- Dear Muffy, I recently found your blog and I am enjoying it immensely. I do have one request, though. Could you please write an entry on grooming products? What brands of shampoo, toothpaste, etc. do true preps use? Thanks!
- Hey M., I always feel clueless when buying household cleaning products. What do you get? Keep writing!!
- Hello, I am going to throw some questions your way: you say smells are anathema, does that mean no scented candles or perfume for you? Also, I love your minimalist preppy style. What is your take on make-up, lotions and potions? I hope I don’t sound too terribly nosey, but I really appreciate your input on these types of matters. Thank you for your time.
- Dear Muffy, Do you have a favorite lip balm, gloss or stick that you prefer for the cold winter months? Wishing you a healthy, Happy Holiday season! xoxo
- Greetings Muffy. I noticed you have the perfect shade of soft pink lipstick on. I am always in search for the right color. May I ask what color it is? Thanks!
I have put forth what could easily be described as far too much effort over the years on the selection of cleaning and grooming products. I have belonged to numerous health food/natural care co-ops; frequented health food stores; bought in bulk directly from the manufacturers; and lobbied my local supermarket to carry certain products.
So the answers to the above questions fall into three basic categories - the purest product I can find; a more conventional product (but minus the fragrance); and vanity.
I am quite pleased with products like Tom's of Maine aluminum-free deodorant as well as their toothpaste, and would classify these in the "pure" category. I have compromised with products like Lubriderm and Dove soap, opting for their hypo-allergenic and fragrance free products. ( I share Tickled Pink and Green's strong need to always have a lip balm available, buy them in great numbers, and have one stashed in every room, car, pocket, pocketbook, bedside table, etc.)
I dislike artificial fragrances, so I don't used scented candles or perfumes, and opt for fragrance free as often as possible (fragrances are the result of some of the most harmful categories of chemicals, so I have been told), including my husband's shaving cream.
I also go for natural cleaning products, taking Deidre Imus' advice to look for products which have the ingredients highlighted.
While it is arguably a bad time for things like Women's classic clothes, it is an excellent time for the ease of purchasing natural products, and I get virtually all of them now from one simple source, my local supermarket.
This is the vanity category and where I fail. The (only) make-up I wear is this Elizabeth Arden lipstick (Pink Vibrations #49).
And because I chemically treat my hair (off the scalp, anyway), most natural shampoos don't work for me. So I pick up my shampoo and conditioner at the local salon and I refill my lipstick supply whenever I am in the city. I don't use nail polish , mostly because it never stays on, but also because of the particularly nasty nature of the remover.
Ultimately, I try to make all of these decisions for myself and family using the same criteria as food and clothes.
23 comments:
I'm about to make an embarrassing confession. I'm so addicted to lip balm that I had to hold one in my hand during both of my c-sections. And when I'm getting my hair done at the salon, I take one to the shampoo bowl and hold it while they wash my hair. It's my pacifier...
I should probably seek help..... : 0
I couldn't agree more about artifical fragrance. As a style issue, I've never really seen the point, whether on men or women. Most people don't realize the trail they leave behind with such products, either. One day I was convinced I was following the same guy from my office to the gas station to the grocery store, even though I never saw him, because I kept smelling the same after-shave everywhere I went. Fortunately, I missed sticking my hands in it on the pump handle and grocery cart. I've had that happen on numerous occasions, and it's not always convenient to wash up afterwards.
@TP&G - Ha! The embarrassing confessions are always the best ones! I am sure you have more company than you might think!
@John - You are so right about the trail! I find it is always more potent right after Christmas, when so many are wearing their presents. And I always use the Purell wipes that my supermarket provides, and fill up my tank at our little old-fashioned gas station where they pump my gas and clean my windows.
As someone who is allergic to fragrances, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. In fact, I use almost all the same products you do. I was interested in your choice of shampoo. I, too, have coloured hair and the natural products don't work on me either. But most of the shampoos that do work have a fragrance that lingers too long on my hair and bothers me. Does the stuff you use not linger (I hope, I hope!)?
Great post! I do, I must confess, love scented candles, Diptyque "Baies" being a favorite. I do not, however, want scented laundry soap, fabrique softener, etc.
Keep up your good work, just love your blog!
I have a keen smeller and can't handle fragrances. I use free and clear detergent and unscented or fragrance free grooming products - mostly Kiehl's. I've been curious about the Tom's of Maine deodorants. I use Tom's of Maine oral care products, but am afraid the deodorant will let me down. I may have to give it a try.
Happy New Year from another lip balm addict....on the subject of fragrance, my grandmother's rule was that perfume was only for special occasions, and that only a person very close to you, as when giving a hug, should be able to just get a faint whiff. It should be a little treat for our nearest and dearest.
If this rule is followed, I think perfume is ok, but wafting fragrance in the supermarket is a symbol of our wretched excess!
Laundry detergent, shampoo, etc, are so much more comfortable when unscented.
Best,
Lolly
I just wanted to say how much I enjoy your blog. I only stumbled across it a couple of months ago (via the lovely James) and I've enjoyed reading old as well as recent posts.
I've long avoided fragrances - they cause me to wheeze; few people understand that if you choose to wear fragrances things then subtlety is the key.
Thanks for this post! I noticed your page views have increased dramatically - I have to admit I check in daily for your posts because they are the best!
About detergents - I'm hooked on Mrs. Meyer's detergent and softener. Not only are they amazingly efficient in my fabulous new Bosch washer but I do love the faint fragrance left behind on the clothing. Perhaps it's my feminine side dominating the laundry my husband and three sons create but I do love one of my few splurges! The Mrs. Meyer's All Purpose Cleaner is truly all-purpose and one bottle can last six months if used properly, even when used diluted with water to refill the counter spray.
On to lip coverings: I also have a signature color and although I understand a signature color is something one definitely would not want to deviate from, has anyone considered Jane Iredale's PureMoist mineral lip colour? I use Renee and it's practically as nourishing as a lip balm, wears fantastically well, and adds the perfect pop of pink. No dyes or synthetic preservatives and cruelty free. Also, Clark's Botanicals makes the most amazing Ultra Rich Lip Balm. At 10 times the cost of a tube of basic lip balm I usually just have one in rotation but it's a must. Actually, I love the Clark's Botanicals Smoothing Marine Cream as well, above and beyond LaMer or any of those other overpriced glycerin-laden name brands.
About hair: Muffy, I've always been vexed about color. So many true preps are sans color and so many are fully and diligently blonde, as yourself. I used to highlight until I convinced myself during my twins' gestation to grow out the color. It's been four years and while I love how low maintenance my hair has been and the natural highlights I've discovered in my hair, I'm curious how often do you have to tend to your beautiful highlights since they are always so well maintained??
Happy New Year!
How great that you still have a gas station like that, Muffy. The last one we had in my town closed up about ten years ago. Pity we seem to have totally de-valued that kind of service. I'd happily pay more at the pump, the supermarket, or a department store to go back to that.
@Kari - I have spent a lot of time unscrewing caps and smelling shampoos. This is by far the least offensive I have found, and I don't even notice it once I wash it out. I am also pleased with the results.
@mary anne - Thank you! I am still looking for a more natural laundry soap that doesn't leave my clothes gray.
@Tammy B - I have been very pleased with Tom's deodorant, but I also don't find myself in a lot of really high stress situations where it needs to perform.
@Lollyg - I love your grandmother's rule! The more I think back to my grandparent's ways, the more wisdom I find.
@Sophie - Thank you! I agree with you that James is lovely. He is one of my absolute favorites!
@Elle - Thank you for so many good suggestions. I am particularly interested in Iredale's products. And my highlights are tended to every four weeks, without fail.
@John - There are other benefits as well. Just two weeks ago they removed a mouse nest from under my hood!
Great post, Muffy!
You're probably aware of the great online database of cosmetic and consumer products complied by the Environmental Working Group (ewg.org). It's found at http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com.
A very informative post. Really wonderful! I have been trying to move toward relatively pure & simple products. The http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com site that Bob Gall mentions comes as quite a revelation to me. I naively thought that shampoos & other products sold by stores such as Whole Foods would almost ipso facto be very safe, but evidently that's not true.
Muffy, thanks so much for allowing us to peek inside your shopping bag! Great advice, as always.
I recently made a purchase from Hanna Andersson and in the enclosed literature they recommended several laundry detergents that help "colors stay fresher using optical brightener-free products" including 7th Generation and, interestingly, Costco's Kirkland Signature Environmentally Friendly Laundry Detergent.
A reader wrote: i love the vest, what brand? in the pictures of you shopping for cleaning products. thank-you. your blog is sublime.
The vest is a Hanna Andersson Women's Reversible vest from a handful of year back.
A reader sent me this comment: Just curious if you've ever tried EOS lip balm? They are 95% organic and 100% natural. They are "flavored", but not in a sickly sweet way. I only use 1 color of lip stick as well, but I always apply a lip balm before I apply my lip color, it seems to keep the lip color from fading and drying out. Happy New Year
Wonderful post! I used to really like Toms products, but since they were bought by Colgate a few years back, I've tried to find other sources for natural products. I do really like Aveda products, and they are safe for chemically treated hair. I have also done a lot of searching, and I do believe that once you find something that works for you, you should stick with it!
Also, you can add my name to the list of lip balm addicts. My future FIL has a similar addiction; there are tubes of Kiehl's in every corner, pocket, drawer (and Christmas stocking!).
@Bob Gall - This is just great! Thank you so much for posting it.
@John - I share your naivete. I wonder about things like the very long list of virtually unreadable ingredients on my husband's shaving cream.
@Kate - I also just received an order from Hanna. Clearly I should be reading their washing instructions. I will give Seventh Generation another try.
@ACH - So far I haven't noticed any changes in Tom's since their purchase by Colgate, but my antennae are up.
I absolutely swear by my own Homeade Laundry Soap. It is really easy to make and works beautifully - great for those with sensitive skin and scent free!
Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value
4 Cups - hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
½ Cup Borax
- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)
-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.
-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)
Mummy, dearest...
My lovely great-grandmother had imparted to me a recipe for homemade laundry soap which I had once memorized and then, forgot! (She never wrote recipes down or used patterns when she knitted either, she had an amazing mind)
I'm so glad to find your "recipe", because I believe it is spot on with what her recipe was as well. Thank you!
that homemade laundry soap sounds intriging. i will try the recipe!
btw, I LOVE this site.
Hi,
I can't wait to make up the laundry soap recipe, and would like to add that plain household white vinegar makes a great fabric softener.
I add about a quarter cup to my front loading machine dispenser. This also seems to keep the machine very clean. In two and a half years, I have never needed to use the bleaching products recommended by the manufacturer.
Thanks!
Lolly
An interesting blog to be sure. And the people who comment are often interesting as well. I have copied the Soap Receipt and intend to make it soon. Thank You Both.
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