Posts Tagged ‘Personal care’

Want to Buy Products That Line Up With Your Values? There Are Sites and Apps for That!

I’m strongly committed to buying products that are free of toxic chemicals and made by socially responsible companies that care about the environment. But sticking to this plan isn’t easy. It takes time and attention to detail to do research on the companies and their products. And sometimes, even though I know what I want to buy, the product isn’t in my local store. So…

Should You Worry About Your Tampons and Pads?

Have you recently checked out the feminine hygiene aisle in the drugstore? It’s as varied as a bookstore! What a huge change in feminine products. Pads that were once bulky and held in by pins and straps are now thin and self-stick. Old fashioned powder-pink-and-blue packaging is now hot pink and lime green. Some manufacturers have abandoned classic ads featuring happy-go-lucky women dancing in tight…

Summery Skin Without the Sun

The message is really clear: sun tanning is bad. Everyone says so, from our mothers to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tanning in the sun increases the risk of wrinkles and the risk of skin cancer, including the most dangerous kind, melanoma.

So, does this mean we have to cover up with head-to-toe clothing, wear a wide-brimmed hat, and only…

Shiny, Colorful Nails — Safely

Getting a manicure or pedicure is one of the only times that I get to sit still and enjoy a little time to myself. Plus, that nice pampered feeling that comes with freshly shaped and polished nails is ahhh so nice.

But I do have concerns about the possible dangers of the fumes that hit you as soon as you walk into a salon. As…

Feminine Hygiene: Cleaning Up “Down There”

Caution: “Below the Belt” content!

With me, no health topic can be off-limits. Especially when it comes to maintaining personal hygiene, feeling well, and being confident about our bodies during and after breast cancer. I’m tackling these delicate issues within Think Pink, Live Green, because the personal care products we use can be absorbed into our bodies and potentially affect how breast cells grow,…

Moisturizers: Hope or Harm in a Jar? Part 2

The products we use can be helpful, harmless, or harmful. In “Hope or Harm in Jar? Part 1,” I wrote about potentially harmful ingredients in many moisturizers. Now I want to talk about how certain ingredients may have some link to cancer risk.

Parabens. Parabens go by many names — methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, ethylparaben, isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben — but no matter the type, they’re widely…

Moisturizers: Hope or Harm in a Jar?

When I flip through magazines, I often find myself getting sucked into the swirl of skin care ads. The promises are hard to ignore: with just a few pats of a cream or serum, I can look younger, with firmer, softer skin protected against the signs of aging. Any and all perceived flaws seem to magically disappear, sometimes instantly. It’s no wonder that moisturizers and…