Cinco Vidas

We’ve been talking a lot about preservatives lately, mainly, about how they can be harmful to your health and how some have carcinogenic properties. The fact is, beauty products have to have some preservatives to protect us from bacteria and molds. The question is, which are least likely to have harmful effects?

The risk of bugs in your creams and lotions is real. Just recently the FDA warned that Clarcon skin products contained harmful bacteria that could cause infections and recommended all recent buyers to throw the product away. “Without preservatives,” writes Dr. Leslie Baumann, chief of the Division of Cosmetic Dermatology,  “our products would quickly be colonized by all sorts of nasty bacteria, mold, and fungi.” (more…)

When you’re going through chemotherapy or radiation, you have to be careful of your skin. Treatment makes it dry and sensitive, which is why we advise you to avoid any harsh ingredients in skin-care products and use only the most gentle formulas.

But what about your makeup? Again, you want to use gentle, sensitive-skin formulas that are free of toxic chemicals, but as you’re perusing your drawer of products, one more thing you may want to consider is your makeup brushes. Where did you get them? What kind are they? When was the last time you washed them?

The most important thing about your brushes is that they’re soft. And believe it or not, that could mean either natural or synthetic bristles. (more…)

In your quest for chemical-free, more natural products to use on your sensitive, compromised skin, you don’t always have to search online or at the far corners of the skin-care shelves. Sometimes, you can find the best products right in your own kitchen!

Following are several homemade remedies you can try. Be sure to test each one on a small area of skin first, to prevent any allergic reactions. (more…)