I go through a lot of product's and I wanted to create a collection that would keep track of the products I want to try and have not gotten to yet. I review most everything on my YouTube Channel linked below.

TESTED BY ME @natural.kaos

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOUeXVEiCyRCssa9bScz2zQ

WHY I SHARE?

With the hype of "clean" and "non toxic" and "chemical free" products, I want to do my research. I want to constantly weigh the ingredients with my skin in mind; my overall goal is to have beautiful skin, easy makeup application, and products that improve my wellness while being keenly aware of fear monguring and case studies that support a specific agenda. Just because a label says "Natural" or "Organic" or "Vegan" should not be the stamps you live by. Look for companies that list their ingredients. Plug them into this site, check the listing, and make ups your own mind.

For me Silica is an ingredient I am willing to have in my makeup because I like the smoothness it brings to application. In that same vein, I believe in acid peels for exfoliation, clearing my skin, and adjusting overall tone and texture. EWG.org says BHA & AHA should be avoided:[ Avoid: Alpha and beta hydroxy acids (lactic acid and glycolic acid)

FDA-sponsored studies find UV-caused skin damage doubles for users of products with alpha hydroxy acid. Regular sunscreen application is the best way to avoid sun-damaged skin.]

Its true that if you use products like Vitamin A (retinol) or Alpha and Beta acids to increase skin turn over and remove past sun damage you should be extremely careful in the sun because you have upped your skins sensitivity to sunlight. If people who are using these acids are then not taking the appropriate precautions they could be setting themselves up for increased sun damage and skin cancer. However, lets also consider this, people like myself who choose to use acids to rectify their skin complexion from past sun exposure are most likely, before even using the acid, at a higher risk of developing skin cancer due to the fact that I've had a lot of sun exposure and is this is the reason i am using acids.

Brands and products will continue to improve, I truly don't believe any brand wants to put ingredients out into the world that will cause harm; business is guided by the invisible hand of capitalization and when something is not selling, they will regroup, and try something that people want. This is the reason you see so many packages now making "nontoxic" claims, but I don't want to live by a new marketing campaign, I want to inform myself and then make up my own mind.

I feel this need to explain myself so you understand my mind set when I choose a product. For example, I don't want to use Parabens and Phthalates when possible because I already struggle with my hormones and I don't want anymore products disrupting my endocrine system (there are sufficient studies showing links between Parabens "preservatives" and hormone interference). And, I don't want to use alcohols or sulfates because they will cause break outs.

I'm still navigating all of these "labels" and trying to understand why some ingredients become "hot topics" and what those ingredients truly mean for me. In the end we all need to make personal decisions on what we want to use in our homes, and we also need to be flexible and weigh the odds so our choices reflect our goals. I don't like to put myself in a box and I hope you won't do that to yourself either. We all deserve the right to explore products, test new methods, find enjoyment from the products we use, and in the end enjoy living this beautiful life. Kim