My chemical romance

I have been a lover of all things girly product since the day I perfected the eyeshadow rainbow in grade seven and got sent to the washroom to "wash that garbage off".

I've been lovingly growing my arsenal of lotions, balms, gels, powders, and serums over the years, throwing out the starter sets from Shoppers and eventually graduating to Holt's and Sephora. If I still felt like a loser teenager sometimes, all I had to do was look on my bathroom counter to see that I'd grown into a big girl with big girl products.

Every once in awhile I'd look at those deodorant crystals in the drugstore and feel a bit intrigued but ultimately dismissive. And the beauty sections of health food stores were for hippies, man. All that rose water and patchouli.

When I was diagnosed, I read first about the stuff I was putting on my pits. All those side convos about the aluminum in deodorant and breast cancer came ringing back to my immediate consciousness and I decided I'd at least try the natural stuff while I learned a bit more. Here's what I read:

• Deodorants that contain aluminum, which stops you from sweating, can act like estrogen and fuel cancer cells
• Deodorants that contain parabens, which are preservatives to keep the product from spoiling, can also act like estrogen and fuel cancer cells

Depending on what you read, the evidence is inconclusive but leading. As it is with many things friendly with cancer. But it was enough to get me researching some decent alternatives so I didn't end up stinking like my fourth year of Women's Studies classes at UVic.

I tried a bunch of the hippie stuff - the Tom's, the Nature's Gate and such, but have found only two do the trick. Keep in mind, I'm not a heavy sweater (as opposed to a heavy petter) but I can work up a good one when I want to. The two jewels have been:

Avalon Organics Deodorant Spray

Lavanila Deodorant

Since my deodorant transformation, I've been purging the rest of my products bit by painful bit. Sometimes it's been hard. I spent some decent coin on some of that carcinogenic shizz! But mostly it's been freeing. And as of yesterday with my latest nail polish purge, I am chemical free in the lady product department except for a single Mac lipstick I haven't been able to part with.

When you start reading about formaldehyde in nail polish, silicon in primer and sodium laureth sulfate in your shampoo (see David Suzuki's Dirty Dozen or the Environmental Working Group's cosmetic database) and how these things are not doing good things (and are doing potentially super narsty things) to our bods, I hope you're inspired to purge, too, and put an end to your own chemical romance.

Other recos:

Korres makeup (I use the eyeliner and lip glosses as well as the body lotions)

Tarte makeup (I use the gel and powder blush, the eyebrow pencil and the Amazonian Clay mascara)

Boscia skin care products (I use the face washes and moisturizers)

Josie Maran products (I use the Argan oil)

Annmarie Gianni skin care products (I use the face washes and herbal oils)

Dr. Hauschka skin care products (I use the moisturizers)

Scotch Naturals nail polish