We live in an age, where a wealth of information is available to us, and we are very aware on what’s good and bad. For example, it wasn’t so long ago that they thought smoking and drinking was good for you. Although smoking is pretty obvious, I do still feel that drinking, although not good for my health is good for the health of those that wind me up. In fact, I’d say it had saved their lives.

(image from: http://www.theblaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/beer.jpg)

Also, look at aspartame. We go through regular peaks and troths of it being good for you, bad for you, and making you grow a moustache. With SO much information, it’s hard to know what’s right and wrong, and what to be concerned about.

(image from: https://myorganicchemistry.wikispaces.com/file/view/aspartame_products.jpg/147115299/aspartame_products.jpg)

Take a look at our beauty products. Aside from having a slight distrust in the company already because the foundation we just spent £20 certainly DIDNT make us look like Kate Moss, do we know what’s we are actually putting on our face? Here’s an idiot proof round up of a few of the biggies:

Parabens

Parabens prevent bacteria growth, so basically, they are what stops your face cream looking like that pot of natural yoghurt you opened about 2 weeks ago and forgot all about but will DEFINATELY offer to guests you don’t like. About 85% of cosmetics have these in, because lets face it, if your face cream went off 2 weeks after you bought it you would be having a proper fewm. There are a few companies which REALLY go out of their way to not include parabens (like Lush, you can read more about them here http://confessionsofasoberessexgirl.co.uk/2014/09/08/lush-blogger-event-lakeside/), so are they REALLY that bad for your old boat race?

In the 1990’s it was found that parabens mimic Oestrogen production, and due to making links with parabens being found in breast cancer tissue, a maximum amount was set for all cosmetics companies. Saying that sounds incredibly scary, and no one checked to see if parabens were actually present in normal breast tissue as well.

I think the key here is to remember, putting chemicals on your face is not good, full stop. Your face is probably as sensitive as your minge, and lets face it, no one puts chemicals on their minge. so if you can find a face cream that’s paraben free, it might be better to have a cosmetic go off than potentially harm your health.

(image from: http://www.globalfashionreport.com/images/en/366178.jpg)

BHA and BHT

(image from: http://praisewalker.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/bha-bht.jpg)

If your eyesight is bad I just want to clear this up and tell you a BACON, LETTUCE and TOMATO sandwich will not kill you.  Butylated hydroxytoluene and butylated hydroxyanisole are a synthetic chemical used as a preservative. Do we see a pattern here? Yes it might not be pleasant having a face mask in your bedroom growing a new civilization, but its better for your skin. Synthetic chemicals are laboratory made, and not naturally produced, so your body doesn’t have the calculator to do the maths on what they are. This means it can decide to react in all sorts of ways, and can cause irritation.

Interestingly, this is why butter is actually better for you than margarine. Butter is natural fat, and your body knows exactly where to put it when it goes in (in my case it’s thighs and arse) but trans fats are something the body doesn’t recognise, so when you eat margarine it really doesn’t know what you are up to. So go forth and eat lots of butter ladies!

(image from: http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2013/10/22/1382469492427/Butter-008.jpg)

Phthalates

You may remember a story recently where everyone dropped a bollock because they found these little baddies in loom bands. Although they are used in hundreds of thousands of consumer products, phthalates are thought to be endocrine disruptors. this means they affect human hormones, a bit like parabens. Although having your hormones disrupted doesn’t seem like a great deal, you never know what can happen. your hormones are responsible for a hell of a lot more than you think, like for example, producing insulin to stop you being diabetic. Or regulating your body temperature. Although these chemicals are still deemed safe, they can even lead to infertility in large amounts.

So where on earth can I buy all these magic, chemical free cosmetics?

Well, the obvious one is Lush: https://www.lush.co.uk/ who will always give you a ‘use by’ date on your products.

http://www.mypure.co.uk/ provide organic skincare

http://www.afterglowcosmetics.co.uk/paraben-free/info_17.html also market themselves as paraben free