Great Skin Organically

December 13, 2007

A great online video about consumerism and how we can improve our precious planet

Filed under: Environmental, Skin Organics Online, Land Fill, Chemicals, Sustainable Living, Christmas — gabrielle @ 12:06 am

This week’s AlterNet newsletter has a great post about the video - “The Story of Stuff”. Hosted by Annie Leonard, it is a very easy to understand, animated/narrated video about the production cycle, the origins of consumerism and how they are harming our planet. Far from being doom and gloom, the video and website also offers ways in which we can reduce our consumerism and help our planet at the same time.

Inspiring stuff! Check it out at: www.storyofstuff.com

For more eco-tips for Christmas, visit my blog post: http://www.skinorganicsonline.com/blog/?cat=12

Merry (Eco) Christmas!

Gabrielle

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November 1, 2007

Organic food is healthier and safer, four-year EU investigation shows

Filed under: Environmental, Organics, Chemicals, Sustainable Living — gabrielle @ 7:48 am

A £12m EU-funded investigation into the difference between organic and ordinary farming has shown that organic foods have far more nutritional value.

by UK Independent - Wednesday, 31 October 2007


Up to 40 per cent more antioxidants, which scientists believe can cut the risk of heart disease and cancer, could be found in organic fruit and vegetables than in those conventionally farmed.

In the four-year Quality Low Input Food project, the biggest of its kind to date, a farm in north-east England grew conventional produce alongside organic varieties. Cattle were also farmed on the 725-acre plot, where it has been discovered that organic milk contains 60 per cent more antioxidants and desirable fatty acids than ordinary milk.

Professor Carlo Leifert, co-ordinator of the study said: “We have shown there are more of certain less nutritionally desirable compounds and less of the baddies in organic foods, or improved amounts of the fatty acids you want and less of those you don’t want”.

The study, whose overall findings will be published next year, is the first systematic comparison of farming techniques. Led by Newcastle University, 33 academic centres across Europe are analysing the information.

For the past seven years the organic food lobby has been trying unsuccessfully to persuade the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to acknowledge the benefits of organic food. The FSA says the “balance of current scientific evidence” does not support the view that organic food is safer or healthier.

The Soil Association, the UK’s leading campaigning and certifying organisation on organic farming, said: “It is time the FSA caught up with the available science and adjusted its statements to reflect that science.”

The FSA said: “We will be getting a consultancy to carry out a systematic review of the evidence, which will include this latest study.”

The report’s key findings

* Organic milk contains higher amounts of vitamin E, according to the EU study. The antioxidant contributes to a healthy circulatory system

* Potatoes, kiwi fruit and carrots were among the organic produce found to be higher in vitamin C than their chemically-farmed counterparts. The vitamin has been credited with boosting the immune system and helping to keep cancer and heart disease at bay

* Higher levels of minerals and antioxidants were found in organically- farmed lettuce, spinach and cabbage

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October 16, 2007

Great Food Allergy Alternatives available in Australia

Filed under: Skin Organics Online, Organics, Food Allergies — gabrielle @ 2:24 am

If you or someone in your family has food allergies, you’ll know how hard it is to find alternatives that actually taste good. Particularly if your kids are fussy eaters like mine! Good News! I’ve done the hard slog and below are my recommendations for brands to suit a range of food allergies and intolerances.
Did you know that allergies are usually inherited? Both of my children have inherited my dairy allergy and allergy to salicylates (found in tomatoes and strawberries especially). I inherited my propensity to allergies from my mother (who has food allergies but problems are more environmental). My grandmother passed on her allergies to my mother - particularly environmental. Even though I breastfed my children and avoided foods I was allergic too, it seems that it didn’t help much.

So my only option is to avoid foods that cause me discomfort. However, that doesn’t mean we have to live like monks and miss out on all the fun!

Here’s a list of food alternatives for a range of food allergies:

Gluten

If you’re allergic to gluten or are a coealiac, you need alternatives! Some people are not truly allergic (like me!) but just have an intolerance to the food and experience discomfort after eating it. (I get gas! :) )
We eat rye bread - that works well and tastes quite good - not as dry as a lot of gluten-free breads. Just make sure it has no wheat flour - some breads are not wholly rye-based.

We also buy pre-made gluten-free breads from Coles or Woolworths at about a cost of $5 per loaf. Pretty expensive - really only good for toast as the loaf size is quite small and heavy in texture. You can also buy gluten-free bread mix and bread-improver such as xanthan gum so you can make your own. (Haven’t tried that yet!) Freedom Foods also has a range of gluten-free frozen baked goods including bread - available at Coles and Woolworths. Just take a look down your supermarket’s Health Food aisle!

Gluten-free Goodies - Well and Good’s range of dry baking pre-mixes are super yummo!! I would HIGHLY recommend their Mud Cake Mix. These mixes are also good for dairy allergy too as you don’t need butter - only oil and water and 2 eggs. This mud cake is DIVINE!!! Soooooo moist and tastes so much like the real thing! 5 stars!!

Freedom Foods also does gluten-free frozen goodies too like muffins and apple pie. (In the freezer section of Coles and Woollies). I’ve also seen frozen treats at my local Mrs Flannery’s Health Food Store too.

In the health food aisle, you’ll also find gluten - free muesli bars and pre-mixes from Freedom Foods and Lowan and other brands.

Dairy-Free

Dairy intolerance/allergy falls into two groups - those who can tolerate soy milk as an alternative and those who can’t.  I fall into the latter category!  Unfortunately, this severely limits my choices.  Apparently 50% of people with a dairy allergy are also allergic to soy.  But some people just like to avoid it over concerns about phyto-estrogens and breast/reproductive cancers.

If you aren’t allergic to soy, then go for the calcium-enriched soy milks in various flavours.  All available from your local supermarket.  But one word of recommendation - go for organic soy milk or at the very least, one that contains non-GMO soy beans (GMO=Genetically-modified-organism).

If you are allergic to soy (like me!) then go for the calcium-enriched rice milks.  I’ve tried lots of different brands and the one I recommend is Vitasoy’s Calcium-enriched milk.  Rice milk is more watery and sweeter than soy but the calcium-enriched ones are even less so.  They seem more like ‘real’ milk than other brands (and believe me, I’ve tried them all!).

There is one other option - a fantastic product called Dari-Free, imported from the US and available at  - www.gcfree.com.au.   This product contains just as much calcium as cow’s milk but is soy-free, gluten-free, casein-free etc…It’s made from potato starch and other ingredients.

Sugar-free

Fortunately, there are lots of options here!  My favourites are natural sweeteners such as honey, rice syrup, apple juice concentrate and maple syrup.  You can also use corn syrup or fructose (fruit sugar).

For tea or coffee, I’d recommend a herbal sweetener such as Xylitol or Stevia.  Both are made from plants (stevia is a herb, tens of time sweeter than sugar).  You can buy them from your local health food store.

Caffeine-free

Decaf is not always the best option as the process used to decaffeinate is not particularly pretty and often involves chemicals.  A better option is herbal tea.  Not green tea as it still contains caffeine.  Cereal coffees are good - try Dandelion coffee, or Teeccino - great, flavoured cereal coffees with no caffeine.  Available from health food stores.

Chocolate alternatives

The most obvious one is carob - but many people don’t like the taste.  Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of options if you’re allergic to cocoa itself.  If it’s just dairy that’s a problem, you can get dairy-free chocolate.  Try Sweet William products (at most supermarkets and health food stores).  Sweet William also does nut-free chocolate.

Nut-free alternatives

As mentioned above, Sweet William does a nut-free chocolate and most spcilaist products for allergy will stipulate if it’s processed in a nut-free factory.

Well, I hope I’ve given you some interesting food allergy alternatives.  Feel free to add any comments or products of your own!

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October 7, 2007

Is your make-up killing you?

Filed under: Skin Organics Online, Organics, Chemicals, Food Allergies, Sustainable Living — gabrielle @ 2:26 am

This article by Natasha Courtnay-Smith from the UK’s Daily Mail is a fascinating insight into the effects of the chemicals in our skincare and the remarkable results that can be obtained just by living more sustainably and by using natural products.

Women absorb 5lb of chemicals from cosmetics every year - from cancer-causing compounds in face cream to arsenic in eyeshadow. We tested two beauty junkies to reveal the shocking toll on their bodies…
Charlotte Kohl and her sister Emma are attractive young women. Their looks, they admit, are very important to them, which is why, between them, they use more than 70 different beauty and cosmetic products every day. Take Charlotte, 27, an estate agent from East London. Each evening,after slathering her face with a concoction of night creams, she sleeps with a dental bleaching kit on her teeth and fake tan all over her body. Every morning, she uses an array of products in the shower, ranging from shower gels and exfoliating scrubs to ‘body building’ lotions to give life to her fine hair. Her make-up regime includes blusher, bronzer, eyeliner, eye shadow and mascara, and she never leaves the house without covering her head in a thick cloud of hairspray.
Her 24-year-old sister Emma, a personal trainer, follows a similar routine, but she also has an obsession with lipgloss: she owns 60 different ones and touches up her lips every few minutes. In a bid to ensure she always has fresh breath, Emma also cleans her teeth seven times a day and carries a tube of toothpaste in her handbag, which she rubs into her teeth and gums at almost hourly intervals.
Between them, the two girls get through four cans of deodorant a week, and spend £1,000 a month on cosmetics.
“We have been into cosmetics since we reached our teens,” says Emma. “We’re the sort of people who rush out to buy a new mascara just because it claimed to do more for our eyelashes than any other mascara previously.
“I’m a complete sucker for anything that says it can make me look or feel better, or that is endorsed by a celebrity.”
And Charlotte and Emma are not alone. Last year, Britons spent £6.4billion on cosmetics and grooming products, with the average woman applying 12 toiletries every day. But here’s the rub - these toiletries can bring with them at least 175 chemical compounds. A recent study found that British women are one of the heaviest users of cosmetics in Europe and, as a result, we ingest through our skin, and occasionally through the mouth, up to 5lb of chemicals a year.
Take Emma’s favourite fuzzy peach lipgloss for instance: she loves its colour and the fact it ‘tastes nice’, but according to the list of ingredients, it contains 28 manmade chemicals. Her deodorant contains 26 chemicals and Charlotte’s hairspray has 23. Of course, the manufacturers would say these chemicals and resulting products are safe, but a growing school of thought begs to differ.
As part of a new television documentary, presented by Sarah Beeny (who for the past two years has been on a personal mission to remove as many chemicals from her lifestyle as possible), Charlotte and Emma agreed to have their blood and urine tested for a selection of chemicals found in their cosmetics. They were then challenged to live without their beauty products for eight days, swopping everything for natural chemical-free varieties. They also stopped using domestic cleaning products. The results will surprise even those who find it hard to believe that everyday cosmetics could really be doing us any harm. Certainly, both sisters did not think there would be anything potentially dangerous in their make-up bags.
“The ridiculous thing is that I’ve always tried to avoid chemicals whenever I can,” says Emma. I always buy organic food. I never in a million years thought I could be exposed to chemicals which could damage me through my make-up. Make-up makes me feel good and it wouldn’t have even crossed my mind that it could be doing me harm.”
Cosmetics contain many different kinds of chemicals, but of particular concern are a group of preservatives called parabens, which by some estimates are found in 99per cent of all ‘leave on’ cosmetics, and 77per cent of ‘rinse off’ cosmetics. These are known hormone disruptors: evidence suggests they can mimic the female hormone oestrogen, and a lifetime of increased exposure to oestrogen is linked to a heightened risk of breast cancer. One study found parabens present in 18 out of 20 breast cancer tissue samples (though it is important to note that the study did not prove they’d actually caused the breast cancer). Parabens are also thought to adversely affect male reproductive functions.
Another troubling chemical is the antibacterial agent and pesticide triclosan, which is used in toothpastes, soaps, household cleaning products and body washes. It belongs to the chlorophenol class of chemicals, which are suspected of causing cancer in humans and taken internally, even in small amounts, can cause cold sweats, circulatory problems and - in extreme cases - coma.
Also of concern are phthalates, a substance that gives our lotions that silky, creamy, texture, but which are also a ‘plasticiser’ used to make plastics flexible. Certain phthalates are known carcinogens, and studies have suggested they damage the liver, kidneys, lungs and the reproductive system, as well as affecting the development of unborn baby boys.
The list goes on. Sodium laureth sulphate, a frequent ingredient in shower gels and shampoos, is a skin irritant; Propylene glycol, found in soap, blushers and make-up remover, has been shown in large quantities to depress the central nervous system to make it function less effectively, and aluminium in deodorants is linked to breast cancer by medical research. And did you know that certain eye shadows contain arsenic?
One thing is for sure: few of us would want to rub any of these chemicals into our eyes, far less ingest them in liquids by drinking them. Yet, every day, we rub them into our skin, and allow them to enter our bodies.
Given the facts, it’s hardly surprising that a growing number of experts believe these substances have a cumulative effect on our bodies. They think the ‘chemical cocktail’ inside us is contributing to the increased frequency of a host of illnesses ranging from eczema to cancers as well as developmental problems such as autism and dyslexia.
“It’s difficult to see the link between chemicals in cosmetics and damage to health unless you stand back and look at the wider picture,” says Dr Paula Baillie-Hamilton, author of Toxic Overload and supporter of the campaign group Chemical Safe Skincare. “Man-made chemicals first emerged 100 years ago, and every decade since, the overall production of these synthetic chemicals has doubled. We are surrounded by chemicals: in the air, in our food, in our water and especially in our cosmetics, and the fact is that our bodies can’t break many of these substances down. Our systems are becoming more polluted and we are beginning to see the results of that in terms of increased illnesses and even birth defects, especially in boys. There is no doubt that one of the ways we are exposing ourselves to these chemicals is through our cosmetics.”
Dr Baillie-Hamilton also thinks that absorbing chemicals through our skin is more dangerous than swallowing them.
“At least if you ingest chemicals through your mouth, your digestive system can do something towards dealing with them,” she says. “If they go through your skin they hit your blood stream immediately and are then transported to vital organs such as kidney and liver, where they may be stored for many years.”
So how did Emma and Charlotte’s chemical detox pan out? Before they started, both girls had to get rid of all their old products. The contents of their make-up bags and bathroom cabinets filled a black bin liner, and they were given alternative products, from ranges including Elave, Skin Shop, Aubrey Organics, Jane Iredale, Burts Bees and Purenuffstuff. Household cleaning products came from Ecover.
“At first, I really missed my own cosmetics and our new make-up didn’t seem that good,” says Charlotte. “The chemical-free mascara I was using didn’t seem to hold onto my lashes and the hairspray felt as if I was spraying my hair with water. I had to reapply the natural lipgloss so many times because it kept rubbing off.”
Emma agrees: “We went out one night with our new make-up on and it was hopeless, the hairspray didn’t hold, the lipgloss kept rubbing off and I ended up less than fragrant, too, because the natural deodorant wasn’t powerful enough.”
During the experiment, perhaps to encourage them not to go back to their old products, the girls were given information about their usual make-up. For instance, the average woman eats, albeit unwittingly, five lipsticks a year, which in her lifetime is the equivalent volume of 1.5 blocks of lard. But Emma’s lipgloss obsession means that she’ll eat 54 lipglosses a year - the equivalent of eight blocks of lard during her lifetime. And that’s on top of all the chemicals it contains.
Charlotte’s obsession with hairspray is just as troublesome. “I was shown that when it’s sprayed onto a smooth surface, hairspray solidifies into a clear plastic that you can actually peel off in solid form,” says Charlotte. “Not only had I been putting this onto my head all day, but I’d also been unwittingly breathing it in. I was effectively-clogging up my lungs with plastic.”
The girls’ monthly trips to the hairdresser to have their hair coloured are fraught with hidden dangers. People who use permanent hair dye are more than twice as likely to develop bladder cancer as those that don’t. Both ammonia and paraphenylenediamine (PPD) - chemical substances used in dyes - can cause allergic reactions, too.
As the experiment progressed, Charlotte and Emma began to grow accustomed to their new products, and to discover brands they felt were comparable to their old make-up.
“I began to realise it was just a question of getting used to using different brands,” says Emma. After a week, we’d both completely forgotten that we weren’t using our own make-up and were putting on the chemical-free alternatives as though nothing had changed.”
So at the end of the eight days, had such a detox really made a difference to the chemical levels found in their bodies? The highest reading of parabens found in humans is 730mg per litre of urine. Tests taken at the beginning of the experience had revealed that Charlotte had 650mg, which is in the higher range. Her reading fell dramatically to 21mg at the end of the experiment. Her level of triclosan - found in toothpaste and body washes - fell from 490mg per litre to zero.
“I was shocked at the results,” says Charlotte. “I hadn’t believed we’d see such a dramatic difference in such a short time, let alone as a result of something as simple as changing our cosmetics. Once I understood what our old cosmetics contained, psychologically it felt better to be using chemical-free alternatives. We both noticed our skin seemed brighter and smoother. Our eyes were also brighter and our hair felt softer.”
Emma’s results showed an equally dramatic fall in triclosan levels, which fell from 90mg per litre to just 2mg per litre.
Her paraben level was more surprising - it actually increased from its initial level of 7mg per litre of urine, though medical experts point out that parabens can be taken into the body through eating dried and snack foods, in which they are used as preservatives, and medicines, so Emma’s diet during the experiment may have had a
bearing.
“What really hit home to me was that the way we go about our daily life really does have an instant impact on chemical levels in our bodies,” she says. It made me realise that I am being bombarded with chemicals from all sorts of directions, many of which I can’t avoid. Anything I can do to cut back, can only be a good thing.”
Since the experiment finished, both girls have continued to use natural make-up where possible and switched to natural cleaning products. Charlotte has reduced her use of hairspray and Emma now cleans her teeth a sensible twice a day. Both girls use a natural deodorant, which contains no chemicals.
“We don’t want to get fanatical about it, and the fact is that certain chemical-free cosmetics don’t work as well,” says Emma. “We’ve yet to find a chemical-free mascara that is as good as my normal one, and chemical-free hair dye isn’t that great either. But for pretty much everything else there is an excellent chemical-free alternative. Given what we’ve learned, it would be madness to go on as we were.”
.. BEAUTY Addicts: How Toxic Are You?, Thursday, October 11, Channel 4, 8pm.
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October 1, 2007

What to look for in an organic skin care product

Filed under: Skin Organics Online, Organics, Chemicals, Sustainable Living — gabrielle @ 6:50 am

With the hundreds of natural and organic brands currently on the market worldwide, how do you really know which is the right product for you?  Well, there are several things to look for and by following these guidelines, hopefully you’ll find the product that suits your skin and your budget!

  1. Look for organic certification.  If a product is truly organic, it will contain over 97% certified organic ingredients PLUS be manufactured in a facility that is also certified organic.  The label will display the logo of the certifying body. There are many products out there that claim to be organic, but may just contain a large percentage of organic ingredients.  Some brands only contain one or two organic ingredients, but still claim to be organic.  However, this organic certification comes at a price.  Fully certified organic products are usually twice to three times the price of conventional skin care.
  2. Look for products that contain a fairly natural preservative such as sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, tea tree preservative or citrus seed/grapefruit seed preservative, potassium sorbate.  These preservatives are refined from natural botanicals and are just as effective as traditional preservatives such as parabens – but without the bad press!
  3. Look for products that have not been tested on animals or that use animal ingredients.
  4. Look for botanically-based or ‘vegetarian’ products.
  5. Look for products that use recyclable packaging or that use minimal packaging.
  6. Look for products that use ingredients that have been sourced locally, or traded fairly.
  7. Look for products that list ALL ingredients.

Finally, if a fully certified organic product is out of your price range or budget, there are several brands out there that may not be certified organic but that use largely organic ingredients, are vegetarian and contain a natural preservative.  All you really need to do is research your needs and research the market to find a product that meets them.

Gabrielle Edwards is a work-at-home Mum, teacher and small-business owner with an interest in organic and natural living.  She owns her own eco-store which specializes in organic and natural skincare, babycare, cosmetics and bodycare.  www.skinorganicsonline.com

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