I started getting interested in natural living when I started reading articles about how the growth hormones given to the animals we eat might affect us. Cancer? Early puberty? I’m no scientist so I can’t say for sure. The FDA says there is nothing to see here. Is that true? Your guess is as good as mine. But it did get me thinking about the chemicals that we ingest, breathe, and touch every single day. What about the makeup that we put on our face? The soap we use in the shower and the lotion immediately following. What is in all these products? I’ve looked at the ingredient list and I have to tell you, I am not sure what half of it is, even after I Google it. There has to be a simpler way, right?

 

The use of harmful chemicals in the products we use is not a new thing. European nobles from the 16th century used lead-based makeup to whiten their faces. Use of this poisonous concoction lead to skin discoloration, erosion of dental enamel, hair loss, and illness. In 1902 Sears and Roebuck catalog lists Dr. Rose’s French Arsenic Complexion Wafers promised a magical transformation in you’re the texture and purity of your skin. Today we would think the use of these chemical ridiculous but then it was completely normal. What are we using today that would raise eyebrows years from now.

 

Ingredients like parabens which are used as antibacterial agents to keep skin care products fresh have been linked to breast cancer. Sulfates, another kind of preservative, have been linked to adverse reactions such as dermatitis, abdominal pain, and asthmatic reactions. Of course, like I said, I’m no scientist. You can read any number of articles that also tell you there haven’t been enough studies to definitively prove these ingredients are bad for you. I’m just not sure it’s worth the wait to find out.

 

So, my quest for a simpler, more natural way of living began. From what I’ve seen so far, there is something that has not gone out of style over the years; plants. Whether in their whole form; flowers, leaves, and roots or their concentrated form; essential oils, plants have countless uses. Whether you are looking to sleep better at night, improve your concentration, moisturize your skin, heal a burn, relieve anxiety, or give your immunity a boost, plants provide it all. And the kicker is, unlike the lab created “cures” advertised on TV, there isn’t a long list of side effects that are worse than the problem you’re looking to solve. Today where it’s easy to look for a pill to solve all your problems, looking to nature instead is truly an alternative path to health and happiness.