Chile’s Latest Challenge is to give up an addiction. Since I already kicked caffeine and alcohol, I looked for something else I wanted to get rid of, and the makeup I wear to work got the boot.
I love letting my skin go free, and am beginning to feel “normal” at work without it (I no longer feel that I look like a zombie). My skin is nice and clear, moisturized, and doesn’t need a lot of attention. I love it.
My only concern is that my makeup contained an SPF 15 sunscreen, which I always took for granted. With just a few days of not wearing makeup, I’m already getting the raccoon eyes associated with my sunglasses (which I’ve had for 4 years). Off to find a sunscreen.
Sunlight & Vitamin D
I read recently in Mother Earth News about the sunlight and vitamin D absorption connection. Do you know that the kind of vitamin D that is readily absorbed by humans is produced by our bodies when it comes from ultraviolet sunlight (UVB)? So although sunscreen is important, our skin does need a dose of sunlight in order to stave off diseases like rickets, which is making a comeback in the US. Vitamin D is added to milk, but with most people choosing sodas and sweetened juice over milk, Vitamin D deficiencies are more common than we think.
I bring this up because I know about the vitamin D thing, and have been practicing “safe sun” for a long time. I get lots of natural sunlight without the interference of sunscreen, and use sunscreen when I know I’ll be in the sun for long periods of time. The bad news is that my Aunt was just diagnosed with melanoma (early stages, great prognosis), so now there’s a family history to consider, I need to wear sunscreen. Especially when riding my bike home from work in the hot afternoon sun (I’ve got quite the farmer’s tan, it’s awesome).
The search for a sunscreen that keeps me safe from the sun is just as important as one that keeps my skin safe from toxic ingredients. I came across a great website a few months back that I encourage you all to use: The Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database. From their website:
Skin Deep is a safety guide to cosmetics and personal care products brought
to you by researchers at the Environmental Working Group.
Skin Deep pairs ingredients in more than 25,000 products against 50 definitive toxicity and regulatory databases, making it the largest integrated data resource of its kind. Why did a small non-profit take on such a big project? Because the FDA doesn’t require companies to test their own products for safety. (Emphasis theirs)
While it may not have every kind of shampoo or makeup listed here as tested, it is a great guide when you’re looking for a new product, such as sun screen (I’m going with California Baby SPF30). Additionally, it’s helped me give the boot to personal products that had bad scores, and especially bad products with endocrine disrupting ingredients.
I encourage all of you to check it out and learn a little bit about the products in your life.
