May 31, 2011

Jasons Toothpastes

I discovered Jason Natural Cosmetics toothpastes recently and gave them a test run. The first toothpaste I tried was Jason Vanilla Mint Powersmile. This is probably the most mouthwatering flavor I've ever tasted in a toothpaste (and that's including all the amazing options I had at the dentist when I was a kid, like strawberry banana and chocolate!) This flavor is the perfect combination of sweet vanilla and refreshing mint.


May 26, 2011

Protection: Chemical vs. Mineral Sunscreens

Since my discovery about the evils of my chemical sunscreen, I set about researching mineral sunscreens.  With such beautiful weather and summer just beginning, now seems like perfect time to share! Please forgive me, I'm going to get a little science-y in this post.

Chemical sunscreens contain some ingredients we want to avoid, so that limits us to mineral sunscreens (at least until ivy leaf particles are available in sunscreen, said to be four times more effective than mineral sunscreens. Get on it scientists!). Besides their unsavory ingredients, I found out that chemical sunscreens actually are less effective in the UVA range than mineral sunscreens. This took me by surprise.

Figure showing the protection offered by chemical vs. titanium dioxide vs. zinc oxide sunscreens. The more red, the better the coverage. Left: Neutrogena Dry Touch Sunblock SPF 100+ (chemical), Middle: California Baby Sunscreen SPF 30+ (titanium dioxide), Right: Elemental Herbs Sunscreen SPF 20 (zinc oxide). Taken from the Cosmetics Database.

May 25, 2011

Freckles: The Humble Beginning

Years ago, before I knew better, I used this sunscreen every day:


Welcome!

Thanks so much for visiting Freckles to Toes! I wanted to use this first post to give a background of sorts on the goal behind this blog. The green movement has gained momentum, dare I say it has become trendy? Words like "green," "natural," and "organic" have infiltrated household phrases. But sometimes they are misused. Over the last few years I have gained a greater appreciation for reading ingredient labels on my beauty products, in addition to those on the food I eat. I am continually surprised by how the brand name and claims on the front of the package are contradicted by the ingredient label on the back. I have no doubt that everyone else has been just as frustrated and confused as me at one point.

That's where I come in! I have talked the ears off all my friends about the shampoos they shouldn't use and the toothpastes that are unsafe and my flavor of the week sunscreens. It was my boyfriend who finally told me to start a blog and share all my randomly acquired knowledge and wild opinions. He did probably bear the brunt of most of my rants about chapstick and conditioner, poor guy.

Thanks to him, you now get to hear my rants, and hopefully learn from what I've learned. If it falls under the category of "Green" or "Beauty," and somewhere between your freckles and your toes, you can find it here. Enjoy!