@cuddlefaery - “skin that reacts to a boat load of stuff and will randomly decide to react to stuff I've used for years out of nowhere sometimes..”
I can relate. I used Schmidt deodorant for about a year and I really liked it but literally over night I started having a pretty bad allergic reaction to it. That is what prompted me to switch to the mineral crystal. Thanks for your tips & suggestions.
@avebae - I’m glad you’ve had a good experience with the mineral crystal. I’ve been using mine for quite a while now and it has not gone down by a noticeable amount. I feel like that crystal is going to last at least a couple of years and it was already cheaper than regular deodorant. Low cost and an effective deodorant is a a great combination 😊
I don't know if you would consider this natural (everything is cruelty-free except for my prescription retinol), but here is my skincare routine: Morning: Kosas Dream Beam Sunscreen followed by makeup
Night: Skinfix Barrier+ Foaming Oil Hydrating Cleanser Altreno *RX only Farmacy Honey Halo Moisturizer
I should probably do more and have some vitamin C serum and eye cream, but I am lazy. I Have many skin care products in my vanity that I don't use regularly. But overall, I rarely break out anymore, and my skin is slowly improving since I only started the Altreno recently.
@JohnR1972 my problem with most natural deodorants is baking soda. It's super common to react to the high levels of baking soda used in natural deodorants by getting terrible contact dermatitis rashes as the baking soda throws off the skin's pH, destroys the protective lipid layers, and equally kills off the good bacteria with the bad. Some people with hardy skin can tolerate it ... but many like myself cannot. Even a little bit of baking soda in deodorant and I break out in a spreading rash that requires steroids now
Many natural brands have started to carry "sensitive" baking soda free versions since the problem is so common - Schmidt's included. They're often less effective though as baking soda is the main replacement for aluminum salts. I've tried just about every variation out there, found all of them more problematic for the most part, and ended up going back to aluminum based antiperspirant due to hyperhydrosis issues and after doing more research on the safety concerns over aluminum salts. Yrmv 🤷🏻♀️
@cuddlefaery I didn't know that. That would explain why I'm allergic to deodorants. I tried three different types, including two hypoallergenic ones, before giving up. Fortunately I can use it once in a while, but two or three days in a row will result in a rash.
@cuddlefaery What kind of non-greasy lotions do you use, please? Thanks.
@achetocuddle I’ve been using Lubriderm and I love it. Not saying it’s natural, but it is good, and non-greasy.
@achetocuddle I want all the grease! lol
Oh, @Minestrone101 , LOL. @CuddleHugs01234 That's interesting. The last time I used Lubriderm it seemed greasy to me. Thanks for the suggestion.
@cuddlefaery - that makes sense. I loved Schmidt’s but after over a year of using it without any issues, I started getting a terrible rash from using it. It was the original formula with baking soda. I have not tried the baking soda free variant but I am happy with the mineral crystal deodorant I am using so I plan to stick with that unless something unexpected happens. I’ve been using it for a couple months now and so far it seems effective and no skin irritation.
@JohnR1972 I make my own toothpaste and have for years, same for lotion, laundry detergent and hair care products. I worked in Hazardous waste so I know exactly what you mean. Message me if you want recipes.
@Unscented_Lemon @achetocuddle
For body I've been using a local grocery store brand's organic line unscented body lotion. It's quite light and absorbs completely, with a short ingredient list so maybe you could find an equivalent locally? For an easier to find, though not cruelty free, option I used to enjoy Aveeno's Sheer Body Lotion.
On my face I usually prefer gel creams most of the year and only use lotions on my cheeks when they are dry/flaring (I have combo sensitive skin, formerly very oily and acne prone). I dislike feeling products on my face. Over summer if I needed more moisture than my serums offer, I added IUNIK'S Gel Cream and at night Honest Beauty's Hydrogel Cream. Now that the season is changing and I need more moisture and barrier protection, I've started using my body lotion on my cheeks at night and during the day I use Embryolisse Lotion (the cream concentrate is the cult favorite, but I find it too heavy except for my absolute driest times, and then I can't tolerate the fragrance anyway. The lotion is much lighter both in texture and fragrance, but still wears great under makeup & sunscreen).
Edit to add: I look for lotions that don't contain heavy oils or butters, or if they do they are lower down on the list. Watch out for dimethicone as well - while it is a great skin protectant it can feel heavy in high amounts. Other potentially heavy feeling ingredients: Shea butter, caster oil, coconut oil, olive oil, lanolin, beeswax, petroleum, cocoa butter. Some lighter feeling ingredients my skin loves: jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, hempseed oil, candelillia wax (vegan alternative to beeswax), aloe vera, sunflower seed oil, glycerin, rose water (or any infused water really, like the centella extract water used in the IUNIK), hypochlorous acid
@cuddlefaery Girl, you must not need much sleep. You have a lot of knowledge and experience about things. Thanks for the detailed answer. Now I gotta look all this up, lol.
@achetocuddle chalk it up to ADHD and chronic insomnia 🤣
@JohnR1972 that’s got to be the cutest coolest shop sign I’ve seen in a while. I love the color scheme.
I’ve pretty much divorced myself from the normal product routine a while ago. My philosophy for my hair is if it’s good for my skin, it’s good for my hair and vice versa. I see the skin as like earth that needs the right nutrients and watering, and hair as like the grass that’s simply an extension of that. So same logic, if washing your hair is an extension of washing your skin then naturally theres no real difference in cleansing the two. And we grow hair all over our body, so why would the hair on our head be treated any different (hairist lol). So I basically use the same soap for all. My favorite that seems to work wonders on my skin and hair is the purifying neem/turmeric soap by Himalaya. It smells nice too. I’ve also had a really nice experience with African Black soap with raw shea butter from west Africa by the brand Alaffia. My hair would just change texture with it and it would moisturize the skin at the same time. There was another soap I used to use all the time called Chandrika as well. It’s very drying though and requires some kind of oil application after.
Toothpaste: my goto’s are usually the fresh mint one by Auromere or a charcoal based one, can’t remember the brand name, or the tea tree oil one by Dessert Essence. That last one is really amazing on cavities.
As far as deodorants are concerned I really like making my own and it’s relatively simple to make. I’ll mix some 365 baking soda by Wholefoods with some water or hydrogen peroxide and either make a paste out of it or a spray depending on the liquid content. When using it, I notice how any odor, even if you sweat, is like gone. Even if I don’t use it the next day. It seems to last 48-72 hrs. There’s also a crystal called Alum Stone that looks like quartz stones. I’m not sure if it’s the same as the mineral crystal spray you were mentioning earlier, but sometimes I’ll crush the stones to make a powder and add it to my spray/paste. I did notice a difference in skin sensitivity if I used the arm & hammer baking soda as opposed to the 365 one. I’m not sure why, but there might be some contamination or other metals in one brand of baking soda vs another so important to choose a good brand there.
@PrettyLuv - that store is pretty interesting. They carry a lot of tie dye clothes, hand made jewelry, 60s and 70s band posters, music and paraphernalia along with “smoking supplies” in a section of the store where they card you before you are allowed to enter (must be a TN law as you can clearly see that entire section of the store from the rest of the store, you just step over a line of tape on the floor).
Thanks for the tip on the 365 baking soda. I just assumed all baking soda was the same but in hindsight that is a big assumption. The crystal you described sounds exactly like what I use. Mine is potassium alum and it looks just like quartz.
@CaringPaws "1 I like to put Jasmine oil in my hair to condition and it smells lovely too"
Nice, I don't really use oils, though I'd like to try Jasmine oil, and a few others.