I’ve been on a search for a good, moisturizing, non-toxic body lotion ever since the Environmental Working Group announced that my old stand-by lotion contained elements that react to make a toxic compounds.
For years I’ve counted on Alba Botanica Very Emollient Body Lotion
as a safe and natural moisturizer. It’s so dry living in Colorado that I must use moisturizer all over my body every day and I’ve been very conscious about not putting things with petroleum products on my skin.
Now I learn that, when tested by the EWG, it was found that my favorite Alba lotion scores a 4 out of 10 on the hazard scale and contains things I don’t want. See for yourself:
Ingredients in this product are linked to: | |
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Cancer |
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Developmental/reproductive toxicity |
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Violations, restrictions & warnings |
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Allergies/immunotoxicity |
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Other concerns for ingredients used in this product: Neurotoxicity, Endocrine disruption, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Multiple, additive exposure sources, Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Enhanced skin absorption, Contamination concerns, Biochemical or cellular level changes |
Eeeeeeuw. This is supposed to be a safe brand, too.
So I’ve switched to Pangea Organics Body Lotion – French Chamomile with Sweet Orange & Lavender, which has a score of 3. I’m still not happy about a 3, but it’s better than a 4. I LOVE the company, their philosophy, and their products and know that all of their ingredients are totally natural, so I’m a little perplexed as to why they would still score a 3 from the EWG.
Sigh. Why does it seem that every single thing in our world is bad for you somehow? It’s enough to turn even the most natural optimist into a cynic sometimes. It makes me just want to bury my head in the sand and continue using the products I love, risks be damned!
Until the hives come back to remind me how fragile is the balance I’ve carved out for myself.
Do you have a good natural lotion to recommend? Please let me know!
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I found one on the web that I love!!
3/4 cup pure oil (like sweet almond oil)
1 cup pure water (either distilled or rosewater)
2 Tablespoons shaved beeswax
It called for 30 drops of essential oils but we only used 3 and it is perfect for us (you can use lavender, ylang ylang, bergamot or your favorite)
pint glass jar or container for storage
Boil pot of any kind (not above) water.I melted oil and beeswax together in jar to save on dishes. (like a double boiler). When beeswax is melted take out of water and let cool a few minutes. Pour water into blender and slowly pour in oil mixture. about 3.4 of the way it will start to thicken and turn white. When finished mixing add in essential oil and mix a bit more. Scrap out of blender into jar. Ready to go!
We are going to try a cheaper oil when we are ddone with this jar. Sweet almond is about $9 a jar and you use 3/4 of the jar so seems expessive. We are going to try olive or sunflower next.
I am not taking credit for this I found it on the internet by someone else and am hoping I remembered all steps. My computer crashed and it was on there. Here is the website for where I found this recipe:
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-natural-body-lotion.html
Thanks for sharing this recipe! It looks great!