This week our guest blogger is Megan Roosevelt. Megan is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, producer, host and founder of Healthy Grocery Girl®: A Food, Family and Wellness website and No.1 Family Friendly Dietitian Channel on YouTube with over 4.5 million total views. Megan's realistic, fun and genuine approach to healthy living has cultivated a loyal online following and community. Megan is also an internationally published author, maternal health advocate and nutrition expert for television and magazine. She lives in sunny Los Angeles, California with her husband and business partner, Aaron Roosevelt and their daughter.
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I started using natural and organic beauty products over a decade ago, when the options were limited and natural beauty was more “hippie” than mainstream. I became fascinated with how what we eat and what we put on our skin can help or hinder our health. When I became a mom it was just as, if not more, important to continue using quality products on my skin and then on my daughter’s skin.
Did you know that baby skin and adult skin are different? An infant’s skin absorbs and loses moisture faster than adults. This is because a baby’s skin is thinner, more fragile and has not developed the barriers that adult skin has. This means that the products used on a baby’s skin are absorbed and enter the baby’s bloodstream even faster. Chemicals and preservatives may affect an infants endocrine function and immune system, which are just beginning to develop.
If you’re new to natural beauty and personal care products it can be overwhelming to look at a long list of ingredients and try and decide what seems safe and natural. For me, one of the number one ingredients that I avoid is Fragrance. You may also see fragrance under other names, such as Parfum.
Fragrance can be found in almost all categories of personal products, such as hair spray, lotion, moisturizer, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, shaving cream, deodorant, and antiperspirants, to name a few!
The problem with Fragrance as an ingredient is that “Fragrance” itself is not a specific thing, it is a category. Did you know that there are over 3000 different chemicals in the classification of “Fragrance.” According to the Environmental Working Group “The average fragrance product tested contained 14 secret chemicals not listed on the label. Among them are chemicals associated with hormone disruption and allergic reactions, and many substances that have not been assessed for safety in personal care products.”
Why is this allowed? Companies do not have to list the exact chemical or ingredients they use under the term “fragrance” because it is considered to be a “trade secret”.
One of the hidden compounds under the term “Fragrance” is an Endocrine (hormone) Disruptor known as Phthalates. Why does this matter? Your hormones play a massive role in your overall health, metabolism and therefore your ability to lose or maintain a healthy weight. Health is a multi-faceted issue and of course ONE thing in your life alone is not the cause of all-problems, however as we all work to live our healthiest, clean and most natural life, I would rather air on the side of safe than sorry by making the best choices all-around! This means choosing products that contain NO harmful or potentially harmful and toxic ingredients.
What I love about Urban Oreganics is that I don’t have to worry about any of the ingredients. This is really helpful if you’re in the process of switching over to cleaner beauty and personal care products. I know that every Urban Oreganics product is made with real, quality ingredients I recognize and feel good about. Instead of toxic fragrances, they scent their products with pure therapeutic grade essential oils, herbs, and florals. So thank you Emily and Cory for creating such a great line of products for my daughter and me!
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Big thanks to Megan for chatting with our readers today. For more natural lifestyle, motherhood and healthy recipes, stay connected with her on Instagram @HealthyGroceryGirl and @Great.Job.Mama and over at HealthyGroceryGirl.com and on YouTube.
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Thank you Megan! I had no clue the reasoning WHY the FDA allowed pretty much anything to be classified as a fragrance. It’s so sad… it’s everywhere! I can’t even walk into the grocery store without getting sprayed in the face by some glade air freshener 😳