love natural skincare: how can water be a plant?

love natural skincare: how can water be a plant?: Something cropped up recently on a skin care label which made me prick up my antennae. As a conscientious business owner I like to keep...

how can water be a plant?

Something cropped up recently on a skin care label which made me prick up my antennae.

As a conscientious business owner I like to keep abreast of what my competition are doing and I came across a skin care company in New Zealand claiming to be  be a ‘natural, organic, skincare’.  As I produce a range of skin care which is totally (100%) made from plant based ingredients I checked them out and was surprised to find that they state they contain 99% of plant derived ingredients. Sounds good so far...

They offer a range of products-some gel and some cream. The following is the ingredient list from a cleansing product and it contains:

“aqua (water), aloe barbadensis leaf juice, sodium cocoyl glutamate, sodium lauroylamphoacetate, glycerin, hoheria populnea (lacebark) extract, cucumis sativus (cucumber) extract, guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, citrus limon (lemon) fruit extract, zizyphus jujuba fruit extract, carica papaya (paw paw) extract, mel (honey), rubus idaeus (raspberry) seed oil, hibiscus sabdariffa (hibiscus) flower extract, phenoxyethanol, ethylhexylglycerin, backhousia citriodora (lemon myrtle) oil, geranial*, citral*, citric acid”.

How can this list be derived 99% from plants when the first ingredient is WATER- in any  formulations this will be at least 50 and probably nearer 80% of the formula. Cosmetic labeling in NZ follows international conventions whereby the ingredients must be listed in descending order and anything at less than 1% can be in any order at the end. If this label conforms to the convention then water is the first and most voluminous ingredient.

The second ingredient is aloe juice (this is different to the gel) so probably makes up some of water percentage. however this still doesn’t add up to 99%. 

The preservative ‘phenoxyethanol’ is typically used at 1% so anything below that is definitely at less than 1% per item.  Thus this formula contains the following non plant derived ingredients:

Aqua (water) estimate at 50%

sodium lauroylamphoaceta (a conditioning agent) probably up to 5%

glycerin- may be animal origin as plant not stated usually up to 2%

mel (honey)- produced by bees so not a plant ingredient- usually no more than 1-2% of a formula

Ethylhexylglycerin-”Ethylhexylglycerin is a relatively new chemical on the market.  Many companies use it as an alternative to parabens and claim that it's from natural sources.  Yes, it may have started out as a vegetable oil, but it's gone through several chemical processes to become what it is.  This isn't the worst ingredient in the world, but it's also not truly natural, and safety data is highly lacking for this ingredient. “ (Chemical of the Day Website). This could be up to 1%

So...based on the above list this product is at least 54% derived from non plant ingredients- talk about false advertising! 

I am following up this company and their claims with the Advertising Standards Authority in NZ.... why not be honest.

PRODUCT LISTINGS | SAFE Shopper

PRODUCT LISTINGS | SAFE Shopper
Check out NZ companies and of course we are listed AND are VERIFIED cruelty free!!!

Anya's Garden Perfume: Ask the Perfumer - Sunday, October 16, 2011 - unt...

Anya's Garden Perfume: Ask the Perfumer - Sunday, October 16, 2011 - unt...: Just harvested a bunch of pink lemons from my tree, and will be harvesting the leaves for a petitgrain distillation. It's so much fun growi...

Dr Wendy's in Hong Kong

Dr. Wendy's 100% Botanical Skin Care is now in store at the Wellness Centre at ThreeSixty Store, 3/F The Landmark Hong Kong. Product is also available for sale from http://www.drwendyasia.com/ or http://www.doctorwendy.net/. To celebrate our launch in Hong Kong we are giving away a full size toner for free (value HK$200) to every customer who purchases full size product. Also available are mini sets of product to try at a special launch price of HK$120.00- these contain 6 mini products. We know our products are good- but why not hear it from others? This review was published just in time for the launch. Wendy and Ian are personally in store until the 29 August- drop by and say hi, try the products and if you mention this blog you can receive a free gift of ULTRA TREAT WHITE TEA SERUM or our newest product NATURAL RADIANCE.

We are also at the Natural Products Expo at the Hoing Kong Convention Centre from the 25-27 August with our Earth's Gift Natural Skin Care range as well as the Dr. Wendy's. We are actively seekling distributors on Asia for these ranges. We will be at the Natural Products New Zealand Stand in the New Zealand Pavillion. This is a trade only show.

On the 27 August Wendy is presenting a workshop at the Asia Pacific Aromatherapy Training School. This workshop is sold out and all participants will recieve free skin care products as well as learn lots about hydrosols, essential oils and mouth care and anything else they may wish to ask Wendy!

After Hong Kong Wendy heads to Singapore for a few days to sepnd time with Tracy at the Organic Basic Store at myvillage. Drop by and try the wonderful products Tracy has and say hi to Wendy.

Back in New Zealand the mineral make up range is expanding and can be pruchased on line from http://www.fromnature.biz/.

All the best

Wendy

NOW ARRIVED-Natural Radiance Moisturiser- the HEALTHY way to a brighter complexion- suits all skin types and nationalities- please we have a great intro offer for you!

New Product Launch and Wendy's mini tour of Asia in August

We have been busy behind the scenes at Dr. Wendy's 100% Botanical Skin Care with the imminent launch of our latest product "NATURAL RADIANCE' moisturiser. After two years of searching and researching this product has a number of functions and is suitable for all skin types. Many people are concerned bout an uneven skin time, blemishes,s cars, redness or desire a lighter, more radiant complexion. Traditional 'whitening' products contain chemical ingredients which can have some long term undesirable effects ranging from thinning of the skin, bruising, to cancer, liver and kidney failure. A good review of these risks is here.

Here at Dr. Wendy's we are only about producing products which are based on a  philosophy of promoting health- through the use of ingredients which are beneficial to the skin whilst also being healthy for the planet. We have been concerned for some time about the growing demand for lightening and bleaching agents. Therefore we have developed 'Natural Radiance' as a SAFE, healthy alternative to the harsh chemical lightening products. Our products don't bleach the skin, rather they work at a more cellular level, promoting a healthy cell turn over, reducing erythema (redness) and reducing the overproduction of melanin by up to 4%. Melanocytes, the cells responsible for melanin can be over stimulated by UVA exposure (tanning), infection and hormones (e.g. the 'mask of pregnancy').  What this means is your skin will have a brightness to it, be more luminous. Over time there will be a reduction in the appearance of uneven skin tone and reduction in skin discoloration. Users can be confident they are using a product which is SAFE and free of the undesirable side effects of chemical bleachers which are bases on hydroquinone and mercury. This product is available by mail order only at the moment-visit www.doctorwendy.net for updates on stockists.

Check out our ace book book page for details of Wendy's tour of Hong Kong and Singapore in August. See us here

Janey Loves Lucy Rose

Hot Topic- The Use of Glycerine in Natural Skin Care Products

Glycerine- a common and age old ingredient on many cosmetic products (and also some food products). One of the most well known use for glycerin is in clear soaps. So what is it, where does it come from, why is it used and do we need it in our skin care????

I am writing this from a skin care formulators/consumers perspective rather than a detailed chemical treatise on it.  We started using  a vegetarian source of glycerin in micro amounts in some of our products to act as a carrier for a couple of water insoluble ingredients. The previous coconut oils based liquid emulsifier we used was found wanting, and contained too many synthetics for our philosophy. Glycerine seemed the most acceptable and cost effective replacement as it had the characteristics of being odorless, colourless and easy to work with. However time has moved on and more details have emerged which has left this ingredient wanting, in my opinion. Time for some more digging....

The main way glycerine is produced is through the process of soap making as part of saponification. Soaps can be made from either animal or vegetable fats, thus the glycerine produced may not be vegetarian. In addition to this, many soaps are made from palm oil, so again if a consumer is trying to avoid palm oil derived products this furtehr raises the question about the source of glycerine.

As a product glycerin (glycerol) is a odorless, colourless viscous liquid. It has been assigned the E number E422. It can also be added to propylene glycol (anti freeze) and used as a humectant for the skin. Within the food industry glycerol is widely used as an emulsifier and used in margarine, shortenings, ice creams. Sometimes it is approve dfor use as  a sweetener in low carb diets due to its low glycaemic index.

In herbal medicine it is widely used as a solvent for raw herbal material, especially where it is desirable to avoid alcohol.

As an aside glycerin is also a key part of the manufacturing of gunpowder and other explosive materials as well as some cardiac (heart) medication.Wikipedia has a great page full of all the technical specs relating to glycerine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycerol).

It seems as if the commercial production of glycerol was around the 1880’s and initially was part of the candle (tallow) industry) and then production increased along with the need for gunpowder.

The technical properties of glycerine are that  it has 3 alcoholic hydroxyl groups which accounts for its solubility in water. It is also considered ‘hydroscopic’, meaning that it absorbs water from the air. there is now added concern of the apparent glut of glycerine produced as a waste product of the bio diesel industry. It seems that since 2005 there has been a decreasing price and increasing stock piles of this ingredient due to the bio diesel industry.

Are there any risks to using glycerine in skin care? Whilst there is some concern around the ingestion of large amounts of glycerine, these risks do not appear to be the same for applying through the skin. Due to the size of the glycerine molecule it is not absorbed through the skin. However, there are some considerations oif you are desiring a natural skin care product. Glycerine listed by itself on a label, with out any qualifier could be from any source (animal, vegetable, synthetic). Also it is a cheap ingredient and could be used to pad out a product. Whilst it does have some moisturizing and protecting qualities, the converse is sometimes true if too much is used in a product.

Vegetarians/Vegans and those with environmental concerns will want to know whether the glycerine is from plant sources, and whether it is from palm oil (Orangutan friendly) or form non GMO crops. Suppliers may not be able to guarantee this.

From a  formulators point of view we have decided to remove this ingredient from our formulae, even though we know our ingredient meets all the credentials. Its emollient and solvency actions can be replaced by other ingredients which have been ‘fiddled’ with less and therefore can be considered plant derived.

Natural industry awards its leaders at New Zealand Natural Products Summit | Press Release content from New Hope 360

Natural industry awards its leaders at New Zealand Natural Products Summit | Press Release content from New Hope 360

Mineral Make Up Range Launch

After much searching and testing I have now put together a bespoke range of mineral make up products. These include eye shadows/blushers/ foundations and a highlighter. These are all sold in a powder form and are of the purest kind of ingredients possible- we absolutely reject all nano particles/parabens/talc/bismuth chloride.  We blend a variety of micas and oxides to create the products. 

These are all available at www.fromnature.biz- wholesale enquiries welcome!

Earth's Gift Salon Range and new look

This range of natural skin care continues to expand- we have now added some bulk salon sized items which are perfect for the smaller clinic- the Chocolate foot mask has been a hit with all the testers! We make these fresh to fill an order- we can also custom make products for you (MOQ applies).

Please enquire! We sell the Earth's Gift range of natural skincare direct to retail via online. With the new look (coming soon) this range will also suit retail outlets so we welcome wholesale enquiries.

Dr. Wendy's 100% Botanical Skin Care

This range is undergoing some further modifications as we move towards organic certification. Gradually organic sunflower oil is replacing apricot kernel oil where it is used-we are also changing all products over to an eco cert olive based emulsifier. We have also decided to remove glycerine from our formula and replace it with a olive based emollient for its superior skin softening properties. As we are committed to being palm oil free we have found it hard to source glycerine which can be guaranteed to be palm oil free. Also a number of clients have expressed concern at possible allergies to glycerine. During my recent trip to Singapore I was privileged to spend time with the orangutans that roam free at Singapore Zoo which furthered my resolve to be palm oil free in every way. We have also completed the development of all our salon products and will be working at increasing the availability of these to outlets in NZ and around the world.

Our Award!

At the recent Natural Products New Zealand summit we were thrilled to receive the Excellence in marketing Award- as a small (but growing) business it is sometimes hard to get 'noticed' alongside the big guys- but we are making our mark out there- by sticking with our authentic principles and supplying quality products we are meeting the needs of discerning customers worldwide.

A handy home recipe-

Fabric softener- I make this all the time using second cutting lemon geranium hydrosol from www.lavender-impressions.co.nz . To litre hydrosol add 1 cup white vinegar and 1/2 cup baking soda. Once the fizzing has settled down add 1ml lavandin and 1 ml lemon essential oils. I use approx. 1/4 cup per load.

Natural Health Industry Awards its Leaders

Natural Health Industry Awards its Leaders

We were thrilled to win the James and wells Excellence in marketing Award!

Know The Ingredients in your Personal Care Products - Health Tips from EWG | Environmental Working Group

Know The Ingredients in your Personal Care Products - Health Tips from EWG | Environmental Working Group

COSMOS-standard, go! | Beyond Beauty Blog

COSMOS-standard, go! | Beyond Beauty Blog

This is great news for the organic products industry- here at Dr. wendy's 100% Botanical Skin CAre we will be reviewing our processes and formulae and begin the process of acquiring a globally recognized organic certification. Already our products contain over 80% certified organic ingredients and same contain up to 95%. Check out the products at www.doctorwendy.net or www.fromnature.biz

Steps taken towards global definition of ‘natural’ cosmetics

Steps taken towards global definition of ‘natural’ cosmetics: "Natrue has taken steps towards a globally recognised definition for the use of the term natural in personal care products by partnering with US certifier NSF International."

This is only part of the story- a good step but we are still a long way from a global harmonization standard defining both 'natural' and 'organic'. Of course we feel quite safe in the sense that Dr. Wendy's 100% Botanical meets ALL requirements for being natural- nothing more natural than plants! We also have a minimum of 70 % organic and up to 95% organic ingredients in our products.

Launch of our brand new website

Our brand new site www.fromnature.biz has just gone live and this is our retail site for natural skin care, contract manufacturing and bulk products. There may still be some tweaking needed for site so please be patient as we go through the process. Also  Dr. Wendy's products can now be bought from www.doctorwendy.net -postage is included in the price for all domestic (NZ) orders and a small surcharge for international orders. We look forward to serving you from either site!
All the best Wendy

Lemon Geranium Harvest and Distillation

I had a fantastic day of hard work helping harvest over 400 kg of lemon geranium and helps distill it. This ingredient is used in many of the products I create- for full article and link through to video on you tube visit my blog atwww.doctorwendy.net

Skin Nutrition Antioxidants

Check out my other blog with an interesting article on skin nutrition.
www.doctorwendy.net