17/03/13

My natural product of the week is.....  LOTION.


Why should you switch to a natural lotion?

Because the one you may be using now, could be harming your health.  Most people, when trying to read the ingredients of a certain product, cannot really understand what is written.  This is because companies use the chemical names for many ingredients.

Parabens  

They are preservatives.  The word is starting to become a popular issue with the public.  We are noticing that they are maybe not the best things to be eating or putting on our body.  Well sorry to tell you, but SO many beauty and cosmetic products are filled with them.  Parabens are cheap and easy to make causing it to be widely available.

What does the chemical name looks like?
A carbon molecule name + Paraben     example :  Methylparaben, butylparaben ect.

Problems associated with its use?
There's been a lot of research done with parabens and its effects are still widely debated.  Some of the side-effects that have been found with experimentation to include an increase of oestrogen.  This can make people more susceptible to UV rays which in turn have been linked to skin cancers.  Some research has also stated that they may link to breast cancer.  We are not sure if these are really carcinogenic products, however, it is best to avoid using them altogether.


Resources

Mullens, Anne. Parabens: What are they, Are they really that bad? Best Health Mag. 2008. Web. March 17, 2013.

My natural product of the week is ..... Deodorant!

By Sarah Bee

Why switch deodorants and skin lotions?

 Because antiperspirants can contain many unwanted and unknown ingredients that we are better off not having on our bodies!  After some research, this is some basic information about specific ingredients that are often in deodorants. Check out the links for some extra information.  Make sure to always check the ingredients before you buy a product, and learn about what you are really buying! This research has really opened my eyes and scared me to pieces.

I have a pharmacy brand skin cream and deodorant. I will be comparing their contents with these common unwanted and sometimes dangerous ingredients.

Aluminium
Generally safe in small amounts. Works as the "antiperspirant" by clogging pores. Allergic reactions may occur.

Pharmacy Deodorant

Diazolidinyl urea
Recognize the word urea? Well you should, seems close to urine? well thats what it is.  It mostly comes from animal urine.  It is often found in skin creams and deodorants.  This should be completely avoided.

DANGER? It can release the compound Formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is carcinogenic (causes cancer) and extremely dangerous for everyones health.

Pharmacy Skin Cream

Parabens
This is something I have been trying to avoid for a long time now; preservatives.  Parabens have minimal side-effects, but they can increase the risk of sunburns. (I'm young and I want to keep it that way, avoid UV rays is important for everyone).  It is unnecessary to use parabens in all products. Considering the frequency that I use creams, I do not need to make it last for years on end.

Pharmacy Skin Cream and Deodorant

Propylene glycol
Considered a food additive by the FDA.  In small amounts it is considered mostly safe.  It may cause some irritation if used often on skin.  Again, it does not have to be included in deodorants.

Pharmacy Skin Cream

Petroleum
Should be avoided, professionals have found that it has been linked to problems.

The products that I have been LOVING are..

Green beaver, natural deodorant in Citrus 
This is a great alternative for an antiperspirant or regular deodorants. It is free from parabens, aluminium and propylene glycol.  It contains sodium (salt); which is used to absorb the excess sweat. natural fruits and flowers.  It is gluten free, vegan and not tested on animals.

Live clean body lotion
This is a great body lotion, it is paraben free.

Take Courses that you will enjoy

Pick and choose your classes wisely.  Try to pick classes that are taught by good professors and that are of interest to you.  Sometimes this is just not the case, if so, don't give up.  Use the tips that I will have listed below to help get through the class.

Be Prepared

I know, I know, you have all heard this a million times.  But in this case, it really does save you to be prepared for class and assignments.  If you have a paper or a report due, make sure to complete it a few days before it is due and so you can get feed back from your professors and other students.  (This especially helps when you do the project incorrectly... It happens).  It is recommended to read your text before going to class.  I personally like to read my text after class because it makes the lecture more interesting.  

Have fun

Although you do have to study so hard in university, do remember that you also need to have fun.  This is a category that I struggle with.  Often times I feel as if I live in the library and do nothing but study.  This doesn't mean that you should go out and party every second night.  Try scheduling a day or two a week with your friends as long as you have the time.  Even if it is finals week and you are swamped make sure to take an hour here and there to yourself.  You will thank me later.

Take good Notes

I believe that taking notes is an art.  Some days my notebooks are very pretty and other times it looks like a toddlers notebook.  I like to use pens that are highly pigmented rather than pencils (unless there's math involved).  This is because the text "jumps" at you more.  

Use colours but try not to go over board.  Some people love the highlight EVERYTHING.  When an entire page is highlighted it is difficult to retain all the information.  Highlight one or two important words.  Avoid highlighting more than a sentence or two at a time.  Highlighting is used to direct your eyes to the important stuff, keep it simple.

Make lists/tables

Again, when making notes you want them to be quick and easy to read.  By making lists or tables it will really help you to learn the material faster.  It will also allow you to create an image in your head of the material.  

My Autumn wish list 

Revlon nail polish Red 680

Revlon Liquid Stay Black Eyeliner

Revlon lip balm stains Romantic

Yankee Candle fall scents

Army jacket AE

Vintage Jewelry Claire's owl pendent

Claire's Burnished Gold Filigree Chevron Ring

This is a very simple recipe.  You can choose whatever ingredients you would like to use.  This are my most used ingredients.  There are two ways that you can make the sauce.  You can use a frying pan to cook all the ingredients and to make the dish more flavourful.  However, if you are in a hurry, I do suggest that you microwave the sauce for about 30s... Enjoy!

Ingredients

• Cooked Pasta
• Olive oil
• Your choice of vegetables
• Baby Tomatoes 
• Peppers
• Mushroom
• Spices
• oregano
• parsley
• basil

Hello! These are my must have end of summer products.  Now that the weather is starting to cool down and students are back in school.  It is time to pull out the big guns. 

Boots.  The best part about autumn.  These are from winners, it's a great place to find nice boots for half the price.  

Cozy socks are a must for me.  These are adorable fox socks from bath and body works.

A cute backpack from Claires is great for me to use for college.  

A hot cup of tea is my cup of tea!  I love davidsTea's.  I tend to reach mostly for the cranberry pear and chocolate flavours! Yum!

Although tanning is more of a summer thing, I do like to keep a light tan throughout autumn in hopes that summer will come back.  The L'Oreal Sublime Bronze self tanner is the best that I have ever tried.  No streaking when applied properly, huge colour payoff and it is so so so easy and quick to apply. I highly recommend this product!  

Last but not least, a beautiful fall scented candle is perfect to keep the spirits high.  

There are so many different kinds out there and I can't try them all, but trust me, I will try. 

Hello Hello!  These are a few things that I believe are important for school!  

Enjoy!

Hand Cream [The body shops body butter: Satsuma] 

I cannot stand having dry hands! And so this is an absolute must to have with me on my first day back to class.  This is a sample size and so it is great to keep in my bag. 

Lip balm [Smith's Rosebud Salve]

Again, this is another one of my staple products.  This lip balm is particularly moisturizing and smalls like wild roses.   

Deodorant [Lady speed stick] 

Lets face it, nobody wants to stink, ever.  But especially when you are meeting a lot of new people. Or you may be nervous about what is coming up!

Coloured lip products [Revlon lip butters : berry smoothie]

This lip butter is perfect for me.  The shade is close to my natural lip colour and is not overpowering. Long wearing and easy to apply. 

The body shop: Grape-seed serum:  This serum is wonderful for individuals with frizzy, curly, and or unruly hair.  However, I do not have this hair type and so I use this serum to hydrate my hair when it's feeling dull.  It's great to help heal split ends! :)

 

Tresemme Heat protectant: This is a great heat protectant.  You must of heard a lot about this so no need to talk about it much!!

Macadamia Straightening Balm:  This is a great heat protectant and hair straightening product.  You put a pea size amount on your hair when your hair is wet, blow dry, and voila! Straighter hair and soft hair.

Hope this helps!! xoxox

Hope you guys like this !!

Enjoy xoxox!