media hype

Longer lashes, more lashes, thicker lashes …. Why? Just because the TV commercials say that is what we should have? Because stars all have long thick lashes?

I know someone who is using the stuff to grow more eyelashes. Why? Because they think what they have is not enough. Because there is something that can give them more. If the product were not available, we’d be happy with what we have. If the longer, thicker mascara stuff were not out there, we’d again be happy with what we have. Why then do we feel the need to buy these things?

Granted, I am not a regular makeup wearer. I own some, & I have worn it. But I do not on any sort of regular basis put the stuff on my skin. Why? Because I don’t feel the need to live up to what society says we should be doing. Why can we not accept the natural beauty of all women? Why do we hide behind the layers & layers of makeup, including those lovely eyelashes?

My personal opinion is that we should all learn to love the natural beauty we have been given. I feel we should give our skin the chance to breathe. I feel we should be cleansing it with natural things; allowing the natural glow & beauty to come thru. I feel that if we all paid more attention to our diets & lifestyles, we would see that we really don’t need to hide behind the chemicals of mascara & makeup.

And if you keep your mascara for too long, it grows bacteria. Which, are then put where? Right there by your eyes, giving them quick & easy entry to your body. Why would we subject ourselves to this? Thanks Hollywood! Thanks to all the stars out there who are always wearing the newest mascara & makeup, & telling us about it. Encouraging us to go out & try it so we can all look as glamorous as them. But we don’t. We don’t look like them because we are not them. We are everyday women. We have everyday lives & everyday bodies. Wearing the mascara or makeup they get paid to promote will not change us. Yet we continue to buy it.

I know I’m on my soapbox here & that many will disagree with me. That’s fine… we are all entitled to our opinions, which is exactly what all my words are here … my opinion.

Back when I worked as a photographer for a company, they wanted me to dress a certain way & wear makeup. We compromised with some of the clothes & most of the makeup. And it worked out fine for all involved. I did my job well … even if I was not dressed up or in full makeup. My skills as a photographer were not connected to what I wore, either on my face or my body.

Society has such a huge impact on all aspects of our lives. We as a whole don’t think for ourselves, but go by what advertising, TV, peers, you name it … tell us. Obviously this all goes way beyond makeup.

Ok anyway ... there, I got it off my mind & out there.

Let the cleansing begin

So as the description says, I’m here to work on getting chemicals out of my life as much as possible. I’m working on moving away from chemicals & replacing things with their natural counterparts. In many ways, it has been easy. Thanks in a big part to my friend Amy.

I started with my bathroom. It was a wonderful feeling to let go of a boxful of toiletries. Yes, a boxful. I pulled out everything from under the bathroom sink & in the cabinet. I only put back less than a quarter of what I started with. I should have taken a picture.

So what’s gone? Lotions, makeup, facial cleansers, scrubs & astringents, colognes, tanning stuff, & other misc chemical crap. All gone. Even my deodorant. I kept my shower gels & shampoo since I had no replacement for them right away.

I’m not a big makeup person to begin with so letting go of that stuff was pretty easy. I kept a few eyeliners & 2 natural mineral makeup type things. The rest, gone. The lotions were a bit harder to let go of, but when you think about the fact you are lathering on the chemicals to be absorbed into your body, it gets a little easier then. There are lotions out there without the bad crap in them. For my deodorant I have found a substitute that has no aluminum. And it seems to actually work! For the facial stuff, there are easy replacements too.

I just cannot tell you how good it felt to know I will no longer be putting that stuff into or onto my body. I took control. And to think I wont have to spend all that money on that stuff anymore! Sorry manufacturers. No I’m not!

So for anyone who follows me, this is my beginning. My next step was under the kitchen sink.