Moisturizers 101: A Tutorial & List for Lotion Shoppers

Written especially for chemo & radiation therapy patients, this info is also written for anyone looking for the best integrity lotions (and ingredient lists) under the sun.

Word of mouth is a great way to get the scoop on the best moisturizers, but don't stop there. To really judge a product, you need to turn it over and read the ingredients. Ignore the front of the bottle -- the artful graphics & pretty colors. Ignore, too, the sales pitches about "natural" this, or "organic" that, which can be -- and are often meant to be misleading. Words like pure, gentle, non-toxic and "safe for sensitive skin" are equally meaningless, unless the ingredient list can back up these claims.

Label-Reading 101: Common Sense or Rocket Science?

Consider this: Most of the chemical ingredients inside a bottle of lotion were invented to provide cheap substitutes for the more expensive, quality botanical oils that have been used for centuries to moisturize skin. As a rule, when you see an ingredient list filled with long chemical names ending in -eth and -ic and -ide and -ate (or with acronyms such as PEG, EDTA or DMDM), that's your clue that you're looking at an inferior product that potentially contains skin irritants, toxins and carcinogens. These are not only bad for you, but for the bunnies, dogs, cats and mice upon whose eyes, skin and organs these products are continually tested, to see what happens.

The best quality ingredients are as easy on the eyes as they are on the skin. Look for easy-to-pronounce words such as aloe vera, cocoa butter, shea butter, safflower oil, jojoba oil and sunflower oil -- an ingredient list that, in theory, could have been written 100 or even 500 years ago. And while you're looking at these words, make sure they're the primary ingredients -- at the top of the list -- not buried beneath a sea of eths, ics, ides and ates.

Now that you know these basics, you won't need a chemist's handbook to read those bottle labels. Just plain old commonsense. The rest, which I'm about to tell you, is just fine-tuning.

Are Products Labeled "Natural" and "Organic" Better Than Others?

In a word, no. When reading labels on "natural" or "organic" products, keep in mind that, just because a company is named "Carlotta's Organics," or "Nature's Earthly Delights" doesn't mean their products are organic or natural. In fact, some companies that present themselves as "organic" don't even bother to put organic ingredients in their products (e.g. Babyganics).  Others will bury one or two organic ingredients deep inside a toxic ingredient list (e.g. L'Occitane) or, alternately, pepper the list with essential oils and extracts into the mix (e.g. Jason), serving little purpose beyond window-dressing -- to deceive buyers into thinking their lotion is chockful of natural and/or organic ingredients.

As an example, someone shopping for,  say, aloe lotion might select a bottle with the words "nature" and "organic" on the front label. They might even glance at the ingredient list and confirm that there are, indeed, lots of flower, root, seed, stem & leaf oils & extracts. Not bad for $10. Had they read the label word-for-word, however, they might be surprised to discover there's not even any aloe gel or juice in this lotion. It's just aloe extract, which doesn't even show up until ingredient #14, after half-a-dozen ics, ates, ides and other chemicals:

Of course, the aloe extract would have been easy to overlook, since there are a total of 48 ingredients on that list -- a list made even longer by the added Latin nomenclature for each flower, root, stem, leaf, stem and seed extract & oil. But were shoppers to take the time to slog, one-by-one, through all 48 ingredients, they would also discover this chemical cocktail of known and suspected skin irritants, neuro-toxins, respiratory toxins, immunotoxins, 1,4-dioxane contamination, formaldehyde and carcinogens:

Labeling this product organic is an outright fraud. But here's where I really get angry: What if the person who bought that bottle of lotion happens to be undergoing chemo or radiation therapy -- a person whose health and immune system are already compromised? A person whose skin is already inflamed, itchy, peeling, painful or otherwise injured from their cancer treatment? He or she might blame the skin irritation, burning and rashes on the chemo or radiation, not knowing that the product, itself, may be exacerbating, prolonging or even causing some of those symptoms.

Are Certified Organic Products a Safer Bet?

Once upon a time, the answer was yes. Not so anymore. The above product was legally labeled as "made with organic ingredients," which means that, by law, it contained at least 70% certified organic ingredients. Alternately, if a product contains at least 95% certified organic ingredients, the product itself can legally be labeled as "certified organic," and is permitted to bear the USDA Organic Certification logo on the label. One would think that, surely, a product that complied with the many exacting standards necessary to earning that USDA Organic Certification logo would be a safe bet.

One would think.

Unfortunately, snake oil salesmen are a sneaky lot, and a few have found ways to peddle inferior products, even within the constraints of that 95% requirement. You can spot these shysters by looking on their ingredient lists, where you'll find organic grain alcohol or organic ethanol alcohol among the first three ingredients on the list. Alcohol is cheap, it dries the skin, and is a skin irritant. Organic or not, alcohol has no business as a primary ingredient in a moisturizer. Dr. Mercola, Organoderm and Nature's Gate are but a few companies that use alcohol as a primary ingredient in their moisturizers.

The Good News

I'm a prolific label reader. As such, I've managed to weed out enough chemical cocktails and snake oils to put together a list of integrity moisturizers. 

Before you go lotion-shopping, check out my list, below. I've included ingredient lists with each product, and have included notes (highlighted in blue) to make better sense of some of the ingredients. While integrity ingredients are important for each and every one of us, they are especially so for chemo and radiation therapy patients, who are not only in need of genuinely soothing, healing ingredients, but may also have a lower tolerance for the hidden irritants in many moisturizers.  To help spot potential concerns, I've red flagged some of the ingredients on my list.

ABOUT RED-FLAGGED INGREDIENTS

Most of the red-flagged ingredients on my list, below, are considered by the industry to be minor skin irritants or low-risk hazards. However, something that goes undiscussed in the debates over the safety of these ingredients is the fact that -- while the FDA and the cosmetics industry may have determined these ingredients to be either "safe" or "low-risk" hazards for use in healthy individuals with healthy skin -- they have not been evaluated for use in people with compromised health, weakened immune systems and/or injured skin. The fact is, the approval of many cosmetic ingredients comes with the caveat (which may or may not be mentioned on the label) that these ingredients are not approved for use on injured or damaged skin. Yet, these ingredients exist in many products that are marketed to people with injured skin, such as chemo and radiation therapy patients.

While any ingredient has the potential to irritate skin, some are more prone to doing this, while some are outright notorious. Rather than omit from my list those products with less-than-desirable ingredients, I decided to red-flag them. This isn't to say a product is " bad," or even that the ingredient is, in itself "bad," but rather to give you a starting point for doing your own research and making your own decision.

A perfect example of this is Vitamin E (Tocopheryl Acetate). Applied before radiation therapy, it has been shown to prevent or reduce the amount of skin damage. Applied afterward, it can help in the healing process. However, Vitamin E can also be a skin irritant, particularly when applied to broken or injured skin. Plus, not all Vitamin E is the same. Some contain impurities and contaminants, which are not disclosed on ingredient lists. Hence, the red flag on Vitamin E.

How To Tell if a Product is Irritating Your Skin

It's always a good idea to do a "patch test" before using a new product on larger areas of the body -- particularly if the product has potential irritants. To do a patch test, rub a small drop of the lotion onto either your jawline or to the pulse-point on your wrist. Leave this area unwashed for as long as possible, ideally 24 hours or longer, to see how your skin reacts. A patch test is also helpful with existing products to help identify the culprit for existing skin problems. Specifically: Is it the lotion or a side-effect from treatment causing a particular skin problem?

A Few Rules of Thumb

• Just because something is "natural" doesn't mean it's safe to eat or put on your skin.
• Just because something is safe to eat, doesn't mean it won't irritate your skin when applied topically.
• Since broken skin tends to more readily absorb ingredients, it also tends to be more sensitive to irritation and other side effects.
• Many of the chemicals in cosmetic products have cumulative effects, which means that, with every use, you are accumulating exposure to this ingredient.
• The science is not yet in on the effects of these chemicals, when combined, on the human body (hence the need for many bunnies, dogs, cats and mice). For example, one 2008 study -- which has been greatly disputed by the cosmetics industry -- suggests that we need to take a closer look at the interaction between two common moisturizer ingredients: mineral oil + sodium lauryl sulfate. In laboratory tests, when products with these two ingredients were applied to mice that had been previously exposed to high levels of UV radiation, the mice experienced more skin tumors, and at a faster rate of growth than the rest of the UV-exposed mice. Does this apply to humans? We don't yet know. But until the science is in, it seems prudent to err on the safe side -- especially since there are so many superior alternatives to cheap, chemical ingredients.
  
• Nothing on this page is meant to replace the advice of your doctor, nor to advise a do-it-yourself skin care regime for serious skin conditions. Before using any product during chemo or radiation therapy, it's important to consult with your medical team to ensure that the ingredients won't interfere or interact with your prescribed treatment protocol.

Some Quick Terminology

The term "moisturizer" is loosely used to describe substances that contribute to skin moisture in one of three ways. Humectants (think glycerin, sorbitol & propylene glycol) are absorbed into the skin, but also attract moisture from the air and help the skin retain moisture. Emollients (think cocoa butter, almond oil, aloe vera and jojoba oil) are absorbed to varying degrees into the skin to soothe, soften and smooth, while also providing a light barrier to prevent moisture loss. Occlusives (think mineral oil, petroleum jelly, silicones & lanolin) form a more impermeable film barrier on the skin, preventing moisture loss (or, in some cases, protecting the skin from external dampness), and are usually reserved for more severe skin issues. Most moisturizers perform at least 2 of the above functions to varying degrees

.

To further divide these, some moisturizers are aloe or oil-based, while others are water-based. These best time to apply aloes and oil-based moisturizers is immediately after bathing, when the skin is warm and softened, and better able to absorb these ingredients. The water-based lotions (which you can spot by looking at the first ingredient, which will be water or a tea infusion of botanicals) are good for between-bath moisturizing, as the water in these lotions  helps soften the skin, so that the emollients & humectants can be better absorbed.

A Word on Scents

Because scents can exacerbate nausea side-effects during chemo and radiation treatment, I've sought out as many unscented/fragrance-free options as possible, which is why you'll see a good number of baby lotions on the list. The only difference between baby lotions and other lotions, is that baby lotions are formulated to be as non-irritating as possible for use on delicate and sensitive skin. But unlike many "baby" products on the market, the lotions on the list below genuinely are gentle and non-irritating.

If you prefer a scented lotion, most of these companies on my list offer a diverse and interesting range of products scented with essential oils. (For more on this, see addt'l recommendations at the bottom of the post).  Whenever buying a scented product of any kind, buy only those that use quality essential oils, preferably organic to avoid impurities or contaminants.

If you see the words, fragrance, parfum or "natural scents" on the ingredient list, put the the bottle back on the shelf. These generic and seemingly harmless terms refer to one or more of the 3100 petroleum derivatives & chemicals, including phthalates, which the industry uses to scent products, but which they are not legally required to list by name. Many of these chemicals are known skin irritants, allergens, toxins and endocrine disruptors -- with the science on this only growing, which you'll hear more about in the coming years.

Note that, just because a product is unscented, doesn't mean it lacks a scent. Ingredients such as aloe vera, cocoa oil and olive oil have their own natural scents, as do the many chemicals used in commercial lotions. It might come as a surprise to many consumers to learn that most so-called "unscented" commercial products actually contain fragrances and other chemicals, which were added to mask the scent of the other ingredients, thereby giving the *illusion* that the product is unscented.

Lastly.... 

There are a few products on my list that I do not recommend, but included because they come highly praised by chemo and radiation therapy patients. You can make your own choices based on the ingredients lists. Most of the products below are made by smaller companies and, as such, are only available online and/or in limited regions or specialty shops. Check the company websites for info. The only products on my list that are widely available in grocery and/or big box stores are California  Baby and the "grocer's shelf" items. To help compare apples-to-apples, I've added a "price-per-ounce" calculation with each description. Nearly all of these lotions are made in the USA. Exceptions are noted. All of these products are cruelty-free, and -- except for those with beeswax -- are also vegan-friendly. The list is alphabetized and divided into 3 general categories:

• Moisturizers: Aloe & Oil-Based
• Moisturizers: Water-Based
• Moisturizers: From Your Grocer's Shelf

KEY FEATURES:

• Ingredients of concern
• Info & comments on specific ingredients
• Certified Organic
• Price per ounce
  
• ♥ = My personal picks

MOISTURIZERS: ALOE & OIL-BASED

♥ California Baby Massage Oil Super Sensitive (Unscented/Fragrance Free) An excellent after-bath moisturizer, this formula was designed for sensitive skin and contains no added scents or fragrances. Made in California, USA.

• Price & availability: Widely available in the baby section of big box stores (e.g. Target) and online. Made in the USA. Average price for a 4.5-oz. bottle is $12 to $13. ($2.80 per ounce)
• Ingredients: Food-grade Quality And Cold Pressed Hi-olec Safflower Oil, Hi-olec Canola Oil, Evening Primrose, Vitamin E (a skin conditioner and preservative; may irritate broken or injured skin).

♥ Jess' Bee Natural Shea Butter Lotion (Unscented/ Fragrance-Free) -- AND -- Jess' Bee Natural Happy Baby Lotion (Unscented/ Fragrance-Free) The ingredient lists on these two whipped shea butter creams are identical. The blend of shea butter and sweet almond oil is good for deep moisturizing and for nourishing troubled skin. Good for face, body and hands. Made in Ohio, USA.

• Price & availability: Available online and in a few select stores. Price for a 4-oz. tin is $8 ($2 per ounce)
• Ingredients: Shea Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Vitamin E (a skin conditioner and preservative; may irritate broken or injured skin).

♥ Jess' Bee Natural Skin Lotion Bar (Unscented/ Fragrance-Free) -- AND -- Jess' Bee Natural Mountain Man Lotion Bar (Unscented/Fragrance-Free) These two lotion bars have identical ingredients and have similar qualities to the above lotions, only they have beeswax added to make a solid lotion bar (feels like a bar of soap, only it's a lotion), which is perfect for spot-treating trouble areas. Each comes in a reusable tin, ideal for slipping into your purse or overnight bag for a portable moisturizer. Simply warm the bar in your hand to slightly soften, then apply to skin. Made in Ohio, USA.

• Price & availability: Available online and in a few select stores. Price for a 4-oz. bartin is $8 ($2 per ounce)
• Ingredients: Shea Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, Beeswax, Vitamin E (a skin conditioner and preservative; may irritate broken or injured skin).

♥ Naturity Baby Massage Oil (Unscented/ Fragrance-Free) -- An integrity organic product, this is a lightweight oil blend, well-suited for moisturizing dry, sensitive skin. Use after bath for best absorption. A little goes a long way. The ingredients are 99% certified organic, including the vitamin E, which is also non-GMO. Made in New Jersey, USA.

• Price & availability: Available online. Price is $12 to $16 for a 4-oz. bottle. ($3 to $4 per ounce)
• Ingredients: *Sunflower Seed Oil, *Safflower Oil, *Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and *Vitamin E (a skin conditioner and preservative; may irritate broken or injured skin). *Certified Organic Ingredients

Seven Cream (7 Cream) -- A better name would be "15 Cream," since, this product actually contains 15 ingredients, not the 7 of its namesake. Having said that, this cream comes highly praised by radiation and chemo therapy patients, who report that this cream has helped with some of the most difficult-to-treat skin issues during treatment. Made in Canada.

• Price & availability: Available only online. Average price for a 60 ml (2-oz.) tube is $20 to $25 ($10 to $12.50 per ounce)
• NOTE: The ingredients below may or may not be in the correct order of prominence (listed from the greatest to least concentration), as the labeling requirements in Canada do  not require this. I was not able to get a more exact ingredient order from the manufacturer. Despite that I have water listed as the first ingredient, I believe this to be an oil-based cream.
• Ingredients: Water, Shea Butter, Avocado Oil, Coconut Oil, Manuka Oil, Neem Oil, Manuka Honey, Aloe Vera Gel, Calendula Extract, Stearyl Alcohol (an emulsifier and emollient; a known skin irritant), Candelilla Wax, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Olivate (<--- these two ingredients are emulsifiers, used to blend the ingredients and give the product a smooth texture), Tinosan (preservative; suspected immune system toxin and skin irritant) Potassium Sorbate (preservative).

♥ Terressentials Organic Fragrance-free Silken Velvet Body Lotion (Unscented/Fragrance-Free) An excellent intensive care formula for sensitive, dry skin -- perfect for body, hands and face. Terressentials is an integrity company that uses only integrity ingredients. Unlike many companies that pretend to be organic, this is the real deal. All of their products are USDA Certified Organic, with 95% or more USDA certified organic ingredients. Made in Pennsylvania, USA.

• Price & availability: Available online and in a few select stores nationwide  (see the Terressentials website for a complete listing). Average price is $23 for an 8-oz. bottle ($2.80 per ounce)
• Ingredients: Organic aloe vera juice°, extracts of organic calendula°, organic camellia (green tea)°, organic alchemilla (lady's mantle)° and organic althea (marshmallow)°, cold-pressed organic sunflower oil°, organic extract° of organic echinacea°, organic cocoa butter°, organic coconut oil°, organic beeswax°, cold-pressed organic jojoba oil°, mineral blend, sea plant extract, organic soy lecithin°, wildcrafted murillo bark extract.                  °USDA Certified Organic

♥ Terressentials 100% Organic  Cocoa Butter Body Creme Push-up (Unscented/Fragrance-Free) -- The perfect portable moisturizer for spot-treating trouble areas, this blend of soothing oils for the skin comes in solid form, and is contained in a handy-push-up container for mess-free application. There is zero added scent, just the natural scent of its main ingredient, cocoa butter, which has a decidedly chocolatey scent. Simply rub it on your skin, and it melts on contact. Great for hands, face, lips and for spot-treating trouble areas, as well. USDA Certified Organic Product. Made in Pennsylvania, USA.

• Price & availability: Available as stated above. Average price is $18 for a 3-oz. push-up tube. ($6 per ounce)
• Ingredients: Organic cocoa butter°, cold-pressed organic sunflower oil°, organic beeswax°, infusions of organic chamomile°, organic calendula°, organic angelica°, and organic centella asiatica° in organic coconut oil°    °USDA Certified Organic

♥ Terressentials 100% Organic Pure Cocoa Butter Push-up (Unscented/Fragrance-Free) -- Just like the Terressentials body butter, above, except that this push-up tube contains only one ingredient: organic cocoa butter. When doctors and fellow patients recommend cocoa butter for your skin, this is what you want -- pure cocoa butter. Not a bottle of harsh ingredients parading itself as cocoa butter. While this makes a wonderful, all purpose moisturizer, it is also perfect for spot-treating intensive care to problem areas. The only drawback is the low melting point of pure cocoa cream -- 94 degrees -- which means that, during hot weather, this formula (unlike the blend, above) is not well-suited for carrying out and about. USDA Certified Organic Product. Made in Pennsylvania, USA.

• Price & availability: Available as stated above. Average price is $14 for a 3-oz. push up tube ($4.60 per ounce)
• Ingredients:  Organic Cocoa butter°.      °USDA Certified Organic

MOISTURIZERS: WATER-BASED

♥ California Baby Super-Sensitive Everyday Lotion (Unscented/Fragrance-free) With no scents, this light, creamy lotion is designed for sensitive, delicate skin. This lotion gets high praise from users of all ages who suffer from dry, rash-prone or irritable skin.  Made in California,  USA.

• Price & availability: Widely available as stated above. Made in the U.S.A. Average price for an 8-ounce bottle is $9 to $12. ($1 to $1.50 per ounce)
• Ingredients: Purified Water, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride (a synthetic emollient and light occlusive), Hi-olec Safflower Oil, Aloe Vera, Calendula, Yucca, Cactus, Acacia, Irish Moss, Vitamin E (a skin conditioner; may irritate broken or injured skin), proprietary Broad Spectrum Protection Preservative System (unknown ingredients)

California Baby Aloe Vera Cream (NOTE: This cream is not unscented, but the scent is fairly mild.) Light, fluffy and ultra-smooth, this cream is quickly absorbed, leaving a lightweight, non-greasy barrier of lubrication. Gets high raves for soothing severely dry skin, sunburn and minor rashes. Made in California, USA.

• Price & availability: Available as stated above. Average Price for 2 oz. jar $10 to $13. ($5 to $6.50 per ounce)
• Ingredients: Purified Water, Organic Aloe Vera, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride (a synthetic emollient and light occlusive), Safflower Oil, Yucca, Rosewater, Calendula, Cactus, Acacia, Irish Moss, Vitamin E, Panthenol (a skin conditioner), Allantoin (a chemical compound that conditions and protects the skin from irritation), Cetyl Alcohol (serves triple duty to thicken lotion while also providing emollient and light occlusive qualities; a known skin and eye irritant) Vegetable Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, *proprietary Essential Oil Blend, *proprietary Broad Spectrum Preservative System (unknown ingredients), Polyamino Biguanide (preservative).

My Girl's Radiation Cream (Unscented/Fragrance-Free) -- This cream was formulated to help prevent radiation burns, as well as soothe skin during the healing process. Gets high raves from users, who report that that it helps relieve the itching, pain, burning and bumps that often accompany radiation burns. We could wish for a shorter ingredient list with fewer skin irritants. I included this on my list in the interest of choice, as it seems to be the least offensive of the creams/lotions marketed specifically to chemo & radiation therapy patients. Made in Hungary.

• Price & availability: Available in a few select stores nationwide (mostly in the Boston area) and online. Average price for 200 ml (approx. 6.75 oz.) jar is $25 ($3.70 per ounce)
• Ingredients: Distilled water, Stearin (synthetic emollient; source not given; can be derived from either animal tallow or vegetable sources), Tego Care/Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate ("Tego Care" is a synthetic emulsifier, emollient and skin conditioner; little to no research is available on possible side-effects), Isopropyl Myristate (used to reduce the oily feeling of emollients, has a drying effect on the skin and can cause skin irritation at concentrations higher than 5%) Coconut Oil, Cera Alba (wax), Carbamidum Urea (Carbamide) (a skin-debridement agent, used in the treatment of severe wounds and thickened or dry, flaky skin; can irritate inflamed or sensitive skin and is a penetration enhancer), Olive Oil, Calendula extract, Cocoa butter, Jojoba Oil, Sorbitum (fragrance and skin conditioner), Carbomer (used to stabilize the texture & emulsion of the product) , Honey, Stearyl Alcohol (an emulsifier and emollient; a known skin irritant), Avocado Oil, Propylene glycol (a petroleum-based emollient and humectant, not recommended for use on broken or injured skin), Rose Petal Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E) (a skin conditioner and preservative; may irritate broken or injured skin), Panthenol (Vitamin B5, can come from animal, vegetable or synthetic sources), Sodium Hydroxide (lye) (used to adjust pH; a strong skin irritant)

♥ Nature's Paradise ~ Simply Nature's Lotion (Unscented/ Fragrance-Free) This widely praised lotion contains a fine blend of green tea and nourishing organic oils. An integrity organic product made by an integrity company. While this lotion is pricey for a water-based (green tea) lotion, you can at least know that you're getting the best on the market. USDA Certified Organic product. Made in California, USA.

• Price & Availability: Available online and select stores nationwide (see Nature's Paradise website for list). Price for an 8-oz. bottle is $38.75
• Ingredients: Organic Green Tea, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Liquid Lecithin, Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Shea Butter, Organic Arrowroot Powder, Organic Clear Vanilla Extract, Organic Clarified Lemon Juice USDA Certified Organic

♥ Nurture My Body Baby Lotion (Unscented/ Fragrance-Free) A nice all-purpose lotion for normal to dry & sensitive skin. Contains several fine quality oils (avocado, jojoba and wheat germ) that are often used to treat rashes, inflammation & other skin issues. Could wish for a shorter ingredient list (e.g. fewer chances for allergens). Made in the USA.

• Price & availability: Available online. Price for a 7.5-oz. bottle is $25 ($3.30 per ounce)
• Ingredients: Purified Water, Carthamnus Tinctorius (High Oleic Safflower) Oil**, Vegetable Emulsifying Wax NF, Vegetable Glycerin, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil**, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba Seed) Oil**, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat Germ) Oil, Chamomilla Recutita (Chamomile Flowers) Infusion**, Rosa Damascena (Rosebuds) Infusion**, Lavandula Officinalis (Lavender Flowers) Infusion**, Avena Sativa (Oatstraw) Infusion**, Symphytum Officinale (Comfrey Root) Infusion**, Humulus Lupulus (Hops Flowers) Infusion**, Rosa Canina (Rosehips) Infusion**, Chondrus Crispus (Seaweed) Extract**, Lavandula Officinalis (Lavender) Hydrosol**, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Gel**, Chamomilla Recutita (Chamomile Flower) Essence****, Xanthan Gum, Calendula Officinalis (Pot Marigold) CO2**, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) CO2**, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) CO2**, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Extract *Organic **Certified Organic Ingredients ***Wildcrafted ****Biodynamic/Demeter Certified

♥ Purple Prairie Botanicals ~ Nature's Baby Lotion (Unscented/ Fragrance-Free) A gentle, nourishing formula for sensitive skin, this lotion includes calendula & chamomile-infused olive oil for soothing rashes and other skin irritations.

• Price & availability: Online & in select stores. Price for a 4-oz. bottle is $7. Price for an 8-oz. bottle is $11. ($1.35 to $1.75 per ounce)
• Ingredients: water, calendula and chamomile infused organic cold pressed olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel), kosher vegetable glycerin, organic cocos nucifera (coconut), emulsifying wax NF (polawax), organic butyrospermum parki (shea butter) fruit, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, salix nigra (black willow) extract.

♥ FROM YOUR GROCER'S SHELF 

Some of the best moisturizers under the sun can be found in the food aisle of  your local grocery or health food store -- and at a fraction of what you pay someone to doctor it up with harsh or unnecessary ingredients, then slap on a pretty label. In fact, if you glance at the ingredient list on any quality moisturizer, you'll most likely find one of the products below at the top of the list.

The main difference is in the packaging, which you can easily & cheaply provide yourself. This is necessary, anyway, from the standpoint of keeping the larger bottle/jar free of impurities from daily finger-dippings. Mountain Rose Herbs offers the best selection I've found of bottle, tins and jars, with various cap and lid choices. Available in amber, clear & cobalt glass, plus plastics and tins, their prices range from 50-cents to $3 apiece. Alternately, you can make a project of finding elegant or unique containers, such as the one, above, by shopping eBay or antique shops. Then, simply fill and bask in the goodness of these pure, food-grade botanicals that have been used for centuries to moisturize and nourish skin:

Aloe Vera Gels -- Serving triple-duty as an emollient, humectant and light occlusive, aloe vera is excellent for hydrating the driest of skin and soothing the burns and chaffing that often accompany radiation care. Pure, quality aloe vera (the undoctored gel from the inner fillet of the leaf) is also believed to accelerate wound healing, decrease inflammation, stimulate new skin growth and promote healthy healing in the deepest skin layers. But don't shop for aloe vera in the skin care or sunscreen aisle, as these products are nearly always riddled with skin irritants and toxins, including (and perhaps especially) those bottles whose front labels loudly proclaim to be 99% or even 100% pure. For pure aloe vera skin gels and juices, you'll need to shop in the dietary supplement section. While these products are prepared to food grade standards, as opposed to cosmetic or pharmaceutical grade, they are also intended as topical preparations. (NOTE: I AM NOT ADVISING YOU TO TAKE THIS AS AN ORAL SUPPLEMENT). To extend shelf life, refrigeration is generally recommended after opening, which makes for a cool treat for the troubled skin. Here are a few of the better ones on the market:

• Lily of the Desert Preservative-Free Aloe Vera Juice (choose from either Fillet or Whole Leaf formulas). This is a juice, not a gel, which means it's about the consistency of water. (See below for aloe gels, which have added thickeners). If you don't mind a drippy consistency, this preservative-free juice may be the next-best thing to rubbing an actual aloe leaf on your skin. Available in health food & fitness stores, plus online. Grown and processed in Texas, USA and/or Mexico. USDA Certified Organic product. Average price for 16 oz. bottle is $6 to $7 (37 to 43 cents per ounce)
  
  • Ingredients: Certified organic aloe vera juice, citric acid (pH stabilizer)    USDA Certified Organic

• Lily of the Desert Aloe Vera Gel (Choose from either Inner Fillet or Whole Leaf formulas). Careful, careful shopping for gels with this company, as some of their skin and hair care products contain undesirable ingredients, and their labeling can be misleading. (For instance, their "99% Aloe Vera Gelly," also contains, among other ingredients, a red-flag cocktail of PEG-33, PEG-8 dimethicone, PEG-14, retinyl palmitate, tocopheryl acetate, disodium EDTA, phenoxyethanol, and sodium hydroxide). Read the ingredient list to confirm what you are getting. The Inner Fillet gel formula contains similar ingredients to the Mountain Rose, below, but at half the price. Available in health food & fitness stores nationwide, plus online. USDA Certified Organic Product. Grown and processed in Texas, USA and/or Mexico. Average price for a 16 oz. bottle of Inner Fillet or Whole Leaf is $5 to $6 (31 to 37 cents per ounce).
  
  • Ingredients: Certified organic whole leaf aloe vera juice, carrageenan (thickening agent; suspected toxin to multiple organs), citric acid (pH stabilizer), potassium sorbate (preservative). USDA Certified Organic

• Mountain Rose Aloe Gel Lotion -- Contains the cold-pressed ground fillet of organically-grown aloe vera.  The Mountain Rose Herbs company is the standard for herbals and organic products. Available only online. USDA Certified Organic product. Made in USA. Average price for 8 oz. bottle is $4.25 (53 cents per ounce)
  
  • Ingredients: Certified organic aloe vera juice, xanthan gum (thickening agent), citric acid (pH stabilizer), potassium sorbate (preservative). USDA Certified Organic

Coconut Oil (Expeller-Pressed & Refined) A favorite among chemo and radiation therapy patients, excellent emollient for face, hands and body. Coconut oil (not to be confused with the hydrogenated stuff that is bad for us) is a quality oil that has become a staple item in healthy cooking. A personal favorite of mine, as well, coconut oil is odorless and makes an excellent all-purpose moisturizer, well-suited for dry, sensitive skin. Apply after bath, when it will absorb more quickly (15 to 20 minutes), leaving the skin feeling soft and supple, with a healthy glow and no greasy residue. It is available in either refined or unrefined. Both are wonderful products for skin and hair care, but the refined is more widely used in skin care, because it almost odorless, whereas the unrefined retains the scent of fresh-cut coconuts.  Coconut oils usually come from Colombia or the Philippines, with the organic more likely to have been sustainably grown and harvested. Average price for 14 oz. jar is $8 to $9 (57 to 62 cents per ounce)

Grapeseed/Grape Seed Oil (Expeller-Pressed & Refined) Another favorite among therapy patients, grape seed oil is light, nearly odorless, glides on silky-smooth and absorbs quickly without leaving a greasy finish. High in linoleic acid, a rich fatty acid that is important to skin structure. Average price for 16-oz. jar is $10 (63-cents per ounce)

Manuka Honey Okay, this doesn't come from the grocery store (it's only available online) and isn't technically a moisturizer. Manuka honey is a topical topical application for burns and wounds. While honey has been used since ancient times for burns, it is a relatively new arrival to the skin care market. This isn't your garden variety honey, but specifically, Manuka honey from New Zealand and Australia, named for the manuka bush from which the bees feed. Manuka honey has proven, powerful anti-bacterial properties, due to a naturally occurring substance in Manuka honey. The levels of this anti-bacterial property are measured in the UMF, or  "unique manuka factor" of any given honey. A UMF of 10 or more is said to be necessary, with 16 generally considered the optimal level, so long as this strength doesn't irritate the skin. Burn care and wound care are only two of the many skin issues that have shown remarkable improvement using Manuka honey. Several hospitals in the UK currently use Manuka Honey on burn and wound-care patients. There is also a clinical trial underway, by the British Columbia Cancer Agency, to determine the effectiveness of Manuka Honey in the treatment of oral mucositis, a sometimes debilitating condition that sometimes effects radiation patients. Commonsense dictates, of course, that serious wounds be handled under the supervision of medical professionals. There are two reputable companies that sell the New Zealand Manuka honey online: Manuka Honey USA and Comvita, both of which carry a full line of Manuka honey products. While the ingredients are identical (100% pure Manuka honey, with no added ingredients) the prices aren't. I'm still scratching my head over this.

• Manuka Honey USA:  500g (approx. 17.5 oz.) jar of Active Manuka Honey UMF 16+ is $36. ($2 per ounce) (not suitable for individuals with bee allergies)
• Comvita Medihoney 50g (approx. 1.75 oz.) tube of Medihoney Antibacterial Medical Honey is $18.20 ($10.40 per ounce) (not suitable for individuals with bee allergies)

Safflower Oil (Expeller-Pressed) Another fine emollient with light, temporary occlusive qualities, safflower seed oil is odorless and similar in feel to sweet almond oil, but with subtle property differences. Safflower oil has naturally-existing Vitamin E and one of the highest linoleic acid contents among oils, an important constituent for skin hydration. It is also believed to, among other things, improve wound healing and the elasticity of scar tissue. This oil is one of the more compatible oils for human skin, but can be a skin irritant in sensitive individuals. Be sure to buy the expeller-pressed, which retains the oil's beneficial constituents for the skin. Also buy organic whenever possible for the best purity. Widely available in supermarkets. Average price for 16 oz. bottle is $5 to $6 (31 to 37 cents per ounce)

Sweet Almond Oil (Expeller-Pressed & Refined) Believed to help reduce itching and inflammation in burned or damaged skin, sweet almond oil is a prized emollient with light, temporary occlusive qualities. Perfect for after bath care, this oil was famously reported to have been Jackie Kennedy's favorite skin care product. Rich in vitamins and essential fatty acids, sweet almond oil is odorless, light and easily absorbed -- particularly when applied after bathing. A little goes a long way. Apply sparingly to leave your skin feeling soft, supple and nourished, without any greasy residue. Sweet almond oil is more perishable than some oils, so be sure to buy it in a dark bottle and refrigerate larger quantities. Smaller quantities can be kept in a small amber bottle. Widely available in supermarkets (sometimes found in the organic or health foods section, rather than the main cooking oil aisle). Average price for 8-oz. bottle is $8 ($1 per ounce)

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES & RECOMMENDATIONS

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WHERE TO FIND QUALITY BULK OILS & BUTTERS

Mountain Rose Herbs and Ballard Organics are both excellent websites for finding quality organic and fair-trade oils and nut butters, including the ones above, plus a diverse range of others such as jojoba, shea nut, castor, apricot, avocado, wheat germ, pomegranate, sea buckhorn, and sunflower.

WHERE TO FIND QUALITY BOTTLES & JARS

Mountain Rose Herbs also offers the earlier-mentioned lines of attractive cosmetic-sized jars, bottles and tins for storing smaller quantities of oils & creams.

A FEW OTHER GOOD ORGANIC & USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC PRODUCTS

(absent from my other list because they offer no fragrance-free options)

Badger Balms & Body Butters
Organic Blessings Baby Lotions, Oils & Creams
Dr. Bronner's Organic Lotions
Soothing Herbals Organic Body Care
Moon Valley Lotion Bars & Body Balms

FOR FURTHER READING

Environmental Working Group: Consumer Update — FDA admits inability to ensure the safety of personal care products

Safety decisions left to companies and consumers:

"The [Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act] contains no provision that requires demonstration to FDA of the safety of ingredients of cosmetic products... prior to marketing the product."  — FDA response to EWG petition, September 29 2005

EWG Report Summary: Safety Guide to Children's Personal Care Products

Every day children are exposed to an average of 27 personal care product ingredients that have not been found safe for kids, according to a national survey conducted in summer 2007 by Environmental Working Group. Overall, 77% of the ingredients in 1,700 children's products reviewed have not been assessed for safety.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration website: FDA Authority Over Cosmetics

Who is responsible for substantiating the safety of cosmetics?

Cosmetic firms are responsible for substantiating the safety of their products and ingredients before marketing. Failure to adequately substantiate the safety of a cosmetic product or its ingredients prior to marketing causes the product to be misbranded unless the following warning statement appears conspicuously on the principal display panel of the product's label:

"Warning--The safety of this product has not been determined." (21 CFR 740.10)

Organic Consumers website:  Myth vs. Fact - 1,4 Dioxane and Cosmetic Safety (pdf file) Adopted from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
New York Times: New Alarm Bells About Chemicals and Cancer by Nicholas D. Kristof  (published May 5, 2010)

The President’s Cancer Panel is the Mount Everest of the medical mainstream, so it is astonishing to learn that it is poised to join ranks with the organic food movement and declare: chemicals threaten our bodies. The cancer panel is releasing a landmark 200-page report on Thursday, warning that our lackadaisical approach to regulation may have far-reaching consequences for our health....

The report blames weak laws, lax enforcement and fragmented authority, as well as the existing regulatory presumption that chemicals are safe unless strong evidence emerges to the contrary.

“Only a few hundred of the more than 80,000 chemicals in use in the United States have been tested for safety,” the report says. It adds: “Many known or suspected carcinogens are completely unregulated.”

Campaign for Safe Cosmetics:

What's In Your Products? Learn about categories of products of particular concern, plus look up safety rankings of the products you use
Contaminants in Bath Products Does baby shampoo need to contain cancer-causing chemicals? No – but it often does.
Natural and Organic Products .... Most importantly, be a critical consumer and remember that natural is a marketing term, not a legally binding description.