an educational sunday post

denise from summerland scrubs on etsy (who makes my favourite lotion) wrote this up when i asked her what to look for or avoid in bathroom-y products. it's rife with really good information. enjoy.

What to Look for in a Bath & Body Product(When You're Trying to go Au Naturale)

There are soooo many ingredients in bath and body products nowadays, it can make your head spin. It is easier, I find, to eliminate choices by ingredients you feel(or that have been proven to be by scientific testing) to be harmful to you, or your environment for that matter. Then, once you have found a fairly wholesome product or two, you can contrast and compare the ingredients by what they do for your skin, hair, etc.(like cocoa butter verses shea butter).

To start off with, I will go over some ingredients that are both unneccesary and harmful in one way or another in bath and body products. Also, it's good to know that the closer to the top of your ingredient list an ingredient is, the more there is of it in the finished product.

Parabens-

You will see these on your shampoo or lotion/cream's ingredient list as Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, and the like. Parabens are a group of compounds that include an alcohol. They are mostly used as preservatives. The dangers of parabens have been outlined by scientific researchers. They are close to estrogen in their makeup. Estrogen applied externally (as in shampoo or lotion) has been linked to breast cancer. These can cause problems in a growing child's reproductive system and cause problems in men as well. And, they irritate the skin in a big way. Anyone with sensitive skin should never use products with these in them. The worst version is sodium methyl-paraben. It has been banned in Europe, yet some companies in the states still use it (one of which is known for being GOOD for the skin and clearing acne. Part of the name sounds like "newt"). Parabens also cause premature aging and skin cancer by increasing production of free radicals, which are unstable atoms that constantly rob your body of nutrients to try to make itself whole. So, free radicals are bad as well. But, those are in your environment and can be squelched with a lot of healthy antioxidants.

Mineral oil-

While mineral oil isn't necessarily bad for you, it's bad for your skin. Once on your skin, it keeps your skin from breathing and causes it to break out. It also can cause dryness if you use a product with it for a long time as your skin will become dependent upon it and then stop producing it's own oils-just like people who use lip balm all the time seem to suffer more from dry lips. It also causes premature aging as a result. Mineral oil also goes by the names liquid paraffin, paraffin wax, or petrolatum.

Dioxane-

Synthetically derived from coconut. This often contains 1,4-dioxane, which is a chemical known to the State of California and the federal government to cause cancer. Very bad stuff!

Fragrances-

There are bad fragrance oils out there, but I see them less and less. The ones you want to stay away from contain phthalates, which are chemicals used to soften plastic for industrial use-they are found in a lot of high end fragrances(it gives the scent staying power). The best way to avoid phthalates is to buy items scented with essential oils, or buy unscented products. If it just says "fragrance", you're best off to avoid it. Or buy from someone who uses phthalate-free fragrances- like me! But, they have to mention it, or you have to sometimes ask. But, most people who use them will advertise it.

Alcohols

- Ethanol, ethyl alcohol, methanol, benzyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol and SD alcohol. Simply, they dry your skin and make you more susceptible to molds, viruses, and bacteria. And, they STING like the dickens if you put them on your legs after shaving.

Sulfates

-Sodium lauryl sulfate, which is the main one you'll see, is a detergent. It is what makes your shampoo or body wash foam up. The Journal of the American College of Toxicology has reported that this detergent breaks down the skin even if used lightly, and keeps the skin's proteins from rebuilding (the skin will not regrow properly and age prematurely, i.e. collagen is a protein). It is used around the world in clinical studies as an irritant-they actually use it for the purpose of irritation! And, just like the alcohols, it makes you more susceptible to infections (like you can get sick more often because of it.) Last, but not least, if mixed with certain chemicals it can become carcinogenic, i.e. cause cancer. These effects were found on skin, hair, and eyes. So your skin will break down, hair will fall out, and you could go blind. And, the substitutes for Sodium Lauryl Sulfate aren't much better. Sodium laureth sulfate, cocamide DEA or lauramide DEA or look for the prefix, word, or syllable PEG, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, polyoxyethylene, eth (as in sodium laureth sulfate), or oxynol. These are "gentler detergents". But, they are often combined with our old friend 1,4-dioxane, which is known to cause cancer. Also, according to a 1998 report from the federal National Toxicology Program, two DEA-based compounds‹cocamide DEA and lauramide DEA‹ have been demonstrated to be cancer-causing in at least in one species of animal. According experts on the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) panel (established by the Cosmetic Toiletry, and Fragrance Association, a cosmetic industry trade association), both sodium lauryl sulfate and its close chemical cousin ammonium lauryl sulfate "appear to be safe in formulations designed for discontinuous, brief use followed by thorough rinsing from the surface of the skin."

Whew! That was a long one. But I want you to be informed after you read this. Armed with knowledge, and all that.

That's alot of the stuff you want to stay away from. If you see something on a label you don't recognize, Google it. It will come up somewhere-at the very least, on Wikipedia. You should at least be able to figure out if you want it in the product you're thinking of buying. And just because something is derived from natural sources doesn't mean it's safe. Now, here are ingredients you may want to look for, and I use them in my products as well.

Cocoa Butter-

Coming from the cocoa bean, this is one of the best moisturizers you will find. It readily absorbs into the skin and imparts a sheen, treats eczema and dermatitis, protects sensitive skin from the environment and keeps skin moisturized. It is naturally rich in vitamin E which helps to soothe, hydrate and balance the skin and provides the skin collagen which assists with wrinkles and other signs of aging. It can be applied straight to hair and wrapped up after a day at the beach for a few hours, wash it out-and repair all the damage you did that day. Best used for dry hair as it can be greasy or weigh hair down with other hair types.

Shea Butter-

Comes straight from the shea or karite tree from seeds inside the nuts that this tree bears. There is a particular "belt" in Africa where this tree grows wild, so therefore all shea butter starts out organic. It is quite plentiful, so there's no need to farm it. The best kind is unrefined, which means the oil is pressed from the seeds, filtered for impurities, and that's it. It is beige colored naturally and has a pleasant light scent. Benefits of this butter include: Evens skin tone & returns luster to skin & hair; Absorbs quickly without leaving greasy residue; Shea Butter moisturizes & protects skin & scalp-especially over processed & heat-treated hair; shea butter doesn't clog pores or block hair shafts; revitalizes, softens & maintains skin moisture; naturally rich in vitamins A, E & F which are some essential vitamins needed for good skin balance; penetrates deep into skin to help restore elasticity; benefits your skin by keeping it clear & smooth; shea butter benefits include soothing some scalp & skin irritations. This is a middle of the road moisturizer - it's not as greasy as cocoa butter but it offers extra moisturizing over light moisturizers containing no butters.

Avocado Oil-

Coming from one of my favorite fruits(guacamole, Mmmmm!), avocado oil is also one of my favorite oils. It's not as heavy as your run of the mill olive oil, the smell isn't as strong and fruity as olive oil, and it has wonderful moisturizing properties. It is a favorite of massage therapists, and you will find it in many a massage oil. It is full of vitamins A, B, D, E, protein, and lecithin. It is high in sterolins, which fade age spots and repair sun damage-these sterolins also are responsible for the softening and super moisturizing effects; it is excellent for rejuvinating and regeneration of skin. In a study done at the Department of Food Engineering and Biotechnology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in 1991, it was found that avocado oil significantly increases the amount of collagen in the skin; helps relieve the itch of psoriasis and eczema; it is easily absorbed into deep tissue; it also has anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant properties. This is one of my favorite oils, and I use it whenever I can.

Goat Milk

-The natural ingredients in goat's milk nourish and replenish the skin. Goat's milk products have been proven safe and beneficial for people with many kinds of skin problems including acne, psoriasis, rosacea, and eczema. Studies in nursing homes have shown that goat's milk soap is beneficial for the skin care for elderly people. Great for babies' skin, too! Goat's milk has many beauty benefits.

Goat's milk is high in vitamins and minerals and contains lactic acid. Lactic acid is a colorless natural substance, derived from sour milk, and non-bovine sources such as fresh goat's milk. It was discovered over 200 years ago in fermented milk. It is known that Cleopatra and other women used to bathe in sour milk to obtain beautiful skin. Benefits of Lactic Acid are: intense hydrating properties; helps with photo-aging and sun damaged skin; acts as an exfoliant to the skin, leaving it softer and rejuvenated; stimulates collagen production; acts as an antibacterial agent; acts as an astringent; is used for skin problems such as acne, impurities, oily skin, breakouts;and is used by dermatologists and surgeons in chemical peels, in higher concentrations.

I use organic goat milk since I do not have a goat farm nearby to buy it from. But, it's just as good.

Wakame Seaweed-

This is a new addition to my line, but I've been very pleased with the results when using it in masks. It is the favorite used by the Japanese people due to its health and beauty benefits-it's used in Miso soup, which I have tried and it is quite good. I use it dried and then ground to a powder mixed with honey and aloe gel as a mask, and then add a little water when ready to use it. It leaves my skin very soft and smooth. My skin even felt soft and smooth upon rising the next morning-my hubby couldn't stop stroking my face. Its benefits include its antioxidant properties as well as its nutritional value; it is a rich source of B vitamins and contains minerals like iron, sodium, potassium and calcium. Additionally the algae contains a chemical called sulfated polyfucose which is an antioxidant that shields skin from environmental pollutants that would cause the formation of free radicals. Free radicals are responsible for various forms of skin aging, including sagging and wrinkles. Wakame moisturizes, smoothes and heals. It does this by limiting hyaluronidase, a process that breaks down skin's hyaluronic acid. This acid serves to keep skin firm by acting as an adhesive, keeping collagen and elastic fibers intact. Without hyaluronic acid, skin may sag and dark circles may appear around the eyes. I honestly did not believe the claims, but upon using it just once I was a believer-I even used it under my eyes. I will be listing some Wakame Skin Smoothing Mask in early June. I have it made up, I just have to list it.

Coconut Milk-

I have been substituting coconut milk for goat milk in a bunch of my products lately so that Vegans can also enjoy them. Coconut Milk is actually the white liquid obtained from compressing fresh coconut meat-not the liquid people often drink when opening a fresh coconut, as I often did as a kid. Coconut milk contains, instead of the lactic acid found in goat milk-lauric acid. Half of the medium-chain fatty acids in coconut milk are composed of lauric acid, which is anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and anti-fungal. It has been confirmed by skincare experts that topical use of coconut milk can help cure some skin conditions. Coconut milk, when used with cleansers can take away dirt and oil from the skin. It creates a clean, soft, and smooth complexion. Plus, it smells nice in a plain lotion. The kind I use is just coconut milk and water, plus a natural preservative. I don't use coconut milk which contains thickeners like guar gum and the like. It also makes any soap it's used in sudse up quite a bit more, making it a great choice for use with hard water. That is why I use it in my Coconut Milk Smoothie Bath Gel.

Kokum Butter-

Kokum butter is obtained from the Indian tree Garcinia indica. It is used in skin care products because of its ability to soften skin and heal ulcerations and fissures of lips, hands and soles of feet. Kokum butter helps reduce degeneration of the skin cells and restores elasticity. Use kokum butter is soaps, balms, belly balms, foot care products and other emollient skin treatments. I don't presently use this butter, but you will see me use it in the future. Most likely as a foot balm and the like.

That is pretty much the skinny. If you ever have a question on bath and body ingredients or products, please feel free to convo me through my Etsy store, www.summerlandscrubs.etsy.com. I'm always looking into new and interesting things-I would even be willing to make you a custom product if there's a certain butter, milk, extract, or oil that you would like to try in a product. Or, if you find a recipe you'd like me to whip up for you-I can do that, too. I have quite a stash of ingredients and always like to try new things.

Come by and check out my products! Thank you for reading this little article, and thank you for posting this!

Have a great summer!

Denise Van Winkle, Owner and Soapmaker, Summerland Bath & Body

guest post: daffodylic tells a tale

and now, my friends, i bring you your weekly guest blog:

One Weird Day + Easy Hummus

My weird day started in my afternoon writing class; the lesson of the day was “The Topic Sentence” so I was doing my thing up in front of the class, writing notes on the sticky old white board that smears when I try to wipe it. With Valentine's Day just behind us, I chose Love to brainstorm on the board to illustrate the process of writing that perfect topic sentence. We needed to narrow the topic, so we discussed types of love. The class discussion went haywire, so I redirected... “Family love, folks. Family love is a type of love. What's another type of love?” Friends, ah yes. Students typically come up with that one on their own. OK, last one. My brain willed the students just to come up with what my students come up with every semester: Romantic love. Come on folks... it's not that hard....

“SELF love!” Shouted a greasy, squinty-eyed boy who sits to the right. The class twittered, and I had to keep my facial expression blasé and unimpressed. I try not to over-guide my students during class discussions, but I went ahead and gave them the “Romantic Love” bit. Coming back to the family section, I asked what kinds of family love there were. I received the typical answers: Parents, siblings, kids....Mr. Self-Love tried to interject his point of view of masturbation being “family love” but we all ignored him. Friends went smoothly. However, when we got to the “Romantic Love” section, a clueless older student who sits in the back called out, “PETS!” There was a moment of painful, awkward silence before the class roared with laughter.

“Uh... romantic love, Al. We shouldn't have romantic love for our animals. Perhaps pet love could go under family...” I might have stammered through my response. It's possible. The class was rapidly getting out of control. Self-romantic-love came back up, and I guided the discussion again... the example I give every semester....

Puppy love.

The class howled. Exasperated, I tossed my almost-dried-out dry erase marker down on the desk and explained, “Puppy love, class, is infatuation.”

I tried to rein them in, I really did. I took our brainstorming and tried to relate it back to creating the topic sentence, which I had to give them because they were too obsessed with discussing masturbation and bestiality.

I broke down. I took the coward's way out: Book work and early release. Weird freaking class.

I deserved a little break. A treat. Ah yes, a peppermint latte from the campus coffee shop. I'm friendly with the girl who works there, and as soon as she sees me come in, she starts the espresso machine and pulls out the bottle of peppermint. We chatted amicably – “How are your classes going?” and “Your students behaving themselves?” Nice, normal small talk. She frothed milk and pumped peppermint into a cup.

She stopped suddenly, “That's it! I know who you remind me of! The girl on Step by Step, that old sitcom. You remind me of the tomboy, cool sister!” She looked back to an older gentleman sitting in the back of the shop. “Don't you think so?”

He stood up. He had a cane that he used lightly to walk over to the counter where I stood waiting for my perfectly normal peppermint latte.

“Hmm. First, you should make that latte a double espresso.” He winked at the attendant. She re-started the machine. “And let's see... I never watched Step by Step. I think you resemble...” He stepped close and peered into my face. My latte (er... double espresso) was ready, and I just wanted to pick it up and sit on a bench in the sun and forget my weird day for a few minutes.

“Ah yes, I know who you look like, but to be sure...” He stepped even closer and touched my cheek, turning it gently and almost caressing. “Leah Thompson. Admittedly, though ma'am, I just wanted the chance to touch your cheek.”

I laughed nervously, grabbed my coffee, said polite thank yous and goodbyes, and went to go find a park bench.

OK, first my class goes out of control talking about inappropriate topics, then some old guy caresses my cheek in a coffee shop. I think we need to chalk this one up to a weird day. So I went home and made hummus because there really is nothing else to do when discussions and conversations and encounters turn bizarre.

Daffodyllic Hummus

• 1 cup (or so) cooked chickpeas.
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• hand-squeezed juice of one lemon
• A few grinds of sea salt, to taste
• 3 tbsp olive oil

Blend it all in a food processor or blender until it is the consistency you like. Put in pretty bowl and garnish with a tsp of olive oil in the center and paprika sprinkled over the top. Enjoy with freshly toasted pita triangles. And try to forget your weird day.

guest post: daffodylic the terrific

my narcissistic friend is here again. enjoy.

Sometimes we take on more than we can handle. By "we" I mean we human beings, and by "take on more" I mean adding so much to our plates that "biting off more than we can chew" becomes an understatement. Examples of this can include parenting (come on, did we ever know that it would be this challenging?!) or deciding to glue together 500 pieces of a broken figurine made of porcelain. You know, those moments when you are in the middle of a project and you think, Oh. This is harder than I thought it was going to be. I don't feel very qualified….

Several months ago, an old friend of mine (read: ex boyfriend) sent me a text message asking me if I would be available to tutor his client's son. I sent a text back indicating that he could pass on my contact information and I would scope out the opportunity. (For what it is worth, the message did not read "lol omg txt my # 2 doc" though my friend would have found that hilarious.)

I did take the gig - partially as a favor to an old friend, partially for the money and partially shits and giggles. The boy is fifteen with muddy red hair and Coke-bottle glasses. He is skinny and acne-prone. Oh yes, and he's an Aspie. The first few tutoring session with him went surprisingly well. We had one enormous success with a baking soda and vinegar science experiment that ended with a monotone declaration of his love for me. And that's the problem with successes: We get comfortable. Confident. Pretty damn sure we can waltz in and take the challenge blindfolded with both hands tied behind our backs.
Until we are blindfolded with both hands tied behind our backs.

A couple sessions ago, I hit a brick wall with my young student. Several times during the hour, he put his head down and groaned. He ended our session by saying he had to poop, and he got up from the table never to return. I chalked it up to a bad day. I left, discouraged but still overall confident from the prior successes whispering monotone affections in my memory.

My last tutoring session began with a sleeping teenager, who rapidly morphed into a groggy, grumpy teenager. I had brought color-coded word games for him (surely he would love that). He played 30 seconds with the stack of cards and then put his head on the table. I brought out my clip-art-enhanced writing prompts with graphic organizers. He looked, groaned, and laid his head down.

I leaned close to him and said very softly, "Give me a word. Any word."

"Goodbye."

Clearly he wanted me to take a hint. Instead, I pulled out my thesaurus and looked up "leave." On my tablet, I wrote down abscond, escape, exit, travel, depart. He tried not to let me see him watching me. I flipped over to the E's. Evacuation, exodus, expiration.

"What are you doing?"

I flipped the pages purposefully and answered, almost like an after-thought, "I'm looking up words."

"Why?"

I smiled at him, "So I can find exactly the right one...." He picked up the tablet and looked at the list of words.

"Give me another word, and I'll show you," I said encouragingly.

"Depressed." He tossed the note pad down. Then his head went down. Uncertain, I slowly flipped toward the D's. His mother chose that moment to come in.

"You are going to FAIL your writing test tomorrow if you don't GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER and let your tutor HELP you. Do you WANT to fail? GET UP NOW AND WORK."

His eyes nervously focused and unfocused. "Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," he groaned and breathed rapidly. His mother wasn't quite finished. "You know, she's being really patient with you, and you're being mean to her." She left the room and I flipped to the P's. Patience, forbearance, perseverance, long-suffering. He was watching again.

"Suffering, all right," he snarled at me angrily. I looked in his eyes. He hated me at that moment. He was terrified. He was frustrated. And nothing I was doing was reaching him at all. I touched his shoulder and he jumped back growling at me, peering down and over the tops of his glasses and baring his teeth.

I had one last project tucked in my bag. A list of 21 sentence starters. I pulled out the sheet, and read the first one off to him: This morning I got out of bed, and I.... He groaned. I read off two more. More groans. That's when the moment really hit me. I'm not qualified to do this kind of work. I have a measly little degree in Creative Writing, earned from a less-than-stellar university over eight years ago. Just because I work with college prep students and teach grammar in an unorthodox way obviously doesn't mean I can come into this home with no experience and reach this boy.

The hour was almost over. My head throbbed right in front, over the forehead. I was hungry. I was embarrassed that I had even pretended I could take on this project. Unqualified was an understatement.

Number 20: When I need a quiet place to think, I go...

"...To bed."

I looked at him. He looked at me. His eyes are a pretty shade of blue and I bet no one ever notices that about him.

"Write it," I said, shoving the tablet and a pen toward him. "Write 'when I need a quiet place to think, I go to bed.'"

He wrote it, and said, "Sometimes my brain wants to stay awake longer than my body."

"Write it. Write exactly what you say."

He wrote five sentences, saying them out loud and then copying his words onto the paper. Midway through the last sentence, he looked at me.
"You know, you're right - it is easier when I say it out loud first and then write it." He finished writing the fifth sentence. It was time for me to go.

"Tomorrow, on your test, talk to your paper, ok? Just talk to it. It's ok to do that. Then write what you say." I wrote in all capital letters on a blank sheet of paper: "TALK TO THE PAPER." He drew an outline of Yoda on his hand. His hand said, "Do or not do, there is no try." And he said back to it, "I will talk to the paper."

On my way out the door, his mother asked me if there was anything else he needed to do before I cam back the next time. I mumbled something about the sentence starters... five sentences for each one. She paid me a little extra.

Sometimes we take on more than we can handle. Sometimes we learn a little something about ourselves in the process. Our boundaries, our limitations, our fallibilities. Humility. Perseverance. Long-suffering.

guest post: daffodyllic speaks

today my daffodil friend is guest blogging. she tells me that she is writing about herself, allegedly from my point of view. a narcissus talking about herself? fitting. but i'll let her tell you herself.

I have an exceptional friend. This friend enjoys a certain amount of anonymity (though truth be told, she can barely pronounce the word anonymity), so on occasion she goes by pseudonyms having to do with a Narcissus (daffodil, for you un-botanists). Daffodils are hearty, bright, cheerful, fleeting, persistent, joyful, short-lived, and commonly yellow. My friend is all of these things as well, especially the narcissistic part. For those of you unfamiliar with the story of Narcissus, he was a beautiful young Greek boy who had the misfortune of catching a glimpse of his perfect visage in the mirror of a pond, and proceeded to fall so helplessly in love with the reflection that he bent to kiss it and was drowned.
My friend is not Greek, male, in love with her reflection, nor drowned. However, she is swimming in her own snot today, as the result of catching a pesky virus of the Common Cold variety. Here she is, miserably attempting to stop the constant flow of liquid from her nostril area: Notice here the gold of her hair and the white of the disposable tissue: how like a daffodil in colouring.

Today my exceptional daffodilic friend cleaned out her car. She has a Grand AM, which is gold-coloured like some varieties of daffodils; she calls it her “good morning car,” though not to many people get the joke.

Her son (who is too brown to be compared to a daffodil of any variety, but is narcissistic in his own four-year-old way) helped with the chore of the day, and by help, I am sure we all mean got in the way, blasted his mother with the hose (instead of the vehicle), and sprayed too much biodegradable orange cleaner on the windows.
A fun Saturday morning activity, if you ask me, especially since the sun was shining and the weather was gorgeous, and below-freezing conditions are an inconceivable notion to native Floridians.
(Why do Canadians not spell “Morning” as “Mourning” when they insist on spelling every other “-or” word as “-our”…? Mysteries abound.) Speaking of mysteries, why is there a guest blogger? And what is the meaning of this post? And is there even a central idea to this rambling nonsense?

OK, so let’s sum up: My friend is like a daffodil, daffodils are a Narcissus, Narcissus fell in love with himself and drowned, my friend is drowning in her own snot and was drenched by a water hose that should have been aimed at her daffodil-coloured car. Also, the weather in Florida is more gorgeous than a Greek boy, and there is no snow, which daffodils can pop through anyway.
/end.


to answer my flowery friend's query, here's some info about why canadians spell things the way we do. also, thanks for spelling things the canadian way for me. good job.