Healthy hair colour?

Posted on April 10, 2012

It’s time for a hair touch up guys, but this time I am looking at healthier colour options rather than the toxic, chemical loaded types (of course, I hear you say!) I am a little late to jump on the band wagon here, I do realize. But in fairness, I actually don’t colour my hair all that much because that scalp-tingling feeling is enough to keep me away for long periods of time (and knowing that it’s really not great for your scalp) So I thought I would rant for a little while today about my findings on this topic. Here’s a quick run-down, this is why we need to be more selective:

• Many of the dyes used today contain the following chemicals; peroxide, ammonia, PPDs (thought widely to be carcinogenic but tests inconclusive), lead, resorcinol and persulfates.
• The worst? PPDs – the most toxic chemical in hair dyes. Toxic to immune system, respiratory system, liver and kidneys
• Boxed hair dyes classed as ‘natural’ still contain chemicals, usually a lower level of PPD. Although this is better, there are still chances of allergic reactions
• Darkest hair colour dyes carry the most risk due to chemicals used in their make up
• Highlights and lowlights are safer as the dye doesn’t come into contact with the scalp

It makes me feel a bit squirmish, especially given there are more and more stories appearing in the news about women having severe reactions to hair colourants. The most recent case on an affairs show was where a woman lost chunks of hair from using a home dye. Extreme, I know. But still scary.

There are real, natural alternatives if the above has turned you off. Henna (the pure stuff) dyes hair red, Indigo is a blue dye that dyes hair black and Honey actually lightens hair. My disclaimer here is that I can’t yet vouch for any of these, but if anything honey is worth a try! I have received mixed results about henna and am yet to find out about Indigo.

Only about 0.5% of the hair dye you use penetrates the skin and this is why test results are inconclusive.

You be the judge, my only advice would be to shop around for dyes with lower chemical content. Ask your hairdresser about what they are using. We just don’t know what future tests might reveal.

x

q+a with Marion O’Leary (Mokosh)

Posted on March 20, 2012

With the introduction of the beautiful range from Mokosh Organic and Fair Trade Skincare to our online store, we took the opportunity to speak to the face behind the brand, Marion O’Leary.

Tell us about all about Mokosh and why you started this beautiful line of products?

We started to produce soaps and skin care with the original intention of introducing a range completely free of synthetic and potentially toxic ingredients, with an environmental conscience, and with a strong Fair Trade awareness. Those 3 core values are still our main drivers today. Palm oil free, rosewood oil free, preservative free, glass packaging for almost all products, 100% recycled paper and card for our boxes and stationery, certified organic with NASAA – with minimum 95% certified organic ingredients, and continually on the lookout for more Fair Trade suppliers. Although we are continually evolving, we will not lose sight of those principles we started out with.

Why will our skin love Mokosh?

Our products contain no water, unlike most other skin care which contains up to 85% water. This means they are up to 5 times the concentration of other skin care, more densely packed with anti-oxidants, enzymes, vitamins and other nutrients. Because they are not in contact with water until the time of application, their nutrients are better preserved and more active when applied to the skin, and thereby more able to support your body’s own regenerative and healing systems.  We are continually told by our customers that their skin has never felt so soft and smooth, so well moisturised, and so nourished.

What are the core ingredients used in your products?

Our core ingredient would have to be our much cherished certified organic, Fair Trade, unrefined shea butter. This butter comes from Ghana, is a creamy beige colour with an earthy scent, packed with vitamins, anti-oxidants, and a myriad of other nutrients. Shea butter has been long prized by the Africans as a particularly beneficial moisturiser, but is also used to help soothe burns, irritations, promote healing of broken skin, and to act as a sunscreen. This beautiful product forms the base of our creams and gives them a wonderful nourishing feeling. It is a completely different product to the refined form of shea butter used in most other skin care – white and odourless, and stripped of much of the nutrient value retained in unrefined shea.

Currently we incorporate over 80 ingredients from around the world, to include plants as diverse as neem, known in India as the ‘village dispensary’, acai berry, Kakadu plum, pomegranate and gotu kola. Each ingredient brings its unique benefits, our aim being to blend them in a balanced way to maximise the individual properties of each to most benefit your skin.

What percentage of the ingredients used are ‘organic’?

Our whole range is certified organic with NASAA, meaning each has a minimum of 95% certified organic ingredients. Most of our products contain 100% certified organic ingredients.

How does Mokosh lead an eco-friendly existence?

Our products are free of palm oil and palm oil derivatives – palm plantations are being planted at the expense of native forests, resulting in loss of habitat and near extinction of species such as the orang-utan and Sumatran tiger.

Our products are free of rosewood essential oil because harvesting of rosewood trees for essential oil is endangering this species.

We avoid plastic packaging as much as possible, with the exception of our liquid soaps, for which we use 100% recyclable PET for safety reasons – many people purchase our soaps for family use, and we felt that children do not mix well with soap in glass containers. The remainder of our skin care products are packaged in glass, both for environmental reasons, and also because glass is inert, allowing the contents of the jar to remain pure. This is in contrast to plastic, where harmful chemicals may leach into the product. Our bar soaps are packaged in 100% recycled cardboard.

What does fair-trade mean to Mokosh?

Fair Trade means purchasing ingredients from suppliers whose workers receive fair wages, non-discriminatory employment, safe and sanitary work places and who do not use child labour. Many organic certifiers include this as part of their certification standard, which means most certified organic products also operate under fair trade principles. At Mokosh, this is an additional bonus to our organic certification – we know that where we cannot purchase ingredients that are certified Fair Trade, at least an employment standard is being met.

We do choose certified Fair Trade in addition to organic certification where possible, because the growers of Fair Trade certified products are paid a premium on top of the agreed Fair Trade price. This premium is invested in social, environmental or economic development projects, and is decided upon by the workers or farmer co-op themselves. At Mokosh, certified Fair Trade ingredients include shea butter and coffee, while our coconut oil, coconut flour, cocoa butter and marula oil are ‘fairly traded’, where workers take a share of profits, but the products are not certified fair trade. We feel that the Fair Trade component of trade should underpin dealings between wealthy countries like Australia and developing countries. By trading under the certified organic banner and, where possible, the Fair Trade banner, we can feel confident that our suppliers in developing countries are getting a fair deal.

What is your biggest tip in regards to keeping ‘glowing’, healthy skin?

A healthy diet, put together in a similar way to our skin care, would have to be the top of the list. This means a predominantly (preferably totally) plant-based diet that is unrefined, unprocessed, and as fresh, raw and organic as possible. Second, get plenty of fresh air and exercise, and do something that makes you happy at least once a day. Third, choose skin care products that don’t undo all that good work – steer clear of synthetic ingredients in your skin care, find the right products for your skin type, and choose certified organic when you can – that way you know exactly what you are putting on your skin!

Which of your products is one of your ‘favourites’?

Tricky to choose just one! The Face Cleansing Powder is one of our best – it keeps skin looking at its best through gentle daily exfoliation and cleansing and allows the moisturiser that follows to be far more effective. However, my favourite is still our Body Butters – so rich in unrefined shea butter that you feel like you’ve just had a massage after applying, and it leaves the skin feeling incredibly nourished.

What’s on the horizon for Mokosh?

We are planning to bring out some Travel Sized products this year so that people can take Mokosh with them wherever they go. We also have a great travel bag in the pipeline – hopefully that will come out this year as well.

If you haven’t already checked out the Mokosh range, be sure to do so and support a fabulous line of Australian products. They really are divine!

A healthy, rich tan

Posted on March 11, 2012

Summer might be well on its way out, but that doesn’t mean we have to brace ourselves for white, pasty skin. Hell no! There’s nothing like a  healthy looking glow all year round. The problem is, finding a fake tanning product that not only produces a lovely rich colour (without streaks, mind you) but also one that doesn’t smell of chemicals! Well of course here at Love From Eve we are all about chemical-free beauty so the aim was to find a natural and organic tanning product which we felt ticked us pink (or more specifically, a rich brown, please)

And so far, the winner is…Eco Tan (Invisible Tan).

This product has the texture of a beautifully rich body moisturiser and does not have any bronzing components in it so you can virtually pop it on before bed-time and not have to worry about staining your sheets. Tick. Now for the colour. It works in well with your natural skin-tone and gradually builds over 8 hours to produce a lovely warm, honey coloured tan. If you are wanting a richer, darker colour you can keep applying it daily until you reach your desired colour. From there, it lasts a good 5 days before slowly fading away naturally. The winning element of this product is that there is no horrible chemical smell after application! You virtually forget that you are wearing it and only remember around 8 hours later when you look down at your arms/legs and admire how tanned you look! J

Eco Tan was the first tanning company in Australia in 2011 to become certified by the Organic Food Chain. All of their products are not only natural but contain over 70% organic ingredients. They also like to give back to the community by donating to charities…Tick, tick, tick-tick.

Well-priced, lovely colour, no odour…Make sure you give this fantastic home-grown product a go and see for yourself. Well-done Eco Tan!

x

Yoga me happy

Posted on January 19, 2012

So a little while ago I wrote about my first meditation experience and embarking on a journey to find the best way to meditate and relax for me. Excuse me while I excitedly jump up and down, but I think I have struck it lucky and found it! On the weekend I bit the bullet and took a different kind of yoga class. I have taken yoga classes before, but the few experiences I have had have been refined to the gym. Good classes, can’t complain, but I have realised that these classes are quite different to one’s run by schools dedicated to yoga. For a start, there is so much more choice in ‘types’ of yoga, depending on what your needs are.

The class I took was called ‘heart flow yoga’ and It was a mixture of traditional yoga moves and meditation. The great thing about it was that it was very easy to follow and at a very relaxing pace. It was really all about body movements aimed at opening the heart. There were a few key mantras to focus on which really helped in letting go and focusing on the present, which I now have learn’t is the core of yoga. It’s so easy to lose focus and let your mind drift back to the past or forward to the future, which is exactly why the mantras you use along the way really do help!

Can I just say, this class had a really powerful effect on me and afterwards I felt as if my whole body had been massaged. My muscles were so relaxed. I swear I drifted around in a dream like state for hours afterwards! Addictive. So, I am hooked and can’t wait for my next class. Drop me a note if you have found a different style of yoga that works for you!

 In the meantime…om shanti (google it!)

 X

Green up for 2012

Posted on January 3, 2012

Happy New Year lovelies, I hope you have had a safe and relaxing festive season!

I won’t bang on about new year’s resolutions as I am sure you have heard enough of those. It is of course great to have at least some goals for the year to come, that sense of completion can be so rewarding. Like ticking and crossing something off your list… For me, this year I really want to focus on ramping up my contribution to the environment. More than ever climate change and carbon footprints are becoming a growing concern – and they’re not issues that are going to go away unless each of us make some changes in the way we lead our lifestyles! And look, to be honest they don’t have to be grand changes. You can start off really small, like taking re-used bags to the supermarket ( leave them in the boot or back seat of your car so you don’t forget them at home!) or even purchasing a BPA free water bottle instead of increasing your collection of plastic water bottles. We can all make a difference.

Here are some go-green tips that I have found to be quite simple, yet can have a great positive environmental impact if more of us at least focus on one of these this year! Have a read, see what you think. And even if only one sticks with you, then so be it.

Recycle, recycle, recycle

Using a separate household bin for products to be recycled is a good way to ensure that you are separating your waste for bin collection days. Be proactive at the supermarket also and look for products/packaging that are easily recycled.

Re-use

Do you have a compost bin? They’ve been around forever but such  great way to get rid of fruit and veg scraps and provides you with excellent fertilisation for your garden. I have already mentioned reusable bags and water bottles which are a great way to minimise waste. If you’re a coffee drinker, how about a reusable ceramic mug that you can take to your local coffee spot? Minimise your usage of all those paper cups

Say no to toxic cleaners

We all have some form of chemical household cleaning products in our houses. There is now a growing choice for natural, non toxic cleaners at the supermarket. Why not give these a go next time you run out? Alternatively you could try some home-made solutions. I use a mixture of white vinegar, baking soda and water which is a great all-purpose cleaner! Doesn’t break the budget either.

Spend more time outside

Do we really need to come home and switch on the telly? Whether it’s going for a walk, doing some gardening or reading a magazine outside – these are great ways to unwind after a long day at work. Especially when the weather is warm! Great way to ramp up your vitamin D (safely of course) and minimise your carbon footprint by reducing household energy.

These are just a few of many things we could be doing. Share your go-green tips! 

x

Product review – Adorn Liquid Foundation

Posted on November 30, 2011

It’s product review time! Oh, how I love blogging about great new finds ;-) 

The story goes a little something like this; I recently finished my much loved mineral loose powder foundation (which I have loved to no end) and decided to try out another product in the ‘Adorn’ range. I used to be a big fan of liquid foundation, but since turning to all-natural products have been hooked on loose powder. It was time to experiment.

I’d just like take a moment here to plug Adorn’s $2.50 samples. Such a great idea as I was a little hesitant to buy a full bottle without colour matching properly (ps. They now do virtual colour matching online – check it out here)

My sample has arrived and today I am wearing my liquid foundation. Throughout the course of the morning I have already received a number of compliments on how fresh and radiant my skin looks. Tick! The consistency is light but just enough to give you good coverage and it blends in really easily. The end result is a great natural finish with a hint of dewiness which keeps you glowing. It’s now early afternoon and am still looking fresh – loving it.

Suffice to say when someone compliments you on your make-up, it totally sends you into a money-spending frenzy to stock up on that product that’s making you look (and feel!) so good. Look out credit card! Great work Adorn, very happy with my new foundation.

x

The natural SPF hunt

Posted on November 6, 2011

Just the other day my girlfirend and I decided to check out our local store for natural and organic products on our lunch break. My girfriend Kat was looking specifically for a daily facial moisturiser that had sun protection in it. Well, we were really disappointed with what we found (or didn’t find!) Although this particular store had a good range of products for us to choose from, we could not find one moisturiser that contained a built in sunscreen. Not one? I actually couldn’t believe it so afterwards, I jumped online to do some research.

It turns out that while there are sunscreen products out there with a built in SPF 15, there actually aren’t a whole heap with SPF 30 to choose from. There is such a great opportunity for some of our successful Australian brands to get onto this! With skin cancer being so prominent in this day and age, it’s just so important that we are all wearing the best protection possible during the day. Wouldn’t you agree?

One of the very few natural daily moisturiser products that I have come across with SPF 30 is the Neal’s Yard Wild Rose Daily Moisturiser .

In the meantime, I have recently discovered the Australian brand ‘Wotnot’ and their daily natural sunscreen (SPF 30) which isn’t a moisturiser but has a really lovely, light consistency and sits nicely under make-up. I highly recommend this if you are looking to introduce a natural sunscreen into your daily reportoire! Check it out here… and while you are there, also check out their daily facial wipes. These are definitely next on my must-try list

x

Meditation..take one

Posted on October 23, 2011

Love from Eve is as much about healthy living as it is about healthy skin and beauty products. How many of you find time in your day to stop and clear your mind? Sometimes it’s easy to forget to do just that. I thought you could have a little bit of a chuckle over my first meditation experience. Maybe you have experienced something similar!

A little while ago I decided to bite the bullet and take a proper meditation class. Yes, a bit of a late-comer. I have always convinced myself that the time you spend meditating (or taking a yoga class for that matter) could be better spent doing something else. Terrible, I know, but I am just being honest!  So, off to a mediation class I trotted. With a spring in my step, I eagerly anticipated the thought of slowing down all the thoughts that had come out of yet another busy day at work. How great would that feel?

As I entered the class, I realised the seats were all organised in a circle-like fashion. This wasn’t what I had expected. I had imagined having my own little space, perhaps on a yoga mat,  at the back of the class, far, far away from others.. Not tonight! I immediately felt a little under pressure to perform. What if I couldn’t keep my eyes closed for long enough? What if I broke out into uncontrollable giggles?  

As I listened to the instructor run through the meditation principles, I glanced around the circle wondering if anyone else had performance anxiety. And then, we were straight into it! As the chimes sounded in the background, I shut my eyes tightly begging my mind to unwind. The advice given was to focus on a mantra, and keep repeating that mantra in your head. Well, I can honestly say it did actually work! But, only for about five or so minutes. Because everything after that was about me battling it out with my over-active mind which kept convincing me to open one eye and check up on everyone else. When I wasn’t doing that, I was thinking about what to cook for dinner and then listening to the person next to me suffling their feet every couple of minutes… After a long, uncomfortable thirty minutes, the session was  over. And, well, phew. I had made it! I was happy with my five minutes of success.

Clearly my first attempt at mediation was not perfect! But I have read that it does take patience, persistence and practice to get it right. There are many different mediation methods to choose from, and maybe next time I might opt for something a little different..Which one have you had success with? Would love to hear about it!  x

Organic…or is it?

Posted on October 5, 2011

I really just want to pick apart all the question marks that arise when we start to talk about ‘organic’ beauty products. What does organic really mean? How do we know if a products really is what it claims to be? It all gets really confusing and very easy to give up on. But I would love you to just spend a couple of minutes reading this post, so that the next time you are shopping online or perhaps at your local beauty store you know exactly what to look out for (and stop spending money on products that aren’t what you think they are!)

The term ‘organic’ gets thrown around a lot these days, whether we are talking about food, beauty products, clothes, household cleaning products… But the key point to remember is that ingredients that are organically grown must work in harmony with nature. That means, no synthetic chemicals, fertilisers or GMOs are used in the production of crops. It’s quite holistic too, so aside from healthy soil and land, it also takes into account animals, people, our environment and health. We like that!

 So how do we tell if something is genuinely organic, I hear you ask? Well it’s actually quite easy . We are lucky to have specific approved (by government) organisations around the globe which certify produce and products. Simply put, if it’s certified by a recognised body (I’ll give you all the details) then you can feel comfortable about your purchase being genuinely organic. If there is no certification on a product then stay away! Unfortunately there are a lot of companies out there claiming their products to be organic when they are not. Grrrr.

Here are some well-known certification bodies (all have their own symbols and should be located somewhere on the label of the product you are purchasing) that you should be looking out for next time you shop! There are quite a few different bodies, which have differing standards of the percentage of organic ingredients a product should hold before carrying their certification. Rest assured all of them represent the same thing – products that have adhered to strict standards, containing organically certified ingredients.

Just a quick note, to be 100% certified organic an ingredient/s or product it needs to come directly from soil with no other synthetic/chemical additions. Beauty products and cosmetics will rarely carry 100% organic ingredients because not every ingredient in the make up of the product comes from the ground! But obviously the higher the percentage, the healthier the product is.

Australia

BFA – Biological Farmers of Australia
OGA – Organic Growers of Australia
NASAA -  National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia
Australian Government Certified

UK

The Soil Association

USA

USDA Organic

European Union

COSMOS

France

Cosmebio

ECO CERT

Switzerland

Biocose

I hope this makes your shopping trip a little easier. Happy organic shopping x

Paris – tout naturel?

Posted on August 24, 2011

It’s been a little while between posts, the lead up to my overseas trip has been, well, a little hectic to say the least (when isn’t it?) but I have been really excited about sending you a beauty update from Paris! The Mecca of cosmetics and skin care. More importantly France is a country who have quite a number of long standing natural beauty products.

Apparently back in 2006 the total number of natural beauty lines listed in France was 3600 – wow! Back home in Oz we really have only seen a surge over the last few years in natural and organic beauty. But I won’t bore you with anymore facts, let’s get down to business! Are the French natural products just as enticing as what other countries are producing? The answer really comes down to personal preference and you have to do your research when it comes to being 100% natural and certified organic (if that is what you are looking for)

But for me, although there are some strong well known products (Cattier, the highest selling and most popular) I am struggling to find something to rave about purely because I like my products to be aesthetically pleasing as well…Yes, I am fussy. But I love packaging which is not only environmentally friendly but also simple, earthy and chic!

The verdict? If you like your higher end, classy looking products (think la prairie, estee lauder etc) minus the chemicals, French products might just be your answer! But this little Eco-hunter is after something with a point of difference… And I will continue my search!

Have you used a French product that has tickled your fancy? Drop me a line!

x