**mrspdxbride06**

daisygirl17

thank you SO much for that site! that is awesome! unfortunately i did go to that dosha salon today but will not be going there anymore..it was okay but very pricey and not great...

i'm curious (because i'm totally interested and need somewhere to start)...what products do you use? for everything...hair/make-up/lotion, etc etc? do you dye your hair? if so, what do you use and where do you go?

 i'm asking because i'm totally curious....i'm really interested in all of this and i plugged in some brands that i have into that site and let me just say...wow..most everything comes up as terrible...so i'm going to look into new products but it would be great to have a starting point!

thanks!

mrspdxbride06

Sorry. I don't normally check this board all that often or post but you happened to catch me on a day I was extremely bored at work.

It's an overwhelming process and can be expensive. I basically used up the rest of everything I had (I figured it wasn't that big of a deal since I had been using them for years and I don't like to waste), and still am, and then replaced them with a better alternative. I also pay attention to why EWG has rated a product the way they have. For instance, fragrance doesn't matter as much to me as, say, parabens.

• Organic jojoba oil for "lotion". It's the closest oil to your skin's natural oils and I love the way it makes my skin feel. (New Seasons)
• Devita International Daily Solar Protective Moisturizer 30 for my face moisturizer. I previously used Oil of Olay, which I really liked and this has a very similar consistency with more SPF but less harmful. (New Seasons)
• Devita International Revitalizing Eye Lift Creme (New Seasons).
• Avalon Organics Vitamin C Vitality Facial Serum (New Seasons). This is actually one I'm looking to phase out as it has some more significant concerns but I haven't found a replacement product yet.
• Jason Ester-C Super C Cleanser (New Seasons).
• Baking Soda paste for facial exfoliant.
• Tom's of Maine Toothpaste (New Seasons).
• Narcisco Rodriguez perfume (Nordstrom). It's not in their database and I've made the assumption that it's probably not great but I love it.
• Degree Invisible Solid Sheer Powder. Again, not rated very well but none of the better alternatives have worked that well for me.

I'm still on the hunt for a good shampoo/conditioner that works well and smells good (the way things smell is important to me). I haven't really switched out a lot of makeup yet...primarily because I used to have a bit of an addiction to MAC products. After all the money I spent, I can't really justify just tossing all of it and starting over. However, I don't really wear that much makeup so I'm not really using much up. I suspect that eventually, most of it will have expired and I'll just need to buy new anyway.

Believe it or not, the staff in the Health and Beauty section of New Seasons is incrediby knowledgeable. I think the Lake Oswego location even has an esthetician working there (not to provide services but to be a resource on products). I've spent a lot of time talking with them and every time I double check what they've suggested on EWG, I find they're right on. Not only that but they give lots and lots of samples...I'm big on samples. 

Camellia Pure Beauty on NE Fremont is an awesome resource as well. Emily, the owner, used to work for EWG but has a love of fantastic, nice beauty products. She opened Camellia a few years back to cater to people like her (and me). She researches the heck out of the products she carries and she and her staff are incredibly knowledgeable and helpful.

Sorry, this is a long one. I think that's it for now. For me, this has just become a bit of a journey. I don't think it's all that sustainable to just toss everything I've had and buy new so I've gradually just used up what I previously had and then made better/safer purchases moving forward. And, I also don't think it's a black/white thing...there are some things that (like my deodorant and perfume) that you may just not budge on/be able to find a better alternative. Probably the most important thing is to educate yourself on the various ingredients (particularly the harmful ones) and then really start paying attention to what's in things. This all started for me with parabens but I've since learned about a lot of other harmful ingredients.

Good luck and have fun learning!

mrspdxbride06

Yikes! Despite putting in bullets and trying to format appropriately, it didn't seem to take. Sorry about that.

daisygirl17

ahhhhhhh thank you SO much you are awesome...i really appreciate it!!! seriously that helps a ton...

any idea how lush is? i discovered them yesterday and bought some products because they are all natural and don't seem to have any harsh chemicals...but then i went to the site you gave and they're not rated on there =( i wish they were..i guess i'll have to research what ingredients are bad and what not and then see if they use any....the products look great so far though, just wondering if you had heard anything about lush.

thanks again!!!