Volume 1, No. 1.  January 2007
In This Issue

1. Happy New Year and Welcome to the First Edition of Dropwise Health & Beauty Bytes Newsletter
2. Out With the Old & In With the New: Give Your Bathroom Cabinet a Makeover
3. Get Your New Year Off To A Clean Start: 25% Off All-Natural Aromatherapy Body Washes

Happy New Year! Welcome to the 1st Edition of Dropwise Health & Beauty Bytes

The purpose of this newsletter is to provide you with news and views you can use to live a healthier and toxic-free life. In each issue we provide information and tips to:

• Help reduce your risk exposure to potentially harmful personal care products and ingredients
• Improve your Aromatherapy IQ & knowledge of essential oils
• Learn more about alternative natural remedies and alternative health care practices
• Get practical tips for "Greening" your home and lifestyle!

Out With The Old and In With The New: Give Your Bathroom Cabinet a Makeover

The new year is a time of renewal --looking ahead, visualizing, and anticipating positive changes and developments for ourselves in the year to come. This time-honored tradition takes on many forms: new year's resolutions to lose weight, get fit, stop smoking, find ways to reduce stress in our busy lives, and clear out all manner of clutter to make room for new and better things.

If you've resolved to take better care of yourself and be healthier, there's never been a better time to give the medicine cabinet in your bathroom a new year's makeover. I'd like to encourage you to take a closer look at what's inside yours. Even the most seemingly-innocuous items can contain a veritable of soup of chemicals that may be doing you more harm than good.

Read the labels and familiarize yourself with the ingredients. Start with the products you use daily --toothpaste, mouthwash, anti-perspirants or deodorants, talcum powder, face creams, lotions, and cleansers, over-the-counter cold and pain medications, "anti-bacterial" soaps, and traditional cosmetics. After all, these are products you routinely apply to your skin or your teeth and gums --both the fastest routes for substances to be absorbed into the bloodstream. When substances are absorbed into the body this way they by-pass the liver which is your body's principle de-toxifying organ. That means they're not properly eliminated and often build up in the fatty tissue of your organs where, over time, they turn into a virtual "thorn in your side" that can compromise your immune system and leave you susceptible to a whole host of health problems.

Ironically, many of the chemical ingredients in personal care products are there to improve the texture and consistency, appearance, or shelf-life stability of the product and have no functional purpose. Even worse, many are primarily there to speed up or enhance the penetration of the other ingredients into the skin.

Eliminating products made with ingredients that are at worst, toxic and potentially harmful to your health, and at best, irritants or allergens that do not serve you on your path to a healthier life, will greatly reduce your risk of exposure. It may even rid you of unexplained health problems. Coincidentally (or maybe not so coincidentally ...), many of the ingredients that are harmful to you or also harmful to the environment, both on the manufacturing and production side and on the back-end as they make their way down drains and into our riverbeds and streams, compromising marine life and altering the ecological landscape.

Personally, I can't think of a better way to start the new year than by greening your personal care routine! Here's a guideline for ingredients and products to eliminate from your bathroom cabinet (and your life), along with some suggestions for healthier, safer alternatives to replace them with.

Toxic Toothpastes

Toothpastes and mouthwashes made with Fluoride, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Propylene Glycol, Alcohol, FD & C colors, Triclosan, or Parabens of any kind.

HEALTH CONCERN: Contrary to popular belief, Fluoride is actually a poison! Fluorides are industrial waste products created in the production of aluminum, phosphoric acid, and phosphate fertilizers that have been linked to a host of illnesses, including bone problems, diabetes, thyroid malfunction, and mental impairment. Just read the warning labels on fluoride toothpastes and you'll see that if children under six swallow as much as "a pea-sized amount" of fluoridated paste, parents should contact the nearest "poison control center." Yikes! Alcohol which is commonly used in mouthwashes, is drying, changes the pH of the mouth, and strips away the protective mucous membrane in the mouth and throat. Propylene Glycol --often used as a softener or penetration enhancer-- is also a key ingredient of anti-freeze. Yes, you read that right: anti-freeze. It keeps products from melting in high heat and freezing when it is cold. Don't be misled into thinking that products made with Sodium Lauryl Sulfate that's "derived from coconut" is any different or safer than SLS from any other source --that's just a little handy Green-washing!

Vitamins, Herbs, Essential Oils

Toothpastes made with Sodium Bicarbonate, Vegetable Glycerin, Aloe Vera, Carageenan, and essential oils. We like Jason's line of organic toothpastes --especially Nutrismile which is made with vitamin C, Parsley extract, and Peppermint, Cinnamon, and Orange essential oils. We especially like the way they breakout the ingredients, explaining what role each one plays. We also like a European brand called BioForce which is made with Echinacea (an herbal immune system booster) and/or essential oils of Rosemary and Thyme (also powerful anti-bacterials). You can make a simple, effective mouthwash yourself by combining 1 part Peppermint hydrosol with two parts purified water. For a mixture of 4 fluid ounces add 4-6 drops of essential oil like Cinnamon Bark, Spearmint, Clove and/or Sweet Fennel or try adding 4 drops of our Stay Alert Diffuser Blend with 2-3 drops of liquid Stevia (to sweeten a little).

Chemical-Laden Creams

Face creams, lotions, and cleansers made with petroleum ingredients like Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Propylene Glycol, or Triethanolamine (TEA). Did you know that many widely used petroleum ingredients, even in the most expensive premium brands on the market, are actually drying to your skin? Companies who use these ingredients often claim that their products "seal moisture in", making your skin soft and smooth. This is accomplished by creating a barrier that prevents anything from coming in or out. Your skin is a living, breathing organ that regulates itself by constantly pulling moisture from the air as well as secreting it's own natural sebum to keep itself hydrated and release toxins. If a barrier is present, it can neither pull moisture in nor access its own natural sebaceous oil. Barriers also prevent the skin from excreting toxins. The result? Dry skin that is constantly thirsty for moisture or skin that is constantly breaking out. If you are using products like this, your skin care routine has become a self-fulfiiing prophecy.

HEALTH CONCERNS: Avoid cleansers made with Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (see article below on liquid soaps for more on this ingredient), or products preserved with parabens (Methyl-paraben, Ethyl-paraben, Butyl-paraben, or Propyl-paraben). Parabens are widely used as preservatives in personal care products across the spectrum to inhibit bacteria, yeast, and mold growth, and are sometimes used as anti-bacterial agents in toothpaste. Parabens have been known to cause skin irritation, rashes, and allergic skin reactions. A recent study published in the JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY found the presence of parabens in the breast tissue of women with breast cancer --a red flag that shouldn't be easily dismissed! TEA causes allergic reactions including eye problems, dryness of hair and skin, and could be toxic if absorbed into the body over a long period of time because of its ability to form carcinogenic compounds called nitrosamines, after absorption.

Stay away from products made with unidentified "fragrance" oils or compounds (sometimes referred to as Fragrance or Parfum). This may well be the most insidious and potentially harmful ingredient of them all. These are synthetic chemicals made in a lab, designed to "mimic" the smell of many things that exist in nature –-fruits, flowers, trees, and food. The problem is that "fragrance" often contains Phthalates (industrial chemicals used as solvents and plasticizers in cosmetics) which are now known to be endocrine disruptors (wreak havoc with your hormones) and potentially damaging to the kidneys, liver, and lungs, but especially harmful to pregnant women. Phthalates (some of which have been banned in the European Union) don't appear on the ingredients lists of the vast majority of products containing them because they are components of fragrance and as such, they are exempt from FDA labeling requirements.

Even if you use "fragrance-free" or "unscented" products, they may contain fragrances designed to "cover up" the smell of other ingredients. A lot of so-called "natural" products often use a combination of essential oils and fragrance oils, so be vigilant about this when checking labels. There really is no way to know if your products contain phthalates. Look for products from companies who explicitly state that their fragrances are phthalate-free. For the record, Dropwise uses only 100% pure essential oils in all it's products, meaning NO synthetic or combination fragrances of any kind EVER! And of course, NO PHTHALATES!

Plant-based Products

Plant-based products made with vegetable or nut oils (preferably unrefined) like Jojoba, Coconut, High-oleic Safflower, Olive oil, Sunflower oil, Almond oil, Avocado oil, Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter or Seaweed extracts. Products made with herbal extracts earn bonus points! And if you prefer scented products then use products made with only essential oils (preferably organic or wild-crafted). For a great lotion that you can use all over your body (including your face) try our Nourishing Hand & Body Lotions made with certified organic jojoba, coconut, and macadamia nut oils, certified organic aloe vera, and extracts of certified organic calendula and chamomile flowers. For facial products, we like Grateful Body whose products use strictly plant-based biodynamic or certified organic ingredients.

Dangerous Deodorants

Deodorants and anti-perspirants made with Aluminum (especially Sodium Chloride), Propylene Glycol, Mineral oil, Petrolatum, unidentified "Fragrance," or Parabens of any kind. Avoid any deodorant that comes in an aerosol form. Stick to roll-ons or solids.

HEALTH CONCERN: Deodorants and anti-perspirants typically contain solvents and preservatives that can cause skin irritation and rashes. Propylene Glycol is a common moisture-carrying vehicle, highly penetrative and solvent, and widely used in moisturizers, creams, lotions, shampoos, mouthwashes, perfumes, make-up, shampoos, hair products, deodorants, shaving cream, and on and on. This chemical is ackowledged as a neurotoxin by the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health. It is known to cause liver and kidney damage, can cause dermatitis and allergies, and may be a carcinogen. Aerosols (not to be confused with mist spray tops that you pump) will ensure that you are consistently surrounded by a cloud of toxic chemicals that are dangerous to inhale. The recently acknowledged link between Alzheimer's disease and aluminium has also raised a furious debate over the safety of putting aluminium compounds into deodorants. See Chemical-laden Creams (above) for important info about the dangers of "Fragrance."

Glycerin, Aloe Vera, Mineral Salts

Deodorants made with Vegetable Glycerin, Aloe Vera, Witch Hazel, Kaolin Clay (an adsorbant), and essential oils (especially Cypress, Tea Tree, Lavender, Geranium, or Manuka essential oils). Or "Crystal" deodorants which are made from mild mineral salts. These can come in the form of an actual crystal stone, a pop-up, or even a mist spray. We like Nature's Gate Organics or Avalon Organics brand solid stick or roll-on deodorants.

Harsh Medicine

Over-The-Counter (OTC) pain killers; cold medicines and cough syrups made with Phenylpropanolamine (PPA), Dextromethorphan or Codeine.

HEALTH CONCERNS: The more than 100,000 over-the-counter (OTC) drugs that you can buy without a prescription all have one thing in common: they are serious medicines that need to be taken with care. Some people are at increased risk for significant --and sometimes serious-- drug interactions involving over-the-counter medications. This includes patients with chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure, and the elderly. The American Academy of Pediatrics has documented the ineffectiveness and potential toxicities of OTC cough and cold medicines in children, and the FDA recently issued an advisory to remove phenylpropanolamine (PPA)—a common constituent of OTC decongestants—from those products because of concern for increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke. In addition to side effects of the various ingredients, OTC cough and cold preparations also present potential hazards due to dosing errors. And there are environmental consequences that come with throwing those old expired meds (both prescription and OTC) down the drain or flushing them down the toilet!

Natural Remedies

Next time you're tempted to reach for a Motrin or Nyquil, try an herbal, homeopathic, flower essence, and/or essential oil-based natural remedy instead. These can be remarkably effective at addressing a wide range of symptoms associated with colds and flu, or run-of-the-mill aches and pains without the added burden on your liver and kidneys that can occur from over-use of OTC medications like ibuprofen or the risk of increased blood pressure from cough and cold medicines.

We abandoned Robitussin several years ago in favor of Planetary Formulas' Old Indian Wild Cherry Bark Syrup for quieting even the most stubborn of coughs. I've also found homeopathic remedies for allergies, indigestion, and even insomnia to be very helpful and gentle. Brands we like are Natrol, Hylands, or BHI. Of course with natural remedies there is no "one size fits all" approach so some experimentation is necessary to find the right combination for your particular ailments. For bruises, aches, and pains, try Arnica Gel. For sore muscles and stiff joints, skip the Ben Gay in favor of products made with Ginger, Lavender, Juniper, Sweet Birch, and/or Rosemary essential oils, which are warming and relaxing for muscles and help increase circulation. Stick to balms or rubs made with Olive oil, Jojoba, Beeswax, and/or Shea Butter which are readily absorbed and won't dry out your skin with frequent application. We like Badger's Sore Muscle Rub.

Next time you're congested, don't reach for the Vicks Vaporub (and all that petroleum jelly!). Instead try a couple of drops of Eucalyptus essential oil in a tablespoon of carrier oil (Olive or Canola work fine if that's all that's available) and massage it onto your chest, behind your neck and ears (along your Eustacian tube to help drain it), and along your nostrils. Or try a couple of drops of our Breathe Ease Diffuser Blend in a bowl of steaming hot water with a towel over your head. See our Guide to Essential Oil & Diffuser Blends for complete instructions on how you can use this product. If you're badly congested, place a drop of Peppermint essential oil onto a teaspoon of honey then place onto your tongue and hold it in your mouth, pushing it up against the roof of your mouth before swallowing --that should clear things up fast! See our Blending Guidelines for Essential Oils for dilution ratios and be sure to read our Safety Tips & Precautions too!

If you suffer from mild bouts of anxiety consider forgoing prescription medications and trying the Bach Flower Essence Rescue Remedy instead. And nothing beats the smell of citrus essential oils (Sweet Orange, Tangerine, Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit, Neroli, or Bergamot) for a case of the winter blues! Try any product in our Inspiration blend --you can't go wrong.

Triclosan

"Anti-bacterial" liquid hand soaps, body washes, hand sanitizers, or any product made with Triclosan. Triclosan is now the most widely used "anti-bacterial" ingredient in soap products. This chemical is classified as a pesticide by the EPA, measured in parts per bilion, and one of its known by-products is Dioxin. No wonder it has been found to be toxic to the blood, liver, and kidneys! It's popularity and over-use have scientists seriously worried about the rise of 'super bugs' -- harmful bacteria that are resistant to existing antiseptics and antibiotics. Due to its toxicity and the sheer volume of product being washed down the drain, the impact on the environment is alarming. Clearly an ingredient like this is not only harmful to humans, but to marine and plant life as well.

Essential Oils, Organic Alcohol

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that antibacterial soaps are not necessary in everyday use, and washing hands with ordinary soap and warm water is an effective way to ward off infections, so go for liquid soaps made with real essential oils, especially Tea Tree, Lavender, Geranium or Chamomile essential oils. If you need to clean your hands but don't have access to soap, try hand sanitizers made with pure grain or organic alcohol and essential oils. We like EO Products Hand Sanitizer, made with Organic Alcohol, Vegetable Glycerin, Aloe Vera and Lavender essential oil.

Caustic Cosmetics

Cosmetics made with Talc, Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Coal Tar (found in commercial FD&C colors), and Lead.

HEALTH CONCERNS: Talc, commonly used in eye shadows and facial powders, has caused cancer in laboratory rats when inhaled, and has been linked to lung cancer. It may also irritate the eye area. Lead, often found in makeup and hair dyes as lead acetate, is a known carcinogen and hormone disruptor as well as a brain and nervous-system toxin. Coal Tar dyes found in many FD&C and D&C colors are carcinogenic like FD&C Blue 1 and FD&C Green 3, and impurities in other colors --D&C Red 33, FD&C Yellow 5 and FD&C Yellow 6-- have been shown to cause cancer when applied to the skin.

Mineral Makeup

Mineral makeup is the hottest trend in conscious beauty today. Based on a hypoallergenic loose powder that naturally nourishes and protects the skin, mineral makeup contains no perfumes, talc, alcohol, dyes, mineral oil, or preservatives. Its made of all natural minerals like Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc and Iron Oxides, and Ultramarine Pigments which provide natural sunscreen, fabulous coverage, and a long-lasting natural glow that can't be matched with gooey liquid foundations. From everything we've read, its good for sensitive skin, won't clog pores, and contains no harmful ingredients. It's so gentle you can sleep in it without concern! Look for mineral makeup companies who use ingredients like Annatto, Beeswax, Candelilla Wax, Carmine, Carrageenan, Jojoba oil, Kaolin, Shea Butter, and Sunflower Oil in addition to the minerals. So far, we like Jane Iredale mineral make up products the best.

SOURCES & RESOURCES:

Print
A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients by Ruth Winters
What's in Your Cosmetics?: A Complete Consumer's Guide to Natural and Synthetic Ingredients by Aubrey Hampton
Drop-Dead Gorgeous: Protecting Yourself from the Hidden Dangers of Cosmetics by Kim Erickson
Hope in a Jar: The Making of America's Beauty Culture by Kathy Peiss
The Safe Shopper's Bible: A Consumer's Guide to Nontoxic Household Products by David Steinman

Online
For information about our bodies' chemical burden: http://www.chemicalbodyburden.org
Check The Green Guide Product Reports on: Deodorants & Anti-perspirants, and Moisturizers, Lotions & Creams
For the skinny on Flourides: http://www.nofluoride.com
To find out about specific cosmetic products: the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep database
Learn more about Phthalates: http://www.nottoopretty.org/
For practical tips and information on Natural Beauty: http://allnaturalbeauty.us
Read Co-op America's Real Money article The Ugly Side of Cosmetics
Get more details about Triclosan: Pesticides and You Article (a PDF)
About the hazards of flushing meds down the drain: http://www.nodrugsdownthedrain.org
Another article about toxicity in personal care products: Toxic Toiletries

Get Your New Year Off to a Clean Start with Safe Gentle Cleansing Aromatherapy Body Washes.

These days, many of us don't use soap in the shower or bath anymore. Instead, we lather up with bath foams, shower gels, facial washes and scrubs, all of which rely on complex detergents (often the same ones used in heavy industry) to wash away simple dirt.

I recently came across this analogy which I thought was dead-on so I wanted to share it with you: The difference between soap and detergent is like the difference between cotton and nylon.

Soap and cotton are produced from natural products with (in most cases) little modification. Detergents and nylon are produced entirely in a chemical factory. If you use mainstream commercial brands (even so-called "Premium" brands), what you basically get is the same detergents and surfactants (foaming agents) that are found in your household cleaning products, only in a much smaller concentration. Many of these harsh surfactants deplete natural fats and phospholipids from the epidermis that weakens the skin allowing toxins and bacteria to invade. Not so appealing when you really think about it. Is it any wonder that there's an epidemic of dry irritated skin out there with no end in sight?

If you have sensitive or perpetually dry skin, discontinue using liquid soaps or body washes that contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) or Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES). These surfactants (foaming agents) are among the most commonly used foaming agents in shampoos, cleansers, body washes and even toothpastes and mouthwashes, because they are extremely cheap. They work by lowering the sruface tension of water, which unfortunately, also dissolves your skin's natural oil and strips it of it's protective layer. SLS, particularly in shampoos, penetrates very easily through the hair follicles on the head, and assists other chemicals to more readily penetrate as well. It can cause skin damage, flaking, drying, cracking, roughness, and breakdown of the skin’s protective barrier. While there is no concrete evidence of a link bewteen SLS and cancer, studies have revealed some cause for concern. There is evidence that these chemicals do permeate the skin and enter the bloodstream, leaving residuals in the eye, brain, liver, lung and heart tissues.

Other ingredients to be concerned about in your liquid soap, body wash products, and shampoos: Cocamide EDTA (or similar compounds ending with DEA, TEA or MEA) along with formaldehyde-forming substances such as Bronopol, DMDM hydantoin, Diazo-lidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea and Quaternium-15. These are ingredients that have been known to react with other nitrogen-based ingredients to form cancer-causing nitrosamines after absorption.

Instead, get your new year off to a clean (and safe) start with Dropwise gentle cleansing aloe, coconut, jojoba, and olive oil-based pure liquid castile soaps infused with our delightful essential oil aromatherapy blends. These soaps use gentle, natural cleansing agents that effectively dissolve grime and pollutants without Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or other added foaming agents that can strip or dry the skin. Just good old-fashioned gentle suds without all the extra foam. These body washes rinse clean, leaving your skin feeling soft and hydrated.

If you're concerned about the environment then you should know that liquid soaps and body washes made with all-natural, vegetable ingredients are completely bio-degradable, whereas many of the chemical ingredients mentioned above are derived from petroleum and can take as long as 200 years to degrade after they wash down the drain! Because the ingredients are plant-based, they are actually more effective at cleansing so you don't need to use as much, and your products last longer.

ADDITIONAL SOURCES & RESOURCES:

Natural Beauty Article: List of Synthetic Oleochemicals and Petrochemicals
Natural Beauty Article: Bubble Babble --Or ... Finally, All You Ever Wanted to Know About Soap!
UK Daily Mall article: Is Bubble Bath Safe?
Article:Poisons in Personal Care
Dr. Samuel S. Epstein, MD's Cancer Prevention Coalition Site

THIS MONTH'S SPECIAL!

From now through the end of January all Dropwise Gentle Cleansing Body Washes are 25% off

All the best for a healthier and happier you in 2007!


Donya Fahmy
Editor-in-Chief

* Information on this site is provided for informational purposes and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own natural health professional, physician, or medical professional, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.