After the number of years I’ve been in this business, I am still amazed by how much I learn from the brilliant women that are featured as speakers at our twice-yearly Mineral Makeup Crafting seminar.  This year, Kimberly Platko was the main speaker, besides myself, and Julie Edwards stepped in for a mini-workshop. In previous years, she’s conducted two-hour workshops that seemed short!

I have very deep respect for the vast knowledge and experience these women have to offer. Kimberly has the most amazing tricks for making hand-made products look professional. During one of her workshops, she showed us how to make a pressed shadow look like a million dollars, the first step being to roll the product into a little ball, using gloves of course, and then using a calibration weight, and tiny piece of cloth, to create a perfectly formed eye shadow. What a creative technique. And how wonderful that she’s willing to share these tricks with ‘newbies’ and the rest of us as well.

If anyone missed this seminar, we are going to stream it again in a few weeks, on West Coast time, so please check back for news on the site.

Deborah

Just in time for this event, Monave has launched three new products: vegan moisture mousse, (with coinciding vegan rose daily cream), vegan cream to powder base, and lip balm base. The lip balm base is shiny, takes color very well, and can be injected or poured into our new slim-line lip tubes, which are an easy fill option for making lipsticks, no mold necessary. The cream to powder is the perfect product to make any mineral makeup powder into a pressed or poured makeup. Featuring cute silver capped compacts, Kim will demonstrate how to mix, pour, and tidy up the cream to powders for professional sales, or personal use.

Webinar attendees will be able to watch from far-flung places and follow along with their own supplies’ kits of mica powders, iron oxides, lip tubes, lip gloss and liptick base.

Check back for pictures and reports, as well as videos of the classes!

Armed with my Oval Fluff eye shadow brush I proceeded to put the look together. After lining the eye with Espresso eye liner I applied the Driftwood from the corner to the middle of the eye lid. Be careful to get the excess shadow off the fluff brush before applying as it could get messy. After applying the Driftwood, dip lightly in Gold eye shadow and apply to outer lid and brow bone. Blend to create a seamless transition of color. Voila! A beautiful Golden Chocolate look!

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

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

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!

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