Guest Post: Allen

Happily introducing Allen; a wonderful blogger at People of the Urban as well as a close personal friend. Avid traveler (FYI - he might have lived in more places than some have traveled to), lover of fun times, a kind heart if we ever saw one, and sealing the deal, easy on the eyes (wink). Here, Allen shares with us how he treats his good lookin' self while staying as real as possible.

"I had my first realization regarding the potential long-term and visible short-term damage my personal care products were doing to my body back in High School. You know, when you realize that the main ingredient in your shampoo that gives it a great lather and leaves you hair with a great unnatural shine is the same ingredient that’s in the detergent used to clean your canteen floor or wash your car?

It’s not particularly disgusting per say, I do feel ‘clean’ after using such products, but it’s cheap. Not wanting to be stuck-up or selfish, but I know my body that some higher being gave to me would appreciate it if I wasn’t putting this toxic stuff on it to later be absorbed into my blood stream (As anything you put on your body is absorbed into your blood stream via your skin/nails/gums in your mouth/scalp.)

Since that realization in High School, I got rid of all of the products in my bathroom that had, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate…Basically anything with sulfates or phosphates. I even stopped using Anti-Perspirant deodorant  (Oh my gosh, perspirant isn’t even a word recognized by Microsoft Word!)… I mean, isn’t it natural to perspire? Why not just fan yourself off instead of sticking synthesized chemicals under your pits?

Anyways, that marked the first of my personal care product epiphanies. For some reason, when I left Singapore and moved back to the United States for college, I forgot not to buy personal care products that didn’t contain sulfates, phosphates etc. First week of college I was using AXE brand 2-1 Shampoo and Conditioner.

Now after being lost and confused my first two years of college, the true realization happened just two days ago. How could I have forgotten such a sentiment to take care of my body by not letting it absorb cheap harmful chemicals from my personal care products? I saw a video by ‘The Story of Stuff’ from an alumnus on my newsfeed. After the video, it all came back to me: The trickery of the private corporate sector just selling me things for my money, and the government’s reluctance to let it do so.

The blindfold was lifted again, this time more dramatically. I couldn’t even trust more luxurious brands such as Kiehl’s! They brand themselves as being ‘safe’ and ‘natural’. They say, regarding their choice of ingredients, ‘Our intent is to utilize only the gentlest and most efficacious ingredients and that is why a great number of natural ingredients are used’. Sure, it’s their intent to do so, but I knew for a fact the minute I read on the back of my Kiehl’s face washes (Facial Fuel and Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleanser) ‘Sodium Laureth Sulfate’ and ‘Sodium Benzoate’ that their intentions weren’t reality.

I feel like I’ve been conned. Companies such as Kiehl’s aren’t actually legally bound to be completely honest with the messages on their packages or other marketing materials. Hence, be particular with their wording. Kiehl’s fooled me, Organix fooled me, Giorgio Armani fooled me, Gatsby (Mandom Corp. Japan) fooled me…even Deep Sea Cosmetics fooled me, who would think their cosmetics contained cancerous chemicals from their recent ad. campaign? Ridiculous.

You may argue that preservatives such as sodium benzoate are OK in small doses as they are in my face wash, but I was planning on buying that same face wash for at least another 2-3 years and using it every day, daily-as listed on the product itself. I haven’t come across any long-term studies regarding the use of such products containing harmful chemicals in small doses such as sodium benzoate, but I’d rather be safe than sorry. To be blunt, it is because large companies have lost their human morals and have decided to fool innocent consumers that their products are safe in the long run and short run. Don’t be fooled.

Looking for wholesome personal care products was a hunt. But ended successfully. I went through Walgreens and CVS here in San Francisco, and I was having a very difficult time finding products that didn’t contain: Petrol derived chemicals, Parabens, Sulfates, Phosphates, Aluminium, Triclosan, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate… (Google for yourself the characteristics of these chemicals.)

After venturing, I figured there was one place left to go: Whole Foods. I stepped in to the personal care items aisle; All of my needs were met, my worries resolved, and wallet not abused. Unlike the posh image of Whole Foods, the shampoo and conditioner I bought from Whole Foods is more cost effective than Pantene, Head and Shoulders, or whatever else Proctor and Gamble sells.

My toiletry kit went through a complete revamp. I didn’t just read the labels on the shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, and face wash; I went to the moisturizer, eye cream, acne spot cream, cologne, even to styling wax I use for my hair! All products were under $10.00 – the two exceptions being the $18.00 eye cream and $80.00 Cologne. Antiperspirants, no more!

some of the au naturale and affordable (he wasn't lying) products from Allen's hunt/haul 

The question is…what I am going to do with all of the products I previously bought that aren’t used yet? I don’t want to just throw them away and pollute even more…I was thinking that perhaps I’d use them for cleaning things (like shoes, bags etc.)

Once they’re all used up I’m never buying them again.           

P.S. - With regards to toothpaste (not listed above) I recommend using one that also doesn’t contain any of the above. Even if it’s ADA approved, dentists (my family is soon to have 3 of them) recommend toothpastes without SLS (Sodium Laureth Sulfate + similar chemicals) as it dries the mouth and promotes bad breath. I recommend using Sensodyne- it’s easy to find, use it even if you don’t have sensitive teeth. It may not be as bubbly as your Colgate toothpaste, but that’s a good thing (A sign that it’s SLS free). "

The original, full-length post can be found here along with more of his original photos & illustrations, as well as more anecdotes of all sorts. His blog dedicates itself to his personal adventures, fascinations, and observations of the many cities he calls his homes and loves.