Author Archive for jrcasper

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, Ingredients Discussion: Sodium Borate

Sodium Borate is another controversial ingredient on the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics/Skin Deep data base. In this post, I’ll be going over some basic information to help consumers understand from a practical perspective, what the hazard ratings, and test studies really mean.

Where does sodium borate come from? This is what Wikipedia says:

Borax occurs naturally in evaporite deposits produced by the repeated evaporation of seasonal lakes. The most commercially important deposits are found in Turkey, Boron, California, and Searles Lake, California. Also, it has been found at many other locations in the Southwestern United States, the Atacama desert in Chile, and in Tibet and Romania

It’s basiccally a salt that occurs when a lake starts drying up. The material is exposed above water line and is carried away in trucks.

So…if I could present a simple statement: Not all things ‘natural’ are ‘good’ for the human system. On the top end of the scale would be something like mercury, which wreaks havoc on human brain functions if it remains within the blood and fatty deposits.

So, as natural as sodium borate is, I’m not saying that you can eat it for dinner. The important information is what is a safe usage?

Here is a statement from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics about toxicological studies (performed on rats) that were reviewed by the managers of the Skin Deep data base.

” Given the incomplete information made available by companies and the government, EWG provides additional information on personal care product ingredients from the published scientific literature. The chart below indicates that research studies have found that exposure to this ingredient — not the products containing it — caused the indicated health effect(s) in the studies reviewed by Skin Deep researchers. Actual health risks, if any, will vary based on the level of exposure to the ingredient and individual susceptibility — information not available in Skin Deep. “

Essentially, what is in question here, is whether you are spreading some raw sodium borate on your skin, and leaving it there, or whether there is a percentage of sodium borate in your products that is low enough not to cause reactions.

The internet nets this statement about the toxology of Sodium Borate:

Borax, sodium tetraborate decahydrate, is not acutely toxic. ^[9] Its LD₅₀ (median lethal dose) score is tested at 2.66 g/kg in rats. ^[10] This does not mean that it is safe, merely that a significant dose of the chemical is needed to cause severe symptoms or death.

So how do you, as the end consumer, know whether the percentage that Monave uses in its creams is safe? How can you trust a manufacturer with murky, unspecified, evidence out there?

I believe that the truth is in the product. At one time, I had contracted out for a manufacturer to craft Monave’s skincare line, as I was simply too busy with a new baby to do it anymore. ( I won’t mention the company’s name publicly). During the time that I was using the facial creams made by this supposedly pure manufacturer, my face continually broke out. I had dehydrated, and acneic skin. Thank heavens for my mineral foundation at this time which covered and soothed the constant inflammations. Their explanation was that I was sensitive to essential oils (which I’m not). I found out later, after discontinuing our relationship, that this company was buying bases from a vendor that routinely uses allergens, and repackaging it as a handmade product, and that there were many ingredients in it that I was allergic too. ( I have extremely sensitive skin). Once I went back to making my own, my skin healed, and I now have a manufacturer that I can trust.

So truthfully, if you apply our Daily Rose Facial Moisturizer day after day, and your skin improves, I think it would  be safe to say that there wasn’t enough sodium borate in the product to irritate your skin, otherwise it would be irritated. Makes sense? The proof is in the product.

What is borax for anyway? It softens and makes the beeswax in a cream, ’spreadable’. If you put beeswax in a cream, and you don’t use sodium borate, it becomes a bit sticky, and doesn’t move under your finger. The two go hand in hand.

So, that begs the question: Why use beeswax in a cream? It creates a water-in-oil emulsion. That means that droplets of water are surrounded by droplets of oil. This creates a very moisturizing cream, especially helpful for dry skin sufferers.

To bind oil and water together (that’s what a cream is, essentially), without beeswax, the alternatives are mainly synthetic, or plant derived emulsifiers. (one to avoid is emulsifiying wax NF which has polysorbate 60 in it) that create a oil-in-water emulsion. A cream made this way dries faster on the skin, and doensn’t moisturize quite as intensely.

The other advantage to beeswax is that it is a wonderful preservative, very important for a natural product line that is using minimal preservatives. And has many skin-healthy properties associated with ingredients made by bees, such as honey. So in summary:

• Sodium borate is a naturally occuring mineral.
• It’s an essential element in a handmade beeswax cream.
• You shouldn’t eat it or slather it all over your skin
• When used properly, in low concentrations, it is a perfectly safe ingredient to use in skincare
• The capaign for safe cosmetics states that products containing it have not been proven to be unsafe or toxic.
• The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics requires vendors, such as Monave, to report the percentage of sodium borate in products (which we have done), ,to ensure that is being used properly.

Well, I hope that this information is at least somewhat helpful.

Deborah Bilezikian,

President

Monave Mineral Cosmetics

Popularity: 18% [?]

Understanding the Information on Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

I’m writing a brief note to try to help mineral makeup users understand the data that they are seeing on the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. It is very confusing, even for those of us who have been doing this for years. If you’re not familiar with the Campaign, it was designed to create healthy standards for cosmetics in the U.S., since our industry is underegulated. Unfortunately, the information and studies used to create the hazard ratings are oftentimes wholly unrelated to the usage of the ingredients, thereby making the data completely useless, and actually faulty.

Many of the studies quote animal testing, which I find painful to read at best. The Campaign states that it does not support animal testing, yet it quotes study after study in which very tiny animals (rats, mice, and rabbits) have ingredients injected or fed to them, that then make them sick. I believe that quoting these studies in and of itself, is an implicitly implied support of animal testing, in complete opposition of the Campaigns public statement against such testing.

Here are some specific errors that I find in the tabulation of evidence. I used zinc oxide as my example:

1. Inclusion of other minerals in the list: Several of the quoted studied referred to ‘zinc compounds’, instead of zinc oxide. Zinc compounds are not the same as zinc oxide and should not be included.

2. Tacking manufacturing practices onto the end user (end user being Monave in this case): This is especially evident as it relates to ecological concerns that are raised, ie, that if large quantities of zinc oxide are dumped into waterways, that contamination and degradation of wildlife occurs. This is the case with any ingredient dumped into waterways. For example, in Baltimore, there is runoff from yards, and farms into our Bay, and that runoff includes fertilizers. It doesn’t matter if they’re natual, or synthetic, the concentrations of fertilizers, combines with warm water in the summer, creates an overgrowth of algae, called an algae bloom. Then all of the fish go belly up, because there isn’t enough air for them to breathe. Is the fertilizer at fault? No, it’s a multitude of factors that cause this problem. So people fertilizing their lawn, and the manufacturers are not at fault, it’s lack of public legislation that would prevent and control these factors. So, back to zinc oxide, what would prevent contamination of aquatic life would be legislation prohibiting manufacturers of mineral compounds, and mining companies, from having access to waterways for waste removal.

3. Testing that uses routes of entry unrelated to normal consumption of end product: One of the studies quoted this as a concern

Developmental/reproductive toxicity
type of concern product conditions reference
One or more animal studies show developmental effects at high doses

It begs these questions:

How was a high dose administered? Was it injected into a rat? Was it fed to a mouse? Do we eat it, or inject it into our veins? It’s placed on our skin, and doesn’t absorb. That’s the beauty of minerals is that they don’t absorb, as do carbon-based ingredints. That’s the main reason why mineral makeup is easy on people with allergies, because it sits on the skin as opposed to entering into it.

So if a poor mouse in a lab who weighs a few ounces developed problems from high doses of zinc oxide injected or fed to it, how high of an amount would you have to consume to have those results, and if you apply a mineral makeup with zinc oxide in it to your face, does that have anything realistically connected to such data?

4. Quoting industrial inhalation risks as a concern for end users: This relates back to point number 2, in that industrial inhalation can cause cancer. As far as I know, any large inhalation of dust particles will cause lung disease. There is a litany of them. Again, this points back specifically to the regulation of the chemicals production industry itself. There are strict regulations concerning allowable levels of particulates (dust) in a workplace. Proper ventilation is required, as are personal items, such as masks. If a company is not following these procedures, there are consequences that can be enforced by the regulating agencies, whose job it is to check on manfucturers.

So, the documentation in the Skin Deep database implies that if Monave Mineral Makeup contains zinc oxide, then our products are connected to cancer. No so. You cannot get cancer from putting your makeup on each day, and my lab has an industrial ventilator that control our particulate levels to maintain a healthy work environment.

That data needs to be tacked onto the manufacturers of said minerals.

If you’re still reading this, you are a dedicated learner. Please feel free to comment. In summary, while the goal of the Safe Campaign and Skin Deep are laudable, the data base itself is faulty, and many of the small companies that were with the campaign from its inception have signed off, and will no longer support the efforts. I for one, hope that someone knowledgeable in this industry, will begin to sift through the data, and either explain it to the cusomters browsing the site, or remove erroneous, or unrelated studies.

Deb

Popularity: 40% [?]

Monave’s Take on New Fall ‘Trueblood’ Makeup

Every season there is a new challenge where mineral makeup is concerned and I always look forward to it as it gives me a chance to go play in the makeup studio! This Fall/Winter makeup was no exception with the  runways depicting looks from Trueblood, a popular vampire series in cable.  Vampire?? Yep,  the pale monochromatic complexion with deep red/black lips and mysterious looking eyes.

Armed with this mission, I skipped with glee to the makeup studio! Now being a woman of color, I decided the pale complexion would not be a part of the look…ashy is not my favorite look. Sultry is the name of the game. So the eyes and the lips would be the main focus as I wanted to translate the look to women of color.

Since the eyes had to have a smoky eye effect with a matte base and shimmer overlay I looked to the Ultra Mattes and the Sultry Collection in our Versatile powders. For the matte color I chose the Charcoal Satin #120 and for the shimmery overlay in mineral eye shadow I chose Hypnotic#78. Moving on to the lips, I went to a color that is rarely used in our line but has its moment to shine this season, Hoochie Mama #155. This color is remniscent of Mac’s Vamp but with a darker edge to it. Lipsticks are the rage this season too, so go retro!

Now that I had the colors that I needed to achieve this look  I proceeded to apply. First the eyes, Charcoal Satin #120 is applied to the lids on the outer corner up to the crease. Hypnotic #78 is then applied to the inner corner pulled to the middle of the lid and up to the brow bone. Everything is then blended to achieve a uniform look with no lines.

 For the lips, line with Lip liner Blackberry, then apply mineral lipstick Hoochie Mama#155 Wow, now I was ready for a night on the town!

I’ve been wearing this look for a couple weeks now at night and I never fail to get compliments. If this look is too bold for you,  just rock it for Halloween night! Happy Halloween!

Popularity: 49% [?]

Give the Gift of Healthy Beauty; Monave’s Holiday Gift Campaign

Hello!

Deborah in the Monave Makeup studio

I’ve been thinking about an email I received from a man who had recently lost his wife to terminal illness. I wondered if someone had taken the time to talk to her about the dangers of toxins in cosmetics, the atmosphere, food, and home care products, if it would have helped. Perhaps an article would have begun a process of education and lifestyle change? Sometimes, we can try all we want, and the information is not well-received. But it’s always, always worth a try if it saves someone’s life. And it’s always worthwhile when someone has more confidence because their skin looks clearer, and healthier.

So, to help spread the word, we’re going to help our loyal users introduce our makeup to a sister, mother, or friend, with a special program for this Holiday season, called, “Give the Gift of Healthy Beauty”. With some special treats (our way of making it fun), we hope that more women can become ambassodors of our product line. We still stand by our main tenents:

• Simple, short formulas with ingredients that are simple and easy to understand
• Ingredients that are both non-irritating (short term) and non-toxic (long term)
• Shades for all women. No ethnic group should be excluded from  Healthy Beauty
• Women’s entrepreneurship. We all have dreams; tiny seeds in the beginning. Women are natural entrepreneurs, who just need some nurturing and mentoring to realize their ambitions
• Products that are easy to apply, stay put, bring out a woman’s natural beauty

We hope that as our customers share (many already do), our products with loved ones, office mates and teens, that they will also communicate these ideals. It’s not just about a product, but about the values that we express through the choices that we make.

So, for the Holiday Season, until the end of 2009, we are offering 20% off of any full-sized orders, PLUS a free sample of any full sized product purchased to share with a friend. For example, if Jenna shops online for her foundation (19.50), blush (12.00), and lip glaze (13.50), she’ll be able to subtract $ 9.00 off of her total. Then in the comments box of her order, she can list a foundation sample, blush sample, and mini-lip glaze for her best friend Emilia to try. She will pick the colors or let her friend in on it, and they can go online and pick her shades together. Then we’ll place Emilia’s gifties in a baggie, pop it in Jenna’s packaged, and send it all off.

If Emilia loves the products, and wants to order some for herself, her first full-sized order can also recieve the discount!

Please let others know about this special campaign via email, Facebook, however you stay in touch with the world. And if you’d like some materials to educate your friends, there are articles on allnaturalbeauty.com about lots of things, but especially about Healthy Beauty. We have articles online as well at www.monave.com/index.php?p=page&page_id=articles

Enjoy and share the Gift of Healthy Beauty this holiday season

Deb

Popularity: 40% [?]

Monave New Economy Line

With Monave closed this week giving the hard working shipping, production, and billing departments a well earned vacation, Deborah has been working feverishly.  I mentioned the new line in our last wholesale newsletter, and now it’s becoming a reality.  This great new line will be in addition to the current line, and not a replacement.  It’s just a great way for anyone including wholesalers with an ebay or home party business, to a high volume wholesaler, to a makeup junkie, or just someone watching the bottom line.  The concept is an economy based, problem free, line of powders including foundation, blush, and eye shadows.  There are no nanoparticles, mica’s (except serecite), or titanium dioxide.  It is more matte, and feathery offering a light to medium coverage.  We are still offering a great quality, just at a better price!  We will have samples available for FREE online in about a week.  If you just can’t wait send us an email to information@monave.com and we can take your request right away.  This line is going to be sold strictly in bulk, and open to everyone including retail and wholesale customers.  I just got a sample of my shade and I’m already loving it!  We can’t wait to hear your feedback!

Popularity: 54% [?]

Happy Independence Day, and don’t forget the SPF

As the quintessential summer holiday weekend approaches we are all getting set for BBQs and being outside by the pool.  A lot of people have asked me recently does Monave foundation really provide all the SPF I need for being outside during the long summer days?  The answer is simply YES!  Monave foundation is not only a great sun protectant but also waterproof!  You’ll protect your skin from the sun (and ultimately those pesky wrinkles) but you can also look flawless while you sit by the pool.   This is due to the Titanium Dioxide and the Zinc Oxide in the foundation which are natural sunscreens.  They are actually the active ingredients in most conventional sunscreens, but now you can get it and without the parabens. Depending on the foundation shade you use the protection will range anywhere from 15spf to 70spf.  I was a little skeptical too until I used it earlier this summer for a day out at the pool.  It worked great to protect me all day and I’m fair skinned (burn first, then turns to tan).   I used my Rose Daily moisturizer at night and woke up to my healthy, hydrated and glowing skin!

So, I hope everyone has a fun and safe holiday and don’t forget the sunscreen………….I mean the foundation! To find out which shade you are click here!

Popularity: 47% [?]

Rich Summer Citrus Cream…we’re practically giving it away!

Litsea Cubeba

Monave inherited a wonderful cream that was fragranced with the incorrect essential oil. Instead of the gentle sweet aroma of roses, it has a delightfully summery citrus fragrance derived from the delicate flower Listea Cubeba.

This wonderful, rich cream is made with shea butter, almond oil, and lavender hydrosol, perfect for parched summer skin.  A pound of this cream will last your family for a whole year, not to mention what a great gift idea!  At the price of $50/pound you can’t pass up this amazing product.  To buy before we run out, click here!

Popularity: 59% [?]