username: dkamma University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Transcription

1 Deepti Kamma username: dkamma University of Massachusetts, Amherst Real Talk: I have the driest, coldest hands in the world. Okay, I m exaggerating but that s exactly what they feel like. That s why I always carry around some hand moisturizer or lotion in my bag like an emergency first aid kit- but for dry and uncomfortable hands. Typically, I use the aveeno brand of lotion. So, I began to research some diy alternatives to the commercial lotions- and I started laughing because the top ranked homemade diy hand moisturizing lotion s one main ingredient was the very substance that was the bane of my existence for the longest time. Coconut oil. I am an Indian-American: I was born in India and my family moved here when I was three. And yet, after nearly sixteen years of living in these United States, we maintain a very culturally Indian household. This meant that every weekends, we would put coconut oil in our hair and massage our scalps- for relaxation and hair conditioning. I hated it. Don t get me wrong- I loved the massage part, but I hated the sensation of oily hair. But anyway, here it was: coconut oil. I knew it had all sorts of amazing uses: cooking, hair conditioning, childhood trauma (in my case), but I never once considered using it as a hand moisturizer. So, this was what I decided on. Here is the link for the recipe:

2 I have come home for the long weekend, so my friends here are actually my parents I told them all about the challenge so far. My dad was the most shocked of the two, he simply couldn t wrap his head around the fact that the FDA does not inspect or test many of the cosmetic products. My mom works in a pharmaceutical company, so she interacts with the FDA officials almost on a daily basis- so she was not really surprised. However, They were both equally shocked to find out that many of our own products had dangerous chemicals in them. The fact that really got to them was the information that our newborns are being born pre-polluted with a long list of industrial chemicals in their fragile systems. My parents simply could not handle

3 the fact that our smallest and weakest members were being harmed right after- and even before-birth. As parents, this was the most difficult thing to swallow. I also introduced them to the think dirty app and my mom swore she would download it the next time she went to the supermarket. They were both supportive of my challenge to myself to totally eschew facial cleansers/masks/etc. Being my parents, they kept telling me how I should feel comfortable in my skin and that people would love me no matter what I looked like. Here are the five facts I shared with them: * Our skin absorbs 60% of any direct product we use * Less than 20% of all chemicals in cosmetics have been tested for safety by the industry s safety panel * Some of these chemicals are carcinogens (can cause cancer), neurotoxins (can lead to brain damage), and reproductive toxins (can affect fertility) * There are babies that are being born pre-polluted. In one study, scientists discovered 200 industrial chemicals in the umbilical cord of newborns. * Since 1938, the FDA has banned just 8 out of 12,000 ingredients used in cosmetics

4 Here were our ingredients: Organic extra virgin Coconut Oil + Sandalwood Essence from India (The original recipe called for any essential oils+aromatic oils)

5 This was the simplest DIY ever (we were in a rush to go to an event), we had to combine the coconut oil and the essence in a small jar. And that was it. I was a bit skeptical about it working because of the recipe s sheer simplicity.

6 But, hey ho! It worked! I could tell the difference almost immediately: it felt good and it smelled like heaven. I m definitely going to make this in bulk and take it back with me to college. I m really glad I found this super simple DIY. I am definitely going to be on the lookout for more DIYs like this one! Heading over to pinterest right now :)