Archive for December, 2009

Effective Organic Deodorant Ingredients

Organic deodorant is almost a controversial topic. Many who want to avoid exposure to the damaging toxins in normal antiperspirants look to organic deodorants for a solution. Specific organic ingredients have been shown to offer excellent odor destroying properties, but few last as long as their conventional counterparts. If you are willing to sacrifice the convenience of a once daily application (depending on your level of stinkiness, of course), there are a few ingredients you can look for in a deodorant that will outlast the others.

Most deodorants that are organic that closely resemble their traditional stick form counterparts have a beeswax/vegetable glycerin base. Most often, baking soda is mixed into this base. Baking soda is a known odor absorber. Baking soda will also absorb some moisture as well. This an excellent aspect if you tend to sweat – deodorants that are all natural contain no antiperspirants. To further combat odor, these deodorants contain essential oils with natural antibacterial properties. Not only do these kill odor causing bacteria, but they provide a pleasant scent as well, a much missed aspect when switching to a deodorant that is organic. The most effective essential oils are tea tree, lavender, peppermint, hemp, eucalyptus, and patchouli. Strongly scented oils like lavender and patchouli not only do a good job of eliminating body odor, but are also excellent at covering it up should any slip through.

Also popular are crystal or rock deodorants. These deodorants were discovered in Asia and were brought to the western world for mass manufacture. They consist primarily of potassium alum (also referred to as “mineral salts”), a mineral found in the Earth’s crust. Potassium alum has excellent odor absorption properties, much like baking soda. Also, crystal deodorants have noted moisture-absorbing properties, a much missed trait in typical stick-type organic deodorants.

Regardless of your preference in organic deodorants, looking for these ingredients on the labels of your chosen products will help you find a product that is both safe and effective in controlling body odor.

Posted by on December 29th, 2009 No Comments

Skin Care Products For Men Without Chemicals

I never used to pay a lot of attention to skin care products for men. Why would I? I’m a woman. And a vain one at that. I’m determined to look good, age well and stay healthy. I even became a cosmetologist in order to learn all I could about maintaining youthful skin.

And then I met the man of my dreams. He was everything a gal could hope for. Kind, romantic, a good listener, athletic and employed. But, having been outdoors so much he was beginning to get that weathered look.

When I would bring up the topic of using sunscreen as he went out the door to play tennis, his eyes would glaze over. Scare tactics about possible skin cancer from sun damage didn’t seem to make any impression. But the day his sister teased that I could pass for his daughter, that had an impact. Ouch. Did he ever look taken aback.

We didn’t discuss it, but every once in a while I’d catch him studying his face in the mirror with a worried look. So I decided to take a chance. For his birthday I’d give him some good skin care products for men. Luckily I learned early on to read labels. I was taught by the best and, when I realized that chemicals in cosmetics could kill you, I became a purist. It turns out that today, if you look hard enough, you can find fabulous creams and lotions for your skin that don’t contain any chemicals, even for the guys.

As luck would have it, my favorite little cosmetics company made skin care products for men, too. No chemicals. No false claims. No celebrity getting paid a fortune to exaggerate, and no fragrance, of course. Just the best natural products I could find.

I decided to break him in gently and got him the age defense active facial fluid. So simple to use, and so effective. I guess the timing was right because he accepted it graciously and has been using it ever since. There was improvement within a week and he was mighty grateful.

Little by little I would add eye contour serum, age defense active body lotion, a deep active hydrating mask and a deep active cleansing mask. Those five products should take care of a man’s skin from head to toe, forever. And, should I ever notice even one brown age spot on him I will definitely add the whitening cream.

After a while, though, he admitted that using skin care products for men had him a bit worried, What if his friends found out? We made a pact not to tell anyone. But, as time went by, age was also creeping up on his male friends. They were beginning to notice how my guy was staying good. Some had known him all through school and they wanted to know why he wasn’t showing his age like they were.

Being honest by nature, it became too difficult to keep his secret to himself. He loved his buddies and decided to trust their friendship. One day, just like that, he came out of the closet. They were all sitting around our kitchen and, with his great sense of humor, he said: “My name is Andrew Last and I use skin care products for men.” It was hilarious and broke everybody up.

One by one they all started asking questions. I honestly think my guy started a new movement for guys. Today more men than ever are using skin care products for men. And why shouldn’t they? They don’t want to get so beat up looking they look like they’re dating their daughter’s friends.

And the best part is, there’s a snowball effect. Once a man’s skin starts looking good he tends to want to take better care of himself all around. I’ve seen men give up smoking and drinking. They take up exercise. They take vitamins and try to get more sleep. Guys can really surprise you sometimes, so here’s to their good health. They deserve it.

Posted by on December 24th, 2009 No Comments

Tanning Beds – A Not So Hot Industry

As supply increases and demand decreases tanning beds are becoming more and more difficult to sell. The market isn’t a sales persons only concern; health issues and maintenance cost also have to be considered. Maintenance cost can include anything from bulb replacement to hinge repair. Consumers also have to face making the decision to use the tanning bed with the knowledge that it could negatively affect their health. With a tanning salon on every corner the words “easy” and “convenient” flash through consumer’s minds, thus making it even harder to sell to individuals. Once all of these factors have been considered it’s easy to see why the sell of tanning beds has declined.

Because of the wide range of maintenance issues consumers can experience some believe it’s altogether too expensive to have one in their own home. Dust build up can cause poor ventilation and less UV exposure. Hair can clog vents and fans and cause damage. Proper cleaner and disinfectants should always be used directly on the acrylic, using the wrong cleaner can cause the acrylic to wear and crack faster, leading to it having to be replaced more often. The bulbs also have to be replaced every three to five years depending on the hours used. Tanning beds also use a large amount of power and can significantly increase an electric bill. Add this to the other random parts that break and have to be repaired or replaced and its easy to see why maintenance cost on the in home tanning bed can quickly elevate.

Side effects of tanning such as skin cancer or eye damage are causing consumers to take a second to sit back and consider are the risks worth the benefits. More often than not this answer is no. Some experts believe that tanning causes premature aging and wrinkles to the skin. An indoor tanning bed can burn your skin just as being outside in the real sun can. Without wearing eye protection one can experience eye damage. It is also thought tanning can be linked to certain immune system issues. The biggest health issue facing consumers is the fact that tanning is shown to increase the risk of developing cancerous cells, leading to malignant melanoma. Despite the fact that many of these side effects are treatable most consumers are not willing to gamble with their health.

Due to the common placement of tanning salons supply is up while demand is down, and the price seems to be holding steady. Consumers find it more beneficial to pay a monthly fee to use a bed at a salon versus dealing with the up keep of having one in their own home. With most tanning boutiques being cookie cutter they all offer the same things: regular, mega, or stand up beds. All of the salons offering a variety of tanning options like this make it hard for companies to come up with a new product that stands out and has something more to offer. Salons also make it more convenient by offering minute packages or unlimited monthly use, this way consumers can customize packages to fit their tanning needs. Because of an overcrowded market that’s user friendly, with convenience as its main goal, personal tanning bed sales are becoming more and more scarce.

It’s easy to see why tanning beds are a not so hot industry. Tanning beds are leisure purchases that are expensive enough to begin with, without adding all the cost of up keep. Even the consumers with expendable cash find it hard to justify making such a large purchase, especially with there being such a high probability of increased health risks. As if these factors aren’t enough to cast a shadow on purchasing an in home tanning bed, the overcrowded public market makes it all to convenient to utilize their services and avoid all the cost and time spent on owning your own bed. The private tanning industry needs to come up with a “wow” product that stands out in order to gain more sales.

Posted by on December 22nd, 2009 No Comments

What is Organic Deodorant?

Many consumers are purchasing organic deodorants, because they want to be healthier. Conventional deodorants contain synthetic preservatives, strong perfumes, chemicals and toxic ingredients that may be harmful to the body. Organic deodorants contain natural, safe ingredients and they are are just as effective as regular deodorants. Many organic deodorants contain natural oils like clove oil, organic lemon, lavender and mandarin.

Regular deodorants contain aluminum, and some people believe that it may cause alzheimers disease, but the jury is still out. There is no evidence that proves that regular deodorants cause diseases. However, putting aluminum onto the skin care every day can’t be healthy, so deodorants that are organic are still a better alternative.

Deodorants that are organic do not contain aluminum, and they will not clog your pores. In addition, many natural antiperspirants use plant ingredients that work well for neutralizing odors and they do not harm the body. Most natural deodorants contain natural mineral salts, hemp oil, essential oils and baking soda. These ingredients work well for eliminating body odor.

Many products we use on a daily basis contain toxic chemicals- not just deodorants. Conditioners, shampoos, toothpastes, hair gels, cosmetics and lotions are loaded with chemicals. Many conventional deodorants contain ingredients that people should avoid like parabens, aluminum, triclosan, talc and propelyn glycol.

Parabens have been found inside breast cancer tumors, and they are used in millions of household products.

Aluminum has been linked with alzheimer’s disease. Triclosan is found in many antibacterial soaps and it may contain carcinogenic properties. Many times, talc is contaminated with asbestos, which is carcinogenic.

Propelyn glycol is believed to cause liver and kidney damage. Consumers can feel safe with organic deodorants and products, and they don’t have to worry about affecting their health with potentially harmful chemicals. Organic products tend to cost a little more, but they are completely natural and much safer.

Posted by on December 15th, 2009 No Comments