Scared Green

Today I threw out everything in my makeup drawer and medicine cabinet, except for two things. I switched to green cleaning products about a year ago, but today I finally made the leap to cosmetics. I've been very conscious of evaluating the credibility of the websites and books I've been reading, trying to determine if they're legit or just based on paranoid tree-huggers.

There is some controversy, but it appears that many ingredients in lotions, creams, fragrances, hair products and other cosmetics have been linked to some pretty scary health conditions. Many of the ingredients are banned in other countries and controlled substances in cleaning products- so why would I slather them on my body? It was really hard to throw stuff away, since some things were new, and some things I've been using since I was 12. It's also pretty scary to try to find alternatives, as many natural cosmetics are more expensive. The worst offenders in my medicine cabinet for the hair products- a particularly painful discovery for me since I've spent the last several years trying in vain to straighten my God-given perm.

Anyways, if you're interested in learning more, check out this website: Skin Deep.

Also, here are some of the books/websites that have informed my thinking.

• The AutoImmune Epidemic
• Gorgeously Green
• Green This!
• Serve God, Save the Planet
  
• WebMD: Cosmetics Safety