Forums:
I have been concerned about toxins and carcinogens in the makeup I use, esp since reading the post in Matia's blog and watching a Dateline episode. On Dateline, two families were featured, one who used all natural organic products and one who did not. The wife/mom of the family who did not use natural products had 4x the amount of paraben in her system as the wife/mom of the natural product family. That concerns me, because I know parabens have been found in tissues of those with breast cancer.
Last Christmas my mom gave me some Bare Minerals makeup by Bare Escentuals to try. I love it, but I was dismayed to see that the Mineral Veil (a translucent powder you apply over the foundation and blush) contains both propyl- and methly- parabens!!!! I was shocked because my mother told me this is the only cosmetic company in the country to receive a seal of approval from the Cancer Society, something like that. I was very disappointed. Perphaps the amounts are minimal compared to other makeups, or they don't sink into the skin much because the foundation goes on underneath? At least the foundation does not contain parabens.
In any case, I am wondering what is safe and good to use? I looked in the health food store and they carry mineral makeup but it is expensive and you only get half as much as you do with the Bare Minerals.
icnot4me
Yes, lots of choices :)
Hi there,There are lots of safe cosmetic companies that make products without parabens, silicones, alcohol, etc.For exemple, you can find mineral makeup at: Lumiere, Everyday Minerals, Signature, Pure Luxe, Meow, Aubrey Nicole, etc.. (there are so many new companies now since mineral makeup is so popular) You can buy these on the internet, Everyday MInerals even has a free sample kit, you just pay the shipping. By the way, these are all much cheaper than Bare Minerals!It depends where you live and what you health food store offers but other compagnies like: Ecco Bella, Dr. Hauschka, Lavera, Logona and Anne Marie Borlind have good ethics. They key is always to read the ingredients, just to be sure.I hope this helps you a little :)
thank you
yes, this does help!! I will look up these other brands online, thank you very much!icnot4me
Epicuren and Substitutes
I don't know about actual makeup, but I had great success using Epicuren products for misturizers, masks, etc. AND THEN I learned that they are actually made by Nutren (the probiotic that Matia recommended for me for my long-term after care).
Please consult with Matia before using Epicuren products as some contain Vitamin E which can be an issue for some.
Here is a great mask that helped me through die off (which sometimes caused blemishes).
Empty two full capsules of Digesta-Lac (non-diary) from Natren. Mix with several squirts of a very pure aloe vera gel (like Aubreys). Just enough to make a paste - not too runny. Apply and let it harden for 20 minutes then rinse. You will be AMAZED at how much this helps clear up the blemishes and how soft your skin will feel. FYI - you can play with the concentration of the powder to the aloe gel - there's no magic fomula.
I had a great natural facialists who recommended I use Epicuren's Bulgaricum Probiotic Mask as I got toward the end of the die-off period with Matia. I noticed that the ingredients were supplied by Natren and backed into the recipe. This is a much cheaper way to get the benefits!
what to do with aloe vera
Natasha, thanks! That is a great idea!
I got aloe vera gel from Lily of the Desert, but it has other things in it...
Here are the ingredients: Certified Organic Aloe Vera Gel, PEG-33/PEG-8 Dimethicone/PEG-14, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl/Acrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide.
That's a lot of stuff for a 99% pure aloe vera gel! Makes me regret I got it, who knows if I can still use this?
Aloe Vera
I too have bought Aloe Vera skincare claiming organic, 99.9% aloe vera and been astounded at the chemicals added. I decided the best thing is to only use aloe vera on my skin which is ok to eat. The one I've got is Lily of the Desert whole leaf gel. It does have citric acid and potassium sorbate described respectively as an antioxidant and a preservative and needs to be refrigerated after opening.
Its a no no for Icers to eat but ok for skincare I think. I will seek out other brands when next I buy some to see if I can find one with pure aloe vera alone. (I guess u can use gel straight from the plant).
It seems like a good principle to only put stuff on your skin which you can put in your stomach!
Aloe Vera
Update on my last msg!
I used my lily of the desert edible aloe vera gel on my face and got an allergic reaction! cue red-faced janejones literally! It looked like sunburn and was hot but I washed it off with cold water and my face recovered after about an hour.
So now having to rethink my principle of edible skincare!
Aloe
Aloe can be a little too much for some people even on the skin. Actually, ingested, aloe is really super bitter and cold as we say in Chinese medicine. It is not a great ingredient for those with IC symptoms in this kind of treatment.
For those on medications, however, it can be useful bc its coldness soothes the hotness created by many of the meds. This is all Chinese terminology, which, normally I try to steer away from, but, if you can follow the thinking, it is interesting.
So, you got redness on your face from the coldness and bitterness of the aloe. COld and bitter is like a "biting" quality, like frostbite.
That can get created when there is already too much inflammation going on in the body, as is the case with IC.
Aloe
Thanks for that info. It is very interesting - I had not thought re the energetics of aloe as related to IC. I have been taking Aloe Vera capsules (with coral calcium etc) which are marketed as being helpful for IC so I need to rethink whether this is a good idea.
I left a listing under
I left a listing under cosmetics to avoid I should have put it in here because it wasn't really ones to avoid more of a list of makeup with the ingredients that seem to be the most IC friendly I could find. Most of them offer samples for a dollar when you order from them. Some of you will be lucky and find them in your area too. The lines that I found are not well known though so they are not spread out there yet.
I found that the cakes have far more things in them then loose powders and same with sticks. creams are better then sticks as far as makeup goes.
Thanks!
Neat idea! I have made on the spot treatments with the digestalac or megadophilus, a little water and couple drops of olive oil. But a mask with aloe sounds wonderful! thanks for sharing
icnot4me
An Important Comment On Cosmetics
Hello Everyone!
I am really glad everyone is exchanging information and helping one another. It is fantastic!
Just want to make one comment. Please remember first idea behind choosing a product is health, second choice is: if it is healthy, is it OK for my IC. What stage in treatment am I?
Many products are super healthy, but not safe for IC. For example, in natural products vitamin E is used as a preservative instead of synthetic preservative. This is great, EXCEPT, that vitamin E in people who are very symptomatic, will bring on symptoms really badly.
Other natural ingredients that are healthy such as cocconut oil or shea butter or aloe, all of these can really aggravate a person until they are strong enough to not be affected by them.
I do, in my lotion, have a few of these ingredients, but tey are carefully formulated and put against other ingredients to balance them out so as not to cause aggravation of symptoms.
So, when thinking about using a new product, remember to think about this, and if you are early in treatment, please ask or tell me so I can be sure it is not affecting you in any negative way:)
BTW: the Natren facial probiotic has vitamin E in it and is not good for everyone even though it is a good product.
Matia
oops
Forgot to mention that the Natren facial creme also contains sorbitol.
Matia
Face creams
Just wondering if anyone has suggestions for safe face creams? For my body I am using Jojoba oil but definitely to oily for my face. I am early in treatment.
Thanks
Kristeen
Hi Kriste For my face, I use
Hi Kriste
For my face, I use jojoba oil on most days, but I mix it with water in my hands first. It doesn't mix so great, but it spreads more lightly on my face (less grease) and the water makes it absorb better. I use powder (silk dust from Lumiere, a mineral cosmetics compagny) all over my face and that keeps me looking shine-free all day long.
I have a face cream from sircuit skin cosmeceuticals, but as far as safe for IC, I would need advice from an expert :)
here are the ingredients:Aqua (Water), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Squalane, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Hexadecyl D-glucoside, Octadecyl D-glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Titanium Dioxide, Glyceryl Monostearate, Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide, Xanthan Gum, Ascorbic Acid (L), Benzyl Alcohol, Glucuronic Acid (D), Bisabolol (L-Alpha), Fructooligosaccharides (D-beta), Glucosamine HCL (D), Tocopherol (D-Alpha), Fusanus Spicatus (Australian Sandalwood) Oil, Vanilla Planifolia Oil. *USDA Certified Organic.
let me know if you discover a cream! :)
for Balerine
Thank You for the suggestions. I have been using Jojoba oil on my body. I did not think about mixing it with water for the face. I will try this and let you know how I like it. If I find anything else I will post it.
Deodorant??
Im trying to use safer products but with deodorant, the natural ones don't seem to work so well. At least the ones that ive tried (toms of maine, JASON). Anyone use anything natural that still protects against odor and sweat??
Deodorant
Hello Paola, I make my own deodorant, in a little jar, I put 1 table spoon of baking soda (from healthfood store) and 1 table spoon of cornstarch (from healthfoodstore also) add some olive oil and mix together with a little spoon until creamy. To apply, use your fingers and rub under your arm. I use this everyday and it really works. I also make it for my husband and he says it works great for him too. Angela Harrison.
Angela, Wow, im gonna try
Angela,
Wow, im gonna try that. Can you give me an estimate of how much olive oil to add? Also, regular baking soda and cornstarch are O.K, right?
Deodorant answers,
Dear Paola, The amount of olive oil I am not sure because I always add a little and stir it until it gets smooth and creamy. If not enough oil I add very little until creamy. It does not take much time to do this. You asked if regular baking soda was OK...Please be careful with what brand you buy because some regular baking sodas have aluminum in them and you do not want to use that one because aluminum is toxic and it will be absorped through the skin. The brand I use (for cornstarch and baking soda) is Bob's Red Mill (from healthfood store). I think there are some other brands like "Grandpa" and "Rumford" these are also aluminum free.Angela Harrison.
Thanks so much for the info.
Thanks so much for the info. yea, the aluminum in my "Secret" deodorant is exactly why i want to switch. The baking soda i have is Arm & Hammer and lists sodium bicorbonate as the only ingredient so im assuming thats OK. Im off to make some deodorant............
deodorant and skin care
Well i know NY is humid so being from FL I can see that natural stuff only really works in the winter time. I get a spray bottle and put witch hazel with some lavender essential oil in it. I just mist my arms and I make a small container to bring in my purse. The witch hazel keeps you dry.As an esthetician I don't like the idea of putting oil on my skin esp such an important lymph drainage area of the body.As far as a skin care brand that is way too involved for someone undergoing this program as well as not knowing your skin care needs. The only thing I suggest is reading up on essential oils and asking permission about them. I have made my own make up before I bought a book at barns and noble for 20 dollars a ways back I am sure you could find stuff online. It's not that hard and then I had to keep them refrigerated because I didn't use anything to keep it from going bad. Often that is why vit C is used in organic lines. Mata has a great lip balm with a tint in it that is wonderful. My hair was too thick for the conditioner so i found myself using the whole bottle for it to work. It didn't detangle my hair well. I love the shampoo though it worked great. Speaking of I got a filter on my main water supply so that chlorine doesn't come through my shower. This helped my pain big time.
Hey, thanks for the deodorant
Hey, thanks for the deodorant tip!What is the ratio of water:witch hazel that you use. And lavendar EO?And this keeps you dry and odorless? Thanks, I'd like to try it!
I get an 8oz bottle fill it
I get an 8oz bottle fill it almost to the top and then I add 4-5 drops of lavender. Yes this keeps me dry in the summer I find myself tossing the bottle in my purse and sometimes I have to respray myself but I do live in Florida so it seems natural to me to need a second spray.
Thanks! But just to be double
Thanks! But just to be double sure, you mix water half/half with witch hazel? I've never bought witch hazel... Will do some research about where I can find it :)
No water for my deoderant mix
Ok I think there must have been some confusion I don't put any water I just fill the 8 oz spray bottle with witch hazel and then 4-5 drops of lavender essential oil.
ok got it!
ok got it!
Water filter
Which water filter did you buy for mains water supply?
main water supply filter
you can get them at homedepot or lowes type stores. I don't recall the brand as I threw away the label so i don't have anything to read off of now, I think it was an Aqua pro.You need some basic plumbing skills to install it or to hire a plumber for the first time and then you want to change it according to the manufacture. Mine is every 6 months the bigger ones last longer more expensive at first but less changing. It cost me 130. for my the system then I paid the plumber 150.My refills are about 50.Mine does 45 gallons per min. If you check them out at your local home improvement store they should have them just make sure it's not a water softener but a dechlorinate filter.They vary a lot in price. It's just something you got to shop around for if your planning on doing it.It's not so bad once you do it because you only have to change the filter and thats easy not as expensive. The lenght of time for changing them will depend on your filter.
Nicole
Thanks for the info. I will do some research and definitely get one.
Website - Safety guide for personal care products & cosmetics
I just stumbled across a really useful website: www.cosmeticsdatabase.com
It contains an extensive database of cosmetics and personal care products that are rated on scale of 1-10 for safety. Each product listing contains the ingredients of that product and indicates the various types of health concerns that the ingredients are linked to (e.g. - developmental/reproductive toxicity, allergies/immunotoxicity, cancer, etc.) Hope this helps!
Sunscreen
I was wondering... I'm headed to the beach this weekend and wanted to know if anyone can suggest a gentle sunscreen you could find at the healthfood store that would be safe to use- somthing that didn't cause any reactions? I am still early in treatment. I would like to order the Bomasense sunscreen but it may not get here in time before I am leaving for this ocean get away! Thank you!
Mary
shampoo
I am wondering if anybody has suggestions for a shampoo for dry scalp that is safe for IC?
kriste
Kriste your dryness is IC
Kriste your dryness is IC related nothing your shampoo is really going to fix to be honest. I like the bomasence shampoo. I am sure Matia is adressing your dryness. I was going to order some myself actually. You could always do a joba mask treatment on your hair just heat it up a little and put it on your head with a shower cap for about 10 min. and then shower.
To Nicole
Thank you Nicole for your suggestion. I will try the Jojoba mask. I did look at the Bomasense site but did not see shampoo. Is dryness something that you have suffered from? I have only just been able to add in the omega so maybe that will start to help. It seems to already be helping the dry skin on my lips and around my eyes that was so terrible last week.
Kriste
to Kristie
Hi Kristie, I had terribly dry skin on my arms and legs for years before I started with Matia. I would use super heavy creams to try to deal with it but nothing seemed to help. Oddly the skin on my face was very oily. I am happy to say that my skin is so much better now. As your body becomes more in balance you will notice a definite change in your skin.
Carol
to Carol
Thank you Carol. Did it take long for your skin to get better? All these little symptoms are definitely bothersome. I know that I need to be patient and heal from within but sometimes it is difficult not to be anxious about yet another thing wrong with my body. I am definitely coming along in the 4.5 months that I have been in treatment and I do try to concentrate on that. Thank goodness for Matia's patience.
Kriste
to Kristie
They are bothersome aren't they? When I first started with Matia I had no idea that I was such a mess and that all of my little symptoms were connected. I went through a pretty yucky detox phase. It probably took me about a year for my skin to be noticably better, but like I said I was a mess. In the beginning of treatment weird stuff will get kicked up, but you will probably notice that if a symptom goes away and then pops back up later it is usually not as bad. It is good to concentrate on your progress and to think of your symptoms as being part of the detoxing your body is going through. This is a process that requires a lot of patience isn't it?
Carol
To Kriste
I still battle with dry skin my lips peel but I know that is an internal issue. Matia always asks me how my skin is. The omegas did help me a little I think because we are releasing fluids and detoxing so often that it is a comon issue. Once your body gets more blanced you will see improvements in this area. I know I was looking at some old picts of myself when Matia had gotten me feeling well again. I mean to frame them for something to look forward to. I had a seizure and came down with a staph infection and then I went solo after that. I should have stuck it out with Matia but thats the past. So I know getting well is possible because I have been there before and so will you. My appearance got better and better as if I was glowing. I was so happy then. The herbs and things Matia gives takes time its a long road but when you get there everything falls in balance and you look and feel great.
Make-up
I have been doing a lot of experiementing with natural cosmetics. I will post soon on this.M