Shampoo and Conditioner

Conventional hair care products are an industry worth millions if not billions. Look at the amount of shampoo ads on TV and in magazines and you get a taste of the money that goes into marketing products. The worrying thing is that way more money is spent on advertising than on the product ingredients themselves. The ingredients would be lucky to be worth more than a few cents per bottle. But why? Because they are made of cheap, synthetic chemicals. Chemicals are used to create texture, smell and colour. Chemicals are also used to clean the hair, treat the scalp, add the gloss…..all chemical processes. ‘But my shampoo contains aloe vera and essential oils’ you say. Yes they may, but in what quantities?

You need to become an ingredient detective to sort out the truth on a labels. Let me show you how.

Split an ingredient list into thirds. As you can see, the top third contains the bulk of the product and the bottom the least. The top will contain water or ‘aqua’ to sound fancy, followed by ingredients like silicone derivatives (e.g. dimethicone) in hair conditioners, which create gloss and coat the hair. In shampoos this will be water and the surfactant chemicals like SLS (sodium lauryl sulphate) which are the harsh cleansing agents that create bubbles and foam.  Some companies mislead consumers by listing  'aqueous infusions' at the top of the ingredient list. These are simply tiny amounts of essential oils and herbal extracts in what is mostly water. This effectively hides the synthetic surfactant ingredients that make up the core of the product further down the list. Labelling the 70% water component of the herbal mixture as organic, is prohibited under International Organic Standards. This practice artificially inflates the organic content in order to make a deceptive 70% organic claim.

Ingredients to look out for

Anything that looks like a chemical name will be.

Anything that has a natural ingredient in brackets after it is still a chemical.

Anything that says ‘derived from’ is a chemical.

E.g. the foaming agent Cocamide DEA is made by adding the chemical DEA (Di-ethyl-amine) to coconut oil. The process is synthetic and can be contaminated with cancer causing nitrosamines due to the reaction of the ‘amine’ in the DEA with nitrogen based chemical co-existing in the product.

Why are these chemicals no good?

Harsh cleansers and fragrances are potential irritants to the scalp, and also the eyes, skin on the face and body (given they are rinsed over these regions) and airways. Recent studies have indicated that prolonged exposure to silicone derivatives (that coat hair, and also found in night creams, cosmetics and hair waxes) causes skin irritation. Some are known tumour promoters and accumulate in the liver and lymph nodes. They are also non-biodegradable, causing negative environmental impact. Preservatives such as parabens have an association with breast cancer as they have been found intact in breast tumours. Other preservative s such as Methylchloroisothiazolinone are known to cause allergic reactions.

What's the alternative? 

Miessence Shampoo and Conditioner has a base of Organic Aloe Vera which has proven healing and soothing properties. The Energy of Certified Organic Ingredients, 100% Beneficial Ingredients. Also in non-leaching polypropylene packaging. Shampoos are 71-75% organic and the hair conditioner is 90% organic. 

Hair detox

You may experience a hair detox in the first few weeks using Miessence if you have been using hair care with silicone derivatives e.g dimethicone, cyclomethicone, anything ending in ‘cone’. As the silicone coating comes away it can leave your hair feeling rough and dry and the shampoo will struggle to foam up. This is temporary and can be assisted by making a paste of bicarb soda with the shampoo, massage it generously into your hair and leave for 10-15 mins, then wash out and condition as normal. You will have silky, baby soft hair again before you know it. 

Miessence hair care is available at  www.kristine.miessence.com  

The problem with Deodorant

Humans have a tendency to sweat, and this is frequently associated with unpleasant odour. Hence our love affair with personal care items that include deodorants, antiperspirants and perfumes, to prevent and cover unwanted smells to keep ourselves nice. Unfortunately, the ingredients in these items are far from friendly and include possible links to Alzheimer's disease, birth defects and breast cancer.

So what ingredients do we need to be worried about specifically?

Aluminium
Aluminium is a metal and is the most abundant metal in the earth’s crust. It is mined for a variety of commercial and industrial uses and aluminium compounds such as aluminium chlorohydrate or aluminum zirconium, are used in most commercial brands of antiperspirants. These compounds are readily absorbed by the body, and once there, the aluminium portion separates and becomes a free radical. Free radicals are known to cause cell damage, and this is concerning because the aluminium free radical freely crosses cell walls including brain cells. Aluminium has been found in high levels in the brain plaques that are associated with
Alzheimer's disease, and also in breast cancer tissue.

Parabens
Parabens are synthetic chemicals used as preservatives. They are usually labelled at the bottom of an ingredient list and includes propylparaben, ethylparaben, butlyparaben and methylparaben. Parabens are known to disrupt hormone function because they are xenoestrogens. This means they mimic the actions of estrogen, a female sex hormone. Parabens are just one type of xenoestrogen that women are exposed to and it is estimated that parabens can be found in over 13,000 cosmetics products and not just deodorants. What is clear, is the more estrogen (including xenoestrogens) a woman is exposed to in her lifetime, the greater risk she has of developing breast cancer.

There is however, no proven link between the use of parabens or aluminium in deodorants/anti-perspirants and the risk of developing breast cancer or Alzheimer's. However, aluminium can be absorbed by the body via other means too, such as from cookwear, aluminium foil and some cosmetics. Similarly, parabens are found in nearly all conventional personal care items regularly used on a daily basis. Given that these chemicals are not only in deodorants makes it hard to prove the link. What we do know for certain is that alumin-ium and intact parabens have been found in the upper outer quadrant of the breast, nearest the underarm in women with breast cancer.

Other chemicals in deodorants and anti-perspirants

BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) is used as a preservative and believed to be a hormone disrupter and toxic to the nervous system.
Fragrance can be made up of hundreds or even thousands of synthetic chemicals potentially capable of a myriad of reactions such as skin irritation, depression, hyperactivity and breathing difficulties.
Propylene glycol helps the deodorant go on smoothly, however it is linked to skin irritation, nervous system and major organ damage. It is also used commercially as a paint remover, as antifreeze and to remove barnacles off boats.
Phthalates are use to soften plastics and are used to help the fragrance stay on the skin. They are known associations with phthalates and birth defects especially in male genitalia which may affect future reproductive ability.

What to do instead
Use deodorant instead of antiperspirant, since sweat is normal and blocking the pores is not. If you wish to reduce your exposure to the chemicals listed above then use no deodorant (if you dare!!), or use a natural deodorant. I recommend and use Miessence deodorant.


Miessence deodorants are 100% natural, with a very effective formula even for the most active people. There are no aluminium compounds or chemical antiperspirants. Instead, based on the traditional remedies of bicarbonate of soda to eliminate odours and aloe vera to soothe. For a week or two you may experience increased odour due to the
absence of aluminium compounds in the products. Aluminium compounds block your pores, preventing healthy elimination of toxins via perspiration. Normal deodorants prevent this from happening, and you get a backlog of toxins. When you start using Miessence deodorant , your body can then begin eliminating.
If you are still using a conventional deodorant or anti-perspirant then its better to begin using the aroma free deodorant. The essential oils in the scented product can sometimes sting the armpits when going through the initial detox. While detoxing you may need to use the deodorant 2-3 times during the day to assist with odour control, which will only be a temporary experience.
  Available at www.kristine.miessence.com