Tag: Organic Skin Care

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Silkier Skin

As summer gently fades into the crisp embrace of fall, it’s time to trade those sun-kissed, lightweight routines for the cozy, nourishing rituals our skin needs. Drawing from my 25 years of crafting clean, natural hair and skin treasures at Christina Moss Naturals, I love sharing simple, organic ways to make this transition seamless and sustainable.

Begin with fresh aloe vera gel straight from your own windowsill plant—nothing beats harvesting it yourself for that pure, soothing hydration to calm any lingering sun spots. Mix it with a dollop of organic honey from your local beekeepers to create a luxurious mask that seals in moisture against those cooler autumn winds. And remember, SPF is a year-round essential: whip up your own natural shield by blending zinc oxide with creamy coconut oil for gentle, effective protection.

To truly honor the seasonal shift, try infusing home-grown calendula petals into high-quality olive oil for a soothing serum that’s as kind to your skin as it is to the earth. This organic approach keeps your complexion supple, radiant, and utterly chemical-free, tapping into the timeless wisdom of your garden for results that glow from within.

Naturally yours,

Christina Moss

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Glow From Within

Glow from Within

I love to create clean, safe, and truly natural hair and skin treasures, I’ve always believed that true beauty radiates from the inside out. Nourishing your body with organic, home-grown essentials is the key to a balanced microbiome that powers clear, vibrant skin and lustrous, healthy hair—let’s dive into some simple ways to make this your reality.


Kick things off with fermented veggies, like sauerkraut straight from your own cabbage patch; it’s a powerhouse for gut health that sets the stage for glowing results. Embrace probiotics through homemade kefir—using raw milk if you can source it locally—to support smooth digestion and dial down inflammation, leading to those blemish-free complexions we all adore. Stay hydrated with soothing herbal teas brewed from your garden’s mint or chamomile; they’ll gently flush out toxins while encouraging shiny, resilient hair.


Don’t overlook the magic of fiber-rich berries, plucked fresh from the bush, packed with antioxidants that strengthen hair follicles and support the skin naturally. And here’s my gentle suggestion to consider: skip the supplements and lean into whole foods, like nourishing bone broth simmered from organic bones. This holistic, inside-out approach aligns so well with nature’s perfect harmony, unlocking your radiant glow that’s as authentic as it is enduring.


Naturally yours,
Christina Moss

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Propylene Glycol and Similar Ingredients

Propylene Glycol and Polyethylene Glycol – Ingredients Well Worth Avoiding

There are many nasty ingredients out there, but here I am going to touch on two that I find particularly bad: propylene glycol and polyethylene glycol. Otherwise known as PEG and PG, these ingredients are found in your car, your food, your pharmaceuticals, and (you guessed it) your personal care products. All this exposure is bad news if you value your health. Here is why:

Polyethylene Glycol – The Person You Don’t Want at a Party

Have you ever invited someone to a get-together, only to have that person invite a dozen of their friends? Before you know it, your food is gone, your house is ruined, and your neighbors aren’t speaking to you. Polyethylene glycol is that person.

The thing that PEG is best at is enhancing penetration. It helps other ingredients move deep down into your skin. So, when PEG joins a party, it brings all its friends with it, really ramping up the impact other undesirable compounds have on your skin.

Not only that, but PEG is often contaminated with some very nasty things. According to a report in the International Journal of Toxicology, PEG has been found to be contaminated with heavy metals (including lead) and ethylene oxide (an ingredient used to make mustard gas).1

When PEG penetrates your body, it also disrupts your skin’s ability to retain moisture. As a result, you end up with dryer, itchier, more irritated skin, which will probably leave you reaching for the same product that contained PEG in the first place. It is a vicious cycle and one that is hard to break without making a dramatic change in your skincare mindset.

I don’t know about you, but that sounds like the kind of party guest I would rather avoid… which I do.

Propylene Glycol – It’s Everywhere!

Here is a fun game: Try to find something that does not contain propylene glycol. Intravenous drugs? Check. Antifreeze? Check. Cake mixes? Check. Conventional personal care products? Big check on that one. PG is just about everywhere, and that is scary.

It is natural that an ingredient used in such a broad and varied range of products, from brake fluid to flavored iced tea to deodorant, would raise some suspicion. There has been quite a bit of research into PG, and the results are not comforting.

Even at relatively low concentrations, exposure to PG has been proven to cause irritation and allergic reaction. One report even shows that exposure to PG can cause skin, liver, and kidney damage.

Finally, just like PEG, PG increases penetration. That means the other ingredients in your lotions, shampoos, conditioners, and sun blocks can make it into your system much more easily. Over time, this exposure can really add up, especially when you consider just how often the average person encounters PG.

The safest bet is to avoid propylene glycol as much as possible, which is why I never use it in my formulations.

Doesn’t Your Skin Deserve Better?

There is no need to keep exposing yourself to PEG and PG, especially when there are plenty of alternatives out there. Choose propylene glycol and polyethylene glycol-free products and enjoy healthier (and happier) skin.

What are your experiences with propylene glycol and polyethylene glycol? Please tell me about them in the comments below.

– Christina Moss

 

Sources

1 American College of Toxicology
International Journal of Toxicology
https://journals.sagepub.com/home/ijt

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Fragrances

I’d like to take a minute to pay respect to a part of the body that’s often overlooked: your nose. Scientists estimate that the nose can distinguish between over 1 trillion different odors, making it the most sensitive organ in the body, by far. Scent and memory are strongly combined, so with a single sniff, your nose can transport you to some of the best times in your life. Your sense of smell is truly amazing.

So why abuse it with artificial fragrances?

Continue reading Fragrances

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Parabens

What You Need to Know About Parabens

Take a look at any list of dangerous ingredients to watch out for in personal care products and you will see parabens near the top… with good reason. Commonly used to prevent bacteria growth, parabens are virtually everywhere and are associated with a number of very troubling side effects. I do not let them anywhere near my products, and here is why:

What Are Parabens?

Parabens are a type of preservative. Manufacturers include them in their products to stop the growth of bacteria, mold, fungus, and other things you definitely do not want in your lotion. There is nothing wrong with preservatives in hair and skincare products in theory, but there are a few problems with parabens, in particular.

For example, parabens are not water-soluble and can penetrate your skin.

And there is evidence that the body cannot metabolize these chemicals, which means they build up in your system over time and with repeated exposure.

Where Can You Find Parabens?

To put it bluntly: just about everywhere. Parabens are extremely common in conventional personal care products, including soaps, shampoos, conditioners, facial cleansers, makeup, shaving gels, moisturizers, lotions and more. Look out for products that contain any of the following ingredients: ethylparaben, butylparaben, isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben, methylparaben or propylparaben.

Why Parabens Are a Problem

If you spend much time researching parabens, you will run into a study that found five different parabens in the breast tumors of 19 out of the 20 women studied. That really scares me. While it is not enough evidence to conclusively prove that parabens cause breast cancer, it absolutely shows that the body does not break down these chemicals.

Think about all the personal care products you and the average person use over a day, a month, a year and a lifetime. That’s a lot of parabens.

This exposure becomes even scarier when you consider parabens’ ability to mimic estrogen. Studies have found that parabens bind to estrogen receptors, disrupting the body’s ability to produce this hormone. Estrogen disruption is linked to reproductive issues and breast cancer. Hence, even if parabens don’t cause breast cancer directly, they can help create an environment that is friendly to it.

Some research sources are quick to point out that small concentrations of parabens are considered safe. If you only used a single product that contained these chemicals, maybe that would be okay. But we can easily encounter dozens of paraben-laced products in our daily lives, and that exposure builds up over a lifetime.

No wonder the EU recently banned this ingredient.

Paraben Alternatives

Parabens might be common, but that does not mean they are inescapable. As information about their dangers spreads, more and more products are going paraben-free. That is a good thing. However, just because a bottle of lotion has a “paraben-free” sticker on it does not mean it is free of other problematic ingredients.

Do your due diligence when considering a new conventional personal care item… or stick to natural products and skip the junk altogether.

Research into parabens is ongoing, but I have heard enough to know they are not something I want in my body or my products. Keep your eye out for these preservatives – your body will thank you.

– Christina Moss

What Are Your Thoughts on “What You Need to Know about Parabens”?