Natural Products with Corporate Owners

I see a lot of people checking out my post on which companies perform animal testing, and thus I wanted to make sure to spread the news. It seems many small companies which make green products, and often don’t test on animals, have been bought up by larger companies that do.

In 2006 Tom’s of Maine was purchased by Colgate-Palmolive.

In 2007 Burt’s Bees was purchased by Clorox.

There was a third one, however, I can’t recall what it is at the moment. I am not suggesting to those who read this blog that they refrain from purchasing Burt’s Bees or Tom’s of Maine. I leave the choice to each individual, as they have to decide what they want to support. I haven’t made up my own mind yet. I think continuing to purchase green products owns by corporations will help send the message that this is what we want, so perhaps the corporations will lessen their production of harmful chemicals. However, I also realize that if I buy these brands, knowing they test on animals, then I am sending a message of a different kind. It’s not an easy decision. I just like consumers to be informed.

I welcome posts on other green products which are owned by corporations, so that people can be informed. I also welcome discussion on which side of the argument y’all are on.

Oil Cleaning Method (OCM) Day One

I first ready about OCM in a natural living community on Livejournal. I haven’t had the means to get my hands on the necessary tools, and now being in Portland has allowed that to happen. I would have purchased online, but I really wanted to get smaller amounts to test before investing. The How-to article outlines using Castor Oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil for this method of cleansing, though later posts suggest Jojoba Oil because it’s closer to the natural sebum produced by our bodies. Other tips have been to be sure to use Cold Pressed Castor Oil, because the other methods may use chemicals which can cause the skin to react badly.

The mixture depends entirely on the skin type. More Castor Oil should be used for oily skin, while more Jojoba Oil for dry. It’s a completely experimental situation, which is why I opted to purchase small amounts to play with at first, though it’s recommended to start with a 50/50 mix and adjust from there. Other oils and things can be added, but I like to keep it simple during the first testing phase. Also, because I am not much of a spa-type girl, I opted not to steam my face. Many of the users on the LJ community I linked to also opt-out of this, and have still had success with the OCM. I didn’t see any reason why I shouldn’t.

I made my oil purchases at New Seasons. The Castor Oil is The Palma Christi, and is listed as “Pure, Cold Pressed, Top Quality Oil” on the bottle. It also states “Hexane-free and Certified”. The Jojoba oil I bought is Desert Essence. The bottle reads that it has “no alcohol, artificial detergents, color or synthetic perfumes” and also the ingredient list only contains Jojoba Oil. Having the purest of ingredients is essential for this experiment I believe, because then I can base my analysis on the products instead of wondering if some outside source is causing the reactions I experience.

As for my face, it seems to be about average. When I was younger, I had horrible acne, but in my adult years it has been one or two a week. They are also smallish pimples, since I have small pores. I do have a lot of discoloration on my face, and patches of dry skin. I find that the area just under my lips get kind of crusty and dry, no matter how much moisturizer I use. My nose and sometimes my forehead also get flaky and dry. I am mostly concerned about the chin/lip area, because it starts to turn brown and I seriously look like I’ve been eating mud or other perverse and unpleasant sounding activities. It has plagued me for many years. While I don’t buy into the whole beauty standard, I also don’t want my skin to look like it’s cracking and dying. I don’t wear make-up, and I don’t put a bunch of crap on it. I would like attractive skin that I have to mess with as little as possible. My husband has, and will always, take longer to get ready than I do.

I think that is a good primer for the first post. I did a mixture of 25% Castor oil and 75% Jojoba oil. Of course this is a rough estimate, I didn’t measure with instruments, instead opting to eyeball it. I massaged the mixture into my skin for a few minutes, until I felt like it had good coverage and was able to sink into my pores. Then I used a warm reusable shop towel (they’re more sturdy than paper towels) to wipe off the mixture. Afterwards my skin felt smooth and soft, and while it felt moist, it didn’t feel greasy or tight. The area under my lip still felt a little crusty, so I rubbed some plain Jojoba oil onto it and then onto my nose where I notice the most dryness.

I admit even after one application, I feel a difference in my skin. I also see a difference, as does my husband. His description, I kid you not, was “it used to look like gloss paint, but now it looks like semi-gloss. It’s nice”. I found this a rather odd description, not being much of a handyman but I’ll take what compliments I can get. I even noticed the chin/lip area didn’t feel crusty anymore, nor did it have the dark complexion. I will likely wait until the end of a month’s time before taking another picture. I plan to do the OCM method once or twice a week until then. I will apply the Jojoba oil whenever I feel my face is tight or crusty.

EDIT: The morning after my skin still felt supple and smooth. The chin/lip problem area felt like normal skin, and still didn’t have any discoloration. So far, OCM for the win!

Natural Skincare

I went out the other day to visit a local business. It was once a place where folks could buy organic produce (before the fad hit) and other natural items. However, it’s been revamped and turned into a natural skincare/cosmetics store. They sell a number of vitamin supplements and other green dietary things. I am in the market for lip balm, lotion and perhaps some vegetarian Omega-3 DHA/EPA supplements. I thought this place would be perfect because it would be supporting a local business owner, as well as allow me to talk to a real live person concerning the natural products and their ingredients. Unfortunately, I was not impressed and left without purchasing anything. The shop came off as being more interested in making profit off the natural care industry than being genuinely interested in natural products. The saleswoman told me several times that the cosmetics adhered to the European standards and were “high-end”. When I inquired as to why the products were better, she again said they were high-end. She told me that petroleum cosmetics were bad for the skin because they couldn’t penetrate, and so I inquired about the wax (bees and such) which were in the lip balms and if that was similar to the petroleum. The lady honestly seemed stumped by this question.

She then went around the store checking the ingredients in assorted products while repeating that they were high-end and agreeing there was wax in them. Oookay, so I’m thoroughly confused. I should point out that these lip balms were $8 a pop, and yet she could not give me any real information on why they were better. I also saw a bottle on the shelf which was labeled as a hair care product, 100% jojoba oil. I was confused by this. Jojoba oil, as I know it, isn’t just used to treat hair but also as an excellent skin moisturizer, among other things. Yet they were selling this $20 bottle of 8oz Jojoba oil (I didn’t see anything about certified organic either) and proclaiming it this wonderful hair tonic. Seriously, slapping a fancy label on something does not make it worth $20. This lady also spent 10 minutes looking for a vegetarian Omega-3 supplement, swearing they had one before pointing out the “high-end” one they can’t keep on the shelves. Why is it high-end? I ask, and was directed to the brand name and how quickly it sells. Cue the eye rolling.

So I went online to my favorite LiveJournal natural community to see if they had any suggestions. I found several rave reviews about a place called My Lip Stuff. It’s made by one woman called Brea, and is 100% natural. There are even several Vegan options. It’s not just lip balm, but lotions and body scrubs and body sprays. I decided to buy a Vegan lip balm for myself, a no-nonsense balm for my husband (labeled as men’s, which basically means there is no scent or taste; I didn’t like the gender label but not everyone is perfect), and a body butter stick. All three cost me $14.75, which included shipping. I was impressed that I placed the order on November 4th at 3:30pm EST and it was shipped by November 6th. Most orders are shipper Priority Mail, but since I got samples (same size as normal, just shipped first class instead) it’ll take a couple days longer.

I’m looking forward to this. I opted for non-scented body butter since I’ve never used a body butter and wanted to try it raw, and a Sweet as Sugar lip balm. Apparently it’s flavored with vanilla and Stevia. I’ll post my thoughts once it gets here and I try it out. Yay for natural products from small businesses!

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is catching heat within the natural living communities and many folks have sworn off using products containing it, but is it really something to be cautious of?

SLS is a naturally derived (from coconut and/or palm kernel oil) foaming agent which is used in car wash soaps, engine degreasers, and floor cleaners. It can also be found in many cosmetic items such as shampoo, soap, and toothpaste and in household cleaners like laundry detergent. It is popular with many manufacturers because of the cheaper production cost and effective cleaning process. Per The Children’s Health Environmental Coalition, The Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association discourages use of sodium lauryl sulfate in products intended for prolonged use, unless in low concentrations. There are studies (according to this website which states Linda Chae as a reference for these facts) that suggest SLS penetrates the eyes and tissue (like organ tissue), and causes retention which can affect a person’s (especially infants and children) growth and vision. The website also states that SLS creates nitrates which enter the blood and cause problems such as hair loss, skin rashes, dandruff, etc., and causes the production of nitrosamines. It is also reported that the use of SLS in toothpaste can cause canker sores, though the connection to mouth ulcers is so far unfounded. The inhalation of SLS can lead to extreme choking, and thus is a hazard.

Tom’s of Maine, a popular natural care manufacturer, is very adamant that SLS is completely safe and rebukes the assessment that SLS can cause canker sores or is linked to cancer, liver disease and other medical problems. These statements are also reinforced by Snopes.com whom relays that “…three different agencies — the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Toxicology Program (NTP), and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have all rated SLS as being non-carcinogenic.” The Cosmetics Database lists the toxic level of SLS as 2 (low hazard), but also states the compound to be linked to cancer and other medical problems.

So it seems that there is no definitive answer concerning SLS. While the government offices and other reputable sources say SLS is harmless, there are studies and voices which state otherwise. Of course, that is just what the studies now show and we all know that sometimes chemicals and drugs deemed perfectly fine one year can come back in later years and be attributed to all sorts of nasty things or vice versa. I’m by no means suggesting people should be afraid, but I do believe in keeping informed and knowing the risks.

There is also a component called sodium laureth sulfate, or sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) that is considered the weaker cousin of SLS. It seems many people confuse the two, which may be able to explain why there is such a lack of solid evidence on whether SLS is harmful. The two compounds are similar, but different enough. A concern with SLES is that is can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane which is considered to be a probable carcinogen by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (and leads me to wonder why the Cosmetic Database rates SLES as a 3 or 4 on the hazard scale, while SLS is only a 2).

It is the advice of this blogger to stay away from both chemicals, and their counterparts (the websites linked to in this article give lots of alternative names for SLS and SLES as well as products which use them). When it comes to chemicals with this much uncertainty I would rather play it safe than sorry.

Natural Disinfectants for the Home

I have been trying to create a more natural life, one that harms the environment less and yet still provides me with everything I need. One of the first steps I took was to start recycling. Since I’ve spent most of my life in a town of less than 3,000 people, recycling has never been the forethought in people’s minds. Moving to a bigger city allowed me to embrace recycling and the enjoyment I received from it was beyond description. Every week when I took the recycling out, I just stood there and acknowledged the sheer amount of items I was saving from being shipped off to the landfill. It amazed me how much trash a two person household could create. Unfortunate events lead me back to living in a small town recently, so I haven’t been able to recycle the way I want, but it has inspired me to apply this concept to other parts of my life.

Another benefit of moving to more natural endeavors is that I can save my family a lot of money. One of the largest unnecessary expenses, as I see it, are cleaning supplies. I must have bought 20 different cleaning products for my home, most of which I rarely used (being a homemaker has never been my strong suit) and the expense was nuts. At at least $3 a pop, that’s $60 in cleaning supplies that needs to be bought at least once a year. That doesn’t include things like laundry detergent, dish soap, dishwashing liquid, and hygiene products. Of course, with cleaning products a concern is always whether natural products can clean as well as the commercial ones. Vinegar, which is natural and really inexpensive, is reported to kill 99 percent of bacteria, 82 percent of mold, and 80 percent of germs (viruses). This is the same vinegar that can be purchased in any grocery store and is easily accessible to most anyone. So it doesn’t take a lot of money or privilege to keep a house sanitary.

Vinegar isn’t perfect, as reported by CNN this natural disinfectant didn’t do as well as commercial products like Lysol, Mr. Clean and Clorox. To some people this may not dissuade you because you know that our Society’s obsession with killing germs will eventually lead all of us to living in plastic bubbles because our immune systems will be unable to handle contact with the outside. For others you may be concerned for your kids and personal health, especially if you already have a disease which compromises your immune system. Well, you don’t have to go back to commercial cleaners. In addition to Vinegar, Hydrogen Peroxide makes an excellent natural disinfectant. Hydrogen Peroxide is just an oxygenated bleach^*, similar to the Oxiclean product that is being sold nationwide. Used in conjunction with Vinegar, Hydrogen Peroxide can help bridge the gap between natural and commercial cleaners. Just remember not to mix these two together into one solution, as it creates Peracetic Acid which is toxic; apply them both separately to the needed area. Peracetic Acid is toxic through inhalation, absorption through the skin and ingestion.

The vinegar most often used for this sterilization process is plain white, but there have been reports of success using apple cider vinegar as well. The hydrogen peroxide is the same 3% solution found in most stores. For those who dislike the smell of vinegar, or have loved ones who do, a dash of lemon juice, or essential oil, can nip that in the bud.

Another great disinfectant that is natural is Tea Tree Oil. The disinfectant was first researched in the early 20th century. Tea Tree Oil is also used as an essential oil, though some find the aroma too potent (like my dear husband), and Tea Tree Oil, like most essential oils, can be lethal to cats. Tea Tree Oil can be applied directly, or diluted in water. It can also be mixed with soap or lotion for beauty regiments.

I don’t know anything about commercial natural cleaners, but I figure why pay for the label when I can get the same results for much less

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^* In every-day culture, the word “bleach” is almost exclusively defined as the sodium hypochlorite, A.K.A. chlorine bleach, but that’s not technically correct