Is it really that bad?... random little vent

[pinkchocolatedaisy]

I think I just give up. The whole natural/organic hype seems to be major BS to me, IMO. I mean, I've heard the raves about Carols Daughter, for example and I have one of her products.... can't remember but I like it. And I want to try others. Then I read about how one of her products isn't so "natural" after all- the whole DMDM hydantoin debacle..LOL. But I mean, I see that ingredient in practically ALL the shampoos and conditioners. Parabens, and propylene glycol.. cones are bad, sulfates are bad......... I'm near close to losing my mind just running around reading all the labels on my hair products!

So really, I have these questions? If these alleged ingredients/susbstances are really harmful, why are haircare/cosmetic/whatver companies using them? Is it their intention to harm millions of people? I really doubt it but I wonder. All this time I've used these products, unaware of the source of many of the ingredients. I mean, LOL pre-LHCF, I would only read a label for a hair product and look for panthenol - that's all I knew that was good. Now I have all this knowlegde and sometimes I wonder if knowing too much is really a good thing.

Part of me has this tiny bit of anxiety about using products with potentially harmful ingredients. Another part of me says, hey they work I've been using most all this time- and so have thousands of other folks- and we're STILL alive...!

So what do you ladies think? Any major science gurus please chime in. I just needed to rant my random thoughts

 

[naturalgurl]

I think I just give up. The whole natural/organic hype seems to be major BS to me, IMO. I mean, I've heard the raves about Carols Daughter, for example and I have one of her products.... can't remember but I like it. And I want to try others. Then I read about how one of her products isn't so "natural" after all- the whole DMDM hydantoin debacle..LOL. But I mean, I see that ingredient in practically ALL the shampoos and conditioners. Parabens, and propylene glycol.. cones are bad, sulfates are bad......... I'm near close to losing my mind just running around reading all the labels on my hair products!

So really, I have these questions? If these alleged ingredients/susbstances are really harmful, why are haircare/cosmetic/whatver companies using them? Is it their intention to harm millions of people? I really doubt it but I wonder. All this time I've used these products, unaware of the source of many of the ingredients. I mean, LOL pre-LHCF, I would only read a label for a hair product and look for panthenol - that's all I knew that was good. Now I have all this knowlegde and sometimes I wonder if knowing too much is really a good thing.

Part of me has this tiny bit of anxiety about using products with potentially harmful ingredients. Another part of me says, hey they work I've been using most all this time- and so have thousands of other folks- and we're STILL alive...!

So what do you ladies think? Any major science gurus please chime in. I just needed to rant my random thoughts

They use these things as fillers to make it look like you're getting SOOOO much product for the money. It's to make money. I make my own stuff. I see a bottle that says "now we added coconut milk, olive oil and amla oil to our new improved moisturizing forumula". I go out and get olive oil, coconut milk and amla oil and make my own mix WITHOUT the methyldioxicones that they use. I get slammed a lot for saying that but the truth is the truth. Why do you need all of that crap? Just to make the bottle bigger???? I use nothing but natural stuff that I make and my hair is thriving. I got tired of reading labels too so I just broke it down and got what I don't need a lab to create(which is better for you in my opinion). It's your head, do what you like, but me, I use the real deal Holyfield. What do you think people used before this money making boom of cosmetics anyway??? For shampoo, I use castile soap like maybe once a month. If I ever feel the need to clarify, which you don't have to do if you don't use stuff that creates build up, I use baking soda. There's a REAl natural way to do anything, you just have to open your eyes. HTH

 

[pinkchocolatedaisy]

thanks, girl.

They use these things as fillers to make it look like you're getting SOOOO much product for the money. It's to make money. I make my own stuff. I see a bottle that says "now we added coconut milk, olive oil and amla oil to our new improved moisturizing forumula". I go out and get olive oil, coconut milk and amla oil and make my own mix WITHOUT the methyldioxicones that they use. I get slammed a lot for saying that but the truth is the truth. Why do you need all of that crap? Just to make the bottle bigger???? I use nothing but natural stuff that I make and my hair is thriving. I got tired of reading labels too so I just broke it down and got what I don't need a lab to create(which is better for you in my opinion). It's your head, do what you like, but me, I use the real deal Holyfield. What do you think people used before this money making boom of cosmetics anyway??? For shampoo, I use castile soap like maybe once a month. If I ever feel the need to clarify, which you don't have to do if you don't use stuff that creates build up, I use baking soda. There's a REAl natural way to do anything, you just have to open your eyes. HTH

 

[pinkchocolatedaisy]

oh and btw, naturalurl, I absolutely LOVE your hair!

 

[naturalgurl]

Thanks girl! I don't mean to preach, nor am I militant. Cancer runs in my family and I'm a little careful about what I put on myself...

 

[infojunkie]

They use these things as fillers to make it look like you're getting SOOOO much product for the money. It's to make money. I make my own stuff. I see a bottle that says "now we added coconut milk, olive oil and amla oil to our new improved moisturizing forumula". I go out and get olive oil, coconut milk and amla oil and make my own mix WITHOUT the methyldioxicones that they use. I get slammed a lot for saying that but the truth is the truth. Why do you need all of that crap? Just to make the bottle bigger???? I use nothing but natural stuff that I make and my hair is thriving. I got tired of reading labels too so I just broke it down and got what I don't need a lab to create(which is better for you in my opinion). It's your head, do what you like, but me, I use the real deal Holyfield. What do you think people used before this money making boom of cosmetics anyway??? For shampoo, I use castile soap like maybe once a month. If I ever feel the need to clarify, which you don't have to do if you don't use stuff that creates build up, I use baking soda. There's a REAl natural way to do anything, you just have to open your eyes. HTH

Well said Nat and where do you get your castille soap from? That's about the only thing I haven't tried around here.

 

[thefineprint]

to me - yes it is worth it to buy what i know will be healthier for my body. we only get one after all...

i agree that the marketing ploy is all about money. commercial products today are either watered down or full of filler product to make YOU, the consumer, feel like you are getting more bang for your buck. remember how CHEAP this filler ingredients are for them to manufacture and put in your hands. i make all my own products now too except for shampoo - and i use a natural castile soap from whole foods.

honestly, now that my hair isn't relaxed or loose and nappy anymore - natural things work better for me. i have locs now so i don't have to worry about half the stuff i used to. but the products that i continue to use are natural and thats important to me

 

[naturalgurl]

I heard you can get castile from whole foods like the previous poster or Target(so I've heard). I get mine from Fiesta which is like an international store here.

 

[RedVelvet310]

My whole issue with these "bad ingredients" is... we're all gonna die sometime, we're not gonna live forever... I'm more concerned by what I put *in* my body than what I put ON my body. I'm not going to fret over the teeny tiny levels of dmdm... or whatever toxic ingredient that goes on my hair for 30seconds as a time and instead I'll worry about the toxic foods I occasionally put IN to my body that stay in there for god knows how long.

I'm just all about simplicity and availability when it comes to my hair. I have a simple hair regime and the products I use can be easily found at WalMart.. Shoppers or where ever. I don't really obsess over the ingredients... I mean.. if (god forbid) I drop dead and in the autopsy room the person is like C.O.D.. a bad hair conditioner... the likelihood of that happened is zero to none. *Runs to knock on wood*

 

[pinkchocolatedaisy]

Lol you kinda summed up EXACTLY what I've been thinking. I couldn't have said it better. I'm more worried about these bad tomatoes or peppers and cilantro (some of my fave foods btw) than this hair stuff. But like I said every now and then, that anxiety creeps up on me about the dmdm hydantoin, etc. I guess moreso b/c I use the same products on my kids. But ITA with you!

My whole issue with these "bad ingredients" is... we're all gonna die sometime, we're not gonna live forever... I'm more concerned by what I put *in* my body than what I put ON my body. I'm not going to fret over the teeny tiny levels of dmdm... or whatever toxic ingredient that goes on my hair for 30seconds as a time and instead I'll worry about the toxic foods I occasionally put IN to my body that stay in there for god knows how long.

I'm just all about simplicity and availability when it comes to my hair. I have a simple hair regime and the products I use can be easily found at WalMart.. Shoppers or where ever. I don't really obsess over the ingredients... I mean.. if (god forbid) I drop dead and in the autopsy room the person is like C.O.D.. a bad hair conditioner... the likelihood of that happened is zero to none. *Runs to knock on wood*

 

[girlyprincess23]

Lol you kinda summed up EXACTLY what I've been thinking. I couldn't have said it better. I'm more worried about these bad tomatoes or peppers and cilantro (some of my fave foods btw) than this hair stuff. But like I said every now and then, that anxiety creeps up on me about the dmdm hydantoin, etc. I guess moreso b/c I use the same products on my kids. But ITA with you!

i third that what is the fun of having hair if it's not adding to your PERCEIVED beauty....life is too short...but there's bad cilantro roaming around!?!?? I didn't hear about that only the tomatoes

 

[atlien11]

My whole issue with these "bad ingredients" is... we're all gonna die sometime, we're not gonna live forever... I'm more concerned by what I put *in* my body than what I put ON my body. I'm not going to fret over the teeny tiny levels of dmdm... or whatever toxic ingredient that goes on my hair for 30seconds as a time and instead I'll worry about the toxic foods I occasionally put IN to my body that stay in there for god knows how long.

I'm just all about simplicity and availability when it comes to my hair. I have a simple hair regime and the products I use can be easily found at WalMart.. Shoppers or where ever. I don't really obsess over the ingredients... I mean.. if (god forbid) I drop dead and in the autopsy room the person is like C.O.D.. a bad hair conditioner... the likelihood of that happened is zero to none. *Runs to knock on wood*

I just wanted to comment on this (no knock to you Bri505). What you put on your body does end up in your body. Think about how much [insert bad ingredient here] can build up over time. When you shower/wash your hair, your pores are open and they absorb chemicals. If you shower once a day or even wash your hair once a week, think about how that can add up over time. I get that we all are going to die one day of something but i dont want to speed up that process by putting carcinogens or other bad stuff in my body.

To each her own though

 

[MrsWatson]

My whole issue with these "bad ingredients" is... we're all gonna die sometime, we're not gonna live forever... I'm more concerned by what I put *in* my body than what I put ON my body. I'm not going to fret over the teeny tiny levels of dmdm... or whatever toxic ingredient that goes on my hair for 30seconds as a time and instead I'll worry about the toxic foods I occasionally put IN to my body that stay in there for god knows how long.

I'm just all about simplicity and availability when it comes to my hair. I have a simple hair regime and the products I use can be easily found at WalMart.. Shoppers or where ever. I don't really obsess over the ingredients... I mean.. if (god forbid) I drop dead and in the autopsy room the person is like C.O.D.. a bad hair conditioner... the likelihood of that happened is zero to none. *Runs to knock on wood*

Doesn't what you put 'on' your body get absorbed and end up 'in' your body? Thats what i've always been told...IDK

 

[pinkchocolatedaisy]

Well according to what I've been hearing on the news, there appears to be a connection to cilantro and serrano chili peppers. They can't really identify one single thing- maybe it's the tomatoes or the onions or the cilantro or the peppers. It could be all...it seems these are the common ingredients found in Mexican foods (salsas) and I LOVE Mexican food!

i third that what is the fun of having hair if it's not adding to your PERCEIVED beauty....life is too short...but there's bad cilantro roaming around!?!?? I didn't hear about that only the tomatoes

 

[chiprecious]

What you put on your body does end up in your body.

This is so true.

However I never was into the natural route until I realized the added chemicals in most commerical beauty products (hair, nails, skin) made my naturally dry chemically processed hair even dryer. And yes relaxers are full of who knows what chemicals, but it's the one I'm chosing. The same thinking goes to buying organic foods. I don't buy all organic, but some foods (e.g. strawberries) just hold onto pesticides so those I buy organic.

 

[RedVelvet310]

I just wanted to comment on this (no knock to you Bri505). What you put on your body does end up in your body. Think about how much [insert bad ingredient here] can build up over time. When you shower/wash your hair, your pores are open and they absorb chemicals. If you shower once a day or even wash your hair once a week, think about how that can add up over time. I get that we all are going to die one day of something but i dont want to speed up that process by putting carcinogens or other bad stuff in my body.

To each her own though

You'd be shocked to know the kinds of toxins our body absorbs on a daily basis (or not.. cause it sounds like you already know). Like.. for me, the only unnatural product I use on my hair is cheapie condish/dc's my pre poo and moisturizers are pretty natural. The body is like one giant defense system we're constantly absorbing toxins from the sun, EM rays, our clothes, the air we breath the relaxers we use, the lotions we use etc etc. My theory is, if you take care of your body on the inside, and not expose yourself to large amounts of external toxins... the minute amount of toxins from hair products will not affect you

 

[pinkchocolatedaisy]

the PJ in me wonders if they sell it at Henrys.... I need to quit. I want to try everything!

I heard you can get castile from whole foods like the previous poster or Target(so I've heard). I get mine from Fiesta which is like an international store here.

 

[MonPetite]

erplexed

I've gone to one extreme to the other with this and have found my (psychological) happy medium.

Pick your poison.

While I eliminate as many toxic chemicals from my body as I can in my diet(I don't eat processed or fast foods...PERIOD. NO white ANYTHING or CORN anything including High fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, etc), in cleaning supplies, and many of my beauty products....I don't obsess over it.

There are people who smoke 2 packs of unfiltered cigarettes a day, drink whiskey like its going out of style and eat saturated everything and die happy and kicking at 85 (one ofmy English teacher's Aunts in high school) and raw foodists who die at 70 (looking good, though!

No, you don't want to hasten your demise by heaping yourself with tons of chemicals, but it's not like you're buying years by not doing so.

It has SO much to do with genetics in combination it healthy practices and considering there's SO much we don't know on the genetic end it behooves us to live as toxin free as possible, but not let it consume our daily lives and routines.

It's all what your body tells you it doesn't and does like.

I can't do processed food or corn anything. I don't like the idea of doing my cap n go method with a product containing propylene glycol (non-toxic antifreeze). Even though it as synthesized to BE non-toxic. It's psychological for me, though the food aspect is not. My body will NOT abide by fast food and I suffer illness, brain fog, etc. if I do not listen.

To say "I DON'T CARE!" seems in the same vein as saying, "DON'T USE ANYTHING! OMGOSH! IT'LL KILL YOU! CONSPIRACY!" (I'm not saying anyone is saying these things, I'm purposely presenting two obviously extreme POVs. LHCF ladies are far more reasonable and wise than this ).

Find what makes YOU healthy and you'll get as many years as you were going to have anyway, IMO.

For some that's taking a run with the dogs and having fried chicken later.

For me it's taking a run with my dog and having miso soup, green tea, and half a sweet potato later.

For others it's sitting and watching the dogs run while polishing off a six-pack of Bud light and smoking a cigarette.


Either way, as we say for hair, Do YOU. What is YOUR bodies happy medium?

 

[pinkchocolatedaisy]

excellent post... I think I am still tryin to find my happy medium

erplexed

I've gone to one extreme to the other with this and have found my (psychological) happy medium.

Pick your poison.

While I eliminate as many toxic chemicals from my body as I can in my diet(I don't eat processed or fast foods...PERIOD. NO white ANYTHING or CORN anything including High fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, etc), in cleaning supplies, and many of my beauty products....I don't obsess over it.

There are people who smoke 2 packs of unfiltered cigarettes a day, drink whiskey like its going out of style and eat saturated everything and die happy and kicking at 85 (one ofmy English teacher's Aunts in high school) and raw foodists who die at 70 (looking good, though!

No, you don't want to hasten your demise by heaping yourself with tons of chemicals, but it's not like you're buying years by not doing so.

It has SO much to do with genetics in combination it healthy practices and considering there's SO much we don't know on the genetic end it behooves us to live as toxin free as possible, but not let it consume our daily lives and routines.

It's all what your body tells you it doesn't and does like.

I can't do processed food or corn anything. I don't like the idea of doing my cap n go method with a product containing propylene glycol (non-toxic antifreeze). Even though it as synthesized to BE non-toxic. It's psychological for me, though the food aspect is not. My body will NOT abide by fast food and I suffer illness, brain fog, etc. if I do not listen.

To say "I DON'T CARE!" seems in the same vein as saying, "DON'T USE ANYTHING! OMGOSH! IT'LL KILL YOU! CONSPIRACY!" (I'm not saying anyone is saying these things, I'm purposely presenting two obviously extreme POVs. LHCF ladies are far more reasonable and wise than this ).

Find what makes YOU healthy and you'll get as many years as you were going to have anyway, IMO.

For some that's taking a run with the dogs and having fried chicken later.

For me it's taking a run with my dog and having miso soup, green tea, and half a sweet potato later.

For others it's sitting and watching the dogs run while polishing off a six-pack of Bud light and smoking a cigarette.


Either way, as we say for hair, Do YOU. What is YOUR bodies happy medium?

 

[blasianbeauty]

I must admit that I am now more concious of ingredients in my hair products, and it has worked to my benefit. The old m would latyher my hair with a cheap sulfate ladden shampoo at least three times before conditioning. NOW I avoid shampoo at all costs and co wash instead. I can tell a huge difference in my hair, and I am thankful for the tips from the ladies here.

 

[la mosca]

To each her own, but this sums up my personal thoughts on the topic:

http://thebeautybrains.com/2008/06/18/natural-bias-on-the-beauty-brains/

 

[AtlantaJJ]

They use these things as fillers to make it look like you're getting SOOOO much product for the money. It's to make money. I make my own stuff. I see a bottle that says "now we added coconut milk, olive oil and amla oil to our new improved moisturizing forumula". I go out and get olive oil, coconut milk and amla oil and make my own mix WITHOUT the methyldioxicones that they use. I get slammed a lot for saying that but the truth is the truth. Why do you need all of that crap? Just to make the bottle bigger???? I use nothing but natural stuff that I make and my hair is thriving. I got tired of reading labels too so I just broke it down and got what I don't need a lab to create(which is better for you in my opinion). It's your head, do what you like, but me, I use the real deal Holyfield. What do you think people used before this money making boom of cosmetics anyway??? For shampoo, I use castile soap like maybe once a month. If I ever feel the need to clarify, which you don't have to do if you don't use stuff that creates build up, I use baking soda. There's a REAl natural way to do anything, you just have to open your eyes. HTH

Excellent super duper post...I'm on a mission to use up my most of my PJ cr@p (give the rest away) and then I'm using natural from here on out because I don't need the filler as you stated. I am diluting some of my commerical products with natural products as well as I use them up. ie adding oils to my shampoos when I do use them, butters to my DC's. I love using natural oils and butters, glycerine, rose water, baking soda, etc...

 

[didirose]

Littlegoldlamb summed it up nicely when she said "pick your poison"

Whether we are inside or outside our house we are confronted with many, many "natural" microbes that have potential to kill us if our body defenses our shot. Many of the microbes grow near our favorite natural product too but a healthy body can fight off these foreign substances. When I think of artificial substances I get more nervous about the time of exposure and not so much the simple fact that I use them. This is why I had to stop prepooing with artificial products and I will never prepoo over night with them again. I have a sneaking suspension that when a product says 5-10 minutes only, it's not only due to the affects on the hair but on the body as well. Thus when I apply a product I'm careful with what goes on my scalp.

I like to add natural occuring products to my shampoo and condish with the thought of diluting some of the unknown nonsense that's in the man-made products and this works best for me. I love using aloe, castille soap, and different oils and I have splurged on qhemet products (leave-ins) that I use sparingly. My current "poisons" are the relaxers I use 3-4 times a year (texlaxed technique) and some of my conditioners (which are not completely natural).

Besides that I tend to believe that what you are inserting directly into your body will be more harmful than what you put on it, due to the time factor. If I eat my conditioner I'm likely to get instantly sick but if I apply that conditioner to my entire skin everyday without ever washing it out over time I will get just as sick.

 

[vkb247]

"Janis Says:

BRAVO. Often, the only good thing about natural products is that they’ve been extensively beta-tested by thousands of years of users — but that doesn’t make them wonderful. It just means that if they kill you, you know about it already.

Henna, tobacco. Both “natural,” both extensively used since the dawn of humanity. One kills, one doesn’t.

That’s the ONLY benefit to natural — after a few millennia of use, you can often tell if it’s any good or not. Synthetics use lab work to determine that. That’s the only difference." This is a comment left on the article posted by la mosca.

Here is the comment I left:

vkb247 Says:

Natural for me means that 80% or so of the beauty products I use are things I buy at the grocery store or pick from my garden and are safe enough for me to eat. Benefits:

1) Its cheap and all my “products” are customized to my individual needs.

2) Isn’t your skin the largest organ? I’m not a scientist so I might be wrong about this one but I know that my health and appearance has not been better since I began to eliminate commercial products. Maybe this is because I give myself more care and attention with this approach.

3) The fact that natural products are as old as humanity (or older depending on your personal beliefs) is very reassuring to me. Tried and tested for generations - on people and not in a lab - is a significant difference to me. I like to give my body things that are as natural as it is (I wasn’t made in a lab) and that I believe are in my environment to help support my health.

I am part of a larger system just like the land and sea creatures that can find everything that they need to thrive and live as designed simply on the things that naturally occur in their environment!

 

[anon123]

"Janis Says:

BRAVO. Often, the only good thing about natural products is that they’ve been extensively beta-tested by thousands of years of users — but that doesn’t make them wonderful. It just means that if they kill you, you know about it already.

What I love about this quote is the idea that knowing in advance whether something is likely to kill you is a really insignificant thing. I mean, I'm not all gung-ho "natural" myself, actually. But I find it amusing that knowing how lethal a product is is reduced in this commenter's head as the "only" benefit, like it's not much of a benefit at all. I don't know, seems like a significant benefit to me.