Quick Facts. – Natural Nerd | Free DIY Recipes For Your Body & Home

Why should you choose natural products?

There are over 85 000 artificial chemicals in the market today (and growing), which includes cosmetics, medicine, household cleaning products, pesticides and food.

If you do further research, many product brands will claim that the quantity of these chemicals is too low to pose any danger, and that they meet the safe maximum dosage. BUT, just take a minute to think about the amount of products you use each day – toothpaste, mouth wash, soap, shampoo, conditioner, toner, face cream, make up etc. Each containing the safe maximum dosage, which means you are actually consuming ten times (or more) of the safe maximum dosage everyday!

Studies are linking overexposure to chemicals to a wide variety of problems:

cancer
disruption of the immune, nervous, endocrine, and reproductive systems
sexual dysfunction
visual disturbances
memory loss
fatigue
personality changes
headaches
sleep disturbances
muscle in-coordination
aches and pains

(Source: Debra Lynn Dadd, Home Safe Home)

See more real-time statistics about the use of chemicals and our impact on the environment.

A healthier body is an excellent reason why you should switch to natural and organic products wherever possible. Other reasons to convince you:

It can be cheaper: Making your own products can be a whole lot cheaper than buying products, and cheaper even than buying natural/ organic retail equivalents.
It is sustainable & eco-friendly: the recipes I share on this blog use natural products which are biodegradable and ethically sourced. If you come across an ingredient which isn’t, please contact me and I’ll happily stop using and promoting it (I try my best to research every ingredient, but I’m human and can make mistakes).

As a starting point, I’d like to give you a practical example of one ingredient used in your everyday life.

Example: Roll-on

Grab your roll-on/ antiperspirant and read the list of ingredients. I’ll bet that you’ll find aluminium listed among the plethora of unpronounceable, harmful chemicals.

The aluminium based compound is the active ingredient which blocks your pores and prevents you from sweating. Apart from keeping you fresh, applying this heavy metal to your armpits is also proposed to cause, or be linked to breast cancer. The research is not conclusive, and some say it’s just another ‘internet rumour’, but I don’t want to take my chances on something that is easily replaced.

Aluminium in any shape or form is really bad for your health, even in small amounts. Aluminium has also been the subject of much research when it comes to Alzheimers disease.

However, aluminium is not the only culprit. Controversial preservatives and softeners called parabens and phthalates, are also found in most cosmetic products, including your roll-on.

Labelling policy of products

It is very important to understand the ingredients in the products you buy, so that you will not be fooled by words like “natural”, “pure” and even “organic” among others.

Firstly, many products claim to be “natural”, but what they really mean is that they contain naturally derived ingredients. This is basically a manipulation of words which actually means that the ingredients derived from nature have been used to artificially create a product that is delivered in an unnatural form. Not all naturally derived ingredients are necessarily bad, but I dislike the lack of transparency.

Certified Organic products are best, however they are also the most expensive due to the costly process of getting certified. You can trust that certified products are organic.
Organic products are better, and more affordable. These are brands that have chosen not to go through the pricey process of certification. Not all of them can be trusted. After all, it’s a world where people profit from re-selling grocery store veggies by slapping on an “organic” label at the farmers’ market.
Natural products are okay, and are the cheapest. However, one must be skeptical when seeing this label. It is very important to read the list of ingredients and understand what exactly is inside.

Be aware of these ‘natural’ myths

1. “Natural” is not always better

Keep in mind that just because something is natural, does not make it good for you. Everything is natural if you think about it, because everything must be made from the natural periodic table of elements – everything is chemistry. Aluminium is natural, since it can be found in the earth’s crust, but it’s definitely not good for you to grab a spoonful to eat, or smear it on your perspiring armpits.

2. Crystal antiperspirants are JUST AS bad

I was fooled by this one too. When I first started out, I heard that crystal deodorants were the healthy alternative as they were merely a natural mineral salt which were free from parabens and aluminium, and were endorsed by Cancer Treatment Centres. I encourage you to do further research and make your own informed decisions, but I have personally chosen to stay away from this misleading product.

The primary ingredient in crystal deodorants is “ammonium alum” or some other “alum” compound. Guess what alum stands for? Yep, you guessed it, “aluminium”. Arguments for this product claim that this compound of aluminium is too large to be absorbed by the skin. However, there are just as many claims that this simply isn’t true and that it is in fact absorbed by the skin. Either way, until there is conclusive evidence I have opted to stay away from any aluminium compounds altogether. Better safe than sorry. Try a salt bar deodorant instead.

3. Please don’t make your own sunscreen – it’s dangerous!

Many natural beauty blogs will share DIY sunscreen recipes, and I will never do this for the simple reason that it is irresponsible and dangerous to your health.

In short, the ingredients in many of these recipes are not dangerous themselves, but you cannot trust that your homemade sunscreen will protect your skin from the sun. For more details, read my article on the dangers of DIY sunblock.

I personally only trust lab tested sunscreens which can ensure that the SPF is accurate, and that the protection is consistent. There are many natural and organic lab-tested sunscreens available in South Africa. Another organic option is the tried and tested wide-brimmed hat!

4. Avoid using alcohol IN Skincare

Alcohol is found in many products and natural recipes such as mouthwash, perfumes, deodorants, face wash, toner and even moisturisers. They are added to give products a lightweight and fresh feel. Yet, the sobering fact is that some studies link the alcohol in mouthwash to oral cancer. Also, the topical application of alcohol damages your skin’s protective barrier and facilitates the absorption of toxins including carcinogens. As such, I have chosen to use distilled water instead of alcohol in my skincare recipes.

Please help spread awareness by sharing this information.