Product Insight: What I Use & Why

Hello Readers,

I have received a few emails over the past couple of months from a few of you containing questions regarding some of the products I use on a daily basis such as shampoo, soap, skincare, etc. It got me thinking that I should just provide an overview of products so that those who may be searching for a different product can see firsthand some of the products that I have come to love and that work well with my body despite my epilepsy.

As an epileptic, my body tends to be extra sensitive to everything, most especially synthetic ingredients. I have searched far and wide for chemical-free products in every area of my life.
I am happy to say that I have found great success in eliminating chemicals from my diet through organic and from-scratch meals. However, the one area that continues to befuddle me is cosmetics.
I even gave organic cosmetic products a try for a short while, completely convinced that I was doing better for my body. I mean, the very term “Organic” automatically means that a product is, without a doubt, better, right? Usually, I have found the answer to this question to be “Yes.”

However, once I discovered that Soy is included in every organic cosmetic company’s definition of “vegetable-derived” ingredients; I had to rethink my “Yes.” In Organic cosmetic products, ingredients like Tocopherol or Vitamin E are most commonly derived from soy instead of synthetic chemicals like you find in non-organic products. Honestly, I’m not sure which is worse for someone like myself who happens to be extremely allergic to soy. To make matters worse, these ingredients (tocopherol and vitamin e) are used in the majority of organic cosmetics. I cannot speak for every organic company, of course, so I still hope that there are products out there despite the fact that I have never found a single one.

My problem with soy is the fact that it is commonly known as a seizure trigger for many epileptics. It has certainly been known to cause issues for me, so overall this is a really bad ingredient choice for the epileptic consumer. It definitely isn’t healthy for the human body! Soy will wreck anyone’s hormones both female and male due to the fact that it is indeed an estrogen inhibitor meaning the consumption of soy will cause the human body’s production of estrogen to increase. See why this particular increase would be detrimental to the balance of your hormones, especially a male’s hormones???

So, long story short is my attempt to cleanse my makeup, skincare, and haircare products resulted in an increase in my seizure activity. Soy-derived ingredients being the primary cause of my increase. This was pretty much the opposite reaction to what I had been expecting and it made me realize that just because a product says “organic” does not make it completely incapable of containing poor quality ingredients. As per usual, you cannot judge a book by its cover therefore more information is always necessary before one can make an informed decision.

Based on my experience with both organic and inorganic products, I have come to this conclusion:

It is best to use the product that works for you and that does not increase your seizure activity even if it does contain not-so-great ingredients. I am sharing this with you because I’d like to try to explain the logic behind my product choices despite my desire to use clean, healthy products. The products below may not be completely free of synthetic ingredients, but they are free of the ingredients that I know to be seizure triggers for me personally. These are the products that I can use on a daily basis without increasing my seizure activity. The fact of the matter is that I need to wash my hair, my face, my body, I need to moisturize, and I prefer to use makeup. So, here are the cosmetic products and toiletries that work best for me at this moment in time AND have proven to have no effect on my seizure activity.

Every person’s body is different so just because something works for me does not mean it will work successfully for you as well. The truth is, no one knows your body like you do so listen to your gut when trying something new.

I do hope that this list will prove to be helpful for some of my readers. If you happen to have extra questions about any of my product choices, please feel free to email me at katie@seizethedayblog.com.

I’m always happy to help! 🙂

Haircare:

Oribe Gold Lust Shampoo & Conditioner

Oribe Dead End Treatment

Oribe Smoothing Blowout Cream

Bumble & Bumble Bb. Strong Finish Hairspray

Body:

Soap – Silver Miracles Colloidal Silver Soap Bar (Unscented)

Body Lotion – Lubriderm Daily Moisture Lotion

Hand Lotion – Gold Bond Healing Hand Cream

Body/Hand Lotion – Handmade Lotion (from-scratch recipe from Wellness Mama, which you can also find here on the blog)

Sunscreen – Banana Boat Simply Protect Baby Sunscreen (I know it’s for babies, but because of this fact it is extra gentle on adult skin as well so it’s perfect for those with sensitive skin.)

Deodorant – Freedom Natural Deodorant Large Stick (Unscented)

*Side Note: Where body and hand lotion are concerned, I prefer to use my own Homemade Lotion product whenever possible because it is completely free of synthetic ingredients and soy. You can also find the recipe here on the blog. It smells wonderful and moisturizes my skin like no other product. However, it is difficult to travel with so those days require me to use either Lubriderm or Gold Bond. These products are also great at moisturizing and my body is okay with their formulas despite the synthetic ingredients so they have made the list.

Skincare:

My morning & evening routine:

Karin Herzog Professional Cleansing Gel (Cleanser)

Karin Herzog Vit-A-Kombi 1 Anti-Aging Cream (Correct)

Karin Herzog Oxygen Face Normalizing Cream (Moisturize)

Skincare Tools: Karin Herzog Small face brush (used with Vit-A-Kombi cream) & Karin Herzog Silk Towel (used with Professional Cleansing Gel)

*Side Note: You have probably noticed that every single product listed above is from Karin Herzog. No, this is not some paid promotional ad, I simply happen to love Karin Herzog’s products. The quality of each (right down to the accompanying beauty tools) is of great quality and every single product delivers noticeable results. My skin always feels fantastic and completely nourished after I’m finished with my daily skincare regimen. Thus my preference for all things Karin Herzog when it comes to my skin…just in case you were wondering 🙂

Makeup:

Foundation – Becca Ultimate Coverage 24-hour Foundation (liquid)

Concealer – Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Concealer

Eyebrow – Charlotte Tilbury Brow Lift Eyebrow Pencil

Mascara – IT Cosmetics Lash Blowout Volumizing Mascara

Setting Powder – Becca Hydra-Mist Set & Refresh Powder

Highlighter – Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter (color: Prismatic Amethyst)

Bronzer – Tom Ford The Ultimate Bronzer (So this product is sold out everywhere, I’m thinking maybe the company isn’t making it anymore…huge bummer, I know! I can’t provide a link to the product I’m currently using, but I can say that I would use other Tom Ford bronzer products in a heartbeat. I’ve heard great things about his Soleil Glow Bronzer so here’s the link for that product instead.)

Blush – Marc Jacobs Air Blush Duo

Nail Polish & Remover:

Remover – Cutex Regular Strength Nail Polish Remover

Nail Polish – Nailberry, Butter London, & Smith & Cult

Medical Disclaimer:

The information posted on Seize the Day Blog, including but not limited to, articles, images, recipes, text, and other material are shared for informational purposes only. None of the writings should be looked upon as advice meant to replace that of an actual medical professional. If you suspect you have a serious medical condition you should seek help from a healthcare professional immediately. Please be aware that the author of this website is posting information simply to inform NOT to recommend others about health-related topics. Before following any information (i.e. undertaking a new healthcare or diet routine) found here on Seize the Day Blog, you should always consult a medical professional first. Please be sure to never disregard any medicinal advice because of something you have read on this website.