Hair Affair...Practice Safe Suds!

These signs are from a fun salon on the LES in New York. However, there is more to hair than just good (or naw-tee!) looks.

Did you see the news last week? There was a feature on CBS about a doctor in San Franscisco who ran toxicology tests on her pregnant patients. What she discovered was that 99% (!!) had at least 43 hazardous chemicals in their systems...

University of California San Francisco:

Researchers found pregnant women are literally walking around in what they call a "chemical soup," they're contaminated by dozens of potentially dangerous chemicals.
 Dr. Tracy Woodruff of UCSF says they found pthalates, DDT, polychlorinated biphenyls. Her team, analyzed blood and urine samples from hundreds of pregnant women across the country, looking for chemicals ranging from pesticides to heavy metals.
According to Woodruff 43 of these chemicals were found in virtually all the women. And that could mean repeated exposures for a developing baby. Another added concern is the mix of so many different chemicals at once.

Other tests have indicated that newborns arrive into this world, pre-polluted, sometimes with close to 300 chemicals embedded in their new bodies. That to me is absolutely stunning, but no surprise.

The doctor featured gives her patients this advice: watch your food, watch your personal care products...that is how the "chemical soup" is coming into your body...

and that is what Our Green Table focuses on cleaning up! I consider everything going in or on your body...food.

And so, let's get busy cleaning up...from your head to your toes. Safe suds only.

Whether your hair is straight

or curly, practice safe suds!

I will be a guest at Green Earth Pharmacy on Tuesday, January 25th showing off the free from harmful chemicals shampoo and conditioner that I love and feature here. Multi-use, "head to toe" safe products, I have found they are also make a great shower wash and after-shower lotion. Please join us from 6-7 to check these out...everyone who orders will receive a free $14 product and I am also having a drawing. In addition to the haircare products, I will be serving organic wine. Bring a pal...and be thinking about those friends with kids, are pregnant or have health challenges! Let me know if you plan to come so I know how much organic wine to bring. You can email me: pennyrudder@gmail.com

Here is what some clients are saying: "I LOVE LOVE this line and am so thankful that you introduced it to me!"

"My husband and I both love the new shampoo and conditioner! Thanks!"

Here is a link to the event:
http://greenearthpharmacy.com/calendar.shtml

If you really cannot come, let me bring a "Practice Safe Suds" (hair and skin) party to you! Email me. Long distance...no problem!

Next week, I am sharing a response a reader got after writing Avon...

Inside those Toe Shoes

I went to see Black Swan over the weekend and I am still in a spin over it. What a magnificent performance by Natalie Portman...truly exquisite...and the story is as psychologically grueling as the reviews have claimed.  It didn't help my emotional state that I was downing handfuls of chemically-soused popcorn for two hours either. I am weak near movie popcorn. Wretched stuff but I love it and wear it for days. I feel that, now mentally better prepared, I need to see this movie again...just as soon as I lose this popcorn weight. Call me if you want to go.

Anyway, one of the scenes prompted me to share a present I got from my DIL Reshma for Christmas...another line of healthier nail polish, RGB, that I had been eyeing for months. She gave me two colors...one is Sea, a beautiful, deep, truly sea-colored emerald that sparkles like the perfect wave and the other Scarlet...for when I want to kick it up a little. Cruelty-free and free from harmful chemicals...just my kind of glam. Look for this line online at http://www.rgbcosmetics.com/ or in select shops. (I have seen the line here in Little Rock and at Woodley and Bunny in Brooklyn.)

Next week I am sharing a Hair Affair and a gift Lissa gave me. Fun, healthy, pretty, glam-y stuff...love Women and Wednesdays.

Also, because Sous Chef Annie opted out of all the snow photos, I thought you would love to see her in her preferred setting. She is quite proud of her nails...lovely, long and dark. Oh dear...feel myself drifting back to Black Swan....

Lounge Princess Annie with Lilly on the ready at Bark Central

A Stretch and Sentry Change

Locked and Loaded

Yesterday was a little strange, in a wonderful way, because three people stopped me to say how nice my hair looked and asked what I used on it. I thought I would share the picture of what they saw (the results of my haircare search!) and make a few comments...many women who read Wednesday's Women and Wednesdays posts have hair issues. I certainly do. Lots of guys do, too. Here is a look:

Now, while this may not look like a "good hair" day to some, it is...a remarkable one. I have been using the new shampoo and conditioner and at first, I was concerned that soft, happy, shiny locks were only going to be for straight-haired gals. That is usually the story. If you know anything about the struggles of curly hair, you know that most shampoos leave a dulling film of wax (usually petroleum based), are too heavy and weight the curls down, are too waxy and gummy and cause the curls to clump or too drying and cause...geez...more frizz.

And so, this new shampoo and conditioner amaze and delight me and my hair! My curls are merry, soft and low and behold, shiny.  I shouldn't be so surprised, though...once the toxins and sludge are out, what's left is great hair and scalp food. And, no more worries about what's dribbling down my back and into my eyes and ears.  Ick. That in itself is especially important for teens, kiddos and anyone who washes their hair in the shower. This line is totally cruelty-free (for you, me, all animals and the environment) as well as gluten-free. Huge.

You, too, can have lustrous locks in time for the holidays. Let me know if you want to try some and I will help you out. It also works on sweet little babies so you don't have to worry about the lack of safety in J&J products! Send me an email , pennyrudder@yahoo.com or use this link to shop. Go to "products" then "shop". www.avaandersonnontoxic.com/pennyrudder

Remember, if you do use the link, I cannot get you free shipping and you will not be in the contest for the free brush set and other freebies. Such a shame. Best to email and take full advantage!!

Checking the list...

Ok...it is Women and Wednesdays and I am checking the list... of toxins that is. Here is the mission I have: to increase toxin awareness, educate everyone I can about it, offer safe solutions and help grow a new generation, young and old, that is as "toxin-free" as possible. Our Green Table is about food...whether it goes in or on your body, it must be nourishing and safe...even better if it is also fun.

Last Wednesday, I gave well-deserved thumbs down to that bad girl PEG. Today, I have the post office on my mind (about to drive me crazy BTW) and so I am going to share a link on nano-technology. Many companies tout their use of "nano-particles" or "specialized micro- delivery systems" to take ingredients deeper into a cell. Bullseye...right on target. This technology is also used in chemo. However, in the personal care product world, this "system" is not regulated nor are the ingredients. Many companies have wised up to the fact smart consumers will run from anything "nano" and are no longer using the nano-technology language, just the system, renamed! The risk to you could be great, especially if harmful chemicals like last weeks PEG's are used in the formulas. You will be mainlining those toxins right into your cell...bombarding them with easy access to potentially hazardous chemicals.

Here is the link; decide for yourself if a faster target is better!!http://safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=307

On a happy note, we have lots of folks eligible for that gorgeous brush set featured last Wednesday. Check it out!! There is still time for you to enter the contest and perhaps be the winner. Use this link to look over some safe solutions for you and your family's personal care: www.avaandersonnontoxic.com/pennyrudder. Go to "products" then "shop".
Email me directly if you would like to order and have me pay the shipping!! I have a"freebie account" established and can order from that for you. Email pennyrudder@yahoo.com. Our contest ends December 15th, and seriously, the brushes as well as the products are fab. Here is another look:

And, I would like to wish Elizabeth Edwards everlasting peace and her children, comfort. I admired her so. Here is a link to ABC news last night on the lights in Elizabeth's life:

http://news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625/23392057#video=23390905

Giving PEG The Brush Off

First the fun...Our first game was a hoot...and, yes, we have a winner! She selected a yummy exfoliator...great to detoxify and polish up her face for the holidays. You glow, girl!

This was so much fun that I am repeating Game Days and have a fabulous prize to award. Take a look...

These seven brushes are fabulous and you cannot buy them. They are professionally designed, super soft, non-animal and ready for our winner. Valued at $150, this is a great gift or keep for yourself!!!

To play and be eligible, go to this link: www.avaandersonnontoxic.com/pennyrudder
and select the safest skincare and haircare on the planet...the only completely zero-toxin line out there. Either shop through this link for yourself or let me place the order for you. If you email me directly to order, I will also be able to repeat the free shipping offer. I will give each order over $35, 1 chance for the brushes, each order over $68, two chances and each order over $99, three chances.

This contest runs from today (Happy December!) through December 15th. Winner will have the brushes December 16th!!

Next, in this Monday's post, I rattled off a bunch of things. harmful chemicals, that I do not want in my skin or haircare. I am going to share some facts about those so you can make an informed decision about what you do or not want in your body.

While a nice name for a gal, PEG, is a dangerous name to have on your skincare label. Many direct sales and department store brands are loaded with PEG's. 

Here is the scoop on PEG's...

How many cosmetics and toiletries do you use in a day? Go ahead and add them all up, from shampoo and body wash to makeup and hair dye. You assume those products are safe and non-toxic, right?

But did you know that, according to the government agency that “regulates” cosmetics, the FDA's Office of Cosmetics and Colors, "... a cosmetic manufacturer may use almost any raw material as a cosmetic ingredient and market the product without an approval from FDA."

That’s right. And an Environmental Working Group analysis shows that “89 percent of 10,500 ingredients used in personal care products have not been evaluated for safety by the CIR, the FDA, nor any other publicly accountable institution.”

Many common cosmetics like shampoos, mousse, moisturizers,deodorants and shaving products contain PEG compounds shown to have harmful impurities… but there are smart alternatives noted below!

That means that the cosmetics you use daily likely contain ingredients that have not been studied at all, have been studied inadequately, or worst of all, have been studied and have been found to cause harm.

Why You Don’t Want Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) in Your Cosmetics

One such ingredient that is widely used, yet seldom spoken of, is polyethylene glycol (PEG). PEG-6, PEG-150 and other similar names are all close relatives of the PEG family. PEG compounds are synthetic chemicals that turn a harsher chemical into a "softer" one, used in cosmetics as surfactants, cleansing agents, emulsifiers, skin conditioners and humectants that many believe could increase the risk of a variety of cancers, including breast cancer. They contain various harmful impurities, according to a report by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) committee that was published in the International Journal of Toxicology, including:

•Ethylene oxide: Ethylene oxide increases the incidences of uterine and breast cancers and of leukemia and brain cancer, according to experimental results reported by the National Toxicology Program.
•1,4-dioxane: According to the National Toxicology Program, "1,4-dioxane is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen."
•Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAHs): Known to increase the risk of breast cancer.
•Lead
•Iron
•Cobalt
•Nickel
•Cadmium
•Arsenic

Unfortunately, the risks associated with PEG compounds are widely underexposed. Even the CIR concluded that many PEG compounds "are safe for use" in cosmetics, yet they added that PEG compounds should “not be used on damaged skin."

Do My Cosmetics Contain PEG Compounds?

According to the Environmental Working Group, the following percentages of common toiletries contain PEG compounds and other impurities that are linked to breast cancer.


Mousse 90.3%
Hair Dye 79.5%
Baby Bath Wash 73.8%
Douche/Personal Cleanser 58.3%
Menopause Cream 54.5%
Depilatory Cream/Hair Remover 48.2%
Baby Lotion/Oil 46.4%
Anti-Itch/Rash Cream 46.3%
After Sun Products 45.5%
Lip Balm/Treatment 43.6%
Moisturizer 43.1%
Deodorant 42.7%
Facial Moisturizer/Treatment 42.0%
Shaving Products 41.3%
Anti-Aging Treatment 41.0%
Styling Product 39.6%
Eye Treatment 38.8%
Concealer 37.9%
Foot Odor/Cream/Treatment 37.3%
Conditioner 35.2%

What’s the Alternative?

It may seem like an impossible feat to find cosmetics and toiletries that don’t contain PEG or other harmful additives, but if you can move beyond the major commercial lines of cosmetics sold in department, grocery stores, drug store chains  and most direct sales companies, they can be found. Click here and you are PEG-free and safe and you may win those fabulous brushes! www.avaandersonnontoxic.com/pennyrudder

Fun and Games...a Free for All

I thought it would be fun to play a game today. It is Cyber Monday after all and we do have a new little store here on Our Green Table. It is stocked full of the non-toxic skin and haircare I have been raving about. Finally, I can share them!

Before the game begins, the first thing I had to do was fix the link. The easiest one is at the bottom of this post. It will give you a chance to look over the products and create a shopping list. Remember to email me, pennyrudder@yahoo.com  if you want free shipping! Sure, put on your party hat...this is going to be fun!

The second thing I had to do was establish a prize!!! My feeling is that anyone who plays is a winner because we are dealing in toxin-free goodies here. How can you lose? You can't. It's a free for all!!

But, one lucky person will win more. May the best one win...

From those of you who order through me today and tomorrow only, you will get free shipping (really helpful...the yummy new shampoo and conditioner are heavy) and I will put your name in the "hat" and draw one name out tomorrow night. For those of you who ordered over the weekend, you are already in! The winner will receive a free product valued up to $20. Fun!! Free shipping. Free goodies. Kid, grandkid and pet friendly, too!

And, here's what else, there will be...

no more parabens, phthalates, PEG’s, SLS, triclosan, nitrosamines, 1,4 dioxane, formaldehyde or other nasty chemicals going into our bodies, down our drains, into the environment, and into our food supplies!  Win, win, win and win!!

I am so fired up. I started off today having fun. I added in a scoop of leftover Tangerine Cranberry Sauce to my favorite shake and it was sooo good. Pretty too, kind of a burnt orange color instead of the bright carrot. Drank it down without taking a pix first. Yummy. What a fun day. Hope you have fun, too, and win! I am going to go now and wash my hair...LOVE that new shampoo and conditioner!

Here is thequick link: www.avaandersonnontoxic.com/pennyrudder
Email me to order with free shipping.

Cher-ing a Mane Event

I know, I know. It's the weekend...leftovers and football. And, articles about Cher. For a now understood reason, I have been drawn all week to a lot of stories about her. She was my teenage hair role model. Love her. Oh, how I wanted locks like hers. If you have seen my Halloween picture...

Anyway, something really exciting happened Wednesday night and I couldn't put it on my normal personal care "Women and Wednesdays" post until the official announcement was made. But I can sure post it today and while trying not to have this blog become too commercial, this is big.

Really, really important. I can't wait until next Wednesday.

I have been very worried about the toxic sludge that drips down people's warm backs, gets into their scalp, eyes and ears when they wash their hair. Most people wash their hair daily. "Use daily" should not create a health hazard and most hair products are off the chart, toxin-full and spell trouble. I have been looking for many months for better, safer, toxin-free haircare.

I now able to offer non-toxic shampoo and conditioner for men, women and children through my blog. YAY!! Now, that's a mane event! We are head to toe here! The products are rich in aloe vera, pomegranate, apricots and orange instead of harmful chemicals. Lovely.

You can order by clicking here:  www.AvaAndersonNonToxic.com/pennyrudder and going to "Products", then to "Shop". However, email me directly, pennyrudder@yahoo.com
and I can order for you and give all those who order through me, free shipping until November 30th.

Either way, let's clean up! Happy weekend!

Brazilian Wipe-out

I have curly hair with a mind and weather channel of its own. Having read a couple of books about hair, I understand that sometimes curly hair ends up on the wrong head and is a constant, annoying "bug". It is never neat and orderly. Every day, every change in the weather brings a new look. If chaos, disorder and a lack of control bother you, it is probable that curly hair and its strong-willed unruliness will, too. At least that was  what one book theorized. Makes sense to me. What does bug me though is while curly hair has my OK to rule my world, I just wish it would shine. Most curly hair doesn't.

Sometimes when my hair is mishandled, even by professionals, it is a frizz ball and even duller. Once or twice I succumbed to the "Penny, let's blow it out straight and see what it looks like! It will be soooo shiny!" tease. Shiny but not at all for me. And so, I can understand some of the temptation of the Brazilian Blowout....manageable, orderly, shiny hair.

Before you bite into the temptation, better know the poisons lurking and what one savvy state is doing to protect its ladies' shining glory. Let's wipe this product off the map! Thanks, California, for leading the charge!

http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/attorney-general-targets-brazilian-blowout-over-chemical-6586

Why do we devote every Wednesday to personal care? Because the food that comes in through your largest organ, your skin and scalp, can be a constant day in and day out diet of hazardous chemicals...and there are some very risky ones out there. This defeats the goal of total wellness. Your skin eats more than your mouth. For those of you who want to reduce your exposure to toxins from your skincare, email me. I have some great specials going on!

My Hair Peace

I am not sure having a Halloween wig that exactly matches your non-wig hair is a compliment.

You know...maybe it's a heads up? Hmmm...check this out. A little freaky how close a match it is to my own hair, right? It's hard to tell where the real stops and the fake begins. And, it is super freaky that some people wore it Halloween night as part of a costume...geez. I mean really. Show some respect.

And now, given how the cyber world works, you know what has come next. All this week, I am getting all kinds of weird "wild hair" emails, special offers from Clairol for "corrective hair color" and lots of "We can fix your hair problem!" and "Tame your mane!" spam. Come on people.

Anyway, I am way ahead of the Internet bots. For the past couple of shampoos, I have been trying out some new products. They score "0" on the hazard scale which means they are 100% non-toxic and I think are really helping moisturize my hair. Curly hair is naturally dry and mine has been on frizz frenzy all summer...kinda like the wig. I will keep you posted on all the great changes I expect to happen.

To try these products out yourself, check in Our Little Green Book of Resources and go visit the hair care suggestion. Ask for Lorrie and tell her Penny sent you! She and I have been using each others products. I am detoxifying her skin with the "0" hazard, 100% non-toxic products I love. There is a link for those skin care products also...or rather for you to send me an email and I can forward you the link for free shipping all this month (can't figure out how to get the link directly on this blog).  Great skin and hair...now that's teamwork...love it!! And, my hair peace should quiet the bots.

Back to My Wicked Ways...sort of

On the 4th day before Halloween, my True Ghoul gave to me...two Beauty Bites to keep us ghouls a-healthy...

Beauty Bite Number 1
I dearly love "party toes"...nail polished toes...for about 4-5 months out of the year. My favorite polish used to be "Wicked"...a dark, mysterious, luxurious, elegant color. Is it the deepest shade of red or deepest shade of brown??? Who knows. I just love it.

Then, I discovered blue polish and it set me free.

When I first had blue put on, a lovely shade called "Sag Harbour", I was a little underwhelmed. "Umm...excuse me. How much is it for a polish change?" Then, it transformed me and I loved it, all ten toes worth, all summer long. But, it is fall and I had to have one polish round of my beloved "Wicked" before I stuff my tootsies in boots all winter...that is until I read the toxicity scoop this polish. Drat. Toxic stuff. What's a girl to do?

Head to Zoya. They have lovely polishes...stay on forever and are pretty and healthy for polishes. Such a combo. They are available at Whole Foods and on line at www.zoya.com and are free from formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl phthalate and camphor. My "Wicked" replacement is "Nina". I just may have to go for round two before I pull the boots on. Lovely stuff.

Almost two lead feet...

Beauty Bite Number 2

Gotta admit, I have been stressing a little about my Halloween make-up. The devilish stuff never seems to stay in place. And, I have made several inquiries on the right make-up to use. 

Then, when I was doing the first post today on feet, it hit me. L-E-A-D. Here's what I found...

There is a report out on lead in children's face paints and a caution to avoid it.

Geez. We are down to the wire here...what are we witches, ghouls and goblins to do? Go au naturelle? No way. Here at our Halloween Central, we have make-up and hair scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday. The bats in the belfry are counting down the minutes...

Just in the nick of time, here are some DIY recipes from The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics for safe face paints. Now...go stir 'em up in your cauldron and have fun! Some of these sound good enough to eat.

Face Paint and Halloween Makeup

To avoid heavy metals and other potentially harmful unknown ingredients in traditional Halloween face paint, try making your own using food-based ingredients. Remember, foods can cause allergies in some kids: always test your concoctions on a small patch of skin and read up on natural food colorings before sending your little ghouls out for a night of painted fun. And don’t forget that some foods can stain skin and clothes.

1. Face Paint Made with Natural Food Coloring


Natural food coloring is available at health food stores and typically derived from foods and spices. We recommend reading up about natural food colorings and potential allergies first. Do not substitute conventional food coloring, which may contain synthetic chemical ingredients.

Ingredients:
1. Base of safe, unscented lotion (search Skin Deep for safe options) OR pure cocoa butter (available at health food stores) OR safe, fluoride-free toothpaste (search Skin Deep; avoid mint flavors, as they can make skin tingly)
2. Natural food coloring (see note above)

Mix a few drops of natural food coloring into the base ingredient of your choice. Test on a small patch of skin before applying to face or body.

2. Face Paint Made with Food

Make sure young children understand they can’t eat these paints unless you make them without the base. Test a small patch of skin first to make sure your child isn’t allergic to the food you’re using.

Ingredients:
1. Base of safe, unscented lotion (search Skin Deep for safe options) OR pure cocoa butter (available at health food stores) OR safe, fluoride-free toothpaste (search Skin Deep; avoid mint flavors, as they can make skin tingly)
2. Turmeric, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, beets, avocado, spirulina, cocoa, chocolate sauce, squid ink or other colorful foods, juices, herbs and spices

Yellow: Add 1/4 tsp. and a large pinch of stale turmeric to base.
Pink: Using a sieve, mash the juice from 3 fresh or thawed frozen raspberries, blackberries or beets directly into the base. Or, use a deeply colored berry juice or puree.
Mint green: With a fork, mash 1/4 of a small avocado until creamy. Mix this into your base.
Emerald green: Add small amount spirulina or bright green chlorophyll to base.
Purple: Using a sieve, mash the juice from several fresh or frozen blueberries into the base. Or, use blueberry juice.
Brown: Add cocoa powder or chocolate sauce to base.
Black: Use a small amount of squid ink in base for true black.
White: Mix powdered sugar and water.

A Wake-Up Story to Rise and Shine

Sunrise over Peconic Bay

Please take 3 minutes to watch this video and read through to the end of this post. Please ask me to be the friend they describe, so we can spread the word. So we can Rise and Shine.

Watch this. Contact me. pennyrudder@gmail.com
Book a date for me to share a Wake-Up Party or workshop with you. I can even do one long-distance. THIS is what I am working so hard for. We are all "children".



A Wake-Up Story from Healthy Child Healthy World on Vimeo.

This is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  

Let's give them something less to look for. In addition to the Wake-Up Party, here are two other things I can do immediately to help:

1. I can offer you this Pink Shake-Up to detoxify your insides:

2. I can offer you this special "Rise and Shine" gift to detoxify your outsides, which also will help detoxify your insides:

         A. Let's do a hazard check on your current face wash, toner, moisturizer and cosmetics.

         B. Let's bury the toxic stuff in my Cause-metic Graveyard.

.

         C. Let's replace your face wash, toner, moisturizer and make-up with truly non-toxic ones. No pink or green-washed products allowed. I will pay for your new "goods" to be shipped directly  to you. No tricks, just treats...so that you and your loved ones can rise and shine and wake up to a healthier day.

Contact me : pennyrudder@gmail.com

Tressed out from all the news

It is amazing how the world works...truly what you put out there, you get back! Yesterday, I did a post on Pittsburgh and today I intended to continue our discussion on hair and look what popped in the news:

This is Pittsbugh Steeler, Troy Polamalu who just got his hair insured for a million dollars. I have never seen him sans helmet. How does he get the helmet on?? My goodness, most of us would beg for 1/4 of that gorgeous flowing hair. Anyway, I bet it never occured to him to question the ingredients in the shampoo line (Head and Shoulders) that is insuring his locks. I think that is where a lot of people are. The whole toxicity issue has grown into a "Third Wave" and most of us are still on the learning curve.

My sweet, proactive friend SWH said as much yesterday. She hopes people will do something about everything they can before they have to!! Sounds like a great idea to me.

Meanwhile, I am still scouring through information on the hair issue. It is murky going. What I have learned is that dark dyes are the most hazard-laden and many companies' products are not yet available on the database and so it is wise to stick with the signers. At least they have agreed to be accountable!

And so, for now, stress about this is out but caution is in...a good thing. My grandmother still had very dark hair until she died in her nineties. She used to rinse her hair in tea, condition it with mayonnaise and "set" it (remember curlers?) with beer. It seems like she was ahead of the curve. Here are a few similar suggestions from Purdue University:

Natural DIY hair dyes:

Wash your hair with one of the following rinses. Pour the selected rinse through your hair 15 times, re-rinsing with the same liquid. On the final rinse, wring hair, and leave for 15 minutes before rinsing with clear water.

For Redheads: Make a strong tea of rosehips or cloves, or use strong black coffee.

Red highlights:

1/2 cup beet juice
1/2 cup carrot juice

Mix ingredients together, pour over damp hair. Let it sit for 1 hour while you sit in the sun. Wash out.

For Blondes: Mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice in 1 gallon warm water.

Blonde Highlights:

1 cup lemon juice
3 cups chamomile tea (brewed and cooled)

Mix ingredients, pour over damp hair then let sit for an hour while you sit in the sun (with sunscreen elsewhere!); wash out. Follow with a good conditioner.

Note: This process must be repeated daily for a few weeks before you notice any changes.

For Brunettes: Rinse hair with a strong black tea, or black coffee.

Note: This process must be repeated daily for a few weeks before you notice any changes.

These sound fun and give "tea or coffee with a friend" new meaning! I am going to try that carrot juice! 

Another one bites the (toxic) dust

I wash most of all of my flatware and glasses by hand. They are fragile and not dishwasher-safe. I switched to Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day products about a year ago. I also have her hand soap in the bathroom. Right after the one-two punch of the skincare and hair color info that I shared last week, I thought, OK... good. I got it down now.

No...not so fast.

One of the big hazards to be aware of in skincare, the category which dishwashing liquid and hand soaps also fall into because of frequent use and direct skin contact, are PEG's (PEG 40, 80, 100...there are lots of them) or anything ending in "-eth". These are suspect 'until proven clean' of being contaminated by 1,4-dioxane. 1,4-dioxane is not listed on any label. This known animal carcinogen and suspected human carcinogen is formed during the process called "ethoxylation" which changes harsher ingredients into a milder state, for example when lauryl is converted to laureth, by adding the petro-chemical ethylene oxide.

A consumer can identify products that may contain 1,4-dioxane by scanning ingredient lists for the common ingredients that may contain the impurity, identifiable by the prefix or designations of 'PEG,' '–eth–,' 'Polyethylene,' 'Polyethylene glycol' 'Polyoxyethylene,' or '–oxynol–' (FDA 2007).

The U.S. National Toxicology Program has concluded that 1,4-dioxane is 'reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen' based on numerous animal studies (NTP 2005). IARC classifies 1,4-dioxane as 'possibly carcinogenic to humans' (IARC 1999), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers 1,4-dioxane a probable human carcinogen (EPA 2003). Exposures to this impurity are linked to tumors of the liver, gallbladder, nasal cavity, lung, skin, and breast (IARC 1999; NTP 2005). Presence of 1,4-dioxane in cosmetics is of special concern, since it can be absorbed through the skin in toxic amounts.

Also, be particularly wary of any "nano" technology or "nano" particles used...that is where ingredients are encapsulated in a special delivery system to go deeper into the cell. You need to do a real purity check on any of those because they could be mainlining toxic stuff right to the heart of your cells!

And so, there it was, big as life on my hand soap: sodium laureth sulfate. I rushed to http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/ and entered in Mrs. Meyers and the parent company, Caldrea. Non-signers of the Compact for Cosmetic Safety with hazardous scores between 3-7. As you know from last week, I have a "safety first" blog and will not recommend any non-signer's products at all and only signer's products with hazard scores between "0" and "2". Therefore, 'nuf said about these two companies.

With stuff piling up in the sink, now what? I love this "sandwich" stage...I am surrounded by great teachers. I remembered my daughter had told me about Dr. Bronner's "magic" castile soaps, http://www.drbronner.com/
Lissa said you can use them for everything, in a pinch, even brushing your teeth! I remembered, too, that my grandmother had used castile soap. And so, I ran again to the hazard database. Dr. Bronner is a signer and his products score "1-2". Maybe I should write Michael Pollan to amend his Food Rules...to "Just eat what grandma did; just do what grandma did. Period." I have added these products into Our Little Green Book. They are a "go". I am going to go now, too, and wash up the pile in the sink!

If this post has you a little lost, read the three most recent posts under "Dressing Table Beauty Bites".  Next week, I will have more news on hair color and will share a letter from a senator.

Color Us Beautiful? Hair to Dye For

Note: Yesterday's post was our most read ever, followed closely by August 10th's. Thank you for your interest and for letting OGT help with your food and personal care safety. As best we can, we will steer you clear of all the hazardous chemical soup out there.

Last week, my dear friend T. called and asked, "Penny, are we ever going to be able to leave the house?  And, what do you know about hair coloring??"

The answer to the first question...absolutely and, if we want to, we can "dance like no one is watching", dance a jig or dance an Argentine Tango (Oh, my... such a mesmerizing dance. You will have to indulge me. I just watched Assassination Tango and this will make more sense when you see the pix below!)

That is the beauty of all of this. Choose well. Worry less. You do what you know you can with the best info at that time and that's all you can do. No worries. You will naturally become less toxin-loaded, stronger and more immune to sludge. Just go out there and live and make better choices. Have a great day and help others to the same. And, you can be assured when even better things come up, I will share them with you in posts and under the tab "Our Little Green Book". Smart shopping will get a lot easier.

Here is the checklist so far that OGT has offered up in "Our Little Green Book" for all to enjoy a better quality of life: wholesome food check, wholesome skincare check.

Answer to the second question...not much. I actually had a whole hair post ready and pulled it after I ran the companies through www.cosmeticdatabase.com. Ugh...very disappointing. Scary. And, I was going to talk about curly hair, but there is something much more urgent at the root of things today.

Here is me as little girl age 3 with my first dance partner, a doll I still have. Oh, and my brother is there, too. The other picture, me again age 22. What you can't see is my then carrot-colored hair. Fast forward to about fifteen years ago and my hairdresser said, "You know we gotta get rid of this gray, right?" Bar none, I have ugliest gray hair imaginable. Whenever I had trouble with my skin, weight, etc, my mom would always say, "There's that throwback gene again for you. It's from Papa Dick's side."

NO love lost between my mom and grandfather. Mercy. But I loved him dearly. Anyway, on this gray hair matter, I have to agree. My dad was also a redhead but had the "good" gray hair gene. As he aged, his hair faded to a luminous peaches and cream then golden white. Mine is really bad looking and so, I "enhance" the good color that is left. However, I don't want to have brain fry or worse because of it. Enter my also concerned friend.

After a frustrating search, I did come up with one company that has products available at Whole Foods and online, Light Mountain. http://www.lotuspress.com/ltmtn.htm They are signers of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics although currently in the non-compliant status which means they have not provided all the necessary info, but, for now, the products they have on the database receive a "1" with a "0" being the least toxic to "10", most toxic. Most others I looked up were AWOL or off the charts.

And so here is my plan. My next appointment, I am taking in some and we will see how it does. The pink color of the bird is freaking me out a little though!  Please tell me Frenchie is not sporting their "Light Red"...

A big plus: I have my body working for me. That is: I eat foods that support my liver and kidney's detoxifying roles (ie. primarily whole, plant-based foods) and use skin care that supports my skin's ability to do the same. Those I can do and eliminate a lot of the constant daily barrage of chemicals that just come from Living 101. Good. Check.

Hair color I limit to once every 4-5 weeks and will still keep on turning over rocks to find a better solution. On my next trip to NYC, I will do some snooping. Already have my "walk abouts" planned! And so, there are even better things coming along. I just gotta find them!

Clearly there are not enough Wednesdays in the week.

I need more time, actually, another couple of Wednesdays each week, and so, I am creating one today, on Tuesday. For those of you who are new, Wednesdays are our "girl talk" days with info that affects families everywhere.

Today, I need to finish up what began last Wednesday, a post on the health hazards of skin care, so I can dig to the root of another healthy living issue tomorrow. Before I get to a common question asked over and over after last Wednesday's post, here are some facts on skin care products that will add some background to our discussion:

•The average woman uses 12 personal care products daily exposing her to 168 chemicals each and every day. Teens use 17, exposing themselves to even more. Men, about 6.

•The U.S. cosmetic industry is self-regulating. The European Union banned the use of 1109 chemicals in its personal care products-including sodium laurel sulphate. The FDA has banned the use of 10 chemicals in U.S. personal care products. http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr;rgn=div6;view=text;node=21%3A7.0.1.2.10.2;idno=21;sid=11932eedf179169919a4f92bf2ebd207;cc=ecfr

•Some cosmetic companies argue that the level of harmful chemicals in any one product is not enough to harm you. Even small doses of some chemicals can have serious consequences in children and young women. And since you reach for the same product every day, several days a week for months or years, that "small exposure" can add up to major exposure over an extended period of time. 

Our skin is our largest organ and quickly absorbs about 60% of what we put on it...the good, bad and the hazardous.

Now...to the Question of the Week, "What about.....?"

I wrote The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics last week about the 5 brands I kept hearing about over and over about from all of you. You were having trouble finding them in the database or could just find a couple of products. All are direct sales/network marketing companies. I began to wonder if we were just missing a special tab where all those companies were located, although I had looked up a couple of others and found them and their products very easily....signers of the Compact and fully compliant.  And so, I wrote and asked.

Below is the response I got back directly from The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. Beauticontrol was also included and the info for them is the same as the 4 talked about here. Here is the email:

From: "Campaign for Safe Cosmetics" To: "Penny Rudder" pennyrudder@yahoo.com
Friday, August 13, 2010 6:46 PM

Hi Penny,

And thanks for your question.

Arbonne, Avon, Mary Kay and Melaleuca - all companies that claim to support women's health- are aware of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics but have refused to sign it. If they are truly for women's health (and disease prevention) and are making "safe" products it shouldn't be too hard for them to sign the Compact. Over 1,500 companies have signed the Compact, a commitment to manufacture personal care products free of carcinogens, mutagens and reproductive toxins.

As for lead-free products that Avon makes, it's impossible to tell without testing everything in their line. That's the shame in all of this, and it shines a light on how much work we still need to do. Nice that we have introduced the federal Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 to help remedy this!

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics does not endorse or hand-pick "safe" companies to refer customers to. The growing list of safer companies on our Web site is comprised solely of companies that have signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics. 

We get a lot of inquiries from (the above listed) customers and consultants, so if we all make it clear that we're serious about demanding safe products maybe we'll see some movement!

And, just so you know how the database, http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/ was formed, this from the book, Not Just a Pretty Face..."it was compiled from the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Compendium, a review of the safety summaries of 1,100 ingredients reviewed by the cosmetic industry's safety panel. The database compares ingredients in products to the recommendations in the Compendium and shows if the industry is even following the recommendations of its own safety manual. And further, that is the biggest irony: that this industry that is purportedly self-regulating, that pushed 30 years ago to have its own safety panel outside the FDA, was (is) not even following the advice of that panel when it comes to product safety."  And this on hazard scores, "Product ratings are brand-blind, based on a hazard classification scoring system that applies product by product, and are subject to change as scientific data develops and becomes public."

These are the facts. As a private citizen, this is what I am going to do. I have already written my congressman and have to figure out how to do more. I am going to minimize my risks. I have made my own decisions about which products I am going to use now to protect myself, stay healthy, worry less. Health=Beauty. I am moving forward with a safe solution.(August 10th post)

On this site which is all about "peace", I will offer only the "beauty" discoveries that fit the following:

1. Company must be a signer of "The Compact for Safe Cosmetics," the pledge to not use cancer-causing or hormone-disrupting ingredients in their products. 

2. Company must fully disclose product ingredients.

3. Products must earn the lowest toxicity rating of 0-2 by The Environmental Working Group's "Skin Deep Report." (Products are rated on a 0-10 scale. Zero being least toxic. Ten being most toxic.) 

4. I am adding later today a new tab "Our Little Green Book". This will be OGT's Safety Manual where I will list all the links that I have shared on this blog. Some will include special offers just for us. That way, you will have a quick and growing list of safe products available with one simple click.

I have tried to be very unemotional up until now and just share the facts. But, truly, when I learned that a cancer survivor was told to use products that on the database have known hazards, high ones at that, it ignited my passion. The power of information just got personal and I am so happy to share the new discoveries I have made. No more confusion. Just a wonderful opportunity to make life better!

If you are as passionate as I am about this, please let me know. This is a call to action. I need your help. We all do. There are some fun ways we can share the message and offer others safe solutions.

The safety levels of the products we use daily should not be best described as:

For those of you who want the full footnoted and annotated script from The Story of Cosmetics, email me.