The first report was yet another study on Bisphenol A, or BPA.  Several states, including California have tried to ban this proven hormone disruptor from baby bottles and children’s feeding products.  This is an issue I’m particularly passionate about, as there are now hundreds of studies showing that even very low levels of BPA are associated with a wide range of health conditions, particularly for infants and children.

The newly released study may help support the much-needed ban, as research found that BPA (often used in can lining) leaches into in most canned foods – 92 percent of products tested!  While we wait (and fight for!) federal policy reform, check out the Environmental Working Group’s tips to lower your BPA exposure:

Source: Flickr user Chiot's Run

1. Buy your tomato sauce in glass jars. Canned tomato sauce and pasta is more likely to have higher levels of BPA because the high acidity of the tomatoes causes more of the chemical to leak from the lining of the can.

2. Consume frozen or fresh fruits and vegetables instead of canned.

3. Purchase beverages in plastic or glass bottles.

4. Use powdered infant formula instead of ready-to-serve liquid. Studies have found that liquid formulas contain more BPA than powdered brands.

5. Think in terms of moderation. Instead of avoiding all canned foods, eat less of those that are high in BPA.

It’s definitely time to clean out the pantry!

As a mom, I know attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is on the rise and that there is not a clear reason why.  I was really intrigued by a suggestive new study that found a link between the increasing rate of ADHD and the pesticides in (non-organic) produce.

Researchers looked at urine samples from 1,139 kids age 8 to 15. The 119 who were diagnosed with ADHD also tended to have the highest concentrations of malathion (a commonly used pesticide) in their urine.  Children may be especially prone to the health risks of pesticides (and many other toxic chemicals) because they’re still growing and may consume more pesticide residue than adults relative to their body weight.

While the study is not conclusive, it should certainly raise a red flag to parents about chemical exposure in household items!  To lower you and your child’s risk, buy organic fruits and vegetables whenever possible and get rid of bug spray and other pesticides in your house and those you use on your lawn and garden.   If organic produce is not readily available or cost prohibitive, download the EWG’s Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 list of fruits and veggies that you should always buy organic (including celery, strawberries, and apples) and those that traditionally have less pesticide use and residue (onions, avocado, mangos)  Also, remember to always wash produce under running water before eating it.

Source: Flickr User Blackout14design

The third report, conducted by the EWG and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, tested 17 well-known fragrances, including those represented by Jennifer Lopez, Miley Cyrus, Halle Berry and Britney Spears.  The study found 38 chemicals not listed on the ingredient labels but linked to adverse health effects (like reproductive damage, hormone disruption and allergic reactions), with the average fragrance containing 14 of these ‘secret’ chemicals.

Sadly, the FDA has not assessed the majority of these unlisted or ‘secret’ fragrance chemicals for safety and most have not even been evaluated by the safety review panel of the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) or any other publicly accountable institution.

The Fair Packaging and Labeling Act passed by congress in 1973 requires companies to list cosmetic ingredients on product labels but exempts fragrances.  So as consumers, we have no idea what or how many ingredients are used to create the ‘fragrance’ we see listed on the packaging.  I’ve avoided products with fragrance for the last several years, and I would encourage you to do the same!

When it comes to personal care, stick with natural products that are fragrance free or that utilize essential oils. Raw Natural Skincare Ambiaty Concentrated Serum features an amazing blend of ginger, tangerine, geranium and sage essential oils to give it a light, fresh scent, while the Ambiaty Daily Revitalizing Cream and Eye Treatment are absolutely yummy with anise, lime, vanilla, sweet orange and coconut. Event better scents than synthetic fragrances and all natural!

Reading these reports makes me both frustrated that our regulations are so still lax but also optimistic that the widespread media coverage will result in positive change.  In the meantime, be extra cautious about what you put in and on your body. Stay tuned for new updates!

“Rise Up” and Keep it Green with Cypress Hill at Jimmy Kimmel

Where: Jimmy Kimmel Live, Hollywood
Who: DJ Muggs, B-Real, Sen Dog, Tom Morello and Jimmy Kimmel
Products: Vegan, 100% Natural, Cruelty-Free: Friars Hand Sanitizer

Paraben-Free, 100% Natural: Nvey Eco Eyeshadow Palette

Tweeting has it perks! I was lucky enough to score tickets to Cypress Hill on Jimmy Kimmel Live. So in honor of the show and a few friends I made during, I kept my look green and natural with a pop of color for my eyes. Using Nvey Eco’s palette of semi-shimmery shades in silver and mint green helped me be camera-ready while I rocked to the beats of Insane in the Brain and Rise Up. Check out the clips here.

As an added bonus, I had my Frais Hand Sanitizer ready (thanks, Beautyfix). In a tight crowd where pushing and shoving equals moshing, you know this little gem came in handy for my late night bite after the show.

LA Beer Festival

Where: Sony Pictures Lot

Who: Drink Eat Play event

Product: Paraben-Free: Colorescience Sunforgettable Brush SPF 30 – All Clear

Certified Organic, Cruelty-Free, 100% Natural: Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist

The challenge for this Drink Eat Play event was to stay as hydrated and sunburn-free as possible. Luckily for me, I had two of my natural and organic products ready: Colorescience Sunforgettable Brush SPF 30 in All Clear and Juice Beauty’s Hydrating Mist. This Eco-perfect combo helped me to have peace of mind while sipping on my mini-beers and listening to Sublime cover band, 40oz of Freedom. Here are my quick tips on how to use these products right:

First, apply Colorescience Sunforgettable Brush SPF 30 in All Clear before heading out into the sun.

Later, when you are feeling the effects of your first brew (or whatever number you are on) spritz your skin with Juice Beauty’s hydrating mist. This certified organic product is packed with antioxidants, like white and red grape juices, aloe vera and grapeseed oil, perfect for battling any free radicals lurking around. After using this quick drying mist, reapply your Colorescience Sunforgettable. Oh, and don’t worry about going through this product too quickly. Colorescience thought ahead and made refillables for their powder. Making sure you use less packaging the second time around.

Happy Earth day!

Source: Flickr User Avriette

Last week’s introduction of the Safe Chemicals Act (which has been in the works for 10+ years!) aims to reform our toxics law and force companies to show that their chemicals are kid-safe before they are put on the market.  In an earlier post I wrote about the EWG finding close to 300 chemicals in umbilical cord blood, including BPA, perchlorate, fire retardants, lead, mercury, and PCBs.  With this new legislation, these unacceptable findings will be a thing of the past! This new law would empower the EPA to regulate these chemicals, and it also establishes new research programs to help us better understand the risk toxic industrial chemicals pose to children. Finally, putting our health and safety first!!!

Even with this giant step forward, real change is still years away.  We need to remember the power we have as consumers – by choosing natural products, we are helping to push the big beauty players to switch to natural ingredients.  Consider the impact – in California alone, more than 220 tons of personal care products are sold daily in the state – including 52 tons of hair spray, 24 tons of styling gel and 12 tons of fragrance!  So if you haven’t tried out a natural cosmetics brand yet, now is the time!

During the week of 4/19 – 4/25 glow.com and dermstore.com will be donating 5% of sales from natural and organic brands to earthday.org, with a minimum donation of $1000.  If you’ve never used mineral makeup, I have to encourage you to give Raw Natural Minerals a try.  It’s the only mineral makeup formulated with active botanicals that produce real anti-aging benefits!  Try it with a natural skincare product like Raw Skincare Ambiaty Daily Revitalizing Cream. My skin loves this combo and for the week of Earth week you can enter in the promo code RAWEARTH at checkout on glow.com for a 20% discount!  Happy Shopping!!

Source: Flickr user massdistraction

Let’s start at the basics, you take a shower in the morning and the first thing you put on is probably a lotion or moisturizer because your skin may be a little dry from the hot water. You want to start the day off in the best mood possible and a natural body lotion can help contribute. My recommendation for a natural body lotion is Pangea Organics Hand and Body Lotion. This lotion has top grade essential oils in each formulation that deliver aromatherapy and aid in skin health improvement. It comes in 5 different variations that are all very therapeutic and nourishing to your skin. My two favorites are the French Chammomile with Sweet Orange and Lavender and Indian Lemongrass with Rosemary. Each of the scents has different therapeutic benefits so you may customize to your aromatic needs. If I’ll be out in the sun it’s extremely important to add sun care. I absolutely love Decleor’s Aromessence Solaire Body for its natural protection booster. For the alternative price, Coola suncare also offers a yummy smelling sun block that is waterproof and helps moisturize.

The next step in my regimen is incorporating a natural moisturizer. My sensitive skin is very touchy with chemicals, so switching to a natural moisturizer was easy and I noticed the difference almost immediately. Juice Beauty’s Green Apple Antioxidant Moisturizer is amazing because it comes with a blend of firming peptides and vitamin C that help nourish and replenish the skin’s moisture level at the same time helping to build collagen. This moisturizer is made of 100% organic ingredients and Juice Beauty is dedicated to providing eco-conscious skincare. An easy way to bypass foundation in your beauty routine is to use a tinted moisturizer, but a lot of them have harmful ingredients. (One I happen to be completely allergic to) Suki Skin Care’s Tinted Active Moisturizer is an amazing multi-functioning product that helps firm, reduce inflammation and prevent premature aging. By using this in the morning you won’t have to go through the motions of a moisturizer and foundation/powder.

Source: flickr user aussiegall

Earth day is a day that everyone should take notice and it’s fun to get involved. It’s not just doing good for our mother earth but for yourself and your future. For more information on earth day and natural beauty products you can check out the rest of the fun natural cosmetics glow has in the natural and organic section. Make sure to take the steps to be beautiful and make sure that you’re helping our gorgeous earth at the same time. The best part about shopping online, is it’s the green way to shop. Beautiful earth, beautiful you.

Probably the ingredient that has received the most press is Moroccan Argan Oil, used in our Raw Color Lush Lash Pure Botanical Mascara and Raw Skincare.  We purchase argan oil harvested by an all-women’s cooperative in Morocco’s Berber region, founded by a very inspiring women, Professor Zoubida Charouf, who is a natural beauty herself.

Flickr user: Mayu ;p

The Argan forest plays a critical role in the region as it supports over three million people (out of a total Moroccan population of just over 30 million), but it is in decline as a result of over-exploitation, soil erosion and desertification. Through this cooperative, a literacy program as well as a reforestation program has been put into place. This has resulted in dramatic improvements to the lives of the Moroccan women, who now have access to education programs and the responsibilities of operating a business.  At the same time, the cooperative’s reforestation program has made a very positive impact on the socio-economics of the region, as it helps ensure that the Argan trees will be around to benefit the future.

Flicker User: Jeremy Couture

I think it’s interesting that the cooperative is 100% women operated.  I saw the most inspiring documentary on microlending (loaning small amounts of money to the very poor to enable them to start their own business without the pressure of having to immediately pay the money back) and it was found that loaning money to women proved more successful. Not only were women generally more reliable when it came to paying back the loan, but they tended to use the profits from their business to send their children to school, promoting sustainable, socio-economic development through education and eliminating illiteracy. Girl Power!

Another unique sustainable ingredient we feature is the ultra-emollient Andiroba Oil, found in our Raw Skincare Andiroba Botanical Face Primer. Andiroba comes from the Marajo Island in the Amazon, which is totally surrounded by fresh water. The 200,000 people who live there are blessed with abundant fish during the ‘dry season’. But during the other half of the year, when the fish migrate elsewhere, the population suffers. This same ‘rainy season’ is also the cue for the Andiroba tree to deposit its water-born seeds. Large numbers of these seeds are carried downriver every year and deposited on the beaches. The Brazilian company Brasmazon saw an opportunity to turn them into an alternative income source and helped to establish a cooperative to collect the seeds and extract their oil for sale to the cosmetic industry.  This cooperative was a finalist in 2007’s World Challenge, a global competition aimed at finding projects or small businesses from around the world that have made real difference through enterprise and innovation at a grass roots level.

But my favorite sustainable ingredient in the Raw Natural Beauty line is Ambiaty.  This ingredient really is the best of both worlds – delivering unmatched skincare benefits (stimulating collagen production up to 230%!) while also helping to support the local communities in Madagascar.  Ambiaty is harvested by only one supplier in Madagascar, and at only one time of year.  Not only that, the collection of Ambiaty helps provide a regular income to families and villages who participate and contributes to the sustainable development of these communities through increased schooling of children, through the purchase of school supplies and the construction of new school rooms. While increasing anti-aging benefits, it’s also helping the community.

Flickr User: IFRC

In light of the horrific earthquake in Haiti, I want to say that I am so proud of my uncle who last week was part of a team of 79 doctors and nurse practitioners who brought 30,000 pounds of drugs and surgical equipment to Port-Au-Prince.  He’s there for over two weeks, treating upwards of 100 patients a day.  Sadly, local doctors have been unnecessarily amputating limbs, leaving thousands without the ability to work or support themselves for the rest of their lives.  For the last 10 years my uncle has been actively trying to promote sustainable development in Haiti.  As founder of the nonprofit organization Mission for Haiti’s Children, his team is committed to improving health care, education, and economic development.   As part of the Mission’s work, a clinic was built in La Croix that now treats 25,000 patients a year. The organization has also built a maternity center, a school, and a grain mill, and helped to establish a fish farm, a rabbit farm, and a well-drilling program to help encourage self-sufficiency and end poverty.

This is obviously an example of someone making a really big impact, much like Professor Zoubida Charrouf in Morocco, but I love that we can all contribute to this type of positive change when we seek out products that use sustainable ingredients!