The Holistic Mama by Roxanne King

How to Choose Toxin-Free Personal Care Products

February 26, 2015 by Roxanne Leave a Comment

A healthy diet is usually the first place that we start when making changes towards living a healthy lifestyle. Diet is so important to our health and well being because the foods we eat are absorbed into our systems and create the cells in our body. A secondary part of a healthy lifestyle is looking at the products that we are putting ON on bodies. The personal care products we use on a daily basis are also being assimilated into our bodies. About 60% of what you put on your skin is being absorbed into your bloodstream. The biggest problem with this is that most personal care products on the market are filled with chemicals and many of them have health implications.

There are no requirements for companies to prove that the chemicals they are using in their products are safe to use. It is up to us to be informed consumers and investigate all the products we buy to make sure they are safe.

When I first realized this was an issue, I started researching all of the products I was using at the time and discovered how toxic they were. I’ve learned a lot about personal care products through my own research and experience. I hosted a live webinar on this topic and we discussed the top toxins to avoid in products that are commonly used by families. The categories I discussed are:

Some of the Toxins I Discuss…

Honestly, there is a huge list of toxins and chemicals to avoid in personal care and beauty products. It’s a wide range of products and chemicals so I discuss the most common things found in products that are used most often. Here are a few:

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Irritant to the skin, eyes and lungs
Possible non-reproductive organ system toxicity

Parabens

Parabens are estrogen-mimicking preservatives
May disrupt the endocrine system and cause reproductive and developmental disorders.
Linked to breast cancer

Fragrance

Fragrances can contain hormone disruptors and are among the top 5 allergens in the world.
Chemicals in “fragrance” do not need to be on the label because they are considered trade secrets

My tips for Making the Best Choices

So, what good is all this information if we don’t know how to use it to our benefit? Not much. These are my top tips for choosing the cleanest products on the market. In the class recording I talk through these tips in detail.

ALWAYS READ LABELS
When in doubt pick the option with the least amount of ingredients
Don’t be fooled by MARKETING claims on the front of the bottle
Stick with brands you know are CLEAN
Check products on EWG Skin Deep Database (TIP: Try their mobile app!)

There is A LOT more information detailed in the live class recording that you won’t want to miss. Click here to watch the class now for free.

What products do you use that you need to switch to a cleaner option?

Three Reasons Why My Kids Don’t Use Bubble Bath

February 19, 2015 by Roxanne 3 Comments

When my daughter was a toddler she went through a faze where she would refuse to take a bath. In an effort to make the bath more fun we tried toys, games, pink soap, fun towels and I wanted to try bubble bath. I started looking for a bubble bath product that was organic and toxin-free but to my surprise it was not an easy task. An even bigger shock to me was how toxic some of these “baby” bubble bath products were and all of the terrible chemicals that were on the label. One would think that products marketed for children and babies would be safe to use but unfortunately that is far from the truth.

The three reasons why I don’t let my children use bubble bath are the three most common toxins I’ve seen on bubble bath labels.

My Favorite 1-Ingredient Face Moisturizer (& It’s not Coconut Oil)

February 12, 2015 by Roxanne 7 Comments

For as long as I can remember I’ve always loved products. Lotions, body sprays, creams, shampoos, cleansers, moisturizers…all of it. In High school, my friends and I would go shopping and spend our allowances on this stuff. The obsession continued into my 20’s and the products just got more expensive and more complicated. Living in New York City at the time, I frequented Bliss Spa and tried so many of their over-priced (chemical-filled) skin products. It wasn’t until my natural living “makeover” that I realized all of this stuff was toxic. That former version of myself would die laughing if she knew the things I use on my skin now. The funny thing is that (at 35 years old) my skin has never looked better.

My 3 Favorite Natural Face Cleansers (with 3 ingredients or less!)

February 5, 2015 by Roxanne 4 Comments

One of the first things I realized when I started using natural skin care was that most facial cleansers and soap are way too drying. They will remove dirt and makeup but they also strip the skin of natural oils and moisture which we don’t want to lose. This holds true for all skin types. Using a cleansing method that strips natural oils will make dry skin dryer and oily skin oilier. Even worse it can create “combination skin” with patches of dry skin and oily skin on different parts of your face – which is even harder to deal with.

Natural cleansers are gentle on the skin and only remove the dirt and makeup that we don’t want on our skin. They won’t strip your face of it’s natural moisture and leave it feeling tight and flaky. In my search for the perfect natural face cleanser I tried many store bought brands and also tested homemade cleanser recipes. Most of the store bought options were still to drying and still had some ingredients in them that I wasn’t too pleased with.

Since you are probably a busy Mom like me, making your face cleanser might seem like another annoying thing on the to do list! Don’t worry, my top three favorite homemade face cleansers have three ingredients or less and take 5 minutes to make.

Which Grains are Gluten-Free? [free printable checklist]

January 29, 2015 by Roxanne 8 Comments

The thought switching over to a gluten-free diet can be very overwhelming. It seems like gluten is in everything. One of the biggest challenges is that most people aren’t clear which grains contain gluten and which ones do not. Once you have this distinction clear it is easier to get a handle on the whole concept of gluten-free eating.

Most people already know that wheat contains gluten but there are a number of other grains to watch out for as well. Most conventional packaged foods contain one ore more of the gluten containing grains. There are a lot of gluten-free alternatives available to replace your usual staples.

In general, whole grains are ideal. It’s important to remember even if a product is gluten-free it doens’t necessarily mean it is healthy. Label reading is just as important with gluten-free foods as it is with conventional foods.

I’ve put together a list of the most commonly know grains and separated them into two groups. The first list of grains all contain gluten so if you are trying to begin a gluten-free diet you should avoid these grains. The second list is a group of grains that are safe to eat on a gluten-free diet.

How to Build Confidnce in Using Natural Remedies

January 22, 2015 by Roxanne 7 Comments

When I’m browsing Facebook or just talking to other parents, the subject of sick kids seems to come up often. Kids do get sick more then adults because their immune systems are still developing, and it’s good for them to get sick sometimes. The truth is most of the time, the little colds and viruses they get are not much to worry about. With basic things like rest, fluids, and comfort from Mom, they will get through it. Using natural remedies can help their little bodies fight off the illness and also alleviate some of the uncomfortable symptoms. I know, the idea of your child being sick isn’t a great feeling so it’s natural to want their aches and pains to go away immediately but using pain killers, decongestants, and other harsh medicines is not the answer.

Most of us did not grow up using homeopathy, herbs, or essential oils (If you did, that’s awesome) so it’s a fairly new concept. More commonly, you grew up using Doctor recommended over the counter items such as Tylenol, Sudafed, NyQuil, and Robitussin. Since you have experience with these drugs it seems more comfortable to use them with your own children. You know how they work and what the outcome will be if you take them. It’s familiar. The reality is, just because it’s familiar doesn’t mean is safe or healthy.

Natural remedies are a safe and gentle way to assist the body to heal itself. The issue is that most people are not familiar with them, don’t know how to take them, and are not sure about dosages. It’s common for someone to “try” a natural remedy and not give it enough time to see if it can really help before they give up and take the conventional drugs. This happens because it’s unfamiliar and you just don’t trust it since you’ve never experienced it’s power.

The Holistic Mama