Lately I’ve begun to develop a feeling of being dependent on the products that I use on my body every day. I don’t know why it bothers me, but I feel as if it is wrong that I should physically break down without access to the various lotions and chemicals that I keep in my bathroom. I don’t have any abnormal medical conditions and I don’t take any prescriptions. I am talking about simple things like my foaming face wash, moisturizer, moisturizing shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, mouth wash, Chap Stick, contact lenses and cleaners, etc… If I were to go on a trip without bringing some of this stuff with me my face would eventually begin to break out, I would have bad breath, my hair would not look nice and my skin would not feel good. So what would happen if I found myself in the jungle? Would I eventually get over my conditions and adjust to the situation or does everyone who lives outside of modern society suffer from dry skin, dandruff, bad breath and pimples?
I used to use Listerine twice a day, religiously. One time I missed rinsing my mouth out and when I woke up my mouth felt terrible and I had two canker sores and really terrible breath. My tongue also looked like it had an unhealthy coating on it. I of course ran for the Listerine and after a few days I was cleared back up again. I thought this was crazy though, so I eventually weaned myself off of it and now I have a healthy mouth with only brushing and flossing.
The episode with the Listerine made me wonder if some of the other problems that I could potentially suffer from are only a result of the products that I use. Would I only have pimples if I stopped using my foaming face wash BECAUSE I use the foaming face wash? Would I only get dandruff if I stopped using a moisturizing shampoo BECAUSE I use a moisturizing shampoo? See what I’m getting at?
So how do you decide what products are right to use on your body. I am glad that I am off Listerine because I feel that the harsh chemicals rendered my mouth damaged and completely helpless to fight off its own infections. It upset the natural chemistry of my body to the point where bad things would happen if I didn’t get my daily dose. But obviously, I DO have to brush my teeth! So where, and HOW, do you draw the line? My diet is very good, I exercise regularly, I get plenty of sleep and I am happy. So what say you? Am I doing harm to my body by using certain products? How can I decide what is absolutely necessary? Is it worth it to wash my face with a natural face soap that doesn’t dry your skin out if it means that I will get a pimple every now and then? I live in New York City and if I didn’t wash my face every day it would probably fall off. I suppose it is a tradeoff that I must use unnatural chemicals to cleanse myself since I subject myself to so many unnatural chemicals every day living in a modern city.
Let me hear your thoughts!
