because a certain number of people drown while swimming or sailing each year. There are many
wonderful synthetic ingredients (such as coenzyme Q10 or palmitoyl pentapeptide), and there are
some noxious plant extracts. I hope this book will empower you with the knowledge of how to
combine the best of both worlds to create your own green, ecoconscious beauty routine. Let
“chemophiles” defend the chemical beauty giant with feet of clay.
So what can you do if you end up with an array of itchy, scratchy spots while trying to hide a
blemish? Apart from ditching makeup for a little while, it may be wise to discard all old cosmetics.
Preservative agents break down over time, creating new irritating compounds, and other ingredients
in cosmetics may oxidize, causing additional problems. For the time being, limit yourself to one
cleanser (organic baby soap or baby wash), one toner (rose hydrosol or witch hazel), and only one
moisturizer containing no preservatives and only natural, soothing ingredients such as green tea,
feverfew, brown algae, and mugwort. While chamomile and marigold are traditionally used to soothe
irritated skin, they may cause allergic dermatitis in some people, so use them with caution. For
sunscreen, choose a mineral-based version containing zinc or titanium oxide. Whenever possible, use
mineral makeup and avoid any foundation or blusher in gel or lotion form. Stay clear of deeply
colored eye makeup. Stick to basic black, nonwaterproof mascara and pencil (not liquid!) eyeliners.
Keep eye shadows earth-toned—no deep purples, greens, and bright metallics! Avoid looking for an
offending product by patch testing with old cosmetics, because oxidation byproducts are strong
allergens. Instead, make it a rule to discard all skin care products after three months of use.
Synthetic Fragrances: I Smell Danger
What is the first thing you do when you try a new moisturizer or lipstick? You smear it on the top of
your hand and then you smell it. At this moment, you are not much different from a glue sniffer:
substances that make cosmetics smell attractive are very similar to those that send addicts on their
chemical trips.
It seems to be vitally important for us to use cosmetic products that smell nice, and this is quite
understandable: beauty products make us look and feel better. Even people who admit to having
sensitive skin would choose a lotion that had a barely noticeable scent over a completely unscented
formulation that smelled like beeswax, green tea, and sunflower oil combined, no matter how
beneficial these substances were for human skin.
When we smell an odor, a complex process begins in the brain. The Roman philosopher Lucretius
said that different odors are created by molecules of various shapes and sizes. As we inhale fragrance
molecules, they trigger a complex chain of reactions. There are many theories about how our nose
decodes scents, and there is no theory that explains olfactory perception completely. While the human
tongue can distinguish only five distinct tastes, the nose can recognize hundreds of substances, even in
microscopic quantities.
So what is fragrance, and why is it so important to us? Odorant (fragrant) molecules dissolved in
the air cause a certain sensation. This is a complex process: First, the molecule triggers receptors in
the nose. After that, the limbic system, a part of the brain that governs emotional responses, decodes
the information. That is why messages sent by odor molecules are powerful mood enhancers. It is no
secret that certain odors can evoke distant memories, raise spirits, soothe jagged nerves, and even