I mentioned in a post a few weeks back that the Dove shampoo that I had been using was having a backlash effect and making my curly hair frizzier than it was before I started using the so-called "frizz solution" product. Unable to take the frizz or the strong scent--whatever happened to Dove being gentle--any longer, I dug an organic, tea tree shampoo, Nature's Gate Organics, out of the hair product graveyard and used it for a couple of days. However, I ran out of it on Wednesday. As such, I've been forced to use the only shampoo that I failed to throw away during one of my cleaning sprees--Neutrogena Triple Moisture Dry Scalp Soothing Shampoo.Contrary to the product's name, the shampoo is not soothing my scalp. Instead, it has actually made it drier. On top of that, I'm beginning to get that irritated feeling that I get before a hair product makes my scalp feel like it's on fire. I think I know why; the shampoo is packed full of sulfates and parabens, and I'm about 90 percent sure that I have a sensitivity to both ingredients.
Due to this perceived sensitivity, I'm always on the lookout for sulfate and paraben-free beauty products, but they're hard to come by, especially when the town you live in doesn't have a Whole Foods Market or a health food store. Every now and then I'll luck up and find a sulfate-free shampoo at Walgreen's or Sally's, but, nine times out of ten, the shampoo will still have parabens in it. Consequently, I do most of my searching for shampoos online. I don't always buy them, but I do a lot of bookmarking for when I am once again gainfully employed.
I'm starting to think that most of my skin problems are also caused by these ingredients. If my scalp is irritated by them, wouldn't the equally-as-sensitive skin on my face be as well? Recently, I read about a product line that is paraben-free called Beaute de Maman. Technically, the product line is geared towards pregnant women, but I really see no reason why non-pregnant women who have sensitive skin and who are concerned about the chemicals in their beauty products can't use them as well.
The product that I want to try most is Beaute's Face and Body Cream for Blemished Skin. I have been battling adult-onset acne since college, and I think that I have tried literally every product on the market. All they seem to do is either dry out my skin, irritate it beyond belief, or bleach every thing that I own. Beaute's Face and Body Cream isn't made with your standard salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. Instead, it's made with Melaleuca Alternifolia a.k.a. tee tree oil. In studies, tea tree oil has been shown to be just as effective as benzoyl peroxide, only without the odor or the bleach-related side effects. The cream also contains a moisturizing base to counteract any drying effects and botanical oils like peppermint oil that mask the sometimes medicine-like smell of tea tree oil.
If you are pregnant, you should know that Beaute de Maman's products have been tested safe for both the mother and the fetus. Even the product packaging has been tested for safety. Unlike many other beauty lines out there, the packaging is BPA-free. The products also aren't tested on animals and contain no animal-derived ingredients. Furthermore, they have been allergy-tested, which is good to know for people like me who tend to be allergic to pretty much everything.
If you would like to try Beaute de Maman products, you can order now from the Beaute website, BeautedeMaman.com, or visit one of its stores in Connecticut, New York, or Oregon.
