Organics wo-man it’s where it’s at

My friend is an independent rep for this newish CERTIFIED ORGANIC skin care + cosmetics range (Miessence). They sell not only your cosmetics creams and soaps (including deoderants) but also colours for your face - eyeshadows, mascara, lipstick and lip balm - all made with vegetable based rather than petrochemical based products. Many of the ingredients are certified organic, and they don't have a lot of the nasties that your typical face creams, lippies, toothpastes etc have in them.*

I'm very excited about trying some lippies that are not chock full of scary things that I then accidentaly eat. I like a nice lippy and is really the one cosmetic that I would choose if I had to choose just one. I am using their aniseed toothpaste at the moment and it is great, once you get used to a slightly different texture and slight salty flavour. For more info, to check out what's available or place an order check the website.



* 'Huh? What nasties?' I hear you ask. Check out these sites for more info about some of what is in personal care items. And if you are incredulous about the idea that there could be harmful ingredients in products made by well known brands, after all, there are rules and regulations right? They have to test stuff, they can't go putting just any old chemicals in your cosmetics can they? Check these sites for some interesting arguments about why a precautionary approach could be in order.

The founder of the Miessence company has an article here where she talks about what kinds of ingredients to avoid in cosmetics and other products you put on your body, and why current testing and regulatory frameworks might not be 'weeding out the nasties' and keeping these products as safe as they could be.

There are lots of community enviro / consumer lobby groups with an interest on this topic like The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics or US organisation Not Too Pretty (who says "Chemicals linked to birth defects do not belong in products marketed to women!") and Environemntal Working Group who did one of those scary assed chemicals in bodies studies. Lots of folksy sites are out there with overviews of the issues like this one who says "Make-up and body care products have been linked to allergic reactions, birth defects, and even cancer. It is a medically recognised fact that our body absorbs significant amounts of what we put on our skin. With certified organic food rapidly becoming the nutrition of choice by the health conscious amongst us, why would we accept any less for our skin?"

Organisation No Harm , a global coalition of 443 organizations in 52 countries working to protect health by reducing pollution in the health care industry,says "Exposure to fragrance chemicals can cause headaches; eye, nose, and throat irritation; nausea; forgetfulness; loss of coordination, and other respiratory and/or neurotoxic symptoms. Many fragrance ingredients are respiratory irritants and sensitizers, which can trigger asthma attacks and aggravate sinus conditions."

"Phthalates, a ubiquitous group of chemicals used in hundreds of products, including soft vinyl plastic toys, shampoos, soaps, nail polish, vinyl flooring, and pharmaceuticals, are being scrutinized for potentially harmful effects during development. Shanna Swan, PhD, an epidemiologist and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, described her recent study of the effects of phthalates in humans, the first to show a significant relationship between maternal exposure to phthalates and adverse reproductive development in male offspring. More

"During the past 10 years, there has been a worldwide decline in the use and human exposure to many chemicals, including pesticides and persistent organic pollutants (POPs). However, a new generation of chemicals that have endocrine disrupting (ED) potential have emerged. Their presence in the environment and concomitant levels in humans are prevalent, although the sources of these contemporary-use industrial chemicals are not entirely identified. They include the phthalates, alkylphenols, brominated diphenyl ethers, and perfluorinated organics (PFOCs). The alkylphenols, especially bisphenol A, are potent EDs. Levels vary by geography, race/ethnicity, age and gender, and human health effects are just beginning to be assessed. This article discusses the toxicology, human exposure, and potential health effects of EDs that are likely to be important in the 21st century." MARY S WOLFF Endocrine Disruptors - Challenges for Environmental Research in the 21st Century
a In Living in a Chemical World: Framing the Future in Light of the Past Volume 1076 published September 2006 Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1076: 228–238 (2006). doi: 10.1196/annals.1371.009

Anyways, I am not an ecotoxicologist and of course suggest you do your own research and listent to lots of perspectives, but remember - today's wacko 'taking things too far greenie rant' can be tomorrow's 'whoops, hmmm - maybe they were onto something' (remember DDT, remember thalydimide, remember asbestos mining?). I think sometimes we do things in good faith but only later realise the potential consequences - especially when it comes to exciting new products that we are excited about inventing and wanting to use and sell. The EU tends to be ahead of both the US and Australia in limiting and prohibiting chemical use, so check EU publications to get a flavour for trends.

In general I think when assessing the possibility of a new perspective having valdity it is always important to ask 'who has a vested interest in this information not being part of public discourse'. When you think about the huge $ that the personal care industry makes and moves around, I am not particularly surprised that 'women's' magazines and commercial tellie doesn't have much to say on this one - that these questions are not frequently asked, and people feel more comfortable assuming that all current products must be fine. To do otherwise would be like eroding the foundations that they sit on. I reckon.

That's my Sunday soapbox over.