Safe Cosmetics Brand Review: philosophy

About the Brand

By now, you've probably heard of philosophy - they are a super trendy brand of "inspirational beauty" beauty products with super cute packaging and wide range of variety in offerings - we're talking everything from lip balm to shampoo to moisturizers to shower gels and everything in between.  On their website you'll read that their "promise is to deliver remarkable products that inspire you to live a better life by being better to yourself."

They also discuss the "science" of their products (which is what I'm mostly interested in). Their website states that "philosophy skin care offers revolutionary ingredients, breakthrough formulas and advanced technology. It is designed to not only deliver dramatic results but to enhance the integrity of your skin." 

That sounds awesome! Seems, to the casual observer, that this brand should be a healthy mix of products that should promote healthy skin and hair.  On a side note: From a "frugal" perspective, this is NOT a budget brand and many of their products are very, very pricy... But is it a "safe" brand that's worth the price?

Safe or Not?

First and foremost, it should be said that philosophy does NOT advertise themselves as an all-natural brand, so it wouldn't be right to not address that before moving on.  As a result, they have a combination of both "safe" and "not" products on the market - you just need to do your research to figure out what to avoid.  They are a brand that follows the newer trends in chemical formulas for quick results and "high quality" fragrances.

With that said, many of philosophy's products are NOT "safe" - The amount of fragrances alone make the vast majority of their products an issue from, if nothing else, an allergen perspective.  Since their brand is so diverse, let's take a look at few of their products:

The Good

Keep The Peace Protective Color Corrector: This product is advertised to camouflage redness, smooth the appearance of fine lines, pores and uneven texture and it leaves behind a smooth, satin finish.  It's also a relativity "safe" product, with only one ingredient of note - Phenocyethanol can cause toxicity issues, is an eye irritant, and a known allergen.  If you actually read the ingredients label on this one, it's all chemicals, but generally those considered safe for use... but this product also costs $32 here in the US, so I'd recommend shopping around for a more natural and less expensive color corrector.

Just Release Me Eye Makeup Remover: I really like this one - among the "affordable" members of philosophy's makeup line, this product is advertised as an "oil-free eye makeup remover that gently yet effectively breaks down and removes the toughest eye makeup, even waterproof makeup, without irritating eyes."  As with the previous product, there is really only one ingredient that causes alarm - Benzalkonium Chloride.  This is a preservative that can cause allergies and severe skin irritation.  On the positive side, the product also contains super ingredients like aloe, chamomile and cucumber extracts.

Kiss Me Exfoliating Lip Scrub & Facial:  Sadly, it doesn't look like this product is offered by philosophy any longer - I've actually used it in the past and loved it.  Phenoxyethanol was the only worry with this product - it is a preservative and fragrance agent that has proven evidence of skin and immune system toxicity and is an allergen.  Other than that, this was actually one of my favorite philosophy products - too bad it's no longer for sale!

The Bad

Eternal Grace Spray Fragrance:  SO much to say about this one - but if you'd rather skip ahead, simply put, I would never use this.  The ingredients in this range from those that could cause massive allergy issues for the user, to those that cause endocrine disruption, organ toxicity, developmental and reproductive toxicity, ecotoxicology, and more.  Some ingredients of note include Oxybenzone, Lilial, and Citral.  Take my advice and consider natural fragrances versus those made from chemical compounds.

Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath, Mangos & Cream: This 3-in-1 product runs just shy of $100 for 32oz... Ouch!  On top of that, it contains DMDM hydantoin, which is an antimicrobial formaldehyde releaser preservative.  This ingredient is known to cause skin toxicity issues and there is also evidence that shows it can cause cancer.  CANCER - From your bubble bath.  Not good.

Kiss Me Color Lip Shine: Another relic of philosophy's past that is no longer available, this product was another member of the "cancer club," containing BHT - an ingredient that not only is a carcinogen, but also an allergen and known to cause developmental and reproductive toxicity issues.  This product also contains MULTIPLE endocrine disruptors like Oxybenzone and Octinoxate.  Thank goodness it's no longer on the market!

Final Thoughts

While it's not fair to hold philosophy to an "all natural" standard that they've never claimed, it is a bit discouraging to find so few "safe" products in their catalog.  I personally can't afford to buy a lot of their products to begun with, so I'd say your best bet would be to search for more natural and cost effective alternatives.

Childproofing your iPad

Let's face it - most of us are going to have children that end up MUCH more tech-savvy than we are... and typically this aptitude for electronics is happening early!  My 6 year-old is incredibly skilled at getting onto a computer, phone, iPad - you name it.  I'm not even sure where he picked up the skills or who taught him.

So here's the question - In a world with nearly unlimited access to things that we would NEVER want our children to see, read, or hear, how do we "childproof" our electronics, while still allowing them to grow and learn in our hugely technological society?  Let's start simple.  The iPad.

The key to managing your iPad's safety is in the "Setting" icon.  Everything you'll need can be found here - Restrictions, Wifi, Passcode options, etc.  Make yourself familiar with all of the tabs in this area so that you know how to enable and disable the different features on your device.  This is SUPER important for parents who want to allow their kids to use their electronics, but want a firm control on what their child can do when using them.

Step One: Passcode

The most basic way to protect your child - and your iPad - is to create a passcode (or password) which will lock your device when not in use.  This means that if your especially curious child does manage to get their little hands on the iPad when you aren't looking, they still won't be able to actually use it.

Step Two: Restrictions

This is the most important way to limit your child's access to inappropriate material.  A lot of parents just aren't sure HOW to go about it, so here's a walk through - Open up Settings (I love that icon!) and go to "General Settings" which is an option located on the left side of the screen.  Then, click on "Restrictions" which should pop up on the lower right, as seen below:

Once there, you will have the ability to select what security features you would like to enable or disable.  You also set a separate passcode for restrictions, just in case your child figures out your main passcode.  There are a lot of different options, so here's a breakdown:

 

I opt to disable EVERYTHING except use of the camera - you may not be so strict!  However, I do have a few reasons for limiting my child so much.

• By turning off the "iTunes Store," "Installing Apps" and "In-App Purchases" you have completely avoided the worry that your child may accidentally spend money while using the iPad.  
• Disabling the "Deleting Apps" option stops your child from accidentally removing games or other apps from your device.
• "Safari" is Apple's web browser.  I prefer to sit with my child when he's on the actual "internet" and by disabling this, I don't need to worry about him stumbling across a website that he shouldn't be on.
• Options like "Siri" or "FaceTime" are just simply features that I don't see my child using, so why give him the option?  I have a specific plan in mind during my child's "media time" and it's important to me that he uses the time on games or apps that I have approved - not messing around with random features that don't have any real purpose.

Another area of the "Restrictions" page is "Allowed Content," which is extremely important if you opt to allow your child on apps like YouTube or Netflix, or if you aren't sure on the appropriateness of certain apps.

Here are my settings, but you might need yours altered based on your child's age.  Just click on each sub-section to see the options and pick what works best for you.

Don't Worry - It's Not Permanent!

The thing to keep in mind is that your restrictions can be quickly changed by you at ANY time.  As your child grows, or if you have children in different age groups, it takes only a few swipes of your finger to adjust the settings.

It's extremely easy to have an iPad that the entire family can share - including you, for your Sons of Anarchy binges on Netflix (not that I watch that show or anything...)