Do you smell something???

Since both my hobbies and my career are very active, I often find myself sweaty several times a day. Too many times to actually grab a shower--I'd be averaging 6 or 7 showers a day! That's not good for the skin or the environment!

But, I don't want to be all gross and stinky around my clients and friends (although my canine clients don't seem to care). So, I've developed my own, natural body wipes. I can scent them myself--because sometimes you just don't want to smell like a baby's bottom! Plus, I know exactly what's in these (those who have read my previous blogs know I go all natural whenever possible).

I keep these in the car so that I have them whenever I need. They are also great for those outback camping trips that have no plumbing.

I use the gallon-sized freezer storage bags (If I could think of an alternative to plastic that wouldn't leak, I'd use it. I'm open to suggestions if anybody has one). You can fit quite a few paper towels in them.

I put about a 1/2 cup of water in the bag, and a table spoon of white vinegar (enough to kill germs and bacteria, but not enough to make you smell like sauerkraut all day). I add just a drop or two of tea tree oil (not only does it have a strong smell, but you don't want to put it directly on the skin undiluted--unless maybe right on a pimple!). Why tea tree oil? Like the vinegar it kills bacteria (which is what makes us stinky), it's also good to combat allergens, cuts, scrapes, bites, etc. Then I add a few drops of my favorite essential oil for scent. I usually go with lavender because it's also good for the skin and anti-bacterial. Sometimes I add a little eucalyptus because I love the smell and it perks me up a bit. There are some great essential oil blends out there. Be careful with citrus oils. They can make the skin more sensitive to sunlight. And be careful with the minty oils if you'll be cleaning the girlie parts!

Once my bag is ready, I just add high quality paper towels (the cheap ones will fall apart). As many as you want to put in there. Before I use the paper-towel,  I will wring it out so it's not all drippy. If I'm just using it to quickly wipe off my face and neck, I'll put it back in the bag when I'm finished. With the antibacterials in there, it will be fine. If I'm using it on other parts (arm-pits and more personal areas) I will throw it out.

It's nice to be able to freshen up between classes and clients. Or, after a race when there are festivities to attend.

Why I stopped using lotion

I have never been a fan of perfume. I find it over-bearing. But I have always loved lotions. They leave you smelling nice--and at least temporarily--make your skin feel soft. So why did I stop using them?

A few years ago I started having some hormone issues (as women in their 40's tend to have). One of the bio-identical hormone specialists I went to gave me a progesterone cream to use. It's not like I had never used a topical medication before. Believe me, I have had some wicked encounters with poison ivy and other allergies. But for some reason, I just thought of them as topical--treating the surface of my skin--not soaking into the skin. With the hormone cream it really hit me--this cream soaks through my skin and into my blood stream (so that the change in hormone levels shows up in blood work). In fact, warnings on the medication caution you to be careful not to get it on towels, furniture, kids, spouses and pets because they don't need progesterone.

If a hormone is soaking through your skin and into your blood stream, what else is? My guess would be all the bizarre chemicals in the lotions I've been piling on my skin every day.

Here's the list of ingredients in a bottle of lotion I found left in the house:

Look at all the ingredients! I realize it's a bit blurred, so I typed in the first several ingredient below. You get the idea. I don't know what these things are--and I don't want them soaking into my skin--and therefore my body.

water, cyclopentasiloxane, butylene glycol, c12-15 alkyl benzoate, stearic acid, isocetyl stearate, trimethylsiloxysilicate/dimethiconol crosspolymer, dimethicone, isopropyl palmitate, fragrance, glyceryl stearate SE... 

So you ask, "Do you just walk around with itchy, flaky, ugly dry skin all the time?"

I do not. But when it comes to skin care I have turned to Mother Nature for help. First, for prevention, I do dry skin brushing.

And as a moisturizing I use these:

The ingredients:

Coconut oil--coconut.
Grapeseed oil: grapeseed oil and vitamin E

If I want to treat myself to a little aromatherapy, I add a few drops of essential oil.

I have no fear of any of these ingredients soaking into my skin.

I even use the coconut oil on my face. My skin has never looked better, and it never causes a breakout. Plus, I've read that coconut oil has a natural SPF of 7. This is an extra value add for me because I am allergic to every sunscreen I have tried (plus, I worry about the chemicals in them too).

Our skin is the largest organ in our body. It constantly takes in and expels (sweat) toxins.

Shouldn't we worry about the toxins we put on our bodies just as much as the ones we put in our bodies?