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Zero Waste Toiletries: Goodbye to Ship Hull Paint Face Scrub

So the dreaded toiletries work continues. I say dreaded, because this is a challenging area for me. For example, I don't mind getting bar soaps and individually recycled paper wrapped TP rolls and bulk shampoos, but toothpaste/ deodorant/ face wash? Those are some staples with name brands I have used for the better part of 17 years.

Also, I'm very skeptical of some of the home made variety toiletries friends have told me about. I knew someone who made his/her own deodorant and I hate to say it, but this individual stank. Stank bad. Not even bad hippy stank which one might expect from certain fashion statement-ed persons- but this individual dressed clean and business like and stank like BO. So that scares me.

With the home made toothpaste, I'm afraid to give up my Optic White Crest because I am an avid coffee drinker and have been convinced that's the only thing keeping my teeth from looking like a yellow-brown nastiness.

That said, I'm not opposed to trying home made items ( since there is no toothpaste, deodorant, face wash in bulk that I can find)- but first things first. The lowest bar of the three for me is the face wash - namely because I think it won't effect me throughout the day like stenchy BO and yellow old lady teeth.

So this is my face wash/ scrub I have used daily in the shower for 17 years.

I wrote down all the ingredients- noting that the ingredients are listed via quantity used from most amount used to least. I then researched what each one was for as you will see some of the names are fairly lengthy and involved.( what is so ironic is I did this same exercise when I was changing to organic food- and it was super eye opening to see what a lot of mystery ingredients in processed food were... and this exercise for my face wash/scrub is no less eye opening).

The following is listed in this order-

INGREDIENT ITEM : WHAT IS IT/ ITS' PURPOSE : DO I NEED IT?

water : it serves as a base to hold/deliver ingredients : yes, or some sort of base that holds ingredients

walnut shell powder :exfoliant : yes, but I can use anything to exfoliate

gylcol stearate : a bio produce of Shea butter / used to smooth skin : sure, but I can use lotion for that

gylcerin: a lubricant : not really needed

sea salt : another exfoliant : already discussed above

corn meal: another exfoliant, slightly larger grains : already discussed above

PEG 400 stearate : a chemical used as surfactants - cleansing agents and emollients which happens to have a known carcinogen: sounds like it just helps to clean my pores/dirt out which I can do with an exfoliant

apricot Extract : there for the name of the product only and smell: I can do without

cetyl Acetate: a palm oil derivative, a thicken/stabilizer: this chemical in in here to keep the product from operating out sites parts- so has nothing I need

cetcareth- 20 : which happens to have a known carcinogen active in it, is present to keep parts in the product together and avoid separating ( just like above, I think of these as preservatives): nope

lanolin alcohol : another emollient / lubricant : nope

methyl ether: a solvent to help keep ingredients saline like : nope, sounds like a preservative for the product's sake

phenethyl alcohol : a masking agent: Nope- it's fragnce perservative

methylisothiaziolinone :acts as a biocide- a thing to keep bacteria dead, and conveniently doubles as a sealant on ship hull paint and has been linked with DNA damage, great!: Nope.

titanium dioxide: a pigmant and sunblock is chemical that is actively being researched as powerful carcinogen- great again!: Nope

bioxide: a chemical agent to kill bacteria: Nope don't need it because it is in the product for the product's sake.

So I take a step back and research and see that my lovely face scrub is really just a bunch of water with shells, salt, corn, lotion, carcinogenic preservatives, heavy metals that warp DNA and main ingredients for ship hull paint. Just dandy. How the heck has this stuff made me more acne free these years?

So I spoke with my friend who is an essential oil guru. Now, I am not 100% into essential oils as I feel there are a lot of lofty claims, BUT I do see that the line she works with, DoTerra, is organic and when you get base oils, they are really only the plant extract and no additional anything. So Brandy Pedigo hooked me up with lemon, grapefruit and orange oils since the juice from those fruits are clinically proven natural forms of detoxants, skin cleaning and non abrasive astringents- and thats all that oil is- extract from oranges, grapefruit and lemons- no ship hull paint, yay!

I bought a glass spray bottle and put a few drops of each oil into it with just plain old water. I bought an all organic exfoliant sponge and voila- I have an all natural face scrub which can't be used to grow three tails on a rat, cool!

And I no longer have to buy a face scrub that comes in a container I can't recycle and just toss.

As an PS here, I did actually first try the recipe of the oils with coconut oil ( as I did a ton of research on home made scrubs and so many said add this) to get that lotion element in it- but I really, really hated the feel of the thick oil on my skin and I truly hated the smell- so I ditched that- I tend to have oily acne prone skin anywise as opposed to dry.

Anyone out there reading this, I give the natural change a 2 thumbs up.

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