Groupons and Natural Beauty

Hey Kittens,
     It's been forever long and the organic products are stacking up in my powder room begging to be reviewed. Your Kitty has been writing her paws off about yoga for her "real" job, and though I think of you between cat naps, I have been working. I feel like Vicki on Real Housewives of Orange County, sitting here in a trapeze top bedazzled all to hell squawking, "I'm working. I'm working. I work...." ad infinitum... just kidding. I wouldn't be caught dead in a trapeze top!
     So just a fast missive today. Have you heard of Groupons? Groupon is a service (which I hope serves your area; if they do Indianapolis, I'm sure anyone can get it) which emails a sweet deal every day. Today, I scored a $35 mani-pedi at a local spa called Eden's Pathway. Get this: it's all natural. Herbal formuals, essential oils, bodywork and the whole shebang. If not for Groupon, I would never have found this place! I can't wait to get there! I'll tell you all about it once I get my services.
     I had to quit going to my usual mani-pedi joint because I picked up a few of the products they were using and the labels scared the crap out of me: Paraben City! I suppose I could take my own toulene and formaldehyde-free polishes, Dr. Hauschka lotions, Korres salt scrubs, and sweet almond oil, but it's just easier to have cheese-grater feet than schlep all my potions with me to the shop.
     Meantime, enjoy spring wherever you are. I am currently testing sunscreen, perfume and body wash for you. Lots of Love, Kitty

Letting the Sunshine Into Frozen Indiana

In the words of Borat, "Wowie Wow Wow Wow!" Thanks so much to Mandy at Yoga Addicted, my yoga sista in Charleston, SC for bringing the sunshine in all the time, and especially today! herewith, the 12 blogs that bring the sun into my life by educating me, supporting me, inspiring me and/or making me laugh daily (in no particular order, just off the top of my head):


1. Dumbwit Tellher: very creative in-depth features. I heart Deb!
2. Chinoiserie Chic: more taste in her little finger than most muster up all our lives.
3. La Dolfina: California dreamin' in the most delightful visual ways.
4. My Favorite and My Best: funniest blogger in the 'sphere. A consummate cusser to boot.
5. Odi Et Amo: brilliant and eloquent musings from Averill. Is there nothing she can't do?!?
6. The Fragrant Muse: aromatherapy and authentic living. Love it.
7. Citizen Green: ridding the planet of plastic one cheap piece of crap at a time.
8. Sanity Fair: just fabulous. Would that I were her for a day!
9. Ms Arscott: always interesting introspective posts.
10. It's All Jenni: all yoga all the time. Sutras, get your sutras here!
11. Art's the Answer: highly educational and inspiring!
12. Liberty Post: prolific and provocative prose from one whose finger is on the pulse of culture.


In the last year, these kittens, along with Mandy have enriched my experience immensely. I salute them with two paws up! Hopefully they will find the time to pass this along to their favorite 12, and so on and so on! Peace and Love, Your Kitty.

Cosmetic Chemicals Linked to Birth Defects

     Hello Kittens! In my endeavor to practice "extreme self care" in the new year, I'm afraid I have gotten behind on my blogging. Assuredly, however, you can count on your Kitty to keep testing and evaluating green and natural products on Organic Orgy and Zen of Homekeeping (just click my profile to access the blogs). I subscribe to Rodale news, which provides a lot of insight into healthy living and sustainable lifestyle practices. This morning I was shocked to find the latest research on toxins in cosmetics that are definitively linked to birth defects as well as lowered cognition in children.
     Today, the journal, Environmental Health Perspectives released a study which ties fragrance (for the body and home) and plastic-softening chemicals (phthalates) to behavioral problems and lower test scores in children exposed to the chemicals before birth. According to the Rodale article, 


"To figure out phthalate exposure, Mount Sinai researchers tested the urine of 188 expectant mothers during their third trimester of pregnancy for the presence of 10 specific phthalate metabolites. Then, mothers were interviewed one to three times while their children were 4 to 9 years old, answering standard questionnaires to assess their children's behavior and cognitive functioning. The researchers found that prenatal exposure to a group of phthalates commonly found in personal-care products like makeup, hairspray, perfume, body sprays, scented shampoos, soaps, and lotions was significantly associated with poorer scores for problems with aggression, conduct, and emotional control. Associations did not appear to differ between boys and girls overall, and the associations were stronger as with higher levels of exposure."


     Nasty phthalates are found in air fresheners, plastic products (like bottles and sippy cups), perfumes, and cosmetics. While I was pregnant about 11 years ago, I had to give up perfumes because smells made me nauseous but I certainly was ignorant about things that leach out of plastics (like frozen entrees in the microwave) and candles. The thing about fragrances is their formulas are considered proprietary so manufacturers don't have to tell us what's really in them. Unless your fragrant products are made from essential oils (natural perfumers like Pacifica and Lavanilla are more than happy to let you know), the perfume can contain all sorts of nasty chems like formaldehyde and phthalates. Gross! Check the labels on your home cleaning supplies, detergents, candles and so forth, kittens! 


    

Worst of the Best

     My drawers, shelves and cabinets overflow with cosmetic products, all green and natural brands at this point save for a few Dior eyeshadows. By my account, I've spent about $800 in the last year trying stuff in the name of ecology and health. I've found winners, scads of them really, but there are some definite downers out there. To kick off 2010, allow me to list a few of the worst of the best: things I tried from brands I trust, only to find they are indeed sheisty products for one reason or another (price, formulation, efficacy or lack thereof, and/or bad packaging). In no particular order, here are the things I won't ever buy again - even though I love the brand.

1.  Dr. Hauschka Facial Steam Bath: Unless you're running a spa out of your kitchen, this stuff is too much hassle to mess with. I don't use it enough for it to be gone by its expiration, and that's a problem with preservative-free cosmetics. If I really need a steam bath for my face, I'll just use essential oil over a boiled pot. If you are indeed a kitchentician or you run an actual spa facility, well then, go ahead.
2.  Korres Milk Cleansing 3-In-One Cleanser: I tried so hard to like this product, because Korres usually makes me happy, I love multitasking products, and it's extremely convenient to pick up when I'm out and about. Then my Auntie came for a visit, borrowed it, and pronounced it to be "slick as shit." Well, you can read her guest review here. Needless to say, I just don't care for its slickery feel either. 
3.  Jane Iredale Eye Gloss: Only use this if you like sticky eyelids that appear to be covered in fish scales. I love the idea of this product, but the formula is wrong. And it stings, too.
4. John Masters Organics Herbal Cider Hair Clarifier & Color Sealer. Smells douchy. Actually douchy. It's nothing more than diluted cider vinegar with a few indiscernible essential oils thrown in. If you want to seal your color, use the vinegar from your pantry. Besides, diluting this from its pour-top container then applying it by dumping it over my head with a cup makes me feel like a puppy. And it's a pain in the ass. I don't care for the smell (had I mentioned that?!?) enough to do this except upon rare occasion. If I were to use it every few days (because cider vinegar rinses do indeed clarify the hair wonderfully), I would mix my kitchen vinegar with water (and maybe a little essential oil) and apply it liberally with a spray bottle before showering. Prepare to smell like the Bio lab. The John Masters Organics brand as a whole is marvelous, and I use just about everything else they make. But I won't make this $17 mistake again!
5. Aura Cacia Shower Tablets: The idea is to put one of these eucalyptus or lavender tabs on the floor of the shower so you can reap the benefits of aromatherapy via steam. Totally ineffective. A cottonball soaked in essential oil would do better; these things totally dissolve within about a minute, and I couldn't smell anything but that nasty cider rinse I mentioned earlier. Instead, put a little of the oil (use only pure essential oils, please, otherwise the therapeutic benefit is nullified) into the reservoir of your vaporizer. Your lungs will thank you, and you'll hack much less. I swear this treatment helped my son overcome pneumonia last fall.
6.  Lavera hair styling products. Great idea, totally ineffective in keeping my 'do did.
7.  Caudalie Contour Creme Eyes & Lips was the former name of this $50 budget-buster. I thought I was being a recessionista by combining anti-aging for two parts of my face. A big fat Meh. They've repackaged this and renamed it as Pulpe Vitaminee Eye & Lip or something stupid like that. Either way, I'm not buying it again, but I still like Caudalie.

Antimony: Friend or Foe?

Hello Kittens,

     Save the mention of ancient kohl eyeliner ingredients, this post isn't really about sustainable cosmetics. It's about antimony and safe toys, but I figure if you give a crap about what's in your makeup, you probably won't mind hearing about what your kids and pets could get their paws and mouths into as the holidays roll on and the new toys abound. More of such coverage is on Zen of Homekeeping, where this post originally appeared. XO Your Kitty.

     We've had real guinea pigs and hamsters. The idea of which, always proved to be more fun than the real thing. The former fling pissy hay and poo ("Don't eat the brown tic tacs," my son would say when we would find said poop far from the cage). The latter scatter, only to be found dead and shriveled in a duct somewhere. If this is not your hamster's fate and he or she lives to the ripe age of 18 months or so, you can expect a lifetime of wild goose chases through the house looking for them and wondering how they broke out of the plastic ball. I'm not really a rodent person.

     I am, however, a robot person, and the idea of a sweet little animatronic Mr. Squiggles who won't die or get lost of fling poo is suddenly somewhat appealing. I got all excited for nothing when I learned sometime around Thanksgiving what these were. By the time I got on board, the little bastards had sold out like Furbies or Cabbage Patch Kids. Then my mom got her hands on a couple of them, and now the news that they may not be safe! Here is my report:

     I woke Monday morning to the first snow in Indiana, and the report that Zhu Zhu pets may be unsafe due to high antimony content. Merideth Viera announced the news on Today, which basically amounted to the product’s manufacturer insisting the toys couldn’t even be imported into the US if the levels weren’t safe (oh, because that’s always carefully monitored and enforced – hello lead toys!). Then we heard about the throngs of shoppers clambering for these furry little f-ers, selling them for up to three times the retail price on Ebay.

     I happen to be expecting two of these toys any day now; my mother tracked them down in Florida. Your Kitty, half-mad with OCD over toxic chemicals to begin with, began fur-reaking out. What is antimony, why is it used, and are these hamster robots going to drive Spot bonkers and then kill him when he stalks and eats them?

     All the Today show reported was that antimony is used in flame retardants. Well, that’s all I heard anyway, before I dashed off to my trusty iKitty to begin a whole science project.

 Indeed, antimony is used in flame retardants, and it’s actually a naturally occurring mineral that has numerous purposes. In fact, it has been used since pre-Islamic cultures as a cosmetic! It can be mixed with fat to make kohl eye makeup.

Wikipedia cites “The most important use of antimony is as a hardener in lead for storage batteries.” It’s also used to treat protozoal infections (eeew) and to harden ceramic enamels and glass. It’s the sort of thing one would expect to find in electronics such as robotic vermin.

Initially, I decided the boys around here are all old enough not to put a toy hamster in their mouths, so it’s probably OK. But my obsessive thoughts wouldn’t leave it alone, and I worried about my pups (who attacked both the Roomba and Scooba floor robots, and now I'm back to manual labor). What if the dudes and dogs handle these things…will antimony rub off like lead paint chips and hurt them? I dug deeper.

Rather than paraphrase the rather disturbing effects of high doses of antimony, I’ll take the liberty of posting Wikipedia’s paragraph labeled, “Precautions:” (*I edited this a little for space and boringness relevance, but you’ll get the gist)

“See also: Arsenic poisoning

Antimony and many of its compounds are toxic. Clinically, antimony poisoning is very similar to arsenic poisoning. In small doses, antimony causes headache, dizziness, and depression. Larger doses cause violent and frequent vomiting, and will lead to death in a few days…Antimony leaches from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles into bottled water, but at levels below drinking water guidelines…”

     Aw snap! One more horrible toxin to avoid. See, the thing is, maybe the amount of antimony contained in a Zhu Zhu pet is minimal and thus considered “safe” by toy industry standards. But what about the antimony that lurks in a Wii Remote, or an MP3 player, or batteries, or cell phones? What is the cumulative effect of all this exposure?

     And most importantly, what is the effect of chronic antimony exposure to a developing, pediatric brain? Over time, how can we expect children of the Digital Age to develop given the deluge of electronics in our ever-evolving culture?

     

So, that’s what I worried about today for about 3 hours. How did your morning go?!?

Suki Organic Eye Repair Balm: 2 Paws Up!

I wasn't familiar with Suki until my last foray at Beautorium. Though I've tried combo products before to "repair" my 37 year old eyes and lips, I have been less than enthused with Caudalie the results. This balm is the bomb! I don't know how I've lived so long with out this uber green skin care product! Made with carrot extracts and rose hips, it's really doing the job. I will say it smells a little medicinal, but you can rest assured there are no added fragrant dangers (such as pthalates). I get mine at Beautorium, because frankly I just like patronizing a truly sustainable store. I do recommend using a swab to remove it from its simple jar packaging. Because there are no preservatives like parabens to poison you, the bacteria from your fingertip could easily fester in your product. Eeeew.
Happy Thanksgiving to all, have a safe and peaceful holiday. And thank you from the bottom of my heart for joining me here on Organic Orgy!

All the Sustainable Shower Products I Currently Use

     As requested by one loyal kitten: my current tried and true excellent sustainable shower products, well loved and still wet from the last go-round a few minutes ago! Old favorites like John Masters Organics, of course. You've heard about them in previous posts. Forthwith, some new great things I have to share since uncrating my ginormous Beautorium order last week.
1. Red Flower's Nature-Lymphatic Phytopower Sea Cleanser & Masque (see photo below). They had me at "made with windpower." This very healthy, very effective cleanser can also dry into a masque. It's great, it's green and I love it!
2. Nature's Gate Pomegranate Sunflower Body Wash. I get this at drugstore.com, but I'm sure you can find it in a variety of places. Nature's Gate is a relatively common health brand. I've had it for months; the bottle is huge, and the price is sustainable, too!
3. Korres Lemon and Sage Body Scrub. Divine. A new favorite from Beautorium.
4. EO Lavender Bubble Bath. Also from drugstore.com.  I trust my skin to nothing less than pure essential oils and vegetable cleansers. It smells like a million bucks, and is effectively aromatherapeutic. If you want to learn more about that business, head over to The Fragrant Muse. She has gotten me into a serious study of essential oils and their healing properties. I'm a changed kitten since I began incorporating REAL natural fragrances into my health and beauty routines!

Red Flower is "Biodynamic and free of dyes, parabens, sulfates, petrochemicals and synthetic preservatives. usda, wildcrafted, sustainably sourced and biodegradable,100% wind powered post consumer recycled (and recyclable) packaging where possible using vegetable inks, certified organic fruit, nut and flower oils." (Beautorium.com)

Help At-Risk Children Explore Art and Creativity by Shopping!

January 2009: Last fall, I called upon family and friends of Innerspace Yoga to reach out to help at-risk children in the Indianapolis community. Thanks to your generous donations in class, our seven year old friend had a warm Christmas with many toys and new boots! Thanks to your abundant shopping through links on Innerspace Yoga and kitty:we also raised about $100 in advertising revenue, which bought materials needed for the art studio at St. Mary’s Child Center!

    One person bought her holiday stationery; another picked up a motherlode of Legos. Little bits added up and the children enjoyed new art supplies! The teachers requested a gift certificate to Michael's, where they could maximize their dollars. They loved it!

    Although I don’t really know who did what since Innerspace isn’t privy to your personal information, I thank you from the bottom of my heart....whomever you are! In the coming year, Innerspace Yoga will reach as many as 100 at-risk Indianapolis youth, spreading the message of peace, love and sustainability through the art and science of yoga. As always, I invite you to get involved with that effort. Namaste!

Update 11-11-09: This year, Innerspace Yoga will donate 75% of our advertising revenues between November 1, 2009 and January 1, 2010 to St. Mary's Child Center to purchase items from the wish list for the students' art instruction. To participate, just click on ad banners and hotlinks on any page in our domain - including this one. To learn more about the project and to get started, please visit our Seva Page on the Innerspace mothership site. You can also start now by browsing the Innerspace OM Shop at the bottom of this post.

     The products, brands, and artists advertised within the Innerspace domain are not directly participating in the Seva Project 09. When you click on their links, you are leaving us and going to them to become a customer (hopefully). Please enable your browser to accept cookies on these sites, otherwise your purchase won't earn revenue for us! Thank You so much, Your Kitty.

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Natural Face Cleanser: a Guest Review

     I've been using Korres 3-in-One facial cleanser for the last month or so. Korres is a great natural brand, and I use several of their products. Last weekend, my aunt came from Chicago for an impromptu overnight visit. She likes to use any hand soap on her face, probably Dove or Ivory. She didn't enjoy the peppermint Dr. Bonner's castile and water mixture we use at the sink (it smells awesome and is the most sustainable multi-purpose soap EVER). The next day, she asked for cleanser. I gave her the Korres.
     "Jesus, is that shit slimy or what!" she exclaimed. I wonder if she curses when she is teaching language arts at the elementary school. "As for taking off makeup, well, it wouldn't remove a booger." That, my kittens, is what I call a guest review.

Eye Makeup Tips and Techniques

The fall and holiday makeup seasons are always my favorite because they are heavy on the eye shadow. In the 80s, when I began experimenting with cosmetics, I had a penchant for purple - and now it's back! What I didn't know at the tender age of 11 or 12 was that I didn't need eye shadow then. Not because a smoky lid and black eyeliner looks sluttatious on a tweener (which it does, of course), but because I had nothing to conceal - yet!

As we age, tiny lines and creases crop up where once smooth lids naturally glistened before becoming puffy hoods and bags. My heavy eyeliner is no longer a homage to the inner Goth; rather, I use the products in trompe l'oeil fashion to hide uneven skin pigments and areas that are beginning to look like crepe paper!

My friend Melissa and I used to apply our makeup on the bus, using multi-hued palettes and our fingers to match our eye makeup to our outfits. Not bad in a pinch, but the more mature eye needs precision instruments, and now I know swiping a finger across pressed makeup is just gross - even if it's your own finger in your own eyeshadow! If indeed you are guilty of this cosmetic sin, and you find your supplies caked with bumpy oil marks, you can scrape the top yucky part off the product with a razor blade and start over without necessarily having to trash the whole thing. Get a good set of brushes, and sin no more!

Yes, blue eyed beauties can wear azure colored shadows, and brown eyes can be accented with earth tones, but it is more important to match your make up colors to your own skin tone than your sweater. When I worked in fashion journalism, I had a Chanel artist tell me anyone can wear any hue, it's just a matter of intensity.

In cosmetic artistry, as in painting, light colors accentuate features, and dark hues make things recede. Therefore, if you have small lids you will only make your eyes look smaller and puffier by using frosty, pearlescent and pastel colors from lash to brow. Conversely, if you'd like to minimize the look of enlarging eyelids, you'll want to contour below the browbone with something darker than what you wear on your lids. Then blend, blend, blend!

Light colored eyeshadow can be swept into the inner corner of the lid to give you a fresh, wide-eyed look. Save the sparkly light shades for just under the eyebrow. And for the love of Kevin Aucoin, don't you dare put glitter on your lids if it's not Halloween and you are even one minute over 30!

When I am applying heavy shadow (which I do once or twice a week), I stick a piece of blotting paper under my lower lashes to catch the excess powder. I then apply my undereye concealer with a brush, only where I need it. Using your finger to blend concealer just sort of smudges it around, and applying it all the way around the lower orbit of the eye looks really chalky and gross. I also find that a concealer brush minimizes the pulling and tugging on this very delicate area. I personally use an actual paintbrush for this task, but I am posting a linked picture of some very nice vegan brushes for you kittens who are 100% cruelty free!

FTC Compliance for Bloggers Everywhere

This morning, Liberty Post pointed me to a new FTC rule. Because I care about lawful compliance (although, I like to think I can discern for myself what is and is not malarkey in the media, and likewise I strive to be honest in everything I publish), I am posting the Advertising Policies for the entire domain.

"Innerspace OMnimedia publishes a variety of blogs and electronic magazines celebrating and supporting conscious lifestyle choices." That's the mission. Here are the facts: We are a privately funded corporation. We want to bring sustainable culture to people in many ways, from traditional news features to essays and yes, advertising. We like to think we are uniting cool people with cool stuff when indeed our editorial content is appropriate for "stuff." The companies featured throughout the domain demonstrate an aspect of sustainability, whether they are purveyors of organic clothing, natural cosmetics, or yoga products. Whatever.

Innerspace OMnimedia chooses our advertising partners with discernment; sometimes a brand is featured because we ourselves use and endorse the products, and sometimes we feature ad banners from the aforementioned partners simply because we like the graphic effect. We pretty much do what we want when we want and we believe our readers are astute enough to know media is supported by advertising.

When a customer clicks on these visual elements, she might or might not be taken to a place with further product information or the ability to purchase said item. If she buys the item, Innerspace OMnimedia is given a commission. It's called "affiliate marketing." It's an aspect of media in the digital age.

During the holiday season, we sometimes run Seva Projects which take those commissions and distribute them to Indiana children's charities. During the rest of the year, those revenues keep the Mothership up and running. When readers' buying sprees go to charity, we are very explicit about run dates for the project, as well as who will receive portions of our revenues. In other words, you'll know about all the love you are about to spread by buying cool stuff!

As for consumer reviews (particularly on Kitty channels), your Kitty personally buys the products in question with her own funds, tests the products on herself, and gives a "transparent" and honest review. We do not review swag or samples. Your Kitty does not review anything she has not paid for herself; products posted in clickable links may or may not generate revenue, and exist mainly for the readers' convenience. Now you know. Thanks

Lethiferous Lashes: Is Mascara Making You Sick?

     I once read somewhere that women tend to be very loyal mascara consumers; many use their favorite brand for years. I'm not one of them. Though I have my favorites, I tend to try the latest and greatest. Among my favorites are the very inorganic, somewhat dangerous Dior brands.

Why, oh why do I insist on paying $20 -$30 for a tube of toxicity? Mascara theoretically touches nothing but dead lash ends ... Wrong! What about the product residue that ends up raccooning under my lids after a long day? What about the particles that invariably flake into my eyes? What about the stuff that washes down the drain after I remove my makeup? The problem with many mascaras is they're loaded with preservatives, namely parabens.

The Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Database lists 1195 products. Among the worst (0=no risk, 10=high risk of toxicity) are the following mascaras:

1. Prescriptives Beyond Long maximum Length Mascara, rated 9 for numerous parabens, BHT and aluminum powder. If you're concerned about endocrine disruption, allergies, cancer or neurotoxicity, you'll want to avoid this product.
2. Estee Lauder Lash XL, also a 9 for aluminum powder and parabens as well as benzyl alcohol, which can be allergenic and irritating.
3. Cover Girl Lash Blast Luxe Shimmery Volumizing Mascara also scored a 9.
4. Diorshow (boo hoo) got a 9 for all the reasons listed above, plus Fragrance. The product smells delightful, like roses. Too bad manufacturers aren't required to tell us their fragrance ingredients. They consider these formulations proprietary, but the EWG finds everything in them from pthalates to formaldehyde. Scary stuff...when ingredients aren't listed, I get worried.
5. Cargo Texas Lash, 9. I'm not at all familiar with this product, but it also rated as a high hazard for its perfume content.

The good news is, among the nearly 1200 mascaras reviewed, there were many that pose little to no threat, with ratings between 1 and 3. Costal Classic Creations, for example, received a zero, making it the safest option in the database. I've never heard of this company, so I'd love some feedback from anyone who uses the products.

Cleure Moisturizing mascara received a score of 1; the only problem the EWG seems to have is the mica content. Mica is used in lots of makeup, and is occupationally harmful to the folks who make the products. It is also bioaccumulative, which means it shows up in our waterways. Again, I'm not familiar with the brand, Cluere Grace Products.

Jane Iredale PureLash Lengthening mascara rates a 2, and seems to have a lot of fans. I've used other Iredale products happily, so I am going to try this stuff soon.

Loreal Double Extend rated well with a 2. Now, I have to say Loreal makes some great mascaras. The Double Extend Beauty Tubes, however isn't one of them. I believe this high-tech product touted by lovely Linda Evangalista is too new to the market to have its own rating, but even if it ends up with an acceptable number (under 3 for me), I won't buy it again. It's a hot mess that tangled up all my lashes and flaked all over the place.

According to the EWG, the product Paula Dorf Cake Mascara actually contains thimerosal: that's right, mercury. Avoid at all costs, unless of course you are looking to be poisoned!