“I mean if I wear organic, clean, natural lipstick… surely I will get pregnant now!”
I think on some base level, this is what I probably think sometimes. Of course it’s ludicrous, but it doesn’t stop it crossing my mind.
As outlandish as this statement may seem, what this “journey” of craziness has led me to is a greater understanding of what I put in and on my body, and for that I am truly thankful.
Fertility for some is all about diet and nutrition and all those cruciferous vegetables
I too have gone down every nutrition rabbit hole to try and “make this work”, and no one can say it isn’t good for you (for anyone for that matter, even those not going through fertility issues!)… BUT the thing aside from cooking I’ve relished is detoxing my skincare, make up, and home!
Trust me, I haven’t done this forever, but once I started, I found it really hard to go back
In a sense, with it came a change of consciousness, both social, environmental and economic. I know right?! I’ve totally changed my approach. Don’t get me wrong I slip up all the time, and that’s ok. I’m a long way from being Zero Waste, but I think whatever you can do has got to be good, not only for YOU, but for this dear old planet of ours.
So, why did I switch to organic, ethical, clean make up specifically?
Well, I LOVE LIPSTICK, (as many of you may be aware!) and I wear it every day, and that’s where it started, for me. I just thought if I make this small change, with something I’m essentially eating, then that must be good, and it’s snowballed from there! I also realised (I mean I knew this, I did pretty well in biology at school), but the skin is our largest living organ, and quite obviously highly absorptive, so what we put on it matters!
There are few things that we can enjoy these days without some horror story or guilt associated,
You can make your call on that, and I’m afraid make up is one of those things that contains nasties that we don’t really take note of, because we’re not eating or drinking it (or so we think!).
From Phalates (chemicals used to make plastic flexible, used in perfumes, nail polish, lipstick, cleaning products) to BPA (Bisphenol A, found in our lovely tupperware and tinned food) and of course Parabens (preservatives that are everywhere!), there are lots of “unfriendly” ingredients that the majority of us are just not aware can be affecting our bodies.
The lovely Melanie Brown, calls these “GENDER BENDERS”
As essentially they are estrogen disruptors. Yes it is only small amounts, but when things are in “balance” I’d rather have them tipping in my favour.
Not only do I feel better because I know what I’m putting in/ on my body, but because when I choose brands that are responsible, by nature they are also ethical and sustainable! Many of these products come in glass bottles or recycled materials, keeping that nasty BPA at bay, and products that do not contain water have no need for preservatives, or alternative “safer” preservatives are used.
I guess something to be aware of is misleading labels, or at least “headlines”, just because it says it is NATURAL or ORGANIC doesn’t necessarily mean it is
Shop from boutiques and shops that do not carry products with ingredients that are questionable, I guess this is the first step. Shops like Whole Foods and Planet Organic, as well as many online retailers like LoveLula and GLOW have done the research for you!
A new app that I discovered recently called SKIN NINJA , which is a bit like Vivino for beauty, can help here or the ThinkDirty app.
But listen don’t beat yourself up, I’m learning everyday
The key is trying to reduce questionable ingredients across your lifestyle choices, from your cleaning products to your beauty care.
The truth is not all synthetics are bad and not all natural or organic products have a high proportion of certified ingredients, so I believe it’s just about taking control over what you can, when you can and what you want that to be.
For beauty, start with skincare and bodycare first
I didn’t, but you should if starting from scratch, then move on to cosmetics where LIPS should come first … OF COURSE!
But trust me, if you are still wearing your favourite MAC lippy it’s not going to be the deciding factor in your pregnancy results
(nb. **I AM NOT A DOCTOR).
There are lots of great places to find more information, but just some are below:
Keeley x
Aka @_tryingtobeamum_
