So My Favourite Organic Self-Tanner Contains Formaldehyde + Safe Alternatives

Do you use self-tanners? Do you like the look of tanned skin? I find pale skin really beautiful, pale blondes have something etheric and light about it, pale brunettes look mysterious. Personally I do like to use self-tanners on my skin because a lightly tanned skin feels more "me" -- probably because I grew up in a more sunny place than I live in now and have seen myself without a tan for the first time a couple of years ago.

Since a couple of years I have been using the Lavera Sun Sensitiv self tanning cream, which has an impeccable ingredient list... or so I thought. The November 2015 issue of the Öko Test magazine examined several self-tanning products in a laboratory and found that most contained formaldehyde. This chemical not only is a human carcinogen but also causes a number of other health issues, and is been banned in cosmetics by the EU since 2016. However there are no laws against chemical ingredients that release formaldehyde over time.

The ingredient that is rescponsible for tanning the skin is DHA, which is harmless in itself and even used to enhance the colour of meat. However with time and with warmth DHA gasses of formaldehyde. Of all the self-tanners that Öko tested examine, almost all had too high levels of formaldehyde -- including the organic brands. Most conventional brands also had other problem substances such as allergy-causing perfume, pthalates, parabens, lilial and PEGs.

Luckily there were three self-tanning products that the Öko Test laboratories found that were almost free from formaldehyde -- the one from Douglas and the one from Lavozon (Müller) got the rating of "very good". The one from Yves Roche got an "satisfactory", with points taken away because of the irritating perfume Cumarin, PEGs and aluminium. Next in line came the La Roche-Posey self tanner with a rating of only "sufficient", because of silicones and PEGs.
To prevent the release of formaldehyde all self-tanners that rely on DHA should be stored in a cool place (the fridge) and used up much sooner than their use-by date. I also found a couple of interesting DIY self-tanner recipes, they all contain some kind of fats which should keep the mixture on the skin and off your clothes. let me know if you try them! Other alternative is carrot oil (mixed with other oils).

The full article and the list of the products that were tested can be seen here.

Photo credit:  Alexander Shustov

Weekend Reads 20-05-2016

* Lilacs are blooming and if you want to pluck some, this is how you keep them fresh.

* I really loved you're not my child, don't call me mom.

* You might be old enough to rememer The Scatman song, but did you know that he struggled all his life with a debilitating stutter for which he was bullied in school, which made him depressed and addicted to alcohol, until he found scat music? My hat goes off.

* So apparently you can easily turn leather into suede at home. Who knew!

* Homesong. A beautiful blog about a beautiful simple home. I want to move in and steal all her stuff.

* I've always been fascinated by the Korean 10-step routines, but not a huge fan of all the products with dubious ingredients. Now one of my favourite bloggers presents a zero-waste, natural version of it -- based on actual traditional Korean DIY skincare.

* The Murmuring Cottage is a beautifully curated tumblr of the most calming images ever. What are your favourite blogs or tumblrs for aesthetic inspiration? I'm looking for new ones.

* How to quick-soak chickpeas.

* An in-depth article about heels, their psychology and their history.

* War and Peace is one of my favourite books ever and one of the the greatest stories ever told, so I was pretty stoked about BBC making a miniseries based on it. It's quite good (even if not Russian enough and not philosophical enough), with some amazing actors. And Prince Bolkonsky. And that ball scene.

  
What great posts or blogs have you read (or written) this week? Do share in the comment section.

How Often To Exfoliate? + A Roundup Of Gentle Exfoliating Methods

Exfoliation not only makes the skin look fresher but also unclogs pores. The "traditional" western way of exfoliation is to use a strong gritty scrub once a week. Recently the once-a-week trend is slowly getting replaced by the daily exfoliating routine where you use a very gentle method of exfoliating most days.

Gentle mechanical exfoliators:

Daily exfoliation can be mechanical or chemical. The gentlest form of mechanical exfoliation is the Konjac sponge, which is suitable for even very sensitive skin. Sometimes before applying make-up in the winter I'll go over my face with a Konjac sponge to remove and dry skin flakes. The silicon pads are also very gentle. Then there are microfiber cloths and the slightly harsher muslin cloths, often used to remove make-up -- these can be used often providing you don't use a lot of force. Clay face masks make great daily exfoliators if you massage them in gently. My favourites are the Khadi sandalwood mask, Rhassoul clay and of course almond paste -- all three are very gentle. Then there are all the face brushes -- electric like the Clarisonic and manual ones. Here I'd advise most people to err on the side of caution and use the softest possible brushes. And not every day.

Exfoliants to avoid:

I am not a huge fan of grainy/gritty scrubs like salt or sugar for the face. They can tear the skin easily and thus make more spaces for dirt and bacteria. Also, research shows that they affect the skin barrier function.  The worst offender is be the St Ives apricot scrub.
Another scrub that nobody should ever use is the plastic microbeads which are a seriously bad for the environment (polythylene or polypropylene on the ingredient list).

Chemical exfoliation:

Alpha and Beta Hydroxy Acids loosen the dead skin, I have explained it here. A lot of cosmetics contain smaller concentrations of acids, especially anti-acne, anti-ageing and masques). They are a godsend for skin with very delicate capillaries that can't stand mechanical exfoliation. Both AHAs and BHAs can be used daily if necessary, in lower concentrations (1-2% for BHAs, till 10% for AHAs). If you are a newbie to hydroxy acids, start with a small amount every third day and work up to every day. Dial back if your skin becomes dry and irritated.
If you are doing regular chemical exfoliation you should exfoliate mechanically 1-2 times a week to remove the loosened dead skin cells. This could be as simple as using a microfiber cloth during cleansing. If you don't chances are the skin flakes will block your pores.


The rule of thumb is -- the gentler the method, the more often it can be used. Observe your skin and see how it reacts. My skin doesn't like to be scrubbed too heavily and I had broken a lot of capillaries by using scrubs that are way too harsh (St Ives with the walnut shells). So I prefer regular but gentle exfoliation.
If you are Caucasian you must remember that your skin is statistically thinner that east Asian (or black) skin, so don't copy the aggressive cleaning techniques that you find on east Asian beauty blogs. 

Personally I like to rotate a couple of exfoliants because no two are the same. Clays draw out impurities from the skin, microfiber gathers dead skin flakes, Konjac root and the silicone pad make a nice massage, almond paste calms dry skin and hydroxy acids even out the skin tone and lighten light lines.I'd say that on the average I exfoliate every 2-3 days.

What does your exfoliation routine look like? What if your skin type and which exfoliator brings you best results?

Martina Gebhart Cosmetics Review -- My Favourite Moisturising Products

I realised that I haven't done a post about my all-time favourite moisturisers! I have mentioned Martina Gebhardt products but haven't told you about how it's my go-to brand for basic creams and lotions.

Since over two years this brand is somewhat of a holy grail for my skin. I remember testing one of the lotions out for the first time -- waking up bleary eyed and staring with surprise at my reflection in the mirror, wondering why my skin looked so. Then I remembered that I had tried out the Martina Gebhardt Young and Active Lotion the previous evening. I rarely get that "wow, that worked" moment with skin care product, but it's there with Martina Gebhardt products. From what I gleaned from a German Facebook natural cosmetics group, I'm not the only fan of this brand. Especially women with acne had really good results.

  The ingredients are interesting and differ from the typical natural cosmetics. For one, many of the creams and lotions are alcohol-free (so many natural cosmetics contain a lot of alcohol, which my skin doesn't like). Apart from oils and herbs, there are Spagyric herbal extracts as well as gold, silver and sulphur. The products are formulated in a way that they don't need preservatives. They are also pH-neutral.
   My skin feels really moisturied and taut when I used the Martina Gebhardt products, and I don't get breakouts or flaky skin.

 Martina Gebhardt products are certified organic (Demeter quality), all are vegetarian and many of them are vegan (here is a list). They are free from Palm-oil and palm-oil derivatives.

Martina Gebhardt carries several series, each meant for a different kind of skin type or issue. I ordered a set of samples from their site (for 5€, which is then subtracted from your next order). Here is a handy guide to help you figure out what to get. If you speak German you can also write them an email or phone them, I have heard they are good at helping clients to find the right products for their specific skin issues.

I have a couple of favourites: the Young and Active series balances my dry-but-oily skin, so does the Melisse cream which additionally brightens up my face. The Salvia line is the bees knees for oily skin -- I woke up with a completely matte face after using it. After a few days I realised it was too strong  for my mixed skin though, but do try it out if you have are struggling with a truly oily skin. The mask from this series is amazing if you see a breakout coming.

If your skin is on the dry side, the Rose series will work well for you. The Shea Butter line is meant for extremely sensitive and allergic skin, it has just a couple of ingredients that are extremely gentle. Many people with Neurodermitis like it a lot. You can also use it on small babies (also the Calendula line).

Another product worth noticing is the Rose Bronzing Fluid. It is more neutral and less orangey than the bronzing fluid from Dr Hauschka. It's very light and doesn't moisturises though, it's meant to lightly even out the skin tone and add a little golden glow. If you like forest-y scents you will like the Wood Massage Oil. Another product I loved was the Herbs face and décolletée mask. The Martina Gebhardt hand cream is probably the richest one I have ever tested -- deal for very dry hands.

In the winter I prefer the cream versions of the products. They have a really wholesome quality about them, and they keep my face from getting flaky. In summer I usually go for lotions, unless my skin is feeling dry. Both lotions and creams are rather greasy so I use them in the evening. My skin drinks it all up and I wake up with almost no sebum (when I don't use them for a while, I wake up with an extremely oily T-zone). If I want something really light for the day, I use the Rose eye cream all over my face. Around my eyes I prefer richer products than this, like the Avocado eye cream.

  There are a couple of other Martina Gebhardt products that I haven't tested yet -- the summer series, the Neroli cream and the ampoules. I also have not tested the cleansers yet, but they look very interestingly they do not contain surfactants.

   The prices are not exactly rock-bottom, but they are affordable, especially because a little of the product goes a long way. Online and in some brick-and-mortar stores you can find the smaller versions of the products. In Germany they are available in many organic stores, in the US via BeWellStayWell.

   If you have tried Martina Gebhardt products I'd love to know what your experiences are. What have you used? Right now I have started using the Ginseng cream to revive my skin after the winter.