RESEARCH & REVELATIONS (Personal Reflections by Lynnie on the importance
of understanding the science of skincare).
YOUR SKIN ABSORBS UP TO 60% OF WHAT YOU PUT ON IT!
Replace the word "absorbs" (above) with the word "eats" and you will begin to understand why I urge you to read the ingredients in your bodycare products...Your body is ingesting those ingredients just as if you had swallowed them!!! So make sure you know what those ingredients are in your skincare because they will be gobbled-up by your skin cells ALL DAY LONG!! Most
of those long, synthetic chemical ingredients are known human
toxins...The product manufacturers use them because they are cheap and
profitable for them. "But the FDA watches over the cosmetics
industry..." you argue? Not really...even the FDA admits that this
industry is largely self-regulated. You must take it upon yourself to
know what's in your cosmetics and any inherent risks involved. I recommend using the Skin Deep Report's website to pre-screen your bodycare products!
www.cosmeticsdatabase.com
___________________
What Do Europeans Know
that the FDA is Not Telling Us?
In
September of 2004, the European Union issued a "Cosmetics Directive"
banning (in cosmetics & bodycare products) the use of chemicals known
or suspected of causing cancer, mutations, or birth defects. This bold
statement alerted manufacturers worldwide that if they wished to market
their products in any of the 27 E.U. member states, they would have to
reformulate them based upon the E.U.'s new, more stringent
guidelines. The majority of U.S. companies marketing to Europe took
heed of the changes ahead and were ready with reformulated, healthier
cosmetics when the ban took effect. Europeans are now enjoying
"clean", wholesome bodycare products from well-known American companies
such as: L'Oreal, Revlon, Avon, Colgate-Palmolive, Max Factor, and
Procter & Gamble. However, these huge American corporations
continue to sell their old formulations (complete with carcinogens,
mutagens and reproductive toxins) right here at home in the U.S. in
our department stores, neighborhood markets, and corner drugstores.
Who is buying these second-class, toxic beauty and cosmetic products?
Trusting American women, that's who!....You and I, our mothers,
daughters & sisters, our bosses, co-workers and our best friends
are being offered products full of chemicals that are linked to health
problems. Hard to believe, right? America has been such a safe place
to live, that we all assume that products on storeshelves have been pre-tested
for safety but actually the opposite is true! The FDA is not even
mandated to pre-test this type of products!! The cosmetics industry is
almost completely self-monitored: In other words, what keeps
companies from using obviously dangerous ingredients (besides a
conscience) is the threat of lawsuits from injured customers! Somehow,
this system needs to be changed here in America to protect our health
from greedy manufacturers who prey upon our pocketbooks and take
advantage of our trust. What can you do??? PLENTY!
1) Join the thousands of women and men who are standing-up to this
powerful industry by contacting "Campaign for Safe Cosmetics" at www.safecosmetics.org!!
Do it today, so that we Americans may enjoy the same level of healthy products that our European neighbors do!
2) Exercise the most powerful weapon you own: Your shopping dollars!
When you switch to safer and healthier products, the big powerful companies "feel the heat" and begin to make changes!
3) Spread the word ! That's how we Americans "get things done". It
all starts with a small group of people saying, "Things have to change"! Be part of this empowered movement by logging-on to the the website above.
Sunscreen
Most
of you know that in my desire to promote ONLY bodycare products that are
wholesome & healthy, I (Lynnie) do extensive reading and research...Well, let me tell you that in the sunscreen-controversy
area...the jury is still (way) out! There doesn't seem to be a clear consensus yet, except for the following :
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
HUMANS DO NEED AT LEAST 15 MINUTES OF DIRECT SUN DAILY (WITHOUT SUNSCREEN)
SO THEY CAN CONVERT
SUNLIGHT INTO VITAMIN D.
TOO MUCH MID-DAY SUN MAY CAUSE
SKIN DAMAGE OR CANCER,
OF THE 2 TYPES OF SUNSCREENS (physical/chemical blocks), THE PHYSICAL BLOCKS (like zinc oxide) APPEAR TO BE SAFER.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
So what does that mean to the majority of us who have neither the time
nor the inclination to read scientific journals on the subject? Well,
that means a careful shopper might avoid sunscreens which contain
chemicals such as avobenzone, methoxycinnamate, and padimate-o, as they
have been found to generate free radicals when exposed to sunlight,
which then can attack the nuclei of your skin cells and cause mutations
(cancer). (Morever, the same types of products often contain paraben
preservatives which are thought to be hormone disrupters and
carcinogenic.)
What else is a health-conscious person to do? Well, we
can limit our outdoors-time to mornings and late afternoons, we can
cover-up and wear broad-rimmed hats if we do have to be out
mid-day....and we can use simple "physical" sunscreens like those containing zinc oxide.
To help you choose the safest sunscreens, I recommend you access the database nicknamed the
SKIN DEEP REPORT
at www.cosmeticdatabase.com
BREAST CANCER AWARENESSThere is very possibly a connection between breast-health and
the preservatives in your bath & body products...Many of you have heard me proudly brag
about Blue Jewel's "paraben-free" ingredients. Parabens (methyl,
propyl, ethyl and butyl), are inexpensive preservative
chemicals which manufacturers add to their formulations to keep
products free of bacteria/fungi for many years. And for the purpose of
stability (alone), the parabens have been a
complete success story for 30-40 years.
However, a 2004 British breast cancer study carried out tests on
20 different breast
cancer tumors, discovering intact parabens in 18 of them. Because of
the type of the parabens, they theorized that the source was
the patients' underarm deodorants. Concerned that parabens were
accumulating in the women's tissues (rather than being metabolized and
excreted) and because parabens behave like estrogen in humans (estrogen
is thought to "fuel" tumors and make them grow), the researchers raised
a red flag about the possibility that parabens cause existing tumors to
grow larger and faster.
Here in the U.S. today, approximately 95%
of our commercial underarm deodorants still contain parabens. Every
year, however, more & more companies are developing paraben-free
formulas. Please click on the area in the menu to your left called "We Also Recommend" for our favorite deodorants.
Check the Skin Deep Report at
www.ewg.org
before choosing any skincare
products!
Bugs and Germs !!
When it comes to keeping our surroundings less "germy", there are gentle, natural ingredients that we can all use!
So, let's talk about replacing those harsh chemicals you might be
using...with Mother Nature's gentler (yet equally effective)
alternatives in:
Hand Sanitizers,Antibacterial Soaps, Dish Detergents,
& Room Sprays:
I recommend you STOP using any products which contain the chemicalTriclosan (a registered pesticide). The list of health concerns about Triclosan
is too lengthy to list, but includes cancer (when combined with
chlorinated sinkwater), hormone disruption, and the creation of
antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria! In
2005, an FDA advisory panel concluded that antiseptic cleansers
are absolutely NO more effective at preventing infections than washing hands with
regular soap & warm water. So why take the risks? And if you simply must use an antibacterial, make sure that its germ-killing properties come from alcohol or peroxide, not from Triclosan! To illustrate the seriousness of this subject, know that Triclosan's use has been
banned in Denmark & Finland and their governments have warned the
public of its dangers!
You Can Make Your Own Antibacterial/
Antiviral Products
Using Safe Ingredients!
Adding a few drops of Tea Tree Oil to any liquid soap or detergent (check that ingredient-list for Triclosan first) will give you the germ-killing power without the toxicity!
Create a very effective antiseptic spray using Tea Tree Oil &
distilled water which can be sprayed on hands, doorknobs, faucet
handles, lightswitches, phones, & kitchen countertops. Happily, in
this weak dilution (1:500), it is considered completely safe for home & personal use.
Add Eucalyptus and/or Peppermint essential oils to a fragrance
burner or crock-pot of water at home to cut down on airborne bacteria.
(Take care to monitor your burner/warmer carefully, adding warm water
when needed...and don't forget to turn it OFF when you leave the house!)
Essential Oils and Fragrance Oils...
What's the Difference?
Blue Jewel shoppers often assume that all
of the aromatic oils Blue Jewel carries are therapeutic essential oils, so let me set the
record straight...
and I'll also tell you what sets them apart from one
another!
Essential oils are the vital "juices" of true botanical
plants which have been extracted (usually by steam ditillation) and
bottled for therapeutic uses. They are commonly known by their plant
name and they contain only the oil of that single plant. They contain
no artificial or added ingredients and when used properly may bring
about a therapeutic effect .
Fragrance oils may contain some natural plant oils, but they are
generally synthetically-produced, aromatic perfume oils prized for
their scent, and having NO therapeutic uses. Fragrance oils are created
in a laboratory by Master Perfumers to mimic the scent of the plant/
fruit/perfume they copy. They may contain as many as 200 ingredients
each, the sources of which are well-kept trade secrets but often
include petroleum distillates. Blue Jewel fragrance oils are suspended in a
base of cosmetic grade jojoba oil. We are careful to carry only those
fragrance oils which are phthalate-free, as phthalates may have
hormone-like effects and also are pollutants to marine life.
We are very proud to carry very high quality essential oils (and fragrance oils). Do we have a preference? Yes, we
strongly prefer to use (and to recommend the use of) true essential
oils over fragrance oils. Not sure which category your favorite oil
falls into? Be sure to ask Lynnie...Call her today at (520) 235-5812!
