Yes, you just read that correctly. Many people think cancer is an eventuality. Most people’s lives have been touched by this terrible disease…me included. My mother passed away of ovarian cancer after years of using toxic beauty products, talcum powder in particular. Watching her suffer was the most horrible thing I have ever had to bear. I suspect there is link between her use of talc and her developing cancer. In fact, research proves there is a link between talc use in the genital area and ovarian cancer. Studies show talc particles in ovarian cancer tumors. Do I think her cancer could have been prevented? Yes! I wish I knew then what I know now.

An alarming statistic from the Cancer Coalition website

A wonderful advocate for cancer prevention is Dr. Samuel Epstein. He has dedicated his life to educating people about avoidable cancers, environmental and consumer dangers. His name many sound familiar to you as I have mentioned him before. I just finished up his latest book, Toxic Beauty, an important book I would highly recommend to everyone.

A bigger factor for developing cancer is the choices you make. On the Cancer Coalition site, you can access a useful list of consumer products to avoid. On the list are food and cosmetics products you should steer clear of. This does not mean get paranoid….make changes little by little to protect yourself and your family.

At preventcancer.com you can also see a list of all the avoidable cancers. Knowledge is power. Use this knowledge to lower your risk factors. I hope everyone finds this information useful and please pass it on so we can spread the word….cancer is preventable!

Stay natural…stay beautiful…go green!

Robin

Don’t forget to subscribe to the blog to enter the My Lip Stuff Giveaway!

Stay natural…stay beautiful…go green!

-Robin

Green tea is not only great for your heart, but for your skin and hair too.

Did the title catch your attention? I hope so…The benefits of drinking green tea are many: weight loss, increased metabolism, inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, and improving the immune system to name a few. Green tea contains EGCG, a powerful  antioxidant which kills cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone. If green tea is not part of your daily diet, it should be.

Green tea is so healthy in our diet but what can it do in our beauty products?  There are times when your hair needs a break from regular shampoo and needs a clarifying shampoo to remove buildup of styling products. Enter Aubrey Organics Green Tea Clarifying Shampoo.

It deep cleans and rinses well leaving the hair healthy and manageable. It contains herbal extracts and nutrients which make the hair easy to style and cuts down on dry time (who doesn’t need more time in their beauty routine??) Green tea and nettle extract protect hair and tone the scalp. Aloe replenishes moisture while almond protein strengthens hair fiber, fullness, and manageability. You will be so pleased when you use this shampoo as it contains so sulfates, parabens, or chemicals. It’s also vegan and is not tested on animals. Here are the complete ingredients:

INGREDIENTS: Deionized Water, Coconut Oil-Corn Oil Soap, Organic Green Tea Extract (Organic Green Tea, Organic Nettle, Natural Grain Alcohol), Organic Aloe Vera, Carrageenan, Organic Lemon Peel Oil, Almond Protein, Organic Blue Camomile Oil, Aubrey’s Preservative (Citrus Seed Extract, Vitamins A, C and E).

You can explore the entire line of green tea products at Aubrey Organics.

Another company who have tapped into the power of green tea is Burt’s Bees. They make a collection of products utilizing this wonder ingredient. I was able to find a Green Tea set at Marshall’s (I am always looking for deals!) It contained a 12 oz. shampoo, 12 oz. conditioner, 8 oz. hand soap, and a soap bar. Burt’s Bees Color Keeper Shampoo and Conditioner uses green tea and fennel seed to help preserve color. This is a good shampoo, but when compared with Aubrey, I definitely like the results from the Aubrey collection better. My hair seems to stay cleaner longer than when I use the Burt’s Bees. If you decide to try both lines, it is up to you to decide which you like better. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the benefits of green tea or what is has done for you. Please leave me a comment.

Until next time, stay natural… stay beautiful… go green(tea!) -Robin

Out of those three ingredients, the one you might have already heard of is formaldehyde. Yes, that is the same substance used in the preservation of dead bodies. Formaldehyde is not something you should be using while alive, as it is a carcinogen. And this is the same ingredient in your nail products. Toxins, anyone? It is mainly used to make the polish resilient. Toulene is another chemical used in polishes to make it easy to apply and fast drying. It is a toxin that is easily absorbed through the skin, found in paints and explosives. It can cause a myriad of problems. DBP is dibutyl phthalate, has been found to interfere with birth development and is sometimes not even on the ingredient list!

So when I go to the nail shop or go to purchase nail polish (because let’s face it, most of us do not want to give up our pedi’s and mani’s) I look for this on the label: formaldehye/toulene/DBP free. It’s not too difficult to find, in fact, I recently caught up with one of my favorite blogs, The Organic Beauty Expert and I was delighted to read about a new nail polish (NP2 Nail Perfection) which does not contain any of these chemicals. I went on to read more and went to the site to check out the new polish. Guess how much? $22.50 a bottle. Now, this is a pretty cool product in that it is a two-sided bottle that comes with a supposedly chip resistant express dry top coat. But for some of us on a budget this might not be the best option. To check out this post, click here: The Organic Beauty Expert.

Enter… Walgreens. Yes, Walgreens! I was shopping one day and found they carried Sinful Colors Professional Nail Color, a very affordable (under $5 a bottle) and safe brand of nail polish. And the colors are truly sinful! If you’re like me, you’’ll probably want one of every color. And the best part is, their formulas are formaldehyde, toulene, and DBP-free. You can also find them at sinfulcolors.com. So when you’re at the salon or the store, check out the ingredient list before you buy and make a safe choice when it comes to your nail products. Until next time, stay natural, stay beautiful…Robin.

When you buy a bottle of shampoo, bubble bath, or soap you think that the product you bought is safe and you believe that this product does what it claims to do without any risks. You trust this product so much that you use it on your children and family. But much of this is blind trust, as companies put many chemicals into bath products which we have no idea about….until now. Recently the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics released a report on children’s bath products and stated some very alarming facts. Parents, listen up! 
  They studied numerous children’s bath products and found that some companies were adding formaldehyde and 1,4 dioxane to their formulas. Lab tests have shown that these are carcinogens and can lead to dangerous chronic diseases and disabilities, especially with repeated use. Why are companies adding these posions in children’s products?? Check for these chemicals on the products you have in your bathroom right now and if you find them, toss it out! Thanks to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, now you can be on the lookout for them when you shop as well.

  As you all may have noticed, my blog got a bit of a make-over recently. I wanted to add some things to make it more user-friendly as well as a little more attractive. I am still in the process of changing a few more things, so bear with me! In the meantime, stay a while, take a look around, and let me know what you think!

   My mother used body powder for years and years. Usually after each shower, she would sprinkle on some powder. In 1999, she passed away of ovarian cancer. I believe talc might have played a role in her death, among other factors. Over the years she didn’t really ever lead a healthy lifestyle either and she exercised in spurts. But I still believe talc played a huge role. Talc is the main ingredient in most body powders, including medicated, baby, and perfumed powders as well as make-up and eye shadows. Many women use powder in the genital area because it absorbs moisture. Through this, the talc particles can enter the body and become embeded in the ovaries. Numerous studies have found talc particles in ovarian tumors and women who use talc are more likely to develop ovarian cancer. Talc can also get into the lungs.

   So what is talc? It’s a mineral derived from talc rocks and is closely related to asbestos. Further studies show just how similar these two carcinogens are. What a scary thought that even after all these studies, talc is still not regulated. One thing we can do as consumers is quit buying products containing talc and buy safer alternatives. This is the kind of information that I wished I knew before, but now I hope to help other people avoid this incredibly toxic substance.