I was asked recently to do a talk about the cosmetics industry and its impact on girls self-esteem for a local girls group and I am absolutely giddy with excitement!
The request came from a customer of mine, who, at some point must have heard me go off on one of my famous soap tangents.
This is a subject very close to my heart.
The “big companies” are forever throwing advertisements at us, trying to get us to buy their body washes (that dry us out), their body lotions (that are more water than anything else), their cuticle creams (a good bar of soap would fix that), their cellulite creams (that’s genetic more than anything and really a good spa brushing would work better than a cream), their eye creams and just about any other “specialized” things that they can come up with for you to spend your money on.
There are really three basic things that will determine your skins health.
Genetics – Yeah, sorry there isn’t much you can do about this but be proactive in the other two areas. Take a look at your mother and your grandmother to get an idea of your genetic destiny! Remember, if they are smokers or drinkers or have a poor diet – it will show up on their faces so it isn’t all “written in stone”.
What you put IN your body – Water, healthy good for you fats and lots of green vegetables and fruits with anti-oxidants is the best thing you can do for your body. A great diet will literally make you glow with health! Dark purplish circles under your eyes can indicate a food borne allergy. Eczema is usually a dietary issue as well! Someone who spends a lifetime smoking will dry out their skin and will develop wrinkles well before their time. A diet heavy in chemicals, additives and sugars will take a toll on your body inside and out.
What you put ON your body (or really what you DON’T put on it) – Keep it simple. A well made bar of soap will allow your skin to “balance” itself out. We all have a layer of wax on our skin that does many things. It protects us from the skins rays, helps keep dangerous bacteria & viruses at bay and locks moisture in. This wax is constantly being replenished. Almost all commercial body wash and bar products strips your skin of this valuable layer through the use of their bubbling agents (SLS & SLSA). First it dries us out, and then we need to apply all those lotions and body butters that the very helpful commercial body wash companies make for us after their products dried us out to begin with! Don’t get me started on the Anti-bacterial stuff. Studies have shown that it does more harm than good! A simple, good quality bar of soap is all you really need. Sometimes a little extra help is needed depending on what your hands have been exposed too, but if you find yourself relying heavily on lotions and butters, you really need to take a closer look at the situation!!
It is my personal opinion that when big companies are more concerned with their bottom line and maximizing their profits, they lose sight of the needs of their customers and what might be best for them. In fact there are many instances where products are formulated to ensure that a particular issue is only temporarily relieved, and continued use of that product exacerbates the issue or creates a whole new one! Their customers then become an unlimited (and addicted) source of income.
Of course, this is only one of the things that I will be touching on with my talk, as you may have gathered…..I get a little off topic at times.
This just means I can write another post. 🙂
Artisan Soap & Other Fabulous things 