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Posts tagged ‘cosmetics’

Scent Power: Essential Oils For Awesome Health

Chromatogram of ten essential oils coloured wi...

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Medical aromatherapy or the use of essential oils for therapeutic purposes, is one of the oldest forms of medicine and cosmetics known to man. According to Egyptian hieroglyphics and Chinese medical manuscripts, physicians and priests were using essential oils thousands of years before Christ to heal the sick. What are essential oils anyway? Essential oils are the subtle, aromatic and volatile liquids extracted from the flowers, seeds, stems, leaves, bark and roots of herbs, shrubs and trees. The extraction process is done primarily through distillation. Some of the oils that have been used since Biblical times include frankincense, myrrh and cinnamon. Modern clinical research has been confirming the medicinal properties of these oils. For instance, frankincense has been found to have superior immune stimulating properties while cinnamon has blood sugar regulating properties.

Are all essential oils equal? Unfortunately, that’s not the case. For example, the majority of the rose oils come from Bulgaria. In order to keep up with demand from the perfume or cosmetic industry, they have to produce large volumes and in the process compromise quality by using solvent extraction instead of steam distillation.

Some of the modern applications of oils include eugenol (from clove), which is used in the dental industry and thymol (from thyme) which is used as an antiseptic. For one of the best sources of essential oils, check out www.cleanbodycare.com.

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on November 29, 2010

Bad Make-Up

Assorted cosmetics and tools

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What I mean by bad make-up is not how bad the way a person is made up (although, that gives me an idea on something to write about in the future). I’m actually referring to how harmful some of the make-up/cosmetics/personal care products are for our health. The cosmetic and even the perfume industry are industries that are not regulated. As such, some unscrupulous companies could use whatever they hell they want in their products. Some of these products are known carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) and hormone disruptors. Some companies (even those that claim to be natural) state that the amounts of chemicals (used as preservative agents, among other things) found in their products are so minute to make a dent in someone’s health. Not if you’re getting a little bit of everything here and there. Who decides on what is too much or too little? An article on Time.com called “Toxic Cosmetics” is quite enlightening. Some examples of toxic chemicals include formaldehyde in hair-straightening agents, toluene in nail polish, mercury in skin whitening agents, parabens in shampoos and skin creams/lotions, coal tar in mascara and lead in lipstick. Men are not safe from these chemicals either. Some agents found in men’s personal care products are hormone disruptors, causing an imbalance in testosterone and estrogen. My advise is to use natural, organic products as much as possible. And don’t take a company’s word for it, do your research. Dr. Haushka’s form Germany, Jurlique from Australia and of course, Young Living Essential Oils are among the purest skin care companies on earth.

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The Darker Side of Beauty

Dermatology products

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What’s up with mercury in skin whitening agents, toluene in nail polish, lead in lipstick and other sorts of toxins found in beauty products? The fact is that a lot of personal care products such as shampoos, lotions, make-up and hair styling products contain ingredients that are linked to asthma, cancer, infertility and birth defects, among many others. Why do you think there’s a surge in incidence of chronic degenerative diseases? Aside from the fact that our food is not as nutritious (because of farming practices and the extensive use of pesticides), we are seeing a deluge of synthetic chemicals that have not been tested for safety. And even if they have, they’re usually tested singly and not in combination with other chemicals. This toxic soup of chemicals have harmful synergistic effects. Scary! Therefore, go natural as much as possible. Read labels too! Explore http://www.cleanbodycare.com for all natural body care.

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