Rub a Dub

August 30, 2018

Want to know what to avoid in your face wash? We also have some upgrades we love!

Putting your best face forward shouldn’t mean a morning face scrub with chemicals. If you have read many of our articles like the ones on sunscreen or mascara you know that people can be bombarded with chemicals in their every day products. Did you know that there are over 10,000 chemicals in the personal care products on the store shelves and the average woman puts 515 different synthetic chemicals on her body every day? (1) Are those chemicals dangerous? How do you keep track?!!! Often this starts with her face wash and this can be a problem for her health. Is what’s in your face wash a health concern? Is it time to switch to a natural face wash?

If you are using the typical, store bought facial cleanser it’s highly likely it contains irritating and harmful chemicals. If it’s harming your health I would call that pretty irritating. Some chemicals to watch for are:

1-Phthalates

Phthalates are another endocrine disruptor that are found many personal care products including face wash. Animal studies have linked these plasticizing agents to early puberty, messing with the hormone system, interferes with male reproductive development, low testosterone, and low sperm count. (2) Don’t use chemicals that mess with your hormones!

2-Fragrance

This one slips past the average person’s ingredient checking radar because it sounds so nice. It’s not! The problem is fragrance can be a combination of many ingredients. Some of those ingredients are allergens, carcinogens or endocrine disruptors like phthalates. Fragrance is not your friend.

3-Sodium lauryl sulfate

Also known as SLS, and its cousin SLES, can be found in your favorite cleanser to help it “foam up.” Why do people need the foam? Listen, you don’t need foam to be clean. These chemicals can be irritating to many people and can be carcinogenic when combined with other chemicals. SLES cannot be metabolized by the liver, allowing the effects to be longer lasting. These chemicals are also often contaminated during manufacturing with the by-product 1,4-Dioxane which is a carcinogen. (3)

4-Petroleum Products

These are used in many personal care products because of their low cost and their moisturizing effects. Some of these products aren’t metabolized by the liver which means once they are in your body they stay. They can disrupt hormones and potentially cause cancer. It’s not even beneficial for your skin as it puts a barrier on your skin keeping moisture out and toxins in.

5-TEA

This one is not to be confused with the nice cup of organic green tea you like to drink. TEA is short for triethanolamine. TEA, DEA and MEA are related ammonia compounds that are found in many beauty products. They are also linked to inflammation, organ toxicity and cancer in animals. That’s not my cup of tea!

Take Care of Your Skin

Watch out for harmful chemicals in your skin care products and look for reputable companies to purchase from. So many disreputable companies will remove chemicals from their formulations that consumers are concerned about only replace them with similar chemicals under a different name. In a world with thousands of potential chemicals lining the store shelves, the consumer has to be armed with knowledge.

You don’t even need to go down the beauty products aisle to get a great face wash. There are products you can pull from your pantry that will leave you with a happy, healthy glow. I recommend coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, activated charcoal, and essential oils as great ingredients for DIY cleansers. The skin is the body’s largest organ you have to treat it right! Check out my recipe for a nice detoxifying coffee mask.

I asked some of our awesome Wellness Way ladies what they use to keep their skin so awesome without the chemicals and they were happy to share some of their best tips! We included some links to help you find the products.

What Can You Find on Wellness Way Bathroom Counters?

Tymberlyn Frischkorn, Pathway To Wellness- Green Bay, Green Bay, WI

I keep it simple with apple cider vinegar and activated charcoal mask!! It comes recommended by Dr. Patrick and it works great for me.

Amanda Primm Buckner, Miller Family Chiropractic- A Wellness Way Affiliate- Madison, MS

Currently, I use an organic rose hip oil. I use to use coconut oil or grape seed oil mixed with lavender and frankincense. I rub it in really well and use a warm wet cloth to remove the oil and makeup. It works great removing eye makeup. Then I apply a little as a moisturizer. I feel using the oil doesn’t strip the face of natural oils. Soap makes my skin feel tight and dry.

Danny Stoyanova, Wellness Way Enterprises, Green Bay, WI

Here is my secret weapon – I call it the night oil bomb! Combine these ingredients: 1 ounce Rose-hip oil, 1 ounce Argan oil, 1 teaspoon Vitamin E, plus a combination of 10 – 30 drops of these essential oils: Helichrysum, Ylang Ylang, Lavender, and Frankincense. I use super small amount before bed since its oily and then I wash off the excess oils in the morning. I buy the organic carrier oils from Amazon in big containers so it’s a bit expensive to get all the ingredients at once, but they last forever. For face-wash I use Bio Damascena Rose Face Wash by Alteya Organics. It has pure Bulgarian rose in it and you can feel it on your face. You can’t go wrong with Bulgarian rose or Bulgarians.

Stefanie Kelley Haines, Burns, OR

I use Arbonne for skin care and make up and Modere for hair. I live in the high desert of Oregon, so it is DRY!!! Big change from 5 years ago when I lived in Michigan!

Krista Schabel RN, Pathway To Wellness- Green Bay, Green Bay, WI

Before I had my food allergies and hormones tested I did have occasional breakouts. Now I have pretty normal skin (not too oily or too dry). I use the Norwex face cloths with just water and they work great, even for removing make up. For a moisturizer, I alternate between jojoba oil with lavender essential oil in it and raspberry seed oil with lavender and/or helichrysum essential oil in it (helichrysum EO has incredible anti-aging properties and so does the raspberry seed oil). The raspberry seed oil never leaves my skin feeling oily or greasy, and the jojoba is applied usually in the evening for a little deeper moisturize.

Christy Flynn, Pathway To Wellness, Green Bay, WI

I have VERY sensitive skin, so I use Arbonne Calming line. It’s a nice option for those with sensitive skin. I also use coconut oil to remove make up and it works great.

Dr. Steffanie Nemitz Kohn, Nemitz Family Chiropractic- A Wellness Way Affiliate, Benton, WI

I love Beauty Counter! I use the charcoal soap bar along with their face wash and the moisturizers. Beauty Counter has a list of ingredients that they will never put in their products which makes me feel confident when using them.

Brianna Simoens, Wellness Way Enterprises, Green Bay, WI

I have a pre-teen daughter and that can be a time when skin care is a concern. Right now, she uses a charcoal bar followed by CBD oil mixed with essential oil and her face has never been clearer. I use essential oils like cypress and helichrysum which are great for skin.

Dr. Jordan Biertzer, Pathway To Wellness- Flathead Valley- Flathead, MT

My favorite face mask is from Franklin & Whitman called Oak Lane! It has cacao, activated charcoal, rhassoul clay, and it smells like you’re rubbing hot chocolate all over your face when you use it And the best part, it’s all plant based, natural, and they donate proceeds to dog rescue organizations!

Georvie Thibodeau, Pathway To Wellness- Green Bay, Green Bay, WI

I just found Nourish Organic Moisturizing Cream Face Cleanser at Target last week! And I love it! I have oily skin, so the facial cleanser keeps my face dry. When I need to exfoliate, I mix coconut oil and sugar then scrub my face with it. It works great! And for my moisturizer, I’m using a special homemade one that is my mom’s recipe.

Clarice Jones, Maxwell Family Chiropractic- A Wellness Way Affiliate, Columbia, MO

Coconut Oil and Sunflower Oil are AWESOME for the skin! Sunflower Oil is more of a deep cleanser than Coconut Oil is, so only use it once maybe twice a week. Coconut oil is more of a daily use oil for me. Sometimes I’ll throw in some Activated Charcoal for good measure. My newest favorite to use is the Acure Facial Brightening Scrub once a week. I have combination skin that leans to the dry side, so moisturizing is super important for me!

Dr. Alex Fennelly, Pathway To Wellness- Flathead Valley- Flathead, MT

The Good Stuff Botanicals is what I use. This is the best stuff on planet Earth!

Nicole Saleske RN, Pathway To Wellness- Green Bay, Green Bay, WI

Eminence is my favorite. It’s 100% organic out of Hungary so you can literally eat it. They have many different lines depending on your skin type. For instance, the clear skin line for people with acne is centered around probiotic cleansers to address the bacterial imbalance of the face. This stuff is top notch!

Shera Gantner, Pathway To Wellness- Fond du Lac

I use Avalon Organics intense defense toner and moisturizer, and the co q-10 and rosehip formula at night. A few times a week, I also use coconut oil with Elemi oil. I have normal to dry skin, felt like I was at the age where I needed to really start slooooowing the aging process on my face. Can you tell? I love these products!

Take Care of Your Health and Your Skin

The foam and empty promises of perfect skin aren’t worth the harmful chemicals! Treat your skin right with natural cleansers. Pathway To Wellness ladies had some great suggestions for all. Don’t forget to feed yourself for healthy skin. Eat non-inflammatory foods that are full of antioxidants, nutrients and good fats. Probiotics are also great for the skin and helpful for health, so were sure to include quality probiotics in our line of supplements.

Great skin can be natural! Make sure to start your morning right with a healthier rub a dub! It’s an easy upgrade and a great place to start somewhere!

Written by Dr. Patrick Flynn

Check out this quick tip from Dr. Patrick Flynn on Acne.

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Posted in HEALTH ARTICLES