Family Health Beauty Info

Hormones and acne

After the blog/video called ‘Give up the pill and get spots’

Lisa wrote: ‘I also have a hormone imbalance. I am 21 and I have been struggling with acne for a year now. It has become an overwhelming process that I don’t want to deal with any more. I have tried every product in the book for my face. I went to a spa and the lady told me that I am the “perfect” candidate for birth control. Although I am opposed to birth control… I may be willing to try it due to my imbalanced hormones. I just want my “flawless” skin back, and I never thought that I would get to the point where I would try anything. PLEASE HELP. Thank you, Lisa’

Advice

You have to find the cause of your skin trouble. Then you can start to heal it. The birth control pill suppresses the symptoms, rather than healing.

• Go to an accredited naturopath or doctor and have a blood test to find out your hormone levels
• Consult an accredited nutritionist or naturopath who will design the right diet for your skin. Food may be the medicine!
• Find a beauty therapist who specializes in acne (a dermatologist may recommend someone). You have to regularly remove the spots.

Things to consider

• Find out what’s different in your life between now when you have acne and the years when you had nice skin.
• What kind of skin products are you using?
• Focus on ingredients that are designed for acne (see my article/video ‘The right ingredients for your skin type’ and blog ‘Good food for oily skin’ or watch video).
• Avoid chemically based products.
• What is your beauty/cleansing routine?
• A regular skincare routine is essential to support the skin (see my blog /video DIY facial , or article ‘3 step by step facials’ 

The skin needs to be treated from the inside (diet and lifestyle) and outside (skincare). You also need to be patient with the healing process.

See my e-book for beauty routines to improve your skin.

Here are the products which rescue me daily:

Skin care   

Exfoliate

Mask for spots

Blemish gel

Probiotic food

See related article ‘Hormones: are you in charge?’ or watch the video

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Have a lovely day

Lucie

www.familyhealthbeautyinfo.com

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The rules for certified organics

Certified organic products have a minimum of 95% organic ingredients. These ingredients are:

• minimally processed
• naturally extracted without:
• artificial ingredients
• synthetic processes
• synthetic preservatives
• animal testing
• irradiation.

Certified organic processors must:

• Keep detailed written purchasing, production and sales records (audit trail)
• Develop stringent quality systems to maintain organic integrity of ingredients
• Ensure traceability of organic ingredients (from seed to consumer)
• Maintain strict physical separation of ingredients to prevent contamination
• Undergo periodic on-site inspections (audits).

Greenwashing

Greenwashing is a practice where companies falsely promote their products as environmentally friendly.

It’s important to read labels and become an informed consumer for three good reasons:

• to avoid toxins disguised as ‘natural’ ingredients
• to never be fooled again by slick marketing hype
• to effectively create change through informed purchasing power

Misleading ingredients lists

Companies mislead consumers by listing botanical extracts, or ‘aqueous infusions’ (which are just weak teas) at the top of the ingredient list.

The synthetic surfactant ingredients that make up the core of the product are hidden further down the list.

The substantial water component of a herbal mixture is incorrectly counted as ‘organic’, which is prohibited under International Organic Standards.

This practice artificially inflates the organic content in order to make a deceptive 70% organic claim.

Manufacturers often list the source of a chemical to lull consumers into a false sense of security about the ‘naturalness’, ‘purity’ and ’safety’ of their ingredients.

Reference: ‘Product training with Narelle Chenery’

Watch the video ‘Narelle Chenery of ONEgroup talks about greenwashing’

Purchase certified organic products

See related blog  ‘The difference between natural and organic ‘ or watch the video

See related topic ‘Understanding product labels’

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Lucie

www.familyhealthbeautyinfo.com

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The difference between natural and organic

An important step in looking after your health is to consider natural or organic products.

But you need to understand the difference between ‘natural’, ‘organic’ and ‘certified organic’.

The dictionary says that ‘natural’ means ‘existing in, or formed by nature, not artificial.’

But the cosmetic industry definition of ‘natural’ is:

‘A cosmetic ingredient that is derived from a natural source, e.g. cocamide DEA (coconut).’ This broad definition covers natural ingredients that have been treated chemically.

Naturally derived/synthetic ingredients

The term ‘naturally derived’ actually means ‘synthetic’. A chemical process is involved, regardless of the source of the ingredient.

‘Many of the processing aids and impurities of cosmetic chemicals are linked to asthma, learning disabilities, infertility, birth defects and cancer.’ – Narelle Chenery, Director, ONEGroup

Reference: ONEgroup toxic ingredients

So what is ‘organic’?

Organic agriculture is an ecological farm management system that:

• promotes biodiversity
• enhances soil fertility
• prevents topsoil erosion
• protects groundwater
• conserves energy
• protects our next generation.

Organic agriculture prohibits:

• genetic engineering
• pesticides
• synthetic fertilisers
• antibiotics
• growth hormones.

 Organic – certified or not?

Many companies now claim to have ‘organic’ products.

What does this mean? Is there an authority that governs the use of the term ‘organic’ on labels?

How can we tell if a product is truly organic?

What is ‘certified organic’?

Certified organic is your guarantee of authenticity and integrity for every ingredient. It means: 

• the products are regulated by government and independent certification bodies
• an independent third party has guaranteed the ‘organic’ claim
• these products can bear the organic seal of approval.

Without the logo an ‘organic’ claim means nothing.

Watch the video ‘Narelle Chenery of ONEgroup explains certified organics.’

Purchase certified organic products.

Reference: ‘Product training with Narelle Chenery’

See related topic ‘Understanding product labels’

See related topic ‘Organic certification logos’ or watch the video

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Lucie

www.familyhealthbeautyinfo.com

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Harmful baby products

Do you know that baby products are made with an ingredient called formaldehyde?

Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen that causes skin reactions, headaches and chronic fatigue. The vapour is extremely irritating to the eyes, nose and throat.

The tobacco industry informs people that smoking may cause cancer. Should the cosmetics and health products industries do the same?

The words we see when checking baby products are: ‘save’ , ‘purity’, ‘soothing’, ‘healing’.

But these do not relate to what we know about formaldehyde. Those little babies are dependent on us to look after them. Adults also use baby products to soothe skin problems.

We all have to be educated about ingredients not about brands. The ingredient list is the key! Once we know and understand what those ingredients are and the effects they have, we can look for brands with safe ingredients.

So why do most baby products contain synthetic ingredients?

Reasons could include:

• to make a profit – often synthetics are cheaper
• the chemists creating them have not learned organic chemistry
• manufacturers are not aware of the possible long-term harm.

Here are web links to information about synthetic ingredients and their effects.

Cosmetic database

Toxic ingredients

Safe baby products

Fortunately we have a solution. Mother of three Narelle Chenery is the director of research and development ONEgroup, and creator of the Miessence organic range.

Narelle has created the certified organic Mother and Baby range. They are completely free of synthetic, chemicals and toxins. View samples of the range and scroll down to Mother and baby care.

This is the ingredient list we want for our babies!

Watch Narelle Chenery video ‘The difference between natural and organic’

References

ONEgroup toxic ingredients

Wikipedia (look under safety)

See related article ‘Understanding product labels’

See topics  ‘About organic’

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Lucie

www.familyhealthbeautyinfo.com

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Is it real coconut?

Herbs, minerals, fats, oils, wax – these are all ingredients used in beauty products.

The label says, ’24-hour organic moisturiser’ – it sounds fine.  A quick check of the ingredients shows ‘coconut’, followed by ‘DEA (diethanolamine)’. You love coconut, so that’s great – right?

Wrong. 89% of the 10,500 ingredients used in personal care products have not been evaluated for safety.

I’m sorry to say that this ‘coconut’ has nothing to do with the original, natural coconut. It has been synthetically processed.

Look out for the names DEA (diethanolamine), MEA (monoethanolamine), and TEA (triethanolamine).

According to the Cosmetics database, these substances are often used in cosmetics to adjust the pH. TEA causes allergic reactions including eye problems, dry hair and skin, and could be toxic if absorbed over a long period.

These chemicals are already restricted in Europe because of known carcinogenic effects. Dr Samuel Epstein (Professor of Environmental Health at the University of Illinois) says that repeated skin applications  of DEA-based detergents resulted in a major increase in the incidence of liver and kidney cancer.

What to look for

It’s all about how the ingredients are processed, and where they have come from.

Look for:

• Organic, raw coconut oil
• Coco glucoside – a non-ionic surfactant (foaming agent), synthesised from coconut and glucose
• Certified organic cocos nucifera (coconut) fruit oil
• Certified organic logos, to ensure you have non-chemically processed products.

See related topic Understanding a product labels

See also my blog Organic certification logos  or watch the video

See safe organic products

What did you think of this article? I welcome your feedback

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Lucie

www.familyhealthbeautyinfo.com

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Deodorants and breast cancer

Recently I ran an organic facial workshop and presentation for a group of women who have cancer.

They were incredibly vital, inspiring and full of humour. I had an enormous mind-shift in terms of health. Good health is the most important thing in our life – would you agree?

These 18 wonderful ladies were laughing a lot. When they did their own facials (with my assistance of course J) they talked about chemicals and toxins in beauty products and food. About how challenging it is to find chemical-free products, and how nasty commercial deodorants are.

When I asked them which products they used, the response was unanimous: ‘Certified organic’, with no chemicals or toxins! See my site  for those products.

In addition, did you know this? A toxic ingredient has been found in women with breast cancer. This ingredient may occur in deodorants.

Researchers at Columbia University have found that the breast tissue of women with breast cancer was 2.6 times more likely to contain elevated levels of PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) than the breast tissue of women without breast cancer (Rundle et al. 2000). Reference:  Cosmetics database

Look for deodorants with natural ingredients, such as: 

• Bicarbonate of soda to eliminate odours
• Aloe vera to soothe
• Bergamot – refreshing, uplifting, antiseptic properties
• Ylang ylang essential oil – normalises sebum production.

Get healthy deodorants here

And check out this helpful website

See related blog  ‘The difference between natural and organic ‘   or watch the video

See related topic ‘Understanding product labels’

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Lucie

www.familyhealthbeautyinfo.com

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Water is precious

What would happen to us if water disappeared? There would be no life.

‘A human being can survive an average of three to five days without the intake of water.’ Source Wikipedia 

Why am I telling you this, when it’s obvious?

The truth is that I feel sad when I see how we waste our precious water.

Just some examples of what I see around me: dripping taps in bathrooms and toilets, swimming pools filled with drinking water, cars washed with drinking water.

I wish we could shift our thinking from wasting water to valuing it.

Imagine if our water was switched off for couple of days. We would all realise how vital it is, and treat it with care.

Start today and treat water like something you value and appreciate. Tell others about it. If we as individuals take action we all can improve the water situation for us now, for our planet and for the future generation.

Make a difference with small measures. Be aware when you turn the tap on.

See related blogs:

Drinking too much water

Water: the beauty elixir or watch video

Water and our bodies

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Lucie

www.familyhealthbeautyinfo.com

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Drinking too much water

Source: Wikipedia  

Water intoxication (also known as hyperhydration or water poisoning) is a potentially fatal disturbance in brain function. It occurs when the normal balance of electrolytes in the body is pushed outside of safe limits by drinking too much water.

Healthy (both physically and nutritionally) people have little to worry about accidentally consuming too much water.

Nearly all deaths related to water intoxication in normal individuals have resulted either from water-drinking contests, where people try to drink more than 10 litres in just a few minutes, or long bouts of intensive exercise during which electrolytes are not properly replenished, yet massive amounts of fluid are still consumed.

See related blogs

Water: the beauty elixir or watch video

Water and our bodies

What did you think of this article? I welcome your feedback

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Lucie

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Water and our bodies

Here’s what Wikipedia says about the human body and its need for water:

Our bodies are somewhere between 55 and 78% water, depending on your size. We need 1–7 litres of water a day to avoid dehydration. The amount varies depending on level of activity, temperature, humidity and other factors.

Most of this is taken via food or drinks other than drinking straight water. It’s not clear how much water healthy people need, but most advocates agree that 6–7 glasses of water (approximately 2 litres) daily is the minimum for good hydration. If you have healthy kidneys, it’s quite hard to drink too much water, but (especially in warm humid weather and while exercising) it’s dangerous to drink too little.

But be careful not to drink too much water while exercising, as this can lead to hyperhydration, a serious condition. The idea that we should have eight glasses of water per day can’t be traced to a scientific source. Source: Wikipedia

See related blogs

Drinking too much water

Water: the beauty elixir or watch video

What did you think of this article? I welcome your feedback

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Lucie

www.familyhealthbeautyinfo.com

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Just few up lifting wisdoms

Little by Little

Any large scale accomplishment is achieved only when tackled little by little. Be patient and tackle only one thing at a time. The watch the big picture unfold

Enjoy Life

When we push ourselves to enjoy life, our food metabolises better, our blood circulates more freely and we have a greater drive to feel and look great

A word on long life

Li Chung Yun lived to be 156 years old and when asked to what he attributed his long life he answered: ‘inward calm, unprocessed foods, moderate eating and plenty of exercise. Think about it

It’s your responsibility

Remember: You aren’t responsible for the misfortunes in your life, but you are responsible for doing something about them

The sound of silence

For a few minutes every day, close your eyes and listen to the sound of silence. It’s so often the most beautiful ‘music’ of all

The law of karma

Always be aware of the choices you make and of their consequences. The law of karma states that the consequences of our decisions return to us in some way. Generate happiness and success and they will return you as the fruits of karma

Take care of yourself

Taking care of yourself is not self-indulgence; its survival. Spend just ten minutes a day utterly, shamelessly and joyfully on yourself

‘Danger’ and “opportunity’

The Chinese character for ‘crisis’ is a combination of the two words ‘danger’ and ‘opportunity’, so while too much stress can lead to disease, it can also be a great challenge. Try to see the positive potential of your next stressful situation.

See  more ‘Beauty topics’

See  more ‘Health topics’ 

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Lucie

www.familyhealthbeautyinfo.com

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