Simple Things You Can Do to Build Your Immune System this Winter

January 2, 2013 By 3 Comments

During the winter months, flu and cold are rampant because of changes in weather and lack of sunlight. However, you don’t have to be a victim of these diseases. There are several things you can do to help boost your immune system during winter.

Get Plenty of Healthy Oil

It’s important to supplement your diet with cod liver oil or other essential oils. These oils take the place of natural sunlight. During warm weather, the sun’s rays provide nutrients that help you boost your immune system. In winter, however, most people don’t have a lot of exposure to the sun. Thus, it’s important to replace these nutrients with cod liver oil and other oils that contain Vitamin D. You may also want to take a Vitamin D supplement.

Eat Garlic

Raw garlic may sound gross, but it is one of the best natural immune-system boosters you can find. Garlic contains many antibiotic and antiviral elements that are destroyed if you cook it.

This doesn’t mean you have to just eat whole garlic cloves, however. Get creative; put garlic on top of toast, in salads or mix it with hummus. You’ll get even more of its positive effects if you crush it. You can mix crushed garlic with honey or other sweeteners to make it more palatable.

Stock Up on Yogurt

Yogurt is a powerful pro-biotic; this food item contains healthy bacteria that help protect the health of your stomach. This is important because stomach disease seriously harms your immune system; if you have digestive problems, you are more likely to get sick. Eat yogurt at least once a day. You can use it to top waffles, mix it with sliced fruit for a parfait or eat it plain. You can also substitute plain yogurt for sour cream in many recipes.

Avoid Processed Foods

Processed foods often contain a lot of sugar and other unhealthy ingredients that your stomach finds difficult to process. It’s especially important to avoid these foods during the winter months so that you can protect your digestive system’s health. Again, the healthier your stomach is, the healthier you will be overall this winter.

Eat Plenty of Salads

Eating a lot of salad is beneficial during the winter because many vegetables contain Vitamin C, which can help bolster your immune system. Make sure your salads include generous helpings of the following foods:

  • Brocolli
  • Bell peppers
  • Cauliflower

You should also eat fruits that are rich in Vitamin C, such as oranges, strawberries, papaya and pineapple. You may want to use some of these fruits to top your salads.

Eat fruits and vegetables raw for greatest potency.

Avoid Sugar

Sugar not only causes tooth decay and increases your risk of diabetes, but also depresses your immune system. Some people are very sensitive to sugar’s effects, while others may not notice them. Regardless of your sensitivity to sugar, you should avoid it as much as possible to protect yourself from illness.

This is especially challenging during the holiday season, but is well worth it. Limit your intake of sugar to one or two special items in order to avoid immune system problems.

Make Sure You Get Enough Sleep

It’s vital to get enough rest during the winter months so that your body can renew itself and your immune system can stay strong. If you can’t sleep through the night for some reason or just feel tired and run-down, make sure to squeeze in time for a nap during the day.

It can be more challenging to keep your immune system strong during the winter months, but if you follow the tips above, you can protect your health.

Author Bio

Ron Thompson writes for Del-Immune V®, a unique probiotic supplement made from the lactobacillus rhamnosus which is a natural immune system booster from Del-Immune.
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Tips for Finding Assisted Living Based on Specific Needs

December 13, 2012 By 1 Comment

Assisted Living - It's Full of Fun ActivitiesWhat is Assisted Living?

Assisted living is housing that offers services for living somewhere between those required by people who are able to live independently and those who require 24-hour care. Services include assisted or supervised “activities of daily living” (ADL’s), organizing and coordinating services provided by off-site health care personnel, and more to help ensure health and well-being.

Assisted living can range from small homes for a single resident to sizable hospital-style facilities providing care to hundreds. Regular assistance can include administrating or supervising required medications or personal care performed by trained staff.

What is Involved in Different Kinds of Assisted Living?

Most modern assisted living involves private apartments or cottages. Under such circumstances, there is no special medical monitoring equipment like that found in a full-time nursing home, and nursing staff may not be available 24/7. Depending on the level of care required, services can include performance of household chores, meal preparation, medication management, assistance with personal care and hygiene, and assistance moving from one place to another.

In other assisted living sites, living situations are dormitory-style, with a private or semi-private sleeping place and a bathroom shared with a roommate or with others. There are common areas for residents to gather and socialize, and a kitchen and dining are for preparing and/or consuming meals. More intensive care is usually available in such facilities.

Tips for Finding Assisted Living Facilities Based on Specific Needs

1. Matching Types of Facilities with Needed Care – Find out what kinds of facilities are available and what kinds of special needs each addresses.

2. Expert/Medical Referrals – Discuss the situation with medical providers and find out if they have any suggestions for the best facilities. Consult with other groups like your local office of social services or aging for referrals.

3. Community Recommendations – As with any service, ask around to friends, family, and others in the community who may have helped loved ones find an assisted living facility, and find out their experiences with particular ones. Nothing can beat direct experience in helping make such an important choice.

4. Check with Relevant Agencies – When you’ve got a short list of facility candidates, check with your local, county, or state Department of Aging to see if they have a list of licensed facilities with grades and reports based on annual examinations. This can help you eliminate any places that may have violations or complaints lodged against them.

5. Take a Formal Tour – During a formal tour, staff members can show you around a facility, describe available services, and answer questions.

6. Ask Questions – There are a number of resources available online that help potential assisted living residents and their caretakers. Download the ones from your state and others to compile a complete list of questions to ask during a tour or future communications. Ask your or your family member’s doctor for medical care questions specific to the patient’s needs to ask as well.

7. Make Multiple Visits – Visit homes several times at various parts of the day to witness first hand the flow of living, how the residents seem, and most importantly, how the staff treats residents.

8. Make Sure the Facility You Choose is Affordable – Get detailed information on the costs involved in the facilities, how they are billed, and whether the resident’s insurance will help defer any of the expenses. Some facilities will accept Social Security, Medicaid, or VA benefits, while others require out-of-pocket payment or long-term-care insurance.

9. Understand the Resident Agreement – Read and understand every section of small print in every section of a facility’s resident agreement. Take it to a lawyer, legal aid associate, or eldercare advocate in order to be absolutely certain facilities under consideration are the right fit.

10. Visit Often – If you are a resident’s family member, it is crucial to visit often and pay close attention to how your loved one is doing, psychologically and medically.

There are so many options for assisted living that the choice can seem daunting. The most important thing for a potential resident with special needs is to be absolutely certain that they can get the care they need when they need it in any facility they choose.

Author Bio

Mark Carol is a health writer for AssistedLivingToday.com, a leading source of information on a range of topics related to elderly care and assisted living.

photo credit: rofltosh via photopin cc
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Pregnancy: Undertaking the Right Exercise and Dietary Routine

November 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Pregnant BellyExpecting? Being pregnant is a unique and intimate experience where you, the mother, oversee the care and attention of a being inside you. Your body changes in order to adapt to carrying a child, nourishing it and providing it with all the support and sustenance it needs to develop into a health individual. But changes during pregnancy go beyond those that happen spontaneously in your body. You should also consider making some changes yourself to your diet and exercise routine so as to enhance the whole pregnancy experience by bringing health and strength.

Should pregnant women follow a diet?

There is no particular diet that a pregnant woman must follow but you do want to ensure that you and your baby are getting the right nutrients, minerals and vitamins and in their right amounts. It is important to follow a healthy eating plan but also to forget any dietary regime you might have previously followed in order to remain skinny. You in fact need to take in around 300 extra calories per day from the recommended calories daily intake for women (around 2000 calories). One point I would like to stress is that: You must not follow a weight loss program during pregnancy but simply follow a health, balanced diet.

That said, the reason why many pregnant women put on considerable weight when pregnant is because they often over eat, using pregnancy as an excuse to overindulge in unhealthy foods such as ice creams and sweets and comfort themselves in the common mindset of many expectant mothers that they need to “eat for two”. It is essential not to pile on extra weight during pregnancy as this can mean having complications later on.

Do your genes play a role?

Certain people are more predisposed to gaining weight than others. Often, there is a mutation which might run in a particular family which gives them a fuller figure or makes them put on weight very quickly. Genetic analysis and studies of DNA sequences responsible for weight gain (or for being skinny) have been extensively studied. It is clear that people who are more likely to gain weight are also more likely to over indulge in food because he or she finds it harder to control their hunger – sounds familiar? So to some extent or other we might all be victims of our genes and DNA – if we allow it. However, following a balanced eating plan during pregnancy and taking your nourishment from healthy foods will definitely translate into very little, if any, weight gain post birth.

So what foods should I eat?

The variety of foods to eat is vast as you need to constantly make sure you are providing the whole array of nutrients necessary for your baby and yourself. Grains and dairy products on a daily basis are important. Grains can be in the form of bread, couscous or rice and dairy products can include milk and pasteurized cheeses (in terms of dairy intake, you need to aim for around 1000-1330mg of calcium to ensure health development of bones in your baby). With regards to the grains, also remember to up your fiber intake with lots of vegetable, fruits and cereals. Protein is also important, playing a crucial role in building muscle. You can get lots of protein from eating meat, fish, nuts and eggs. Make sure to avoid any raw meats or fish such as clams or shellfish. A good dose of vitamin C is also extremely important because of its role in supporting the immune system – lots of oranges, strawberries and orange or yellow bell peppers which are even higher than oranges in terms of vitamin C content.

Two other extremely important minerals include iron – a good source of which are dark green vegetables such as broccoli, spinach and artichokes. Red meat and egg yolks are also good sources. You need to take in around 27 mg daily of iron whilst pregnant.  To give you an idea, a cup of cooked spinach contains 3.7 mg of iron whilst one cup of cooked broccoli contains around 4 mg of iron.

One last but essential mineral for pregnant women is folic acid. A lot of importance is placed on this mineral especially because it helps prevent neural tube defects such as Spina Bifida. Good sources of these are dark green vegetables and dark green leaves. Pulses are also a good source. Aim for 0.4 mg per day.

Helen White specializes in writing in field of pregnancy, prenatal care and DNA testing and writes for homeDNAdirect – a DNA testing specialist.

Image of “Pregnant Mother Holding Teddy Bear” courtesy of Stuart Miles/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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Omega 3 Water Review – A Healthier Choice

November 10, 2012 By 1 Comment

Omega 3 Water Review

Forget the soda – grab an Omega 3 Water for a healthier you!

As a member of the Pitch List, I recently had the opportunity to review Omega 3 Water in two different flavors: Bold Berry and Orange Kiwi. Omega 3 Water is infused with Omega-3, Vitamin B 3, 5, 6 & 12, and Vitamin D + Calcium. What I found interesting is that this is actually a vegetarian drink. Why? The Omega-3 is not sourced from fish, but from flax seeds. I am not a vegan, but I know many of you are, so I thought that was a huge bonus!

Honestly, I had no idea that Omega 3 could be sourced from flax seeds, so that was very interesting to me. Yes, mostly this was because I was going to be drinking it and I didn’t think I could stomach drinking something that tasted like fish, but also because I just didn’t know that fish were not the only source of it. Of course, I also didn’t know about all of the health benefits. Sure, I knew it is good for your heart, but there are a lot of other surprising benefits as well. [Read more...]
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Baby Gender Testing: Pink or Blue?

October 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Baby Gender TestingAre you a mom to-be? Have you and your partner been guessing whether it will be a girl or a boy? Well luckily there are different methods you can use to help you answer your question. You can wait until the moment of truth at birth, with your 20th week pregnancy scan or as early as 10 weeks pregnancy with a DNA test.

Why find out the sex of your baby?

While for some parents it is akin to opening a Christmas present before Christmas, for others knowing the sex of your baby can make a great revelation at a family get together. It might also make sense if you plan a baby shower while still pregnant. Knowing with certainty whether you will have a baby girl or boy can help you decide on a party theme that is gender specific or even personalized. It can also make the shopping experience for your friends easier and they may feel reassured they are picking the right gift for the right sex.

What about bedroom planning? Why not have the baby’s bedroom ready and decorated beforehand? Wouldn’t you rather spend more time with your baby rather than running about deciding which furniture to buy and how to decorate the room? Anyway, the bottom line is that some people like being pragmatic and well prepared, they feel that knowing before means they can dedicate all their precious time to bonding. Knowing the sex of the baby you are carrying means you can talk to it knowing it’s a him or a her and once it arrives you have already established a special bond with your son or daughter. [Read more...]
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Glasses.com – What a Deal!

September 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Why Shop Glasses.com? For the Deals & Perks!

As the matriarch of a family on a budget, I am constantly looking for great deals on everything under the sun and glasses are definitely on that list of things that I MUST save money on. Although my stepdaughter is the only person in our household that requires glasses, the lenses that she requires are very expensive. That means that running out and buying the first cheap pair of glasses I find just isn’t going to work. I have to know that the glasses are right for her and that the lenses were made for her specific prescription. That’s one of many reasons that I’m happy to have found Glasses.com.

Glasses.com Half Off Lenses

 

The site is currently running a special sale – 1/2 off ALL lenses! If you’ve ever had to purchase specialized lenses, then you know how expensive they can be. If you can save half off the cost of those lenses, how much of a difference would that make in your budget? I know it makes a nice difference in mine! That’s especially true if I want to buy two pair – it’s always good to have an extra on hand for accidents. The sale runs through October 2, 2012 and is good on any pair of lenses. That’s a deal!

What Else Do I Love About Glasses.com?

My stepdaughter is a teenager. Now, if you are not the parent, stepparent or caregiver of a teenager, you might not understand just how picky a teenager can be. She has to have the right frames. They can’t be too bulky or too thin, they have to be a certain color, a certain shape, have a certain taper on the arms and – oh! you can get writing? Oh my, I can’t even begin to explain to you the frustration of shopping for a teenager’s “anything,” let alone something she’ll have to wear every day! Although the site offers a virtual try on, you know you can’t really judge how things will fit just by the way it looks online, right? Well, Glasses. com has come up with a solution for that and I’m super-excited about it! In-home try on!

Glasses.com In-Home Try-On

Now think about it…doesn’t that just make good sense? Well, that’s what Glasses. com thinks and I love the idea! You can choose five different frames to try out over a seven day period, and in the comfort of your very own home. That way, you know how they fit and how they look on you – not on the computer screen! Fabulous, right? That’s going to make my stepdaughter a very happy young lady!

What else? They just added a new “Sale” page that lets you easily check out all of the awesome frames that are currently on sale. It sure makes it a lot easier to find a great deal!

Want to check out Glasses. com for yourself? Click Here!

Which feature of the site do you like best?

 
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Time to Smell the Flowers – Not the Cigarettes

April 2, 2012 By 13 Comments

Say Goodbye to Cigarette Smoke

Wish you could eliminate the cigarette smoke from your home, car, clothing, etc, but don’t feel quite ready to kick the habit altogether? We’ve got a deal that will deliver the nicotine you crave without all of the harsh tar and other additives that typically leave your home, car and belongings smelling like an old pack of cigarettes – yes, really!

Snag this Fresh Deal

Today, you can nab a fabulous deal on Cigotine and save more than 50% off on an Electronic Cigarette Starter Kit! This E-Cigarette starter kit is usually $50. However, for $24 (shipping is free to the U.S.), you will get 1 USB charger, 1 rechargeable battery, 1 Med 11 mg cartridge and 1 High 16 mg cartridge. The best part? Cigotine is completely odorless! Click here to learn more about this deal.

That’s right! Say “bye, bye” to that stinky cigarette smoke for good!

Wait! Don’t Forget Your Easter Savings!

Nab this deal from KGB here and, until 4/8/12, you can also use code 15EASTER on purchases totaling $15 or more to get $10KgbKash. That makes this deal a super steal at just $24 up front and only $9 after your KgbKash! You likely won’t find another electronic cigarette this low anytime soon.


What Do People Say About Electronic Cigarettes?

The majority of individuals using an electronic cigarette say that it takes a few days to get used to it, but that it really is odorless. The electronic cigarette has the same shape and coloring as a traditional cigarette, but it weighs a little bit more between your fingers. The smoke that an electronic cigarette puts off is actually water vapor, which dissipates quickly without leaving a nasty odor behind.

Several former smokers have used the electronic cigarette to gradually step down their nicotine intake and eventually quit smoking. This product is not advertised as a smoking cessation product, as the FDA has not approved it for such, but I personally know several former smokers that have used it for that purpose successfully.

What do you think about the E-Cigarette?

 

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My True Nature Review

October 29, 2011 By 2 Comments

I recently had the opportunity to review a couple of products from My True Nature. The company was founded by Kelly Boyd, whose goal was to create safe products for her child that worked as good as most mainstream soaps and shampoos, but that were made of completely natural ingredients. When she couldn’t find anything that she was happy with, she created her own.

The products that My True Nature currently offers are:

  • Dewey’s Natural Baby Bubble Bath
  • Daisy’s Natural 2-in-1 Shampoo and Body Wash
  • Ollie’s Natural Hand Soap

The products that I got the chance to try were Dewey’s Natural Baby Bubble Bath and Daisy’s Natural 2-in-1 Shampoo and Body Wash. Each is made of completely natural, certified organic ingredients.

The first thing I want to note is that my son is a fair complected redhead with super sensitive skin, so I’m always a bit on edge when I try new products on him. (Yes, this is a little boy in these pictures. He just has long hair because I can’t bear to cut those curls off again.) It just makes me nervous because I don’t want him to break out or be miserable for even a small period of time – it’s just the over-protective mother in me. However, using these products didn’t make me feel that way.

Why? Well, because I could find all of the information about the ingredients right on the website and then look them up for additional information. Aside from being able to learn more about the ingredients used, I also thought it was great that they have a list of harmful ingredients (that they DO NOT use) present on their site to keep parents and caregivers informed.

I used Dewey’s Natural Baby Bubble Bath first, of course. I squeezed a little over a half ounce into the base of the tub as the water was running and walked out of the room for a moment to get my son ready. He LOVES bath time, but he also loves to play hard to get, so sometimes I have to chase him down. I have to admit, I didn’t really expect to see a lot of bubbles when I went back into the bathroom, but there they were! It was almost like a giant fluffy cloud had landed in my tub! Of course, this made my son happy because he’s a bubble popper.  The bubble bath  has a very clean, light floral scent – and I stress light because it is only lightly scented in  my opinion, which is not a problem for me and my son, but others may prefer a stronger scent.


Wyatt and My True Nature - Lots of Bubbles!

 

 My True Nature Bubble Bath

Of course, I tried Daisy’s Natural 2-in-1 Shampoo and Body Wash next. I’ve been using a product that was lavender scented on him, so it took me a few minutes to get used to the scent of the shampoo and body wash, but it doesn’t smell bad by any means. Just a different smell than I’m used to. In fact, the scent is definitely natural and pretty darn refreshing – it kind of reminded me of laying in a field of wildflowers in the spring.

The shampoo also lathers up remarkably well compared to other all-natural products that I’ve tried and all I used was about a dime-sized amount, which pleasantly surprised me. I could even make little rooster tails with my son’s hair! Some of the other baby shampoos I’ve used couldn’t do that, so I was pretty happy with that aspect. My mom and my grandma used to lather us up and give us cool hair designs when we took baths, so it allowed me to reminisce a bit.

My True Nature Shampoo and Body Wash

Another thing I liked about the shampoo was that it washed clean fairly easily. I think I used three cups of water to rinse it out, which is amazing considering that I typically use nearly 8 cupfuls of water to rinse his regular shampoo out. Like most kids, my son hates to get soap in his eyes, so I do my best to keep that from happening. That said, I can’t say for sure if it’s truly tear-free or not because he didn’t get any of it in his eyes and I wasn’t going to be a big meanie and “accidentally” test it out.

 

I used another dime sized amount to put in the wash rag and that did the trick for the body wash. I also think it’s fantastic that My True Nature has fun little characters on the bottles – they are adorable and my son loved them. The very next night, he said, “Mommy, I want the skunk and the dragon! Get them for me, mommy, get them!” and pointed up at the bottles. I think the characters would be fabulous tub-toys.

Overall, I was very pleased with both products. As I previously mentioned, my son has sensitive skin and neither product caused any adverse skin reactions to occur – not even a single splotch! You know what that makes? A happy baby and an even happier mommy.

If you are interested in learning more about My True Nature and the products that they have to offer, you can visit them at: www.mytruenature.net, follow them on Facebook or Twitter to keep up with the new products that they will soon have coming out!

Also, My True Nature has offered to sponsor one of the prizes in my upcoming giveaway, which will begin on November 1st and run through the 25th – so if you’re interested in trying these amazing products, you just might be able to snag them (and a lot more) completely free! Don’t forget to check back on 11/1/11 to enter!

Have you used My True Nature products yet? If so, share your opinion!
Filed Under: Being Green at Home, Family Health, Infant Health, Living Green, Product Reviews, Sweepstakes and Contests, Toddler Health Tagged With: , , , , , ,
This post may contain affiliate links or sponsored content. In most cases, products are provided to Moms Living Thrifty for review. All product reviews are written according to the writer's honest opinion, experience or beliefs. Your opinion may vary. To see more on our disclosure policy, please visit our Disclosure page

One Day Deal: Emjoi Body Fat Monitor – Only $9.99!

September 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

If you’ve been looking for an easy way to closely monitor your body fat while you diet, the Emjoi Body Fat Monitor might just be your next favorite device! This handy monitor will show you your progress in a snap. Emjoi will measure your body fat using an infrared light beam. It’s really a pretty neat concept – and today you can get it for just $9.99!

Keep in mind that this is a one day deal, so get it while you can!

Emjoi Body Fat Monitor
Emjoi Body Fat Monitor

So how does the Emjoi Monitor’s infrared light work? Well, since fat reflects light and muscle absorbs it, the monitor calculates your body fat by recording the amount of light that is reflected back to it. Just point it at the part of the  body that you want to measure and start the scan. Your results will display instantly on the monitor’s LCD screen. You can also easily access your previous reading for easy comparison.


In addition, because the Emjoi Body Fat Monitor can be  programmed by age, gender, height and weight, the monitor will also compare your results to the minimum and maximum range standards for the choices you select. This monitor uses a single 9-volg batter, which is included. Better yet, it only weights 2.9 ounces and measures 4 x 2 x 1.6 inches, so you can take it practically anywhere. With its padded case and one year warranty to protect you against defects, today’s special price of $9.99 is a real steal!

Food Pyramid image courtesy of Phil Manker.

 
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Skin Deep: How Safe Are Your Cosmetics?

September 25, 2011 By 3 Comments

We assume most products are safe, don’t we? After all, it seems like if something is being sold in our supermarkets or drug stores, it must be safe. Not true! The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) actually doesn’t have the authority to require companies to test their cosmetic products for safety. They only conduct reviews on certain ingredients and additives found in cosmetics.

It’s also easy to assume that companies wouldn’t risk using dangerous chemicals in their cosmetics. In truth, cosmetic companies may use any raw material or ingredient, except for a few banned substances, without FDA approval. Here are a few interesting statistics from the Environmental Working Group (EWG):

  • More than 500 products sold in the U.S. contain ingredients banned in cosmetics in Canada, Japan, or Europe
  • 22% of all personal care products may be contaminated with the cancer-causing impurity 1,4-dioxane, including many children’s products
  • 61% of tested lipstick brands contain residues of lead

Yet another assumption we make is that since personal care products are used on the surface of the body (skin, hair, etc.), harmful substances don’t get into our bodies and harm us. Put simply, this isn’t true because chemicals are breathed in, swallowed from the lips or hands and absorbed through the skin.

We also can’t assume that a product is completely safe just because it’s labeled “for children,” “hypo-allergenic,” or “organic.”

So, how can we tell if a personal care product is safe? I find the EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database to be an extremely helpful tool when it comes to finding personal care products that are healthy, safe and responsibly made. Items like makeup, skin care, shampoo, perfume and baby products can all be found in the database. You can browse by category or search by product, ingredient or company. Each item is given a “hazard score” from 1 to 10, which reflects the known and suspected hazard of a product’s ingredients. You can also find other helpful information on about products, such as whether the company tests on animals.


You might not think much about the safety of cosmetics, but with as many personal care products we use on a daily basis, both on ourselves and on our children, it’s important to understand exactly what we are putting on and in our bodies.

Go enter your products into the database, and see what you learn!
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