# Health vs. Hair: I Gave/Threw Away all My Hair Products Away



## MJ (Jul 16, 2005)

*Health vs. Hair: I Gave/Threw Away all My Hair Products*

A few weeks ago, Nay posted a thread stating that after threw away her CON conditioner and shampoos because the contained parabens, a carcinogenic. Her post was a total eye-opener I NEVER thought hair products contained carcinogens until I read that post. I read some of the articles in the links she had posted and that when I learned that not only are hair products, cosmetics in general, loaded with toxins. But that products for blacks have more than average. 

Within a few days of reading Nay's posts I decided that I would "transition" off all the products with parabens within 6 months and begin 2006 paraben-free lifestyle. I continued to research and learned that parabens were only the tip of the cancer-causing chemicals used in hair products and began to feel uncomfortable using most of the ones I had. Especially due to the fact that I was/am doing daily conditioner washes. 

Today, while cleaning my bathroom I found myself taking out and bagging up pretty much all of my soaps, body washes, lotions, etc. after taking one look at the ingredients and noting that they all have AT LEAST two carcinogens. I am one of those people who buy in bulk (for example, I gave away 6 deodorants because they contain 17% aluminum each). I had two shopping bags full of that stuff.

Then later, I didn't plan on doing so, I began do the same with my hair products. This is what I gave or threw away:

- Crème of Nature Detangling and Conditioning Shampoo
- Tom’s of Maine Natural Aloe & Almond Shampoo 
- Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo 
- Nexxus Therappe and Nexxus Botanoil Treatment Shampoo 
- Nexxus Humectress 
- 2x Kenra Volumizing conditioner 
- 2x Kenra Moisturizing conditioner
- Suave Naturals “Milk & Honey” conditioners 
- Suave Naturals “Citrus Smoothie” conditioner 
- Crème of Nature Nourishing Conditioner  
- 2x Infusium 23 Professional Original Formula -- the really big bottles
- Nexxus Keraphix  Restorative Protein Crème Reconstructor
- 2x Emergencee Polymeric Reconstructor
- Lekair Cholesterol Plus 
- S-Curl Activator & Moisturizer 
- 4x African Royale Braid Sheen Spray
- Blue Magic Hair & Scalp Conditioner “Anti-Breakage Formula” 
- Vaseline
- Razac Perfect for Perms 
- Hollywood Beauty Castor Oil Hair Treatment 
- IC Hair Polisher Styling Gel with Sparkle Lites 
- Garnier Fructus Style “Wet Shine Gel” 
- Motions Oil Moisturizer 30 oz “Moisture Silk Protein Conditioner” 
- Keracare Dry & Itchy Scalp shampoo
- Keracare Humecto (the big tub, half full)


These are stuff I kept: 

Good stuff
- Gary Null's Hair Repair
- Hot Six oil
- Jojoba oil
- Castor oil
- Glycerin
- Shea butter
- Amla power
- Gary Null shampoo
- Essential oils: rosemary, lavendar, peppermint
I'm also going to buy an Aubrey's organics conditioner or two (this will be my list of staples)

Bad stuff (from my self relaxer days, I'm going to try again, my hairdresser is destroying my hair. But from now on I'm going to relax no more than three times each year - every 16 weeks)

- Motions Oil Moisturizer “Mild Relaxer” 
- Motions Oil Moisturizer 32 oz “Moisture Crème Neutralizing Shampoo” 
- Creme of Nature netrualizing shampoo (this is the brand my hair dresser use, if I fail with motions again, I'll try CON on my own) 

As you can see, almost all my products contained carcinogens. Almost all of them contained parabens, some like CON conditioner contained many; CON conditioner has 4/5. 

I'm not sure if I'll be able to grow long, healthy hair without all that stuff, but I'm sure gonna try. My health is more important than my hair.

mzjones


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## MJ (Jul 16, 2005)

Here are a few of the articles I read:

Cancer Link Discovered in Common Cosmetics
http://www.locateadoc.com/articles.cfm/search/120

Pregnancy Concern [regarding carcinogens in cosmetics]
http://www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep/report/pregnancy_concerns.php

Harmful/Harmless Products
http://www.3.waisays.com/skincare.htm

Think Before You Pink: Cosmetics Companies And Breast Cancer
http://www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org/Pages/CosmeticCompanies.html


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## Cichelle (Jul 16, 2005)

I really admire you for this. I am on the way to cleaning out my things too. I plan to keep it simple and feel better. I also couldn't believe how many "toxic" things I owned. I threw a lot away just yesterday. I have already found some healthy alternatives and I think I will soon be able to completely clear out the toxic hair and skin products...not only for my sake, but for my daughter's sake too.


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## MJ (Jul 16, 2005)

Thanks Cichelle. 

I'm happy that you working at detoxifying your home as well. Best wishes to you and your daughter.


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## Nay (Jul 16, 2005)

Hey Mzjones 

That was a lot of cleaning out you did!! I, too, have revamped my whole hair care system and streamlined the products I'll be using. Fortunately, I right away found products that I like and that are responding well to the way I wear my hair. I hope that you find alternative products too!

What kills me is how expensive it is to try to use healthier products  But I'm not going to let price keep me from putting better quality stuff in and on my body/hair.

For my hair my staples have become Aubrey's shampoo and conditioner. Castor Oil. And three products that I bought from www.myhoneychild.com 

For my face/body I use a pure olive oil soap bar from kiss my face, and jojoba oil as a moisturizer. And I found a nice (but expensive) sunscreen at www.bewellstaywell.com

I'm actually really enjoying all of my new finds, and I REALLY do feel healthier and have more peace of mind since making these changes. I wish the same for you!

* On a side note, since I've stopped using my old products that contained all of those parabens, I have become more tone.  My workouts seem more effective, and I have lost about three pounds and my body fat percentage has gone down a few points.  This was a nice bonus, and I'm curious if anyone else has or will experience this.


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## SUPER SWEET (Jul 16, 2005)

We should compile a list of safe products. I have been surfing for some.


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## MJ (Jul 16, 2005)

Thanks Nay! I'm checking out those sites as you speak. Toxin-free products are expensive, but I'm also looking into using cheaper food items such as coconut milk, avocado, banana, honey, etc. as well.


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## OnPoint (Jul 17, 2005)

This is interesting. How do you know which products contain these parabens? Is it listed as one of the ingredients? Could you make a list of things we should look out for. Thanks in advance


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## tal (Jul 17, 2005)

Yes, perhaps another thread should be started with a more distinctive title, identifying those ingredients which are carcinogenic.  This would be extremely helpful for younger and older members alike.  Then members could go through their stash and determine what they should keep or discard based on the ingredient listing.  While the healthy alternatives may be more expensive, if you think about it, if we had selected them in the first place we would not have expended a gazillion dollars on the not-so-healthy products.

Thanks for providing the list of what you got rid of and what you kept - definitely an eye opener.  Also, thanks to the original poster who got this conversation started.  If we're not already, we must become educated and health-conscious shoppers.


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## tal (Jul 17, 2005)

I wish someone would look at the dominican products many of us are purchasing and let us know which contain carcinogenic ingredients.  I can't even *see* the ingredients let alone interpret them when they are large enough to read.


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## Enchantmt (Jul 17, 2005)

Those posts also spurred me on to culling a lot of my products. I basically went thru looking for things with placenta.  After reading how it affects your hormones I thought back to when I was using the Hask placenta conditioner. My cycles were VERY heavy, and I think it helped cause problems with my PCOS.  Tho I had this problem BEFORE I used the conditioner. I stopped using it during my transistion so I havent used it in about a year. My cycles have been lighter so far, tho they are still a problem. (I hope this isnt TMI but hey we're here to help each other). I'm also wondering if the fact that I dont relax anymore is affecting this.

 Most everything has parbens in it, even the shampoo and conditioner I got at trader Joes which are 85% organic. I love the conditioner, my hair hasnt felt this good since I went natural and I've only been using them a week.  

Body washes normally break me out anyway, but there is this soap by spudz called "naked" which is basically palm oil and glycerine that I have been using and getting good results thus far. I thought the bar wouldnt last long, but its nice sized and its not wasting away fast like some glycerin soaps. Also it has good lather.  I also have been using the liquid rock deordorant, tho I havent tossed my other ones yet. 

I will go through the rest of my things gradually and elminate what I can when I find a good substitute for it. 

Nay, I know you said you want to see how your program is working out for you before  you give detailed info. I'm glad what you're doing is working for you and I look forward to you sharing more information.


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## Poohbear (Jul 17, 2005)

*Re: Health vs. Hair: I Gave/Threw Away all My Hair Products*

This site http://www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep/browse_products.php is the site I look at frequently to check up on ingredients to see if they are safe or not.  I still have other products that I don't use because of bad ingredients, they're just sitting under my sink cabinet. I want to sell or give them away.

Right now, I only use 3-4 products and those products have some harmful ingredients in them but my hair likes them.  Here are the hamrful ingredients they have:

Elasta QP Creme Conditioning Shampoo: even though it's free of SLS,SLES,ALS, nor ALES... it contains harmful ingredients like DMDM Hydantoin, Fragrance, & FD&C Color pigments.  

Clairol Herbal Essence Fruit Frusions Hydrating Conditioner: Dimethicone, Fragrance, Benzyl Alcohol, & color pigments

Citre Shine Gel: Dimethicone, Disodium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin, & Fragrance

Most of these ingredients are at the bottom of the ingredient list of each product. This is what I wonder...can they still be harmful even with little amounts of them in a product???


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## ballet_bun (Jul 17, 2005)

I did this with my haircare products a while ago.  Just 2 weeks ago, I did an "over haul" with all of my skincare products.  There's one cream from Lumene that I'm having trouble parting with, but otherwise, *I was ruthless*!  It felt good!


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## MJ (Jul 17, 2005)

OnPoint said:
			
		

> This is interesting. How do you know which products contain these parabens? Is it listed as one of the ingredients? Could you make a list of things we should look out for. Thanks in advance.





			
				tal said:
			
		

> Yes, perhaps another thread should be started with a more distinctive title, identifying those ingredients which are carcinogenic.  This would be extremely helpful for younger and older members alike.




Parabens are usually the end of the chemical, such as methylparaben and butylparaben. Informations carcinogenic ingredients are in the links I posted.




			
				poohbear said:
			
		

> Most of these ingredients are at the bottom of the ingredient list of each product. This is what I wonder...can they still be harmful even with little amounts of them in a product???



Just because it's at the end of the list doesn't mean there isn't alot. For example: if there conditioner has 20% water, 15% glycerin, 14% Aloe extra, and 7% methylparaben, 5% butylparaben, and 3% propylparaben. They would be listed in that order, but in actuality there is 15% parabens in the product; more paraben than aloe. Another thing is the fact that we use alot of products that contain parabens everyday. So on wash day, for example I would use therapee/CON, humectress, lekair, s-curl. All those have multiple parabens in each. It really doesn't take alot of chemicals to have a significant effect on the body. Think of a birth control pill or a B-vitamin, only a few mcg or mg is require to change the way the body operates.


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## Annakei (Jul 17, 2005)

Avoiding Parabens
There are many different types of parabens (methylparaben, propylparaben, isoparaben, and butylparaben).  After extensive research, BCA was able to find some natural cosmetics companies that make products without parabens, but this is not meant to be an exhaustive list of all companies that are paraben-free.

Don’t see your cosmetics company here?  Want to know if your product contains parabens?  Here are some steps to take:

Find out which company makes the product you use.  See if they have an ingredient list available on the product itself or on the company’s web site. 
Try emailing or calling the company and asking them if your product contains parabens. 
If you find a cosmetics company that is completely paraben-free, let us know! 
Keep in mind that if a company is not forthcoming with the information you seek, you may want to purchase your products from another company.

Here are some companies that do not use parabens for preservation, but instead use other procedures, packaging choices, and ingredients to achieve product stability:

Agoo Agii 
Alexandra Avery 
Amúrie Toxic-Free Products 
Aubrey Organics Skin, Body & Hair Care Products
Barefoot Botanicals 
Blue Moon Herbals & Aromatics 
Botanical Skin Works 
Burt’s Bees 
Crystalux Personal Care Products 
Doc Hills Natural Skin Care 
Dr. Hauschka
Earths Beauty Cosmetics 
Eco-Beauty Organics 
InerQi (inner chi) Toxic Free Body Care 
Integral Sense 
Kettle Care Herbal Body Products 
Larénim 
Living Nature Products
Logona Cosmetics 
Martina Gebhardt Naturkosmetiks 
Max Green Alchemy 
MyChelle Dermaceuticals 
Natural Solutions–Holistic Beauty & Health 
Naturopathica 
One Group 
Organic Essentials Skincare (and Nutritional Product)
Organic Excellence Hair Care Products 
Rainforest Organics Natural Soap Co. 
Real Purity Cosmetics 
Restored Balance Herbal Products 
Saje Natural Wellness 
Santé Kosmetics
Suki's Naturals 
Sumbody 
Super Salve Company 
Susan's Soaps & More Natural Skin Care Products 
Terressentials 
Tom's of Maine 
WELEDA 
Wood Sprite Natural Body 
The Difficulty in Avoiding Phthalates
All US cosmetics and personal care products are required to have a list of ingredients placed in order of their relative quantity.  However, any ingredients used in fragrances or mixtures that are considered trade secrets are exempt from these requirements. Phthalates are frequently components of fragrance, which often contain dozens of chemicals.  The entire mixture simply appears as “fragrance” on the ingredient list. Thus, reading labels cannot assure there are no phthalates in a product.

In May 2002, a coalition of environmental and public health organizations contracted with a major national laboratory to test 72 brand name, off-the-shelf beauty products for the presence of phthalates. See www.nottoopretty.org. The majority of the products tested contained phthalates, yet none of them included phthalates on their ingredient list.  The Not Too Pretty report applauds Aveda, The Body Shop and Neways for offering phthalate-free products. (However, all three of these companies do use parabens for preservation.) 

This fragrance and trade secret loophole gives consumers little power to avoid phthalates when purchasing their personal care products.  E-mail or call the company to ask them if your product contains phthalates. 

The following is a list of companies that have contacted BCA to confirm that they do not use phthalates in their products:

Agoo Agii 
Alexandra Avery 
Amúrie Toxic-Free Products 
Aubrey Organics Skin, Body & Hair Care Products 
Blue Moon Herbals & Aromatics 
Botanical Skin Works 
Crystalux Personal Care Products 
Doc Hills Natural Skin Care 
Eco-Beauty Organics 
Honeybee Gardens 
Integral Sense 
Larénim 
Max Green Alchemy 
MyChelle Dermaceuticals 
Naturopathica 
Rainforest Organics Natural Soap Co. 
Saje Natural Wellness 
Suki's Naturals 
Sumbody 
Super Salve Company 
Susan's Soaps & More Natural Skin Care Products 
Terressentials 
Tom's of Maine 
WELEDA 
Wood Sprite Natural Body


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## Annakei (Jul 17, 2005)

More about Phthalates

Not Too Pretty: Phthalates, Beauty Products and the FDA

Five percent of the 20 to 40 year old women tested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are getting up to 45 times more phthalates (pronounced tha-lates) than previous daily intake estimates and they are at levels of concern. While the CDC found evidence of phthalates in virtually every one of the cross-section of Americans tested, evidence of the highest levels of exposure to the phthalate DBP (dibutyl phthalate) were found in women of childbearing age.

What are phthalates? 
Phthalates are a family of industrial chemicals that are used as a plastic softeners or solvents in many different consumer products. They can be absorbed through the skin, inhaled as fumes, ingested when they contaminate food or when children bite or suck on toys, and are inadvertently but directly administered to patients from some PVC (polyvinyl chloride or vinyl) medical devices.

Phthalates are dangerous. 
Hundreds of animal studies have demonstrated that phthalates can damage the liver, the kidneys, the lungs and the reproductive system, especially the developing testes. Some patients who receive treatment using PVC medical devices softened with phthalates have developed the same health problems that animal studies show come from exposure to these chemicals. Other health problems seen in animal studies have never been looked for in people. But scientists in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Health Canada and the National Institutes of Health's Toxicology Program agree that animal studies predict that phthalates can be dangerous to humans.

Where are these phthalates coming from? 
Why do women between the age of 20 to 40 years have higher levels of dibutyl-phthalate (DBP) in their bodies than anyone else? We don't know for sure, but government databases state that DBP is used in cosmetics, toys, flooring, adhesives, wallpaper, furniture, raincoats and shower curtains. So cosmetics and other personal care products seem the most likely reason that women would be more exposed than anyone else. While more than 5,000 beauty and personal care products for women can be found on a drug store website, phthalates are only listed as an ingredient on some nail polishes. Could nail polish be the only source?

To answer that question, Health Care Without Harm, the Environmental Working Group and Coming Clean recently released "Not Too Pretty," a report that outlines the harmful effects of aggregate exposure to phthalates and discusses human exposures. [link to the report] The report tested popular fragrances, hair sprays and deodorants purchased from four drug stores. To see which brands were tested and which ones tested positively for phthalates click [here].

The testing done for Not Too Pretty covers less than one percent of the beauty products sold in drug and discount stores across the United States. But it appears to be the most comprehensive phthalate testing ever made available to American consumers. Because the FDA has not mandated and enforced a strict labeling requirement, we cannot know if there are 5 or 50 or 500 more beauty products that contain unlabeled quantities of phthalates.

These exposures to phthalates are unnecessary because alternatives are available. For virtually every single product that contains phthalates there are phthalate-free products on the market that perform just as well. The limited testing done for Not Too Pretty revealed that the same big companies that produce phthalate-laden beauty products also make products free of phthalates.

What can you do? 
We can't protect ourselves unless we get manufacturers and the government to change. The FDA and the cosmetic industry need to stop living in a make-believe world where people are exposed to single chemicals, one at a time. We need public policies that recognize how, in the real world, exposures from many products are adding up. Cosmetic, food-containing and medical products that contain phthalates must be labeled and manufacturers should publicly pledge to voluntarily remove phthalates as quickly as they can.


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## Annakei (Jul 17, 2005)

American Products

Phthalates are virtually everywhere. Deodorants, car seats, hair spray, IV bags, perfume, vinyl flooring, wallpaper, and siding all contain phthalates. Some of the leading beauty manufactures use phthalates in their products -- such as Pantene Pro V "Healthy Hold" and Aqua Net hair sprays, Arrid and Degree deodorants, many fragrances including Poison by Christian Dior and Coty's Healing Garden contain phthalates, as well as Cover Girl, Sally Hansen and Maybelline (L'Oreal) nail polishes. However, for every ubiquitous use, there are readily available alternatives that are already in use. 

The chart outlines products that were tested for phthalates. Because of lax FDA labeling rules, we cannot know if there 5, 50 or 500 more beauty products that contain unlabeled quantities of phthalates. So just because you don't see your favorite product on the list doesn't necessarily mean it's phthalate free. We encourage you to check with the manufacturer. 

Contains Phthalates Phthalate Free 

HAIRSPRAY
Contains Phthalates
Aqua Net Professional Hair Spray
Herbal Essences Non Aerosol Hairspray
Jheri Redding Finishers Flexible Hold Hairspray
Pantene Pro V Strong Hold Spray
Pantene Pro V Stronghold Healthy Hold Spray
Rave 4x Mega
Redken Cat Finishing Spritz
Salon Selectives Hold Tight Style Freeze Maximum Hold Finishing Spray
Sebastian Collection Shaper Plus
Suave Maximum Hold Hairspray Unscented, non-aerosol
Suave Naturals Extra Flexible Hold Non Aerosol Hairspray Freesia
TRESemme European Freeze-Hold Hair Spray
VO5 Crystal Clear 14 Hour Hold
Vidal Sassoon Microfine Mist Hair Spray, Aerosol

HAIRSPRAY
Phthalate Free
Aussie Mega Styling Spray
Helene Curtis Finesse Touchables Silk Protein Enriched
Helene Curtis Thermasilk Heat Activated Firm Hairspray
Suave Naturals Aloe Vera Extra Hold Hairspray


DEODORANTS
Contains Phthalates
Arrid Extra Extra Dry Maximum Strength Solid
Arrid Extra Extra Dry Ultra Clear Ultra Clean Spray
Arrid Extra Extra Dry Ultra Clear Ultra Fresh Spray
Ban Delicate Powder Roll On
Degree Original Solid Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant
Dove Solid Anti-Perspirant Deodorant
Secret Sheer Dry Regular
Secret: Powder Fresh Aerosol
Sure Clear Dry Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant

DEODORANTS
Phthalate Free
Certain Dri Anti-Perspirant Roll-On
Dove Powder Anti-Perspirant Deodorant
Lady Speed Stick Soft Solid Anti-Perspirant
Secret Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant Platinum Protection Ambition Scent
Soft & Dri Anti-Perspirant Deodorant Clear Gel


FRAGRANCES
Contains Phthalates
Calgon Hawaiian Ginger Body Mist
Calgon Turquoise Seas Body Lotion
Charlie Cologne Spray
Escape by Calvin Klein
Eternity by Calvin Klein
Fire & Ice Cologne Spray
Freedom
Jovan White Musk
Lancome Paris Tresor
Liz Claiborne Eau De Toilette Spray
Oscar
Parfums de Coeur White Tahitian Ginger Fantasy
Poison by Christian Dior
Red Door
The Healing Garden Pure Joy Body Treatment
White Diamonds Elizabeth Taylor
Wind Song Extraordinary Cologne by Prince Matchabelli

FRAGRANCES
Phthalate Free
All of the fragrances we tested contained phthalates


HAIR GEL
Contains Phthalates
Clairol Herbal Essences Natural Volume Body Boosting Gel
Dep Level 4 Shine Gel
LA Looks Styling Gel: Extra Super Hold
Suave Naturals Ocean Breeze Extra Control Spray Gel
TRESemme European Slick Melting Gel
Pantene Pro V Spray Gel Volumizing Root Lifter


HAIR GEL
Phthalate Free
Physique Extra Control Structuring Gel


HAIR MOUSSE
Contains Phthalates
Aussie Megahold Mousse
Clairol Herbal Essences Styling Mousse Maximum Hold
Helene Curtis Salon Selectives Rise Up Volumizing Mousse
Pantene Pro V Mousse Body Builder

HAIR MOUSSE
Phthalate Free
Finesse Touchables Silk Protein Enriched Mousse
Helene Curtis Thermasilk Heat Activated Mousse for Fine/Thin Hair
L'Oreal Paris Studio Line: Springing Curls Mousse



NAIL POLISH
Contains Phthalates
Avon beComing Radiant Long Last Nail Gloss
Cover Girl NailSlicks
Maybelline Express Finish Fast-Dry Nail Enamel
Maybelline Ultimate Wear Nail Enamel
Naturistics Super Shine Nail Gloss
Oil of Olay Nail Laquer
OPI Nail Laquer
Orly Salon Nails French Manicure
Orly Salon Nails Nail Color
Sally Hansen Chrome Nail Makeup
Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Nail Polish
Sally Hansen Hard as Nails With Nylon Nail Polish
Sally Hansen Teflon Tuff Nail Color
Tropez Nail Enamel
Wet N Wild Crystalic Calcium Enriched Nail Color
Wet N Wild Nail Color 

NAIL POLISH
Phthalate Free
Kiss Colors Nail Polish
L'Oreal Jet Set Nail Enamel
L'Oreal Jet-Set Quick Dry Nail Enamel
Maybelline Shades of Your Nail Color
Naturistics 90 Second Dry! Super Fast Nail Color
Revlon Nail Enamel
Revlon Super Top Speed
Urban Decay



HAND AND BODY LOTION
Contains Phthalates
Jergens Skincare Original Scent Lotion
Nivea Creme

HAND AND BODY LOTION
Phthalate Free
Curel Soothing Hands Moisturizing Hand Lotion
Eucerin Dry Skin Therapy Original Moisturizing Lotion
Lubriderm Skin Therapy Moisturizing Lotion
Neutrogena Hand Cream
Suave Naturals Sun Ripened Moisturizing Body Lotion
Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Healing
Vaseline Intensive Care Dry Skin Lotion


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## Annakei (Jul 17, 2005)

*European Products*


HAIRSPRAY
Contains Phthalates
Boots Hair spray: Essentials Natural Hold Hair gel: Stuff Rok
L’Oreal Hair spray: Elnett Satin 
Lever Fabergé Hair gel: Finesse Gel 
Procter & Gamble Hair spray: Pantene Pro-V Extra Hold 
Procter & Gamble Hair spray: Vidal Sassoon 
Wella AG Hair spray: Wella Super Strong 

HAIRSPRAY
Phthalate Free
All of the hairsprays we tested contained phthalates


DEODORANTS
Contains Phthalates
ACO Hud AB Deodorant: ACO snabbtorkande
Beiersdorf Deodorant: Nivea "deo compact"
Cederroth AB Deodorant: Bats, extra effektiv 
Lever Fabergé Deodorant: Degree Fresh 
Lever Fabergé Deodorant: Rexona 24 hr intensive
Lever Fabergé Deodorant: Dove Original
Lever Fabergé Deodorant: Impulse Oxygen
Lever Fabergé Deodorant: Sure Ultra Cotton Fresh
NOIRO Deodorant: Herbina antiperspirant 
The Body Shop Deodorant: Aloe Vera 

DEODORANTS
Phthalate Free
All of the deodorants we tested contained phthalates


FRAGRANCES
Contains Phthalates
Chanel Perfume: Chanel no 5
Christian Dior Perfume: Poison
L’Oreal Perfume: Lancome Tresor 
Tommy Hilfiger Perfume: Tommy Girl
Unilever Perfume: Calvin Klein Eternity 

FRAGRANCES
Phthalate Free
All of the fragrances we tested contained phthalates


HAIR GEL
Contains Phthalates
None of the hair gels we tested contained phthalates


HAIR GEL
Phthalate Free
Boots: Stuff Rok
Coop Hair gel: Blavitt Hargel
L’Oreal: Hair gel: Studio Line 
Proctor and Gamble Hair gel: Pantene Pro-V Classic 
Wella AG Hair gel: Shockwaves
Wella AG Hair gel: Wella Styling Gel 


HAIR MOUSSE
Contains Phthalates
Boots Hair mousse: Essentials
L’Oreal Hair mousse: Studio Line
Lever Fabergé Hair mousse: Fructis
Lever Fabergé Hair mousse: Finesse 
Wella AG Hair mousse: Wella Volume 
Wella AG Hair mousse: Shockwaves



HAIR MOUSSE
Phthalate Free
Proctor and Gamble Hair mousse: Pantene Pro-V


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## Annakei (Jul 17, 2005)

ALLANTOIN 

Is an antibiotic, and can therefore impair the balance of bacteria naturally present in the skin. 





BETAINE (Trimethylglycine)
This compound is also produced by the body, to aid in the metabolism of homocysteine. 





BUTYLENE GLYCOL 

Butylene glycol has neuropharmacological properties, but is not considered carcinogenic 





BUTYLPARABEN 

Butylparaben has an adverse effect on the secretion of testosterone and on the function of the male reproductive system. Of the parabens, butyl- and isobutylparaben are most toxic. 

The parabens are preservatives that may irritate your skin and can cause allergic reactions. 





CANDELILLA
Candelilla is considered safe for cosmetic use but can cause skin appendages 





CETEARETH  

Ceteareths are the polyethylene glycol (PEG) ethers of Cetearyl Alcohol. 

Ceteareth 15 can irritate the skin. 





CETEARETH 20 (Eumulgin B3, polyoxyethylene cetylstearyl ether) 

Doesn't affect the lipid layer of the skin, but it does increase the absorption of accompanying ingredients into the skin, so these need to be harmless. It may also irritate the skin. 





CETEARYL ALCOHOL 

It increases viscosity of the product. It is practically non-toxic, but may cause slight skin irritation in some 





CETIOL HE 

Disturbs the lipid layer of the skin. 





CETYL ALCOHOL 

It increases viscosity of the product. Practically non-toxic, but may cause slight skin irritation in some 





CHLORINE
Likely irritates the skin. Accelerates aging of the skin. 





COLOR PIGMENTS (FD & C)
Many color pigments are carcinogenic and cause skin sensitivity and irritation. Certain colors can cause death of skin cells, accelerating the aging process. 





CYCLOPENTASILOXANE 

Cyclopentasiloxane is a silicone compound. In animals, low amounts already affected uterine functioning. 





DIETHANOLAMINE (DEA)  

DEA is usually listed on the ingredient label in conjunction with the compound being neutralized. Thus look for names like Cocamide DEA, Lauramide DEA, etc. It may interfere with your hormone levels.   





DISODIUM EDTA 

Is is mildly toxic, but considered safe. 





DMDM HYDANTOIN
May cause skin irritations (and irritate the respiratory system and trigger heart palpitations) and (indirectly, by triggering formaldehyde release) cause allergies, depression, headaches, chest pains, ear infections, chronic fatigue, dizziness and loss of sleep, trigger asthma and weaken the immune system. 





EUMULGIN B3 (Ceteareth 20, polyoxyethylene cetylstearyl ether) 

Doesn't affect the lipid layer of the skin, but it does increase the absorption of accompanying ingredients into the skin, so these need to be harmless. It may also irritate the skin. 





ESCULIN
Esculin is not okay because it has water-retaining properties (and therefore they claim it has anti-stretchmark properties) 





FRAGRANCE
Many of the compounds in fragrance are toxic. Fragrance may contain up to 4,000 separate ingredients. Symptoms reported to the FDA have included rashes, skin discoloration and allergic skin irritation. Exposure to fragrances can affect the central nervous system.  





GLYCERIN

Both natural and synthetic glycerin are completely harmless





HISTIDINE HYDROCHLORIDE
histidine hydrochloride has toxic properties and is also a growth factor, and can therefore enhance prexisting skin tumours





HYALURONATE SODIUM (Hyalgan, SL-1010) 

It has anti-inflammatory properties, and is injected to relieve joint pain (in patients with osteoarthritis). Like corticosteroids, it may cause water retention. 





IMIDAZOLIDINYL UREA
May cause skin irritations (and irritate the respiratory system and trigger heart palpitations) and (indirectly, by triggering formaldehyde release) cause allergies, depression, headaches, chest pains, ear infections, chronic fatigue, dizziness and loss of sleep, trigger asthma and weaken the immune system. 





ISOBUTYLPARABEN 

Of the parabens, Butyl- and Isobutylparaben are most toxic. 





ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL
inhalation may cause headaches, flushing, dizziness, mental depression, nausea vomiting, narcosis and even coma.  





ISOSTEARYL ALCOHOL  

It increases viscosity of the product. Doesn't cause skin irritations 





JOJOBA OIL / ESTERS 

Jojoba oil has slightly toxic properties, but doesn't irritate the skin, except in those that have had eczema before. 





JOJOBA WAX 

Jojoba-wax is completely hydrogenated jojoba-oil, and hydrogenation may cause harmful fatty acids (check out this page). Jojoba oil has slightly toxic properties, but doesn't irritate the skin, except in those that have had eczema before. 





LECITHIN
Lecithin from different sources can elicit allergic / asthma like reactions, and one should therefore carefully monitor one's skin's reaction 





METHYLPARABEN (Methyl parahydroxybenzoate) 

It is a preservative that may irritate your skin. 

A mixture of methyl-, ethyl- and propylparaben exacerbates prexcisting skin complaints. 

Methylparaben sodium can affect the activity of B12. 





MINERAL OIL
Baby oil is 100% mineral oil. This ingredient coats the skin just like plastic wrap and therefore inhibits the skin's ability to release toxins.  





MYRISTYL ALCOHOL 

It increases viscosity of the product. Practically non-toxic, but may cause mild skin irritation in some 





MOMOETHANOLAMINE (MEA)  

MEA is usually listed on the ingredient label in conjunction with the compound being neutralized. Thus look for names like Cocamide MEA, Lauramide MEA, etc. It may interfere with your hormone levels.  





OCTYL METHOXCINNAMATE
Octyl Methoxcinnamate stimulates the creation of a 'perfect' (ídeal submicron-) emulsion, and isn't toxic (in these low amounts)


----------



## Annakei (Jul 17, 2005)

OCTYL SALICYLATE 

Octyl salicylate seems to be safe in concentrations below 30% 





ORYZANOL
Oryzanol seems not to be carcinogenic (and is considered an 'antioxidant'), but it (though metabolized) does influence your triglyceride (and cholesterol) levels, which is unnacceptable in my view. 





PANTHENOL 

Panthenol is a so called pro-vitamin (which means that it may be converted into a vitamin by the body, just as beta-carotene may get converted into vitamin A, or cholesterol into vitamin D)
Panthenol may get converted into pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)




PARABEN (Butyl-, Isobutyl-, Ethyl-, Methyl- and Propyl parahydroxybenzoate) 

They are preservatives that may irritate your skin and can cause allergic reactions. 

A mixture of methyl-, ethyl- and propylparaben exacerbates prexcisting skin complaints. 

Butyl- and isobutyl-parabens are more toxic than propyl- and isopropyl-parabens, and ethyl- and methyl-parabens and p-hydroxybenzoic acid are less toxic than propyl-paraben. 





PHENOXYETHANOL (Phenoxetol, 2-phenoxyethanol) 

Its a practically non-toxic preservative, but also a hospital disinfectant and an anesthetic (on fish), and is rapidly absorbed into the skin. It is neurotoxic in high doses. 





(Color) PIGMENTS (FD & C) 
Many color pigments are carcinogenic and cause skin sensitivity and irritation. Certain colors can cause death of skin cells, accelerating the aging process. 





PLANKTON EXTRACT 

May contain high copper levels and arsenic compounds (and dimethylsulphoxide) 




POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL (PEG) 

It strips your skin, and therefore causes dehydration and accelerates the aging process. 





POLYOXYETHYLENE CETYLSTEARYL ETHER (Ceteareth 20, Eumulgin B3) 

Doesn't affect the lipid layer of the skin, but it does increase the absorption of  accompanying ingredients into the skin, so these need to be harmless. It may also irritate the skin. 





POLYOXYETHYLENE SORBITAN MONOLAURATE (Polysorbate-20) 

It retards the absorption of some accompanying chemicals in the skin, which is good. It is however mildly toxic and may cause skin irritation in some. It can induce present skin tumours. 





POLYSORBATE-20 (polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate, Tween 20) 

It retards the absorption of some accompanying chemicals in the skin, which is good. It is however mildly toxic and may cause skin irritation in some. It can induce present skin tumours. 





PROPOLIS
Propolis influences your triglyceride (and cholesterol) levels, which is unnacceptable in my view. 





PROPYLENE GLYCOL (PG)
It breaks down skincells, and therefore accelerates the aging process. 





PROPYLPARABEN 

A preservative that may irritate your skin. Propylparaben has an adverse effect on the secretion of testosterone and on the function of the male reproductive system. 

Bacteria readily adapt to propylparaben. Propylparaben is more extensively absorbed than other parabens.  





SEA BUCKTHORN (Hippophae) 

Contains flavones (with different bio-active properties, incl. anti-inflammatory), and can contain thigh levels of toxic metals (zinc, lead, cadmium, iron). 





SEAWEED 

Contains anti-mutagenic flavonoids, which may have pro-mutagenic properties themselves. May contain high levels of toxic metals (zinc, lead, cadmium, iron). 





SODIUM HYALURONATE (Hyalgan, SL-1010) 

It has anti-inflammatory properties, and is injected to relieve joint pain (in patients with osteoarthritis). Like corticosteroids, it may cause water retention. 





SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE (SLS)  

SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE (SLES)
Breaks down cells, accelerating the aging process. May also cause skin irritation and may be damaging to the skin's immune system. SLS easily penetrates the skin and reaches internal organs, maintaining residual levels in the heart, the liver, the lungs and the brain. 





STEARIC ACID 

Stearic acid is a completely harmless, natural fatty acid 





SUCROSE DISTEARATE 

Sucrose Distearate is a sucrose ester, used as an insectiside, and not totally harmless 





TOCOPHEROL (Vitamin E)
A too high level of vitamin E (the tocopherol family) accelerates shedding of the skin, which is not good 





TRIETHANOLAMINE (TEA)
TEA may interfere with your hormone levels. 





ULVA LACTUCA 

This algae may contain high levels of toxic metals (manganese, iron, zinc, cadmium, copper). 





WATERCRESS EXTRACT 

Watercress contains flavonoids with anti-mutagenic properties, but that isn't necessarily good, as they can elicit pro-mutagenic (DNA-damaging) properties themselves. 





XANTHAN GUM
Xanthan Gum increases the uptake of accompanying chemicals into the skin


----------



## Poohbear (Jul 17, 2005)

Oh no! My body lotion has 3 types of parabens in it!!! and Arrid XX is the only deodorant that works for me!!! 

Thanks mzjones for your response and thanks Annakei for posting that extra info!

Geez! I'm just gonna eventually use only water and nothing else!!!


----------



## tuffCOOKiE (Jul 18, 2005)

NOOOOOOOO!!!!! SAY IT AINT SO!!!  I have reaaallly dry hair.  (really dry) and CON has saved it.  I love Nexxus Humectress AND Keracare Humecto.. WHYYYY  I thought I found my staples..  I really really did..  but i guess youre right: health before hair does anyone have a substitute for thses things?  I also need a new hair grease... HELP


----------



## MeccaMedinah (Jul 18, 2005)

Thanks Annakei  I just did a yahoo search last week for a "Natural nail polish" Great info





			
				Annakei said:
			
		

> American Products
> 
> Phthalates are virtually everywhere. Deodorants, car seats, hair spray, IV bags, perfume, vinyl flooring, wallpaper, and siding all contain phthalates. Some of the leading beauty manufactures use phthalates in their products -- such as Pantene Pro V "Healthy Hold" and Aqua Net hair sprays, Arrid and Degree deodorants, many fragrances including Poison by Christian Dior and Coty's Healing Garden contain phthalates, as well as Cover Girl, Sally Hansen and Maybelline (L'Oreal) nail polishes. However, for every ubiquitous use, there are readily available alternatives that are already in use.
> 
> ...


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## Lucia (Jul 18, 2005)

I was shocked  to see that Jason hair and skin products are on this list since they are supposed to be almost natural and are sold at the Health food stores.


----------



## melodee (Jul 18, 2005)

tal said:
			
		

> I wish someone would look at the dominican products many of us are purchasing and let us know which contain carcinogenic ingredients. I can't even *see* the ingredients let alone interpret them when they are large enough to read.


 
I did notice that formaldehyde was in a dominican shampoo I recently purchased.  I am not using this product.


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## taraglam2 (Jul 18, 2005)

I noticed how *my hair responds better * to ALL NATURAL PRODUCTS or products from The Vitamin Shoppe as opposed to Salon and Professional products or drugstore items.  I thinkg I am about to do some major changes to my hair regimen----again!!!  Looks like I am moving in the direction of ALL NATURAL PRODUCTS !


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## MeccaMedinah (Jul 18, 2005)

My hair responds better to all natural ingredients too. 



			
				taraglam2 said:
			
		

> I noticed how *my hair responds better * to ALL NATURAL PRODUCTS or products from The Vitamin Shoppe as opposed to Salon and Professional products or drugstore items. I thinkg I am about to do some major changes to my hair regimen----again!!! Looks like I am moving in the direction of ALL NATURAL PRODUCTS !


----------



## MeccaMedinah (Jul 18, 2005)

Yeah, I had read that about Jason products awhile ago & I never tried them because of this.



			
				Lucia said:
			
		

> I was shocked  to see that Jason hair and skin products are on this list since they are supposed to be almost natural and are sold at the Health food stores.


----------



## Poohbear (Jul 18, 2005)

taraglam2 said:
			
		

> I noticed how *my hair responds better *to ALL NATURAL PRODUCTS or products from The Vitamin Shoppe as opposed to Salon and Professional products or drugstore items. I thinkg I am about to do some major changes to my hair regimen----again!!! Looks like I am moving in the direction of ALL NATURAL PRODUCTS !


i'm moving in this direction too with not only hair products but with all personal care products.


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## Jewell (Jul 19, 2005)

Thanks so much Mz Jones for this thread. I copied and pasted the list of bad products onto Microsoft Word and printed it out for my mom and sisters. I have used about 15 of those products in the past 6 months. Some of which I have been using on a regular basis like the Motions Silk Protein, Suave Clarifying Shampoo, Nexxus products, CON Shampoo (used almost 4 times a week), CON conditioner, etc. I am going to clean out my closet today. I will be on the lookout for carcinogenic ingredients in my personal care products as well. Lord knows I loved some Vaseline to remove eye makeup.   Better late than never.

EDITED TO ADD: Here are some products that I went through and got rid of that were in my closet, *containing parabens * (every last one contains them). These are not on the list Mz Jones provided, nor on any other ones I have seen:

-Elasta QP Mango Butter
-Motions Nourish Leave-In
-Neutrogena Triple Moisture Silk-Touch Leave In
-Neutrogena Triple Moisture Foam Leave-in
-Neutrogena Triple Moisture Cream Lather Shampoo and Daily Deep Conditioner
-Loreal Vive Nutri-Force Conditioner
-Avalon Salon Organics Lavender Nourishing Conditioner (this one tripped me out...I thought it was safe since it was 100% vegetarian extracts)
-Smooth N' Shine Extra Hold Conditioning Gel
-Allways Natural Super Gro Conditioning Hairdress (Maximum Formula)
-Dark N' Lovely Healthy Shine Oil Sheen

Thank goodness my Herbal Essences didn't contain any. I had to practically empty my stash of hair products. What a waste...but my health is more important.


----------



## Jewell (Jul 19, 2005)

melodee said:
			
		

> I did notice that formaldehyde was in a dominican shampoo I recently purchased.  I am not using this product.



Formaldehyde has been removed from a lot of nail polishes. I definitely would not put that on my hair. Formaldehyde is a major component of _embalming_ _fluid._


----------



## Jewell (Jul 19, 2005)

OFF TOPIC, BUT FYI: Red food coloring found in food and drinks is one of the number one carcinogens found in food, according to health care providers.


----------



## Country gal (Jul 19, 2005)

Bumping so I can read later.


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## Netta1 (Jul 20, 2005)

This is why I don't use relaxers....the chemicals in there are insane.  I really wan't to know whats going into and on my body.....this thread is very informative. THANKS!





knowledge is power...


----------



## angelk316 (Jul 20, 2005)

Everything is bad for you these days whats next water...


----------



## Divine Inspiration (Oct 4, 2005)

*Re: Health vs. Hair: I Gave/Threw Away all My Hair Products*

bumping for Crystal...


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## Cinnabuns (Oct 4, 2005)

This post has inspired me also to to become parafen-free in 2006 and I just wanted to thank Mzjones for starting this post and for this plethera of information.


----------



## mahogany (Oct 4, 2005)

OMG! Elucence MS shampoo and Conditioner both have paraben and the conditioner has DMDM Hydantoin!


----------



## esoterica (Oct 4, 2005)

angelk316 said:
			
		

> Everything is bad for you these days whats next water...


let's be honest. *everything *isn't bad for you. products like parabens are man made chemicals which are used in personal care products because most people dont know they are unsafe, and more importantly, the effects are cumulative, so its not like it makes you drop dead as soon as you touch it. manufacturers dont really care if parabens etc are bad for us or not. as long it keeps the products from spoiling on the shelf, and therefore its keeps their profit margin where they want it. the reason they have gotten away with it for so long is that many people are ignorant to the truth and others have a defeatist attitude once informed of the truth.

just be glad that you have the information here to help you make an informed decision. many people out there still don't know what the word paraben means.


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## esoterica (Oct 4, 2005)

Cinnabuns said:
			
		

> This post has inspired me also to to become parafen-free in 2006 and I just wanted to thank Mzjones for starting this post and for this plethera of information.


same here! i think 2006 should be a paraben free year! i doubt my hair will fall out with these horrid chemicals. if anything it will improve!


----------



## esoterica (Oct 4, 2005)

Netta1 said:
			
		

> This is why I don't use relaxers....the chemicals in there are insane.  I really wan't to know whats going into and on my body.....this thread is very informative. THANKS!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


yeah relaxers are crazy. not just the lye, but all the other stuff they put in there! not to mention all that synthetic fragrance to mask the smell.


----------



## Divine Inspiration (Oct 4, 2005)

asphyxxia said:
			
		

> let's be honest. *everything *isn't bad for you. products like parabens are man made chemicals which are used in personal care products because most people dont know they are unsafe, and more importantly, the effects are cumulative, so its not like it makes you drop dead as soon as you touch it. manufacturers dont really care if parabens etc are bad for us or not. as long it keeps the products from spoiling on the shelf, and therefore its keeps their profit margin where they want it. the reason they have gotten away with it for so long is that many people are ignorant to the truth and others have a defeatist attitude once informed of the truth.
> 
> just be glad that you have the information here to help you make an informed decision. many people out there still don't know what the word paraben means.


Very well said


----------



## kitkat3ny (Nov 10, 2005)

Thanks so much for the information.  I've already started to clean up my hair care products, next is skin care and food. Because i'm sure i'm not just putting this crap on my skin and hair, i'm sure i'm ingesting it as well.


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## HoneyDew (Nov 10, 2005)

Hair products are not the only things we need to worry about;

http://www.drweil.com/u/QA/QA333875/

Where can a person draw the line and avoid paranoia?


----------



## Crystalicequeen123 (Nov 25, 2005)

HoneyDew said:
			
		

> Hair products are not the only things we need to worry about;
> 
> http://www.drweil.com/u/QA/QA333875/
> 
> *Where can a person draw the line and avoid paranoia?*




I'm wondering the same thing! There are a LOT of things that aren't good for us in this world.  I bet the very seat we're sitting in now, or the air we're breathing isn't healthy at all.   There has to be a line drawn however.  

 I have spent a lot of money on these hair products, and I dont' think I should just throw them away instantly at the same time.    I could sell them, but who would want a half-used bottle of shampoo?? I know I wouldn't buy it. 

I just don't know.....  

I think this information is VERY informative and I'm glad it was posted for our benefit on this board.  I just think that maybe I'll gradually start buying more "natural" products and see how that goes, and just use up all of my other products that contain harmful ingredients.  I can't afford to throw all of them away...


----------



## PrissyMiss (Nov 25, 2005)

No offense to anybody on here but 90% of the products you use are somewhat harmful. To fully understand what is going on it's best to check your resources and form an opinion from that. You really cant just trust everything that everyone tells or that you read whether it's a doctor or not. A big chunk of how harmful products are depends on how much do you inhale this stuff daily and how much does the product contain. I'm very cautious when it comes to research showin another cancer producing product especially when a couple of years ago research had shown that deodorant was a leading cause for breast cancer. Turns out that that research was invalid and deodorant has nothing to do with cancer at all. All I am saying is check your resources, even the ones that appear the most reliable arent. And if that's the case throw out all of your cleaning supplies because those can cause lung cancer and further complications with the lungs.


----------



## Divine Inspiration (Mar 11, 2006)

bumping for naturallady and trinidarkie


----------



## SparklingFlame (Mar 11, 2006)

Divine Inspiration said:
			
		

> bumping for naturallady and trinidarkie


 
Girl you are just too sweet! You know I read every single post on here and I am buggin out!!!!!!! Elasta QP Mango butter is like my holy grail!!! AAAAAHHHHHH    It has 3 parabens in it!!!    

I have decided, even before I read this post that I was going to use natural products, namely from nubianheritage.com. The less ingredients, the better. Especially if I can PRONOUNCE the ingredients! 

Thanks DI for bumping this for me and thanks OP for starting this thread.


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## Divine Inspiration (Mar 11, 2006)

naturallady said:
			
		

> Girl you are just too sweet! You know I read every single post on here and I am buggin out!!!!!!! Elasta QP Mango butter is like my holy grail!!! AAAAAHHHHHH    It has 3 parabens in it!!!
> 
> I have decided, even before I read this post that I was going to use natural products, namely from nubianheritage.com. The less ingredients, the better. Especially if I can PRONOUNCE the ingredients!
> 
> Thanks DI for bumping this for me and thanks OP for starting this thread.



You're welcome mama! Anything to help. And I feel you on the Mango Butter..that was among many others that I was heartbroken over.  

But once you start replacing them with others, you'll fall in love with the newbies and the absence of potentially harmful ingredients will be icing on the cake.


----------



## Plenty (Mar 11, 2006)

So is this the end for relaxers?  I am thinking that the chemicals effect your hair, which is a dead protein. So is it still bad?


----------



## jwhitley6 (Mar 12, 2006)

Well...I'm gonna keep using the parabens.  They work for me, and make my life easier.  There are so many things that I consider wayyy more dangerous than anything that could be in my shampoo and conditioner.

I think monitoring your diet is more important.

Just my opinion....and I still got love 4 ya'll


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## Miss*Tress (Mar 12, 2006)

This has been one of the most informative threads I've read on LHCF. Still I'm of two minds (and maybe even three or four) on the subject. Short of growing our own food and making everything for ourselves from scratch, just about all of the products we consume and the actions we take have some harmful effect on the body, the environment, and even our fellow citizens.

Thanks to *naturallady* for posting that link to Nubian Heritage. I had never heard of it. Is it a black-owned company? Does anyone know where to find the list of ingredients in their products?

*ETA*: List of ingredients in Nubian Heritage products

Like *Crystalicequeen123*, I'll reduce my use of harmful substances as much as possible, but it's unlikely that I'll be able to eliminate them completely.


----------



## Miss*Tress (Mar 12, 2006)

*The Truth About Parabens (and other Preservatives) *

People often ask us why we use preservatives in our natural products. As a manufacturer and distributor of natural products, we strive to make our products as natural as possible. However, one reality of modern life is that we need preservatives. To get a product from the manufacturer to you, through a distribution channel, and to have that product have any kind of reasonable shelf life requires that certain products be preserved, in some fashion. Otherwise, you’d shortly end up with some pretty funky stuff instead of the product you paid for.  Inconvenient? Yes. But, even worse, some of those nasties that can grow in your products are harmful. Preservatives of some kind will almost always be needed in products where water is present. Water is the basis of all life, including bacteria, fungi and molds. Products without preservatives may have a short shelf life, even if refrigerated. Products that are not properly preserved, even if made in a pristine environment, can become a health risk when exposed to the yeast, mold, fungi and bacteria present in all of our homes. 

Parabens are a group of broad-spectrum preservatives (meaning they kill a variety of microbes) used to prevent the growth of harmful micro-organisms, especially molds and yeast. Parabens are derived from benzoic acid. Benzoic acid is a chemical commonly found in plants. So, to some extent, parabens are “natural”. They are as natural as some alternative preservatives being proposed, such as grapefruit seed extract. Parabens 
have been used extensively for over 50 years and have been researched thoroughly. Parabens are used in very small concentrations causing absolutely no reason for concern for most people. 

When we started out in this business, we heard the horror stories concerning parabens and decided to try to avoid them in the products we offer for sale.  However, the reality is there are no great alternatives.  Many of the manufacturers that offer paraben free products (or products free from other chemical preservatives) make disclaimers about the shelf lives of their products or even the safety of the products they sell without 
chemical preservatives.  They pass the risk of not using effective preservatives on to you, the consumer. 

Parabens are well tolerated by just about everyone. Extremely sensitive people may develop a mild skin reaction, in products that are not rinsed off such as lotions. This reaction is rare. The reaction is even more rare in products that are rinsed off, such as shampoos. We have to weigh the very small risk of a mild skin rash against the serious health threat posed by spoiled products. You may have found websites that suggest that you should avoid parabens at all costs because of increased risk of cancer. However, you should be aware of the real “threat” of parabens and what costs you may be paying by avoiding them. The controversy over parabens, like the controversy over Sodium Laurel Sulfate is a difficult one to sift through. It’s not that there is any lack of opinion on the subject. It’s just that you have to consider the source when you do find information. _More..._


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## facets (Mar 12, 2006)

excellent thread!!


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## Chromia (Mar 12, 2006)

This thread is very interesting. Like Jewell, I have Elasta QP Mango Butter and NTM Silk Touch Leave In. I also have Cantu Break Cure and Profectiv Healthy ends. I use Suave lotion on my skin. Those all have parabens.

Sometimes you hear about someone getting cancer even though they eat healthy and exercise regularly.  I guess that things like parabens and phthalates are probably causing or at least contributing to their cancer, in some cases.


----------



## SparklingFlame (Mar 12, 2006)

MissBiss said:
			
		

> This has been one of the most informative threads I've read on LHCF. Still I'm of two minds (and maybe even three or four) on the subject. Short of growing our own food and making everything for ourselves from scratch, just about all of the products we consume and the actions we take have some harmful effect on the body, the environment, and even our fellow citizens.
> 
> Thanks to *naturallady* for posting that link to Nubian Heritage. I had never heard of it. Is it a black-owned company? Does anyone know where to find the list of ingredients in their products?
> 
> ...


Miss Biss the nubianheritage website doesnt have the full scope of the products they sell on the site (go figure) Thses 2 sites have more of the nubian heritage products and one of the links feature the shea moisture line. They have good products too. Here are the links:

http://www.houseofnubian.com/IBS/SimpleCat/Shelf/ASP/Hierarchy/0D00.html
http://www.sheabutterhut.com/shea_butter_hair.html


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## Miss*Tress (Mar 12, 2006)

Thanks, naturallady. :Rose:


----------



## UmSumayyah (Mar 12, 2006)

This is a great thread.
Personally, I don't feel that making the move to more natural products is paranoid, but I also think it's easier to kind of phase it in. I have been doing so for about a decade now. 

1. About 10 years ago I started cooking more of my own food. (still living home. Although mom made pretty healthy food, I started things like eating green salads and switching out the white rice/pasta for brown rice and whole-wheat pasta. I also stopped drinking tap water.

2. About 8 years ago I started buying organic produce whenever possible.

3. 7 years ago I added in organic canned and frozen foods.

4. 5 years ago I started with the natural cleaning products (I CAN'T go back to conventional automatic dishwashing liquid, after using organic I can really smell the bleach in that stuff and dioxin DOES cause cancer).  I also started buying the "natural" disposable diapers for my baby.

5. 4 years ago I started using cloth diapers. I alternate between those and the "natural" disposables. I also started using natural toothpaste.

6. 3 years ago I started using natural baby care products for the kids and using coconut oil to moisturize me and them.

5. Last year I started using natural black soap to wash my face and making my own moisturizer with shea butter and a mix of oils.  I also grew a few organic herbs in the backyard as well as a zucchini plant.

6. This year I plan to expand backyard gardening and start using more natural hair products. (I already make my own hot oil treatments, and my body moisturizer doubles nicely as a braid cream.)

All  these changes have been painless and I feel great knowing that it's all for our health.  So no one should feel overwhelmed.  This can be done gradually. And I agree with the poster who said to worry about changing your diet first. That's most important imo.


----------



## SparklingFlame (Mar 12, 2006)

UmSumayyah said:
			
		

> This is a great thread.
> Personally, I don't feel that making the move to more natural products is paranoid, but I also think it's easier to kind of phase it in. I have been doing so for about a decade now.
> 
> 1. About 10 years ago I started cooking more of my own food. (still living home. Although mom made pretty healthy food, I started things like eating green salads and switching out the white rice/pasta for brown rice and whole-wheat pasta. I also stopped drinking tap water.
> ...


ITA with everything you said. I plan on phasing out the old and incorperating the new natural stuff. When I move out of the godforsaken apt i plan on starting up my garden again ( I had one in the backyard of my house before I moved here after a house fire). I loved my lil garden!! It was so fulfilling to cook what you grow. But yeah....it will take some time to go as natural as possible.


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## Candy_C (Mar 12, 2006)

i'm thinking about making my own natural hair products..that way theres no alcohol, ben's or cones etc.

i have a protein conditioner that i make i just need to develop my own shampoo, moisturizing conditioner and moisturizer and leave in con.


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## SparklingFlame (Mar 12, 2006)

I think castille soap is in a lot of natural shampoos. I think you can get them at a whole food store. Not sure how drying it is though.


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## carameldiva (Mar 12, 2006)

i have found castile soap to be exceptionally gentle and cleansing- me and my hair both love it.


----------



## *ElleB (Mar 12, 2006)

I need to keep this post.....


----------



## Lucia (Mar 12, 2006)

I'm trying to phase out the really harmful ones like the parabens and pthalates out of my routine, it's hard, but QP mango butter is a fav, and there are the Dominican Cond's  and Scurl (don't know if I can give this 1 up) which i have to go through that work great w. my hair I have to find a replacement for those if I choose to phase them all out.  Well off to my product closet and see.


----------



## Lucia (Mar 12, 2006)

I'm going to phase out these products until I find good replacements and most are just getting the boot. I have no idea if I can even phase out the Proactiv, HELP, any suggestions please? 

Products I've found w/ 1 or more of these carcinogenic chemicals:
Brentwood salon care cholesterol conditioner  
Neutrogena triple moisture daily deep conditioner  
Matrix biolage detangler 
Proactiv skincare products
Proclaim shea and aloe conditioner 
10 en 1 
Sedal anti-sponge 
African pride braid sheen spray 
Salon care styling gel with aloe vera
Infusium 23 
KMS flat out lite relaxing creme 
*Ouidad* curl quencher shampoo, conditioner and gel--ironically her products have Lauryl sulfates, cones and alcohols, I thought her products were esp. for curlygirls  what up w/ that? 
Nivea body silky shimmer 
Proclaim moisturizing oil sheen spray
Secret deodorant-aluminum 
Surge plus 14 
ORS olive oil sheen spray 
St. Ives body washes, lotions, moisturizers
Home best tear free hair detangler 
Scurl activator moisturizer  
Elasta QP Mango butter 
Aphogee Protein Treatment


----------



## Enchantmt (Mar 12, 2006)

Try this instead of the mango butter:

http://www.curlmart.com/MYHoneyChild-Buttery-Soy-Hair-Creme-p-342.html

I use it to smooth my edges like I did the mango butter and it works great. It seems expensive, but I bought my jar months ago and I still have it. A little goes a long way, it's a great value. Check her website and see if she has a sample or smaller size if you are unsure. Others had recommended the giovanni direct leave in as a replacement but while its a nice conditioner it wasnt heavy enough for how I use it. The Buttery soy hair cream is great tho.


----------



## Lucia (Mar 12, 2006)

Enchantmt said:
			
		

> Try this instead of the mango butter:
> 
> http://www.curlmart.com/MYHoneyChild-Buttery-Soy-Hair-Creme-p-342.html
> 
> I use it to smooth my edges like I did the mango butter and it works great. It seems expensive, but I bought my jar months ago and I still have it. A little goes a long way, it's a great value. Check her website and see if she has a sample or smaller size if you are unsure. Others had recommended the giovanni direct leave in as a replacement but while its a nice conditioner it wasnt heavy enough for how I use it. The Buttery soy hair cream is great tho.


 
It's $$ up there in price, Thanks I'll check it out, I really need to find something to replace the cholesterol cause that's my all time staple, maybe another brand, I'll check the BSS and online's for natural products there has to be a replacement, if it was cones I can live w. that but I really want to get rid of the parabens and pthalates alltogether.


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## Lucia (Mar 12, 2006)

Link: 
http://www.townsendletter.com/July2004/womenhealth0704.htm

even Kheil's uses parabens, and there products are supposed to be natural just check their ingredients under view


----------



## BerrySweet (Mar 12, 2006)

This should be a sticky!


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## Lucia (Mar 12, 2006)

Yes this should be made a sticky, good info here 
link to article about deoderants 
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/..._uids=16489580&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_docsum


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## SparklingFlame (Mar 12, 2006)

carameldiva said:
			
		

> i have found castile soap to be exceptionally gentle and cleansing- me and my hair both love it.


Where do you get your soap?


----------



## Lucia (Mar 12, 2006)

whole foods, or any store that sells natural products will have castille soap, and they have scented w/ natural essence oils too.


----------



## carameldiva (Mar 13, 2006)

liquid castile soap-www.thechemistrystore.com
                   or
Trader Joe's pure castile soap(peppermint)- local Trader Joe's


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## SweetCaramel1 (Mar 13, 2006)

what what what.  just when i find a product that works! *$%^!#  i've been washing my daughters hair with creme of nature!  i'm going to have to find new products.   i'll read back as many pages as i can to find a natural poo & cond. how is this stuff approved if it causes cancer


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## SparklingFlame (Mar 13, 2006)

SweetCaramel1 said:
			
		

> how is this stuff approved if it causes cancer


 
Its all about the money. These people dont care about how many people they hurt and possibly kill as long as the get paid. Its sad. Just like cigarete companies. I finally figured out why 2nd hand smoke is worse than 1st hand. They don't want the people who smoke to die off as fast becasue if they do, whos gonna be around to buy thier cigarretes?


----------



## SNyeema (Mar 13, 2006)

Does that mean that everyone who has responded about giving all the harmful preservatives up that aren't already natural, going natural? I mean, I can only IMAGINE what a relaxer does and most of the folks that responded are relaxed. I'm just wondering.


----------



## MJ (Mar 13, 2006)

Wow! I'm so surprised to see this thread back on the first page. I'm still going strong and haven't looked back. 

As for relaxers, I'm four months post and am in the process of deciding whether I'm going to give up relaxers permanently. My hair just doesn't like it. 

After more than two years of doing the right things (moisturizing daily, washing at least once each, satin scarfs, and protective styles, etc.) my hair is breaking like you wouldn't believe. 

My hair just can't handle the harshness of even the mildest of relaxers (I've been using mild since 2004).

~*~*~*~
I'm really happy with my paraben-/petrochemical-free decision and the 7 lbs I've lost since then and the $00s I've saved (I was a series product junkie) help to keep me motivated.


----------



## Sweetcoco82 (Mar 13, 2006)

So what products are you all using that are carcinogen free? I need to find a good shampoo and conditioner.


----------



## SparklingFlame (Mar 13, 2006)

I just ordered some shampoo and cond. from www.elysiandream.com  It came highly recommended from Nay's album under prodcuts. It only has like 3 ingredients in them and you can add your own goodies to the mix to jazz them up if you like.


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## Sweetcoco82 (Mar 13, 2006)

I just went and looked through most of my stuff that i have. Hair care and skin care prodocts, even the kids products.Most of them have parabens in them. One pantene conditioner didn't. But i am sure there is some other bad chemical in them. l of them have something in it. And to think i spent a good amount on some nexxus. I haven't even used it yet. I will be buying natural stuff in the future. I cant take anything thing i brought back either. The guy are the BSS doesn't allow refunds. I think someone returned something and put something in the bottle once that messed up someones hair so he doesn't allow refunds on conditioners and things like that. So i am stuck with all this stuff. A spent alot of money on this stuff.  I love nubien Heritage black soap and a few of their other soaps so i will be trying out there shampoo's and condtioners. If i like them i'll be buying by the case.


----------



## Lucia (Mar 13, 2006)

I just came back from 1 health food/vitamin store and some of these "natural" brands have parabens/petrols in them like Derma, JASON, Kiss my face lotions the only products I've found on the shelf so far that have held up to the pthalates parabens test is Aubrey Organics, Tom's, Burt's Bees (although some of Burt's Bees stuff has Tocopherol super Vitamin E that's on the list but not as harmful) I'm really impressed by Aubrey, also I went to the Sally's BSS to find a cholesterol w/o parabens in it, yeah right good luck there weren't any but they have a small selection. Mane and Tail users should be ok though cause the deep cond and some of the products I read don't have parabens in them. I'll have to visit the another BSS and health food store to see what they have. I just can't find a lotion/moisturizer in an economy size that doesn't have parabens in it, even though it's considered healthy which they can claim even if they're 80% natural. I'm packing a box of unused proactiv and St. Ives body washes and lotions to give away. thank goodness most of the products I was using were finished or almost finished b/c I did a no PJ challenge end of 2005 so I used up alot of product, the hardest things to let go of is Scurl, cholesterol, elasta QP mango butter and NTM--I loved those   but since they won't love me back I chucked them  I can be healthy and have long hair, I mean didn't the 1800-1900 ladies have long natural hair, no parabens then


----------



## Enchantmt (Mar 13, 2006)

AO shampoo's and my hair dont get along, but I love the conditioners, esp gpb. I prefer giovanni, esp the magnetic shampoo and conditioner. I just ordered some other stuff (shampoo,cond)this weekend, but I dont remember the brand name. If I like them I will do reviews. Some of the jason stuff doesnt have parabens, they have some body washes I tried. Toms of Maine has a body wash that lathers well. I bought some other natural/chem free stuff this week, but again I dont remember the brand but once it arrives I will let you know. Well actually the stuff was on sale, so I will tell you after my next payday once I order more. I know how yall can empty out a place. ESPECIALLY YOU LURKERS  Internatural.com has a bunch of sister sites and has a lot of items, at cheaper or comparable prices and usually list ingredients. They have most of the giovanni magnetic stuff.

eta: One thing I tried I didnt think I was going to like (for hair) was the qhemet shampoo bar. (I kept imagining I would have white film on my hair) It has a nice spicy scent, but its not overpowering and doesnt irritate my skin. I used it to shampoo, and it was ok. Not as soft as my other stuff but it lathers well and if I didnt have build up I probably wouldnt have noticed a difference in the softness. I would love to get that soap as a liquid  or w/o the beeswax to see if it performs differently.


----------



## SweetCaramel1 (Mar 13, 2006)

naturallady said:
			
		

> Its all about the money. These people dont care about how many people they hurt and possibly kill as long as the get paid. Its sad. Just like cigarete companies. I finally figured out why 2nd hand smoke is worse than 1st hand. They don't want the people who smoke to die off as fast becasue if they do, whos gonna be around to buy thier cigarretes?


 
that's a shame. everything is about money and instant gratification.  no one thinks long term


----------



## SweetCaramel1 (Mar 13, 2006)

SNyeema said:
			
		

> Does that mean that everyone who has responded about giving all the harmful preservatives up that aren't already natural, going natural? I mean, I can only IMAGINE what a relaxer does and most of the folks that responded are relaxed. I'm just wondering.


 
hi SNyeema.  i can honestly say no at this point i'm not giving up relaxers but i have definitely cut down on the frequency. i used to relax every 6-8 weeks, 7-8 times a year.  now i'm trying to cut back to 3-4 times a year. maybe one day............


----------



## Lucia (Mar 13, 2006)

I'm 100% natural already so I don't have to worry about the chem's in relaxers.


----------



## SweetCaramel1 (Mar 13, 2006)

i saw the paraben(s) in my nexxus, creme of nat and mnt. it's also in my st. ive's face scrub  

what other carcinogen should i look for


----------



## Lucia (Mar 13, 2006)

SweetCaramel1 said:
			
		

> i saw the paraben(s) in my nexxus, creme of nat and mnt. it's also in my st. ive's face scrub
> 
> what other carcinogen should i look for


 
On the 1st page of this thread there are links, one of them is a list of elements to avoid, just print it. hth


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## trinidarkie1 (Mar 13, 2006)

At this point, until I can afford to buy more things, I'm gonna have to keep using the stuff. I think since I've never paid attention to any of these things before, I'll just pretend to be ignorant for a lil while longer.
Hopefully with a great set of tresses by this fall, I can completely switch to all natural products.
I'm starting off with Face and body products from carol's daughter and move on from there.

Then I'll get to the hair etc after that.


----------



## Lucia (Mar 14, 2006)

Mountain rose herbs has skin care products (except for 1-but I'm sending them a email about that) that are paraben free and not too expensive. I thought I would loose my mind trying to find skin products and give up Proactiv but there are other choices and it's not like they were ever cheap. 
www.mountainroseherbs.com
Giovanni, and Avalon Organics are in healthy stores.  
I really like the ingredient list for Carol's Daughter and I don't overuse product it should last a while. 
www.carolsdaughter.com
http://www.avalonorganics.com/
Oyin is not expensive either: 
www.oyinhandmade.com


----------



## SparklingFlame (Mar 14, 2006)

This topic is so good it really should be a sticky.


----------



## Lucia (Mar 14, 2006)

naturallady said:
			
		

> This topic is so good it really should be a sticky.


 
Go to this link, and give your OK for this thread to become a sticky. 
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?p=1344189#post1344189
 
Aluminum in deoderants thread: 
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=81366
Toxic Shampoos: 
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=81409


----------



## so1913 (Mar 14, 2006)

SNyeema said:
			
		

> Does that mean that everyone who has responded about giving all the harmful preservatives up that aren't already natural, going natural? I mean, I can only IMAGINE what a relaxer does and most of the folks that responded are relaxed. I'm just wondering.



I thought about this too....

NOT going to happen.


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## so1913 (Mar 14, 2006)

Wow....struggling with this now...I keep trying to ignore this thread, but it keeps popping up top!  LOL, now it's a sticky!!!

Trying to find skin care AND hair care products that are effective without these harmful ingredients are a difficult and expensive task :-(

I wish manufacturer's would just leave this stuff out of the products.

A lot of thinking going on here....a lot of thinking


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## sweetascocoa (Mar 14, 2006)

i plan to buy the mountain rose herbs face and hair stuff. i just got my catalogue in the mail yesterday. i order my EOs and rosewater from them


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## Lucia (Mar 14, 2006)

toosexy1 said:
			
		

> i plan to buy the mountain rose herbs face and hair stuff. i just got my catalogue in the mail yesterday. i order my EOs and rosewater from them


 
Don't buy their Kathys Family Lotion until you check the ingredients it has *diazolidinyl urea 80%* in it, and I looked that up b/c it sounds like another urea on the list and it is toxic when it exceeds certain percent *0.5%. *


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## Dogmd (Mar 14, 2006)

I applaud all of you women who are attempting to change your lifetyles to natural healthier alternatives....You women are absolutely amazing..  Isn't it wonderful...what a little bit of information can do...   CHANGE is GOOD!!!  Especially when you move in the right direction.. I did a 10 day cleanse 2 years ago.. and tried to go natural and use natural products...  Now with the baby...I find myself looking at all the ingredients to everything..  I will definately attempt this again this year!!!  This is a wonderful thread!!


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## Sistaslick (Mar 14, 2006)

wow! interesting thread.  I can't even think about switching to all natural products while I'm still faithfully slapping one of the most dangerous products of all on my hair 3-4 times a year  Talk about conflict of interest.   That is probably more damage than any shampoo or conditioner can ever do.   I guess you have to start somewhere, but dropping the relaxer is going to be hard


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## Lucia (Mar 15, 2006)

Lucia said:
			
		

> Don't buy their Kathys Family Lotion until you check the ingredients it has *diazolidinyl urea 80%* in it, and I looked that up b/c it sounds like another urea on the list and it is toxic when it exceeds certain percent *0.5%. *


 
I got an email response from Kathy's family, quick too I just emailed them yesterday, here's the response to my questioning them about using the diazolidinyl urea. 

<<Hi Lucia, 
Thank you for your question.  We use germall (Diazolidinyl Urea & Idopropynl Butylcarbamate) to preserve our shea butter lotion at a .02% concentration.  
Thank you again.
Kathy>>


----------



## Poohbear (Mar 15, 2006)

Right now, I still use personal care products that have harmful ingredients and I have natural hair.  I also still live at home with my parents, work part-time, and I'm a broke college student that's trying to save money.  I cannot afford the expensive natural and organics products right now.

I always wish the opposite would happen...for good stuff to be affordable and bad stuff to be expensive...but that's just not the case in this world.  Its sad that we can only use products and eat foods that are not healthy for our bodies.

Once I live on my own and have a full-time career position, I'm going to start incorporating natural organic personal care products and foods.  My mom who buys most everything for the household just isn't going to do it. Whenever I get married and start a family, I will continue a healthy lifestyle.  This is one of my ultimate goals.


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## Divine Inspiration (Mar 15, 2006)

I just want to clear something up...

Natural/organic expensives are not always more expensive than regular products. Actually, many of them are CHEAPER than the popular salon lines. For me, my natural/organic products have cost me MUCH less than my chemical-laden products. There are plenty of companies that make great skin & hair care products and don't charge an arm and a leg.

There are vendors online (and off line) that offer great deals on natural products. 

So, natural/organic is NOT equal to expensive.

Carry on.


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## SparklingFlame (Mar 15, 2006)

Divine Inspiration said:
			
		

> I just want to clear something up...
> 
> Natural/organic expensives are not always more expensive than regular products. Actually, many of them are CHEAPER than the popular salon lines. For me, my natural/organic products have cost me MUCH less than my chemical-laden products. There are plenty of companies that make great skin & hair care products and don't charge an arm and a leg.
> 
> ...


 
DI do you know of any that are not too pricey? I would like to buy more natural/organic products and all I seem to find are ones that are kinda expensive. Can you drop some names? Thanks!


----------



## Sweetcoco82 (Mar 15, 2006)

naturallady said:
			
		

> DI do you know of any that are not too pricey? I would like to buy more natural/organic products and all I seem to find are ones that are kinda expensive. Can you drop some names? Thanks!


 
I'd also like to know the names of these companies. I am going to try my honey childs stuff. But if i can find something with a better price tag i am willing to give it a try.


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## Lucia (Mar 15, 2006)

ITA w. organics don't necesarily have to be expe$ive, I was comparing prices while researching this too. ex: Carol's daughter khamet shea conditioner=$ 25~~compare to Matrix Biolage Detangler $25, and the Biolage shampoo cost me another $25~~~no diff.  
Aubrey organics 
www.aubreyorganics.com 

Oyin hand made
www.oyinhandmade.com

Avalon organics 
www.avalonorganics.com 

Burt's Bees 
www.burtsbees.com

Mountain rose sells organic face and body care stuff too, as well as hair products. 
www.mountainroseherbs.com

Aubrey, Burt's Bees, and Avalon have some products @ healthy stores too, these are same price/cheaper than  regular drug store brands, and no parabens. hth


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## *ElleB (Mar 15, 2006)

THe article that MissBliss (sp?, if not I apologize) posted really helped...Just cuz a product uses parabens doesnt take away from its naturalness...The parabens are just preservatives...Without some kind of preservative, "natural", ALL products for that matter would go rancid and be a breeding ground for bacteria....


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## Lucia (Mar 15, 2006)

*ElleB said:
			
		

> THe article that MissBliss (sp?, if not I apologize) posted really helped...Just cuz a product uses parabens doesnt take away from its naturalness...The parabens are just preservatives...Without some kind of preservative, "natural", ALL products for that matter would go rancid and be a breeding ground for bacteria....


 
There are preservatives that can be used that are not carcinogens also there are regular mostly synthetic products that don't even use parabens and last a while too like some MNT products.


----------



## SparklingFlame (Mar 16, 2006)

There are natural preservatives too like Vit E and Lime/Lemon juice.


----------



## *ElleB (Mar 16, 2006)

Those were stated in that article as well....I know some other companies use other types of preservatives as well, but it was stated in the articles that it is a question of effectiveness....I need to keep doing research, I look forward to a definitive answer that will tell if parabens actually cause cancer or not....lol, I feel like Im in skool doing a research project! lol


http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/treasuredlocks/preservatives1.pdf


----------



## SparklingFlame (Mar 16, 2006)

You know, there are poisons in everything we use: the air we breath, the water we drink. There is really no escaping it. I just try to do the best I can to cut down on what I may be able to control. I don't want folks to think we are becoming fanatical around here, ya know? Keep on researching ElleB and keep us posted!


----------



## Dogmd (Mar 16, 2006)

I agree with Divine inspiration...  Organic /natural does not always= more expensive

I look at it this way.. what's more expensive ...eating healthier foods and staying out of the hospital without diabetes or eating fast food (cheap meals) and having medical bills  and diabetes to deal with.

Same thing with hair care...  Use healthier products.. healthier head, hair and body!!

But I do live in LA.. alot of people buy orgainic everything here daily and it is widely available.  There are Organic alternatives to practically everything now.  I was shocked to find these items priced most often less expensive than the commercial / chemical loaded brands.
I guess it's supply and demand!!

Healthy hair growing!!


----------



## Poohbear (Mar 16, 2006)

Divine Inspiration said:
			
		

> I just want to clear something up...
> 
> Natural/organic expensives are not always more expensive than regular products. Actually, many of them are CHEAPER than the popular salon lines. For me, my natural/organic products have cost me MUCH less than my chemical-laden products. There are plenty of companies that make great skin & hair care products and don't charge an arm and a leg.
> 
> ...


If what you are saying is true...

Could you please share with us what natural/organic hair and skin products are cheaper than regular products???

And what vendors offer great deals on natural/organic hair and skin products???

...See, all the natural/organic products I've seen are more expensive... Aubrey Organics, Burt Bees, Tom's of Maine, Kiss My Face, Jason Naturals, Giovanni, Aveda, and more.  I've been to regular stores that sell this stuff and the Whole Foods Market.


----------



## Poohbear (Mar 16, 2006)

naturallady said:
			
		

> You know, *there are poisons in everything we use: the air we breath, the water we drink. There is really no escaping it. I just try to do the best I can to cut down on what I may be able to control. *I don't want folks to think we are becoming fanatical around here, ya know? Keep on researching ElleB and keep us posted!


This is so true.

I heard a story about this woman who ate all organic foods and used all natural products and worked out regularly and she developed cancer.


----------



## peacelove (Mar 16, 2006)

Don't get me wrong - I think it is great, important information, but good luck at this. I know I won't be paraben free, but it's good to know. Maybe I can reduce them. 

You are gonna have to throw out black pepper too. It too contains a carinogen.


----------



## *ElleB (Mar 16, 2006)

peacelove said:
			
		

> Don't get me wrong - I think it is great, important information, but good luck at this. I know I won't be paraben free, but it's good to know. Maybe I can reduce them.
> 
> *You are gonna have to throw out black pepper too. It too contains a carinogen*.


 
 Stuff like that will make ppl paranoid-hypocondriac-health nuts!! I can try to make changes here and there, i will continue to research, but I won't won't won't be a fanatic. I don't mean if I get cancer, "Oh well" but geez, I just want to live my life! lol


----------



## peacelove (Mar 16, 2006)

*ElleB said:
			
		

> Stuff like that will make ppl paranoid-hypocondriac-health nuts!! I can try to make changes here and there, i will continue to research, but I won't won't won't be a fanatic. I don't mean if I get cancer, "Oh well" but geez, I just want to live my life! lol



I know! That's why I don't think I will really be "free" of it all. But this IS good info! It makes you more conscious of what is in the products we use, which is a good thing. I guess we really should not be eating washing and spreading on things that we have no clue what they are. But we do it every day.


----------



## Poohbear (Mar 16, 2006)

peacelove said:
			
		

> You are gonna have to throw out black pepper too. It too contains a carinogen.


WHAT!?  OH NO! I LOVE BLACK PEPPER!


----------



## peacelove (Mar 16, 2006)

Poohbear said:
			
		

> WHAT!?  OH NO! I LOVE BLACK PEPPER!



Me too.  The first time I heard of it was in Dr. Andrew Weil's book. He was always saying use red pepper flakes and do not use black pepper. I did not believe it until I searched online. 

But I LOVE black pepper. I get the peppercorns and grind them fresh. I will take my chances with it!


----------



## *ElleB (Mar 17, 2006)

peacelove said:
			
		

> Me too.  The first time I heard of it was in Dr. Andrew Weil's book. He was always saying use red pepper flakes and do not use black pepper. I did not believe it until I searched online.
> 
> But I LOVE black pepper. I get the peppercorns and grind them fresh. I will take my chances with it!


 
Same here!! What book is that by Dr. Andrew Weil? I would like to read it, lol


----------



## peacelove (Mar 18, 2006)

*ElleB said:
			
		

> Same here!! What book is that by Dr. Andrew Weil? I would like to read it, lol



it was 8 weeks to optimum health. 

I gotta say, this thread helps health and pocketbooks. I just came back from the BSS and passed on about 6 different items because they all had parabens - LOL. Information is indeed power.


----------



## SparklingFlame (Mar 18, 2006)

This is a VERY good site that tells you everything just about on a specific product that you do a search on. Check it out!!! Ineresting!!!!
http://www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep2/index.php


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## Sweetcoco82 (Mar 19, 2006)

naturallady said:
			
		

> This is a VERY good site that tells you everything just about on a specific product that you do a search on. Check it out!!! Ineresting!!!!
> http://www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep2/index.php


 
Girl i was looking at that the other day. I was very disturbed that some baby products were at the top of this list. Very shocking. I used to like using the johnsons and johnsons baby lotion on myself. Then i looked it up on there. I wont be using the little that is left of that. I am so glad i never put that mess on my kids.


----------



## SparklingFlame (Mar 19, 2006)

Sweetcoco82 said:
			
		

> Girl i was looking at that the other day. I was very disturbed that some baby products were at the top of this list. Very shocking. I used to like using the johnsons and johnsons baby lotion on myself. Then i looked it up on there. I wont be using the little that is left of that. I am so glad i never put that mess on my kids.


What did you use for your babies instead?


----------



## Sweetcoco82 (Mar 19, 2006)

naturallady said:
			
		

> What did you use for your babies instead?


 
I had been using the Gerber Giggles and Grins Oatmeal on them. The lotion is a 2.6 on that site and the wash is a 2.1. I am going to switch to Burts Bees though and see how i like that. I might also look into some other 100 natural sites to find something else to use on them I might just order some raw shea butter and whip up something myself.


----------



## MissJ (Mar 26, 2006)

Jewell said:
			
		

> OFF TOPIC, BUT FYI: Red food coloring found in food and drinks is one of the number one carcinogens found in food, according to health care providers.


It's funny you mention that.  When I worked in a restaurant, and Hi-C fruit punch would drip on my hand, it would tint my skin color for a while.  I made a point not to drink it, because judging by what it does to my skin I couldn't imagine what it would do to my inner organs.

And why am I just reading this thread?


----------



## Angelicus (Mar 27, 2006)

Please send all carcinogenic conditioners to The United Negro Anky Fund (UNAF will pay for shipping).


----------



## secretdiamond (Mar 28, 2006)

hahaha!!!!


----------



## KhandiB (Mar 28, 2006)

anky said:
			
		

> Please send all carcinogenic conditioners to The United Negro Anky Fund (UNAF will pay for shipping).





Need some help??

NAKHM (Natl Assc of Khandis Hair Management)  is accepting donations as well


----------



## SweetCaramel1 (Apr 8, 2006)

Sweetcoco82 said:
			
		

> Girl i was looking at that the other day. I was very disturbed that some baby products were at the top of this list. Very shocking. I used to like using the johnsons and johnsons baby lotion on myself. Then i looked it up on there. I wont be using the little that is left of that. I am so glad i never put that mess on my kids.


 
yes, after reading parts of this post and checking my poo/cond i then checked my daughters babybath and it was in there indeed!


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## Sweetcoco82 (Apr 9, 2006)

SweetCaramel1 said:
			
		

> yes, after reading parts of this post and checking my poo/cond i then checked my daughters babybath and it was in there indeed!


 
The thing that got me was that alot of baby products are loaded with them. Not just a few, but alot. It may be one thing for you to use something once you have matured and finished growing. But you use that stuff on a new born/infant. erplexed I bought the unscented castile soap. It says it an be used on babies so i am going to try that. I have been using Sweet Almond oil with vitamin E on my 21 month old daughter and her skin is softer than ever before. I plan on ordering some shea, cocoa, aloe and mango butter and making my own moisturizers. I love shea butter and half the stuff on the shelf boosting about containing shea butter only has 5-15% in there and thats not much.


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## Lucia (Apr 27, 2006)

Well I've taken the last step, I've finished my carcinogenic make up and I've ordered some natural lipglosses and lipsticks I really never wore alot of make-up so even though I started fresh w/ all new stuff it shouldn't be that bad-it's still what I would spend if I were to buy all new synthetic make-up.  
Even Almay Mary Kay hava parabens wow this is really something.  So I will be completely 100% paraben free very soon. The Carol's daughter and Myhoneychild products work really nice and smell good too, I haven't had shelf life problem I just keep them tightly closed, except for the deep condish i keep that in the fridge.


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## CurleeDST (Apr 27, 2006)

Does this list also include sulfates?


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## Lucia (Apr 27, 2006)

I'm not sure about all of them, but I was sulfate free b4 changing to all natural-check the ingredients list but they really shouldn't be.


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## sareca (Apr 29, 2006)

I just ran across this (http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/1-nb/index.htm) and thought it was cool, but personally I'm not worried about parabens. But I do want to make a baking soda shampoo substitute and a toothpaste.


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## secretdiamond (Jun 2, 2006)

sareca said:
			
		

> I just ran across this (http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/1-nb/index.htm) and thought it was cool, but personally I'm not worried about parabens. But I do want to make a baking soda shampoo substitute and a toothpaste.



Wow. That is some great info sareca.  Thanks! I'm not crazy about doing the natural thing yet, but this site makes me think abut a few things and gives so much info if I ever decide to do certain things naturally in the future. Thanks again.


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## Enchantmt (Jun 9, 2006)

A helpful site:

http://www.saje.ca/qs/page/198/191/18

I hope it hasnt been posted before but I dont recall seeing it.


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## Enchantmt (Jun 21, 2006)

More info:

http://www.zakairan.com/ProductsONEGroup/ToxicIngredientDirectory.htm

http://www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep2/

http://ewg.org/

http://www.tomsofmaine.com/faq/#OCT12




http://www.nocramp.com/xeno.html

*The Menstrual Cramp (Dysmenorrhea), Xenoestrogens and Parabens used as Preservatives*
When my patients, cut out xenoestrogens diligently and take Natural Progesterone, almost always menstrual cramping becomes a thing of the past, and they begin to feel "normal" - menstrual cramp free again. 

The most prominent xenoestrogen (but not the only one) that seems to associated with menstrual cramping is parabens that are present as preservatives in shampoos, lotions and liquid personal care products. Although parabens are relatively nontoxic, and are not very carcinogenic, parabens are a xenoestrogen. It seems that in my practice if we eliminate parabens (along with other xenoestrogens) in the patient's environment much of the menstrual cramping goes away. Giving the patient Natural Progesterone gets rid of the remainder of the menstrual cramping. 

John Sumpter from the Department of Biology & Biochemistry, Brunel University, Uxbridge, Middlesex found subcutaneous administration of butylparaben produced a positive estrogenic response on uterine tissue. 

In my practice, I initially used progesterone creams that had parabens as preservatives and many of my patients complained of increased menstrual cramping. Endometriosis patients complained of increased pain from the progesterone cream formulated with parabens as a preservative. 

One of my physician colleagues, had a one woman that had a menstrual cramp for 15 years. She went on a program of avoidance of xenoestrogens and taking Natural Progesterone. She was menstrual cramp free for one entire year. Then, all of a sudden, she began to have menstrual cramps for 3 consecutive months and called my physician colleague to complain. The colleague asked her, "What did you change 3 months ago?" She answered sheepishly that her daughter worked for a beauty salon and was able to get designer shampoos and hair care products for half price, and so she began to use those products 3 months ago.


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## Choclatcotton (Jun 23, 2006)

Thanks for the info enchantment! I have noticed a difference since I started phasing out parabens etc from my cosmetics.  FOr a hair reconstructor i use One from the long hair care website.  Deoderant is natural Nature's Gate Organics no proylen glycol or parabens.  TOothpaste is DR. Harold Katz from the Calif. breath clinic.NO sls. Facial soap is Aveeno positively radiant.  SHampoo Im thinking of doing Aubrey GFB.  

http://www.growafrohairlong.com

  HOpe this helps someone


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## hotshot (Jun 26, 2006)

ive been good. ive phased these things out for maybe a year? maybe less. I use:
FACE
kiss my face olive oil soap-this stuff is MEGA concentrated. I cut it into pieces and they last for months
shea butter as a moisturizer
occasionally I use ACV as a toner
jason toothpaste or tom's of maine

BODY:
Dr. Bronner's castile soap
homemade body oil: castor oil and coconut oil OR shea butter. Thinking og getting Burts Bees Buttermilk Baby Lotion for the change of weather.
Oyin's Funk Butter deodorant:THIS STUFF WORKS!!!! Its been 90 degrees and its still working: www.oyinhandmade.com

HAIR CARE:
dr. bronner's castile soap OR kiss my face olive oil soap
Aubrey Organics GPB
gotta say though, i did just order Elucence because I haven't yet found an amazing replacement conditioner. 
Wild Growth Oil or my homemade Body Oil or just plain castor oil.
Aloe Vera gel-the kind you refridgerate.

i should add all these things are pretty concentrated and I get multiple uses from my soap, my oil, my ACV, etc, so its really quite economical. 

so I've been pretty good. I cut ALL my hair off in Feb. and i wanted to see what would happen if only used natural products on it. I am still looking for that holy grail conditioner, maybe I will give Elysian Fields a chance.

This process is a natural complement to my cutting out refined foods and ingredients like High Fructose Corn Syrup, Modified Food Starch, Enriched Flour, etc from my diet, which also poisons the body.  I just saw some guys friends for the first time in a while, and they all told me I looked "healthy" and "glowing."  I feel good and the process has been painless.

I haven't changed makeup yet, and honestly, I don't know if I will. that might be the only toxic area of my life. I only wear gloss and mascara and occasional eyeliner these days though. I've never worn full face makeup on a regular basis.


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## Blkbeautyhair (Jun 29, 2006)

wow! This is such a great thread. I'm a newbie to the site so this has been a great educational thread. I'm going to transition from some of my current products to other alternatives. I'm PO'd cause I just bought a bottle of conditioner and now I see that it has parabens but I'm going to use it and just replace it with something else once the bottle is gone.


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## Enchantmt (Jun 29, 2006)

Hotshot, that is a great idea for the olive oil soap. I never would have thought about cutting it up. Those bars are huge. I will have to try it again, as I liked the soap when I first start using it, but after the bar sits for a while, its not as appealing. Also try Qhemet biologics soap, you can use it on your hair too. Right now I am using the ayurveda stuff.  I recently tried the unscented funk butter, but I am waiting a while before I totally pass judgement. I wanted to try the scent but I had recently tried the jason long lasting deodorant, which also works well, but it irritated me and I am still having skin issues behind it.  I will come back later on in the week or early next week and post the products I am currently using.


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## foxybrownsugar (Jun 29, 2006)

*I tried all natural products last summer on my transitioning hair but it didnt work for me. I was using oils and dr bronners almond soap then. The past few weeks I have been using oils only (no grease) and I must say that my natural hair loves the oils and I have no oils sitting on top of my hair like before. I still have my small bottle of castile soap and I think I am going to finish the bottle. I may end up giving my basket of products CON, conditioning gels, etc to my niece. I had hoped to be using all natural products by the end of this summer anyway. And I hope I can do it. You ladies are inspiring me.*


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## firecracker (Jun 29, 2006)

Hey all you ladies that tried this chime in and share your experiences.  This is a great thread.  I am printing out all the info so I can try some of these products.  Since I am still trying to work with my natural hair I may as well try natural products.  I am making an appointment for a colonic so maybe once I get that I can change products and my diet.  The food is going to be the hardest part though.


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## vevster (Jul 9, 2006)

I want to add for face soap www.earthlightorganics.com

I've been using their soap for months now and I love it.


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## lashay06 (Jul 9, 2006)

Wow....This is the first that I've heard of this. I'm going to look through my products and see what I have. I know that I just finished using the remainder of my infusium. Guess I won't be purchasing any more of that. Thanks for the info.


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## Lucia (Jul 11, 2006)

*Does anyone know a good natural paraben free substitute for cholesterol? TIA*


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## hotshot (Jul 11, 2006)

eggs and mayonnaise


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## Lucia (Jul 11, 2006)

THanks how do I use them w/o the smell


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## Lucia (Jul 17, 2006)

*Ladies does anyone have suggestions for a natural substitute for Kinky-curly curling custard? It works really well it moisturizes, defines and shines all in one.  but I'm really having trouble finding a similar product. TIA*


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## GlamourJ (Jul 17, 2006)

It's best to check the source of most of these articles and where they are posted.  Usually the information is on a website promoting the products sold on the website as being superior to the competitor's products. I looked up this claim of parabens considered carcinogenics in the International Journal of Toxicology.  The FDA website also has data regarding parabens, although parabens can act similarly to estrogen they have shown to have much less estrogenic activity than the body's naturally occurring estrogen.  The Cosmetic Ingredient Review(CIR) board has determined parabens to be safe up to levels of 25%.  Since parabens are used as a preservative and generally pretty low in the list of ingredients, there is only a small amount in products, levels ranging .01% to .3%.

I'm not making any drastic changes without published results provided by clinical research.  Giving large does of chemicals to a rat doesn't always prove that human results will be the same, or spraying a rabbit in the eyes with deodorant would cause me to check other studies as well.


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## Lucia (Jul 17, 2006)

FDA on Parabens 
Source: 
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-para.html


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## PhonyBaloney500 (Sep 11, 2006)

Lucia said:
			
		

> *Ladies does anyone have suggestions for a natural substitute for Kinky-curly curling custard? It works really well it moisturizes, defines and shines all in one. but I'm really having trouble finding a similar product. TIA*


 
Mine doesn't have parabens...


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## PhonyBaloney500 (Sep 11, 2006)

Lucia said:
			
		

> Well I've taken the last step, I've finished my carcinogenic make up and I've ordered some natural lipglosses and lipsticks I really never wore alot of make-up so even though I started fresh w/ all new stuff it shouldn't be that bad-it's still what I would spend if I were to buy all new synthetic make-up.
> Even Almay Mary Kay hava parabens wow this is really something. So I will be completely 100% paraben free very soon. The Carol's daughter and Myhoneychild products work really nice and smell good too, I haven't had shelf life problem I just keep them tightly closed, except for the deep condish i keep that in the fridge.


 
What makeup brand do you use?

Anyway I am about 95% natural with hair products, 95% body (darn my mother for giving me a new lotion) and erm 0% makeup. I haven't found any subs yet. I still use regular anti-perspirant (but SOMETIMES use natural deoderant) and Oil of Olay moisturizer (no parabens as far as I can tell but I'm sure there's other bad stuff in there). I have switched to a natural cleanser though that works well (Dessert Essence).


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## ritzbitz78 (Sep 11, 2006)

*God gave us a brain, lets use it!*

Hey Peoples,

First off, lets be intelligent about the research that suggests paraben is carcinogenic...  There is a lot of stuff floating around on the internet that says the converse is true.  (i am not saying yea or nay on this subject).   Also the studies were probably done on mice that were injected with it or doused with it without washing it off.  How fast does it sink in? What is the rate at which our HUMAN bodies break it down?  

We also have to consider the major factor of our immune system.  If it is up and running well, it will fight the foreign paraben.   We need to keep our immune systems healthy for a better attack against cancer.

I have seen studies that soybeans and tofu causes cancer on the internet.  I sat down with a nutritionist (Phd) and asked him re: soybeans.  He said it may cause cancer in those who aren't eating a balanced diet, but all other foods, familial history, and other factors (how the immune system is doing) isn't factored in, in those studies.  

Some research out there is propaganda.

Lets just use our brains and think and reason through this and not get fanatical on any issue...


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## BerrySweet (Sep 11, 2006)

*Re: God gave us a brain, lets use it!*

Who's being fanatical?  I mena, if it doesn't bother you, continue to use them, please.  But others make a decision for their health and where to spend their dollars. Let's not be fanatical or anything now.


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## Lucia (Sep 12, 2006)

PhonyBaloney500 said:
			
		

> What makeup brand do you use?
> 
> Anyway I am about 95% natural with hair products, 95% body (darn my mother for giving me a new lotion) and erm 0% makeup. I haven't found any subs yet. I still use regular anti-perspirant (but SOMETIMES use natural deoderant) and Oil of Olay moisturizer (no parabens as far as I can tell but I'm sure there's other bad stuff in there). I have switched to a natural cleanser though that works well (Dessert Essence).


I've tried Bare essentials, it was OK, but I've fallen off the paraben wagon, It's 50/50 now I use some natural products and some with methylparabens in it, esp. after my face exploded with acne when I went off my regular stuff. 
I've cut down my PJ-ism alot so I just use what I need/waht works for me and that's all.


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## GoingNatural (Sep 17, 2006)

I threw away ALL of my hair products.  I recently discoved Curls at Curls.biz, ntural products with healthy products.

I threw away all my facial products, in favor of Cetaphil and baking soda.  Baking soda is a soft expholiant that does what all those other products claim to do!


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## geneticist (Sep 28, 2006)

*Re: Health vs. Hair: I Gave/Threw Away all My Hair Products*



			
				MJ said:
			
		

> A few weeks ago, Nay posted a thread stating that after threw away her CON conditioner and shampoos because the contained parabens, a carcinogenic. Her post was a total eye-opener I NEVER thought hair products contained carcinogens until I read that post. I read some of the articles in the links she had posted and that when I learned that not only are hair products, cosmetics in general, loaded with toxins. But that products for blacks have more than average.
> 
> Within a few days of reading Nay's posts I decided that I would "transition" off all the products with parabens within 6 months and begin 2006 paraben-free lifestyle. I continued to research and learned that parabens were only the tip of the cancer-causing chemicals used in hair products and began to feel uncomfortable using most of the ones I had. Especially due to the fact that I was/am doing daily conditioner washes.
> 
> ...



Mzjones, please don't take this he wrong way but, this is a looooonnngg list of hair care products. How many of each of these were you using at a time? I commend you for purging.


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## caribeandiva (Sep 28, 2006)

Thanks for the info and the links but i'm keeping my products. i'll take my chances.


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## Rainy (Oct 1, 2006)

While I understand the caution on both sides, it makes A LOT of sense to reduce the known levels of toxins in anything that you place on or in your body.  You don't need the FDA or any study to tell you that.  It also makes sense to use products that make your life easier.  So, my personal philosophy is to choose natural or less toxic ingredients when it makes sense, but if I am unable to do that, I will use what works (in moderation).

I think this is about balancing your life.


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## LovetheLord (Oct 4, 2006)

Does anyone know at what percentage of the chemicals are damaging to the body.  I know that it is better to not have any of the chemicals, but honestly we are not going to get away from all these chemicals in this day and age.  My husband had me check up on Milk, vaccine shots, and other items that are processed that are dangerous to our health.  I have gone to numerous websites about various products, and finally I had to stop.  I told him, that it is hard to escape everything that is harmful to us and our children.  Not trying to be political, or negative, but its sadly true in the world we live in now.  The information in this thread is very good and useful.  I feel like we should all find what is most natural and healthier for ourselves.  The more dangerous items we stay away from, the better off we will be.


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## carmella25 (Oct 5, 2006)

I didnt know that all these products contain this.  Thats horrible!


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## KhandiB (Oct 5, 2006)

*Re: God gave us a brain, lets use it!*

 - I like where youre coming from! - You will always find 2 sides to eveything, its up to you to make the decision as to what you believe, but Me personally - I dont believe just because someone says it , that it is so   If so I wouldnt eat any food or drink anything but water 



			
				ritzbitz78 said:
			
		

> Hey Peoples,
> 
> First off, lets be intelligent about the research that suggests paraben is carcinogenic...  There is a lot of stuff floating around on the internet that says the converse is true.  (i am not saying yea or nay on this subject).   Also the studies were probably done on mice that were injected with it or doused with it without washing it off.  How fast does it sink in? What is the rate at which our HUMAN bodies break it down?
> 
> ...


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## MonaRae (Oct 19, 2006)

*Re: God gave us a brain, lets use it!*

Question for you ladies!

Would PhytoSpecific's relaxer be a good alternative to regular relaxer?

Thanks in Advance!
MonaRae


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## rootdeep (Oct 23, 2006)

For my longterm health and to really keep it simple I'm preparing myself to only take my Women's One a Day and my HSN. 

I think I've been using horsetail LONG enough now and its time to grow up and move on from all the supplements.


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## RedButterfly (Oct 24, 2006)

That is really brave of you. I've also read about the carcinogens in common cosmetics and was dismayed to discover that so many of our hair products and cosmetics contain them. Let us know how this works out for you.


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## patient1 (Nov 13, 2006)

What's the verdict on grapefruit seed extract (gse) as a preservative. 

p1


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## MJ (Aug 21, 2007)

*Re: Health vs. Hair: I Gave/Threw Away all My Hair Products*



MJ said:


> A few weeks ago, Nay posted a thread stating that after threw away her CON conditioner and shampoos because the contained parabens, a carcinogenic. Her post was a total eye-opener I NEVER thought hair products contained carcinogens until I read that post. I read some of the articles in the links she had posted and that when I learned that not only are hair products, cosmetics in general, loaded with toxins. But that products for blacks have more than average.
> 
> Within a few days of reading Nay's posts I decided that I would "transition" off all the products with parabens within 6 months and begin 2006 paraben-free lifestyle. I continued to research and learned that parabens were only the tip of the cancer-causing chemicals used in hair products and began to feel uncomfortable using most of the ones I had. Especially due to the fact that I was/am doing daily conditioner washes.
> 
> ...



It's almost two years since I first posted this thread. I haven't been back for probably a year and half, and today I looked at the product list . 

Gosh, I sure was a PJ 

I can't even imagine now how I used so many products in my hair.

I'm still paraben free and my products list have shortened significantly. It consists of:

Aubrey Organics conditioners and a shampoo
Giovanni direct leave
Castor oil (both types, I'm using up the very last of the clear kind I'd bought a year ago) 
Flowers of sulfur
Products that I eat, but also use in my hair hair recipes (honey, molasses, EVOO, coconut oil, etc.) 

I surprised myself by never going back. Hmm, maybe it's because I didn't plan the change it sort of just happened...


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## silverlotus (Nov 2, 2007)

..............


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## BelindaLuz (Jan 13, 2008)

*Re: Health vs. Hair: I Gave/Threw Away all My Hair Products*



MJ said:


> A few weeks ago, Nay posted a thread stating that after threw away her CON conditioner and shampoos because the contained parabens, a carcinogenic. Her post was a total eye-opener I NEVER thought hair products contained carcinogens until I read that post. I read some of the articles in the links she had posted and that when I learned that not only are hair products, cosmetics in general, loaded with toxins. But that products for blacks have more than average.
> 
> Within a few days of reading Nay's posts I decided that I would "transition" off all the products with parabens within 6 months and begin 2006 paraben-free lifestyle. I continued to research and learned that parabens were only the tip of the cancer-causing chemicals used in hair products and began to feel uncomfortable using most of the ones I had. Especially due to the fact that I was/am doing daily conditioner washes.
> 
> ...


 
I did this not too long ago. then bought the book "a consumer's dictionary of cosmetic ingredients" by ruth winter

right now I am trying to do the all natureal this with my all natureal hair. I have a link, "calling all chemist" in the hair recipe area of this board where I am updating my concoctions.


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## julzinha (Feb 24, 2010)

I would love to use all natural products, but as a college student that is just way out of my budget. And since I wear braid extensions 98 % of the year, cheaper is what I can afford. Maybe when I am older and have a job and get my hair long enough to stop wearing braid extensions I will switch over. But i do semi incorporate natural hair ingredients from what I have in my house, like molasses (cause no one is cooking with it), honey, yogurt, avocado, ACV


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## bluediamond0829 (Feb 24, 2010)

Im in the process of getting rid of products...I just did my first 4 to 5 bag toss this week.  I have a few more to go through...but it felt good to get rid of everything and to find things that are working for my hair......


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## MizzBrit (Feb 24, 2010)

i plan on doing This..ive been trying to switch to all natural products for my hair


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## Ivonnovi (Feb 24, 2010)

julieangel09 said:


> *I would love to use all natural products, but as a college student that is just way out of my budget.* And since I wear braid extensions 98 % of the year, cheaper is what I can afford. Maybe when I am older and have a job and get my hair long enough to stop wearing braid extensions I will switch over. But i do semi incorporate natural hair ingredients from what I have in my house, like molasses (cause no one is cooking with it), honey, yogurt, avocado, ACV


 

Dr. Bronners 18-1 Castille Soap           (Shampoo, Bodywash, Toothpaste and nice cleaner)

Baking Soda & Water or
Lemon & Honey                                 (see www.motowngirl.com for recipes; No-poo washes, clarifier; and sheen rinse)

Olive Oil (OO)                                  (Moisturizer for skin, hair, Hot-oil treatment)excellent eye-makeup remover)

Sugar:                                            (Mix equal parts with OO for a sugar scrub)

Honey                                             (Anti-bacterial and moisturizing facial mask)

A&D Ointment                                  (Mix/melt with OO, excellent for feet & hands)

How's that for a start?


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## Ivonnovi (Feb 25, 2010)

bump

       bump


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## Janet' (Feb 26, 2010)

Great thread...I printed everything yesterday and I'm going to start going through my inventory this evening...Fun on a Friday night, ya'll...


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## tada1 (Jun 19, 2010)

thanks for the links to myhoneychild.com!!!!


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## JollyGal (Jun 19, 2010)

Thank you for this informative thread.

I threw out my commerical products last year and have never felt better. Natural truly is the way forward. Nature provides us with these wonderful plants and fruits for a reason.

I used to carry a list of ingredients to watch out for during my hair shopping days and it was soooooooooo hard to find a commerical product without any of the ingredients to avoid so in the end I just gave up and went to natural products.

It really makes me sick that these companies can put such utter tripe and poison into their products and sell it to their fellow (wo)man. This has got to stop!


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## Barbara (Jun 19, 2010)

I cannot go 100 percent natural on hair care products.  I tried but my stylist said they don't work well on my type 4 a/b hair except the natural oils and pomades.  So I alternate by using the chemicals (shampoo, conditioner, and detangler) once a month.  

I spent too much on my products to throw them out, and in this economy who can afford to keep spending on hair care products?  All we can really do is cut back by keeping the toxins to a minimum and do more *internal* cleansing with natural or organic foods, products or alternative medicine.

It's more important to keep the inside of our body clean than the outside.  Health problems always occur from within.  That's all I can say.


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## divachyk (Jun 20, 2010)

This post is very interesting.


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## LatterGlory (Jun 20, 2010)

___________________________


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## lovelexi (Aug 18, 2010)

Barbara said:


> *I cannot go 100 percent natural on hair care products.  I tried but my stylist said they don't work well on my type 4 a/b *hair except the natural oils and pomades.  So I alternate by using the chemicals (shampoo, conditioner, and detangler) once a month.
> 
> I spent too much on my products to throw them out, and in this economy who can afford to keep spending on hair care products?  All we can really do is cut back by keeping the toxins to a minimum and do more *internal* cleansing with natural or organic foods, products or alternative medicine.
> 
> It's more important to keep the inside of our body clean than the outside.  Health problems always occur from within.  That's all I can say.



You're stylist lied. That or she doesn't have proper knowledge on natural hair products. It's true natural hair products may not give you the instant shine you want but since using natural products over time the product proves more effective. It takes research and knowledge to determine what kind of natural products work. For example, aloe vera makes my hair a bit stiff so when looking for products to use to maintain my rollerset I make sure aloe vera and water are the first ingredients. Another example, I thought the only way to achieve shine was by using a shine serum with cones. Not true, a water based spritz, a dab of moisturizer and EVCO provides a lot of shine. I've been reading  natural health reference book called Prescription for Nutritional Healing and I have realized that there is a natural alternative for almost everything we use. Now, I realize their may never be a healthy alternative to hair relaxers (I'm relaxed) so maybe that's where your stylist is coming from. But to say natural products won't work on your hair can't be true. This wasn't a personal attack just had to voice my opinion.

And bumpity bump for other newbies like myself who are looking foe info!


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## Prettyeyes (Aug 18, 2010)

EXcellent thread!


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## Kindheart (Aug 20, 2010)

i need to bump this and give you guys a very helpful link 
http://www.goodguide.com
you can find out whether the products u re using are amongst the ones tested and check what chemicals in it are dangerous .
To be honest I m not gonna be paranoid about it ,as for products im going to get rid of ,are going to be Porosity Control <Fantasia Leave in Aloe ,Herbal Essences ,girls be careful cowashing as some of the commercial cons are not meant to be massaged on the scalp .
I ve pretty much always used natural shampoo w commercial conditioners apart from most part of my pregnancy and about over a year of using exclusively natural products including toothpaste and deodarant (to find out Jason deodorant contain Propylene glycol as second ingredient )  .I use natural shower gels and soap bars ,natural cleaning products so if i use a conditioner w parabens im not overly fussed about it cuz my paraben intake is very low .Through the link i ve posted i found out there are other ingredients to be aware of such as Triclosan (inb most toothpaste)DMDM ,F&C Red (colorant found in some products like LEKAIR ),Benzyl Alchohol (found in ALL Pantene and Herbal Essences products )Pantene is actually better than HE.
My newly beloved Motions Herbal Shampoo has alot of crap in it such as Propylene Glycol Parabens ,Urea .I m going to finish it (eventually and nt purchase again ) The Conditioner Only contain Propylene Glycol at the very bottom of the list which is fine ,I m going to finish it as the rest of the ingredients are good ,*no* parabens ,benzyl alchohol etc.
Creme of Nature really suck ...Im so disappointed i like the shampoo ...


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## EllePixie (Aug 20, 2010)

I try to not use parabens and the ingredients that are now considered "dangerous," but I won't stop using a product I love b/c it contains them. I used them for 26 years and was an avid sun worshipper without sunblock...so I figure if I'm going to get cancer it's inevitable. Might as well have pretty hair until I have to do another BC for chemo. Shrug.


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## Kindheart (Aug 24, 2010)

bumping ....


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## nadiacurly (Aug 24, 2010)

thanks! I'm going to my bathroom right now and i'm gonna do the same.


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## silenttullip (Aug 24, 2010)

Basically everything I have is without parabens.
Not sure about my hawiian silky though

bump


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