November 17, 2013

Body cream and hormone disruptors anyone??


Water (Solvent/Diluent), Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii) (Emollient), Cocoa (Theobroma Cacao) Butter (Emollient), Cyclomethicone (Emollient), Glycerin (Humectant), Glyceryl Stearate (Emulsifier), PEG-100 Stearate (Surfactant), Cetearyl Alcohol (Emulsifier), Babassu (Orbignya Oleifera) Oil (Emollient), Beeswax (Emulsifier/Emollient), Lanolin Alcohol (Stabiliser/Emollient), Phenoxyethanol (Preservative), Fragrance (Fragrance), Methylparaben (Preservative), Propylparaben (Preservative), Xanthan Gum (Viscosity Modifier), Benzyl Alcohol (Preservative), Disodium EDTA (Chelating Agent), Sodium Hydroxide (pH Adjuster), Caramel (Colour), F D & C Yellow No 5 (Colour).



This is off of a cocoa and Shea butter body butter label (this is just one of them, but almost all commercial ones have all or some of these ingredients)
Well lets look at this a bit more closely...I've highlighted the 'harmful' ingredients and looked it up on an environmental site (great site btw!)

Really if you look at the ingredients, it is enough to scare you into not using anything!
Even some of the safer ingredients on the list are usually an environmental hazard! So basically the whole thing other than the first few ingredients ... Water, Shea butter, Cocoa butter, Glycerin are the safest and natural ingredients...the rest is in my opinion GARBAGE and so harmful!! Just look at the parabens ...it mimics estrogen and disrupts hormones!! I mean really?? 

The problem is we are using so many of these products day to day! Creams, shampoos, toothpastes, lotions, etc all in one day...the chemicals build up.  The chemicals are rated as safe in those concentrations but there is very limited or no research for the cumulative effects of all these products.

Have a look at the list and click on the links if you want to read more about the ingredients. 

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/701738/CYCLOMETHICONE/
Cyclomethicone is a silicon-based cyclic compound; may be associated with environmental toxicity.

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/721388/PEG-100_STEARATE/
Function(s): Surfactant - Cleansing Agent

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/701237/CETEARYL_ALCOHOL%3B%3B_CETEARETH-20/

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/704811/PHENOXYETHANOL/
Other HIGH concerns: Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Occupational hazards; Other MODERATE concerns: Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive);

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/703937/METHYLPARABEN/#
Methylparaben is in the paraben family of preservatives used by the food, pharmaceutical, and personal care product industries. Parabens mimic estrogen and can act as potential hormone (endocrine) system disruptors.


http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/705335/PROPYLPARABEN/
Parabens mimic estrogen and can act as potential hormone (endocrine) system disruptors.


http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/700697/BENZYL_ALCOHOL/
Benzyl alcohol is a naturally ocurring and synthetic ingredient used as solvent and preservative; has been associated with contact allergy.


http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/706075/SODIUM_HYDROXIDE/
Sodium Hydroxide is a highly caustic and reactive inorganic base.

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/702442/FD%26C_YELLOW_5/#
FD&C Yellow 5 is a synthetic dye produced from petroleum;  
Pigments from animal, plant, and synthetic sources used to color foods, cosmetics, and other products. Cochineal is from insects. Widely used FD&C and D&C colors are coaltar (bituminous coal) derivatives that are continuously tested on animals due to their carcinogenic properties.


Nice huh?? Makes you think about never using another commercial product ever...well at least that is how I felt when I saw all this and did such extensive research about it!
So that is why I started to make all my health and beauty products! 

Oh and do you know what my Shea & Cocoa butter cream has in it...
1. Shea butter 
2. Cocoa butter 
3. Coconut oil 
4. Essential oil (for scent) 

THAT IS IT! and you can look up all those ingredients on the environmental web site and you will find it all safe!! 

All kidding aside, this is a real problem with really a simple solution, we all have to become educated and demand that the manufactures change their products to less harmful ones.
This is just one jar of cream, but the sad truth is that almost all food, health, beauty products have these ingredients...can you imagine all the chemicals we are ingesting on a daily basis?? Wonder why cancer rates are so high, as well as other diseases and ailments?


This is why I want to share all my products, so that you can make the choice to live a better life! 

http://www.gettingbacktonaturalliving.com/apps/webstore/












November 6, 2013

All about Shea butter

We've all heard about Shea butter, probably have used it as well, but do you know what Shea butter is and how great it is for your skin health. 

Shea butter is an off- white or ivory-colored fat extracted from the nut of the African shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa).[1] Shea butter is a triglyceride (fat) derived mainly from stearic acid and oleic acid. It is widely used in cosmetics as a moisturizer, salve or lotion.
Shea butter is sometimes used as a base for medicinal ointments. Some of the isolated chemical constituents are reported to have anti-inflammatory, emollient and humectant properties.[12] Shea butter has been used as a sunblocking lotion and has a limited capacity to absorb ultraviolet radiation
The fat of the nut of the African Shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa) is the source of Shea butter. The traditional use of the butter is to reduce the appearance of fine lines, scars and stretch marks, and to ease a variety of skin irritations, such as psoriasis, eczema and sunburn. Makers of cosmetics also mix this natural substance with other botanical ingredients. Shea butter is ideal for the topical application of cosmetic and medicinal formulas, because it melts on contact and is readily absorbed into the skin, without leaving a greasy residue.
Shea butter contains vitamins A and E, as well as catechins, plant antioxidants also found in green tea. While it is unclear how well vitamins A and E in raw Shea butter are absorbed, there is evidence to suggest that cinnamic acid esters in Shea fat help to prevent skin damage from ultraviolet radiation  
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/shea-butter-benefits-79280.html

Well isn't that interesting... Did you know that Shea butter is so beneficial to the health of your skin!  Used to treat fine lines, scars and even stretch marks! What a wonder really!

I've made up a batch of Shea & Cocoa whipped body butter, has all the benefits of Shea butter along with Cocoa butter, making a beautifully scented cream that you can be sure is safe to use with nothing but pure ingredients.

Here is how you make it.

1/2 cup Shea Butter (un-refined, 100% natural)
1/4 cup Cocoa Butter (100% natural)

Melt the cocoa butter in a double boiler, do it slowly, turn off heat.


Place the Shea butter in a bowl
and whip with a stand or hand mixer, add in slowly the melted cocoa butter and whip until it is all incorporated and fluffy.
Let stand for a few hours then place into a jar. 

Keep it in a cool place and use as needed on hands, face, and body!




If it's just not your thing to make, or don't have the items or time, you can always purchase at our web-store 


 

Lavish Cocoa & Shea Whipped Body Butter - 100gr

 

  Silky Lotion Bars - 15gr 


November 2, 2013

Let's learn together - Black Strap Molasses



Mmm...gingerbread cookies, yummy! Always reminds me of the wintery season.  As a child we would have a European version of gingerbread cookies, (< - - - click on the link) It was much more of a honey taste and actually didn't have ginger in them at all, they were hard and went well with tea, nice cookies but just not the same as the famous gingerbread-men cookies.

Ever wonder what makes gingerbread have that special flavour? (well, other than the ginger of course!)
It is Molasses.  What is Molasses you ask, (glad you did!)

Blackstrap molasses is just one type of molasses, the dark liquid byproduct of the process of refining sugar cane into table sugar. It is made from the third boiling of the sugar syrup and is therefore the concentrated byproduct left over after the sugar's sucrose has been crystallized. Blackstrap molasses is a sweetener that is actually good for you. Unlike refined white sugar and corn syrup, which are stripped of virtually all nutrients except simple carbohydrates, or artificial sweeteners like saccharine or aspartame, which not only provide no useful nutrients but have been shown to cause health problems in sensitive individuals, blackstrap molasses is a healthful sweetener that contains significant amounts of a variety of minerals that promote your health.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=118

Rich in iron, magnesium and calcium, taking just a spoonful will increase your intake of these minerals.
I have been using molasses in my coffee and adding just a bit or organic cane-sugar and a touch of cinnamon, absolutely lovely with some milk (or cream if you like).

Make sure you buy unsulphered molassess as this does not use sulphur dioxide in the extraction process. 

So why not try some today.  Here are some great recipes and some interesting ones!



1 Tablespoon of Unsulphured Blackstrap Molasses in a glass of water first thing in the morning. It can also be mixed into lemon water or vinegar water.

You can sweeten a cup of tea or a bowl of cereal with it.

ICED MOLASSES RECIPE:
1 Tablespoon Unsulfured Blackstrap Molasses
Hot Water
¾ cup unsweetened rice milk, almond milk, or hemp milk
Ice
Add molasses to a glass and add just enough hot water to cover the molasses. Stir until dissolved. Add ice and then top off with the milk. It tastes even yummier if you blend it into a smoothie. Tastes like a nice latte or mocha!

http://www.processedfreeamerica.org/resources/health-news/287-the-many-benefits

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