Green Goddess Purifying Clay Mask August 20, 2010

French Green Clay combined with either of these highly anti-inflammatory essential oils is very healing for sensitive, cystic acne conditions. It aids in removing impurities and toxins from beneath the surface of the skin. This mask is the preferred method of exfoliation due to its gentleness. It can also be used as an overnight blemish treatment. Simply dab a little on with a q-tip and leave while you sleep. The clay absorbs excess oil overnight and aids in the healing of blemishes.

• 1 Tablespoon French Green Clay, finely ground
• pure aloe vera juice
• 2 drops German chamomile or helichrysum essential oil

In a small bowl, use a wisk or a spoon to combine the clay with enough aloe vera juice to form a smooth, spreadable paste. Stir in the essential oil.

APPLICATION TIPS: Use fingers, spread paste onto the face and neck and allow to dry completely fpr 20-30 minutes. The mask will seemingly lift and tighten the skin. Rinse with cool water and pat dry.

Excerpted from Organic Body Care Recipes by Stephanie Tourles

Why the Story Was Written. August 11, 2010

For my husband Klink, and non-Hodgkins lymphoma. For my grandpa Howie, and Mesotheleoma. For my step-mother Nancy, and Metastatic Malignant Melanoma. For my stylist Suzanne, my friends Cindy, Scotty, Tommy, Penny, and so many more I’d list, if there was room. And for all of yours too. Without ever seeing The Story of Cosmetics, you’ve no doubt been touch by a part of it. Find out why The Story needs to be told again and again.

 If the Safe Cosmetics Act 2010 passes, it would mean significant changes for the salon/spa industry. Good changes. Did you know that because of the current law, product manufacturers are exempt from providing MSDS (material safety data sheets) to salons? Do you know that hair stylists have a 7 % higher risk of cancer than the general population? Did you know that we have absolutely no idea what’s in some of the products we use and recommend daily? Let’s all hope that changes!

 Stacy Malkan: Why We Made The Story of Cosmetics.

“Repugnant and Absurd…Shockumentary.” August 4, 2010

That was the response from The Personal Care Products Council about The Story of Cosmetics. Seems they’re not big fans. Not surprising, since the short movie was released the same day as The Safe Cosmetics Act 2010 was introduced into congress, and will (if passed) strictly regulate the $50 billion dollar a year industry. Why do you think they are so disgusted? Seem’s they’re getting some unwanted attention… 

After watching the video, please do your part! Send a message to your elected officials to sponsor this bill! Just about every last one of us has been affected in some way by cancer, infertility and other environmental diseases. Passing this bill is the starting point to get the cosmetics industry to clean up it’s act. 7o years is long enough to wait, don’t you think? I know for me it is. My husband is a two-time cancer survivor (non-Hodgkins lymphoma) and changed our lives forever. If reform could have happened, say, even 30 years ago, well, I guess I wouldn’t be writing this now, would I.

Get Your Nails Done Lately? July 27, 2010

I think this video speaks for itself.

We have a nail salon 2 doors down and somedays just walking by, I am taken aback by the odor coming out the door. In the summer they leave the doors open, but in the winter they cannot. They are the sweetest ladies and the hardest workers and are only trying to make a living here. This is why we all need to support the Safe Chemicals Act of 2010. Please contact your representative and ask them to help make salon/spa environments safe for workers and customers by passing this into law.

We need to clean up our act people. Click here to sign a petition and send to your elected officials. No need for a stamp or to figure out who to write to…they do it all for you. It takes all of 30 seconds.

We’ve Waited 70 Years. The Times They Are A Changin’! July 24, 2010

The beginning! We can really truly thank The EWG (Environmental Working Group) and Stacy Malken of The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics for this. To finally have new legislation that  helps protect consumers from harmful ingredients in personal care products, provides regulation and disclosure of ingredients along with leveling the playing field  for smaller companies to compete, is a monumental effort that I hope will force the salon industry to step up and take notice. Trying to educate my colleagues on the importance of reducing the use of toxins in our products and our work environments, can be compared to pushing a very large boulder up a very steep hill. Not many want to hear it and I am hoping that will now change. We stylists love our products (as do our clients), and when that hair gel you just used helps you to look more like the goddess that you really are, it’s easy to turn a blind eye towards what ingredients are really in it. All beauty products should be able to deliver the results you want without the need for synthetics.

Beauty products are  wonderful tools to help us look and feel our best, but they need to not harm us and our children. We all know true beauty comes from within, but for those of us that need a little help on the outside, well….we can all breath a little easier now.

Read: Just Introduced: The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010!

Read: Press Release

Chemicals May Hasten Puberty. July 12, 2010

Phenols, Phthalates and Phytoestrogens – think disinfectants, perfume and soy. Also found in cosmetics, lotions and hair products. http://ping.fm/Tw82u

A Boom Making Kit, How Cute! July 4, 2010

Let me tell you…I have never in my life wanted a shower so bad, as I did yesterday after stuffing hair into pantyhose to make booms for the oil spill clean up effort. But after seeing what we had accomplished, well, it’s a small price to pay:) Being a Matter of Trust volunteer has it’s rewards.

I flew to my home in Venice, Fl., this week to move the donated hair out of my garage and turn it into booms for the clean up. I connected with Andrea Sorrenti of Andrea’s Organic Hair Studio in Naples, Fl., after seeing her event on her  Facebook page and she was kind enough to allow me to bring the donated hair to her boom making get together. I have been following her progress on Facebook after this began and watched as she hauled a ton of boom up to Louisiana last month with her husband Jaime, all of it made by her and her volunteers. She said she comes to work in the morning and has to clear a path to get to her salon door, because of all the bags of donations piled up in front. She also says she is getting burned out and I for one, can see why. She has taken on quite a responsiblity with this and in the short time that we spent together yesterday, I got the feeling that it is just her nature to want to help people. All people. A very genuine soul she is.

I packed my rented PT Cruiser plum full of donated hair and drove south to the park. We were very lucky that it was an overcast day and very little wind because I was soon to find out, and I should know this, hair loves to attach to sticky, sweaty skin.

The boxes that I brought were shipped from all over the south, and one small box in particular caught my eye.  A woman from Crystal Springs, MS., sent a very small bag of (assuming her freshly brushed) pet fur, a medium-sized bag of human hair (that I imagined was sacrificed for the effort), and a few pantyhose. I sat there for a minute looking at this small box and thought…a Boom Making Kit! How cute! And then I  thought about The Starfish Story (an earlier post) and how one person can feel as if they are making a difference in this world.

We managed to get maybe a hundred boom finished before it started to rain, so we tossed the boom in the bed of her pick up and drove to her home to store it, where it sounds like her and her husband will be hauling it to Pensacola where the oil is coming in now. Andrea pays for her own gas, takes time away from her business (without pay) and donates her spare time to make booms.

She is most certainly making a difference.

A Boom Making Kit!

Andrea and I making booms.

 

Donation from Kentucky

Full of hair boom!

More Volunteers Needed as Coast Guard Clears Hair Boom for Deployment July 2, 2010

Over 6500 hand made hair booms are finished since the collection started after the spill, and there’s plenty more to make. I will be hauling my “warehouse” (okay, my garage…) supply of hair down to Naples tomorrow and making boom with other volunteers (a Boom B Q!) and then bringing the finished boom to the local marinas. We are so happy to hear that the Coast Guard is going to deploy the booms and hopefully Matter of Trust can create more green jobs to support the boom making effort. I think the effects will be here for a very long time

More Volunteers Needed as Coast Guard Clears Hair Boom for Deployment.

WE’RE GOING GREEN! November 7, 2008

Well…kind of.

I think the term “GREEN” is being hijacked, just like “ORGANIC” or “NATURAL” has been. Although I think it’s wonderful that all this “GREEN-ness” has made people much more conscious of how their choices impact the world around us, I often wonder how many of us consider the choices we make that affect our bodies? Or, more specifically, do we consider what we put ON our bodies?

To me “Going GREEN” means making small changes that can turn into big changes for our future. GREEN means making different choices, focusing on preventative maintenance to become naturally healthy. We should ask ourselves, “What exactly is in that body lotion I apply everyday? What’s in my shampoo, my deodorant, or my toothpaste? What products are really good for me? What should I be looking for? What products are safe for me and my family?”

Well, cancer in my household motivated me to ask those questions and ultimately sent me on a journey that I am truly grateful for. I want to share with you just what I’ve learned and continue to learn.

So, truthfully, the salon isn’t going completely GREEN, we’re just turning over a new leaf. Stay tuned as I continue to grow, learn and share with you how, together, we can make choices that are not only good for our bodies, but also the future of our earth!

To your beautiful and natural health,
~Lorri

USDA Certified Pureganic Fragrance November 16, 2008

Huh?

Sexy Hair Organics is a new offering from the company called Sexy Hair. I’ve refused to bring the main line into my salon, specifically because of the name, but I thought Id check this out. With companies jumping on the bandwagon these days in a hurry to be GREEN, I’ve learned to be very skeptical. When the label reads “Paraben free” or ”Sulphate free”, it’s become a warning sign to me. I would prefer the labels to read “preservative free” or “surfactant free” because more often than not, the parabens and sulphates are only being replaced with other potentially harmful ingredients. A bit deceiving, yes? Well read on my friends, it gets better.

In checking out Sexy Hair Organics (which, by the way, states to be Sulphate free, Paraben free, Petrochemical free and Dye free) there’s a small symbol on the front that shows what percentage of organic ingredients are in it. Im intrigued. Taking a closer look at the label on the back, it reads ” Infused with USDA Certified Pureganic fragrance and made of 77% organic ingredients including a combination of organic aloe vera juice…”.

USDA Certified Pureganic Fragrance???  Seems like I’m not the only confused consumer out there, the United States Department of Agriculture who is responsible for certification  hasn’t heard of it either! I couldn’t begin to explain to you what it’s made up of because there is no way of knowing. Fragrance rates 8 (on a scale of 1-10) on the Skin Deep report and is a known human immune toxicant and neurotoxin. I remove the cap and take a whiff. I cannot smell anything even resembling “pure” and with my experience with essential oils, I cannot detect anything masquerading as natural either. I do however, feel like I just walked into a perfume shop and need to go breathe some fresh air.

This is a perfect example of how deceiving our labels can be and how concerned and aware we need to be. I do apologize for picking on Sexy Hair Organics and while I applaud their efforts, they still have a long way to go as there are several other questionable chemicals involved. Adding organic ingredients to a product only creates another set of problems, and I will write about that in a future blog. Only 1 of the 5 products looked promising and would be worthy of trying, but the rest will find their way back to the beauty supply shelf.

And I no longer need to struggle with a name.

Lj

Pureology at Target November 21, 2008

In the past we’ve had clients tell us they’ve seen professional salon brands at big box retailers such as Target, CVS and even Cub Foods. It’s not uncommon to see Pureology, Redken, Biolage, Crew, Paul Mitchel and more lining the shelves. It’s called Diversion and it’s hurting the salon industry. Please take a moment to see why purchasing a product at a place other than a licensed hair salon could be harmful to your health and pocketbook!

 

Couldn’t have said it better myself!

Stay warm, Lj

Holiday Blues? November 25, 2008

Is Christmas being cancelled?

We’re being bombarded these days.The economy, wall street, crime, unemployment, housing, the closing of businesses, bankruptcy, bail outs and bombings.  It seems no matter where we are or what we’re doing, someone is reminding us how bad things are. It’s typically the media, but often it can be our neighbor or co-worker, our spouse, or the waitress that brings your morning cup of java. Being an optimistic business owner I try to block out the negativity but it surrounds me constantly and there are days that I struggle. It’s during those moments that I remember to keep my mind focused on better feeling thoughts and good things always prevail.

It wasn’t long ago I sat in a hospital room while my husband received one of his many chemo treatments. Those were dark days and while I sat watching his I.V. drip for 24 hours in a dreary, dark, disgustingly smelly room at 2 West, I found peace and comfort in reading. At the time I was reading Dr. Wayne Dyer “Inspiration, Your Ultimate Calling” and I came across a passage about Joy.

It reads:

 

‘ When the calender becomes frenzied, full of unnecessary turbulence because we’ve failed to simplify, we won’t be able to hear those long distance calls from our Source…and we’ll slip into stress, anguish, and even depression. So whatever it takes to feel joy, we must simply act upon it. Whatever our current station in life, we have a spiritual contract to make joy our constant companion- so we must learn to make a concious choice to say no to anything that takes us away from an inspired life. This can be done gently, while clearly showing others that this is how we choose to live’.

 

After months of searching deep within myself to find and keep the strength for this journey we were on, it suddenly clicked within me. (It was my “AHA”! moment, just like Oprah says). And it has stayed with me since. I reach for it daily, hundreds of times each day as it was (and still is) life changing. It wasn’t an overwhelming feeling, just a soft voice within that whispered to my soul. I knew at that moment that everything would be okay. No matter how things ended up. It was all okay and always would be from that point on. I found Joy in the darkest of moments and everything changed. 

Find the Joy for you! In this moment, in this space, at this time. Right here, right now! FIND THE JOY! There is ALWAYS a better feeling thought even if it’s only a small thought. Even if the thought is simple. Be an observer of your thoughts when your standing in a long check out line waiting to purchase Aunt Roxanne’s cat slippers, or when the item you ordered online with a guaranteed delivery date doesn’t arrive on time. How can you make the best of the situation? When you find yourself caught up in the negative chatter during holday social events, refrain from judgement and just listen for a moment. Listen to your own words and then choose a better thought about the subject at hand. We need Joy now more than ever and it can only start with ourselves. You get to choose the way you experience the Holidays so choose wisely!

I remember my better feeling thought that day. A small, simple thought that changed the moment. And every moment since. Wanna know what it was?

This room doesn’t smell today. And it instantly became a better day.

Joy to you!

Lj

To call my own… December 2, 2008

For the last 8 months I have been searching feverishly for hair and beauty products I feel are worthy of being on my shelves. This has not been an easy task as it seems the moment I discover, what I think is an authentic product, it has a questionable chemical in it and I am discouraged once again. This has been a vicious cycle of excitement and disappointment and it has tested my commitment to my mission. Yes, there are some great healthy products available but none have fit my selective criteria, as there are many shades of “GREEN”. In my searching I have also found many companies (see my previous post titled USDA Certified Pureganic) that make false claims, so I am cautious. Optimistic, but cautious. I know it has to be out there somewhere……

Look no farther.

Arriving January 2009……

Stay tuned!

Lj

Honey & Oatmeal skin cleanser January 5, 2009

This is fabulous for all skin types and extra fabulous for dry, flaky skin due to long Minnesota winters. I use this twice daily and it makes my skin soft and smooth. It is a gentle cleansing scrub and can also be modified to use as a nourishing mask. Make sure you follow the guidelines!

• Honey benefits: Skin beautifier & cleanser.
• Oatmeal benefits: Full of vitamin E, anti-oxidants & is a non-soap cleanser. Oatmeal promotes healing & is wonderfully moisturizing.
• Ingredients: 1-2 teaspoons oatmeal, finely ground. (Oat flour may be used). 1-2 teaspoons honey. 1 teaspoon purified water.
• Recipe: Mix all ingredients together and let rest for 1-2 minutes. You will want a paste-like consistency. Moisten face with lukewarm water and gently massage cleanser into skin for 60 seconds using circular movements, adding more cleanser as needed. Enjoy the gentle scrubbing affect of the oatmeal, concentrating on your dry areas. Rinse with lukewarm or cool water and pat dry with towel. Follow with toner or moisturizer.
•  To use as a mask, reduce water in recipe to make a thicker paste. Drape a towel over your shoulders. Massage into skin and relax for 15-20 minutes. Rinse well with cool water and pat dry.

Green Tea skin toner January 5, 2009

Naturally anti-aging, Green tea is loaded with the anti-oxidants vitamin C & vitamin E which help strengthen your skin’s natural defenses. This is a wonderful tonic to sooth irritated, windburned or sunburned skin. Make a little extra for yourself and enjoy a cup of natural energy! ALWAYS buy organic when purchasing green tea (all teas if possible) as it has a high pesticide rate. Don’t forget to follow the guidelines!

• Benefit: naturally anti-aging & soothing.
• Ingredients: 1/2 cup purified water or pure spring water. 2 green tea bags.
• Recipe: Boil water in saucepan. Place tea bags in ceramic mug or bowl and pour boiling water over bags. Cover and allow to steep for 2-3 minutes. Allow tea to cool completely. Apply to face with cotton or gauze. Do not rinse off.

A picture really IS worth a thousand words. February 1, 2009

Todays post is going to be a little out of the ordinary. It has nothing to do with organics, wellness, ingredients, questionable chemicals or the like. It does, however, have to do with hair and the power of intention!

My husband and I own  a booth at the Minnesota State Fair called Fair Do’s! . We’ve had this business for 7 years and last year a professional photographer named Joel Sartore, from a pretty famous magazine shot some pictures of our creations. It seems this magazine was doing a spread on our nations greatest state fairs and the final picks would be in the August 2009 issue. There was a 1 in 40,000 chance a photo of his would be picked, but after learning his work has been on hundreds of covers, I was optimistic. I’m a firm believer in visualization and imagined how awesome it would be to be picked to represent our state fair.

I received a call 2 weeks ago and was informed that Fair Do’s will be in the August issue of NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC magazine! HOW COOL IS THAT?

Anything’s possible boys and girls if you believe in the power of your dreams. Absolutely anything.

Carcinogens in bubble bath. March 14, 2009

I had read a report this afternoon from the Organic Consumers Association about toxins in childrens bath care products when later on, my girlfriend mentioned she had read this article in USA Today. She is the mother of a 3 year old and was really disturbed by what she had learned.

Group finds carcinogens in kids bath products:

Twenty-three of 28 products tested contained formaldehyde, the report says. Formaldehyde — considered a probable carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency, — is released as preservatives break down over time in a container.  

Many children’s bath products contain chemicals that may cause cancer and skin allergies, according to a report released Thursday by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

Thirty-two of 48 products contained 1,4-dioxane, also considered a probable human carcinogen by the EPA, is a byproduct of a chemical processing techniques used to make petroleum-based ingredients gentler to the skin. Nearly two-thirds of products tested, including Johnson’s Baby Shampoo, contained both chemicals, according to the campaign, a coalition of environmental and health groups that includes the Breast Cancer Fund and the Environmental Working Group.

Formaldehyde can trigger allergic reactions in sensitive people, the report says, and Japan and Sweden have banned formaldehyde from personal care products.

As disturbing as this information is, it is applaudable that USA Today picked up the story. I don’t know about you, but after months of  being bombarded with Bernie Madoff, business layoffs and the stock market tanking, it’s refreshing to hear some news that gives us an option on how the story ends. With this information we can start making healthier choices about what we apply to our bodies and our children’s bodies, and begin to write our own story.

Contrary to popular belief – knowledge is not power, applied knowledge is power. Be the change.

Read the OCA full press release  here  to find out which companies have changed their ways and print out the “shoppers safety guide” to help you be an informed consumer.

Keeping your kids carcinogen free,

Lorri

What should you use for your children? March 19, 2009

Here’s a link for a follow up to my last blog about carcinogens in childrens personal care products.

Parents buying guide

Print out the list and bring it with you when you go shopping!

More recipes! April 21, 2009

From bath bombs to lip balm….

Here’s a link to The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics website and some great “make at home” skin care recipes.

http://www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=233

Enjoy!

Sunscreen Safety May 28, 2009

Now that summer is here and we’re all spending a fair amount of time outdoors, we need to make informed choices about the sunscreen choices we’re making and not base them on fear. Not all sunscreens are created equal and many on the shelves have the ingredient Oxybenzone which is on the EWG’s list of ingredients to avoid. It ranks a 9 on a scale of 1-10 and is prominent in many childrens’ brands such as Coppertone Continuous Kid’s Sunblock Spray SPF 50.

We’ve been trained to believe that the sun is dangerous for us, but it is also life giving and provides much needed vitamin D. Doctors are starting to find people are becoming deficient in D and are prescribing supplements to help. It’s helpful to get 10-15 minutes of sun, without sunscreen, daily and then apply a healthy coating with non-toxic ingredients. The active ingredients in sunscreen typically expire after 1 year so it’s wise to toss out the old and start fresh each season.

In the last few years I have questioned the idea of applying so much sunscreen on us, and our fear for the effects of the sun on our children and wonder if the rise in skin cancer is related more to the cancer causing chemicals we are applying than to the amount of sunshine we are getting.  Call me crazy, but worth pondering.

Take a few minutes before purchasing your next bottle and check out the Sunscreen Guide  from the Environmental Working Group, it’s a fabulous resource when searching out sunscreens, and what you find may surprise you.

And  just remember to make the best choices at the time. If your at the beach and Coppertone is all you have, by all means use it, as the alternative is worse. And painful!

Enjoy safely!

Food Inc. June 24, 2009

Last Friday night I went with some friends to see the movie Food Inc. Have you heard of it? Well, let me tell you something. Grab your spouse, your kids, your parents and neighbors and get to the Lagoon Theatre and watch it.

I have been living  what some would call an “organic”  lifestyle for some time now. I shop at co-ops, buy organic, cook only organic at home and am very careful what I order when we go out for dinner. We only eat meat and poultry (at home) that is sourced responsibly and I have an organic garden in my back yard. I thought I understood  how the food industry processes and manufactures food, but after watching this movie I now understand that I had no clue.

This movie will amaze you. It will open your eyes to what the ‘really big picture’  is all about. Who controls (literally “owns”) our food and seed supply, how our food is made, why and how E Coli is getting to be such a deadly problem, immigration, farming and so, so much more.

Warning here: This is not for the faint of heart and a few scenes are graphic and hard to watch (close your eyes) and you probably wont want to see this if you are not willing to change your shopping and eating habits. I promise you, you will not look at food in the same way ever again, and that is a VERY good thing.

Bon Appetite!

Check out the trailer here.

(Movie theatres are always air conditioned so this would be a perfect week to go)!

Toilet Cleaner and Vino connection? July 23, 2009

This is a great article! I saw this on AOL this morning and wanted to share it with you. It’s nice to see this information going more mainstream.

Read article here

After seeing Food, Inc. for the second time,  I agree more wholeheartedly than ever with Micheal Pollan – “We have a right to know whats in our food and where it’s coming from”. Forward this article on to friends and family and lets get the word out.

Eat healthy and stay healthy!

Support local food! August 5, 2009

This sounds like great food, fun and fresh air. This sunday at the Nicollet Island Pavillion is the Fresh Taste Festival! It’s all about supporting organic, local and sustainable food & wine. Think of it as the Food & Wine Experience on a much smaller, more intimate scale.

Eating organic foods is so important for us and for the health of our planet.  If you’ve been thinking of going organic, but didn’t know where to start, this a great place to get your feet wet!

Here’s the link.

See you there!

They’re listening!! August 11, 2009

I received this from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) last week and wanted to share it with you. We always hear about the efforts being made for keeping us and our world healthy but we typically don’t hear if there are any results being made. Read the following email and you will feel confident that all of our efforts do not go unnoticed. They are listening!!

Dear lorri,Over the last several months EWG has made some waves and drawn a lot of attention to the issues you and I care about. I want to make sure you know what EWG has achieved in just the last few months.

We all agree that influencing public policy has a lot to do with being heard by the right people at the right time. At EWG, we’ve got a knack for just that. Our unique investigations, skilled team of researchers and effective advocacy work well together to catch the attention of decision makers – right when it matters.

We’ve told decision makers what you want. . . and they’re listening.

• We caught food industry giants plotting to mislead mothers and minority parents about the hazards of bisphenol-A (BPA) and spurred grassroots pressure to find a safe alternative.
• Some 14,000 members of EWG’s burgeoning online community joined us to ask U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to oppose uranium mining near the Grand Canyon. And he did. Nearly a million acres of public land has been set aside, preventing the mining industry from staking any claims for at least two years, and possibly as many as 20 years.
• Congressional insiders picked EWG and myself as top grassroots advocates on biofuels for our ability to combine lobbying and research with grassroots power effectively.
• The California State Senate passed the Toxics-Free Babies & Toddlers Act, which we sponsored, to ban BPA in children’s food products. If the State Assembly approves the bill, the largest market in the country will join Connecticut and Minnesota whose state legislatures enacted partial BPA Bans earlier this year.
• We asked the EPA to consider the full impact of over-subsidized biofuels on greenhouse gas emissions and penned an Op-Ed published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
• Five environmental justice leaders joined us for an extensive two-year study that tested them for 75 chemical contaminants. They took their results directly to Congress as a compelling argument for reform of the failed federal toxics law.

We researched, reported and testified for better public policies.

• We released our third annual sunscreen report to help consumers identify safe, effective products and better understand the ingredients in sunscreen. We found that sunscreen companies are reformulating many products to be safer and more effective as a result of our three-year campaign.
• We expanded our ground-breaking work on bottled water safety by reviewing labels, provided by our fabulous fans, and released a report rating manufacturers on their (lack of) transparency. We took this research to Congress where Jane Houlihan, our head of research, testified in front of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

We created and shared important, useful information.

• Our Editor-in-Chief, Elaine Shannon, began writing for the Huffington Post so that we can take our message to millions of readers. Here’s an exciting post discussing a ground-breaking study about infertility and bisphenol-A.
• We launched a new blog on Kid-Safe Chemicals where EWG staff and outside experts are discussing emerging science and the need for toxics policy reform.
• I presented our 10 Americans talk to hundreds in California, Georgia, Canada, Wisconsin and Washington D.C. You can watch a short version on our site.
• We launched a monthly informational email series based on our popular Healthy Home Tips guide.
• We won two Treehugger awards for best health and beauty information and best natural health news web sites.

As you can see, we’ve been busy. All of the staff at EWG is grateful for your support, which we know makes our work possible. With your help, we’re doing the hard work it takes to achieve our shared goal: healthy people and a healthy planet.

Sincerely,

Ken Cook
President, Environmental Working Group

I can only add this…. WELL DONE KEN! May the EWG keep up the good work!

Campaign for Safe Cosmetics: New Safe Cosmetics Video September 17, 2009

What does the public think? What do you think?

What’s happening now? Part 1 of 2. November 5, 2009

The last several months I’ve been “out of the loop” so to speak and apologize for not updating my post. I have a seasonal business at the Minnesota state fair (www.statefairdos.com) which demands most of my attention, and then Im right back to work which leaves little time for writing or researching. Now that life has settled down a bit I have been noticing some things that have really piqued my interest. It’s amazing what you notice when you step away from something for awhile.

I have been a label reader for some time now and I always find it amusing ( okay, amusing maybe isn’t the right term. How about interesting.) So I find it interesting… when a new distributor brings in their “natural” or “made with organic ingredients” product into my salon with hopes of establishing an account with me. I understand that they believe in their product, they should. They have this incredible new eco-friendly trendy line to show me because they know that’s the only type of product I’ll even consider anymore, but I often wonder if they truly understand what it is they are trying to sell. Like I said above, I am a label reader and I don’t just look for the natural or organic  ingredients in a product, I look for all of the other things that most people overlook. Sure, it’s cool to “Go Green” these days, but you just can’t trust that the product you are using or buying is healthy. You really need to become a label reader because nobody knows whats best for you, except you. What’s happening is, chemicals are being replaced with chemicals, and so the familiar name that you know to look for on a label as being toxic or potentially harmful such as Parabens, is being replaced with Phenoxyethenols and other carcinogens. Just the other day I read on a label “organic propylene glycol”. Really? Is that possible? I think Id like to research that one a little further before I lather up- thank you very much.

So here’s what’s happening in the beauty industry. And of course this is just my opinion, but I encourage you to take a look  for yourself  the next time your at the beauty counter. Most people dont realize that the combination of certain chemicals in lotions, face creams and the like, can create an unwelcomed “smell”, and so companies are adding more fragrance  to mask the unpleasant odors. Fragrance, which is highly toxic, an allergen and an endocrine disruptor, used to be near the bottom of the ingredient list and typically the last ingredient, just to give a nice little scent and make you feel good. Not so  much any more. I am noticing fragrance being listed in the top third of the list and sometimes even the 2nd or 3rd ingredient! I tried a new gel the other day and by the end of the day I had to wash my hair as the scent followed me around like an unwanted friend. My headache went away by morning and I threw the product in the garbage. Glad it was just a sample. Fragrance was the 5th ingredient in this product. 5th out of 34. This really raises cause for concern as Phthalates, which are in fragrances and many other skin and body care products, are dangerous for our reproductive systems  and especially for young girls and teenagers who slather it on like butter. Read more about Phthlates here or do a google search and start looking at your labels when your considering a product. Make sure you turn the product around and read the back label, not the front as clever marketing can have you fooled. If it looks unhealthy put it back on the shelf or simply say “no thank you”, making sure to tell the salesperson why you’re refusing it.

Knowledge is power, but applied knowledge can change the world.

What’s happening now? Part 2 of 2. December 2, 2009

Paraben Free.

Along with “Sulfate Free”, it’s the new buzz word in the beauty industry. Next time your at the beauty counter  or drug store check out a few of the popular skin lotions or hair products that are available. Due to pressure from the EWG (Environmental Working Group), Safe Cosmetics and savvy consumers like you, it seems that parabens are being phased out of our beauty products. This is a site for sore eyes as parabens are known to be a significant hormone disruptor and in 90% of our skin care products. Don’t take my word for it, grab a lotion out of your cabinet and check for yourself.

The part that concerns me about the massive hype “Now Paraben Free!” is that in order for products to remain on the shelves for an extended period of time there has to be a globally approved preservative present. Introducing…Phenoxyethanol folks. You’re globally approved preservative. Phenoxyethanol has been approved by the CIR  Expert Panel ( Cosmetic Ingredient Review) as a safe ingredient when concentrations are less than 1 %. But, this panel is also funded by the CTFA (Cosmetics, Toiletry and Fragrance  Association) and not to forget that Parabens up until recently were also deemed safe by the CTFA. We know that there is no regulation in the beauty industry and any company can claim their products or ingredients are safe, until of course, they change their minds due to public pressure.

Phenoxyethanol ranks lower on the database than Parabens and is not a known endocrine disruptor, but is a carcinogen. So check your labels for “Paraben Free”  and see what the substitute is. Another thing to really watch out for is where the preservatives are listed on the ingredient labels. The higher up on the list the higher the concentration. I mentioned in my last post how fragrance has moved its way up the list and I am seeing the same with Parabens and Phenoxyethanol, and this really concerns me.

We all want to use more natural or organic products if possible and beauty companies have picked up on this. They are not dummies. We demand quality ingredients- they market, they label and they deliver. And we buy because we are being told of all the wonderful new natural, organic ingredients put into their formulas. Well, buyer beware. Natural ingredients expire faster than their chemical partners and when they get all mixed up together in a nice little jar, natural and chemical, the preservative concentration has to be higher to keep it from spoiling. Just as with fragrance, higher up the list the Parabens go.

So the rule of thumb is, as I always say, read your labels. Get to know your ingredients. You dont have to be a rocket scientist just memorize 1 or 2 names. You’ll remember next time your shopping and at the very least question the product you’re looking at. Natural and organic is the “green” thing to do right now and there are plenty of good companies out there bringing us excellent products, but there are also many, many more with clever marketing strategies looking for your money.

Buy local, look for minimal processing, minimal packaging and minimal ingredients. Explore essential oils and natural skin care remedies. Olive and jojoba oil to nourish your skin, sugar and salt for a gentle scrub, baking soda to exfoliate….the kitchen is full of healthy ingredients!

Take the test. January 10, 2010

Another great series from the EWG. (Envorinmental Working Group).Take the quiz and find out how much you know about toxins in cosmetics.

Read first article here.

The second part of the series explains why the data gap is important when researching an ingredient or product.

Read second article here.

Would you be interested? January 10, 2010

I am thinking of having an “Organic Girls Night Out” at the salon sometime in the spring. I haven’t all the details organized yet but the basic premise would be this.

6-8 women, a short presentation on healthy skin/body/hair care and information on how to become a savvy shopper, non-toxic/organic skin care recipes made at the salon and for you to take home. Maybe a little organic wine and cheese?

Let me know if anyone is interested and I’ll start putting this together!

Working together. January 14, 2010

Several weeks back I was invited to take part in a focus group for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The MPCA is exploring the development of a Green Chemistry & Design initiative to help manufacturers develop products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances. The luncheon was held this afternoon and our group was made up of retailers and business owners including myself, Best Buy, Target, The Wedge Coop  and Pea Pods  (natural toys and baby care). We were asked several questions such as- How have we applied Green Chemistry/Design in the past few years? Why did we do it? What benefits are we seeing? Are we seeing cost savings? What barriers or challenges have we faced and do we forsee any more challenges in the future?

We discussed designing safer chemicals and products, what the MPCA can do to support retailers and businesses, how to prevent waste, creating partnerships between government and business, empowering industries to articulate and meet environmental goals, “green” washing and “local” washing, more cost effective rebate programs and so much more. It was a great discussion and I was honored to be a part of it!

This is a 2 year project for the MPCA and our input, along with other focus groups and interviews will allow their staff to develop a survey. Their goal is to extend the project into a second year and make recommendations to the MPCA about how to develop a Green Chemistry and Green Design Policy.

It was a great experience for me as I learned that regardless if you are a large corporation, a small independant business or a cooperative, we all have a common goal- to make positive changes that support our environment, ourselves and our planet.

This just in! January 16, 2010

I just received this email from The Organic Consumers Organization and wanted to pass it on to you. The OCA has a division called The Coming Clean Campaign which campaigns for organic integrity in personal care products and they are asking for a boycott! This information and lawsuit is a LONG time coming and something I whole-heartedly support. When you get done reading and are looking for new hair care- click here to get to Greenbody Greenplanet! Our products are made with certified organic, biodynamic and wild crafted ingredients and most imporantly- 100% toxin free.

 This is the original email below and has not been edited.

Toxins in Your So-Called “Organic” Health & Beauty Products

Do you use Jason Pure, Natural & Organic, Avalon Organics, Kiss My Face ObsessivelyOrganic, Nature’s Gate Organics, Stella McCartney 100% Organic, Giovanni Organic, Head Organics, Eminence Organic, Physicians Formula Organic Wear, Good Stuff Organics, Desert Essence Organics, or any “organic cosmetic” certified by Ecocert?

Hate to break it to you, but these so-called “organic” personal care products aren’t really organic and actually contain hazardous ingredients that would never be allowed in products certified to USDA organic standards.

Yesterday, the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), along with certified organic personal care brands Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, Intelligent Nutrients, and Organic Essence, filed a complaint with the USDA National Organic Program (NOP), requesting an investigation into the widespread and blatantly deceptive labeling practices of leading so-called “Organic” personal care brands, in violation of USDA NOP regulations.

The complaint, filed on behalf of the estimated 50 million regular consumers of organic products, argues that products such as liquid soaps, body washes, facial cleansers, shampoos, conditioners, moisturizing lotions, lip balms, make-up and other cosmetic products produced by 12 different corporations have been advertised, labeled and marketed as “Organic” or “Organics” when, in fact, the products are not “Organic” as understood by the average health and environmental-minded organic consumer.

Read the complaint

In addition to the complaint, Organic Consumers Association’s Coming Clean campaign has launched a boycott of cosmetics that claim to be organic, but aren’t certified to organic standards as required by law.

Read more

We’re encouraging our members to switch to USDA certified organic body care and cosmetics products, as part of a New Year’s Resolution to “be more organic” in 2010.

Switching to organic health and beauty products is easy and affordable. The simplest personal care regime involves shaving with an organic shikakai shaving gel, washing your body and hair with organic soap, following that with an organic hair rinse, and then using a baking-soda-based organic deodorant and finally moisturizing with an organic lotion or balm make of vegetable oils.

On our body care page, we’ve listed 26 different health and beauty brands where every single item under the brand name is certified to USDA organic standards.

Learn more

We need your help to get the USDA to take enforcement action based upon our legal complaint. Please write to the USDA today.

We’re also collecting the stories of consumers who have been defrauded by fake organic health and beauty care companies. Do you feel shammed? Please share your story with us.

Read more and take action

 

I encourage you to click through the links and read the full story.

To your health, Lorri

A weekend at the Spa! January 20, 2010

Well, it’s not really the weekend and technically….it’s not really a spa. But it is a quiet retreat in a beautiful, warm location just minutes from the rejuvinating beach! I am off to our home in Florida to set it up for seasonal renters ( I know, it’s a tough job) and I’ve decided to make it into a mini retreat for some well deserved “me” time. As you’ve all been reading in my posts you know I like to make and use homeade natural skin care recipes for my face, body and hair, so I decided to give myself a little challenge and have some fun while Im away!

I’ve decided that the only personal care items Im bringing south will be my Greenbody shampoo & conditioner. Everything else I think I’ll need I will purchase at the natural foods store along with my meals! For the next 3 days I will only make what I need for washing my face and body, deep conditioning my hair, exfoliation and masking. And, I will prepare them only from fruits, oats, oils and whatever else is in season at the farmers market. I will combine my skin care needs with my grocery list and what I don’t eat I’ll use! I’ll keep a log of what I bought, used, liked and disliked and I’ll report back in a few days to let you know how it all went!

Talk soon! Lj

Day 1 at Weisen’s Retreat January 22, 2010

I arrived in town too late last night to pick up any groceries, so I came home and poured a glass of wine and made a list of recipes for my body and my belly. YUM! I tried to keep it simple and only buy what I would eat for dinner or use for skin care, keeping the waste minimal and the cost low. My goal was a facial wash, toner, moisturizer, scrub and mask. A hand and foot moisturizer, a body scrub and some deep conditioners for my hair. I had my plan. I was ready. I felt like Julie in the movie Julie & Julia …

When I awoke this morning the only things edible I had in the house were a jar of olive oil, some Tazo green tea and a bag of tater tots my husband left in the freezer. Hhhmmmm. I decided to skip the tots and have a cup of tea. I brewed one for me and one for my skin.  I washed my face and body with my Greenbody shampoo (its multi-purposeful), used the green tea as a toner and applied some olive oil with a few drops of lavender essential oil  as a moisturizer. I’ve actually been using both the Greenbody and olive oil on my face for a year or more  and I always pack the lavender when I travel, so nothing out of the ordinary yet. I ran to the farmers market and the co-op and with a few exceptions, got just about everything on my list including pineapple, strawberries, oatmeal and yogurt. (Sounds like a fabulous dessert!) I’ll improvise on the rest and see how it goes with some substitutions. If all goes well I’ll come home a glowing goddess of health and wellness or…. last years fruitcake.

Stay tuned…

Day 2 at The Hacienda of Health January 23, 2010

I am well on my way to opening up a Spalicious Diner. Even though my kitchen is a bit on the messy side, I’ll have to say it’s been alot easier than I thought. And all great restaurants have dishwashers, right? I did the prep work last night and after beginning my “Weekend at the Spa” nightly ritual, I realized this would be so easy to do at home. Just a little forethought and organizing to keep things simple.

I cut up the pineapple, reserving any juice and keeping the core and skin. Cleaned up the strawberries saving the hulls and leaves and ground up the dry oatmeal in the blender. That was really it for prep work! I wasn’t in the mood for dinner so I just noshed on the fruit while I was preparing my concoctions. I mixed up equal parts honey, ground oats and filtered water (usually I would use purified ), to use as my facial wash. I blended the strawberry parts, pineapple core, a squeeze of lemon, plain yogurt , a handful of oats and filtered water for an enzyme peel (which made a lot more than I figured, so I will use it for  my body too). Brown sugar, almond oil and honey for a lip exfoliator. Cocoa butter, olive oil and lavender for moisturizer. Castor oil, lemon and almond oil for a nail treatment. And last but not least, plain yogurt, castor oil and almond oil for an overnight hand treatment.

Whew! Sounds like a lot of work but it really wasn’t. Instead of throwing things in the garbage or compost, I just used them! It felt great to utilize the entire food source  and eating it while making it turned it into a kind of whole body experience. Very cool. To give you a heads up, my skin tends to be mostly oily and very sensitive. I get dry patches in the winter and I have some sun damage. I am also in menopause so when my hormones go on a rampage it usually shows up on my face. Especially my chin area. I have been very blessed to not have many wrinkles (especially since I’ll be 43 tomorrow!) but I do show some signs of aging and I’m actually totally fine with that as I like to think I am always improving with age.

Results? The facial wash was really smooth and creamy and it felt really luxurious while I was massaging it into my skin, it removed all of my make up (do not use for eye make-up remover, use olive oil first) and left my skin feeling soft and full of moisture. Something I usually don’t feel. The green tea toner was refreshing and cleansing. I applied the enzyme peel expecting a sloppy mess but it went on quite perfectly and I could feel it working immediately so I massaged some into my hands for 2 minutes. After 20 minutes and a glass of Radical Red I was ready for sleep. I rinsed my face and exfoliated my lips and thought about the final application.I was nervous about the moisturizer as I am not familiar with castor oil nor have I ever used cocoa butter on my face, but having used jojoba and olive oil (which are naturally sebum balancing) I trusted it would work fine. The last to do was the overnight hand treatment. I scooped up a handful, which looked just like lotion from a drugstore, and after 2 attempts I was able to put some socks on my hands and went to sleep. My husband use to do this when he was a tile setter,  using Vaseline of all things. He called this ritual “putting on his “paws”. I think Vaseline belongs out in the garage with the lawnmower.

It was a gentle rain falling this morning and I was eager to get up and see how fabulous I looked! After removing my paws and looking in the mirror I analyzed things closely. My hands felt AMAZING and super smooth. My face was non-oily and radiant and I even noticing a few blemishes drying up! I’d say the recipes we’re successful.

More fun today!

Day 3 at the Venice Eco-Luxury Resort and Spa January 23, 2010

Dinner last night was fresh caught gulf shrimp, red peppers, onions and pineapple in a yellow curry sauce served over a bed of organic brown rice. Accompanied by a nice glass of Organic Wine Works a’ Notre Terre and my BFF’s- Norah Jones and Corrine Bailey Rae. Dessert you ask? Avocado hair masque and pineapple/strawberry/yogurt  facial frappe’. Delish!

 Earlier in the day I applied a hot oil treatment  to my hair that consisted of honey, olive and castor oils. 2o minutes later I hopped in the shower and exfoliated my body using the inside portion of the pineapple skins I had removed the night before, adding a little brown sugar. It took a few extra shampoos to get out the treatment, but I’ve noticed issues with our water before and have never gotten a great lather here, regardless of the shampoo I’ve used. It felt like there was still a residue in my hair but I moved on to exfoliation and loved the way it cleansed! You would think between pineapple and brown sugar you’d be a sticky mess, but just the opposite. My skin felt awesome when I was finished and not as dry as it had been. I applied a mixture of castor oil, olive oil and lavender for a body lotion and I’ve got to tell you, I’ve never thought of castor oil as an alternative before but have learned to really like it. ( I think castor oil got a bad rap many years ago from an episode of Happy Days…..) It takes a bit longer to soak in but it seems to keep your skin nourished and protected all day and it smells lovely.  I washed my face, toned and moisturized as I did the night before, applied the nail treatment and went on with my day. Let me tell you some of my observations…

Using the facial moisturizer at night was incredible but I would skip it for daytime as it took far too long to soak into my skin. I wasn’t putting on make up so I didn’t mind. I will say though, when I woke up it was maybe 4 hours before I washed my face and it still felt clean and smooth, not oily at all.

At bedtime last night my hands STILL felt incredible! Im not sure if it was the enzyme peel or the overnight mask or a combination of both, but I will SO do that again.

After blow drying my hair it felt soft and silky and I would say there was a tiny bit of oil residue but it wasn’t a greasy or icky feeling. Although I didnt style it as normal, I felt I could have and it would have looked great. It still felt fantastic by evening and I couldn’t stop running my fingers through it!

I really feel fantastic! Im also drinking lots of filtered water and of course eating healthy because it’s important to nourish our skin from the inside. No amount of beauty products are going to help us if we continue to eat unhealthy foods!

To be continued!

Day 4 at the soon to be known as world famous Spalicious Resort & Getaway. January 24, 2010

Yesterday was my last day and I spent the morning cleaning everything out of the fridge and disposing of all the perishables. I’m always sad to leave as I love it so much there, but happy to get home. I will definitely use what I’ve learned in the last few days in my daily beauty routine and start experimenting with some more recipes. I will honestly say that I will choose differently when I am at the co-op and not just think about what I can buy for dinner but also how it could  benefit my skin! I think it will help me be very creative in my meal planning.  Oh my poor husband…..

As a woman it was very liberating to not bring my normal skin care products on this trip and to use only what nature provides. I felt very connected. No stress thinking if the security man will take my $50 face cream and toss it because he says it’s a liquid or time spent packing it all in little tiny travel containers. Just complete content with the results and a lot of fun. When you really think about it, most of the beauty products on the market copy nature. There’s green tea extract, mushrooms, papaya enzymes, coconut oil, olive oil…. I could go on and on about how enzymes in pineapple are great for anti-aging, coffee grounds for cellulite, olive oil for wrinkles, honey for blemishes or skin lightening, essential oils as antibacterials. But thats another blog. The point is it all started right outside our doors, not in some factory with great chemists. That’s just how it’s evolved over time.

When I return I will post my favorites from this weekend and how much it cost me. Until then……

Have an eco-beautiful day!

The rundown… January 29, 2010

Okay, so here’s the rundown on the costs, the benefits and my opinion.

• 10oz Organic olive oil  $9.99
• 7oz Cocoa butter  $6.79
• 8oz Almond oil  $3.79
• 6oz Bulk Organic Oats  $.67
• 6oz Bulk brown sugar  $.69
• 16oz Castor oil  $6.79
• 6oz Organic honey  $4.79
• 6oz goat milk yogurt  $2.19
• Fruits   $10.00                
• total cost = $45.70

Because I was not staying long, I did have to dispose of what was left of the fruits and yogurt. Otherwise these could have been used or eaten. I still have plenty left of the rest and some I was able to leave there for next time I visit, the rest I brought home and will use up. I would estimate that there are close to 20 applications with the amount of (non-perishable) ingredients that I bought, depending on the recipe. Lets see a show of hands from all of us that have spent at least that much on just one product! Okay, even if you haven’t you have to admit that this experiment proves that making your own skin is very cost-effective. And while saving money is great, the benefits and ease of use is more important.

• Oatmeal – soothing to all types of skin irritations and sensitivities. Excellent base for skin care. Moisturizing and softening.
• Honey – a humectant (holds moisture). Rehydrating for the skin. Antibacterial properties.
• Almond oil – penetrates well. Good for dry, inflamed or itchy skin.
• Olive oil – make up remover and skin softener. Great conditioning oil for nails, feet and hair.
• Castor oil – excellent for softening rough, dry areas and patches of psoriasis and eczema. Applied to nails it imparts a protective shield against exposure to drying detergents, hot water and winter dry air.
• Cocoa butter – super skin softener. Helps diminish scars and stretch marks.
• Yogurt plain (no additives) - acts as a mild, nonabrasive, bleaching exfoliant, it has lactic acid which helps dissolve surface dead-skin cells.
• Brown sugar – an abrasive exfoliant but not drying like salt. Cleansing. Contains natural glycolic acids so it exfoliates on a chemical level, not just by abrasion alone. Do not use on the face.
• Strawberries – contains a gentle, exfoliating acid that helps rid skin of dead-cell buildup.
• Pineapple – contains bromelain, a protein digesting enzyme which dissolves dead surface skin cells. Softening and smoothing.

I will be perfecting the recipes that I loved the most in the week ahead and will post them all for you. I want to make them as simple as possible with the highest benefit and lowest cost. I will say that my hands, face and body felt amazing over the weekend and I could feel and see a difference immediately. I know I will be incorporating these recipes into my daily/nightly routine!

~Stay warm

My Favs. February 2, 2010

Here’s a few recipe ideas for you if you’d like to start making some small changes with your skin care. I’ve kept these pretty simple as the last thing we all need is more work to do! If you’d like to get more elaborate we have great skin care books available at the salon with great advice, recipes and instructions. Remember to always buy organic and follow the guidelines when using ingredients on your face and body!

For my hands and nails: Castor Oil! This is my new favorite thing. Take a few drops and rub into your nails, cuticle and back of hands. Castor Oil provides a protective barrier against cold, dry air and water (good news for hair stylists!) and it is excellent for softening your cuticle. As an added bonus it also is a gentle cleanser. I have done this every night before I go to bed and my nails look clean and bright, and my cuticle healthy and soft. I don’t have time to keep up on polishing my nails but I like them to look professional so this is a great way to keep that clean and polished look without the cost or time of a manicure. This is definitely a keeper. Follow up with Zoya Nail Growth Stimulator.

For my lips: Brown sugar and honey. No need to measure, just mix a little of each together to get a slightly thick slurry. Gently rub on your lips for 30 seconds and then let it sit for a minute. Rinse with warm water. Pat dry and rub a drop of castor oil on your newly exfoliated lips. Another keeper!

Eye makeup remover: Olive oil. Put a drop or two on your fingertips and gently rub your eyelashes. Remove with a tissue or cotton pad.

For my facial wash: Ground oatmeal, honey and plain yogurt. Mix together 2 tablespoons of each, keep in a closed container and refrigerate. Use as you would a gel based cleanser, rinsing well with lukewarm water. Be careful not to get in your eyes.

Toner: Brew a very strong cup of organic green tea and let cool. Keep in a closed container and refrigerate. After cleansing, dip a cotton ball in tea and apply to face. Do not rinse. Green tea is a natural astringent!

Serum: Jojoba oil: I’ve used this for some time now and love the way it balances my skin. You would think applying an oil to your face would make it more oily but jojoba is naturally sebum balancing and soaks in beautifully! I use this for day and night. Add a few drops of lavender essential oil for more benefit.

Spot treatment for blemishes: Honey. Honestly honey, it really works. Just apply a small amount to your troubled spot with a q-tip! I do this an hour or so before bed (after moisturizer) as it is a bit sticky and I remove it before sleeping with a little warm water. Honey draws bacteria out and heals simultaneously.

Quick enzyme treatment: Pineapple juice. Fresh only, not juice from the can! The next time you cut up a pineapple, reserve the juice or just mash a small piece. Dip a cotton ball into the juice and apply to your freshly cleaned face. Leave on for 20-30minutes and rinse with lukewarm water. Apply moisturizer.

Simple, inexpensive and most importantly non-toxic! Have fun and if you create something wonderful you’d like to share, feel free to post it on the reply!

Enjoy

Restore Healing! February 23, 2010

Join me at RESTORE Sunday March 7th from 10-5 at The Depot in Mpls. to learn more about our professional hair care line Greenbody Greenplanet and get a free sample! A featured exhibitor, Greenbody Greenplanet is made with 100% certified organic, biodynamic and wild crafted ingredients, it is made without synthetics and petro-chemicals and is so deeply nourishing to your hair and scalp, you’ll be spoiled for life!

I am also hosting a class at the event (4-5pm) called The Truth Behind The Label: Beauty Chemistry 101. Learn how to read the labels on the personal care products you use everyday, what ingredients are harmful to our bodies and what we can do to make better choices for ourselves and our families. I will try to answer your questions at the class but please feel free to stop by our booth during the day and visit!

Restore Healing is a day long event designed to allow anyone to learn about and explore — hands on — holistic healing practices such as acupunture, homeopathy, energy work, Tai Chi and much more! Relax, learn, rejuvenate and explore with local practiyioners and organizations that connect the mind, body and spirit. There are only a limited amount of tickets available so get yours right away! $20 online, but $30 at the door! Learn more about Restore at www.restorehealing.com .

Kid’s Safe Chemicals Act February 27, 2010

Mark your calanders for March 20th. CNN’s Sanjay Gupta reported this week that Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-NJ,  intends to reintroduce the Kid-Safe Chemicals Act as the major vehicle for toxic chemicals policy reform “within the next month or so.”

Read the full article here.

My webisode! March 4, 2010

Here is a 3 minute “webisode’ explianing the class I’ll be teaching at Restore this weekend and a little bit about why I started Greenbody Greenplanet! Make sure you give it a minute to load….

http://www.youtube.com/user/RestoreHealing

Hope to see you at Restore!

Well, it’s a start…. April 6, 2010

From the OCA Coming Clean Campaign:

JASON Drops False “Pure, Natural & Organic” Claim, Kiss My Face No Longer “Obsessively Organic”

While stores and online retailers are still selling products under the old labels, two targets of the Organic Consumers Association’s Coming Clean campaign for organic integrity in personal care have chosen to drop their use of the word “organic” in the tag lines of products that aren’t certified to USDA standards.

JASON, which carried the tag line “Pure, Natural & Organic,” will now be advertised as “Everyday Natural Care.” Kiss My Face has dropped its “Obsessively Organic” product line.

So are JASON and Kiss My Face allies in the cause to stop false organic claims? Not quite.

The news about JASON came in a press release by its parent company Hain Celestial. The release announced Hain’s “strong support” for the National Organic Standards Board recommendation of November 5, 2009, “Solving the Problem of Mislabeled Organic Personal Care Products.” However, the same release stated that there would be no change in the marketing or formulations of Avalon Organics products, also owned by Hain.

Organic Consumers Association learned about the changes at Kiss My Face at the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit in New York City last week. After a marketing presentation by Kiss My Face co-owner/founder Bob MacLeod who described how he and his partner market their organic values through their products, OCA Political Director Alexis Baden- Mayer stood up to ask, “You lead an “obsessively organic” lifestyle, but your Obsessively Organic product line isn’t certified and doesn’t meet USDA organic standards. How do you justify this to consumers?”

MacLeod at first said there was no “Obsessively Organic” product line at Kiss My Face and then corrected himself to admit that it was stopped two years ago, but might still be available from some retailers.

Unfortunately, a quick look at the Kiss My Face Web store reveals that the company is still putting organic marketing claims above certification and integrity. The sponsored link to the Web store announces, “Official Online Store. Full Line of Organic Personal Care Products!” A search for “organic” on the site turns up “organic” lipsticks, moisturizers, and hair care products that contain certified organic ingredients, but are not certified to USDA standards because they don’t have enough organic ingredients and contain non-organic and synthetic ingredients that are prohibited in organic.

Show this to you daughters! April 6, 2010

Years ago I had a desire to become a famous photographer. At the time computers were just getting popular, MTV was the new fresh thing and digital photography was in it’s infancy. As “film’ students we would have heated discussions about the differences between the new concept of digital and how it would affect our industry, and the future of film. Photoshop was such a new concept that it wasn’t even offered as a class at the college I attended, and we often wondered how “truthful” a picture would be in the future.

Well, now I know….Check this out, especially the last part. 

http://www.dove.us/?dl=/features/videos/default.aspx%7Ccp-documentid=7049560%7Cvideo-id=2&source=email

Go get your daughters and watch it, especially the end.

HORST- Shame on you! April 24, 2010

Organic exploitation and Horst. I never thought I would EVER use those words in the same sentence and never, EVER thought a man, and his company, who has done so much for bringing organic integrity to the beauty industry, would play the organic card to benefit his company, completely losing all credibility in my eyes.

I am a firm believer in cosmetic safety and my passion is educating consumers on how to read labels by turning a product around and reading the ingredients, because labels can be quite deceiving. I am a strong advocate for cleaning up the beauty industry, a supporter for healthier working environments for salons and spas, and a fierce opponent to chemicals in our personal care products. I am also an entrepreneur who believes in, and supports other businesses who strive for integrity and honesty in their business. I truly believe we should be working together and love discussing this topic with other like-minded business. Horst has been an inspiration to me for many years. A visionary and educator, his products revolutionized the beauty industry- teaching us that we can create healthier alternatives for our hair and skin and helping us all to understand the importance of what we’re putting on our skin. He was also an inspiration for me to create Greenbody Greenplanet, and so writing my feelings about this is a bit disheartening and not very easy.

I have received several emails from Intelligent Nutrients (IN) in the last few months and the latest one I received today was a call out for the next generation of “Organic Stylists”. Last fall the email was promoting their “USDA Certified Organic Hair Cut”. I remember thinking at the time – you can’t call a hair cut certified organic! Even if you are using products that are certified organic, it’s total misrepresentation! And it’s totally wrong! That’s bogus marketing playing on the consumers ignorance of what organic really is, not to mention complete exploitation of the term “certified organic”. I wondered at the time how IN could possibly get away with that, and then I remembered- no regulations means a free-for-all. Say what you want and call it what you want, and if you slap a trademark on it – you can pretty much get away with anything. I was disappointed by what I read as Horst was always a preacher of being honest and transparent, and I felt this was sort-of, well….dishonest.

In January, 2010, Horst, representing IN, along with several other certified organic personal care brands and the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) filed a federal complaint urging the USDA to regulate personal care “cheater brands” in an effort to stop fraudulent and deceptive labeling practices. The complaint, filed on behalf of the estimated 50 million consumers of organic products, urges the USDA to regulate cosmetics as they do food. The complaint argues that, because of USDA inaction, products such as liquid soaps, body washes, facial cleansers, shampoos, conditioners, moisturizing lotions, lip balms, and make-up are advertised, labeled and marketed as “Organic” or “Organics” when, in fact, the products are not “Organic” as understood by reasonable consumers. This is where the term “green-washing” comes into play. Green-washing is defined as the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service. As I’ve stated many times before, the beauty industry is an unregulated industry, which means you can basically get away with anything you want because no-one is minding the store. This lawsuit was excellent news for those of us supporting organic integrity and truth in labeling and something I wholeheartedly supported.

As I opened my email today from IN, with the call out for “organic stylists” I thought of this lawsuit and how Horst and IN are playing the same game that the defendants in their lawsuits are playing – total manipulation and exploitation of the term organic, but instead of putting it on a label, they’re putting it on their business. In my eyes, IN’s logo with its trademarked “certified organic health and beauty”, their hunt for “organic stylists” and promotion of “organic haircuts” is the equivalent of organic labeling fraud. I wonder if they realize they are guilty of the exact thing they are accusing the defendants in the lawsuit of. Wouldn’t it be great if a consumer could pick up IN, turn it around and read the ingredients to find the honesty and integrity inside?

I don’t know about you but I’m feeling a little green-washed by Horst and IN. Maybe I should file a complaint.

Greenbody April 2010 Press Release May 2, 2010

“GREEN” SHAMPOO CLEANS UP THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY

Local Company Proves Chemicals Have No Place in Cosmetics

(ROSEVILLE, MN)— Lorri Weisen, a local salon owner and wife of a two-time cancer survivor, was motivated to find a healthy, toxin free shampoo to offer her clients. Distraught with the choices available, she created her own brand of hair care, dispelling the myth that you have to sacrifice lather and luxury, to achieve health and wellness.

Greenbody Greenplanet, an organically based and toxin free hair care line, has been available since January 2009 at Hairs to You Salon & Boutique in Roseville. Lorri Weisen, owner and founder of the growing line, feels it’s time to expand into the community and share it with other salons and spas that share her belief and want to offer healthier alternatives to their clients. Storm Sister Spatique of St.Paul will be the first business to carry the chemical-free line.

“I’ve been doing a sort-of delicate tap dance for the last few years,” says Weisen, whose husband’s battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma made her question the chemicals in the products we use, and how those chemicals affect our health. “Not everyone wanted to hear what I had to say or shared in the same beliefs I did, so I stepped lightly. Lately things have changed. Consumers are getting savvier, but there is still a long way to go and salons are slow to jump on board.”

With many years as a salon owner, Weisen understands the challenges in the beauty industry. “It’s self regulated and marketing is king, which means the same company that creates a product, also tests for its safety. Kind of like the fox watching the hen house. There are a lot of companies out there claiming to be clean, green and organic but the truth is─most are simply lying to us. It’s very frustrating. I searched and experimented for over a year to find products worthy of selling to my clients and came up empty handed each time, that’s why I created Greenbody Greenplanet. My hope is that I can make a positive impact in an industry that I love while helping others understand the importance of healthy beauty”.

Absent of over 100 industry synthetics and petro-chemicals, and a natural sugar-based surfactant (cleansing agent), Greenbody Greenplanet has an incredible lather you won’t find in any organically based shampoo on the market today. One of the biggest Weisen hears in regard to organic-based shampoos is inadequate lathering and the hair feeling like straw. Greenbody Greenplanet proves that, at a price you can afford, you don’t need chemicals to enjoy great lather, and give your hair the moisture and protection it needs. “If I can create safer options without sacrificing performance, why can’t others?” she says.

Greenbody Greenplanet is now available at Storm Sister Spatique in St.Paul, www.stormsister.biz.

Please visit www.greenbodygreenplanet.com for more information.

###

Give us you HAIR, PANTIHOSE, ALPACA FUR! Help with GULF clean up! May 3, 2010

The salon will be accepting donations for the Gulf Oil Spill clean up efforts. Please scroll down to the bottom for instructions.

I am a member of Excess Access, a company that creates HAIRBOOMS for oil spills and clean ups and your help is urgently needed! We have not collected hair in the past but are calling out for everyone to pass this on to your salon, stylist, alpaca, sheep or horse farm. We are saving hair at the salon also and you can bring clean pet hair in when you get a haircut and give as a donation. Also, pantyhose are needed!!

If you are a client or book a hair cut with us, your hair will automatically be donated so PLEASE spread the word!

Does any of this make sense? Okay, so several years ago a hairstylist saw what happened after the Valdez oil spill in Alaska and noticed the booms were ineffective. He, thinking like a hairstylist, of course thought – hair is porous and soaks up everything like a sponge, so why wouldn’t it work for oil? He proceeded to collect clean hair, stuff it in pantyhose (like the booms) and threw it in his pool along with several gallons of motor oil. Well, guess what happened? Yup! Soaked it right up!!!

If you have been watching the news, the booms arent holding because of the current and so this is a HUGE grass roots effort to help save the gulf coast and all that inhabit it.

 I am flying down this week to help in any way I can. My home is 2 miles from  Manasota Key and I have offered my garage for hair storage and drop off. I plan on staying a week to help with putting booms out and any clean up thats needed.

If you have any questions about donating, please call the salon at 651-628-0286 and ask for Shandta or Katie. They will give you further instructions. Below are the guidelines and PLEASE pass this on to anyone you may know who can help! Thank you all

INSTRUCTIONS FOR DONATIONS and DROP OFF SITE

Hairs To You Salon & Boutique

1603 West Co Rd C

Roseville, Mn 55113

651-628-0286  Contact: Shandta , Katie or Lorri<

<INSTRUCTIONS – HOW TO SEND HAIR / FUR / NYLONS

- set aside a designated box (salons/groomers usually reuse a box in which shampoo was delivered) – line the box with a plastic garbage bag so hair/fur can’t slip out

- ideally, donate shampoed hair (and certainly don’t include filthy hair / fur)

- any length is fine

- every type of hair is fine (straight, curly, all colors, dyed, permed, straightened…) but only HEAD hair, please! No underarm hair. No synthetic extensions, please.

- every type of fur / wool is fine

- sweep / vacuum in all clippings, JUST HAIR, but please NO OTHER GARBAGE (gum, metal clips, paper cups, wrappers…)

- remember volunteers (sometimes young students) have to stuff this hair into booms and don’t want to feel garbage or anything sharp!

- tie the top of the bag and tape the box shut

- we also accept washed, used (even with runs) nylon stockings / tights donations in a separate bag, please.

- we also accept other “natural fibers” horse hair, feathers… again, please, no other garbage or contaminants in with the fibers…

- mark the boxes DEBRIS FREE HAIR / FUR or NYLONS

If you are a ONE TIME DONOR, TEACHER or SHAVE-A-THON etc. please view this page and scroll down.

<span style=”text-decoration: underline;”><a href=”http://www.matteroftrust.org/programs/hairmatsinfo.html”>http://www.matteroftrust.org/programs/hairmatsinfo.html</a></span>

Toxic oil sludge- to worm poop! How cool is that? May 4, 2010

Just got in to town, got some wine and food and put the lanai furniture out. Its humid down here and Im loving every bit of it!

So, everybody needs to check this out. Here’s what Matter of Trust  does with the hair that is collected from salons throughout the world…

1)Hair booms made from donated hair/ fur and donated nylons. 2)Boom inside nylons covered in strong mesh. 3 & 4) Oil Spill Hair Mat – Invented by Phil McCrory – These mats are made in China with purchased hair and can be purchased through OttiMat. Phil was a hairstylist and created these after watching the Exxon Valdez leak all over Prince William Sound.

And now  this is the BEST part….

look at the worms!

Matter of Trust is the fiscal sponsor for Thomas Azwell & Ryan Carney’s treatability study of hazardous waste oil collected by mats made from human hair clippings then detoxified by thermophilic compost of greenwaste. Finally, the mass is reduced by worms. After a few months the end result is a rich worm castings fertilizer. This project is a practical, hands on study to further the cause of efficient closed loop systems for oil spill clean up. Conventionally oil spill waste is incinerated. This vermiculture method took 2 years outdoors at the Presidio, and there was a control study done at Norman Terry’s Lab at UC Berkeley.

Is this cool or what? It just proves that something good can come out of something so horrible.

Latest email from Matter of Trust May 5, 2010

From Lisa @ matter of Trust via my email:

WOW! Our salons and groomers have been helping us by talking to their local press. And now you have blown this out of the water! NY Times, ABC, NPR and Reuters have now picked up the story!

We are now orchestrating a massive movement that began with our Gulf Coast salons. They set up Boom B Qs (boom making bar b q parties) and word spread throughout the states and beyond.

At last count our generous participants have provided:

- Over 450,000 pounds of hair, now on its way to the Gulf

- Boom B Qs popping up in 9 States

- 25,000 + sq. ft of temporarily donated warehouses and private storage spaces near harbors and beaches

We are logistically staging supplies of booms along the Gulf, so we’ll be ready, wherever the spill hits

Participants receive updates and the latest addresses of where to send the hair for this and future spills

This is now about national recycling!

Matter of Trust is following in the foot steps of China’s 3000 year old recycling system for hair, fur & wool.

370,000 hair salons and roughly a 100,000 pet groomers – all cutting and sheering every day. That’s a lot fiber to create booms, mats and green jobs!

The thing about hair salons is they can’t be outsourced. You will always go to your local hair salon! 

 

www.MatterOfTrust.org to donate your hair, nylons and financial support to this hairy situation!www.MatterofTrust.org

The beach is beautiful! May 5, 2010

Okay, for those of you back home, I’m not rubbing it in. Really. There is just SO much on the negative side of this oil leak that I thought it would be good for you to hear something positive. And see something positively beautiful.

If you’ve been following my blog, my tweets or on the salon Facebook page you no doubt think I’m down here knee-deep in hair clippings! Totally not the case, at least not yet anyway, just happy to push forward what Matter of Trust is doing in their efforts to help clean up the gulf. The momentum behind this has been stunning and the national press coverage this grassroots organization is getting, along with salons jumping on board and promoting to the media in their area – is beyond comprehension. It just solidifies to me how good people really are (and especially stylists!). If you listen to the news too much you can get pretty jaded about whats happening in this world, but just to take a look at this catastrophe and see something SO amazingly positive come from it, makes my heart just soar. I mean just think of it, all you have to do is get your hair cut to help out, and you do it anyway so it’s a win-win!

I’ve always been one to focus on the opportunity in a situation, instead of focusing on the situation at hand and that’s why I felt the need to be here and help in whatever way I could. Just get here, I thought, and the rest will unfold. Matter of Trust is a solution based organization and I appreciate what they are doing, not just here, but all around the nation and I just felt this intense drive to be a part of it, somehow, any way I could. Even if that means just dispersing the information back to you.  This crisis totally put them on the map. The world map. They have created the most amazing recycling program on the entire planet and it is their time to shine. And shine they are!

So what the heck am I doing? Well, I had been told my home was on the drop ship for the First Wave and stuck around the house today waiting for UPS, but there was no shipment yet. It is next to impossible to get a hold of anyone right now, especially when you don’t KNOW anyone…but after some serious detective work on my part I chased down a local contact and got some answers. Lisa Gautier from Matter of Trust finally called (which I couldn’t believe, cause the poor woman hasn’t slept since Saturday) and it sounds like hair will be arriving soon. Not quite sure what the next step is, but I’m sure that also, will unfold when necessary.

The Sarasota news is saying there is a spreading black haze, and I havent been to Siesta key yet, but Venice Beach and Manasota Key show no signs.The picture below was taken there at the Jedi tonight, and there were plenty of dolphins noshing dinner and surfing the waves. So far so good.

magnificent

From the Ritz in New Orleans to Sanibel Island! May 6, 2010

Hair is, and will be arriving for the next few weeks and strategically placed throught the gulf states. From The Ritz Carlton of New Orleans to a Pet Salon in Destin to a beauty salon on Sanibel Island, businesses and members are donating their garages and small warehouses to store the supplies which consist of hair, pantihose and netting. Lisa Gautier, of Matter of Trust, has said there is A LOT on it’s way but may be some sort of hold up with UPS. There is hair coming from all over the country and the last count was 450,000 pounds! The plan of Matter of Trust is to have the warehouses (like my garage) plum full of hair and if the oil is headed towards our area beaches, we gather together to make hair booms. The media is calling these BOOM B Q’s ! Once the booms are created, certified “hazmat” volunteers step in for clean up. They’ve broken this down into Waves 1 and Waves 2. Im in Wave 2.

It really is genius don’t you think?

As of this morning the oil is still contained in one area and is about 60 miles north of the gulf stream current. The weather is calm and they say 4 days before they’ll know if its heading this way.  It is so crucial that it doesn’t get caught up in the stream as it would head right over to the west coast, down past the keys and up the eastern seaboard. Everyone here seems to be sitting on pins and needles praying the weather holds. I know I am.

Minnesota Salon Owner Helps Gulf Oil Clean Up with Matter of Trust! May 7, 2010

You’ve no doubt heard about it by now. From coast to coast,  from north to south, and even across the beautiful sea, the media is broadcasting about the most amazing grassroots campaign to help clean up the Gulf (although I have yet to see or hear anything from the cities???), and according to this recent New York Times article, the donor base of this now famous non-profit(the majority being salons and dog groomers) jumped from 35,000 to over 90,000 in just 3 days and donations are coming in from everywhere! I’m talking about Matter of Trust, (MofT) a non-profit organization that is protecting our beaches from the BP oil catastrophe in the Gulf.

According to a Fox News Report yesterday, the oil is hitting the beaches in Louisiana and efforts to contain it are becoming difficult because of strong winds. MofT president, Lisa Gautier, explained to me yesterday, via phone conversation, that the plastic booms Unified Command has been using to contain the oil are breaking up because of strong winds. This puts Plan B into action- and Plan B is MofT booms and mats made from hair!! This is the most incredible recycling program, ever!

If you have been following my blog you know I flew down to donate my home (garage) in Venice (Fl) as a storage and drop off site. I connected with Lisa and things started rolling. There are 12-14 of us “warehouses” now set up along the Gulf Coast and everyday more boxes of hair arrive from salons and pet groomers all over the country. Mine are filtering in slowly as my address wasnt confirmed until Weds night but I am expecting Monday to be a heavy hitter. I have a friend staying at the house for deliveries next week so I will be able to fly home for a few days and then return the following weekend. As more boxes arrive we will be having Boom B Q’s and making hair booms! It is so amazing to be a part of this effort and know that something positive can come out of this. I’m doing what I can to get the news back to the salon and to get other salons in the Mpls/St.Paul area on board and I even have some of my Fair Do’s stylists dropping off hair or getting their salons signed up via my facebook and twitter pages! Thanks Beverly and Katie!

If any of you reading this have any connections to the media in the Twin Cities, please forward this information to them (I will try to get a press release written) as the more people know about this effort, the more hair we can get, the more booms can be made and more oil can be cleaned up!

CLEANING UP THE GULF OIL CATASTROPHE WITH HAIR AND PANTYHOSE May 8, 2010

“Local Salon Owner Connects Minnesota to Florida Gulf Oil Crisis”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 8th, 2010                             

Contact:Lorri Weisen 612-220-2331; lorri@hairs2yousalon.com

(VENICE, FL.) — As oil slick spreads in the Gulf of Mexico, communities worldwide have started showing support for one organization that is all ready to clean up the Gulf Coast with a free, low-tech solution: Boom made of recycled hosiery and hair clippings.

Matter of Trust, an environmental non-profit, has helped clean up oil spills in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond since 1998 by reusing donated hair clippings from hair salons, barber shops, pet groomers, and wool farmers. Stuffing this donated hair into donated nylon stockings, this organization creates highly absorbent booms to contain oil spills.

Matter of Trust is currently coordinating efforts of thousands of participants to match nylon and hair donations to space in temporary warehousing along the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico. Volunteers are building booms on site hoping to hold off the encroaching oil slick. Through its donor database matching system program called Excess Access, Matter of Trust is notifying salons and groomers… of where exactly to send their boxes to high-priority sites.

The organization is already receiving donations from all 50 states and several other countries.
Donations include hundreds of thousands of pounds of hair, and many washed nylon pantyhose stockings, which they’ll accept even with small runs or tears.

Gulf Coast cities are heralding volunteers that are hosting “Bar B Q parties,” or “Boom B Q’s as they’re calling them, to assemble booms in their own backyards. Lorri Weisen, owner of Hairs to You Salon & Boutique in Roseville has a home by the Florida Gulf and flew down on Tuesday to be part of the clean up effort. “I’m in Wave-1 and my garage is being used for hair storage. The hair is being shipped from all over the country. Matter of Trust has warehouses and storage spaces strategically placed from New Orleans to Sanibel Island, so if, and when, the oil gets to shore, we’ll be ready for it”. Weisen has her Minnesota salon accepting hair and pantyhose donations and is trying to get the word out to other salons in the Twin Cities via her blog, facebook and twitter accounts.

Hair soaks up oil like a sponge, leaving water behind and currently over 300,000 salons nation wide are shipping hair and contributing to the clean up. Weisen says she’s proud to be a member of the most amazing recycling program on the planet.

#####

The Starfish Story.Revisited. May 8, 2010

 

The Starfish Story
Original Story by: Loren Eisley

  One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed
a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. 

 Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?”

 The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. 
The surf is up and the tide is going out.  If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”

 “Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? 
You can’t make a difference!”

 After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish,
and threw it back into the surf.  Then, smiling at the man, he said…”
I made a difference for that one.”

Thank you Lisa and Matter of Trust. You make a difference.

All in a Days Work. May 8, 2010

Today was such a great day. I woke up and decided to get some salons and groomers in the Venice area involved with Matter of Trust, so I threw the phone book, map, press release and flyers in the car, donned  my sunglasses and headed out on the road. It was almost like somebody took over the controls of the car immediately. Quick, stop..turn here…stop…go back, turn around, look left, wait, slow down, over there…. I would get these huge impulses to just turn into a mall, or make a u-turn, and each time I did I connected with exactly what I had set out to do. By the end of the day I felt like I been on The Amazing Race! One connection led to another, and another. Each business guided me to the next business or idea and the day unfolded perfectly, with me ending up with some local press contacts that I will follow-up with tomorrow.

My first stop ended up being Cosmo Pro, a national beauty supply/distributor and Beth already was familiar with MofT and their efforts which made my job pretty easy. She is going to pass out information to local stylists next week and spread the word through the other stores in the state. That took LOADS of time off of me. Now I didn’t have to go door to door to every salon I drove past. Whew! I thought it was necessary, though, to still connect with some locals and popped into a nice salon in the same mall along with the only dog grooming business open on a Saturday.

Next stop, a day spa I had seen the other day called Spa Venice . Whoops, no hair cutting going on there but Annette was kind enough to give me a location of a salon that uses a vacuum system and is very busy. I visited with the ladies at The Venice Day Spa (not to be confused with the other of a similar name) and as I was leaving I noticed a busy barber shop next door! Stopped in and visited with the boys for a while, left my paperwork and off I went.

Looking for another referral, I thought I had gone too far and was making a u-turn when I saw Escape Aveda salon. Okay, pull in I thought. After speaking to the owner I found out they were already members and tried to bring hair to the drop off site yesterday, but the gate was closed. Hhhhmmmmm I thought. South Venice? “yes”. Layton drive? “yes”. Thats my house! Seems Im her storage! How funny.

I pulled in to downtown Venice and stepped inside Eden Salon/Spa and started chatting. They gave me the idea to talk to a Publix grocery store to ask for pantyhose donations (seems they are very involved with the community) and also to stop by Capt’n Eddies Seafood Restaurant where the catch is always fresh and the fishermen can make a lot of noise with the media. Excellent. Met Sam the owner and Tim the bartender and they told me about a festival next weekend where I may be able to connect more. (and we all know that if you want to spread the word about something, tell a bartender that works in a busy place). I left my flyers and moved on.

From there I went to the Crows Nest on the marina and spoke to the busy guys (kidding) at the dockmaster shop. Tough job those guys have. Really. That’s my goal for retirement now….

Anyway, they gave me several leads with the local radio and tv stations and off I went again. Last stop was Sharkys on the Pier where I enjoyed some blackened Ahi and a glass of wine and thought about my adventurous day. Right then I received a Twitter update that said Matter of Trust is signing up 30 people a minute. Thats like 43,000 a day or just under 1/2 million members in a weeks time. If you havent read the starfish story below, please do. It reminds us all that one small effort can change the world. Thank you Matter of Trust for making a difference.

A perfect end to a perfect day.

“Whoops is where I come in” May 9, 2010

Those are the words of Phil McCory, the hairstylist in Alabama that created the Ottimat (the hair mats that soak up oil). Watch the dateline video below.

The Big’s and The Little’s. May 9, 2010

Back in my early 20′s I lived in Daytona Beach and at that time I had a magnificent dream to become a famous fashion photographer and move to New York City . Of course there were quite a few of us at school that had the same vision, but I really believed it could happen. Life was a struggle for me back then, just like it is for many 20 year olds that don’t know which direction to go.

I was lucky enough to rent an apartment a block away from the most magnificent beach in Florida and found myself walking on it nightly when I wanted to “collect” myself. I would climb up one of the big red lifeguard chairs and just sit and stare at the big, beautiful ocean and contemplate life (it was always so amplified after a good thunderstorm!).  I would ask myself the same question so many others have asked -What am I doing? Where am I going? What purpose do I serve here? The ocean was so vast and so magnificent, and I was so small. It made my problems and difficulties seem insignificant. My good friend at the time, Tinker, called this “The Big’s and The Little’s”. 

I loved that, The Big’s and The Little’s. It’s when you take a step back and look at how big the universe is and know that all will work out fine, no matter what. I realized then, that whoever said you only get one chance, one opportunity or one dream, was a liar. I believe that we can have many dreams, many opportunities…and many chances in life. Our destiny is our choice, our life is what we make it.

Life moved on for me and I have fulfilled many new dreams and opportunities that weren’t even a twinkle in my eye back then, and there are so many more I am anticipating. This past week was a connection I couldn’t ignore and I am so thankful I could participate in what has become a global effort. (Lets just hope Unified Command participates as well). After seeing so many salons and groomers across the U.S., and countries from all over the world support this strategy, I can’t help but feel this is part of the “Big” of the Big’s and The Little’s.

I have kept “The Big’s and The Little’s” with me for the last 20-some years and every time I watch a beautiful sunset, on a beautiful beach, I always think about that defining moment and my friend Tinker. No matter what is happening in my life, or the world, I always know that the universe is unfolding as it will, and all will be fine. And so when I walked on the beach tonight to “collect” myself and all the events of this past week, I looked at the beautiful Gulf and realized that it would be nice to share the moment…

Sit back, relax, and enjoy a little of The Big’s and The Little’s. (sorry about the wind)

Golf Balls & Tires? Is this adding fuel to the fire? May 10, 2010

Make sure you read the article below the video. I can just see the dire consequences of this. Not only will we be cleaning up oil, but golf balls and tires too. I understand BP is probably in a state of panic right now, but garbage? Really?

http://cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2010/05/09/nr.oil.spill.setback.cnn

 I’m waiting to hear from Lisa Gautier of Matter of Trust to see what’s happening with Unified Command, The Coast Guard and BP. Seems they keep shutting M of T onto the back burner. All of us are just collecting hair and the affected areas are making hair booms, but we are all sitting on pins and needles waiting for the powers that be give the go ahead. A little frustrating.

The following is the latest audio from Lisa of Matter of Trust. She was interviewed by BBC News about the hair booms!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/video_and_audio/8672533.stm

The skinny. May 10, 2010

Okay, here’s my latest update from Lisa, via email. It seems the USPS is getting overloaded and is having trouble getting the hair out to us warehouses along the Gulf, its filtering in…but slowly.

I’ve cut and paste some of the email for you below. They’re trying to get BP to donate the mesh!!

May 10th,

Hi everybody,

 

Sorry we haven’t had a lot to tell lately.  We’re mainly waiting on hair.  I talked to Lisa this morning and she assured me that we’ll be getting LOTS of hair any day.  We have used the hair we already had and made booms (thanks to all who donated).  Please drop off any more hair that you have and hose as well.  Once we have a substantial amount of hair we will need volunteers to make the booms.  We have 40 boom stations made so it should go pretty quickly once we get hair.  We have some hose but we need a lot more.  Thank you so much and I will keep you posted on the progress. 

 

Barbara

 

PS   If anyone has or can get mesh donated we need that as well but Matter of Trust is working on the mesh for us and possibly BP could be donating the mesh (they haven’t said yes yet).

 

May 10th

Hi – the US Postal Service headquarters has just contacted us.  They want to help us with the pick up nationwide waiving fees and are getting back to us on discounts for shipping.  They will be sending out a press release.  I’ll keep you updated.  I’m hoping you all can handle the hair – if they lower fees the bulk will be bigger.  It’s funny how we can have so much in the works and yet you’re still waiting at the warehouses.  You will look back on this week and laugh at how you were waiting hopefully for hair.   

They are getting back to me in an hour and they’re doing up a press release.

What we need is the MESH

Boom needs to be covered in strong MESH
Much of our funding will go to mesh. The best mesh for booms we’ve seen so far is:
101407 Orange Mesh
Rolls of 150 ft. @ $61.00 each
We get ours from DelStar Industrial Netting www.delstarinc.com (800) 531-5112

Our next push is for BP to cover that or at least for DelStar to discount.

Best wishes,

Lisa

 

If you’d like to make a monetary donation for the mesh, please go to www.matteroftrust.org.

 

It’s time BP. Let the World help. May 12, 2010

Home Sweet Home or Why it Took Me 2 days to fly 3 1/2 hours. But that’s another story…

I’m trying to get updated on what’s happening with BP not using the hair booms from Matter of Trust. It seems they’re worried about “debris” from the use of the hair booms, which I think is a bit funny after hearing they wanted to clog the “lid” with golf balls and pieces of tires. I wonder what kind of debris that would leave behind if it doesn’t work? Or worse yet - exploded!  My only thought on the lack of acceptance is that hair booms are a recycled resource and BP can’t make any money in the clean up effort using hair. After all, the booms they are  presently using are made of petroleum and they are currently providing plenty of  jobs to workers in the industry cleaning up the mess they just made. But you can’t really blame BP, they have to make their money back somehow. (That was total sarcasm by the way.)

 ”We are simply making and storing booms all along the Gulf for donation to BP. BP is solely responsible for deploying any booms they use and for the collection for their proper disposal”. says Lisa Gautier, president of Matter of Trust.

Lisa and her staff have orchestrated an amazing global effort in just over a week, with more countries jumping on board everyday. It seems everyone wants to be a part of this grassroots effort and my personal thoughts are that the more people sign up and start putting pressure on BP and Unified command to use the booms, the more likely they will listen and finally succumb to public pressure and give them a shot. Or worst case scenario (and my hope this doesn’t happen), BP will be forced to just give up and give them a chance because every avenue they take, fails.

History has proven that when enough people unify for change in a positive way, it can change the world.

It’s time BP. This is a chance for you to do something right when all else is going so wrong. Let Matter of Trust prove to you it will work.

Not such a “hair-brained” idea. May 15, 2010

The latest email news that I have on whether or not BP is going to use the hair booms is as follows…

BP has said “At this time BP is not soliciting or accepting donations.”

Matter of Trust’s pleasant response to this is “At this time Matter of Trust is simply stockpiling hair boom in donated warehouses all along the Gulf Coast, in case you need them.” We’re calling it Plan H (H is for hair

There are other HazMat crews and contracters and we are getting requests for boom. Things seem a bit confused at the moment. As the oil has not come in as expected yet, we have time to talk to everyone and make sure that whoever takes the boom is Officially HazMat certified and will dispose of the oiled boom according to municipal, state & Federal regulations.

FYI conventionally all oil spill waste is removed and incinerated off site by the responsible party or the municipality. We’re getting a lot of questions about that. This is expensive and that is why it is important that officials deploy the boom and pay for the disposal. Plus it is just plain messy and smelly to be at an oil spill. Only the protected people should clean up that mess.

There has been such an ENORMOUS outpouring of support in the South and donations of hair and nylons coming in from all over the world now. We believe oil will come in and BP may not have boom available everywhere (they are running low of certain types already they said today in the press). And if the press has images of mountains of our boom right there plus the youtubes showing the booms soak up the oil so fast… It would be wise, at the very least from a PR perspective, for BP to try our boom. “Hair-brained” as it may have seemed at first glance. We’re so sure Beyond Petroleum is wise – it’s a matter of trust.

It really is a wait and see game right now. It if BP is running out of certain types of boom and public pressure keeps daunting them, maybe they’ll succumb.

Something Wicked This Way Comes. May 18, 2010

When I look at a picture such as this, I have a range of emotions. Disgust, fear and sadness to name just a few. I know I have absolutely no control over what is happening in the present moment with this catastrophe and I feel so helpless, and then I watch this video and know that there IS something I can do and I try and focus on that. It helps me to feel there is always hope and that so many good things will come of this, and already are.

In the mean time, oil is hitting the swamps of Louisiana and its being reported as “bunker fuel” – a real heavy crude. Lisa, of Matter of Trust, is saying it may be the mixture of all they’re spraying on it 24/7 by airplane. This is according to the people they are talking with at the Sierra Club and they are saying it would be better if it were just oil and not oil + spray. Seems it’s sinking the oil into colder water and making it turn into tar balls and worse, goo, which they feel will be really hard on the fishermen, for quite a while.

Matter of Trust is ready, willing and able to show BP how amazingly well these booms work. They are organized and starting the big PUSH. I personally have over 3o boxes and bags in my garage by the gulf and ready to fly back when needed. Warehouses are stocked to the brim all along the gulf states, and M of T wants to show BP the booms in action in the Gulf. The booms work great on the sheen, well on the goo, but wont be necessary for the tar balls which can be scooped up.

[The most important for all the struggling municipalities along the Gulf - is that we make this splash now so that BP is responsible for as long as possible for deployment and removal of any oil waste at their cost.  We've been talking with Mayors offices who say they are afraid they will be abandoned by BP and press and this gunk will wash up storm after storm at their town's expense.  So even if they can use the boom later, the time is now to make it happen so that precedent is set for BP to deploy, pick up and dispose of properly].

Matter of Trust can only “test” the boom and show images to the press, no more. Booms won’t be deployed without BP or municipal hazmat approval, because they have to remove the oily booms at their expense.

On a lighter note…and just in time! The Broadway Musical HAIR is doing a cut-a-thon in NYC just for the gang at the gulf making booms! Big media splash on this May 24th!!

Thank you from everyone at Matter of Trust, us warehouse donors and “stocking stuffers” for supporting this amazing effort! We all make a difference

 

BP is listening! Hair May Be The Rescue! May 19, 2010

Just received an email from Lisa. It seems BP if finally reaching out to Matter of Trust! They want information from them about the hair boom project for “evaluation”!

All the noise were making? It’s being heard finally! I knew it would eventually happen. When you have hundreds of thousands – if not millions of people all FOR a solution and focus their energy towards results….well lets just say you can help save the planet!

THANK YOU ALL FOR BELIEVING IN MATTER OF TRUST!

KEEP SENDING HAIR!

Minnesota Monthly Press Love. May 22, 2010

Greenbody Greenplanet June 2010 Style File!

A Change Of Plans. May 23, 2010

This has been really hard to keep up with as its moving really fast. Im sure you’ve heard by now that BP isnt going to use the hair booms for the oil clean up. I can only give out so much information because most of what I know is confidential, but I can tell you that Matter of Trust has gone the local route because they do not want to be connected with BP at this time. This could change, but after a bad experience with the public relations spokesman of BP, Lisa feels their direction needs to change.

Many people are asking why Matter of Trust just cant jump in and start using the booms and the answer to that is two fold. Clean up is very dangerous and needs to be done by trained hazmat volunteers and according to Lisa, “BP has secured most, if not all, available dumpsters and Haz Mat landfill disposal sites in the Gulf Coast.  Deployment of oil spill clean up materials is only the beginning.  As anyone who has ever spent time at an oil spill clean up knows, the removal and disposal of oily waste is the crucial component that must be planned in advance.  BP takes responsibility for this”.

Clean up costs money and since there is nowhere to dispose of the oil soaked booms afterwards, well, therein lies the problem.

The good news is a gentleman named Richard Herbert! Seems he has made a device that allows the booms to “float”! They are making some prototypes and will try to test the waters with these floats and if they work, then that could be the game changer.

There are also a few other possibilities in the works right and I will update you when I am given permission to expand. For right now just know that Matter of Trust is FAR from done with this, even though BP has claimed they are, and there are still booms being made all over the gulf! BP may own all the oil destroying our waters but they do not own us.  

Stay tuned.

 

 

Mutiny of BP Boats! May 23, 2010

Jefferson Parish takes over! WAY TO GO!

http://www.nola38.com/news/local/wgno-news-jefferson-parish-cleanup-takeover,0,315610.story

Press Release From Matter Of Trust. May 26, 2010

I’m providing the link to Matter of Trust’s Press Release as there has been SO much happening this week…I didnt want to reinvent the wheel. I’m sure you’ve been hearing on the news that BP is not using the hair booms because they don’t float and they believe the hair could harm the environment (yeah, that’s what I thought too….). Well M of T had never said the booms float, they were meant more for shore and marsh clean up, not necessarily to be used in the ocean. There was a huge misunderstanding on BP’side of the fence in regards to this and they decided to turn down Lisa and the organization. Seems they’re not the only ones being rejected. I’m hearing some really disheartening things BP is doing down there and sooner or later a reporter will expose the deception.

Matter of Trust, staying positively focused and determined to help, is now involved with the local Parishs’ in Louisiana and are not giving up on the gulf or the residents, in fact they have refocused and have got a gentleman that designed a “floating boom holder” that they are testing as I write this. One of the reasons they wanted to work with BP was because of the clean up. BP is responsible for that monetarily and anyone else has to pay out-of-pocket. This is toxic stuff folks and disposal can be expensive.

So read the recent press release and know that Matter of Trust is not giving up on the gulf. In fact they will be there LONG after BP and the media have walked away.

View press release here.

In Response to The Pioneer Press Article. June 1, 2010

I love press coverage, even when the facts and quotes are wrong. An article can create a kind of energy that swirls around it and can either suck you in or spit you out. I prefer to be spit out of this one.

Im just going to clear a few things up and give my response about Bob Starks article Monday in the Pioneer Press “Using tresses to sop oil? A big hair-don’t“, and then let this go. My hope is that in the not so distant future he’ll be writing a retraction story.

Bob makes it sound as if the salons around the country collecting hair for Matter of Trust (M of T) are deceiving their clients. How can recycling hair (that would go to a landfill) for a good cause be deceitful? If salons want to help, let them. They believe they are making a difference and it gives them something positive to talk about with their clients.

Matter of Trust NEVER claimed the booms would float. Ever. (Although you will see they do now!) They never intended to be used in the middle of the gulf, and as for the excessive manpower on the beaches for clean up? Well, what would be the difference between using hair booms or booms made of petroleum, ahem…plastic?

Bob was more interested in the downside of the story than the upside and I had to continuously defend what we are doing in a positive way. He said in the interview, and I quote, “this seems like a futile effort and a waste of time”. I couldn’t disagree more. Tell that to the student who stood in front of the tank in Tiananmen Square. I wonder if anyone told that boy it’s a futile effort and  don’t waste your time. My point here is small efforts are never wasted.

The Coast Guard never were the recipients of the hair. Matter of Trust was and is the only organization accepting hair donations.

BP had contacted M of T to use the booms and then recanted the next day. There was a big misunderstanding on BP’s part, but none the less the press release had hit the media and the damage was done. M of T decided to focus on the local level.

M of T does not do the clean up and is not volunteering for this, they only will provide the hair booms. ONLY TRAINED HAZMAT WORKERS can clean this up!

I was misquoted saying how sad I was because we wanted to be involved with BP. This is not true. I explained it was sad that BP wasn’t going to take the opportunity to use the hair booms and that their efforts to keep the oil from hitting the marshes was clearly irresponsible. (an earlier post).

I had explained that the “yet-to- be invented seaworthy rigging’ was already invented and they were testing it as we spoke. I forwarded the email to him with the video after the interview was over. He knew of this device and chose to ignore it.

And the very last, but certainly not least…. TOTAL MISQUOTE.

I did not say “perhaps we could wait out this disaster on the chance they would be better suited to some future oil spill”. I clearly said “I am certain that the hair booms will be used in the future because M of T will be there cleaning up this mess long after BP and the media forget about it”.

And you can print that.

Going local. June 5, 2010

Who spends most of their waking hours out in the coastal waters? Fishermen, thats who. Seems we’ve got some momentum going with some harbours in the great state of Florida!

#50 hair booms for Coastal Fuel and Marine Filtering, Bokeelia, Fl, -

#200 hair booms for Bokeelia Marina and Island Club, -

#200 hair booms for Tarpon Point Marina, Cape Coral, Fl., -

#200 hair booms for Moss Marine, Ft Myers Beach, Fl., -

#60 hair booms for Monroe Canal Marina St. James City, Fl.

“It is great to know that we can make booms and distribute them where they can be used regularly by those who may come in contact with petroleum oil in the water around boats, outside/above drain systems, down in the boat bilge”, says Ingrid Setzer of Matter of Trust. Ingrid is the coordinator in the Fort Myers area and the brains behind this idea. She said the people she spoke to today were so happy to be getting these free hair booms! The boat people are inclined to respond to situations out in the water and they never know what they are up against especially NOW!”

The Ixtoc Oil Disaster 31 years ago. June 5, 2010

I have never heard of this disaster, until now. My husband saw this yesterday on Fox News and I am SO glad he did! Here is a glimmer of hope to know that all is not lost. This must have been kept pretty hush-hush back in day and even now, searching for it took awhile. It’s good to know that mother nature can recover better than we think.

The Ixtoc flowed for 10 months and spewed out a record 140 million gallons of oil into the gulf.

Here’s a couple of links to check out.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/06/04/ixtoc-oil-spill-suggests-quick-fixes-deepwater-horizon/

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2011931961_ixtoc23.html

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v290/n5803/abs/290235a0.html

YouTube – Rachel Maddow – 1979 Ixtoc Gulf Oil Spill Very Similar to BP Oil Spill – May 27, 2010 June 5, 2010

YouTube – Rachel Maddow – 1979 Ixtoc Gulf Oil Spill Very Similar to BP Oil Spill – May 27, 2010.

Marina’s Are Taking The Hair Booms. June 12, 2010

Enough hair was sent to make 25 miles of  boom! 10 miles are already finished and Matter of Trust is now concentrating on making and donating the finished boom to marinas who will take them. Just because BP isn’t interested in the hair booms, doesn’t mean they aren’t being used. Marinas, by law, have to have boom available on site and also waste disposal for the used toxic booms. Normally they have to pay for it and it can get expensive so volunteers of Matter of Trust are checking with the local marinas and bringing it in by the truckloads! Here you can see the hair booms at Moss Marina in Fort Myers.

http://www.nbc-2.com/global/Category.asp?c=170893&clipId=4852722&topVideoCatNo=97711&autoStart=true

The warehouses are on a temporary hold, which means no more hair is to be shipped at this time as they are now concentrating on making and delivering boom. Boom B Q’s are happening all along the coastline and I will be heading back to Venice next weekend or the following to volunteer. Ive got a garage full of hair and will rent a truck to bring it all up to Tampa to stuff it into pantihose!

Moss Is The New Green June 17, 2010

Greenbody Greenplanet has found another new home at Tina and Ryan’s new store Moss Envy!  Formally Twin Cities Green in Uptown, Moss envy has got some great new diggs and some great new products! (Ahem…) 

 

 

 

 

 LOCAL ECO-ENTREPRENEUERS OPEN NEW RETAIL CONCEPT: MOSS ENVY 

Where: 3056 Excelsior Blvd, Minneapolis, MN 55416 

When: Grand Opening Friday, June 19th 2010 

“Moss is the new green!” says Alison Kaplan, local shopinista and author behind the blog Alishops.com. 

Three weeks after beginning the transition from their previous brand “Twin Cities Green,” owners Tina and Ryan North will open their new eco retail concept, “Moss Envy.” Located in the thriving West Calhoun neighborhood, just South of the Whole Foods on Excelsior Boulevard, Moss Envy will sell eco alternatives to everyday needs like furniture, home decor, gifts, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen accessories and necessities, jewelry, bath and body, baby gear, mattresses, clothing, building materials and more. 

June 19th marks Moss Envy’s public grand opening celebration including food, drinks, and giveaways.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Migrating Whale Sharks Move To Sarasota June 20, 2010

According to the Tampa News - mother nature is learning how to adapt to the oil spill.

 

An unusual amount of  Whale Sharks were spotted southwest of Sarasota this week. Scientists are wondering if they are adapting to the oil spill. Read the full story here.

 I just received some excellent news! The Army is accepting hair booms in Mississippi and possibly Louisiana. I’ll keep you posted:)

Aloe After-Sun Relief Spray August 4, 2010

Get a little too much sun today? Use this refreshing blend to calm your body and your senses. With hydrating and anti-inflammatory properties, this blend soothes and rejuvenates skin damaged by sunburn and windburn. It doubles as an anti-itch and healing spray for those suffering from skin irritations and bug bites.

Recommended for all skin types. Use as necessary. Shake well before each use and store in a plastic or dark glass spray or spritzer bottle. Yield: approximately 1 cup.

• 1 cup aloe vera juice
• 20 drops lavender essential oil
• 10 drops rosemary (verbenon) essential oil

Place all ingredients in a storage container and shake well. Keep refrigerated and use within 4-6 weeks. Use as often as needed.

Organic Body Care Recipes by Stephanie Tourles

Straight from Matter of Trust. August 3, 2010

Just to keep everyone updated on the happenings in the hairy world of oil clean up, this is the latest email from Lisa @ Matter of Trust. It’s a little long but very informatiive!

[ Hi All -

So glad many of you are enjoying the daily updates on our facebook and twitter pages and our FAQ page. We don't want to spam you with our updates now that the crisis has calmed down, so we are just sending monthly email newsletter updates, and we are posting all blogs, newsletters etc. on our website, which is currently getting a facelift Thanks to amazing volunteers: Paul Goulart www.sayfamily and Eric Wood www.franwoodmac.com

As you know the Gulf spill has been capped and the mysterious oil is staying mostly offshore (except for where BP is present). The theories are that the oil is hard to find because some has evaporated and much has sunk as a result of the Corexit (dispersant) that was used. Oil based synthetic boom is now being sold in hardware stores in the Gulf and the Coast Guard worked with us to help with the awareness for pick up of oiled materials (including hair, fur, fleece & feather boom). When we give out boom we are also providing this 1 866 448 5816 number which we are told is good for pick up for the entire Gulf. When we say fleece we are referring to waste fleece - not the fine fleece fibers which are a commodity. We have stuffed about 1/10th of the donated fiber (hair, fur, fleece & feathers) thanks to hundreds of volunteers! We are consolidating the 19 generously, temporarily donated warehouses as it has now been over 3 months. That's an unusually long spill and the continued press and word of mouth brought in over 100,000 boxes, bags, truckloads of your donations! We have all seen how impressive renewable resources are! There is always more hair, fur, feathers and fleece when you start collecting it! We've been getting lots of emails from generous salons and groomers and farmers wanting to send more and we just can't take any until we have the room. This really highlights the issue that it is so silly to drill oil to make oil based synthetic boom to soak up oil spills, when we have so much of this absorbent fiber available, sorted and ready for use! There have been 2 more large oil spills in the US in the past week. And anyone who needs donated boom both in Michigan (Kalamazoo - we love saying that!) and the Mud Lake spill (2nd Gulf spill) can email us at team@matteroftrust.org.

We are still correcting the stories that came out a few weeks ago that said that hair and fur and fleece and feathers don't soak up oil and that our booms don't float etc. Luckily, they were quickly shot down by thousands of people testing it themselves - that's the thing about such a low tech material, anyone with a haircut try soaking up oils and can stop propaganda for only using synthetic solutions. No boom is working great on the Corexit mixed sludge, but our booms work just as well on the sheen, lighter oils and plumes in the water and it's free and renewable. As for floating higher in the water, many fishermen emailed us and suggested buoys and pool noodles saying if you can make steel ships float, floating a boom is really easy! But, interestingly, it was the sinking oil that got us looking at our floating booms in a new light. They have now been adapted to help with this crazy Corexit oil. We now have been donated thousands of recycled coffee bean burlap bags to cover the booms. Thanks to Tereson Dupuy of fuzzibunz.com a cloth diaper manufacturer with lots of sewing machines in Louisiana and John Nistler & Anna Keller of Gulf Coast Recovery for this design. With grommets added to make holes on the top for stringing to buoy line so the bags can hang down and catch more oil than simple floating boom. This may be helpful in Michigan too, as we hear the heavy pipeline oil is also going under their boom. An added benefit is that it looks better, a bunch of quilted burlap sacks instead of the hairy leg sausages. And the burlap is a sturdy covering that lets water in and out and lets the hair trap the oil. They can be used on river banks, shores, in nets, strung on line between piers etc. Please check out our photos and updates and please feel free to send in suggestions as we are changing our web site to please as many people as possible. We know that some ideas will counter others, but we'll try to put in as many as possible! This is a public charity and it is therefore yours to help create! We are still responding one by one to all your 41,000+ individual emails, and all phone messages - we're committed to getting back to each and every one of you! Thanks for your patience there are just a few of us plus volunteers here as we keep admin costs low so that all funds can go to the program needs.

We have also been suggested an idea that we would love to hear your opinions on. As we have so much fiber (hair, fur, fleece & feathers) and many of you have more boxes available, there is another similar use we could create. There are many, many marinas in the world and all of their boats could use little bilge pads to soak up and remove oil in bilge tanks. It has been suggested that green businesses start up that take these abundant recycled fibers, nylons and burlap and make these little pillows. We are working now with people in the Gulf to see if we can help the fishermen families by creating a program for this in the Gulf and having their pillows be sold to marinas elsewhere as a fundraiser . Anyone who wants to help with this idea please let us know! team@matteroftrust.org We need idea people and people who could use or distribute the bilge pillows, and would love to hear from anyone who wants to create this on their own in the US or in other countries. Also, people making bilge pads in different locations could collect from their local salons, groomers and farmers to cut out shipping costs. Please remember all you generous donors! WE PROMISE WE WILL EMAIL YOU WHEN WE HAVE MORE AVAILABLE WAREHOUSE SPACE - PLEASE DON'T JUST EMAIL FOR ADDRESSES TO SEND IN HAIR, we love to hear ideas from you, but as for the fibers, our first our priority is to make all this fiber into the most useful booms, to deploy booms as storms wash up oil and as we get access to more and more canals. After a completed cycle of donations is deployed, we will be ready to take in more. Ok all of you amazing people! Such a delight to be a part of this recycling movement with all of you!

Best wishes, Lisa Gautier www.matteroftrust.org ]