Purposefully trying to live a healthier , more natural lifestyle continues to grow in popularity . Being active , drinking more water , getting a good night sleep , watching what foods we eat , using ecofriendly products , and even meditation – all of these things are goals for any person trying to achieve the holy grail of living healthy . Surprisingly , one of the most important parts of the body often gets overlooked during this passage . The epidermis , also known as your skin , is the largest organ of your body and since it is porous , it absorbs everything you put on it .
Many products that are used on skin everyday such as soap , deodorant , lotion and even makeup are made up of chemicals that can do more harm than good . Dangerous ingredients are much more common than you may think and some are capable of doing real damage to the human body . If you take the time to look at food labels , you may want to do the same for your self-care products . There are hundreds of chemicals in them , many of which are being absorbed into your body every time you use them . Many of these chemical ingredients are skin irritants , skin penetrators , endocrine disrupters and even carcinogenic .
This industry is highly unregulated but as awareness surrounding this issue grows , products and their ingredients are being scrutinized more and more . However , confusion lingers . For example , ingredients like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate ( SLS ) which is used in many rinse-off products like shampoos and soaps , has long been studied as a possible carcinogen . This ingredient is considered acceptable by Health Canada and the U . S . FDA since there is no evidence to show that SLS causes any safety risk to consumers when used as directed . But , SLS has been known to be contaminated during the production process with 1,4-dioxane , which is a known carcinogen .
Confusion over trying to decipher which ingredients are safe for our skin and which are not can become overwhelming . This concern led Joy Purdy of Harrow to develop her own line of soaps that are safe and free of all questionable chemicals and additives . She makes the natural soap from ingredients she researches and sources herself . The herbs and flowers that give the soap its colour and scent are all from her own tilled garden that grows in the backyard of a straw bale house that she also built herself .
“ I ’ ve always been that type of person . I ’ ve been like this my whole life , I was a wild child ,” said Purdy with a look of pride . “ We have almost an acre of natural land and the garden on it is all natural . I cannot think of anything I use that is not a natural product .”
Purdy said her soap line , Faerhaven , is meant to reflect a simpler time , when people merely used nature ' s gifts and lived chemical-free , something she advocates . Her pursuit to live a healthy , natural lifestyle has included avoiding prescription drugs as much as possible and opting for a completely natural childbirth . Her belief in natural living has passed on to her daughter , Debra Purdy , owner of ShopEco in Windsor .
Debra Purdy has been running ShopEco since 2012 . The store is focused on eco-conscious beauty products and self-care . She also sells her mother ’ s Faerhaven soap . Purdy says ingredients are her main focus and she takes it upon herself to read the labels of every product and research every ingredient that comes into the shop . “ First and foremost we look at whether it ’ s safe for us to put on our bodies ,” said Debra . She also looks to see if a product is safe for the environment , how the ingredients are sourced and whether or not it contains any animal products . Debra says all of her products at
Hurraw lip balm is just one of the natural self-care products available at Shop Eco