Melissa Cristina Marquez

I am a sweater. Not as in a cashmere sweater, but as in I sweat a lot. Perhaps it's because I'm constantly on the go or a past athlete or whatever. But ever since I could remember I was drawn to solutions that made me not sweat. I've seen embarrassing photos of me with damp armpits and it's just... not cute.

Then I started reading about the dangers of aluminium in antiperspirants. There are mixed opinions on whether or not aluminum is actually that bad for you. There’s a lot of information (and misinformation) on this topic, so I recommend not only doing your own thorough research, but speaking with your trusted doctor or dermatologist. For myself, I've decided it wouldn't hurt to opt out. Note: This isn't me being all "anti-chemicals." Everything is literally made up of chemicals, you guys. Good and not-so-good. 

​I’ve been using natural deodorant for about eight months now (essentially since I moved to Sydney). I wanted to share my personal experience in case anyone was wondering about making the switch!

If you've been following me on Twitter and Instagram, you've noticed I'm starting to lean towards a more natural, less-toxic beauty regime. I love makeup (and fashion!) so this was sort of a no-brainer for me as I try to reduce my harmful impact on our planet. I've been meaning to try "green" beauty products for a while now. 

While I'm not against chemicals (hello, I am a converted microdemabrasion-once-a-month gal) and there are chemicals in EVERYTHING (even natural stuff), I was struck by this information: 

"Across the pond, the European Union has spent the past two decades restricting or banning approximately 1,400 harmful chemicals and ingredients from personal care products. In Canada, the number of restricted ingredients is a little less than half that, at around 600.
The United States? 30."

I'm a scientist and a teacher, so naturally I researched the facts. If you, like me, are curious to see which ingredients are banned in other countries and might be in your products, check out the Environmental Working Group (EWG)’s Skin Deep database.

I haven’t swapped all of my skincare and cosmetics (not even close), but I bought some natural products to incorporate into my daily beauty routine a few months ago and I’m really impressed so far! If you have any other natural products that you love, please send them my way.