First Impressions
The Miessence Deodorants don’t differ in packaging, style and performance to any other deodorant on the market, they are however certified organic and completely free of any nasty parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances and most importantly the dreaded Aluminum Oxide which has been linked to Breast Cancer. The packaging is not flash or sophisticated- more functional. And it’s all recyclable (plastic though) but safe to use in the bathroom. It won’t break if it slips out of your hand. The lid removes easily to reveal an easy to use roll on which works without sticking, jamming or clogging. I’ve used these for about 2 years now, and haven’t had a problem to date.
Performance
The Aroma free deodorant is just as it says, Aroma free. It literally smells of nothing and feedback from many customers is positive with no reported irritation. The Tahitian Breeze Miessence Deodorant, smells slightly sweet and spicy, and I love it, again no irritation although I’m using it regularly. The Ancient Spice deodorant smells a lot spicier like warm cloves. I have had a few reports, not many, but still have had a few that the Ancient Spice one can cause irritation in some people. So if you are particularly sensitive, I would stick to the Aroma free or Tahitian. My husband uses the Tahitian and is happy with the scent, so I would recommend them all for either sex.
Purity
The ingredients in all the Miessence Deodorants are really simple, consisting of a base of Aloe Vera, Sodium Bicarbonate, non gmo xantham gum and bitter orange fruit extract. The Scented versions contain essential oil extracts to give them their scent, such as Patchouli, Geranium and Ylang Ylang in the Tahitian.
How to Use
When you roll them on, they do leave a wet residue, which for best results you need to flap your arms around to help dry. When dry, all of these organic deodorants are particularly effective at destroying and preventing odour, but need to be used regularly to be effective (at least once a day, especially after showering). They will not stop you sweating if you do sweat a lot as they are not anti-perspirants. Antiperspirants are actually not good for the body as it is important for our body to sweat out the toxins within our system.
The Good
A good reliable deodorant, nicely scented with aroma free versions for the extremely sensitive, totally pure. Customers normally order this item in bulk from me and continue to order it once they’ve tried it once. Excellent shelf life, the sell by date is about a year ahead, so its not going off in a hurry, unless you leave it in the heat/sunlight. Keeps you smelling good all day, unless you’re doing very strenuous work, then you may need to apply again in the day.
The Not So Good
Pricier obviously than cheap high street versions, but that’s understandable given the purity and organic certification of the ingredients. But still cheaper than Green People, and its come all the way from Australia (they do carbon offset the shipping). Won’t stop the sweaty wet patch developing under your arms if you normally suffer from that, but no organic deodorant will. Not the longest lasting bottle of roll on, but not the shortest either - about average in relation to other deodorants really.
In Summary
A good solid entry into the organic underarm deodorant market; the Miessence underarm deodorant slots perfectly into the not-too-cheap, nor-too-expensive area but provides great resultsa and keeps you feeling (and smelling) fresh!
The beauty and skincare industry is a billion dollar force to be reckoned with. Many companies get away with putting all concoctions of chemicals together that may have been tested individually but may not have been tested in combination or tested to see what they turn into when they breakdown in the bottle. Slap on a smart label and a big or very small price tag and you have something – not sure what – in a bottle.
The natural and organic skincare and beauty industry is now a growing market for those who want purer products that do not carry all the growing hazards presented by high street brands. Instead of buying a bottle of chemical preservative with a few essential oils thrown in, consumers are getting savvy to what they are buying, and would rather buy a bottle packed full of pure nutrients for their skin with a little bit of preservative to keep it fresh!
So if you’re not on the band wagon yet, here are 10 reasons why you should give it a go!
1. High street brands contain 0.5 – 6% of active ingredients, the rest are made up of cheap ingredients that have no value for your skin or body, including mineral oil derived from petrochemicals, formaldehydes, synthetic preservatives ( parabens) and emulsifiers, colorants and fragrances that contain phthalates
2. Organic Brands contain on average approximately 80 – 90% active ingredients, ingredients include more expensive nutritionally based oils that are good for your skin such as Apricot oil, sea buckthorn oil, plant emulsifiers instead of synthetic ones, and essential oils instead of synthetic fragrance
3. Unlike the early brands of organic skin care and other and natural beauty products up and coming new brands are sophisticated and luxurious to use and yes, they do work!
4. The Soil Association has announced a new EU-wide, harmonised standard for organic health and beauty products. This is brilliant news for the growing organic health and beauty industry and also for the consumer as this is the first common standard in the world that will ensure clarity and transparency, so that everyone can understand what ‘organic’ means.
5. The ingredients in organic skincare products have been grown or produced without the use of pesticides, or chemical solvents, they are either wild harvested, grown from organic farms or handmade with care and attention
6. Organic skin care products are produced in a socially responsible way without harm to wildlife, the environment, people or animals.
7. Organic products tend to be Vegetarian or Vegan meaning you won’t be smearing animal fat on your face
8. Organic beauty products feed your skin rather than coating it with plasticizers or thinning it or chemically destroying it as other products can do
9. The saying you get what you pay for is very true of organic products. Sure they are more expensive than a non-organic equivalent, but at the same time you can be assured you are keeping your skin safe, are helping the environment and are pampering yourself with real luxury.
10. Organic products are non – toxic and do not cause the side effects associated with chemicals in high street products such as hormone disruption, depression, skin allergies and cancer.
Unfortunately as the Soil Association's standard has only recently been agreed, it means there are still some unscrupulous manufacturers out there that will label their products as “natural” or “organic”, yet they are no better for you than many non-organic products. The best advice is to look out for reputable brands such as Green People, Eselle Organics, Earthbound Organics and Miessence.
So what are you waiting for?
For many people who have tried organic shampoo for the first time, it can sometimes be a disappointing experience. Your hair may feel knotted and tangled, dull and even lifeless.
My sister in law in fact, eagerly ordered a bottle of the most natural organic shampoo and when I asked her about how she liked it her answer was “nah! well, it’s not for me”! My response to her was the same, does your hair feel yuk? She was so surprised to hear me describe the exact condition of her hair.
What most people don’t know is that this is a natural detox process that your hair has to go through and will only last for a couple of hair washes. The reason It happens is that your previous high street branded shampoos are laden with chemicals and plasticizers which literally coat the hair with gunk and garbage in order to give your hair that shine you want – but it’s artificial. When you strip away this layer of trash to get to your natural locks, your hair will show its natural soft, shine and silkiness.
You may wonder if it’s necessary to use natural organic shampoo, after all we normally think of our crowning glories as just “dead” strands of protein, but shampoos and other hair care products get washed all over our bodies in the bath or shower, and often sit on our scalp until our next hair wash. The scalp has just as many pores as the rest of our skin – a close look (if you can get near enough!) to any man’s bald head is evidence enough of that!
So, it’s just as easy to absorb nasty chemicals through our hair care products as it is other personal care products, but surely, shampoo and conditioner don’t need synthetic substances in them just to clean and smooth our hair?You’d be surprised!! Unfortunately, many regular shampoos for example are petro-chemical based, and petro-chemicals are well-known to be implicated in causing cancer and other illnesses. The chemical 1.4-dioxane, for example, is used in many personal care products including shampoo, and has even been found in household named baby hair care products! 1.4-dioxane is a byproduct of a petrochemical process called ethyoxylation which uses known breast carcinogen ethylene oxide to process other chemicals to make them less harsh – for example, this process turns the harsh substance sodium laurel sulfate – well-known for its skin irritating properties – into the (arguably!) more gentle sodium laureth sulfate.
The other thing that can put people off organic and natural shampoo is the lack of foaming agent in them compared to normal high street shampoos and haircare. We’re all so used to our head being a lathery bubble! It makes us feel clean! The truth is though that all that foam is not necessary. As the organic shampoo washes out through your hair it takes the grime with it anyway, so the foam is not necessary and just drying. The best way to use an organic shampoo is to wet your hair, rub a coin size amount of shampoo over your hands and then through your hair. It won’t lather at all at this stage, don’t worry, add a little water to mix the natural organic shampoo through your hair. Then add more shampoo. It will lather a bit at the second application stage. Rub all through your hair and leave for a minute before washing way. Your hair will be clean! Follow sparingly with natural organic conditioner (organic ones tend to be quite rich!)
Although even natural and organic shampoos can occasionally contain some questionable ingredients, I would recommend going for one that contains as few synthetically manufactured chemicals as possible and preferably organic ingredients for added safety and purity. The initial bad hair days will quickly pass to leave your hair naturally full of shine, bounce and vitality. Your hair will be clean without heavy disgusting residues on it.
Green People’s No Scent or Aloe Vera Organic Shampoos are great every day shampoos – cost-effective for everyday washing, and so gentle even newborn babies will be safe. Not only this but our customers tell us that they leave hair soft and silky, whilst rinsing out perfectly, and without the nasty gunky build-up you often get with regular products which seem to stick to the hair shafts rather than clean the dirt away. Essential Care Tea Tree & Herb shampoo is also one of my firm favorites for itchy, flaky scalps, again a budget buy but wonderfully effective, even on cradle cap and dandruff.
For the last year now, I’ve been using Green people shampoo at home on myself and the kids. And although it’s still a firm favorite, one day recently my 13 year old daughter told me she was bored and wanted a change for a bit. She wanted some luxury! Luckily for her The John Masters range had just come in and I gave her a few samples to try, to road test the product for me. I have never heard so many ecstatic mmms! from her before, she absolutely loved it (it’s hard sometimes getting her to buy into the organic thing, but not this time!). John Masters range of products are truly – sheer indulgence, even better than a trip to the salon, the whole range is pure heaven, leaving your hair beautifully clean, conditioned and styled totally naturally! I personally love John Masters Zinc & Sage shampoo which leaves your scalp zingily clean!
The scalp really is the key to healthy hair because although hair itself is dead protein, from the hair follicle downwards into the scalp is alive and well and in need of some regular nutrition! This shampoo will satisfy the thirstiest follicles to give extra body and shine. Another of my personal favorites is the Miessence Desert Flower Shampoo. This shampoo left my hair with masses of volume and natural shine, everyone commented on my hair when I used it, as it smelt gorgeous too.
John Masters Honey & Hibiscus shampoo, is a good reconstructive shampoo for a once-a-week hair Detox – and smells luscious! Either that, or their Clarifying hair rinse will strip all the nasty build up from your hair to leave it really clean and soft. Follow with any one of their conditioners and you really will have hair that looks like you’ve come out of the Salon everyday. It’s not hard to see why so many top celebrities and stylists have turned to John Masters. Their clever Sea Salt Sea Mist Spray is like a daily reminder of the beach with a leave-in deep conditioning protective formula for daily use.
Styling can also leave a lot of gunky chemicals on your head that are no good for your scalp or your hair. We love Miessence styling gel, it’s our best seller, and flies off the shelves. It will style your hair naturally giving you hold and body. If you need something firmer like a wax, then back to John Masters to their Hair Pomade. Frizzy ends can be tamed with their own organic version of Defrizzer, so Their really is no excuse not to have natural hair anymore.
So take my advice, brave the hair detox, you won’t regret it!
With new reports becoming apparent about the link of mouthwash with oral cancer, there will be an alarming number of people affected. Many people religiously use various mouthwashes as part of their dental routine. But as highlighted in the Telegraph’s news story on the 13th of Jan, the alcohol in mouthwashes can break down to produce a dangerous carcinogen called acetaldehyde.
This remains within the oral cavity, making the mouths lining more permeable to chemicals such as nicotine (even more bad news for smokers) as well as contributing directly to an increased risk of developing oral cancer.
Although one solution is to avoid mouthwashes altogether, they can also be limited to short term medical use, the professor suggests.
Another option we recommend is Miessence alcohol free version of organic mouthwash, which will have your breath smelling fresh but without any nasty side effects. In fact Miessence produces an entire range of organic oral care products including organic toothpaste and organic breath freshener spray, all of which are available online at buyOrganics.co.uk
Mineral makeup is THE biggest thing in cosmetics right now, and for once, the concept behind these flawless foundations, eyeshadows, lipsticks and even mascaras, seems to be going in the right direction, away from artificially produced chemicals and towards more naturally derived ingredients. Lowering our toxic overload from personal care products must be high on everyone’s beauty agenda right now, as we aim to create a flawless finish without clogging our pores, ingesting carcinogenic ingredients and polluting the environment with manmade chemicals. And what’s the point of spending all that time and effort using organic, toxin-free soaps, shampoos, deodorants and bubble baths when the moment we step out of the shower and get to the mirror, we start loading regular cosmetics onto our faces and nails?
But, don’t just grab your purse in panic and rush down the road to the nearest chemist to buy up stocks of the latest mineral makeup from the shelves! Despite claims of natural, healthy and pure ingredients, even the most cursory of scans of the packaging will prove that even in the so-called pure world of mineral makeup – once again, organic cosmetics stand out on their own not only for safety and consideration for the environment, but for purity and importantly, performance!
Organic mineral makeup products are made from a pure mixture of mica, iron oxide and titanium dioxide as well as a range of different organically extracted essential oils. Many high street brands are loaded with synthetic fillers and preservatives, such as talc, bismuth oxychloride, parabens and phlalates, which as well as being toxic, can irritate the skin and block pores.
Top luxury organic online beauty store buyOrganics tried and tested a number of products before settling on their new makeup range, which we are now delighted to introduce to you. We now stock the organic, vegan makeup range by Inika, which includes a range of twelve different shades of organic mineral foundation which acts as a foundation, concealer and powder, all in one.
We have found that even the most sensitive skins and those with visible facial skin complaints such as redness and rosacea not only benefit from the superior coverage of the Inika organic makeup, to name but one, but also the benefits of leaving pores able to breathe and the natural sun protection factor of the ingredients (iron oxide and titanium oxide are also used in organic sunscreens to provide excellent protection from both UVA and UVB rays). This means that as well as being safe internally, your foundation also has anti-ageing properties. They are so safe for use that they can even be used straight after facial cosmetic surgery. What we particularly like about using mineral foundations is the ease of application and the fact that one pot will last a very long time, meaning a sharp decrease in packaging and necessity to keep buying the product – making it a true investment! Only the smallest amount is required and once you get the hang of controlling the brush to apply the powder, we guarantee this method of facial coverage will knock minutes off the usual time it would take to use a liquid or pressed foundation.
The real secret with mineral makeup, from foundation to eyeshadows and even lip colours is in the brushwork – you will become an artist in no time! The knack is to use either a flat foundation brush (buyOrganics stock the Inika vegan brushes) or a blusher brush, take up a small amount of the powder knocking it against the pot to rid the brush of any excess, then apply in bold, rounded movements to the face. You can either cover the entire facial area or simply pay attention to areas which need more coverage (which is where a concealer brush, again using the foundation powder under the eye area comes in useful), so one product goes a very long way, making your cosmetic bag light and simple, and less packaging too. Covering blemishes but allowing your natural beauty to shine through to give a healthy, glowing complexion can’t be bad!
Eyeshadows can be applied simply as powder with an eyeshadow brush or for more definition close to the lashes, or for a dramatic evening or party look, wet the brush, take off the excess water and dip into the eyeshadow powder for an effect similar to watercolours, you can build up the colour as you wish. Use a base colour such as Inika’s Bling Bling over the eye lid up to just below the brow line, then fill in the eye socket area with another colour – we love the depth of Inika’s Purple Haze. You can even use the eyeshadow as an eyeliner by dampening an angled brush and using the eyeshadow wet to create perfect lines of any colour you like. If you’re a stickler for your eyeliners though, Inika’s eyeliner pencils come in a range of shades – try Sage with your Purple Haze eyeshadow for a fantastic festive party look – and they come with a handy sharpener on the pencil lid – again cutting down on makeup bag bulge!
You mustn’t forget blusher, giving depth, definition and a healthy glow day or night. The Inika kabuki brush together with their blusher powder (four sensational shades) will complete your healthy look. With such gorgeous products giving fantastic effects and also vegan and organic, why would you choose anything else? It’s a no-brainer really! See the entire range of organic makeup from buyOrganics, including Inika, Miessence, Nvey Eco and just in – non-toxic nail polishes from Zoya – from buyOrganics and get the safest, purest beauty looks around!
Makeup is important. Pouty lips and luscious eyes make us feel good but - trust me! There’s nothing glamorous about absorbing up to 5lbs of synthetic chemicals into your body every year – formaldehyde, phthalates, synthetic polymers, parabens, chemicals solvents, VOC’s amongst a few. Yet the makeup you buy over the counter that makes you look ‘oh so gorgeous’ is feeding you just that according to a leading biochemist. Each day women apply several different cosmetics to their skin, during which they are exposed to lead, cadmium, and arsenic, which are also incidentally found in shampoo’s deodorants and perfumes.
Whilst you quibble over whether Chanel, L’Oreal or Estee Lauder is best, we’ll take a deeper look into the ingredients of those beloved lipsticks, blushers, mascaras and foundations that grace your cosmetic bag and your skin. It feels good when you open your bag and it’s full of beautifully packaged luxury makeup, don’t get me wrong, I’m not particularly singling out the above brands, just pointing out that when we choose our cosmetics, we are often choosing a brand that says more about our lifestyle than even our clothes - they are expressions of who we want to be and what our priorities are. We choose a brand that represents us.
We buy from places that we feel familiar and comfortable with, where we fit in. This can unfortunately play on our sense of ego and then bypasses our basic rights to being provided with products that are not polluting us. Often the primary factors that govern women’s choice is image, packaging, and price but If you’re going to eat about 6lbs of lipstick in your lifetime, I would say ingredients needs to figure as top of the list -make it sure it’s safe!
Although off the shelf products meet federal and government safety tests, because they tell you the toxin quantities are so small as not to harm you, imagine that you are ingesting this stuff over a whole lifetime, and not just through one product, but all the products you use. There is no evidence to suggest that when combined with other makeup and toiletries, the chemical concoction will not cause you harm. Also the chemicals that are ingested and absorbed through the skin can build up in our body and be stored in our fat cells only to be released later in life. No wonder certain cancers are on the increase!!
Here’s a quick heads-up on the chemicals that plague your cosmetics and what you need to avoid:
Phthalates:
Some side effects reported of exposure to phthalates are damage to various organs such as the kidneys, liver and lungs. These are used as plastic softeners in nail polish, hair sprays and many other toiletries. They also help the fragrance in your product last longer. Research has found that phthalates may have a disruptive effect on human hormones, possibly causing birth defects and liver damage. Both DEHP and DBP (the later is often present in nail varnish) are classified as class 2 compounds, toxic to reproduction, but are still present in many cosmetics
Parabens:
In a nutshell, parabens are used as preservatives in most cosmetics and skincare products, including foundation, eyeshadow, mascara, eyeliner and hairspray. There are several types of parabens that exist in common formulations; Methylparaben, propylparaben, butyleparaben and ethylparaben. As well as being linked to hormone disruption and various cancers, they can irritate the skin. They have been detected in human breast tissue as they can even act as oestrogen mimics -increased oestrogen levels are linked to cancer.
One, propyl paraben, has been shown to adversely affect male reproductive functions; at the “daily intake level” currently acceptable under EC law, it decreased daily sperm production. (Oishi, S., ‘Effects of propyl paraben on the male reproductive system’; Food and Chemical Toxicology, 40: 1807-1813 (2002))
VOC’s
A lot of makeup contains VOC’s, such as formaldehyde and ethanol. These have be shown to cause eye, nose and throat irritation, difficulty breathing, allergy symptoms and headaches. Formaldehyde is considered a probable carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the formaldehyde in your lipstick gets ingested. We probably eat about 6lbs of lipstick in our lifetimes – not so yummy!
Chemical Solvents
Amongst this nasty bunch of chemicals is acetone, toluene, butyl acetate, ethyl acetate and alcohol. They have been linked to many different health problems from headaches to liver damage whilst also causing harm to the environment.
Synthetic Polymers
Synthtic Polymers are ingredients such as polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). These synthetic substances are derived from petrochemicals and used in mascaras, eyeliners and hairsprays to ‘fix’ the product to your skin or lashes. Watch out for them in natural and eco-friendly hairsprays too; they have been linked to headaches, dizziness and allergic reactions.
buyOrganics founder Sonia recommends some Natural alternatives in Organic Cosmetics and Makeup to keep you looking a million dollars!
The Phthalate DBP and toluene, another toxic chemical is found in nail polish. This compound is flammable and can make the nails dry and brittle. Instead of using the chemical based polishes found on the market, you could use a natural water based polish, but these do not last long and have to be removed quickly otherwise they become impossible to remove!
I love Zoya Nail Polishes for totally natural nails because they are long lasting, don’t have to be removed quickly and come in over 300 shades, we stock around 80! Worn by the stars!
Choose mineral based eyeshadows such as Nvey Eco or Inika as eyeshadows traditionally contain a chemical called polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). This compound has been shown to cause an allergic reaction in some people. It is important to read all product labels before purchasing any brand of eye shadow and avoid those that contain PVP. Both Inika Eyeshadow and Nvey Eco Eyeshadows are totally natural and don’t contain synthetic fillers such as Talc or Bismuth oxyclorane or PVP either.
Lipsticks traditionally contain petroleum, chemical fragrances or FD&C colours and can contain formaldehyde, lipsticks containing lead and heavy metals can be especially dangerous for pregnant women. Children exposed to lead have been shown to have impaired school performance and lower IQ compared to children un exposed. Always choose natural organic lipsticks that do not contain synthetic colours or preservatives. I love Nvey Eco and Inika natural organic lipsticks, which come in a great range of natural colours without synthetic colours and toxins. Miessence has been cited by The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics to be one of the purest ranges on the market.
When choosing a loose or powder foundation, its best to choose organic as the organic cosmetics do not contain talc which has been linked to cancer. No-talc powders instead use bentonite and/or kaolin as well as essential oils which have been extracted from plants that have not been treated with pesticides and herbicides. Organic foundations also do not contain paraben preservatives such as methyl parabens or propyl parabens. I love Miessence and Nvey Eco cr̬me and liquid Foundations Рthe same mineral formulations in a cream format for people who like a cream rather than a powder. Inika Mineral foundations give such fantastic coverage that they can even cover skin problems such as acne, rosacea and scarring completely naturally.
The Miessence Deodorants don’t differ in packaging, style and performance to any other deodorant on the market, they are however certified organic and completely free of any nasty parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances and most importantly the dreaded Aluminum Oxide which has been linked to Breast Cancer. The packaging is not flash or sophisticated- more functional. And it’s all recyclable (plastic though) but safe to use in the bathroom. It won’t break if it slips out of your hand. The lid removes easily to reveal an easy to use roll on which works without sticking, jamming or clogging. I’ve used these for about 2 years now, and haven’t had a problem to date.
