Essential U Blog

Size Doesn't Always Matter When it Comes to Fear

My mother has always been the picture of inner strength.  She moved her family around the world, making every place we went home.  She fought cancer for years and won while mothering her small children.  I think that is why finding her standing on top of the wash machine, screaming hysterically about a mouse was such a shocking sight to me as a child.  

  

Over the years, my mom screaming while being held hostage by a tiny mouse became a common sight.  My fearless mother who faced down death is terrified of mice.  It never helped that my cat Puffy brought half live mice into the house on a regular basis to share with the family.  My brother and I were regularly tasked with the job of rescuing my mom from the little field mice that scampered at the feet of my panic-stricken mother. 

The Real Cost of Unnecessary Pre-Market Test Proposed by Skin Deep & The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

There is a misperception that cosmetic are untested.  That couldn’t be further from the truth.  I’ve been formulating a new shampoo and I’ve had at my fingertips a variety of test results to help guide me in choosing the right ingredients to not only fit my standards for human safety but also environmental impact.  I have studies on the biodegradability, oral toxicity, eye irritation, contact sensitization, skin irritation, inhalation studies, 28 day subchronic toxicity study, mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, mammalian toxicity, studies on how ingredients interact, what percentages are best used, by products, pH, and every other detail you can think of needing to know before using the ingredient in a products. 

  

A closer look at what Skin Deep and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics wants legislated made me realize it isn’t the cosmetic ingredients themselves that they are demanding pre-market testing on, since most of those have a massive amount of pre-market testing already, it would be testing for finished products that they are seeking.  Since it is already illegal to sale a product that is contaminated in any way it isn’t the already required microbiological testing that they want, it is testing to show that from nature or as a by-product finished cosmetics do not contain anything from their list of ‘dangers’. 

Making Sense of Chemical Stories by Sense About Science

Sense about Science document Making Sense of Chemical Stories, A Briefing for the Lifestyle Sector on the Misconceptions About Science (click here to read) makes some points about our industry and the world we live in that are worth reading. 

    

The key to this entire article is the quote, "A chemical can't simply be classified as 'dangerous' or 'safe': it always depends on the amount or dose, received."  No matter which side of the natural or chemical side of the debate that you are on I recommend reading this article.  Don't miss the valid points because you don't agree with all of the document. 

Sense About Science is a is an independent charitable trust promoting good science and evidence in public debates out of the UK. 

The Business of Plants :: Morning Mist Botanics

Ann Harman of Morning Mist Botanics is passionate about plants.  As a tag line in her emails she quotes Emerson, "A weed is a plant whose virtues are as yet undiscovered."  I can tell from her website and story that Ann feels that every plant has potential and value.  I imagine that her workshops must be a real educational experience because of her obvious love for teaching and plants. 

    

How did you get into the aromatherapy business?
I have been a gardener and herbalist for over 30 years. It was a natural progression from a love of herbs to the aromatics. I attended the United Plant Savers conference in Williams, OR where I saw my first hydrosol produced. It was a lovely Rose Hydrosol that James Green demonstrated on a hotplate. I then learned about Alembic stills from Jeanne Rose and I have been hooked ever since. I have been distilling hydrosols from different plants for over 12 years now and it is still an exciting and magical process.  Every time the first drop comes over is as exciting as the first time I saw it.

Lost in Translation

There are a lot of interesting stories in my family history, but I was only four years old during this one, so I have to blame this story on my big brother, Kevin, who was seven at the time.  Well, I might have played a small role, after all I dreamed of owning a horse, raccoon and rabbit (in that order of preference) so the fact that we had a brand new rabbit might have had a lot to do with my parents attempting to fulfill at least one of those dreams. 

    

The story as I remember it starts with the fact that for a very short time we owned a rabbit, so short that we never named her.  Whether or not it was a she or he is still up for debate.  She was black and white and obviously very feminine.  My brother believed the rabbit was a he and this controversy played major role in her remaining nameless. The debate was short lived because one day we came home to find her dead in the backyard.  And so it was that our nameless rabbit was put to rest in our backyard. 

Scratching Below the Surface :: Dene Godfrey Article Regarding Skin Deep

I recently 'met' Dene Godfrey, President of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists on LinkedIn at a group called Cosmetics and Beauty Network.  There have been many discussions regarding the Skin Deep on the forum, including a large one that got deleted recently by the person who started the conversation stream. 

    

Yesterday a new conversation was started regarding the need to share information regarding the fact that Skin Deep and the Environmental Working Group are not using science to back up their claims.  This guest blog post is a result of that conversation. 

Essential Wholesale Celebrates Earth Day 365 Days a Year

At Essential Wholesale EVERYDAY is Earth Day.  We make green choices in everything that we do from the wind power we use, the automatic lights that turn off when no one is in the room, to the benefits we offer our employees, the ingredients we chose, the products we manufacture, to the trees that we plant in partnership with you through our Breathe Green Campaign year round and so much more.

 
My recently published article Beyond the Surface, Green Ingredients in Les Nouvelles Esthetiques & Spa gives an insider look at the complex world of green cosmetics.  Like Kermit the frog says, "It's not easy being green" but it is worth it!   

Wordless Wednesday :: Missing Person :: Kayleah Wilson

Update May 20, 2010:  Kayleah Wilson's remains have been found.  The Weld County Coroner's Office has identified a body as that of Kayleah Wilson.  Her death does not appear to be accidental and a homicide investigation has begun.  Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Kayleah Wilson with this tragic news. 

  

Missing Child: Kayleah Wilson

Date Missing: 3/28/2010
Missing From: Greeley, CO
DOB: 6/25/1997
Age at Disappearance: 12 years
Sex: Female
Race: Caucasian
Height: 5'1"
Weight: 145 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Last seen wearing: White and pink shirt over a white tank top, blue jeans, and white and red shoes.

Circumstances: Kayleah went missing on March 28, 2010 in Greeley, Colorado. She has not been seen or heard from since her disappearance.

If you have information concerning this case, please contact: Greeley Police Department - (970) 350-9600 or The Polly Klaas® Foundation (800) 587-4357

 

Look Good. . .Feel Better®

I have found the Personal Care Products Council to be an incredible resource for cosmetic information.  While checking ingredients on their Cosmetics Info page I found their Feel Good...Look Better® program, Botanicals: Cross Reference of Latin Binomials and Common Names and Colors in Cosmetics: Regulation and Nomenclature in the United States.  Click on the above links to use the valuable resources found in the botanical and color cosmetic reference documents. 

    

The Personal Care Products Council coordinates educational activities and supports public service programs. As part of the industry’s commitment to consumers, the Council Foundation originated and directs Look Good. . .Feel Better®, a nationwide public service program that helps women with cancer to cope with the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment. 

The Business of Aromatherapy & Soap:: The Story of Adirondack Aromatherapy

Gretchen and Thomas Morganstern of Adirondack Aromatherapy have found the perfect way to combine their passions and skills into a business they created together.  Gretchen was inspired to learn more about aromatherapy after their child was diagnosed with autism.  Thomas uses over 10 years of experience making soap to create their aromatherapy based soaps.  Together they make a great team and involve their kids in their business.

    

How did you get into the spa/aromatherapy/skin care/soap business?
I wrote a newspaper column for many years entitled 'Alternative Awareness" in the 1990's and it was then that I was first introduced to aromatherapists and aromatherapy. This branch of herbal healing resonated with me the most out of all the therapies I was exposed to during that period.