YOUR KIDS AND TOXINS

This morning on the news, I was relieved to see a movie that is being presented at this year's HOT DOCS in Toronto, it's called Toxic Beauty. Within the first few seconds of the Director explaining the movie, the word TALC came up.... I swelled up with tears of joy. Why you ask?

I became a Holistic Nutritionist for many reasons, 1. I'm a Mom and their health is paramount. 2. I'm a woman and my health is paramount to their health 3. I'm human and my desire to help others is overwhelming.

During my studies I was overwhelmed by research and evidence that personal care products are loaded with proven Cancer causing ingredients, yet there are no regulations from our government to stop the manufacturing and/or importing and eventual sales, especially to our children. A quote from this movie "We shouldn’t be telling girls to stop using these products; the government should be telling these companies not to make toxic products.”

I'm no different than most Moms, buying my little girl a make-up kit or little face creams was almost a right of passage, I grew up with them as did every other little girl I knew. It wasn't until I studied health did I learn to read ingredients. Next time you're in the store, look at the ingredients of eye shadow.....talc, parabens, mercury, aluminium... OMG WHAT??? ON THEIR EYES??? So when my daughter asked for creams and make-up, I said no but then felt like the worst mom in the world. But I had control.....until I didn't.

As she became a teenager, it was obvious I was going to lose this battle unless I found cleansers and creams and make-up that were free of toxins and made her feel like part of her teen group. Her forehead was starting to break out in congestion because of her sports and she was very self conscious about it, so we needed to find clean personal care.

I'm lucky enough to work at The Facial Place, so I know the skin care we carry is clean. Eminence Organics is ....organic and Miracle 10 is paraben and chemical free.

When I read the blog post below by Eminence I knew right away I needed to share it with you and your kids, because like all parents, you want the best for your children.

We must teach them to make clean decisions that will ultimately help their future health.

When tweens hit their teenage years, oiliness and breakouts really ramp up. Dr. Hooman Khorasani , Chief, Dermatologic and Cosmetic Surgery of Mount Sinai Health System tells us: “As teenagers (both male and female) go through puberty, they have a surge of testosterone and other androgenic hormones. One effect of this surge is an increase in sebum production." Sebum is an important component of healthy skin, helping to moisturize and protect it from the environment. However, as Dr. Khorasani says, "Sebum is the favorite “food” of the bacteria, p.acnes, and can cause an overgrowth of this bacteria on the skin, leading to breakouts.”

Sebum is the favorite “food” of the bacteria, p.acnes, and can cause an overgrowth of this bacteria on the skin, leading to breakouts.

Teens also produce more keratin, a protective protein that strengthens the skin, hair and nails. The result of an increase in keratin is - literally - a thicker skin. This contributes to blocked pores and congestion, which only amplify the likelihood of breakouts. Luckily, as Dr. Khorasani reminds us: “The good news is that most teenagers can manage these changes with appropriate hygiene and skin care.”

Most experts recommend starting a very basic skin care routine during the preteen years. This builds good skin care habits and ensures that by the time more major issues come along, there is a good, healthy base to work from.

How do you get a skin care routine going? Natalie advises: “It’s super easy. You don’t want to make it complicated, but you also want to make it a little bit of fun so they will do it on a regular basis.” Read on for what we advise for a tween and teen skin care routine.

Rule number one: Keep it basic. You don’t want to overwhelm your tween or teen with your favorite Korean 10-step routine. Instead, keep it gentle and bare bones; there’s always room for them to add more products as they become more comfortable. This slow and steady approach also makes it easier to determine what ingredients and formulas work best for your child’s skin - and what has the potential to irritate it.

Making skin care a quick and easy addition to their morning and night routine makes it more likely that your tween or teen will follow through.

This basic skin care routine has two simple steps: cleanse and moisturize, day and night. Natalie suggests building skin care into your preteen's existing routine: “Why not make it part of that process? When they brush their teeth, they can wash their face. When they’re finished flossing, they can put on their moisturizer. If you create a skin care routine that way, they won’t miss when they’re supposed to do their home care.” Making skin care a quick and easy addition to a morning and night routine makes it more likely that your tween or teen will follow through.

Step 1: Cleanse

When it comes to choosing a cleanser, stick to a gentle formula that will clear impurities and keep the skin hydrated. Natalie recommends our Stone Crop Gel Wash which gives a nice, light lather and contains beneficial ingredients like stone crop, chamomile and shea butter. Most importantly, like all Eminence Organics products, it is formulated without harmful chemicals that could irritate the skin.

Step 2: Moisturize

To moisturize the skin, Natalie suggests choosing an SPF formula that will also provide protection against harmful UV rays. Her recommendation: “If you want to go with a moisturizer that has an SPF in it, I would definitely go with our Red Currant Protective Moisturizer SPF 30.” This lightweight moisturizer not only controls oil but also contains sustained release tea tree oil which helps reduce the visible signs of breakouts.

If you prefer to add an additional sun protection step to your tween or teen’s skin care routine, Natalie suggests pairing our Stone Crop Whip Moisturizer with your favorite sun care product. Like the Stone Crop Gel Wash, this gentle moisturizer is good for all skin types and contains deeply hydrating stone crop which brightens and moisturizes the skin.

Makeup removal may come into play as your tween or teen starts experimenting with cosmetics. This is an essential step in maintaining a healthy complexion and preventing clogged pores and breakouts. To thoroughly remove makeup, we recommend adding an oil cleanser and an eye makeup remover to your teen or tween’s routine.

Stone Crop Cleansing Oil does NOT sting your eyes. It smells amazing and is very moisturizing. Definitely "teen approved"

PS here is the movie I mentioned https://nowtoronto.com/movies/reviews/hot-docs-toxic-beauty/