The deeper I try to get into a chemical-free life, the more disturbed I get by the proliferation of the shite in the products we put on and around our bods. And what's even more crazy-inducing is that not everyone is concerned about this. That whole "they wouldn't lie to us" mentality that drives me around the bend and makes me feel like a grade A conspiracy theorist. Because we know as much today as we did 50 years ago about drugs/chemicals/nutrition, right? No advances there. No tobacco awakening. No sir. The man will take care of us. The thing is, they don't know for sure this shite contributes to disease, but then, given the choice, why not move in a cleaner direction?
Hell, I know it's tiring to have to think of this shit all the time. You think I don't slap myself in the face every time I go into Sephora and visit the three lonely shelves that are chemical-free while weeping over the pretty pretty that in good conscience I can't buy anymore? But it's getting less painful.
Almost 18 months later and I've managed to purge my hut of most things non-organic in the cleaning and beauty product district. I went into the fetal position after throwing away the formaldehyde-laden but perfect shade of black mascara I've been using for years to move my love over to the new Tarte Amazonian Clay mascara that truthfully, kicks the ass of any mascara I've ever owned. And I know it's a fucking pretentious name. I'm sure there are virgin tears and baby sweat on my lashes now, and I welcome it all.
I still have a handful of products I'm too attached to to give up yet - mostly lead-laden lipsticks - but I'm getting there. I'm aiming to be chemical-free by the end of year, which seems bloody first-world and privileged as shit, but I have to do something while the man figures out whether putting preservatives on my pits is having any effect at all.
All I ask is that the next time you read in a magazine that "you can rest easy, because there have been no conclusive tests to show the link between parabens and cancer", be worried that the question was ever there in the first place and the research is so very young.
Amen to that, (twin) sister.
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