Spotlight: Pangea Organics

I fell hard for Pangea Organics' line of organic skincare. Their products are free of Petroleum, Sulfates or Detergents, Synthetic Preservatives, Artificial Colors or Fragrances, or GMOs. Instead they produce high quality, highly concentrated formulas that eliminate the practice of watering-down or adding fillers to obtain a lower price point. Their products are full of cold-pressed oils, natural antioxidants and botanicals.

Pangea Organics was founded by Joshua Onysko who is committed to smart, successful eco-living for both civilians and corporations alike. To propel the momentum of this new paradigm of social responsibility, a portion of Pangea’s profits go to support the important work of Women for Women International, a non-profit dedicated to helping women survivors of war rebuild their lives through rights awareness education and job skills training.

Pangea Organics products have been featured in Organic Beauty, Lucky and Vanity Fair and many of their products have received beauty awards. My favorite? The Egyptian Geranium with Adzuki Bean & Cranberry Facial Scrub. I've stocked my home with their Italian White Sage with Geranium and Yarrow Hand Soap. It has the best natural fragrance and leaves my hands hydrated.

Love,
Jennifer

Kissable Tips

I'm constantly kissing my two adorable sons and husband so I want to be extra careful about what's on my lips. I definitely don't want to be passing on any chemicals onto their skin. I started searching for a gloss that was long lasting, wasn't too sticky and would hydrate my lips through the day.

I fell in love Nvey Eco's Hydrating Lip Lustre! The lip lustre is available in great colors to wear alone or to layer over Nvey Eco's Advanced Care Lip Color. Best of all these lip lustres are not goopy. They glide on smooth and are enhanced by organic beeswax which is extra hydrating. It's certified organic by the NATURE, a leading European and Global certifying body that audits and certifies cosmetics. Nvey Eco's Lip Lustre is free of parabens, talc, Sodium Laureth Sulphate, minerals, petroleum, GMO and is not tested on animals. 

Nvey Eco's Lip Lustre won Shecky's Beauty at Its Best award and Natural Health Magazine Beauty award. Nvey Eco also makes a great eco-friendly lip brush for application.

My favorite color? Lolita! It's great for fall!

http://www.shopmyessentials.co om/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=NV%2DLip%2DLustre

Why to Avoid Phthalates

Phthalates are a key ingredient that is missing from all products Essentials carries. But why is that important and what exactly are phthalates?

Phthalates are mainly used as plasticizers which are substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility, durability and longevity. They are used primarily to soften polyvinl chloride (PVC). Phthalates are used in a large variety of products inclulding personal care items such as lotions, shampoos, make-up, nail polish, soap and hair spray. In general, children's exposure to phthalates is higher than adults. These are commonly found in infant lotion, infant powder, and infant shampoo. Phthalate exposure is also high in fatty foods including butter and meats.

So why should we avoid them? Research has shown that women are at a higher risk for potential adverse health effects of phthalates due to increased cosmetic use. Diethyl phthalate and dibutyl phthalate are especially ubiquitous in cosmetics and personal care products. There is an association between phthalate exposure and endocrine disruption leading to development of breast cancer. Though the number of studies on phthalate and breast cancer is limited, this should not be reason enough to allow their use in personal care products. In studies of rodents exposed to certain phthalates, high doses have been shown to change hormone levels and cause birth defects. In addition, large amounts of specific phthalates fed to rodents have been shown to damage their liver.

So how do we avoid phthalates?

Read the ingredients. According to the organization Pollution in People, you can identify phthalates in some products by their chemical names, or abbreviations:

• DBP (di-n-butyl phthalate) and DEP (diethyl phthalate) are often found in personal care products, including nail polishes, deodorants, perfumes and cologne, aftershave lotions, shampoos, hair gels and hand lotions. (BzBP, see below, is also in some personal care products.)
• DEHP (di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate or Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate) is used in PVC plastics, including some medical devices.
• BzBP (benzylbutyl phthalate) is used in some flooring, car products and personal care products.
• DMP (dimethyl phthalate) is used in insect repellent and some plastics (as well as rocket propellant).

Be wary of the term "fragrance," which is used to denote a combination of compounds, possibly including phthatates, which are a subject of recent concern because of studies showing they can mimic certain hormones.

Choose plastics with the recycling code 1, 2 or 5. Recycling codes 3 and 7 are more likely to contain bisphenol A or phthalates

Sources: www.thedailygreen.com and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phthalate

 

Organic Spa Feature

Organic Spa Magazine August 2012 Features Feed Your Sunshine Hair Serum  

Yarok is among 6 Natural Products for Soft Silky Hair This Summer!

 

Here is an excerpt from the article:

Make room in your repertoire for this product. It will help keep your hair supple and shiny, no matter how steamy it gets outside. 

This pre-swim treatment is a blend of several vitamins and antioxidants as well as organic aloe vera and black currant seed oil that protects the hair and scalp from pool chemicals and ocean salt.

 

I've been using it this summer and it's become one of my favorite products!

 

Love,

Jennifer

 

 

Start at the Beginning

People have asked, "I want to start living a more clean, natural lifestyle. Where do I begin?" I think that's a common thought since we use so many products and eat so many kinds of foods, it can be very overwhelming. As my journey started, I made small changes that had big impacts. First, I started cooking with all organic meat, poultry and fish. Animals raised organically are not allowed to be fed antibiotics, the bovine human growth hormone (rbGH), or other artificial drugs. Animals are also not allowed to eat genetically modified foods. Second, I replaced one animal-centered dinner a week with one full of beans, nuts and vegetables. I'm now up to about 2-3 dinners a week, but start at the beginning. Last, I looked at some of the products I was using and replaced them with natural and/or organic products. I started with my day and night cream, face cleanser, and shampoo and conditioner. I love Acure's line of creams and cleansers and Yarok's line of shampoos and conditioners. I have normal to dry skin and these are the products I've been using to help clean and moisturize.  I hope these steps will help start your path to a more natural lifestyle.


Jennifer