Help me change to new skin care products

[Amys1st]

Hi Mamas!

Help me out here, I'm a newbie to the natural skin care products!

I have been using Mary Kay skin care and cosmetics for about 10 years now. I have been reading the ingredients lately and I have decided to phase out this and try something more natural with less ingredients, colors in there etc.

I was looking at Burts Bees for skin care and Dr Bonners for natural soaps. We use a dial barsoap in the shower since its the only one dh dosen't itch for days after using. Any other suggestions for him?

We are medium skinned- I have an olive complection and dh is darker like myself, but tends to be more pink than olive like me. He would burn in the sun before I ever would (we both sunscreen or stay out of sun) DD is right in between. He is usually more sensitive to soaps, detergents etc.

Opinions what would work for us?

[velcromom]

If your dh does well with Dial, he may do even better with a handmade soap. Dial is a pretty basic soap made with tallow, palm kernal oil and cocoa butter but it also has some preservatives & other additives that you could avoid with a handmade product.

I pretty much make all my own skin care stuff now so I can't really advise on commercial products, but I encourage you to try a couple of simple things like body butters and lotion bars, there are plenty of recipes online to try. The simplest things to make are recipes that don't contain water, and they don't require a preservative either which is nice.

[Sherra]

We use dr. bronners mostly. My husband also has very sensitive skin and dr. bronner's peppermint soap works for him. For baby, we use weleda products. They make a completely non toxic baby soap bar..but so does bronners. Burt's bees is also a good natural product to use. I like burts bees but found some of their products to be overbearing smell wise and I'm really sensitive to smells sadly . I'm not sure if all their products are like this though..but their buttermilk lotion was.


A good place to get bronners and weleda stuff and stock up: www.vitacost.com

weleda puts out a no fluoride no sls toothpaste for kids and that is hard to find. Jason's products (also available on vitacost.com) has an adult toothpaste no sls, no fluoride either..read the package though as some of them contain fluoride.

For sunscreen, we like aubrey's organics
http://www.aubrey-organics.com/ . We try to get some sun though as sun is good for the body to make vit D. Just not too much of course. Some of the stuff we put on our skin can also make us sensitive and more penetrable by sun so that could account for sun sensitivity.

[Sherra]

This is another cool website:

http://www.care2.com/healthyliving/


go into personal care. Enjoy!

[deliarose]

I like Kiss my face soap, if I am not using a homemade one. I also use a Jason's brand of shower gel-mango yum! I love BB stuff! They have the nicest marshmallow vanishing cream! It makes my skin feel so good! Their baby line is really nice too.

Don't have any suggestions for your DH-my husband can only use Irish Spring in the shower-he breaks out with anything else-even lotions that aren't 100% natural. He did choose the bathroom handsoap of melon scented Kiss my Face. It is pretty cheap at vitacost.com

[EricaLeigh]

I use OCM = oil cleansing method, for my face. There are several threads her that have discussed this, I love Burt's Bee's Carrot DAY & Night creams. For hand washing we use old "Dial Complete" foaming bottles. I mix water with Dr. Bronner's. It is amazing how little Dr. B's soap that you need to have a nich rich foam! Like 2 little squirts! For my body I haven't really experimented much, we have lots of mainstream soap still, that we are using up. I don't think my DH will ever switch from his dial soap! I think when we do use that stuff up I will tr DR. B's on my bod. Oh here is something that might interest you, I am now 2 weeks without deodorant. I'm using lotion then patting BS under my arms. All I can think of now!

[momofcutie]

We've tried Dr. Bronner's liquid soap in peppermint. I like it for cleaning (the smell is great), but I've found it to be too drying for use as a soap on us. I don't know if the bar soaps are less drying. My husband also has sensitive skin. He's used Lever 2000 for years, but I wanted a cruelty-free soap, so I tried Basis Sensitive Skin bar from Walmart. It's over by the facial products. It's working just fine. I've heard good reviews about Kiss My Face soap. I might try that next.

I also tried the Dr. Bronner's as a shampoo (on me and on my dog) and it made both of us have big bushy 'fros! Won't be doing that again! I just like the idea of a multi-use product. My family uses JASON Natural Jojoba Shampoo and Conditioner. My son got a burn on his scalp last summer and it was taking forever to heal. It was flaky and irritated and itchy on that spot. After a couple weeks of using the JASON shampoo on him, it's finally healed and doesn't bother him anymore!

I'm trying baking soda for deodorant and I must say, it works great. It works better than the Kiss My Face deodorant I've been using.

I'm on the lookout for a simple, good smelling body butter. I like The Body Shop's body butter in Nut. I may try pure shea butter next. My son has eczema and others have recommended this as a great moisturizer. Others have recommended olive, coconut, or jojoba oil in place of lotion/moisturizer.

I love Tom's of Maine peppermint toothpaste. At first it was different because it's not super sweet, but now I'm used to it and prefer it to regular toothpaste.

[Amys1st]

:
These are all really good ideas. I am learning a lot and I checked out that website- added it to favorites to really check it out!

Keep em coming.....

[rnasmomma]

Watch the coop board, there is talk of a mineral makeup coop through Sheer Miracle soon. There was one at the end of the year and I got a few things I really like. I'm now hoping to try more. The company is really reasonably priced, has nice sample options (to find your correct colors) and doesn't have some of the less desirable ingredients other mineral makeups use.
I was also a Mary Kay customer until a crazy thread on MDC talked about foreskin from circumcision being used in anti-aging products--that's icky.
Haven't found a natural mascara I like much, though.

[BlessedbyLily]

Once my hubby tried handmade soap a few years ago he was hooked! We started buying it at a Renaissance festival and he really likes the patchouli and the other herby scents. Very manly-smelling! He uses Neutrogena shampoo, though because he has really oily hair.

For things other than soap - moisturizers, facial cleansers and such - I'm pretty loyal to Burt's. (Although I do make my own lip balm. ) I really love Burt's Res-Q Ointment in the summer for bug bites and for other little boo-boos.

We use Dr. Bronner's solid soaps when we run out of handmade. Their liquid soaps have kind of a funky after-smell to me.

HTH - using natural cleaning stuff just feels So good!

[prairiechild]

Check out this thread to read about not using soap.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...t=14383&page=1

My family all quit using soap in the shower. I find I stink less when I don't use soap. Sounds crazy but it is true.

For makeup, I like www.jlynnecosmetics.com She also sells some nice hand made soaps etc.

[SAHMinHawaii]

I used to be a be clinique fan, but for the past 2 months i have been using only Burts Bees on my face. I must say my skin has never looked so fresh and healthy. My dh got me the green gifting set so i could try out some of their new products. For face wash i do use alba coconut milk wash. I use that because it gives me more moisture which i need in arizona. I also have a olive complextion. I also use burts bees cosmetics.. I wouldnt change back to clinique if you paid me..This is what i use:

Makeup:
Burts Bees concealing creme, tinted moisturizer, blushing creme, liptints(burts lip balm with a hint of color) and mascara(havent found a natural one yet).

SkinCare:Alba coconut milk face wash
burts citrus face scrub
burts rosewater toner
burts marshmallow creme(day moisture)
NIGHT:burts evening primrose creme, royal jelly eye creme
Once a week: burts pore refining mask w/ french green clay

Body/Hair
Alvalon Organics lavender body wash
Alvalon Tea Tree shampoo/conditioner

Toms Peppermint Toothpaste

The only thing i use that isnt "natural" is dove day moisturizer with sunscreen it it. Does anyone have anysuggestions for something like that i could use for sun protection?

[Amys1st]

so far I tried burts lipstick and liked it. I am going to send some to my mother as well. It dosent get all clumpy. I also have the lip balm and the glossy balm which I really like.

I tried the tinted moisterizer and liked it. None of the colors seem to be a fit to me for blush, shadows etc but the brown eyeliner is nice.

I am trying a few new soaps and cannot decide on any one particular yet but I do not have an itchy feeling from any of them.

I will also check out the website another pp suggested.

Thanks again! Any others?