Product review: Skin Free

June 17th, 2009

If nicotine and hormones can be delivered into your bloodstream via transdermal patch, it stands to reason that whatever you slap on your skin — lotion, deodorant, makeup — also makes its way into your system. Recent studies have shown this; last year, research published in the medical journal Pediatrics found that infants and toddlers exposed to baby lotions, shampoos, and powders carried high levels of phthalates in their bodies, industrial plasticizers that are hormonal disruptors and have been linked to developmental malformations in the male reproductive system.

It’s this concern that regularly sends me to the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep cosmetic safety database, where you can search more than 41,000 personal care products for toxic chemicals and other health hazards. It was here that my mom first stumbled upon the Skin Free natural skin care line.

It’s not easy to find products in the EWG’s database that have an outstanding safety rating without sacrificing performance. Lord knows I’ve gone through months of horrid hair on my never-ending quest to find all-natural shampoo/conditioner that could even come close to replicating my beloved (but phthalate-laden) Pantene. But Skin Free’s products, the majority of which rank an absurdly low 0 out of 10 on the hazard scale (for comparison, consider that even products from Burt’s Bees are rated a 4), are not only an adequate substitute for conventional products — they’re even better.

The Skin Free line is, like its name suggests, free from almost everything you wouldn’t want to put in your body — harmful chemicals, perfumes, petroleum products, and colorants — and is particularly great for people with extremely dry skin as well as fragrance or skin allergies. (And don’t forget babies!)

My mom, who looks a good 10 years younger than her driver’s license would belie, swears by the Whipped Tamanu Body Butter for keeping wrinkles at bay, and slathers it from head to toe. tamanu Made from organic extra virgin olive oil, shea butter, and tamanu oil, which has been used for centuries by the Polynesians to heal everything from sunburns to major skin infections, the body butter is wonderful used as a daily moisturizer or to help heal eczema and sun-damaged skin.

I’m partial to the Super Moisture Body Balm, which has been responsible for the transformation of my scaly chicken legs into red carpet-worthy gleaming gams. I’ve never come across anything with the same luxurious texture; like a super creamy body oil, it melts right into your skin yet somehow lasts all day.

Another fave, the Naiouli Butter Stick, has been a godsend for my severely dry knuckles, which have become rather unsightly since moving to arrid Southern California. It comes in a handy Push Pop-esque container, and is small enough to throw in my purse or take with me on a plane for serious protection against single-digit humidity levels in the cabin.

For more wonderful products visit the Skin Free website, since I’ve only just scratched the surface here (but not my skin; thanks, Skin Free!).