I cannot tell you all how excited I am about this post! A few years ago, I discovered why the things we put on our skin are just as important as what we put into our guts, and nothing’s been the same since. I learned the problems with deodorant, conventional makeup, and especially those conventional lotions filled with carcinogenic chemicals. But finding safe and effective alternatives is not an easy task! I’ve found a few here and there over the years, but every once in a while, something wonderful will come along.
And that’s what this post is about! You can probably already guess whether I liked these products or not! I enjoy doing giveaways and most of the time I enjoy the products. This time, I not only enjoyed these products but plan on buying them for myself and especially as gifts for my friends!
First, we must get the technical mumbo jumbo out of the way. I was not paid to review these products and do not have a financial interest in such. The company generously gave me some products to sample and review and has offered products for a giveaway as well (details below).
The company is LaZuli Organics, http://www.lazuliorganics.com/, a body care products company committed to educate consumers on the dangers of chemicals in conventional body care products and how to be healthy, wise consumers. They differ from other body care companies by having:
NO PROPYLENE GLYCOL
NO PARABENS
NO SOY
NO BISMUTH OXYCHORIDE
NO CHROMIUM OXIDE GREEN
NO CARMINE
NO DYES/LAKES
NO FERRIC FERRACYANIDE
NO BORAX
NO POLYSORBATES
NO DIMETHICONE
NO BETAINE
Let’s discuss a little bit about why some of these are bad and what I think of LaZuli Organics’ alternatives.
Most people use cosmetics and other personal care items without a second thought, believing that the government oversees their safety. Not so. No health studies or pre-market testing are required for these products. Personal care products are manufactured with 10,500 unique chemical ingredients, some of which are known or suspected carcinogens, toxic to the reproductive system or known to disrupt the endocrine system.
Cosmetic ingredients do not remain on the surface of the skin. They are designed to penetrate, and they do. Scientists have found many common cosmetic ingredients in human tissues, including phthalates in urine, preservatives called parabens in breast tumor tissue and persistent fragrance components in human fat.
One of the most important things we must remember when it comes to our skin: it is our body’s largest organ. Whatever we put on it will be absorbed into our bloodstream. It will not go through the digestive system and all of it’s digestive filtration processes to dilute and filter toxins the way food does. What we put ON our body is just as important, if not more important, as what we put IN our body!
You can go to Environmental Working Group’s website and see where the current body care products (lotions, make up, hair care products, sunscreens, fragrances, baby care products, etc.) you use rank for toxicity and safety by going to their website here. Most people are very surprised to see the extent of toxic chemicals in the products they apply to their body every day!
Here are the specific products I was given to sample from Lazuli Organics and why I was especially seeking safe alternatives for these products:
Deodorant/Antiperspirants
There are at least a few problems with conventional deodorants and antiperspirants. The first is that antiperspirants interrupt a necessary natural process–sweating. Sweating is our body’s way of eliminating toxins, especially those that the body is overloaded with and unable to eliminate efficiently through bowels and urine. The more smell a person has, the more toxins their body is trying to eliminate. When the bowels are not moved efficiently (at least one but preferably two per day), when that person is not hydrated adequately, and when other factors are present that prevent the body from eliminating toxins well (such as liver, kidneys, etc. that are not functioning well and/or an environment/lifestyle that is constantly taking in toxins), the body works very hard to get rid of excess toxins. This is part of God’s great design, yet we interrupt this important process with antiperspirants.
To make matters worse, the more toxic a person gets, the more they smell. Rather than understanding the reason behind this, conventional medicine prescribes prescription-strength antiperspirants instead.
Aluminum is another problem as it is present in antiperspirants. Aluminum has been established as a neurotoxin, adversely affects the blood–brain barrier, is capable of causing DNA damage, and has adverse epigenetic effects (meaning it can actually alter genes which would effect future offspring).
A medical review of 15 years worth of research examined the many studies done on the connection between aluminum and Alzheimer’s, and found that aluminum is definitely a risk factor for Alzheimer’s. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18392545
Medical research also shows that this chemical in deodorants applied to the underarms increases the risk of breast cancer as well. In addition to blocking the release of toxins, antiperspirants containing aluminum deposit this heavy metal into breast tissue.
In a 2007 study published in the Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry, researchers tested breast samples from 17 breast-cancer patients who had undergone mastectomies. The women who used antiperspirants had deposits of aluminum in their outer breast tissue. Concentrations of aluminum were higher in the tissue closest to the underarm than in the central breast.
Conventional deodorants contain parabens (methylparabens, propylparabens, etc.), which mimic estrogen and can act as potential hormone (endocrine) system disruptors. This is important because if you have followed my page for a while, you know that estrogen dominance (overabundance of estrogen in the body) is one of the most common causes of women’s health problems and women’s cancers. We have estrogen-mimicking compounds in our food supply and our body care products that cause problems such as irregular menstrual cycles, PMS, early menopause, breast cancer, etc.
So let’s just go with the natural/organic deodorants, right? They are aluminum-free and do not block the body’s natural sweat process. Unfortunately, I discovered that just about every “natural” and “organic” deodorant on the market, brands such as JASON (which is labeled as “Pure. Natural. Organic”), Desert Essence, Tom’s of Maine, Kiss My Face, and more contain propylene glycol, often as the first ingredient (meaning there is more of that than any other ingredient)!
So what’s wrong with that? Propylene glycol is used to prevent a product from melting in heat and freezing in cold. It alters the structure of the skin by allowing chemicals to penetrate deep beneath it while increasing their ability to reach the blood stream. Sounds lovely, right? So even if propylene glycol was good for you, it’s main job is to help any other chemicals you come in contact with reach your bloodstream.
Propylene glycol has been rated by the Environmental Working Group as a 4 by them, which is categorized as a “moderate” health issue. It has been shown to be linked to cancer, developmental/reproductive issues, allergies/immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity and endocrine disruption.
What about crystal stones? Dr. Mercola points out that this option commonly chosen in natural health circles may not be a good alternative either:
“Crystal” deodorant stones, which are a popular natural deodorant alternative often used by health-conscious shoppers looking to avoid aluminum, often claim to be aluminum-free, but some actually contain a different type of compound known as an alum, the most common form being potassium alum, also known as potassium aluminum sulfate.
Potassium Alum or Ammonium Alum are natural mineral salts made up of molecules that are too large to be absorbed by your skin. They form a protective layer on your skin that inhibits the growth of odor-causing bacteria. These deodorants are recommended by many cancer treatment centers, but while this may be a better alternative to most antiperspirants and deodorants on the market, it is not completely aluminum-free.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/10/17/aluminum-containing-antiperspirants-contribute-breast-cancer.aspx
So what does LaZuli Organics’ deodorant contain? In the deodorant I received to review, the ingredients are: Organic Arrowroot, Organic Distilled Lime Essential oil ,Organic Mandarin, Organic Oregano, Organic Virgin Coconut Oil. No alums/aluminum, parabens, propylene glycol, etc.
This is LaZuli’s Coconut Lime Spritzer deodorant. The first day I used this product, I was so excited about the way it smelled. Little did I know that unlike conventional deodorants with chemical/artificial fragrances, this naturally-fragranced product had a very long-lasting scent. I skipped my shower the next day and still had the lovely smell of coconut lime under my arms!!! I have never had that happen with conventional and “natural” or “organic” deodorants!
Because it has coconut oil in it, I imagined it could potentially cause oil staining of shirts in the underarm area. Fortunately, I have not noticed that happening with this product.
I find the price of $8.75 to be very reasonable, considering the high-quality ingredients in this product and the fact that only a very small amount is needed to be effective and for the great long-lasting smell!
LaZuli also currently offers another deodorant scent, Wheatgrass and Manuka Deodorant, and will have another great one for men in the future, Bearded Rum Deodorant! These sound great, and I know I will have to get my hubby the bearded rum when it comes out, but for me I will stick with the coconut lime deodorant because I just like it that much! You can see more about this product on LaZuli’s homepage: http://www.lazuliorganics.com/
Check out our giveaway below where 2 winners will receive a deodorant and an eye shadow of their choice from LaZuli!
Perfume
Another product I got to try out from LaZuli Organics was their perfume. This one took me by surprise because I did not even KNOW that it was possible to get a safe, natural perfume other than just using essential oils!
A couple of years ago, I began noticing that I would get a headache whenever I was around someone wearing a lot of perfume. After some research, I discovered that conventional, chemical perfumes are very similar to gasoline in that they are made with petroleum products and are very harmful to the body, even just from breathing them. Conventional perfumes are basically bottles of liquid toxic chemicals that have the potential to harm us and those around us. According to Rodale in an article discussing a 2010 study on the toxic effects of perfume:
Researchers found that labels of popular perfumes don’t list harmful perfume ingredients linked to sperm damage, hormone disruption (which is linked to some cancers, thyroid disease, obesity, diabetes, and other serious health problems), reproductive toxicity, and allergy problems. And chemicals that may play a role in cancer were found in many of the fragrances analyzed.
Researchers found unlabeled chemicals in many popular perfume brands that cause immediate health problems such as asthma, wheezing, headaches, and contact dermatitis, in addition to the long-term ones listed above. See which perfumes were included in the study, as well as which one had the most unlabeled toxic chemicals, in Rodale’s article here.
Knowing these problems, I had sworn off perfumes! When the owner of LaZuli Organics sent me a perfume, I was elated to find that there was a safe alternative!
The one I received to review was LaZuli’s new organic gluten free DULCHE DE COCO perfume with notes of vanilla and coconut. The scent is wonderful; it is refreshing but not overpowering. And like their deodorant, LaZuli’s perfume has a long-lasting scent, which I find absolutely amazing for such a natural product!
Eye Shadow
Here are just some of the standard chemicals found in conventional eye shadow products, none of which are found in LaZuli Organics’ loose mineral eye shadows:
CHROMIUM GREEN OXIDE — According to EWG, this chemical, is rated as a level 2 because of enhanced skin absorption, ecotoxicology, organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), and persistence and bioaccumulation.
TALC — This ingredient which often contains aluminum also contains asbestos fibers, posing risks for respiratory toxicity and cancer. Studies by the National Toxicology Panel demonstrated that cosmetic-grade talc free of asbestos is a form of magnesium silicate that also can be toxic and carcinogenic. (This is why it still blows my mind that baby powder with a main ingredient as talc is still used today!)
CARMINE — A red pigment/dye derived from beetles, carmine has been associated with severe allergic reactions in some people.
PARABENS (see info above in deodorant section on problems with parabens)
Aside from the benefits of not containing these ingredients, loose mineral eye shadow has added benefits of allowing skin to breathe and is hypoallergenic so it will not contain ingredients that are likely to cause allergic reactions in some individuals.
LaZuli Organics has over 30 different colors to choose from, so there are colors for every skin type and personality!
It was my first ever experience with loose mineral eyeshadow (I am not a big make up person), so I found this video to be helpful–it explains how to apply loose mineral eyeshadow:
It seems with this product, I am turning into more of a make-up person after all! I really enjoyed the natural shimmer of the eyeshadows, the very small amount that was needed for full coverage making it budget-friendly, and the many colors to choose from. This will definitely be my go-to eyeshadow from now on!
A full-size eyeshadow from LaZuli Organics is $13.50, and you can also get a sample or two (or three or more) for $1/each to experiment with colors and find which one(s) you like best!
And don’t forget to enter the giveaway below where two winners will receive a LaZuli Organics loose mineral eyeshadow color of their choice and one of LaZuli’s wonderful deodorants!
Body Butter
Ahhh, body butter. Just the name of it is soothing! But lotions and body butters are one of the most difficult products to find without harmful ingredients, such as many of those listed above. Even sitting in Whole Foods Market for an hour when I first learned about the toxic ingredients in lotions, I could not find a natural or organic one there that I felt was safe!
Body butter, especially LaZuli’s, differs from lotion in that is a thicker, less watered down version of lotion. It provides a lot of moisture with just a little bit of the product.
Being pregnant with a growing belly, you can bet I was more than excited to receive LaZuli Organics’ organic whipped body butter! The main ingredients for their body butters are organic Shea butter, organic macadamia nut oil & organic cocoa butter. If you’ve been pregnant before, you already know how great these are on a pregnant belly, as well as any part of the body! But with being pregnant, and knowing what we know about the things we put on our skin being absorbed into our bodies (and our baby’s), it was even more important to me to make sure the moisturizer I used on my growing belly was safe!
LaZuli has many different wonderful body butter scents:
Pina Colada
Grapefruit
Coconut Cream
Lavender Dreams
Jasmine Tea
Lemon Souffle
Chocolate Truffles
Java Latte
Dulce De Leche
I received the pina colada one and LOVE the smell! Even though the tub of body butter costs $22.50, I have been using it for weeks and have barely made a dent in the tub. A little goes a long way with this product! It is very moisturizing but not greasy, and the scent is long-lasting. Not only will I continue using this product for myself, but I think this will make an excellent thing to have a few on hand for gifts!
Other products LaZuli currently offers include foundation, chocolate acai lip berry, acai facial therapy serum, bar soap, and shampoo bar.
I usually like to try and include some cons to a product I review, but I am hard-pressed to find one with LaZuli Organics products. The cost may be a factor for some but for those who have researched the points mentioned above and worked hard to find safe alternatives, they will know the value in these products! Our health is worth it!
And now I hope this is okay with the owner of LaZuli, but I want to share with you my favorite reason for making these products my new first choice. Unlike buying from big companies where profits go towards things like marketing and high-paid CEO’s, profits from the small company LaZuli help the owner, a homeschooling, single mom, continue doing what she is doing for her family. Getting a great, safe product AND helping another mom is a blessing to both the consumer and the manufacturer!
LaZuli Organics has offered to give away both an organic deodorant and a loose mineral eyeshadow of choice to TWO fortunate winners! Sign up for the giveaway below, and be sure to follow LaZuli Organics’ facebook page to watch for specials and new products!
Thank you, LaZuli Organics, for sharing your product with me and with HFFG’s fans!
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