Wellness Philosophy
My Wellness Philosophy
Where We Are Today
The internet is both a blessing and a whole problem. We have access to information and personal testimonies from everyday people about almost everything related to health and wellness. The challenge is keeping up with all this information, knowing what's actually true, and knowing what the best thing to do for you is.
That said, we can agree on some things. Modern lifestyles in the US - that are heavy on processed foods and synthetic personal care products - are contributing to:
- Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome
- Cardiovascular Disease - including high cholesterol
- Hormonal Imbalances & Reproductive Disorders - infertility in men and women, PCOS, early puberty, low sperm count
- Allergies, Sensitivities & Autoimmune Conditions
- Cancers linked to lifestyle & product disorders - breast, endometrial, ovarian, colorectal cancers
- Gut Health Disorders
Y'all!!!! We didn't need a doctor to tell us this because we can see it in ourselves, our families & friends, the folks we work with - it's clearly evident that we have a problem.
My Point-Of-View
Most of us don't live on a farm or have the skills to grow or raise everything we eat. We also don't have the time to make everything we use. We need products and we have to choose from the available options that we can afford.
Unless you're rich, it's almost impossible to live 100% clean with no synthetic ingredients in the food you eat or the personal care products you use. The good news is that you can reduce your rate of consuming harmful substances, one choice at a time. Changing to a fragrance oil-free lotion means you're reducing your exposure to the parabens from that product even if you don't change anything else.
The key is easing into healthier options, one product at a time. That's what I've been doing. I started with food because losing weight is a goal for me. To be clear, me and sugar have a dysfunctional relationship of breaking up and getting back together that goes back 10 years or more. Choosing fruit over a cupcake just one time reduces my total exposure to the harmful effects sugar has on my body.
Slow & steady is the way to go. You've got to ease into some things. #BigOleFacts
The Global Girl Philosophy
With Global Girl, my philosophy is to create products that meet three core values - they are SAFE, they are EFFECTIVE, and they are as NATURAL AS POSSIBLE with concessions made for safety.
#1 - Safe
Before using an ingredient I make sure that it's safe by checking the EWG Skin Deep Database which ranks ingredients commonly used in beauty products.
The FDA does not regulate beauty or personal care products. Both of these industries are self-regulating which means the industry has established a set of standards called Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to govern how products should be produced. Global Girl adheres to GMP for everything we produce.
Formulating is both an Art and Science. Science says that when you add water or water-containing ingredients to a formula you introduce the potential for mold, bacteria, and fungus to grow so you MUST include a preservative to the formula to prevent this from happening. No exceptions. It's just not safe.
Water-free formulations and soaps don't need to be preserved. The exception to this rule is if there is a change that water may get introduced into the product during use. AN example of this would be a oil-based body scrub that's used in a bath or shower where a used will be dipping wet hands into the jar.
#2 - Effective
Once the safety issue has been addressed the next goal is to formulate products that are effective and work well for our skin. Key to this researching and sourcing each botanical ingredient and it's benefits, and testing it myself to make sure it does what they say the ingredient should do.
#3 - As Natural As Possible
There is no officially accepted definition of what a natural product is. Each brand can define it how they wish. For Global Girl, natural means formulating products with plant-based ingredients and limiting synthetic ingredients wherever possible. The exceptions to this rule are when non-botanical ingredients are needed for safety or effectiveness reasons (see #1 and #2).
Thanks for listening!
