[flowoftime]

back in the old days OLD days ..like a good 100 years ago or so
no one bathed
but for good reason
you were better off dirty than bathing in the dirty pooped filled water carrying disease because back then there was NO sewage system.
and the life expectancy for those people wasn't very high.


that though, is just as extreme as bathing all the time.
i dont think everyday is necessary, but 4 times a week is good...
some days you dont get smelly..some you do..

but then, do you really need soap to get clean?
i dont think so, detergent is meant for clothes, not your skin.
most products are juust way too harsh for your skin.

[eunbit]

hey guys, i am updating the thread, but in the meantime please post any concerns and questions you have about using soap. thanks~



About me:
I always had pretty clear skin; it was something I took for granted and didn't really think about. I didn't wear makeup in high school and was pretty athletic. It wasn't until college that my skin started becoming craptacular; unsurprisingly, my skin problems were caused by makeup (BAREMINERALS >:O) and only got worse and worse when I tried to fix them with acne and face products.

I originally had a job selling Chanel makeup. Whereas all the salesgirls and most of the customers around me had PermaBronzed skin, I had the milky white, matte complexion that is popular with Asians. For that reason, most of my commissioned sales for Chanel's jacked-up foundations and makeup were from Asian girls and women who came to look at my complexion. I'm not being conceited; the typical Chanel customer is an older woman who has a regular list of items that she is absolutely loyal to, often buying in multiples. The girls who came to me were attracted by my bright white face. I do not post my pictures online, but basically, my skin tone and texture resembled a Chen Shu Fen picture. I've been told this one looks a lot like me
Eunbit's Chen Shu Fen pic

Around that time, BareMinerals (*garbage) became available at Sephora stores. I remembered seeing the TV Infomercials where women were instructed to "buff" the powder into their faces [don't do it, guys. Just don't!] After seeing a lot of people rave about it, I decided to try it; though I was wary of Infomercials, being stocked by Sephora gave me some confidence in it. It also seemed quick and easy.
My face soon became a little dry, and itched when I wore the makeup. Maybe because it was winter, or maybe because I was young and stupid, I didn't make the association. Within two months, my skin broke out big time. I still didn't make the connection, chalking it up to adult acne, which seemed to be a new big problem. The acne medications, washes, toners etc did not do anything for my new blackheads, whiteheads, milia (white hard granular bumps) and, eventually cystic acne. I kept switching formulations, even looking for brands targeted to 'adult acne'.

Far from attracting customers, my now hideous face lost me my job. Eventually, I looked online and lo-and-behold! thousands of women have had the same adverse reactions to BareMinerals (*garbage) makeup, which is NOT NATURAL: its main component is actually a by-product of lead refinement. Don't believe me? Google "bismuth oxychloride". I really cannot believe that this dangerous substance, a hazardous substance which is known to cause skin irritation and should NOT be inhaled, is allowed in its powdered form in facial cosmetics. It's outrageous. And it's allowed by FDA.

I firmly believe most women who think they have or are told that they have "adult acne" actually made the same mistake I did: used harmful and dangerous cosmetics which irritated their skin and cleansers which just made it worse.

My skin problems continued for years; friends and family wondered silently (or, aloud >.>) at my newfound cystic acne, peeling, dryness. Eventually, I stopped using the acne washes which made my face so tight and dry, and didn't cure anything. I substitued the acne-causing-products to a Japanese oil wash, which still dried out my now extremely thinned out and sensitive skin, but didn't increase my cystic acne. My skin problems lessened a bit. Cystic acne began to fade away, but it took over a year to completely go away.
Up until this summer, I still had pimples, hard milia, blackheads, and those dry, flakey patches of skin which cannot be hidden by any amounts of moisturizer or makeup.

Salvation
During the summer, I was aimlessly shopping when I stopped to browse the beauty and bath section of a Marshalls. All of the luxuriously packages soaps and creams caught my interest. I recalled that in L.M.Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series, most people washed themselves and even did laundry and dishes with a nameless soap. A visiting writer who had lived in Europe was considered very sophisticated and elegant from her use of "lavender soap" and face powder. How simple was life back then? Yet almost no one had acne, right?

I spent the next several hours intently studying the labels on all the different varieties of soaps; I pored over the brand names, soap scents, and ingredient listing with my arms piled high with tens of these little packages. My background in biochemistry and molecular cell biology guided me to pick the soap that had the least ingredients, that which represented what I knew real 'soap' to be. No artificial ingredients; if it wasn't a vegetable oil, lye, and essential oil combo I put it down.

I ended up buying a 3-pack of 8oz Lavender-Thyme Olivia Care soaps. They smelled rich, fresh, and beautiful the way only real essential oils can. (*my nose is pretty trained to tell the difference b/t natural and synthetic, from my past jobs selling perfume).

Since I had been growing concerned with dangers of nitrate poisoning and dioxides in shampoos and conditioners, I began to wash my hair with the soap as well as using it on my face and body. At first, I was really shocked at how greasy my hair was; it took an incredible amount of energy to get my hair clean! I'd be rubbing my scalp with my fingertips for several minutes, rinse, then have to lather again a couple of times. Yet most commerical shampoos are so stripping and harsh, just 'running' them through your hair cleans them so well you need conditioner to replenish moisture. How is that for alarming?

My skin, which for more than two years had been ruined by BareMinerals, Clean&Clear, and other useless acne products, began to heal.
First it was the cystic acne, which had been fading. The last of it disappeared one month after using soap.
The whiteheads and pimples were next. It took me another 2 weeks for those to completely go away.
The most stubborn problems were the blackheads and milia. 2 months after using soap, both are completely gone from using the gentle soap and taking weekly supersteamy, so-hot-it's-cold Korean-style baths where I'd spend over an hour soaking, then submerge my face and carefully exfoliate with the lightest pressure for several minutes.

My skin still has some light scarring from the cystic acne, most noticeable on my left cheek. The good news is that a little foundation makes them disappear. My standards and self-esteem had fallen so low that, exactly one year ago at a New Year's Party, I was sadly wishing that my skin could at least not have peeling patches around pimples nor the 3D scarring and acne all over. My standards have gone back up; and in any case, I no longer have even blackheads.

Soap and Brushing Your Teeth
It also sounds crazy, but you should dump your commercial toothpaste and switch to soap for brushing too. There's a lot of evidence out there that shows human teeth were never meant to be fluorinated. Our increased contact with fluoride in toothpaste and drinking water is weakening teeth, and the glycerin in toothpaste actually encourages the formation of cavities. This is because glycerin in toothpaste is so sticky that it forms a film over the teeth, gums, and mouth. Besides making it impossible for teeth to recalcify (and grow stronger) that coating also dulls our ability to determine thirstiness, or a parched mouth. This hastens formation of unhealthy gums and bad breath.

My own experience (and research) confirmed it: brushing teeth with natural soap kills oral bacteria much more effectively than toothpaste can. It also softens plague, so it is easily brushed away, and continued use gets rid of calculus (tartar) as well. Try it once. Rinse really thoroughly.
You'll find that your teeth has NEVER felt so clean, or your breath stayed as fresh, as long.
Gerard Judd, the guy who started it all
So many varieties of Tooth Soap! A B C D Yet they're all pretty unnecessary. You can use any Marseille or Castile soap, plain or with essential oils (certainly less harmful than artificial sweeteners and honey in a toothpaste/tooth soap).

It took a very long time, several years of pictures that I am going to burn, and hundreds of hours researching but now I only use soap for washing my face, hair, body, and brushing my teeth. And I will never go back.

[sabrineezy:)]

Oh goodness, that's a LOT of info . . . for all my life I believed showering every day was the way to go! That's so weird.

[MEOW]

i don't do anything but wash my face with water twice a day
and i'm still pimplly and oily ><??
maybe im just a freak of nature lol

[eunbit]

i don't do anything but wash my face with water twice a day
and i'm still pimplly and oily ><??
maybe im just a freak of nature lol

you're definitely not a freak, don't worry
how old are you? if you're a teenager, it's pretty normal to have some acne.
you can read up on EdwardCTV's topic to learn why, but basically, the acid mantle of your skin is developing. oh, and hormones

in any case, you'll probably benefit a lot from using a natural soap once or twice a day.

try it and see how it works for you ^.^

[Romancer.]

it's extreme, but also extreme is how americans now shower EVERYDAY.
for the globally minded, know that if either China or India used as much water per person as the US does, there'd be no usable drinking water left on the planet.

lol because only ~americans~ shower every day?
i have a friend from china and she (and everyone she knows) also showered every day. so much for "globally minded".

meh, i've tried natural alternative ways before and tbqh i didn't notice any change at all with my hair and skin. however, i still use jojoba oil for them both and sometimes coconut oil for my hair. i found other things such as apple cider vinegar, using shampoo w/o SLS, silicones etc made no difference so I gave up.

EDIT:
i think showering every day is fine. it's HOW you shower that matters - use a really gentle shower gel/cream/whatever and luke warm water and it won't dry out your skin too much. some parts of your body are fine without being washed for a few days (legs, arms) but other parts such as the genitals need to be.


oh yeah, i also only combed my hair because i was told that normal brushes are ~evil~ and i would sometimes use a boar bristle brush too to distribute the oils through my hair BUT the brush was harder to look after than my own hair - it would get split ends and lint would stick all over it because of the oil on it.

[chocopersian]

Where exactly in my post did I say to use "all natural products" to the exclusion of all synthetic ones?

You did not say that but you were certainly implying it.

my method of living a natural life (at least for my skin and hair):
I'm in my early twenties and I've only used these natural products for the past five months. But behold~ seriously.

It seems to me like you’re parading your use of natural products as excellent, and bashing all non-natural ingredients as irritating.

The point of this topic is for Soompiers to become aware that there are a lot of harmful ingredients in most of the synthetic products we use everyday. So harmful that there is obvious physiological negative impact on our bodies.

I am aware of your good intentions, but you're causing soompiers to believe that everything natural is good. Many natural ingredients from plants and minerals cause irritation. If you really want to help soompier become aware, then help them by listing potentially damaging ingredients and helping them know what ingredients to look for in products (synthetic or natural) instead of say “use natural products,” it’s good for you.

The reason I have started this topic is b/c so few people know of the real harm of these ingredients.
In my opinion, the US Food and Drug Administration, aka the FDA, does an extremely poor job regulating what goes into consumer products. The scope of this topic is limited to the mini cooper that goes into personal care products.
The horrible mismanagement of US grown food is another encyclopedia onto itself.

Ehh,, sorry but what do you mean by mini cooper? I’ve seen it used often, but I don’t know what it means…
It is true that the FDA does a poor job at regulating the ingredients that goes into products, but they do an equally poor job at regulating what products they allow itself to be branded as natural. As of right now, anything can be branded as natural because there is no real definition of natural in FDA’s standards. As I said before, I feel like you are misleading Soompiers to automatically think that natural is better.
You say to use natural products, but aren’t even really defining what natural means itself. Realize that many natural ingredients are added with synthetic chemical compounds to make it more stable, and also know that these natural ingredients need to go to a chemical process, all which are synthetic. A lot of natural companies use synthetic preservatives and chemical derivatives of natural ingredients in their products. The cosmetics company knows that people want to buy natural things, so they advertise their products as natural, even though they aren’t. Take Aveeno and Jason Naturals. They advertise their products as natural, even though they heavily use synthetic products.

not to slam you, but what perfectly fine synthetic products? i'm not saying there are none, but i've yet to find any available at the local Wal-mart that doesn't have a load of dangerous ingredients.

I can’t think many at the top of my head, but what about chemical sun blocking/absorbing agents like Avobenzone and mexoryl. What about silicone, which is great at moisturizing and protecting the skin.

Anyhow, sorry if my post was a bit long…

[vintageballad]

May I ask if you can give us some places where we can buy these marseille/castile soaps or give us some brands that make these soaps?

[eunbit]

Why aren't drugstore soaps all right to use on my skin and hair?


Why you should stay away from namebrand soaps found in drugstores and national chain stores:

These "soaps" have a ton of harmful ingredients (sometimes even detergents), are usually made from animal lard and contain nasty, irritating synthetic fragrances.

ie, Dove, Ivory, Lever 2000, Caress, Dial, Tone, Zest, Irish Spring, Olay, Ambi, Coast, etc.

ALL of these major soap brands use "sodium tallowate" as their main soap ingredient. THAT'S BEEF AND LIVESTOCK FAT. Yes, even Ivory, Dove, you name it: that's the major ingredient.

Besides being totally nasty, sodium tallowate can cause blackheads and other acne problems.
This is the reason why so many of us think soap is bad for our skin. These cheap soaps are drying yet cause more skin problems.

To Europeans, who use soap for everything, this is precisely why Marseille soap and Castile soap is so prized for purity and gentleness.

If it were just this questionable use of (really cheap) sodium tallowate, I'd despise the big companies less. However, they also extract the natural (very moisturizing) glycerin and sell it to companies making cosmetics. So, the consumer who uses commercial soap has been cheated out of a moisturizing ingredient and is forced to buy that ingredient in the form of fancy creams and lotions (at totally jacked up prices). Additionally, they add synthetic color, synthetic fragrances and industrial detergents to these so-called soaps; no wonder our skin feels dry and in need of moisturizing afterwards! Good for Unilever and P&G, they also have many brands under their corporate umbrella devoted to this purpose.

[kurayzeexivy]

^ ditto to that one.
also like other ppl were asking, is it okay to use aveeno?
and can you only find those olivia care soaps at marshalls? any more stores that aren't online?

[eunbit]

How we became dependent on (addicted to) shampoo/conditioner/facewash/toner/lotion

Most people don't realize that modern shampoo (and other drugstore products) can completely change the body's natural chemistry.
Think of it:

Using harsh products strip the body of natural (protecting) oils and disrupts the pH balance.
To compensate, HOMEOSTASIS: that is, the body tries to get back to a normal state asap: the body responds by producing way more oils. Is it any wonder that we feel so dirty, we must now wash everyday to look and feel clean.


Blame the greed of corporate America.
The key to becoming a billion-dollar brand is to convince people they need a product as a daily essential. It's even better if you can make people buy more by making products which work in conjunction with each other, the reason being the useful benefits are split as much as possible. Hence, shampoo and conditioner sets, or skin cleanser-lotion-toner sets.
Wake up. They're not necessary or even beneficial.

Clean & Clear(*garbage), Proactiv(*garbage) and those other brands which roll out with new product lines every month?
The harshness of salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide (which are steroids that THIN OUT the skin - and also carcinogenic) seem to initially help, as they peel off layers of your skin. but acne problems come back, worse than ever.
You're left with oily, painfully stretched and shiny, flaking, greasy, skin that somehow are dry in patches.
Yet we keep trying new brands, convinced each new cleanser and treatment will get rid of the ever-growing number of skin blemishes you are stuck with.

Just stop.
Toss those poisons into the garbage.
Don't even give them to your annoying little brother or frenemies.
And please don't even consider using them on yourself.

Blame the medical community for not having billions in advertising budget or lobbying power to educate the average American citizen *cough*CONSUMER*cough* properly.
It's a sad fact, but lobbying power by powerful companies is what controls the conditions of the food we eat, the materials our children are exposed to in school, and the chemicals and toxic ingredients that go into our food, water supply, and all other consumer products.



So, Unilever and P&G sounds pretty... insidious. What other brands do they manufacture that I encounter in my daily life?

Unilever:
Dove, Vaseline, Sunsilk, Pond's, LUX/Caress, Rexona, Fair & Lovely, Sure, Suave, Lever 2000, Axe, Snuggle, Degree, Pears....

P&G:
Always, Gillette, Head and Shoulders, Downy, Crest, Bounty, Olay, Nice'n'Easy, Ivory, Oral-B, Pampers, Pantene, Secret, Duracell, Downy/Lenor, Puffs, Tide, Vicks, Wella, Old Spice...

....and these aren't even getting into foods and beverages.







Great Soaps and Buying Them

Basically, look for one w/ very few ingredients: vegetable oils such as olive, palm or palm kernel oils; water, essential oils. The soap I buy usually have five ingredients or less.

Locally: if you're lucky enough to have a Marshalls or other discount department store in the area, scout out their discount bath area for Olivia Care brand soaps. The ones I've found are rectangular in shape, a hefty 8oz (~226 grams) and are creamy translucent yellow-white. These come from fancy department stores and are resold to discount merchants b/c of frequent changes in packaging style and inventory.

don't let it melt: provided you find a quality, triple-milled soap (it doesn't always say so) and put it away on a soapdish away from waterspray to avoid meltdown, a hefty 8 oz soap can last more than two months. a lucky deal on a 3 pack of 8oz Olivia Care soaps (say, $6.99) will mean that you spent <$1 a month on great healthy soap that will safely clean your face, body, hair, even teeth! and also doesn't kill all the little fishies in the sea.

you can find them online by searching for "Marseille soap" "Castile soap"
I don't recommend "natural soaps" online, mostly b/c they are made by home enthusiasts who put a lot of questionable coloring and fragrances into their soaps. I prefer the time-tested recipes of reputable quality soap companies.
some good soaps: Olivia Care, any Marseille Soap, any Castile soap. l'Occitane is ok, but I think it's unnecessarily pricey. You can buy an authentic 2 pound block of soap for the price of their bath soaps.

Inferior soaps There are soaps made from pure olive oil, such as "Olivia" (not to be confused with "Olivia Care"), which I have found to be inferior because it has not been French ("triple") milled, nor cured. The suds can feel slimy and the bar soaps melt easily, and take forever to reharden. In my opinion, they're not suited for bathroom use/storage simply because they melt so rapidly. Don't buy this brand, it's a waste of money.

Local: Marshalls, T.J.Maxx and other discount department stores usually buy leftover inventory from major department stores. I've also read online and seen that health food stores and the health food aisles of groceries are a source, but so far, none of the ones I've seen sold there (ie, Kiss My Face, Tom's) meet my standards for purity of ingredients and quality milling. Also, they are not cheap.

[anjuu62]

I'm thinking of ordering soap off of the Olivia Care website. Whats the difference between the bath soaps / single soaps?
and also.. what do you use to remove makeup? the same soap also?

edit: would l'occitaine en provence, likas, or lush soaps work as well?

[eunbit]

Washing hair with a soapbar: (make sure it's a vegetable-oil soap! beware of 'sodium tallowate')

1. Soak hair with water
2. Grasp Soap bar and glide it over entire surface of hair, from hairline to the ends. Do this for top, sides, and undersides of hair.
*Since the oiliest part of the head is the back/crown area (the part that is round and elevated) you also need to make several vertical parts at the back of the head and glide the soap along your scalp there too.
3. Put your soap away on a soap dish, safe from water spray.
4. Lather well, using your fingertips to gently massage your scalp all over. Use the fingertips of both hands to thoroughly but gently rub every centimeter of scalp.
5. MASSAGE MASSAGE MASSAGE.
6. Rinse well. A supercold rinse, though uncomfortable, will help seal the cuticles on the hair's surface which will smooth hair and improve its shine, also helping to fight frizz.
7. Wrap your hair up in a towel to absorb water; gently press hair with the towel to remove excess water.

Additionally:
* It may take 3 or even 4 washes at first (or a very long extended massage session) to get rid of all the oil. If there is a slightly itchy and greasy feeling on your scalp after a rinse, that area is still dirty. Don't ignore it! It's a greasy whitish pasty film on that part of the scalp, made up of sebum and dead skin cells reacted with soap. Gross, and also itchy and uncomfortable if you don't get it off.
* Your hair will feel tacky and weird to the touch, b/c there is no chemical 'slip' residue left behind by conditioner. Don't worry; it's what CLEAN hair feels like.
* You'll find, though, after several months your scalp will be less and less oily.Now, i just need to lather up my hair once and massage all over very gently. I wash my hair about twice a week now.
* Combing and handling hair does increase oil production in the scalp. Hands off! Putting long hair back in an attractive French braid (with clean hands; wash em!) of otherwise tying your hair back will keep it cleaner and neater, and will additionally showcase your now naturally beautiful peaches-n-cream complexion.

You'll be amazed to find your hair dries so much faster. i have waist-length straight hair, and my hair is basically dry in about ten minutes.

DON'T BRUSH OR COMB WET HAIR.
Wait til your hair is dry to gently detangle your hair with a comb.
If you mess with your hair when it's wet, it'll stretch, snap and be easily pulled out.
In a word, handle your hair like it's glass or you'll break and tangle it.
From my experience, you really will lose more hair if you try to comb it wet vs dry. If you really really must, make sure you start detangling from the bottom, and you are using your other hand to firmly hold that lock of hair so that you're not tugging at your scalp. <- which will stress the scalp (really can lead to balding) and plain ripping out hairs.
NEVER brush wet hair with boar bristles, which will tear and rip the surface of your delicate hair.


Another Benefit: Losing Less Lair (resulting in thicker, fuller hair) and Regaining Silky Soft Hair

After using soap to wash your hair, you will find yourself losing less b/c of the gentleness of soap, versus the industrial detergents in shampoo.

*EDIT* Eunbit's opinion on Olivia Care soaps vs shampoos/conditioners

I've been asked by a couple of people now whether or not I recommend Olivia Care's line of shampoos and conditioners. I don't have the listing of ingredients (sweet Soompier Pink1e has contacted Olivia Care for them) but given a choice, I would still use bar soap over their liquid soap, or their liquid shampoo/conditioner.

Why?

Liquid versions of products usually require preservatives and stabilizers, which I feel defeats the purpose of switching to Soap in the first place.

Also, from an ecological standpoint, liquid soap/shampoo/conditioner is heavier and bulkier to ship compared to equal number of uses of bar soap (water is heavy, you guys). Not only does this take more energy to ship (wasting fuel) but packaging is frequently made of loads of petrol-derived plastic. Compared to a humble bar of soap wrapped in paper, these are just plain bad for the environment.

Also, though I do like Olivia Care's soaps, I don't have any reason to think that their shampoo and conditioner is free of SLS, phosphates, nitrates, stearic acids or the like. These are found in more than 98% of commercially available shampoos. I hope I'm wrong (we'll soon find out) but for now, this is my opinion:

If I had the choice between buying a locally available (already shipped) bar of soap versus ordering heavy liquid bottles online, I'd go, personally, for the bar. Probably even in the case that harmful ingredients aren't being used in Olivia Care line of shampoo/conditioners. However, if you want to gradually transition and would like to try their products, I don't see anything wrong with that. Just Be Informed, dear Soompiers~~

*End Edit*


*to everyone*

I am always open to honest questions and incredulous comments.
I highly dislike emotional tirades from skimmers; accusations; and general rudeness.
This is not the rants forum. If you don't like it, you certainly aren't being forced to try any of these recommendations.

If you have a question RELATED TO SOAP, or want to share your experiences, post them here.
Otherwise, Google to expand your world.

[eunbit]

You did not say that but you were certainly implying it.

It seems to me like you’re parading your use of natural products as excellent, and bashing all non-natural ingredients as irritating.

I am aware of your good intentions, but you're causing soompiers to believe that everything natural is good. Many natural ingredients from plants and minerals cause irritation. If you really want to help soompier become aware, then help them by listing potentially damaging ingredients and helping them know what ingredients to look for in products (synthetic or natural) instead of say “use natural products,” it’s good for you.

Ehh,, sorry but what do you mean by mini cooper? I’ve seen it used often, but I don’t know what it means…
It is true that the FDA does a poor job at regulating the ingredients that goes into products, but they do an equally poor job at regulating what products they allow itself to be branded as natural. As of right now, anything can be branded as natural because there is no real definition of natural in FDA’s standards. As I said before, I feel like you are misleading Soompiers to automatically think that natural is better.
You say to use natural products, but aren’t even really defining what natural means itself. Realize that many natural ingredients are added with synthetic chemical compounds to make it more stable, and also know that these natural ingredients need to go to a chemical process, all which are synthetic. A lot of natural companies use synthetic preservatives and chemical derivatives of natural ingredients in their products. The cosmetics company knows that people want to buy natural things, so they advertise their products as natural, even though they aren’t. Take Aveeno and Jason Naturals. They advertise their products as natural, even though they heavily use synthetic products.

I can’t think many at the top of my head, but what about chemical sun blocking/absorbing agents like Avobenzone and mexoryl. What about silicone, which is great at moisturizing and protecting the skin.

Anyhow, sorry if my post was a bit long…

Was it irritating that this topic is about the use of soap vs harmful chemicals?

Chocopersian, I'm guessing you're still quite young or haven't read many books. Your logical fallacies and assumptions (and inability to recognize humor) astound me.

At any rate, what is wrong with celebrating my personal success by switching from standard products to soap?
I think anyone who went from severe product-induced acne to clear skin would be similarly joyful.
Besides this, once again you totally misinterpreted my comment.
I never said, "go natural" or supported use of products LABELED as natural. Quite the opposite.
I did say that using SOAP, and specific types of soap, were beneficial for specific reasons.

Silicon is a natural substance. It is an element, and the main component of sand.
Silicone, in contrast, is a synthesized chemical which I always avoid if I can help it.
In my opinion, all "-cone"s are questionable substances.
Also, I've already mentioned that while the Lancome suncream with Mexoryl I use is NOT perfect, that's the concession I made because UV exposure is a bigger concern to me. Though Mexoryl is still a relatively new UV-blocking agent, from my research, it is superior to other sunscreens available in the US.

You also said that I may be "causing Soompiers to believe everything natural is good".
I don't believe I've misled anyone who has carefully read the post.
I do think you are seriously underestimating the ability of Soompiers to think rationally and for themselves.

After your comment, I did add some reasons why SLS, SLES, and other additives in the post are harmful, which I had originally planned to do. I had hoped some Soompiers would be interested enough to search for them on their own instead of being spoonfed. It would be far beyond the scope of this post to make a list of ALL hazardous substances, and why they are. Once again, that's why we have Google and Wikipedia.

Anyways, I hope it's helpful for other Soompiers without prior knowledge of those dangers.
However, I wonder if you yourself took the time to Google these terms at all.
From your defensive tone, it seems like you haven't.
This is understandable if you are being rocked out of your socks right now. But please, try to be open-minded to new ideas.

It is disrespectful, to say the least, to bash the post, saying that certain things "should" have been done in a certain way. Whatever happened to "maybe you should..." "I was wondering about..." "could you give us more details?"

And I have no idea where you got the idea that I said, "go natural" without being specific on how. I believe I was very clear: once again, this topic was on the benefits gained (and harm avoided) when switching to soap.

If you were embarrassed by my comment or misunderstood the post, I have nothing against you. You should know though, that though this is an online community, you should be respectful when commentating on the work of somebody else, just as you would be with your friends, schoolmates and colleagues.

oh, and mini cooper is Soompi's swear filter for the dirty word for crap.




*to everyone*

I am always open to honest questions and incredulous comments.
I highly dislike emotional tirades from skimmers; accusations; and general rudeness.
This is not the rants forum. If you don't like it, you certainly aren't being forced to try any of these recommendations.

If you have a question RELATED TO SOAP, or want to share your experiences, post them here.
Otherwise, Google to expand your world.

[bohyunnie]

i just don't use shampoo or conditioner at all... not even soap. instead i use green tea or black tea in place of shampoo and then i dilute some vinegar into a cup of water and use that as conditioner. i lose a lot less hair ^^;, but i never had a problem with thin hair before, just my floors are a lot cleaner. lolz. yeah all my skin products consist of teas, vinegar, milk, and fruits. oh, and the vinegar does NOT smell. you rinse out the vinegar afterwards and voila, no stink!!!!

[eunbit]

i just don't use shampoo or conditioner at all... not even soap. instead i use green tea or black tea in place of shampoo and then i dilute some vinegar into a cup of water and use that as conditioner. i lose a lot less hair ^^;, but i never had a problem with thin hair before, just my floors are a lot cleaner. lolz. yeah all my skin products consist of teas, vinegar, milk, and fruits. oh, and the vinegar does NOT smell. you rinse out the vinegar afterwards and voila, no stink!!!!

Yes, that's another great method ^^. Vinegar rinses really help improve shine and help take away buildup.
Your skin care regiment sounds great, really healthy

[flowoftime]

Since you wrote about your horrible bare minerals experience

do you think it is safe to use my "everyday minerals" makeup?

it doesnt contain bismuth oxychloride , only mica ,titanium dioxide , zinc oxide and iron oxides .

>>

im really scared to start wearing again when school starts,but it might be totally harmless...

[` ilytoo;]

i was wondering of what you thought bout lush products, considering that they are mainly suppose to be natural or so they say.

[eunbit]

Since you wrote about your horrible bare minerals experience

do you think it is safe to use my "everyday minerals" makeup?

it doesnt contain bismuth oxychloride , only mica ,titanium dioxide , zinc oxide and iron oxides .

>>

im really scared to start wearing again when school starts,but it might be totally harmless...

From what I've heard, brand like Everyday Minerals and Pur Minerals were intentionally formulated without Bismuth Oxychloride because so many women were having adverse reactions to them. For a lot of these mineral makeup kits sold online, the lack of Bismuth Oxychloride is THE major selling point.

On the other hand, the reason why BareMinerals (*garbage) has become so phenomenally successful is b/c using Bismuth Oxychloride gives that brand it's shiny (*light-reflecting) properties which a lot of people equate with a totally covered makeup application. It's also what makes the BareMineral's (*garbage) makeup adhere so well to the skin.

Your Everyday Minerals probably won't make you break out.

I'm more concerned that the line has mica as a primary ingredient. For a lot of people (myself included) crushed mica is highly irritating to the skin. This is why most sparkly lip glosses burn and irritate my lips, especially those from Estee Lauder. I believe titanium oxides are ok, but please watch out for titanium dioxide, which is a known carcinogen.

Most importantly, pay attention to how your skin feels.

If applying anything, and I mean ANYTHING, causes itching, irritation or redness, immediately discontinue use. If you're not quite sure that it's the culprit (and are willing to test on yourself to find out) try it again on bare, clean skin (no lotions, serums, makeup, etc) to see if the reaction reoccurs.
Sometimes, humidity or sweating will give the product the condition to cause irritation. If you find that happening, stop using that product immediately.

After my BareMinerals experience, I've been very careful to research any personal care/ makeup item extensively online before buying and using it. You'd be surprised by how many people have written up on their experiences online.

Hope it helps!!

[jenn]

so i did read edward's posts and yours.. and if products have PH diff than skin PH .. this disrupts skin. then why switch to soap?
although high quality soap has fewer ingredients.. wouldn't the high PH of the soap disrupt our skin?
wouldn't finding a high quality [few ingredients] shampoo/conditioner/toothpaste/etc with same PH be better for the skin so it doesnt disrupt? ...or is our body PH significantly diff than our face PH that it can tolerate soap??

also, just wanted to get more info on using soap to brush teeth. so soap kills the bacterias in mouth.. but what about mouthwash... why not just use mouthwash to kill bacteria??
also wouldn't the soap affect the way our mouth digests food? soap would change PH of mouth...wouldn't the salivary amylase in saliva be useless to break down food??