Natural Beauty

What is Beauty - Art provided by Malinda Prudhomme

Guilty.

I used sparkly pink lipstick and wicked matching nail polish in my youth.

And I took it all off with an alcohol-based remover. 

And yes, I sniffed the bottle.

More than once.

Today, I cringe when I think about the things I did to my nails, hair and skin (and respiratory system) when I was young and innocent.  I wanted to be like the super models and if they permed their hair until the bangs burned off, then, I'll be darned, I would too!  (What do you mean the bangs were not meant to burn off?)

I've come a long way from what I thought was beautiful.  Beauty to me was being skinny and flawless.  It meant stacking on make-up to hide imperfections.  It meant hiding behind my long, teased, hair-sprayed bangs (they grew in, you know.) 

It wasn't until I became a mother that I recognized true beauty.  Maybe it was because I didn't really have time to look in the mirror or style my hair as often as I should have.  Or was it because I thought my maternity pants were still stylish - even a year after the birth?  I don't quite know how I got there, but I realized one day that I didn't care about running out of the house without make-up and sporting milk stains on my shirt.

My son didn't care either.  He smiled at me and snuggled with me and loved me whether I had bangs or not! 

It was around this time that I had started eating better and reading labels.  Heck, if I was not going to put this garbage on my son's skin, why was I doing it to myself? 

So, rather than reaching for my regular make-up bag, I started to get serious about my beauty regimen.  I looked into alternatives like moisturizing my skin with coconut oil and cleansing with homemade concoctions.  I stopped using nail polish (ha! - like I even had time to apply it!) and I stopped with vicious hair products.

Since I don't have time to make cleansers myself like I used to, I now resort to natural product lines that are out on the market, including Shaklee's Enfuselle line. Over time, I have changed everything from shampoo to soap to deodorant to hair balms.  I apply natural concealer from time to time and when I do apply nail polish, it's now soy-based and I use a non-toxic remover. 

My lipstick?  Gone is the glitter, in is the plant-based lip balm!

Before you start getting crazy visions of a flower child amongst fairies, let me get straight with you here.  I still dye my hair with chemicals at the salon (only I do it less often - much to the chagrin of my hair stylist.)  And, occasionally, I still do dip into my old cosmetic bag for my favorite eye shadow.  I'm not completely on the other side, but, I have committed to making small changes a little at a time - which is what I encourage you to do.  It's taken me over four years to discover, test and settle on my favorite natural beauty products.  It's a process, without a doubt.

So, what change will you make in your beauty regimen today?


Resources for you:

Herbs for Natural Beauty (affiliate book link for making your own beauty products)
EWG's Cosmetics Database (an excellent site for learning about what's really in your cosmetics)
The Story of Cosmetics (video) 
10 Worst Chemicals in Cosmetics (article includes great visual )
Shaklee's Healthy Beauty Line (I esp. love the eye make-up remover!)