It is claimed that women who use make-up daily are absorbing nearly 5lb of chemicals a year into their bodies.

Many use more than 20 different beauty products a day to look their best while 9 out of 10 apply make-up which is past its use by date.

Such use of cosmetics and toiletries means that a concoction of 4lb 6oz of chemicals a year is absorbed through the skin.

Richard Bence, an advocate of organic beauty products, believes that absorbing chemicals through the skin in more dangerous than eating them, he said:

‘We really need to start questioning the products we are putting on our skin and not just assume that the chemicals in them are safe.’

‘If lipstick gets into your mouth it is broken down by the enzymes in saliva and in the stomach. But chemicals get straight into your bloodstream, there is no protection.’

Warnings over using out-of-date make-up have also been issued by the Royal College of Optometrists which believes such items are a “hothouse” for harmful bacteria.

Among the chemicals under scrutiny are parabens which are preservatives that have been linked to cancer.

Also sodium lauryl sulphate, used to help create lather in soaps, shampoo, shaving foam and bubble bath, which can cause skin irritation.

Theorganicsalon.com knows how important the products you put on your skin are, that’s why we only retail completely natural and organic ranges.

 Through extensive research the founder of Pai found that a lot of the personal care products available today contain harmful ingredients and were causing her to have a bad skin allergy.

It was this that encouraged Sarah Brown to start up Pai, a completely natural range of skincare.

Pai believes because up to 60% of what you put on your skin enters your body, the skin cream you use is as important as the food you eat.

That’s why their products are made from the highest grade, certified organic ingredients - free from artificial colours, fragrances, parabens, petrochemicals and phthalates.

Pai was recently voted Number 1 organic beauty product in Grazia and its really no surprise!

Theorganicsalon.com only retails the best quality organic and natural beauty products. For our full range of Pai organics please click here. 

Name any type of beauty product, and the same concerns pop up: toxic ingredients - sometimes unlabeled - linked to cancer, and other health effects, and ingredients that have not been tested for safety. And it’s all completely legal!

The FDA is in charge of cosmetics, but doesn’t have the same regulatory authority over these products that it has over pharmaceuticals, medical devices and foods. The $50 billion cosmetics industry in fact regulates itself through its industry-funded Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel.

The cosmetics industry is one of the least-regulated industries in this country and they have been fighting to make sure it stays that way.

The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee is currently drafting a bill that would overhaul food, drug and cosmetic safety, but the current cosmetics provision isn’t as strong as it needs to be.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics are willing people to sign their online petition to tell them that you support strong health and safety standards for cosmetics. It shouldn’t be left up to consumers or the cosmetics industry to figure out what’s safe and what isn’t.

Here at theorganicsalon.com we understand the importance of safe and pure cosmetics, and you can be sure that all the products we retail are 100% natural.

Triclosan, is a widespread antibacterial pesticide. But antibacterial soap made with triclosan isn’t any better than using regular soap, according to the FDA. And the American Medical Association recommends not using products containing triclosan because it can cause resistance to antibiotics.

So why is it virtually unregulated, and still so widely used? Well the answer is that The Environmental Protection Agency has failed to evaluate it in the past but is looking into it right now. In the meantime, EWG is keeping the pressure on EPA, calling for manufacturers to stop using it, and recommending that consumers avoid it.

Triclosan can be found in your soap, toothpaste, and even children’s toys.

It’s also a hormone disruptor that ends up in mothers’ breast milk and is toxic to aquatic life.

You won’t see any of these nasty chemicals in the brands we retail at theorganicsalon.com

BBC Learning has launched StyleSearch, a competition to find the UK’s most stylish and ethical dressers. The competition is part of the BBC’s online ethical fashion magazine which shows people how to get an eco-glam look through a unique mix of affordable fashion, videos and other features.

The online magazine named Thread is challenging fashion lovers to style an ethical look from a mixture of organic, fair trade, vintage, recycled or customised clothes. The winner will have the opportunity to spend a day with a top stylist at London Fashion Week in September.

Entrants are to submit one photograph of either themselves, or a friend, that they have styled, together with a short explanation of why the outfit is ethical.

Konnie Huq, ethical fashion fan and former Blue Peter presenter said: ‘Style Search is for everyone, no matter what their style or budget. It is all about being creative, eco-glamorous and expressing yourself through ethical fashion.’

A panel of industry professionals will judge the entries on their originality and creativity as well as the eco-credentials of the clothes which must contain some organic, fair trade, vintage, recycled or customised items.

StyleSearch is running on Thread, the BBC’s online ethical fashion magazine until Tuesday 26th August.

What a great opportunity to encourage organic, ethical clothing to fashion lovers, theorganicsalon.com only retails all organic and natural beauty products.

An Organic Consumers Association report has revealed that 40% of ‘natural’ products it tested contained 1,4-dioxane, the same carcinogen EWG found can contaminate 28% of all cosmetics.

Many products that are labeled organic or natural still contain many toxins. The average consumer who is unaware of the potential danger would find it difficult identify which ingredients are toxins and which are genuinely natural.
 
On average each of us uses between 5-15 personal care products a day including deodorant, shower gel, and shampoo. The list goes on and so do the toxins.  This wouldn’t matter if the skin did not absorb 60% of what is applied to it.  Unfortunately natural does not mean natural, and organic does not always mean toxin free.  It is up to the consumer, to identify which ingredients to look for.

Here at theorganicsalon.com you can be sure that all the products we retail are completely free of any toxins and nasty chemicals.

Consumers are becoming increasingly aware about what they put on their bodies as well as what goes inside. So it is no surprise that natural and organic products are the fastest-growing segment of the cosmetics industry.

According to a London consulting company, sales of natural and organic beauty products are soaring, with revenues projected to approach $7 billion this year in the United States, up $1 billion from last year.

Retail sales have climbed from $51.6m in 2004 to $88.6m in 2006. Projected retail sales for 2008 are $120m.

Interest in natural and organic cosmetics can be attributed in part to social responsibility - preserving the environment using sustainable ingredients and biodegradable packaging.

According to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a coalition of women’s public health, and consumer-rights groups founded in 2002, ingredients like parabans, are widely used in the beauty industry. Environmental groups warn of the risks, and manufacturers assure consumers the ingredients are safe in small doses, but now even the big retailers are making changes.

Marketing Insider, of an Ohio firm, Colette Chandler, said:

‘As companies realize this marketplace exists, and that more consumers are gravitating in this direction, all of a sudden they say this is where I need to be, as consumers become more knowledgeable, she added, they want to know what’s in their bodies.’

When the U.S. Centers for Disease Control found high levels of hormone-disrupting phthalates in women eight years ago, no one had a clue how ugly the beauty industry really was.

The $50 billion cosmetics industry puts lead in our lipstick and chemicals in our shampoo; the industry is so powerful that they’ve been able to keep themselves unregulated for decades.

 Stacy Malkan author of, Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry follows a group of environmental activists, as they ask some tough questions to the world’s largest cosmetics companies.

As doors slammed in their faces, the industry’s toxic secrets began to emerge. The good news is that while the multinational corporations fight for their right to use harmful chemicals, activists, scientists and business owners are giving the beauty industry a makeover!

Stacy Malkan is a media strategist for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a national coalition working to eliminate hazardous chemicals from beauty products.

The book offers an insider’s view of the five-year campaign by environmental and health groups to pressure the US cosmetics industry to use safer ingredients.

‘This is a gripping, personal book by a recovered cosmetics addict with a great factual range on the impact of an unregulated group of companies.’
- Ralph Nader, consumer advocate

Theorganicsalon.com believes in only retailing pure and natural beauty products free from any harmful chemicals.

When you see the ingredient ‘fragrance’ on a beauty product, what they really should be putting is ‘hidden chemicals’.

Quite amazingly the FDA’s federal law lets manufacturers of products like shampoo and body wash include nearly any ingredient in their products under the name ‘fragrance’ without listing the chemical.

Companies that manufacture beauty products are required by law to list the ingredients they use, but fragrances and trade-secret formulas are exempt.

An analysis carried out on the chemical contents of products, reveals that ingredients listed as ‘fragrance’ often contain chemicals linked to health problems, including Phthalates, which is used to make fragrances last longer.

Artificial musks also listed, can accumulate in our bodies and be found in breast milk.

In order to avoid unpleasant side effects, it is best to choose fragrance-free cosmetics and beauty products. But do be aware of labels that say ‘unscented’, it may just mean that the manufacturer has added an extra fragrance to mask the original odor.

The producers of the products should be required to list all of their ingredients on the label so consumers can see what they’re buying. Safety standards must be set for personal care products by the federal government.

Theorganicsalon.com can assure there won’t be any of these nasty chemicals in our products. We only retail pure and natural beauty products.

Laboratory testing initiated by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has found that some lipsticks from top brands contain lead.

Lead is a potent neurotoxin and linked to various other health and reproductive problems, which shouldn’t and doesn’t belong in your lipstick.

Following the release of these test results, Senators John Kerry, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer sent a letter to the FDA demanding action to protect our health.

Theorganicsalon.com only retails pure and natural beauty products free from harsh chemicals.

We offer a range of cosmetics for your lips from brands Living Nature, Miessence and suki color, to view the full range please click here.