There has been a lot of talk about paraben-free products for a while and generally I have not paid a lot of attention to it as I have sensitive skin and most of the time avoid overly chemically products. However, I did not realize that parabens are everywhere and that sulphates are just as bad. For me, I have always avoided high alcohol products or those free of fragrance and dyes. Little did I know how hard it would be to also find totally organic and natural products.
Living in the UAE makes it nearly impossible to find ‘health’ products let alone chemically free items. Since I was coming home this year, I decided to make a giant leap and try to switch myself to what I could find.
So far, I have tried new shampoo, conditioner and face wash by Alba Botanica. While it does not say on the website that it is a Hawaiian-based company, the products show them as Hawaiian…. All the more reason to love them. π In any case, I have really liked the products so far and the best part is that you can find their products in Fred Meyers, Whole Foods, Safeways or Walmarts. This shows it is not necessarily a specialty item that one has to pay a fortune for.
Before I found the Alba Botanica products, I had read a lot about Dr Bronner‘s products. I first came across this name when I was looking for how to make organic toothpaste. So, when I got home, I ordered a few items to try out while I am here and then could possibly get it delivered to AD when I go back. The items arrived today and I have not yet tried them, but will give it a go this week to see how I like them. So far, from the use of just the lotion I can say that I’m a bit unsure since the lavender smell is quite strong and not necessarily something I want to smell all day long. However, I will see. Truthfully, though, if I can get Alba Botanica just as easily….
Moving on from bath products, I started to consider make-up. When I first started wearing make-up as a teen, I used Clinique, which seems to be many young ladies’ first brand. As time passed, I switched to MAC because it is quite popular and I generally haven’t worn a lot of make-up, so when I did I wanted a brand that was well-known and consistent. Overall, I have been happy with MAC. However, a while ago a friend mentioned that they do test on animals and that, in fact, they are not all that natural. So, I considered a change and perhaps finding a brand that was a bit cheaper and more matching to me (ie not trendy!).
So, I started to search organic, paraben-free, etc. make-up products. Some common names came up, such as Bare Escentuals (Bare Minerals), Kiehls (some products), Korres, Tarte, Nars, etc. Many of these products are found in Sephora, which I have come to love lately and know that I can find in AD. Thus, the other day I ventured out with the intent of changing my entire make-up line. While I had initially thought I could do the Bare Minerals products since it seemed to be more highly advertised, when I arrived at the store, the lady helping me showed me Tarte, Korres and another brand as the Sephora-approved organic/natural names.
Therefore, I ended up with my second interest – Tarte – since most of their products use Amazonian clay, which just sounds cool. π
As I was getting the make-up, I began to look at face moisturizers as it is hard for me to find brands that I really like or that do not cause my face to become even oilier than it already is…. My good friend in AD had introduced me to the Greek brand, Korres, which is on the natural list. Their make-up line was a bit more limited, but they do have a nice line of bath and body products. So, I decided to use them for my face lotions and it has been a good choice so far!
This ends my post on transitioning to more natural products for my body. I hope that it will be a good and wise choice in the long run. The happiest part is that really the products have not been outrageously expensive as they have been in the past. So, I’m quite happy that the natural trend is catching on and that it’s not a bad trend I am joining. π
-T π
