Kitchen grade coconut oil for skin?

I'm not the one to give advice on cosmetics--the industry would be a fraction of its size if everyone used as little make-up as I do. Especially now at my age.  "Less is more" is a saying for architects before they all started designing with computers, but it should also be scrawled on the mirrors of anyone over 45 or 50, and I'm well beyond that.  You don't COVER wrinkles with foundation and powder--wrinkles are a trap for make-up which will emphasize the lines.  But a neighbor invited me to a home party event for cosmetic sales, so I was looking at the CEO's blog and story of how she got into the business.  In the video she's wearing jeans and what looks like no make-up.  There was a list of no-no ingredients on her blog, so I did take a peek.  And that led me away from her page to looking at one of my favorites--coconut oil.  I found this quote about cosmetic grade coconut oil at another high priced beauty product site.  None of this introduction has anything to do with being invited to my neighbor's (but I do love her home--she uses a non-functioning grand piano as a buffet bar), but I needed to explain why I'm blogging about coconut oil, which I love using as a skin moisturizer. It's very inexpensive (for skin use) and when I run out, I just get a few tablespoons from the kitchen jar (rarely use for cooking).  I just looked at the label and it says "organic," but it doesn't say VCO, which usually in the past I've used. So I'll have to look for something more "virgin."

“Virgin coconut oil (VCO) is cosmetic grade—this oil is pressed from coconuts a day or two after harvest. There are a variety of ways to produce VCO, but in my opinion the best is no-heat fermentation, because the heat-sensitive elements of the oil are retained. However, very little difference in technical chemical analysis is found between certified VCOs, so whatever the pressing-process, any VCO can be applied generously to the skin without irritation. Coconut oils used for cooking are generally much cheaper. The copra, or coconut meat, is dried in the sun, then refined, bleached, and deodorized to produce oil for cooking, and chemicals are often used in this process. Invariably, irritant reactions may happen if applied to skin: do not use these kinds of coconut oils as cosmetics.”  Dr. Vermén M. Verallo-Rowell, MD, dermatologist, dermatopathologist  http://www.vmvrmd.com/dermatological-effects.php  

Cocoa Butter Skin Cream

I noticed a close out at Marc’s today for $.89.   I read the label carefully (I don’t eat or put on my skin things made in China, or with only a “distributed by” on the label.)  We pay big bucks for FDA and USDA, and I intend to take advantage of that.  Anyway, seems to check out fine, and it has a wonderful fragrance.  Just a touch will do it—my first try I had to wipe some off.  Made in Canada, and the parent company is in the UK.

“Delon skin cream line products are based upon botanical remedies. Our philosophy derives from combining the decades-old wisdom inherent in botanical, herbal and floral treatments with modern ingredients and formulations. Using natural herbs and pH-balanced, many biodegradable formulas, each product is carefully formulated to deliver all the benefits of each unique blend. All of our products reflect our ongoing efforts to preserve the earth's natural resources by being environmentally friendly and cruelty-free. “

On the internet prices ranged from $4 to $8 for this size.  So I’ll probably never see it again.

Shiny lip glosses gluten free?

You look at the list of ingredients on the internet for your cosmetics for gluten free products, but with ingredients like polybutene, octydodecanol and others maybe you should check a bit further?

"Although Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is more commonly known for its use in pans found in the kitchen, it is now seen in cosmetic and beauty products, in a wide range of products including mineral make up, nail polish, injectable wrinkle fillers, skin care creams, and other formulas. It is used as a bulking agent, slip modifier, binding agent and skin conditioner, according to the Cosmetics Database, and can create a smoother application for a variety of products, and fill in fine lines and wrinkles on the skin."

Here's an interesting use of a natural product we're probably all pruning and throwing into the garbage. Scientist Creates Sunscreen from Ivy

My Watkins Wish

Remember me whining about not being able to find Watkins Shea Butter lemon cream in a jar? Even my daughter tried, and finally bought it for me in a tube (it's not the same, trust me). I even wrote to the company, J.R. Watkins in Minnesota, and inquired if there might be some stashed away someplace. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

Then I googled "discontinued Watkins" and found a list of those items 'to be discontinued' in 2010 and there was my product! So I chopped the url a bit to find where it had come from, and found the very helpful Lynne, a Watkins salesperson. You can check her out here with links to a Watkins catalog. Anyway, Lynne has promised me THREE jars. Woot. I'm so excited I'm plugging her great service even before I get it.

Also I've had an offer on the Teco pottery, (photo is of a reproduction) but I'm holding off a bit checking with a source that Mike B., an old friend from home and an antique dealer, has suggested. The lady who wanted to buy my lighted make-up mirror must have gotten cold feet, because I haven't heard from her lately. Oh yes, and the Garage Slab (magazine) guys came by yesterday and gave me a stack to distribute at the coffee shop. Really nice guys--an architect and an interiors contractor dabbling in publishing. And they gave me a vol. 1, no. 1, which I collect. I chatted up a lot of folks at the coffee shop today about the magazine. Talked to 3 guys were were light fixture repairmen--they didn't look like readers, but they really did pour over that magazine I gave them. So did the Columbus school teacher who only has a car port.

Thursday Thirteen Miscellany--mostly about food and finances

1) Don't be fooled by this gardening craze to save money. If you want to be outdoors, or want a sun tan, or want fresh tasting food, fine. It won't save you any money--unless you sell the produce to your neighbors. Or you have family of 12 children who will eat their veggies.

2) Last summer I was able to walk to a small farmer's market at Lakeside (about 2 blocks). By small, I mean about 5 or 6 wagons / vendors. There really is nothing like it. I think I'd forgotten what fried new potatoes tasted like. And that gal who made zucchini relish. Heavenly. I'm more than happy to pay them for their labor and equipment.


3) Even without a farmer's market, fresh vegetables and fruit are still your best buy. It really takes just minutes to prepare. Forget the fancy sauces and spices. Today I bought a butternut squash ($.99/lb, higher now that during the season) and I'm guessing we'll get 3 side dishes from it--grilled lightly a few minutes in olive oil.

4) However, fresh items lose a lot of nutrients if they sit around a few days, so frozen is your next best bet--especially for small families (2) like mine. A favorite lunch meal for me is half a cup of frozen peas with half cup of frozen corn, placed in a bowl covered with a damp paper towel for about 90 seconds in the microwave. Little butter, little salt and pepper. Fabulous!

5) If you read my Holy Land Cruise blog, you may know I got really, really sick on the flight home. Today I saw a friend (not on the trip) at Panera's that I hadn't talked to in over a year. After greeting, she asked about my health. I think our entire church (9 services, 3 locations) has heard about Norma on the floor of LaGuardia and tossing her cookies on the plane. Anyway, the old GI track is not quite back to normal, so my sister gave me a huge carton of Activa Yogurt. I just had some for lunch. We'll see. . .

6) I stopped at a little store yesterday and apples were $2.69/lb. Usually, it's cheaper to buy rather than drive, but I knew that was high, so I drove to Marc's and paid $1.39/lb. I eat a lot of apples. Then today I was up north for an errand, so I stopped at Meiers' and apples were $1/lb. I stocked up.

7) I need apples to make a pie. Our Holy Land Cruise group is getting together Monday night, and my end of the alphabet is doing pie. Fortunately, I used to be the 2nd best pie baker east of the Mississippi. Now I do it so seldom, my pies are only so-so, or else it's the electric stove instead of gas which I'd used for 35 years.

8) The reason I was north of Bethel Rd. was I'd heard from my daughter that the Merle Norman store was going out of business. I thought I'd go and stock up. I began using Merle Norman when I was about 39 and a store was near by. And now--well, it's patch, patch, patch, but I still use it, although much less. Women my age make a serious mistake by using too much foundation, or the wrong color, and it collects in our wrinkles. Less is definitely more for retirees.

9) I asked the owner about her closing. She said sales fell off during January, and although she's paying her bills, she's getting nothing. When women begin to drop their cosmetic purchases, we are in trouble! My hair dresser, Melissa at Shear Impressions, says she's seen no change.

10) I recently learned you can freeze milk. Duh. Why didn't I think of that. So when I see the "past due" date coming up, I'm going to put it in a little container and freeze.

11) Be careful about reusing glass and plastic containers. Mold can grow on the lids and on the tiny residue inside the jar. It's awfully hard to get these as sterilized as the factory product.

12) Pass on those deals for cheap paper towels. Oh Yuck! on having those squares turn to mush as soon as they hit water. Buy Bounty. That's a brand that really holds up and you'll save money in the long run.

13) On our trip to Illinois for the Easter holiday our Dodge van got 26 mpg going and 28 mpg coming back. Don't let the global warming hysterics force you into an uncomfortable car at pirate ship prices. Although now that the government is starting to buy up the auto makers, you may not have a choice on model and size.

Meanwhile, by diverting grain and oilseed crops from dinner plates to fuel tanks, biofuels are jacking up world food prices and endangering the hungry. The grain it takes to fill an SUV tank with ethanol could feed a person for a year. Harvests are being plucked to fuel our cars instead of ourselves. The U.N.'s World Food Program says it needs $500 million in additional funding and supplies, calling the rising costs for food nothing less than a global emergency. Soaring corn prices have sparked tortilla riots in Mexico City, and skyrocketing flour prices have destabilized Pakistan, which wasn't exactly tranquil when flour was affordable. Time Magazine, Mar 27, 2008

Pig collagen and Truth in Aging

Jumping from an article about safety data and various cosmetic products and procedures at JunkFood Science, I was looking for "pig collagen" which is used for a wrinkle filler and I wondered if it was OK for Jews and Muslims, and that took me to Truth in Aging, which I've only just skimmed, but I do agree with this.

. . .you practically need a degree in chemistry to decipher the label on a bottle of drug store moisturizer these days. Truth In Aging attempts to siphon out what really works and why, and deliver that honest truth to the consumer. I am dedicated to honest, unbiased reporting amidst claims that are often misleading and confusing. And, in all the noise, there are actually some good things out there that get missed because we are bewildered, jaded and/or cynical.

My "beauty regimen" extends to a shower, moisturizer, Merle Norman powder base foundation whisked across my face, a touch of rouge, and hair color about every 7 weeks. I use fat to fill out my wrinkles, and I do not look like I have implanted soccer balls inside my sweater. And clothes, of course, I wear. Even buy something new once in awhile. However, the products I've seen on this site will probably only be good for a laugh--like $130. My newest find was Jergen's with Shea Butter--love the smell--and it was probably about $5.

I see a lot of women my age with too much make-up--collects in the wrinkles and eyebrows--and the wrong color. We are no longer the fresh faced teens we were when we selected that rose or orange tone. Time for a reality check.

What's in that soap?

My daughter was watching NBC Dateline on toxic chemicals in common ingredients and asked me to print off the list--never could find the list, but I decided to look at my own common, people products. She was particularly concerned about "moisturizers," products that keep your skin and hair soft, and I'm guessing she uses more of these products than I do (even though she's always been much prettier, even without help). Usually these are scare stories and I'm betting a lab rat would die if you washed him too many brownies and milk, too. So I'm just picking a few things one thing up at random:

Meijer moisturizing liquid soap, Milk & Honey. The label says, "contains light moisturizers to help leave your hands soft . . . great for the entire family. Warnings: For external use only; avoid eyes; keep out of reach of children [scratch that "family" part, I guess]
water
sodium laureth sulfate
sodium chloride
sodium lauryl sulfate
cocamidopropyl betaine
glycol stearate
fragrance
cocamide mea
DMDM Hydantoin
polyquaternium-7
glycerin
tetrasodium EDTA
citric acid
Aloe Barbadensis gel
MEL (honey) lactose
milk protein
silk peptide
hydrolized silk protein
D&C yellow no. 10
FD&C red no. 40

You don't need to go to a health web site, you can go directly to a toxic substance list by the government, but one that's broken down by cosmetic ingredients is useful. So here's the first chemical ingredient, sodium laureth sulfate

Used in car washes, garage floor cleaners and engine degreasers - and in 90% of products that foam. [That sounds a bit harsh for a foaming ingredient that is widely used in cosmetics also. Do you suppose they've left something out or misled you?]

Animals exposed to SLS and ALS experience eye damage, central nervous system depression, laboured breathing, diarrhoea, severe skin irritation, and even death. ["Exposed." Does that mean full strenth into the eyes, not mixed in tiny amounts with other ingredients, then mixed with water when it's on your skin for a few seconds?]

Young eyes may not develop properly if exposed to SLS and ALS because proteins are dissolved. SLS and ALS may also damage the skin's immune system by causing layers to separate and inflame. It is frequently disguised in semi-natural cosmetics with the explanation "comes from coconut".[So, does it come from coconut or not? What's with the scare quotation marks. How young is young, and whose eyes? How much is on the skin to cause it to separate and inflame?]

Hmm. Doesn't sound too good--or it's an anti-industry site. Let's look for another site.

Keeping in mind that hardly any group--retired bloggers, housewives, mothers or health care staff--is washing their hands often enough or even getting close to guidelines.. Alcohol rub is probably the best for disinfecting--you need about 2-3 minutes of sudsing and scrubbing with a non-medicated soap to remove even some of the microflora on your hands, and if you didn't have these various agents in your soap, you'd probably have very raw knuckles very quickly, and develop an infection from that. (BTW, doctors are less careful than nurses, did you know that?)

So then I checked Snopes.com for this ingredient, but it is only looking at a circulating e-mail on SLS and cancer, not the NBC story. He says it is a foaming agent in shampoos, soaps, toothpastes and cleaning agents, provides links to various sites, FDA, OSHA, NTP and IARC, and says they all say it is non-carcinogenic. I try those sites and either find articles so technical that I can't read them, or I find "no results."

Here's what I found on sodium laureth sulfate at an Australian government site about dermal irritation--nothing close to these quantities appears in soap, shampoo or moisturizer products, and multiple applications were needed to induce an irritation. Huge quantities taken orally did kill lab rats, but generally we don't drink our shampoo and liquid soap.

"Sodium laureth sulfate: A large number of studies were performed with a variety of concentrations under occlusive patch for 24 – 48 hours. Applications produced no irritation at 5 – 5.6%, mild erythema and oedema at 6 – 10%, 17.5% and 26%. Severe irritation occurred at 15, 25, 28 and 30%. Severe irritation was produced in 3 applications of a 15% solution on consecutive days but similar studies with 17.5% produced only mild irritation. Single applications of 26 and 28% produced mild and moderate irritation, respectively, and an application of 58% produced no irritation. Three studies using 30% applications for 3 days produced severe irritation. Effects on the skin and hair cycles were investigated by application of the chemical daily for 65 days. A 60% concentration caused inflammatory changes, epidermal hyperplasia, epidermoid cyst formation and diffuse hair loss. A 30% concentration caused similar but less severe changes and 9% caused no changes.

Keep in mind that the reason cancer is at the top of the death list today is that we are an aging population, and if you live long enough, you'll get it. But also, through various medical advancements and miracles, the reasons people died young 100 years ago, have been eliminated. The big killer of babies and children in 3rd world countries is diarrhea--bad water. Another killer of children in those countries is malaria (with the help of environmentalists who got DDT removed). We don't have those diseases in the U.S. We are killing ourselves young with behavior related health problems--lack of exercise, too many calories, sexual promiscuity, and nicotine.

I think we probably have a lot of SLS and SLES on our skin because it's in so many products, but we're not going get rashes, die or develop cancer--unless maybe it's part of our diet, or we smoke it, or use it during sex, or stay inside and wash our hair rather than going outside to walk.

Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Ammonium Laureth Sulfate. J Am Coll Toxicol. 2: 1 – 34 (1983).
Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate. J Am Coll Toxicol. 2: 127 – 181 (1983).

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Lemon Cream Shea Butter

This is so yummy on your skin. I just love Shea Butter (butyrosermum parkii) which comes from a nut tree in Africa. I noticed a jar of J.R. Watkins Lemon Cream Shea Butter at Wal-Mart and bought a 130 g. jar. Marvelous! It's a Canadian company, and they have a web site from which you can order. J.R. Watkins Catalog Other ingredients include cocoa seed butter, apricot kernel oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, jojoba seed oil and a lot of unpronounceables, but I don't care. I just love shea butter. Do nut based cosmetics bother other people with nut allergies, I wonder?

3308 No more fat lips

My daughter gave me a lip restorer for Christmas. Yes, when I was young having fat lips was not in style, and now that they are and women pay a lot of money for all sorts of unhealthy enhancements, mine have pretty much disappeared (it's called aging). I don't try anything new without reading the ingredients--especially on my mouth. It's a two part system. In the first part I noticed "benzyl nicotinate." Sounds nasty, doesn't it, like it might be from tobacco? So I found this neat site called, "Science Toys" which I think is for kids, and it explains various chemical ingredients. It's a B vitamin, and a vasodilator, so I suppose that's what its purpose is in a lip plumper (doesn't that sound funny?)--opens the capillaries and makes the skin red.

Then in part 2 I found an ingredient called butyro spermum Parkii. Now that really sounded gross until I looked it up and its common name is Shea's Butter. It comes from a tree in Africa, and you can buy it in bulk to make your own cosmetics, or in health food stores, and you can even buy it fair traded from cooperatives like you do coffee.

The print is very small and I have another 10 or 20 to look up. But the next time you see me I just might have my fat lips back.