Living Like Ed by Ed Jr. (whitelam books .txt) 📗

don’t know about you, but I’m not going to risk it. I don’t want to use hair- and skin-care products that are full of parabens if I can help it. So many people in my life have been affected by breast cancer, some in their thirties and forties and fifties. It’s on the rise, and there’s a reason for that.

And parabens are in almost everything on the market. They’re in most kinds of shampoo, conditioner, soap, bath gel, facial cleanser and toner, makeup, eye makeup remover, lotion, sun-screen, tanning lotion, and baby lotion, as well as in many other products.

Beyond that, there’s all the petroleum in stuff we use. If you wear lipstick every single day of your life, you eat a pound of petroleum products right there. Petrochemicals are in all sorts of things, from baby oil and Vaseline to anything that says it has paraffin wax as an ingredient.

The more I learn about this stuff, the more I want to learn. You’ve gotta learn it—and then you’ve gotta be willing to make changes in your life, because the exposure to these kinds of harmful chemicals is overwhelming, especially in the beauty world.

Organic Skin Care and Hair Care

Rachelle and I have become really attuned to concerns about skin- and hair-care products. We use the best plant-based, natural products that we can. That word natural doesn’t always have much meaning, but what I mean by that is products made with the healthiest materials, products that don’t have parabens. Parabens come mostly from fragrances, so I avoid fragrances.

You can find quality, natural, paraben-free products in health food stores. Most hair salons also now offer a complete range of wonderful, natural hair-care products.

Try to stay away from sulfates in hair-care products, too. Sulfates dry your hair out, big-time. Companies add sulfates because they cause sudsing. But suds don’t clean hair, and neither do detergents. My hairstylist, Derek Collins, says the best thing you can do is brush your hair with a boar’s-bristle brush every day. This stimulates the scalp and moves the oils away from your scalp and down the hair shaft, where they need to be. It also exfoliates. (Note: If you have hair extensions, I wouldn’t suggest this.)

Natural Cosmetics

I love makeup. Eye shadow, mascara, lipstick—all of it. I think putting on makeup is an art form. It can be more dramatic than any outfit you wear. I love trying different products and creating new looks.

Unfortunately, it’s been very hard for the natural makeup lines to compete with the premium brands we all swoon over at the department stores. There is not, as yet, sufficient demand for them to hold their own in Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, where I usually buy my cosmetics. But I’m putting the extra energy into expanding my shopping expeditions beyond the mall because I’d rather be putting minerals on my skin, as opposed to petroleum-based products. You can find lots of really nice stuff at spas and at stores like Sephora.

Companies are coming out with mineral makeup that offers good sun protection and in colors that Rachelle assures me are appealing and fashionable. Some cosmetics companies have a complete mineral line with everything you’d want, from foundation to eyeliner. Many of these mineral makeup lines are endorsed by doctors—dermatologists and plastic surgeons. That’s because this mineral makeup, for the most part, is

• Hypoallergenic. It’s good for people with sensitive skin, and it tends not to trigger allergic reactions.

• Breathable. It feels lighter than traditional base or foundation and it lets your skin breathe. It doesn’t clog your pores. Rachelle also says most won’t gather in lines and creases and make you look older, either, so there’s a real plus!

• Calming. Many of the minerals in these products are soothing. Some are even recommended for use after things like laser treatments and chemical peels, when your skin is supersensitive.

• Natural sunblocks. Zinc oxide, in particular, helps block UVA rays. Remember that white zinc lotion lifeguards would always wear on their noses? You may look a little ghostlike when you wear natural sunblock with zinc oxide in it, but it works, and it’s better than all the chemicals in other sunblocks.

You know, you shouldn’t have to sacrifice. There are enough talented chemists and visionary company owners out there to create attractive, fashionable cosmetics that are natural, organic, and affordable, too. I’m sure as the demand for these products increases, more companies will invest in research and development.

Reducing Your Exposure to Toxins

Every day, you have the opportunity to be exposed to toxins. You can choose to wear pesticide-laden clothing. You can choose to eat pesticide-laden food. You can choose to wash your hair and your body with products that are full of parabens. Or you can make healthier choices that will also be kinder to the planet.

You can choose to support organic farmers, organic textile companies, organic clothing designers, and organic retailers. You can choose to support natural hair-care and skin-care companies. Even if you have a hard time finding these products locally, let me assure you, they are readily available online.

Just by simply choosing healthful options every day, you can make a world of difference. You can improve your own health and the health of the environment.

It’s just like choosing to change your lightbulbs or draw your drapes. Just like choosing to drive a greener car. Just like choosing to recycle and buy recycled. Just like choosing to reduce your energy needs and get your energy from greener sources. Just like choosing to eat locally grown, organic food.

It’s all about choices. And you’ve got the power to choose.

Don’t assume that natural fibers are automatically better than synthetics. Just because something is made from natural fibers doesn’t mean it’s environmentally friendly.

The pesticides applied to plants don’t just target insects; they may also encompass an herbicide, which kills plants, or a fungicide, which kills various types of fungus.

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