Choosing healthy skin care products

i did too!!! i was a hairdresser and was constantly exposed to cosmetic chemicals...pllus we have a home print shop which has other chemicals in it. 

Aveda is a professional line and they are paraben free phthalate free and organic.  they are also a green company, and because i TOTALLY am a hair snob and can't use drug store brands on my hair anyways....i highly recommend checking them out. not only do they have hair stuff but they also have body wash, soap, cosmetics and i think they even have nail polish.  im going to make an appointment to have my makeup done by them so i can see what would suit me best. then i can buy what i like.

aveda salons are exclusive...meaning you can't get aveda at any salon...if they sell aveda, they sell aveda only but its SO worth it. a little of the shampoo goes a long way.  i have two daughters and we all have medium to long hair. i buy a bottle of shampoo for 16 bucks, and a bottle of conditioner for 16 bucks and it lasted me for two months and they are regular size bottles...not the big gallon size. if i were to buy drug store shampoo id have used four bottles in that time. plus because its professional product my hair and my kids hairs look amazing.

 also thier cosmetics are actually not classified by the fda as cosmetics because they don't have the chemicals that normal cosmetics do, they qualify as a food product....for some reason the stylist at the salon told me that. lol. at this point id rather put food on my face than cosmetics anyways!

It's nice to learn about your ideas on safe skincare products. Today this is one of the most important factor that we should be very careful looking into the contents of every skincare roduct we use is a must! That's why I just stick to only one product to properly moisturize my skin all day. I recommend LifeCell skincare It's safe and paraben free.

I live in a rural area where most of the paraben-free etc products are hard to find, or very expensive. I simply use pure shea butter or extra virgin coconut oil on my face. You could add a drop of a non-irritating essential oil for fragrance, though I must admit I made a return to using my fave perfume a few yrs after chemo when I could once again tolerate strong smells. Perfumes possibly among the worst. Almond oil would be another good one - keep in fridge. A mixture of almond oil and coconut oil, kept in fridge so it is not liquid, is something I used to use, too.

I've tried to do better on skin and hair care products ever since I saw a news story a few years ago while I was between surgeries.  I live in a rural area so I have ended up being able to get some products in the area and had to mail order others. 

For shampoo and conditioner I found Nourishing Coconut Milk Shampoo and Nourishing Coconut Milk Conditioner by Organix.  They have no sulfates or parabens and Walmart and I think Walgreens sells it and I am sure it is available at other stores as well.  I recently switched over to L'oreal Evercurl Hydrocharge Cleansing Conditioner that is basically a shampoo and conditioner in one and is paraben and sulfate free and I like it for my curly hair.  I still have the other shampoo and conditioner in the house for my husband and our house guests.

For skin care, I use mostly St. Ives products or coconut oil.  For a face moisturizer during the day, I use Aveeno Active Naturals Daily Nourishing Moisturizer.  All of these products readily available at Walmart or most drug stores. 

For makeup, I wear mineral makeup from Cowgirl Dirt in the warmer months or while I am working.  I also like their lip colors. I have to get these products by mail but they can easily be ordered online and they have fast delivery.  I'm still trying to find a liquid makeup that I like as well as Estee Lauder's Double Wear.

What I find frustrating is how on many of the labels they look like they are a natural products but the ingredient list shows otherwise or it contains soy.  Even once you find what you like, they keep discontinuing products or changing formulas.