If you thought there was a chance that a product you were putting on your body could harm you, even cause your chances of developing cancer or Alzheimer’s disease to rise, would you stop using that product? If the FDA, Mayo Clinic, and web.md were all evasive about the connection, and resource sites like http://www.cancer.gov report inconclusive findings, stating there are, “conflicting results, additional research is needed to investigate this relationship and other factors that may be involved,” would you change your personal habits? Or would you go on your comfortable merry way, avoiding the mess, and hoping for the best?
I was the once the type to go on my merry way. I like being clean, smelling good (or at least attempting to,) and being comfortable. I like things in brightly wrapped packages that behave the way they are supposed to. I like knowing what to expect. And then, in October of 2011, my mother slipped into a coma after a long battle with a skin infection and was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s encephalopathy. I didn’t know what that meant and apparently most Denver doctors didn’t know either. A well-known neurosurgeon was called in, and in order to get information out of him, my sister and I had to Google up some questions so that he wouldn’t brush us off. It boils down to untreated hypothyroidism, coupled with an autoimmune disorder. And, good news, it seems to be more common among related females. So my sister and I got tested for Hashimoto’s disease and both came up positive. This was bad news for me, as I was already struggling with recovering from a third pregnancy that left me weak, overweight, and lethargic.
I went to see my doctor, who did not know anything about the disease. She was quick to write a thyroid prescription and hesitant to talk about other treatments. I saw a homeopathic doctor and a nutritionist, who both talked about food allergies, specifically to wheat and sugar. Both also wanted to see me for more testing and consultations, but as the price tag approached $1000 I began to wonder if it were possible to get comprehensive medical advice from an experienced physician. I finally found a doctor who knew immediately what Hashimoto’s was. She put me on a no wheat, no sugar diet and changed my prescription. After a few months I was feeling better but not great.
I started asking more questions of friends and family as to how they stay healthy. The problem with asking for opinions is that you get them. And apparently, depending on whom you ask, everything causes cancer. Everything. Cell phones, electric cars, genetically modified soybeans, skittles, Coke, and bologna. No matter what you cut out of your life, there will always be something left that will cause cancer. So you have to choose the things that work for you, and, well, hope for the best.
My sister was on her own journey while I was on mine. We have very different ideas about what is healthy and what is not, we are the perfect example of how two women of similar age with a similar diagnosis can take their own path toward health. I tried to be supportive of her choices but maintained strong opinions of my own. So, when she called and told me she gave up deodorant cold turkey, I was appalled, but kept silent. I considered disowning her, or at least avoiding any in person contact. I barely heard her tirade about the toxic chemicals in commercial deodorant and their relationship with breast cancer. I was too busy wondering if my husband would ever let her come over to our house again. After the initial shock, however, I began doing a little research of my own. What I found out caused me to jump on the chemical free bandwagon, although I did not make the jump deodorant free.
The Internet is full of personal accounts and testimonies about the health effects of chemicals in our beauty products. One belief that is gaining credibility among women is the possible link between antiperspirant/ deodorant use and the risk of breast cancer, due to the application of these products so close to breast tissue. Another belief circulating online is that exposure to aluminum found in antiperspirants may be linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease, since aluminum affects the way the brain functions. However, our most trusted medical resources do not corroborate these findings. The politics that underlie the medical information we have access to are complicated and hotly debated, but a case can be made that pharmaceutical dollars are behind most of these resources. I decided to make my own assumptions.
Unless you are a chemist, you will find few familiar words on your average lotion, shampoo, or deodorant container. The only word I recognize on my shampoo bottle is “water.” This is followed by ingredients such as Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, and Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, to name a few. My deodorant lists words I recognize (but don’t want to apply to my skin,) such as alcohol and hydrogenated castor oil. And then there are more words I can barely type into Google, much less pronounce, such as Cyclopentasiloxane and Dimethicone. As a non-scientist, it is impossible for me to determine, in the shampoo aisle at Target, whether or not any of these substances might be harmful to me. The warning labels on each product advise that “irritation” may occur. It is an easier logical jump for me that over exposure to chemicals may be worth avoiding, than that the FDA is perfect in its advice to the public. I wanted to go more “natural,” but am far too socially insecure to give up something like deodorant. I am not proud to say it, but I would honestly rather expose myself to cancer than have my husband’s coworkers avoid sitting next to me because of the smell.
I kept my chemical laden bath products and began to research alternatives. Online, I found an entire community of women (mostly mothers) who collaborated on advice in what is apparently referred to as “clean” or “sustainable” living. The first recipe I tried was for homemade deodorant, which is made with equal parts baking soda and arrowroot powder, and then added coconut oil until a creamy consistency is met. After a few days, my deodorant went into the trash. Previous to this discovery, I was a two different kinds, three times a day, always with a stick in the purse kind of deodorant user. Now, I apply the homemade version once a day. It even lasts through swimming. And I don’t smell. Trust me, I checked.
With this success came homemade shampoo, body soap, face wash, lotion, toothpaste, bug spray, and lip balm. Good thing we have two sinks, because my husband can’t negotiate all of the jars and bottles around mine to unplug the drain. I’ve spent evenings at our dinner table, stirring mixtures of coconut and almond oils, various essential oils, mineral water, and Shea butter. I have refined the recipes in an effort to bring the consistency and feel of these homemade products closer to what I am used to from their commercial counterparts. My skin and hair are healthy, I am mosquito bite free, and I smell like coconuts. These benefits are worth the effort, but I have had to give up some of the convenience of store bought products. My deodorant is in a glass jar with a consistency that varies based on room temperature. The water in my lotion separates out occasionally, and won’t pump out of a bottle. I have to dispense my homemade shampoo out of a spray bottle because it has too thin a consistency to pour onto my hands the way my old shampoo does. Despite these inconveniences, I am committed to walking down this path toward a more natural and inexpensive beauty regimen. If I’m wrong about the health effects of commercial products, I will save money and have a hobby. If I’m right, I will avoid some of the consequences my mother has experienced in aging. Either way, I am proof that cleaner and more sustainable living can be accomplished by anyone with a healthy curiosity and Internet access.
Just Add Sugar and Stir 