Ger Your Rub On

Whether you're the kind of girl who doesn't close your eyes at night without washing your face and applying serums or you're more of a risk taker, seeing how long that club makeup will last at work Monday morning, this is one skin care tip, while you are home to that bun, that you need to add to your routine (or lack there of). Now, I am definitely one of the former, I could probably operate a small country with the amount of money I have spent on skin care products and because I wasn't blessed with the "I don't really wash my face" type of skin, I have zero problem squeezing another step into my routine. If you don't have a routine ... this should be your new one... Belly Cream!!! 

Say it with me ... BELLY CREAM ... BELLY CREAM ... BELLY CREAM. Say it because no one wants to say (or for that matter see)... STRETCH MARKS ... see it just doesn't look good in all caps or on your pretty skin!! 

Many people are under the assumption that stretch marks are unavoidable... you're getting them or you're not. You either have the type of skin that can't stretch or you don't. This is a tiny bit, sort of true. Stretch marks are the result of your skin being stretched farther and faster than it can keep up with (actually it's severe pulling force on skin that overcomes the dermis' elasticity.) Hence, you see it on people who gain weight very quickly or body builders who kicked it with Barry Bonds for a hot minute and now their biceps are bigger than their ever shrinking heads. Hormonal changes and genetic make-up can determine how much stretch your skin can accommodate and how the marks will look. And yes it's true some skin colors and tones will show stretch marks more, darker, lighter or thicker than others. Chances are if you are growing a lot in a short amount of time you will have stretch marks, but you can help! And I can help you. Help me help you Jerry.

Continued softening of the skin is going to help the skin stretch farther. True story and I don't need a degree from Harvard Medical School to say that. It's true. It will not take away the possibility of stretch marks but it can greatly aide your skin. 

This is the trust tree...you are most likely going to gain weight in your breasts, your hips and thighs too, it's cool, everyone's doing it, but it means don't limit it to your tummy! It's not a bad thing it's exciting. Make it your time ... whenever that is, just out of the shower, at night before you sleep, at lunch in the office (maybe try the bathroom). Add it into the same time every day like brushing your teeth, this way you feel guilty if you miss it. But really, who will want to when it's your time each day to relax. Five minutes to reflect on the day, think about baby names or how to talk your family into more than one day a week of babysitting, whatever. All while you are what I like to call "lubing up"! (If you can lube up more than once a day - you get extra credit!)

Now for the lube. As usual there are a ton of options. Because of the nature of this website and my personal preference, I will stick to eco choices... well because they are best! So let's look for colorant, paraben, petroleum and sodium laureth sulfate free! (FYI many awesome mamas make their own - Awesomely eco website btw!) And some of the best ingredients are going to be; cocoa butter, vitamin E, Almond Oil and Sesame Seed Oil. Some of the best out there based on reviews seem to be:

1. Weleda Stretch Mark Oil
2. Erbavivia Belly Butter

It doesn't matter if you are 9 weeks preggo or 30 weeks, get to it. It's not going to hurt to start early and it's better to start late than never at all. So, go ahead and get your rub on!

Love in Green 

the ecofashionista

Triclosan .... The Jury is out!

The dangers of Triclosan have been brought to light quite a bit over the last couple of years. The antibacterial agent found in many skin care products is also found in some toothpastes and household products and is proving to wreak havoc on our water systems, sea life and making it’s way into our drinking water. However, as humans do, we so often forget about what happens to things long after we wash them off our bodies down the drain, out of sigh out of mind.

All of that ickyness aside, it’s the affect on humans that is the focus here. Triclosan is not currently known to be hazardous to humans, as says the FDA’s last review (the same federal department that gave its stamp of approval to Johnson and Johnson’s Baby Shampoo just yanked off shelves for reformulation). However, there has been so much information contradicting what they initially reported that they have engaged in a whole new set of studies, and will be announcing the results in 2012. What has caught their attention is the change in hormones that Triclosan causes in animals. Now it’s true that what happens in animals doesn’t always occur in humans but the concern is that the half life (fancy word for what happens after we think it’s gone, washed off our body, dishes or clothes, and can no longer be seen) of Triclosan is much longer than initially thought, and that human fat cells seem to be a place where they flourish in this state. The FDA is also looking into it’s aide in developing anti-biotic resistant germs and it’s affect on the human immune system.

A chemical like Triclosan can disrupt hormone regulation causing  thyroid and estrogen-related health effects and may affect fetal growth. Because of its link to fatty tissues, there are many people who believe it can be an issue in breast feeding.

Now every single time something comes up about a product in use today, should it require an all hand on board flip out? No. And to that extent the FDA does seem to do the best it can with the resources available, but being preggo means paying a little more attention to those things you might not have before.

What is really important in this information is that at the bottom of everything, Triclosan – whose recent use has been antibacterial soaps, gels and face washes, is actually shown to remove no more germs or bacteria than soap and water. We shouldn’t be afraid to do simpler, easier things because we are bombarded with products that they say do something better. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about chemicals you don’t know about and to learn exactly what you are putting on your body, because that ends up in your body. 

The jury on Triclosan is out but it might benefit you and your buns to take an inventory of the products you currently use with Triclosan in the ingredient list, if it's something you can live with out or replace with a non Triclosan containing product ....give it a try. This is a good website for a basic list of products known to contain Triclosan; http://drbenkim.com/articles/triclosan-products.htm

Love in Green 

the ecofashionista