I can’t rely on my government to make sound decisions about my health—the responsibility is my own. I plan to do my research whenever I need a new product for my face, skin, or hair. The Skin Deep database ranks American products and their hazardous levels on a scale of one to ten, so that I don’t have to blindly trust what the beauty industry is trying to sell me.
Leave the Bunnies Alone.
After watching a PETA video where scientists sewed rabbits’ eyes shut in order to test new mascara, I made a pact to boycott any make-up or beauty product that is tested on animals. It just doesn’t make sense, because in the scheme of the things, I think we have plenty of choices for mascara. PETA’s Caring Consumer database allows me to download a list of corporations that do not test on animals. I found that in general, smaller companies seem to be on the same side of the fence as the cute little bunnies, while larger companies, like L’Oréal, Cover Girl, and Max Factor (to name a few) still live in the dark ages when it comes to beauty.
Shower Less, Save Some Water.
Like the French, I’ve decided that I don’t have to shower every day. I’m fortunate in the fact that I don’t get all stinky if I skip a day and my hair stays in better shape if I wash it only three times a week. For those in-between days, I buy sea salt spray for my hair to keep the oil out of my roots and I may take a bath or quick five-minute rinse in the evening in order to save time in the morning. In India, I went six weeks without washing my hair just to see what would happen and the results were surprising: my hair didn’t harbor any foreign critters and my mane was a lot easier to deal with in the end. As long I brushed it nightly to let my body’s natural oils work their magic on my scalp, my hair was happy.
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