Spare a thought for the environment
Using more product does not mean a better result, but it does mean waste and more harm to nature
Do you believe that if a little is good, more must be better? That if you plaster on the hair conditioner, face cream, body lotions and shower gels you’ll get better results? Think again as the opposite is often the case. And this goes for eye gels, eye creams, water-based face or body creams and even shower gels and foams. Over application is not only a waste of money, but can cause dryness and a wrinkly, eczema-type look around the eyes, puffy eyes, dryness, itching or flaking skin. It can also be responsible for thrush, gynaecological problems and cystitis in the case of synthetically perfumed or petro-chemical-based bubble baths or shower gels.
Most of us are guilty of using far more shampoo, hair conditioner and shower gel than necessary. You would be amazed at just how little of these products are needed to achieve perfectly good results. We only need about one third, if not less, of conditioner and probably half the shampoo and shower gel that we habitually use. As well as saving money, reducing the amount of product used will also decrease the mind boggling amount of poisons and pollutants that get washed down our drains. Slapping on vast amounts of hair conditioner will not moisturise your hair more effectively. Your hair will only absorb a small amount and the rest will simply get rinsed away – lots of suds only means you have used too much. Remember also that using lots of bubble bath or shower gel is not a good idea for your skin or health, especially if they are the normal, petrochemical-based and synthetically-perfumed type.
Favour genuinely organic and natural products and use them sparingly. Even body lotions and potions that are applied to the body ultimately end up washed off daily to join the other chemical pollutants flushed down the drain. Find products for household cleaning and personal care that are biodegradable. Ultimately it is ourselves and our children that we are poisoning as everything ends up in the water supply. The damage to our rivers, lakes and oceans affects every aspect of our food and water supply. It is time to educate ourselves about which chemicals in products are the most toxic (such as phthalates and triclosan) and unnecessary and choose products that do not contain them. Do you really need acrylic nails? Do you need seven mascaras and a cabinet full of products you don’t use?
We can be beautiful and well groomed and drastically reduce the amount of poisons we unthinkingly wash down the drain. Anything disposable is a no no, unless it is for medical, prevention of cross contamination reasons. Did you know that many of the chemicals in everyday cleaning products and even personal care products affect the physiological functions of the human body? Even our hormones are affected by the invisible toxins contained in tap water.
Next time you are shopping for beauty products, think about their effect on the environment. I found a great web address that gives more information on this subject.
www.watersense.org.uk, which, in very simple language, explains the simple ways we can reduce the poisons we wash down the drain. LOOK IT UP!
