Swapping My Neutrogena Toner for Burt's Bees Garden Tomato Toner
Today starts Day One of my participation on Crunchy's Extreme Eco-Throwdown. I have pledged to give up plastics for the month of May and, in typical 'Burban style, I'm gonna pussyfoot my way through it, one change at a time. Today's change has me dropping my old faithful, but plastic-packaged toner with an all natural toner that comes in a glass bottle with just a small plastic top. The added bonus is that its ingredients consist of words I can actually pronounce.
Here's the down side. I have a nice diagnosed case of postule rosacea. Which means any changes in my diet, the weather, or my face care regimen will turn my face into zit city. And I'm not talking little whiteheads that you can pop with your fingernail, I'm talking big-ass, subterranean pimples that hurt when the wind blows on them. It takes about two weeks from the date of the "incident", so I'm expecting to look like a real purdy chick by mid-month.
But I'm hoping that once my skin adjusts I'll be able to keep my new toner and will have permanently eliminated yet another plastic bottle from our home.
13 comments:
Keep us posted on how this works out... of course after your two week "return to the teenage years"! Changing my beauty product supply is also on my to-do list for both natural ingredients and recyclable materials. But, I always hesitate to change, I am so afraid of disrupting the balance! I really didn't enjoy my teenage years the first time around and I'm not looking forward to doing it again!
Jiminy cricket. I know who going to be winning the next eco-nut award. Couldn't you pick something a little less... hazardous?
eco-'Burb, I will DEFINITELY keep you posted as I don't want others to have to be the guinea pigs on changes that make you pfugly!
Crunch, What can I say? I'm a woman who lives life on the edge! Tomorrow I'm thinking about wearing socks that don't match. ;-)
You'll think that I'm nuts, but I mix 3000 mg of Niacinamide (Vitamin B-3--I use 6 500mg vitamin capsules per batch) into 2 oz. of aloe vera gel--it's the BEST anti-acne thing I've ever used in my life. And I've had problem skin for years, used all kinds of prescription stuff. I finally decided, hey, I'm a smart girl, I should do a literature search on effectiveness of various acne treatments--that's how I hit upon this one. If you try to buy a cream with the niacinamide, you pay at least $30 for a small jar of a cream with an unspecified concentration.
Ouch, ouch, ouch!
I have not learned to use beauty products :) Yay for that. Not really. But the upside is that I have never had a "balanced" skin.
Burt's Bees Toner totally looks awesome. Best of luck with rosacea management and balanced skin.
Better Basics for the Home has quite a few suggestions for homemade natural anti-acne treatments. Tea tree oil seems to be a winner. It is naturally antiseptic and antifungal, just in case you have any mold issues.
I have to admit, my first reaction to reading the word "toner" was, "cool, toner for my printer not encased in plastic." Sigh - it is not the case.
You are one brave chica! Good luck with your plastic-free face care! Maybe in a few weeks I'll get up the nerve to try another planet-friendly anti-zit option myself.
I love how you are approaching the no plastic thing - with changes that might actually stick. I admit to being flabbergasted as to how to do it. I pledged no plastic but every time I turn around, damn, but there it is.
Good luck on the old face thing. You're a brave girl.
Gawds - am I a grot or what? I was going to ask "what's toner?"
Then your description explained it to me. Aha! Girlie perfumey stuff.
I gave all that up about a year ago. I occasionally use lipstick, but that's about it.
Interestingly, one thing I have noticed is that I don't *need* a 'skin care regimen' since I stopped putting all that girly gunk on my face. Sort of makes me think it was causing me the problems in the first place?
But I am *seriously* impressed by the ardor at which you're doing the eco-throwdown. I've still got to work my kids towards 100% cloth nappies, so I'm failing big time on the nappy nasty :-(
Daharja,
Toner isn't actually perfumey girly stuff (although, most commercial brands do add frangrance for whatever reason). It's usually an alcohol-based mixture that is used for cleansing pores. It removes dirt and oil that soap doesn't get. Some toners contain additional ingredients, such as salacylic acid or glycol which help treat rosacea or other skin conditions.
Unfortunately, this BB stuff ain't working so well!
Lindsey, 20 points for innovation. I'm going to try that! Does it make a night gel or is a toner/face wash?
Thanks, Carolyn. It makes a gel--I use it after I wash my face both in the morning and in the evening.
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