Shampoos, conditioners, lotions, oh my.

Do you read labels of the products you buy? Do you understand them? I don't. Someone once told me that you should only by things that you can pronounce everything on the label. Seems like a good rule of thumb. This is true for processed foods, but also important are the personal care products that we use on a daily basis. Some of the preservatives and chemicals used in these products have been linked to causing cancer, disease, delayed development in children, hormone imbalance and more. Aluminum, which causes brain damage, is found in most deodorants. Would you be surprised to know that Petrolatum- a petroleum derived material (YES! the stuff in gasoline) is in most lotions. I was shocked to find it in Aveeno--which I had presumed to be some sort of natural organic type lotion given it's sticker price. So even for those lotions which look to be OK, you have to check the label.

I'm not an expert in this field, but I do know where to go when I have a question. The environmental working group has created a website called skin deep. You can search their database of personal care products. They give a safety rating for the product and explain what the risk is associated with the ingredients in the product.

Black women who treat their hair, beware what those chemicals are doing to you internally. And while I don't know the chemistry outcomes, I do know that your skin is porous. Anything that is liquid that you apply to your skin will get into your system. I don't want us to stop supporting black beauty salons. I'm just hoping someone will create a less toxic solution.

My tips for being safe:
- Avoid all major brands if possible.
- Try using natural oils instead of deodorant. I've often seen these sold by NOI brothers and sisters.
- If you don't want to try that, look for deodorant brands that don't have aluminum or pthalates.
- Try buying in bulk from a natural foods store or co-op. These places usually have natural shampoos and conditioners, you just need to bring your own bottle (which is better for the environment anyway)
- Try using generic brands from larger natural food store chains. Whole foods has their 365 brand which is much cheaper than that name brands, and you can buy big bottles.
- Get over the cost of the healthier stuff and don't overuse what you buy, it pays off in the long-run. This was a huge one for me. I'm pretty cheap when it comes to this stuff, and usually purchased things based on price than quality before I started looking into these ingredients. I thought about it though, and it actually takes me a really really long time to use a bottle of shampoo, or even lotion. One bottle lasts me between 6 and 9 months. I realized its because i'm not only budgeting at the grocery store, i budget when I use the product as well. So even if I buy a bottle at $10 (high end of the cost spectrum for me) and use it for 6 months (low end of the use spectrum), the cost is .055 cents a day. That's not much for staying clear of questionable products.
- Get used to the au natural look. You are beautiful anyway. The less product in your hair, the better off you are.
- If you must, this is a nice how-to to manage black hair for growth more naturally. Tips include eating healthy and drinking lots of water.