What Do You Mean There is Something Wrong with My Sunscreen?

Ever wonder how sunscreen can actually “screen” the sun?  Well, for starters, there are specific ingredients that work to block the rays.  The FDA regulates those ingredients that can be used as sunscreen agents.  Materials such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide can do the job.  Sound familiar?  Unfortunately, that is where the FDA stops its regulation.  It has been 33 years of the FDA dragging its feet to set specific standards for sunscreen manufacturers.

The Environmental Working Group summed it up in its 2011 Sunscreen Guide.  There are too many “what ifs” in the sunscreen world and much debate as to whether most of the sunscreens available are doing their jobs!  Both UV radiation and many common sunscreen ingredients generate free radicals that damage DNA and skin cells, accelerate skin aging and cause skin cancer. “An effective sunscreen prevents more damage than it causes”.  The EWG group only found about 140 sunscreens that were both safe AND effective.  THAT is scary! 

So, what do I need to look out for?  Toss your sunscreen if it contains any of these terrible chemicals:  Para amino benzoic acid… Octyl salicyclate… Avobenzone… Cinoxate… Padimate O…. Dioxybenzone… Phenylbenzimidazole… Homosalate… Sulisobenzone…Menthyl anthranilate….Trolamine salicyclate… Octocrylene… and ESPECIALLY the notorious hormone disruptor OXYBENZONE or 4-MBC.  According to EWG, Scientists have called for parents to avoid using oxybenzone on children due to penetration and toxicity concerns! 

Vitamin A may have anti-aging properties, but according to EWG, recently available data from an FDA study indicates that a form of vitamin A, retinyl palmitate, when applied to the skin in the presence of sunlight, may speed the development of skin tumors and lesions (NTP 2009). This evidence is troubling because the sunscreen industry adds Vitamin A to 30 percent of all sunscreens. Scientists have known for some time that vitamin A can spur excess skin growth (hyperplasia), and that in sunlight it can form free radicals that damage DNA (NTP 2000).  If your sunscreen contains any form of Vitamin A, get rid of it!

Now, let’s talk about the preservatives used in these nasty sunscreens.  Propylene Glycol is one of my favorite nasty guys because not only is it used to preserve personal care items, but it is used in everything from salad dressings to pancake syrup.  It’s especially a bad dude because it is used to de-ice planes.  Do you want something like that in your product?  I sure don’t!  Parabens.  Those foul fellows are in practically everything and they are not alone!  Parabens usually hang out with their friends and companies love to use more than one type!  Sulfates are just as wicked. 

Another thing you have to watch out for with mineral sunscreens are nano particles.  Nano particles are so tiny we cannot see them.  Because of this, they can get into your system by penetrating the skin and cause havoc.  So, what’s worse, having minerals penetrate your skin or chemicals penetrate the skin?  The answer is both.  NOTHING should be penetrating your skin that is not safe!  With your skin being your largest organ, you should definitely take an interest in what you are putting on it! 

The sun is important!  You need, I need, we ALL need Vitamin D.  Most of us are deficient in it and it’s important, especially during the winter, to take a Vitamin D supplement.  Vitamin D is crucial to so many cell functions.  We often lose sight of that when we are slamming on the sunscreen.  How can you tan safely?  Make sure you use the right sunscreen, stay in the sun for appropriate amounts of time.  Don’t listen to people who tell you to “stay in the sun for only fifteen minutes and you should be fine.”  The amount of time that is appropriate for you is different than what is appropriate for someone else.  You know your own skin.  Be mindful of the temperature outside and the amount of sunshine versus clouds.  Take special care of infants.  Although the FDA does not suggest sunscreen for infants, I happen to believe the “right” sunscreen is better than infant sunburn!  Remember, the sun CAN and WILL travel through clothes and hats.  They help, but when you can’t get away from the sun, use a smart sunscreen.

  
At Poofy Organics, we stand by our products and we stand by our sunscreen.  Our ingredients are completely safe for you, your babies, and your Earth! Each active ingredient in this outstanding product has been carefully chosen to specifically protect and nourish your skin. 

Ingredients: Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Unrefined Shea Butter, Organic Beeswax, Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic Camellia Oil, Organic Cocoa Butter, NON-NANO Zinc Oxide, Organic Rosemary Extract, Organic Eucalyptus Essential Oil, Natural Vitmain E. 

Coconut oil: Coconut oil has been used for hundreds of years to moisturize the skin. If you have skin sensitivities, it is likely to be mild and gentle on your skin. 

Jojoba oil: Jojoba oil is a non-fragrant natural emollient that serves up superior moisturizing and skin conditioning properties. 

Shea butter: Shea butter is a natural plant lipid used as both a thickener and an emulsifier. What's more, it also has effective moisturizing properties. 

Beeswax:  Makes our sunscreen water resistant!

Rosemary Extract is a known cancer fighter and acts as a natural preservative so we don’t have to use any horrific chemicals!

Natural Tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E): non-GMO Vitamin E is not only good for your skin, it also acts as a natural preservative. 

As with all safe sunscreen lotions, you should re-apply frequently, especially after swimming, perspiring, or towel-drying.

TO CHECK OUT YOUR SUNSCREEN, VISIT cosmeticdatabase.com 

Poofy Sunscreen

Eczema is Ruining My Life!

At Poofy Organics, no other subject receives more emails or customer visits.  This skin disorder is impulsive, erratic, and mutagenic. It affects adults, teens, and babies.  Have you figured it out?  

Eczema and Psoriasis are two skin conditions that have unexpectedly become widespread.  People are anxious for advice, frantic for relief, and desperate for a cure.  They need sleep, they want to look “normal”, they want to wear makeup, and they cannot take it anymore!  For those suffering with Eczema it can be a dreadful condition!  Unfortunately, as many of you have come to realize, eczema can be a chronic condition.

Eczema is trouble!  What works for one may not work for another

......What works for you may become useless over time

..... What works for you may be dangerous! (i.e steroids, lotions with chemical ingredients)

..... You cannot find anything that DOES work!

A note regarding steroid creams including hydrocortisones & hydrocorticosteroids:  Steroids suppress the immune system's response.  What does this mean?  Simply put, Eczema is your body's response to a problem.  It is your body's way of telling you something is wrong!  Once you begin to use steroids, your eczema MAY disappear.  You may think this is a fabulous thing!  The problem arises when you must cease using the steroid because one can only use it for so long.  The Eczema comes back.  Why?  Because you have only put a band-aid on the problem.  You have NOT solved it!  You MUST find the REASON for the Eczema's existence.  Only then, can  you rid yourself of the disorder!

Here is what I have found learned.  You may or may not agree with me.  I am NOT a doctor and do not claim what I write to be law.  This is only what I have experienced through the years, by means of personal experience with my son, research, and consulting clients.

99% of eczema sufferers can trace their condition to 1 of 4 things (the 4^th being a combination):   

            1.   A food/pet allergy:  Milk and eggs are the most common.  This means ANYTHING containing milk proteins.  Please remember that a true milk “allergy” is NOT the same as being lactose intolerant!  Lactose intolerance is a sensitivity to the SUGAR in milk (lactose) and not a true allergy.  Individuals who are allergic to milk and its products are allergic to the PROTEIN in the milk, namely the whey and casein.  The number of products that contain milk proteins is vast including breads, bread crumbs, and sauces.  Unless you completely rid your body of milk products and its derivatives, the eczema will persist.

            Pets can be a problem. My family found that when our dog licked my son, he immediately broke out in huge welts and hives.  Hello?  Red flag anyone?  Thankfully, in the end, our dog was not the contributing factor to our son’s eczema, but it definitely can be. 

            2.  A Topical Allergy.  Lotions, detergents, cleaning products, shower gels, soap, and other personal care products contain harsh chemicals that can irritate the skin.  Chemicals such as propylene glycol, parabens, sulfates, and preservatives can react with your skin causing all sorts of havoc.  Not to mention what they do to your system!  Remember, your skin is your largest organ.  Think it doesn’t matter what you put on it?  Think again! Check out www.cosmeticdatabase.com to find out if your products are safe.  All Poofy products score 0-1.

            3. Drugs and/or a recent vaccine.  Yes, I said it.  Vaccines can cause Eczema.  It is right there in the inserts under “reactions”.    If this is the case, consult a doctor who is trained in reversing vaccine injuries.  A Homeopath can help you with this. 

             4. Intestinal issues.  How is your diet?  Are you eating healthy foods?  Do you have Leaky Gut Syndrome from the of antibiotics?  What you eat has a significant impact on your skin.  If you have stomach problems because of a poor diet, chances are your Eczema will improve when you adjust your diet.  Taking Probiotics can help in healing your gut.

If you or your child suffer from Eczema and have not tried to COMPLETELY cut out milk products, I suggest you begin here.  Then move on to eggs, wheat, soy, and nuts.  If you are unsure of other allergies you may have, get tested.  Although no allergy test is 100%, it can give you a baseline.  In the end, my son ended up having a slight allergy to chicken, of all things!  He improved drastically after we cut this from his diet and mine.  Some people grow out of allergies, others grown INTO them.  

Please keep in mind if you are breastfeeding, anything you eat and/or drink goes right to your child!  This means if your child is allergic to milk and you are ingesting milk products, the protein WILL go into your child’s system.  And, your child will react.  YOU have to make the effort.  At one point, I had cut out almost everything in search for answers to my son’s eczema! 

SUGGESTIONS:

*Try different preparations.  I know this can be costly, but as a mother of a child who suffered from eczema, I was prepared to pay anything for my son to be able to sleep through the night without itching! Not only can itching be uncomfortable, it can be dangerous!  People who have eczema have been known to carry Staph and open wounds can create terrible infections.

*Watch bathing.  Does bathing make your eczema better or worse?  Bathing tends to strip the natural oils in the skin so if you are extra dry after bathing, do not sit in the bath for long periods of time!  Make sure you replenish the moisture in your skin after your bath by applying appropriate oils or lotions while still wet. 

*Take a Vitamin D supplement.  Vitamin D is crucial to our cells and improves Eczema.  We need Vitamin D!  If it is summer, sit for a few minutes in the sun.  Notice, I suggested a few minutes-  no need to bake!

*Try Homeopathy.  Although it did not work for my son, it has worked for many.  You need to see a trained and experienced homeopath.  It is not something you can diagnose by yourself.  It may take several remedies to work properly.

*Try an Ayurvedic doctor.  Personally, this is what worked for us.  Cutting chicken definitely showed a marked improvement, but believe it or not, 6 days after an Ayurvedic consultation and prescribed herbs, my son’s eczema was GONE!  Simple herbs like Neem as well as topical preparations of Neem oil mixed with other herbs and essential oils aided in the healing.  As a result, Poofy Organics has begun to make the oil that helped in healing my son.  I use it to this day every morning and every night before bed.  I also put a few drops in his bath.   Poofy offers several options for Eczema Relief.

Eczema can be cured.  It is a long process and by no means an easy one.  It can be heart wrenching, debilitating, and expensive.  Discovering the right remedy takes patience, commitment, and perseverance.  Do you know how many doctors told me my son "just has eczema" and "there is nothing I can do about it, so just use the steroids to give him relief".  Obviously, I did not believe that response for a second... and neither should you..... Find someone who is willing to help! Your answer is closer than you think!