Organic Liquid Foundation with DMAE, Carrot Oil & MSM !

Check out our NEW Organic Liquid Foundation.  Make Up that is actually good for your skin with Organic Aloe Juice, Jojoba, Carrot Oil, DMAE & MSM.  89% Organic Content.  Full spectrum sun protection.

Don't see the color you like?  If you love the color of one of our loose mineral foundations or don't see the color you like in our powders or liquids, we can custom formulate a color for you.  Are you using a foundation that you love that has chemicals and want to make the switch to natural and organic?  Get your favorite color custom formulated in a natural organic version!

Just send us a sample of the color you like in powder or liquid make-up and we can custom make a liquid foundation color for you!  Please contact us by e-mail or phone 208-629-0444 for details on custom formulation. 

Beautiful Organically Infused Make-up !

We continue to add beautiful colors and more options to our organically infused make-up.  We now have organically infused full spectrum sunscreen liquid foundation in 5 colors for fair to medium complexions in cool, neutral and warm undertones! 

Coming Soon - New beautiful eye & lip pencil colors!   We have a new line of moisturizing lipsticks!

New concealers in neutral skin tone, yellow, & pink/peach. 

Pink/Peach Concealer is used to normalize yellow-colored imperfections such as sallow complexions and yellow bruises. It can also help conceal dark spots on bronze and olive skin tones.  COMING SOON!

Yellow Concealer is perfect for hiding those dark areas around the eye prior to applying your new mineral make-up.  Used to conceal bluish bruises, under-eye circles and mild red tones on the face.

Neutral Flesh Toned Concealer covers that slight imperfections without having to wear foundation by simply dabbing this skin toned concealer on with a camouflage brush or a clean fingertip and feather the edges.  Also used to cover areas of hyperpigmentation prior to applying foundation. 

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals 2012

State of the science of endocrine disrupting chemicals 2012 / edited by Åke Bergman, Jerrold J. Heindel, Susan Jobling, Karen A. Kidd and R. Thomas Zoeller.

Three strands of evidence fuel concerns over endocrine disruptors:

1.     The high incidence and the increasing trends of many endocrine-related disorders in humans

2.     Observations of endocrine-related effects in wildlife populations

3.      The identification of chemicals with endocrine disrupting properties linked to disease outcomes in laboratory studies.

Many endocrine-related diseases and disorders are on the rise.  Large proportions (up to 40%) of young men in some countries have low semen quality, which reduces their ability to father children.

The incidence of genital malformations, such as non-descending testes (cryptorchidisms) and penile

malformations (hypospadias), in baby boys has increased over time or levelled off at unfavourably  high rates.

The incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as preterm birth and low birth weight, has increased in many countries.

Neurobehavioural disorders associated with thyroid disruption affect a high proportion of children in some countries and have increased over past decades.

Global rates of endocrine-related cancers (breast, endometrial, ovarian, prostate, testicular and thyroid) have been increasing over the past 40–50 years.
 

There is a trend towards earlier onset of breast development in young girls in all countries where this has been studied. This is a risk factor for breast cancer. 

The prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes has dramatically increased worldwide over the last 40

years. WHO estimates that 1.5 billion adults worldwide are overweight or obese and that the number with type 2 diabetes increased from 153 million to 347 million between 1980 and 2008.

Close to 800 chemicals are known or suspected to be capable of interfering with hormone receptors, hormone synthesis or hormone conversion. However, only a small fraction of these chemicals have been investigated in tests capable of identifying overt endocrine effects in intact organisms.

The vast majority of chemicals in current commercial use have not been tested at all.  This lack of data introduces significant uncertainties about the true extent of risks from chemicals that potentially could disrupt the endocrine system.

Human and wildlife populations all over the world are exposed to EDCs.

There is global transport of many known and potential EDCs through natural processes as well as through commerce, leading to worldwide exposure.  Unlike 10 years ago, we now know that humans and wildlife are exposed to far more EDCs than just those that are persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

Levels of some newer POPs in humans and wildlife are still increasing, and there is also exposure to less persistent and less bioaccumulative, but ubiquitous, chemicals.  

 

New sources of human exposure to EDCs and potential EDCs, in addition to food and drinking water,

have been identified.

Children can have higher exposures to chemicals compared with adults—for example, through their hand-to-mouth activity and higher metabolic rate.  The speed with which the increases in disease incidence have occurred in recent decades rules out genetic factors as the sole plausible explanation. Environmental and other non-genetic factors, including nutrition, age of mother, viral diseases and chemical exposures, are also at play, but are difficult to identify. Despite these difficulties, some associations have become apparent: 

Non-descended testes in young boys are linked with exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) and

polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and with occupational pesticide exposure during pregnancy. Recent evidence also shows links with the painkiller paracetamol. However, there is little to suggest that polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) or dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) are associated with cryptorchidism. 

 

High exposures to polychlorinated dioxins and certain PCBs (in women who lack some detoxifying enzymes) are risk factors in breast cancer. Although exposure to natural and synthetic estrogens is

associated with breast cancer, similar evidence linking estrogenic environmental chemicals with the disease is not available.  

 

Prostate cancer risks are related to occupational exposures to pesticides (of an unidentified nature), to some PCBs and to arsenic. Cadmium exposure has been linked with prostate cancer in some, but not all, epidemiological studies, although the associations are weak.

 

Comment from JES Organics: It is so important to be an educated consumer, read labels, use trusted natural products, avoid endocrine disrupting chemicals as much as possible.  Protect yourself and your family from the harmful effects of toxic chemicals. 

 

What are Sulfates and DO they really come from coconut?

Many of you already know that regular sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) are harsh cleansers linked to skin irritation, allergic reactions, dermatitis, and dryness. Because consumers have become so savvy lately, cosmetics companies are trying to stay one step ahead of them without giving up their cheap, readily available ingredients.

So companies are using the latest technique is to try to get you to believe that SLS “from coconut” is natural and safe.  Is that really true?

What is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate?
Sodium lauryl sulfate and similar chemicals are surfactants—cleaning ingredients. If you want to get chemical about it, they’re the result of mixing lauryl alcohol with sulfuric acid, and then adding sodium carbonate. The resulting ingredient is used in carpet cleaners, engine degreasers, car wash liquids, and machine wash detergents because it’s highly corrosive and can remove oil and grease.
These ingredients are also used in a wide variety of personal care products, including soaps, shampoos, body washes, toothpastes, cleaning products, and anything else we like to “foam up.” They lower the surface tension of water and act as dispersal agents, helping to properly mix the ingredients in fragrance oils and body sprays. These properties also make these chemicals popular in moisturizing lotions and sunscreens.

The Difference Between Lauryl and Laureth
These are the two most common types that you’ll see in personal care and cleaning products. Both are irritating surfactants. The difference is in how they’re processed.

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is a good cleaning product, but is a skin irritant. It can cause damage to the outer layer of skin by disrupting the function of skin proteins and causing itchy, cracked, and dry skin. In shampoos, this ingredient can increase risk of scalp irritation, stinging eyes, and tangled, split, frizzy, and dull hair.

According to the Journal of the American College of Toxicology (1983, Vol. 2, No. 7) researchers noted, “The longer these ingredients stay in contact with the skin, the greater the likelihood of irritation, which may or may not be evident to the user.”

The study authors go on to note that sodium lauryl sulfate causes “severe epidermal changes” to the area of the skin where it was applied. They also said that the detergent tended to deposit heavily on the surface of hair follicles, and that, “damage to the hair follicle could result from such deposition.” Finally, they noted that 1–5 percent sodium lauryl sulfate produced “significant number of comedones,” which are, essentially, whiteheads or blackheads.

The researchers concluded that SLS “appears to be safe in formulations designed for discontinuous, brief use followed by thorough rinsing from the surface of the skin. In products intended for prolonged contact with skin, concentrations should not exceed 1 percent.”

A Chemical Manufacturing Process

What about sodium laureth sulfate (SLES)? Though very similar to SLS, it is slightly different. It’s also a surfactant, and is used in products for the same reason that SLS is. It’s less irritating to skin and hair, however. Why? Because of how they process it.

To make SLES less irritating, manufacturers put it through a process called “ethoxylation.” (That’s why the “eth” in the name—any name that has “eth” has likely been ethoxylated.) Essentially, this means that they add ethylene oxide to the mixture to modify the chemical compound.

Ethylene oxide is a flammable, toxic gas used in the production of several industrial chemicals. According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), acute exposure can result in respiratory irritation, headaches, nausea, cancer, reproductive effects, mutagenic changes, neurotoxicity, and sensitization.

Adding ethylene oxide to SLS, without getting into more complicated chemistry, reduces the irritation level of the ingredient. Many manufacturers use SLES rather than SLS for this reason—the ingredient is supposed to be gentler on the skin and hair. Because of this processing technique, however, SLES can be even more dangerous.

SLES Can Be Even Worse

Basically, adding ethylene oxide to make an ingredient milder is a cheap short cut used by companies to avoid paying for more natural, nourishing ingredients. The problem is that ethoxylation produces a chemical called “1,4-dioxane” as a byproduct.

1,4-dioxane is a known cancer causing agent and a leading groundwater contaminant, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It readily penetrates the skin, and is included on California’s Proposition 65 list of chemicals known or suspected by the state to cause cancer or birth defects.

Of course, shampooing your hair once or twice will likely cause you no harm. The problem is, we use products with these ingredients several times a day, every day. Check your ingredient labels. You may be surprised at how many products contain SLS or SLES.

Where Do They Come From?

What if the label says the ingredient comes from coconut?  What they’re talking about here is where they’re getting the raw materials—in this case, the lauryl alcohol. Getting back to chemistry, SLS is synthesized in the lab by treating lauryl alcohol with sulfur trioxide gas or chlorosulfuric acid. Lauryl alcohol can come from petroleum, but it can also come from coconut oil. The oil is put through an elaborate process, however, that liberates the fatty acids, then hydrogenizes the oil, then pulls out the lauryl alcohol.

No matter where the alcohol comes from, it’s still mixed with the other chemicals to produce SLS or SLES or other forms of the ingredient. The result is still a chemical that is a long way from the original coconut oil. We may feel better having something that originated from coconut oil rather than from petroleum, but that doesn’t mean the chemical will not be irritating to skin or hair, or that it will not be contaminated from manufacturing processes.

How can we be sure of the extent of the contamination? We have no way of knowing. Companies can “vacuum-strip” ingredients to take the 1,4-dioxane out, but you won’t find anything on the label telling you whether or not they did that.

The whole “coconut-derived” or “from coconut oil” or whatever verbiage you see on the label is a marketing gimmick to make you believe that somehow the ingredient is more natural. Don’t fall for it! Choose instead products that have REAL natural ingredients rather than chemicals they’re trying to pass off as “more natural.”

Different Types of Sulfates

There are many other sulfates out there used in personal care products. As the public grows wise to SLS and SLES, manufacturers are switching to other types, again, hoping to trick us into thinking they’re watching out for our safety.

Sodium lauryl sulfate is also called sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Sodium coco-sulfate is another very similar ingredient—the only difference is that instead of using just one lauryl alcohol to start with, they use a blend of fatty acids from coconut oil, react them with sulfuric acid, then sodium carbonate, to create sodium coco sulfate.

Other similar names include:

1. Sodium caprylic sulfate
2. Sodium capric sulfate
3. Sodium oleic sulfate
4. Sodium stearyl sulfate
5. Sodium myreth sulfate
6. Sodium dodecanesulfate
7. Sodium monododecyl sulfate
8. And more!

These are all named according to the particular isolated fatty acid used to start the chemical process in the first place.

In Summary
This is a lot of chemistry to get into over just one ingredient. What really matters is the manufacturer. Are they using cheap chemicals and trying to pass them off as natural, or are they using truly natural ingredients that you can actually pronounce?

Typically if you see one potentially harmful chemical like SLS or SLES, you’re going to see more, like formaldehyde-containing preservatives (ureas) and nitrosamine-forming agents (triethanolamine).

The key is not to think you have to become an expert at every chemical ever used in personal care products.  However do become an educated consumer and learn how to read labels.  Find brands you CAN trust.  However not all products within a certain company are clean and pure across the board.  Find brands that have been conscious about safety from the beginning.  Find brands that believe in using real natural ingredients.  Buy from them!

 

Exciting New Products Coming - Start your Holiday Shopping!

We have the following new products coming that may be just seasonal for the holidays or if in demand, may be a permanent part of the line.  Start getting the word out and promoting these products to friends, family and on social media.  the stores are already selling holiday items, it's not too early!

1. Lovely Rose  Goat Milk Organic Bar Soap - will be here in about 1 week
2. Evergreen Lavender Organic Bar Soap - will be here in about 1 week
3. Ginger Lime Organic Bar Soap - will be here in about 1 week
4. Cinnamon Aromatherapy Spray - already in stock - this is great for spraying on pine cones, potpourri, spraying in the air for festive holiday scent, spraying in the car.  Cinnamon increases circulation so you can even try spraying it on your hands and feet in cold weather.  It smells wonderful, USDA certified organic and NO chemicals, completely natural!
5. Lotion Bar Sticks in many choices of essential oil scents - coming next week.  Great stocking stuffers, great for your purse to touch up dry hands or feet, great for travel.  Available in a .35 oz. purse size or 2.5 oz. size.  One of our distributors had a great tip: before visiting the doctor and showing your bare dry feet, touch up with your lotion bar to make your feet look soft and smooth.
6. Shea Butter Sticks - Our Organic Raw Unrefined Premium Grade African Shea butter is great!  It has wonderful healing properties and very moisturizing.  Usually it comes in a jar and it is a hard butter so you have to rub in circular motions in the jar to heat it up to apply.  This is a great idea for having Shea in an easy application in a roll-up tube that can be applied directly to your skin without dipping into a jar.  Also available unscented or choice of many essential oil options for scenting, .35 oz. and 2.5 oz. sizes. 
7. We are continuing to add more lipstick colors to our already beautiful line up of colors!  - Coming in approximately 1 week. 
8. We have many more great new products that have been added in the last month - check out our web-site for a complete listing. 
9. We have gift packages and sets coming soon too - great for gift buying, give the gift of natural and organic without the hassle of malls and busy crowds!
10. We also do custom gift packages - tell us what you want in a package and we will make it for you with a gift card and nice packaging. 
11. We have done some upgrades to our web-site this past week and our site will also be mobile friendly in the next week. 

Best Wishes, JES Organics Staff

Documentary: The Disappearing Male

By Dr. Mercola
The chemical industry is only 100 years old, but in this short time they’ve created substances that may now be threatening human survival.

A handful of these chemicals are detailed in the film The Disappearing Male, which gives an educational glimpse into exactly why environmental chemicals, and particularly the gender-bending kind, are so detrimental.

It’s becoming quite clear that chemicals in the environment are prompting significant changes to animals, especially males, and that extends to human ‘animals’ as well.

Infertility Rates are Rising as Sperm Counts Drop

One couple in the film described the waiting room at their infertility clinic as similar to an emergency room – packed with lines extending down the hall. Infertility is more common than many think these days. An estimated 1 in 6 American couples struggle with getting pregnant each year¹ and there's compelling evidence that hormone-disrupting environmental chemicals are partly to blame.

The problem with low sperm counts has become so severe that the World Health Organization has had to continually drop what’s considered a ‘normal’ sperm count to lower and lower levels over the last several decades, lest too many men be classified as infertile.

Chemicals that may disrupt sperm count and quality are pervasive in today's modern world. They lurk in personal care products, food containers, medical tubing, toys and more. Bisphenol-A (BPA) and phthalates are two of the most well known culprits.
Bisphenol A (BPA)

BPA is a common ingredient in many plastics, including those in water bottles and children's toys, as well as the lining of most canned goods. It was recently discovered that even many cash register receipts contain this chemical. BPA is so pervasive it has been detected in the umbilical cord blood of 90 percent of newborn infants tested!

Recent studies have confirmed suspicions that BPA is affecting male fertility, primarily by reducing semen quality. One such study, which provides the first epidemiological evidence of an adverse effect on semen quality, was published in the journal Fertility and Sterility.² The researchers found that higher urine levels of BPA were significantly associated with:

1. Decreased sperm concentration
2. Decreased total sperm count
3. Decreased sperm vitality
4. Decreased sperm motility

Compared with those who did not have detectable levels, the men with detectable levels of BPA had more than:

• Three times the risk of lowered sperm concentration and lower sperm vitality
• Four times the risk of lower sperm count
• Twice the risk of lower sperm motility

In women, BPA can also reduce chances of successful in vitro fertilization (IVF) by interfering with oocyte (immature egg cell) quality. Two recent studies attest to this. One found an inverse association between BPA concentration and normal fertilization,³ and the other found that "BPA was detected in the urine of the majority of women undergoing IVF, and was inversely associated with number of oocytes retrieved and peak estradiol levels."⁴

Phthalates
Phthalates are another group of chemicals that wreak havoc with reproductive health. Exposure to phthalates can lead to incomplete testicular descent in fetuses, reduced sperm counts, testicular atrophy or structural abnormality and inflammation in newborns.

Phthalates are commonly found in vinyl flooring, detergents, automotive plastics, soap, shampoo, deodorants, fragrances, hair spray, nail polish, plastic bags, food packaging, garden hoses, inflatable toys, blood-storage bags, intravenous medical tubing, and more.

A 200% Increase in Male Genital Birth Defects

Gender-bending chemicals are the likely culprit behind a 200% increase in male genital birth defects in recent years, the film cited, highlighting one woman who believes her son’s undescended testes falls into this category.

Congress passed the Food Quality Protection Act in 1996, which required the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to initiate the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP) to screen pesticides and other environmental chemicals for their potential to affect the endocrine systems of both animals and humans. According to the EPA:⁵

“In the 1990s, some scientists proposed that certain chemicals might be disrupting the endocrine systems of humans and wildlife. A variety of chemicals have been found to disrupt the endocrine systems of animals in laboratory studies, and compelling evidence shows that endocrine systems of certain fish and wildlife have been affected by chemical contaminants, resulting in developmental and reproductive problems.”

However, despite the fact that nearly two decades have passed since the beginning of the program, the market is literally flooded with chemicals that have the potential to wreak havoc on reproductive health, especially when exposure occurs in utero or during childhood (as is often the case).

The strongest evidence showing that exposure to environmental chemicals can lead to disruption of endocrine function comes from the bizarre changes seen in a number of wildlife species, such as male fish transforming into females; frogs developing a variety of defects like multiple testes or ovaries; and hermaphrodite bears, just to name a few.

The effects are being seen in humans as well. The endocrine-disrupting chemicals phthalates, for instance are linked to testicular atrophy or structural abnormality. In experiments on rats, phthalates have demonstrably blocked the action of fetal androgens, which affects gender development in male offspring, leading to undescended testes at birth and testicular tumors later in life.

Studies have also found that boys whose mothers had high phthalate exposures while pregnant were much more likely to have certain demasculinized traits and produce less testosterone.

The more a pregnant woman is exposed to high levels of phthalates, the greater the risk her son will have smaller genitals and incomplete testicular descent, leading to impaired reproductive development. The chemical also appears to make the overall genital tracts of boys slightly more feminine. It is believed that phthalates have these adverse effects because they reduce testosterone synthesis by interfering with an enzyme needed to produce the male hormone.

Even the Most Vulnerable Are Being Inundated with Gender-Bending Chemicals

Studies have shown that premature babies are exposed to extremely high concentrations of phthalates, which are widely used to make plastics like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) used in medical tubing and other medical equipment. With each plastic tube that a newborn is hooked up to, the rate of phthalate exposure increases. And for those premature infants who spend weeks and months in the neonatal intensive care unit, the exposure levels can be extraordinary.

A report released by the nonprofit organization Environment and Human Health, Inc. (EHHI) found that male infants exposed to phthalates through medical procedures are most at risk of suffering health effects.⁶ The phthalate di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, or DEHP, in particular, is raising concern because of research linking it to:

Disturbed lactation	"Decreased dysgenesis syndrome": A syndrome involving cryptorchidism (undescended testicles), hypospadias (birth defect in which opening of urethra is on the underside of the penis instead of at the end), oligospermia (low sperm count), and testicular cancer
Interference with sexual differentiation in utero	Enlarged prostate glands
Impaired ovulatory cycles and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)	Numerous hormonal disruptions
Early or delayed puberty	Breast cancer and uterine fibroids

A typical American comes in regular contact with some 6,000 chemicals and an untold number of potentially toxic substances on a less frequent basis. There are approximately 75,000 chemicals regularly manufactured and imported by US industries, so you could be exposed to any number of them. Disturbingly, most of them have never been adequately tested for safety for adults, let alone their impacts on the most vulnerable among us, our children.

The chemical industry has, in fact, resisted testing chemicals on developing bodies, as might occur when a fetus is exposed in utero, likely because they’d have trouble explaining away all the ill effects that are likely to be revealed. Furthermore, there is absolutely no toxicology research that takes into account the effects of multiple, simultaneous chemical exposures and their resultant synergistic toxicity, which is what actually happens to exposed populations in the real world.

The Chemical Industry Is One of the Most Powerful Lobbyists

Like the biotech, pharmaceutical and processed food industries, the chemical industry wields incredible power over Congress, and uses it to have bills passed in their favor – and regulatory violations overlooked. Perhaps that is why, despite the proven risks, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has denied a petition to ban BPA from food packaging. The FDA and most other US regulatory agencies are backed by pro-industry, pro-corporation advocates who often have massive conflicts of interest when it comes to protecting the health of the public.

In fact, the revolving door between private industry and government oversight agencies like the FDA is so well established these days, it has become business as usual to read about scandal, conflicts of interest and blatant pro-industry bias, even when it flies in the face of science or the law. The fact is, if you want to stay safe, you can’t depend on the FDA, the EPA or any other government agency; you’ve got to look out for yourself.

Protecting Yourself in a Chemically Driven World

No one knows what health consequences to this toxic chemical cocktail will cause to an adult, let alone a developing baby. Unfortunately, it is our future generations, and possibly the species as a whole, who will likely pay the heftiest price for this lack of safety concern, as an embryo and fetus develop at a much faster rate than adults.

While this development occurs, cell division and growth is rapid -- and these rapid changes provide many opportunities for mistakes to occur. It’s clear that boys appear to be at particular risk but, really, no one is safe. I encourage everyone with children or grandchildren to review Theo Colburn's Our Stolen Future, which is one of the BEST resources on this topic. Further, while you make the switch to remove and reduce chemicals around your home, remember that one of the ways to significantly reduce your toxic load is to pay careful attention to what you eat.

Organically-grown, biodynamic whole foods are really the key to success here, and, as an added bonus, when you eat right, you're also optimizing your body's natural detoxification system, which can help eliminate toxins your body encounters from other sources. Rather than compile an endless list of what you should avoid, it's far easier to focus on what you should do to lead a healthy lifestyle with as minimal a chemical exposure as possible:

1. As much as possible, buy and eat organic produce and organic free-range foods to reduce your exposure to pesticides and fertilizers.
2. Rather than eating conventional or farm-raised fish, which are often heavily contaminated with PCBs and mercury, supplement with a high-quality purified krill oil, or eat fish that is wild-caught and lab tested for purity.
3. Eat mostly raw, fresh foods, steering clear of processed, prepackaged foods of all kinds. This way you automatically avoid artificial food additives, including dangerous artificial sweeteners, food coloring and MSG.
4. Store your food and beverages in glass rather than plastic, and avoid using plastic wrap and canned foods (which are often lined with BPA-containing liners).
5. Have your tap water tested and, if contaminants are found, install an appropriate water filter on all your faucets (even those in your shower or bath).
6. Only use natural cleaning products in your home.
7. Switch over to natural brands of toiletries such as shampoo, toothpaste, antiperspirants and cosmetics. The Environmental Working Group has a great database⁷ to help you find personal care products that are free of phthalates and other potentially dangerous chemicals. I also offer one of the highest quality organic skin care lines, shampoo and conditioner, and body butter that are completely natural and safe.
8. Avoid using artificial air fresheners, dryer sheets, fabric softeners or other synthetic fragrances.
9. Replace your non-stick pots and pans with ceramic or glass cookware.
10. When redoing your home, look for "green," toxin-free alternatives in lieu of regular paint and vinyl floor coverings.
11. Replace your vinyl shower curtain with one made of fabric, or install a glass shower door. Most all flexible plastics, like shower curtains, contain dangerous plasticizers like phthalates.
12. Limit your use of drugs (prescription and over-the-counter) as much as possible. Drugs are chemicals too, and they will leave residues and accumulate in your body over time.
13. Avoid spraying pesticides around your home or insect repellants that contain DEET on your body. There are safe, effective and natural alternatives out there.

Alpha Lipoic Acid in Skin Care Products

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is often referred to as the “Universal Antioxidant”. It may very well join the ranks of Vitamin C and E as part of a first-line of defense against free radicals and prematurely aging skin.

In contrast to Vitamin E (which is fat soluble) and Vitamin C (which is water soluble), Alpha Lipoic Acid penetrates both the fatty and watery tissues of cells, neutralizing free radicals and providing both intracellular and extracellular protection. In addition to its antioxidant properties, ALA restores oxidized forms of Vitamins C, Vitamin E and Coenzyme Q10 to their active states.

By controlling free radical damage Alpha Lipoic Acid suppresses production of inflammation causing molecules making it a potent anti-inflammatory ingredient. ALA’s anti-inflammatory action prevents the cross linking of collagen fibers thereby fighting the formation of wrinkles and slowing the appearance of premature aging. Alpha Lipoic Acid is used in skin care products formulated to neutralize free radicals, to reduce inflammation and to fight the appearance fine lines and aging.