"My self-esteem is under siege. I arrived at a dive bar for what was supposed to be casual drinks with my husband and two of our close friends last night. Turned out it was a surprise birthday party, and everyone showed up in style. I was literally in jeans, a t-shirt and no makeup. Maybe my big red beret brightened my complexion."
Discovery: An attractive accessory like a hat can hide oily roots and detract attention from your bare face.
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Day 5
"I've come as far as I can with just Dove soap and water. I look like the poster child for Les Miserables. I need a hair-and-body wash like my husband's pronto."
Discovery: The powers that be only make (or should I say market) hair-and-body wash for men, babies and athletes. Why is that?
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Day 7
"Unable to find Weleda Calendula Baby Shampoo & Body Wash at Whole Foods, I come home with The Healing Seed Body Wash, $12.75, which the saleswoman 'thinks' I can use on my hair based on the ingredients. Success: My hair and skin both feel soft and smell sweet, thanks to the hemp seed and jasmine oils."
Discovery: Knowing your ingredients really can help you find the right product.
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Day 9
"I think I may have cheated this morning: The weather is getting dry so I relieved my dry, itchy face with Argan oil. Technically it's a culinary oil, but mine was from Josie Maran so I felt guilty. I rinsed it off and tried patting on a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil instead. It got the job done but smelled a lot stronger. There must be a better way."
Discovery: Natural dry skin remedies (olive oil, avocado, yogurt, honey, aloe, banana, egg whites, oatmeal and so on) really work. But they make you smell like food. My vote for least obtrusive: avocado.
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Day 11
"I did makeup for a wedding party yesterday. Normally I try to look nice when I do other people's makeup, even if I am behind the scenes. I slept on braided hair for texture so I wouldn't look completely drab but without products to set the waves, it quickly fell flat. After I told her about my experiment, an honest friend (and bridesmaid) confirmed that I looked worse than usual."
Discovery: People do notice a difference.
Photo courtesy of Embrace Life Photography.
We know what you're thinking: Why would anyone in her right mind want to give up her shampoo, conditioner, hairstyling products, skin care products and makeup? But then we thought, with all this talk of harmful ingredients (like the ones mentioned on this list) and the virtue of inner beauty, maybe we could learn a thing or two from a product 'diet.' See what this product junkie discovered when she switched from using 27 products a day to using only body wash and sunscreen for a full month. Her experience may surprise you, and inspire you to think about how many products you really need to look and feel gorgeous every day.
Or maybe after reading this you'll realize that the answer isn't about abandoning products altogether, but looking into your kitchen cabinets for natural ingredients that offer beauty benefits like hydration, oil absorption, etc. These homemade beauty product recipes are all made out of basic edible ingredients -- and they work. Maybe in the spirit of this woman's journey you'll try supplementing some of your bottled products for them.
If you do decide to take a similar challenge, please let us know what your experience was like by commenting on this story.
