luckily, most of the beauty and skin care products can be made at home at affordable price and far superior quality. The recipes can be found all around the web; I also post them regularly at http://foodinloveout.com along with many other natural beauty tips.

For those who don’t have the time or desire to go into the adventure of making the products, you can order them from our shop at  http://www.ohloulou.com and we will be more than happy to produce them for you. Or look at the other shops making small batches of truly handmade and toxin-free products.

Our handmade beauty products are almost entirely made of organic, mostly edible ingredients like raw butters, unrefined cold pressed vegetable oils and pure essential oils.

This in essence means ZERO toxins, ZERO preservatives, ZERO dangerous ingredients.

Our products are delicate and pure and since no preservatives are added, they need to be carefully handled (kept at dark and dry place, the temperature usually needs to be below 25C).

Once you understand the need and importance for natural toxin-free products, staying true to them will be easy and rewarding.

Food On, Beauty In & Out