Productolics Anonymous?

Leaning about skin care has been an adventure. I mean, I always LOVED products. Always had too many. Apartment requirements include: parking, laundry, utilities and bathroom closet, under-sink storage and behind mirror vanity.... yeah. It's like that. And then, somewhere between being a rouge member at that 'S' store and a virtual employee (re: addict) of that fresh cosmetic Canadian hippie store with all the lovely displays of soap that look like candy to crazy addicts like me; I was looking inward and outward.

Here's a good time to tell you that I play a chef and nutritionist in real life. Ingredient labels are my gospel. How had I not looked at the stuff going on my body before when I analyzed everything that was going in my (and everyone else's) body. preservatives....whoops?

Making cosmetics... the stuff you clean and take care of your skin with.... believe it or not, is an awful lot like cooking dinner. Or more accurately a multi-course meal for lots of people with food restrictions. LOL. There are so many factors to consider, so many chemical properties to understand.

But here's the payoff-- some really excellent products that are good, wholesome, safe, fresh and made by a real person. Yep, a real person who learned about the functions and properties of ingredients. Why some ingredients are better than others. A real person. Me. Who uses it, cares about it and wants everyone to be able to enjoy it. My goal was and is (still learning, growing and creating!) to replace all my most favorite things with simpler, less expensive, higher quality products. I wanted to make everything in my bathroom. I'm not there yet-- I still have and use 4 hair sprays, 3 mousses, 4 pomades, 2 dry shampoos and a variety of each other product that serves a different purpose... yeah. It's like that. I also still have 30 samples of moisturizer, 3 face washes, countless samples and tiny vials of serum/eye cream/masks etc. etc. And I have no desire to use them. Because I know what's in them, I know what's in my stuff and I like the results. At the end of the day, if you don't get the desired effect of your product-- all the good sourcing of ingredients, lack of preservatives, dyes, hormone inhibitors, irritants and potential carcinogens only take you so far down that path of righteousness. But I am so pleased to say, that the natural, earthy, crunchy, traditional ingredients and philosophies actually hold water. Plant based essential oils and tinctures are actually wildly effective. My theory has become simple, it's the same rule I apply to cooking healthfully; use as few ingredients as possible with the very least processing necessary, showcasing the natural produce and all it has to offer.

Suddenly all the shiny packages, tubes and boxes don't look quite so tempting. So for me, I guess it works if you work it.