Consumed{Lotion}

I had just decided I wanted to tell my readers to feel free to request a Consumed post about anything in particular that they needed help with or wanted to know more about and then one of you did before I could even throw it out there! This post is for you “JD” in Germany!

I mentioned in my last Consumed post that your skin is your largest organ and everything you put on it moves into your blood stream. Therefore, we should really be conscious about the choices we make in our skin care routines, perfumes and detergents. JD wanted to learn of a better choice when it comes to lotion. A great product to be suspicious of! Conventional lotions are loaded with known toxins like synthetic fragrances and parabens. Let’s use a well known lotion brand for example. These are the ingredients for Jergens Ultra Healing.

INGREDIENTS: WATER, GLYCERIN, CETEARYL ALCOHOL, PETROLATUM, STEARIC ACID, C12-15 ALKYL BENZOATE, ALUMINUM STARCH OCTENYLSUCCINATE, DIMETHICONE, LAURETH-3, CETEARETH-20, DMDM HYDANTOIN, ALLANTOIN, METHYLPARABEN, ARGININE, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, PROPYLPARABEN, CARBOMER, FRAGRANCE, PANTHENOL, PENTYLENE GLYCOL, LECITHIN, ALCOHOL, ASCORBYL PALMITATE, TOCOPHEROL

TRANSLATION: ENDOCRINE DISRUPTION (CANCER/REPRODUCTIVE ISSUES), DEVELOPMENTAL/REPRPODUCTIVE TOXICITY, ECOTOXICOLOGY, ALLERGIES/IMMUNOTOXICITY, IRRITATION (SKIN,EYES,OR LUNGS) ORGAN SYSTEM TOXICITY, BIOCHEMICAL OR CELLULAR LEVEL CHANGES, FORMALDEHYDE RELEASER (CANCER)

My guess is that if you read the translation instead of the list of unpronounceable ingredients, you would probably put that lotion back on the shelf without a second thought. Don’t worry! You don’t have to rub poison into your skin! There are much safer options out there. We all have different skin needs, likes and dislikes when it comes to lotion so I will give you a few choices I fully believe in and leave it up to you to decide on the one best for you .

My first and top recommendation is coconut oil!

INGREDIENTS: COCONUT OIL

Not only is this the most delicious coconut oil on the market, it’s certified organic and fair trade! This option really sticks with the theme of these posts because it’s multipurpose, money saving, kind to the environment and our bodies. Coconut oil is naturally anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and soothing. On top of all that, one jar can do so many things!

~ Medium to high heat cooking/baking

~Makeup remover

~Oil pulling

~Butter substitute

~Moisturize bamboo cutting board

~Tame flyaway/curls/dry hair

~Lotion

~Shaving

~Treat eczema/skin irritations

Dr. Bronner’s also happens to make a lotion and it’s REAL GOOD.

INGREDIENTS: AQUA, COCONUT OIL, JOJOBA SEED OIL, ETHANOL, AVOCADO OIL, CANNABIS SATIVA SEED OIL, QUILLAJA SAPONARIA EXTRACT, XANTHAN GUM, TOCOPHEROL (VITAMIN E), LAVENDER OIL~All certified organic

This is a great lotion because it’s light but does a really impressive job leaving your skin moisturized and super soft. It has a lot of oils in it but isn’t greasy at all! You would be hard pressed to find an ingredient list on a lotion that is this clean.

If you have really dry skin or wash your hands a lot, shea butter is for you! (It’s also great for massage, JD! I know professional massage therapists who won’t use anything else.)

INGREDIENTS: SHEA BUTTER

You can also have your shea with a refreshing scent!

INGREDIENTS:SHEA BUTTER, ESSENTIAL OILS OF LEMONGRASS, TANGERINE, ORANGE & LITSEA

Shea butter is great because it creates a protective barrier on your skin and won’t wash off as easily as other lotions. It takes some getting used to because it’s a pretty hard substance that you have to melt into the warmth of your skin. It will be a bit greasy at first but does soak in eventually. If you don’t mind the process, you will reap the rewards of all the fatty acids, vitamins and minerals found naturally in shea butter. It’s particularly good for elbows, heels, cuticles, cuts and scrapes but can be used on any skin and hair that needs some TLC. Alaffia’s shea butter is certified fair trade and made by hand in Togo Africa, the traditional way, in small batches. Every batch takes 30 hours in fact. Oh and that 11oz container will probably last you a year because a little goes a long way!

Truth be told, I’m not much of a lotion user because I find most of them to contain ingredients I am not a big fan of. Even a lot of the brands that are known to make very clean products, make lotions that include ingredients that are not so great. I do, however, own and use all of the products I talked about because they keep it simple with limited ingredients and to me, that’s always the best choice. Not only do they pass my scrutiny, they are made by a couple of AMAZING companies that go above and beyond to make this world a better place. These companies are deeply involved in protecting the environment, creating jobs with fair pay wages, supporting sustainable/organic practices, empowering women and fighting for both animal and human rights!

Now that JD has gotten the ball rolling, I would love to hear more from my readers! Do you have a product that you would like to switch out for something healthier and you’re not sure what to use? Please do ask and I will hopefully have a frugal and safe solution for you!

Pro Tip: EWG is a super helpful website that you can run products and ingredients through and get a rating of how potentially toxic they are. They also have an app called Healthy Living that allows you to scan items to look them up while you’re shopping. It is a trusted source for straight forward information and it’s really helped me learn a lot.