Why natural ?

     Good question. In fact, what exactly IS natural ? It turns out, it’s different things to different people. Many manufacturers claim that their products are natural (since that is what the educated market is demanding now), yet most of their ingredients are synthetic, or perhaps, some originally came from a natural source, but have been altered so much in the lab that they are closer to synthetic than natural.

     Does this mean it is now on the “bad” list or toxic ? Not necessarily. Not all synthetic ingredients are “bad”, & not all natural or plant ingredients are “good”, ie : nettles or poison ivy. Some refining is absolutely necessary (you can’t extract the beneficial parts of coconut, olives, leaves, etc. without some processing ).

That said, there are over 850 chemicals – known to be toxic - presently allowed in cosmetics & skin/hair/babycare products in North America. The European Union has much more stringent laws than the US or Canada – having banned 1100 commonly used chemicals, while the US has only banned 11. Canada has a hotlist of hundreds of suspect chemicals, but nothing is enforced, & most of the products on our shelves are made in the states under US laws.

     A person can go crazy trying to read labels, but we’d better get used to it. Instead of going back to school for a degree in chemistry however, we can just learn the top 10 to 20 toxins to avoid, & if we buy truly natural & organic products these things are unlikely to be there anyways.  Read our Top Toxins to Avoid list under Resources. It's a good idea to print the list out & check everything you've got in your bathroom against the list. It may be an eye opener.

So why is organic even better than just natural ?

     Even if the skincare products we all used contain natural oils & plant extracts, they could still pose a problem. “Modern” agriculture uses potent herbicides & pesticides to ensure maximum profit for the company, but these toxic chemicals are in or on the plant materials they spray, meaning it will end up IN or ON us. (same goes for beeswax & honey) So, if the ingredients come from a “certified organic” farm, they should be clean & non-toxic, which is what we’re aiming for. A word of warning here though – just because a plant extract is organic, it doesn’t mean that it will be right for you. Some people can be sensitive to the most pure & benign botanicals, even virgin olive oil, so ALWAYS do a little test patch & wait at least 24 hours to see how YOUR skin reacts to any new product. More on this later.

Why aren’t ALL of your ingredients organic ?

     Some important & necessary ingredients such as emulsifying wax may be made from plant materials, perhaps even from 100 % organic plant materials, but have been processed so much to extract the waxy compounds, it should no longer be referred to as “organic”. Other things like earth minerals used for coloring soaps or cosmetics may be natural (from the earth) but definitely not organic, as only plants or animals can be raised “organically”. Also some minerals need to be processed somewhat to remove potentially dangerous heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cadmium, etc.

Why do some products have long, hard to pronounce ingredients ? How can these be natural ?

     Many ingredients are so hard to read, they sound like they’re in a foreign language. That’s because they ARE ! Many companies list their ingredients with the INCI name (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients), which means that all plant or animal sources are described in Latin (for global standardization), & all other ingredients are described using their scientific chemical name – which for most of us, is a foreign language. So, it’s quite possible to have an all natural ingredient list that sounds like jibberish. Pick up or copy one of our “ingredients” listings to match the English with the Latin, as well as to get a more complete description of what each ingredient IS and what it DOES.

What are some of the most commonly used toxic ingredients one should avoid ?

     This is critical & deserves an entire page of its own – don’t worry, it won’t be a yawnfest. This is the short list of 10 to 15 of the worst things in personal care products – something everyone should know & use everyday.

Explain the preservative system that you use. Why is there a need ?

     Anything that contains water ( creams, lotions, gels, etc.) is a paradise for bacteria, yeast, fungi & moulds, & the natural sugars in plant extracts are their favourite snack food. Healthy skin may well be able to deal with a small dose of these nasties, but dry, damaged or otherwise problematic skin can be vulnerable to attack, not to mention if product ends up in the eyes by accident. There are VERY few products truly preserved naturally, & even then they will not have the stability or shelf life of synthetically preserved product. There are certain essential oils that at high concentrations can be helpful with some strains of bacteria, but not with all, & the overpowering odor is not appropriate for most skincare products. The bottom line is that everything that is going to go out & sit on store shelves or steamy bathroom counters MUST be properly preserved, or it could ultimately be dangerous.

     The preservative system used in our products includes several natural inhibitors along with broad spectrum preservatives proven to be safe worldwide. The synthetic portion of the system is phenoxyethanol & EDTA. Some “natural” companies claim that phenoxyethanol is derived from rose oil, sage oil, minerals, plant derivatives & even coconut. In fact, it is not even remotely related to these ingredients. It is , however , very safe, as it is paraben free, not pH dependant & not a formaldehyde releasing agent as so many common preservatives are. It is non-irritating & non-sensitizing to the skin & eyes at usage levels of 2.2% or less. Our products contain less than 1 % due to the generous use of other supportive inhibitors.

     Tetrasodium EDTA is a sodium salt used as a chelating agent. It has been used for years as a very effective intravenous therapy for heavy metal poisoning, & is used in many foods that include ascorbic & sodium benzoate to reduce the formation of a carcinogenic compound. Over 100,000 people receive it per year intravenously as a therapy for heart disease. It works in these therapies due to its ability to bind to minerals & heavy metals, which is the same reason it works in cosmetics. For instance, it binds up magnesium which is necessary for mould to grow.

     Some of the natural inhibitors & anti-oxidants used to support & complement the synthetic portion of the preservative system are natural Vitamin E, neem oil, rosemary leaf extract, black willowbark extract, pure essential oils, citric acid, usnea lichen extract & potassium sorbate, which you can learn more about in our ingredients description.

What’s the difference between pure essential oils and fragrance oils ?

     This is a huge can of worms to open, so I will only touch on it briefly here. Pure essential oils are usually extracted with steam, with the resulting “oil” being a very pure & concentrated extract of the very plant essence. Besides providing a wonderful array of scents to work with, they have very powerful properties that can bring amazing benefits to products they are used in. Manufacturers of natural products can design them to be “ calming or uplifting or balancing, etc.” & when used by aromatherapists, essential oils can actually be used medicinally.

     Most medicines we take for granted today started out being extracted from plants. They later were synthesized partly because it allowed a much higher profit margin for pharmaceutical companies. Because essential oils are so powerful, care should be used by pregnant women, as certain oils can be too stimulating during pregnancy. They are usually quite expensive, as it can take up to 1200 lbs. of plant material to create a tiny bottle of essential oil. This is why synthetic fragrance oils were created, primarily for the perfume & personal care industry.

     An average of 30 to 50 chemicals are used to create one fragrance, with some containing up to 200. Trade secret laws allow the ingredients to be hidden behind the words “fragrance”, “perfume” or “parfum” on labels, so if these words are present, there’s no way for the consumer to know what chemicals are really in the product. If a fragrance oil is used to mask or cover up the odor of other ingredients in the product, it is not even required to be listed at all, & the product can be marketed as “unscented” or “fragrance free”. Even preservatives can be hidden behind the “fragrance” title. A preservative with the trade name Naticide has been given the coveted INCI name of “fragrance”, hence allowing unscrupulous manufacturers to call their product “preservative free”. How many so called natural products are being masqueraded as “preservative free” when there could be a host of dangerous chemicals hidden under the benign sounding catch-all of “fragrance” ? If there is no visible sign of ingredients with preservative qualities on the label, yet the products sit on store shelves for who know how long without going bad, it makes you wonder.

     Another very important thing that should be mentioned is phthalates (pronounced thay-lates) . They are the most common cause of cosmetic related allergic reactions , according to many reputable allergy specialists. They are present in most synthetic fragrances & can pose a host of serious problems. They are sometimes referred to as the “everywhere chemical” as they are also present in vinyl products (flooring, toys, shower curtains, auto interiors, PVC medical devices & tubing) as well as our air, water & soil (from industrial pollution & leaching from consumer products). Phthlates are not even required to be listed – again falling under the “fragrance” trade secret laws.

They can be absorbed through the skin, inhaled or ingested, & since they are present in most commonly used fragrance oils which are used in most personal care products, you may well get multiple exposures on a daily basis – shampoo, conditioner, shower gels & scrubs, , hair gels & mousse, shaving creams & aftershaves, perfumes & colognes, deodorants, cosmetics, lotions, creams, etc. Because of the gender bending potential of phthalates, this can be especially dangerous for women of childbearing age (the largest amounts found – 20 times the norm – are found in this demographic) So far, the list of the main dangers found are – damage to the liver, kidneys, lungs, brain & nervous system, immune system & last but definitely not least – damage to the endocrine & reproductive system – especially the developing testes in male fetuses.

     Although this may be VERY scary, there are things you can do to limit your exposure. As well as avoiding products with phthalate containing fragrance oils (there are some, but they should state on the label that they are phthalate free), you can go to www.people.org/toxics/phthalates for suggestions on ways to avoid phthalates. We are in the process of acquiring phthalate free fragrance oils for those people wanting scents that cannot be achieved with essential oils alone.

     Even if an ingredient is listed as an essential oil, it’s good to pay attention. There is no such thing as “strawberry essential oil”. The only fruits that EO’s can be extracted from are in the citrus family. All those admittedly delicious scents we are all familiar with & addicted to are not actually natural. Also, if an ingredient says “sage oil”, or “pine oil” it’s unlikely to be an essential oil, but rather a much cheaper synthetic version. We need to be realists though, & if, at the end of the day, we’re still unable to part with our most favourite fragrance, we can try to find a phthalate free version, as well as choosing to avoid everything else that could be contaminated with phthalates. Although this isn’t perfect, it’s a lot better for us & the planet. We all need to start somewhere, & every bit helps.

So………. I was only going to touch on this subject briefly, & perhaps I got a wee bit carried away, but these few paragraphs point at just the tip of the iceberg.

Why do you use surfactants for some products, and how are they different from SLS, which is on the AVOID list ?

     To answer this question, we need to relate a wee bit of history.  During WW2 when there was often a great lack of necessary resources, surfactants were developed by the Germans to save fats for other uses than soap. At first they weren’t great, but eventually with chemical development, they became very effective cleansers, even of very greasy surfaces, such as vehicle motors, and only cost a fraction to produce of traditional cleaning products. The sulphates, which include SLS (sodium lauryl sulphate) & SLES were considered a boon to industry & the public alike.

     The use of these sulphates flourished. As scientific research developed, it became clear that these surfactants had some rather negative effects on the skin. As early as 1983 The American College of Toxicology showed that concentrations as low as .5 % could cause irritation, & concentrations of 10 to 30 % (which is common) caused skin corrosion & severe irritation. In fact, SLS is routinely used in clinical studies to CAUSE  irritation in order to test the efficacy of other chemicals ! The NIH Household Products Directory list over 80 types of products containing SLS.

     Because of its small molecular structure, it not only irritates & degrades the proteins in skin cells, but easily passes through the skin barrier, carrying with it other questionable chemicals. It also mimics estrogen, which can cause hormone imbalances in both men & women, giving it the potential to cause cancer. Clearly, this pervasive chemical is something we should be avoiding wherever possible. There are some much gentler alternatives.

You may ask “ what about real, old fashioned soap ?” This is a good alternative for handwashing, especially if it has been well cured to fully neutralize the alkalinity from the lye used in making it, & if it has been superfatted with conditioning oils. It doesn’t work as well as a shampoo, especially for people with thick, curly or coarse hair, because the alkalinity (usually between 9 & 11) causes the cuticle cells on the hair shaft to swell & get rough, making your hair frizzy & dull looking. Castille or soap based shampoos can leave “soap scum” along with deposits of calcium & magnesium – good for your bones, but not great in your hair. Using a highly acid rinse such as cider vinegar can help to restore the hair to its natural state.

     As a result of public demand, several surfactants have been developed, that are not only gentle & unlikely to cause irritation, but also easily biodegradable as well. Some of the ones in our products are sodium cocopolyglucoside tartrate & citrate – a real mouthful, but very mild & derived from a combination of coconut, sugar & fruit compounds. You will also find sodium lauryl suophoacetate, which is one of the mildest foaming agents available, disodium laureth sulphosuccinate & coco betaine, a combination of coconut fatty acids & a sugar originally from beets, though now it is synthesized. These last three are generally very mild if the concentrations are low, which they are in our products.

How long can I expect my products to last ?

     All of our products should last at least one year, as long as they are not left in a hot area, especially bright sunlight. Also, using pump bottles will always protect the product for longer than open jars that you put your fingers into. Use a small spatula when possible in these circumstances.

     Why are natural and organic products more expensive ?  It really is true – you get what you pay for. Truly pure & natural ingredients, especially organic, are almost always more expensive , at least in terms of initial cost, though the long term potential savings to your health are priceless. For example a cheap (and problematic) surfactant such as SLS can cost ¼ to 1/3 of the price of some of the gentler, plant based biodegradable surfactants.   Another more extreme example is the difference in price between a high quality rose essential oil, which can run as high as $900.00 an ounce, whereas the same amount of synthetic rose fragrance oil can be had for $ 9.00. The profit margins for the average products you find in most stores can be 10 to 100 times higher than for high quality organic products , allowing huge marketing campaigns, even cheaper bulk buying of supplies & fancy packaging. This makes it very difficult for organic products to compete. Vote for your health with your market dollars, & encourage makers of natural & organic products to persevere with their efforts in the market. Perhaps, eventually, the demand for high quality products will the replace the cheap & often toxic products so commonplace today

Where can I learn more about what is safe for my family & what is not ?

     There are a growing number of excellent books & websites that go into the safety of personal care products, & attempt to offer alternative suggestions. Below are a few that are recommended :

Drop Dead Gorgeous – Kim Erickson

Dangerous Beauty – Mark Fearer

Not Just a Pretty Face – Stacy Malkan

Our Toxic World – Doris Rapp

Consumers Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients – Ruth Winter

     You still need to use your own discretion as not everything is black & white, beneficial or toxic. Even the EWG (Environmental Working Group) which is a great tool for people to use in their search for safe products, needs to be viewed with understanding. They rate thousands of products as to whether there is little to no risk, on up to the products that are really suspect. This can be very helpful, however, the way they gain their information is through studies that have been done, & unfortunately, there have been few studies on many natural ingredients, simply because there is no money to be made, & these studies can cost millions of dollars. So, for example, when their rating system says ________ has a low to moderate risk (instead of no risk), it may well be that the risk comes from not having a study done. So would you rather use a product with a chemical proven to be toxic, or a natural substance, used successfully for hundreds, if not thousands of years, but which is not scientifically tested yet ?

      As an example, something like lye, or sodium hydroxide is a highly alkaline compound that may be considered high risk in it’s pure undiluted form, especially if swallowed or touched without a gloved hand. When combined with vegetable oils in the process of soapmaking, it is completely neutralized (combining an acid with an alkaline) rendering it totally harmless. Use your own common sense.

Are your products hypo-allergenic ?

     No products are truly hypo-allergenic, no matter what we’ve been led to believe. The very term suggests that they are guaranteed to be free of substances that may cause negative or allergic reactions ANYBODY can be allergic to ANYTHING, whether it is synthetic or natural. There are some things, however , that are more likely to cause allergic reactions in sensitive people. Some people are more sensitive than others due to many possible factors – genetics, nutrition, environmental stress & damage, injury, bacteria, pH imbalance, hormones or any combination of the above.  For example, if someone is allergic to nuts, even topical application of an oil extracted from nuts may be problematic for them.

     People with allergies or sensitivities should ALWAYS read the list of ingredients to check for things that may be problematic for them. The most common ingredients that cause sensitivity are found in fragrances & some preservatives, yet these are generally found in most supposedly “hypo-allergenic” formulas. So, again there are no guarantees that ANY ingredient will work for everyone, no matter how pure or natural. ALWAYS test every new product on a small portion of skin on the arm or leg & wait for at least 24 hours to see if any sensitivity develops. If it does, discontinue use.

What if I have questions that aren’t answered here ?

     Please let us know & we will do our best to find the information you need, or direct you to someone that can.