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simply. naturally. news.
Did you know? February's Birth Flower is the Violet!
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All Things Jill
February 2010 |
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Chemical of the Month:
P A R A B E N S
 his
month we thought we'd try a new spin on our "Ingredient
of the Month" column, and do a section on a toxic
chemical found in so many 'natural' products on the
shelf today. We hope you find the information helpful
when purchasing body care products.
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In
This Issue: |
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Chemical of the Month:
Parabens
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Notes from the Soaperie:
A Fresh Start
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Product Feature:
Apawthecary
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Jill's Picks:
Yoga Podcasts
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Shades of Green:
Greening our Pets
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You
may have noticed that "paraben free" labels have been
popping up on some beauty products at the drugstore and
elsewhere. Parabens are the most widely used
preservatives in personal care products; they stop
fungus, bacteria and other microbes from growing in your
favourite creams and makeup, especially in the moist,
warm environment of a bathroom.
In
short, parabens are a group of chemicals that
have been shown to mimic the action of the hormone
estrogen.
These
substances, called "xeno-estrogens", are fat-soluble,
which means they can store themselves in your body. They
can also often be found in many prepared foods, like
mayonnaise, mustard, salad dressings, and candy. The
only ingredient used more frequently is water.
The
female breast contains cells called estrogen receptors,
which are stimulated by the presence of estrogen (or
xeno-estrogens) into producing more mammary tissue. It
is possible that stimulating these cells artificially
after menopause, when natural hormone levels drop, could
contribute to breast cancer.
Other
paraben side effects include male breast growth (gynecomastia),
excess fat storage, and diminished muscle mass. They
have also been linked to a variety of cancers. Parabens
may be listed on a label as methyl paraben, ethyl
paraben, propyl paraben, butyl paraben, isobutyl paraben
or E216 and are typically added to products as
preservatives.
For
additional info, check out
this great article on parabens in Avenue
Magazine, featuring our Smooth as a Baby's Bum Balm!
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A fresh start... |
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"What is the difference between an obstacle and an
opportunity? Our attitude toward it. Every opportunity
has a difficulty, and every difficulty has an
opportunity." ~ J. Sidlow Baxter
With 2009 now securely behind us, we can look forward to
a fantastic 2010. Change is a part of all our
lives, and of course the same is true of business. I can
say with certainty that we are excited about some of the
upcoming 2010 changes at All Things Jill! We've
had a huge success with our new Apawthecary line over
the Christmas season and I'm pleased to say that we have
partnered with Pet Planet, a Canadian Retailer of Pet
Wellness products. You can now find our pet products at
every Pet Planet store in the country. You'll have to
look for them under their brand name, ANU, but the
products are ours, so you can be sure of the quality.
As the Alberta Gift Show comes closer, we are looking
forward to the new set up at the show. We'll be in the
Serenity section, sporting a very big, 300 square foot
booth! Stop by for a chat, to see our new products, have
a sip of tea and enjoy yourself. We'll have some great
specials for all our retailers.
On a personal note, I am pleased to say that I am
finally engaging my inner athlete (?) and have begun
spinning classes, and attending yoga on a regular basis.
I have noticed a change in my well being already -
finding balance is always easier when you've got lots of
endorphins running around your system. Whatever it is
that interests you, make sure you find something to stay
active with, especially during these winter months. I
can say from experience that I know how easy it is to
hibernate and stay indoors as much as possible.
Namaste,
Jill
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Yoga Podcasts
While
I love doing yoga, my schedule doesn't always allow me
to get to the local studio for the classes I like. The
other day while shopping on iTunes, I came across some
fantastic FREE yoga podcasts that I downloaded. A fan of
Ashtanga yoga myself, I simply searched the iTunes store
on 'Ashtanga Yoga' and found a few great sources. My
favourite so far is the Grace Yoga podcast - led by
instructor Arlene Bjork, I love the flow and the energy
she brings to the class. What's even better, is that I
can now practice when it's convenient for me; I just
download the podcasts I want, roll out my mat, and
escape for 90 minutes of peace in this hectic world.
http://mygraceyoga.mypodcast.com/ |
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 Shades
of Green
Greening your Pets
With all the rush to green our businesses, our homes,
and our vehicles we may have forgotten someone - our
four legged companions! Being eco-conscious about
our pets is a trend that is easy to adopt. Five or six
simple changes on your part can make a big difference,
especially with the increasing number of animals
reported as family pets.
1. Use biodegradable pet waste bags.
Picking up after your pet is an important part of
looking after the environment. Domesticated animal
waste does not contribute to the environment in the same
way as feral animal waste, so picking up after your pet
is important. By using a bio-degradable bag,
Fido's waste will not sitting in a landfill somewhere
forever.
2. Use natural litter for litter boxes
and avoid most clumping types which, according to
www.sheknows.com, are strip mined and contain
carcinogenic ingredients which can seriously impact the
health of your cat's lungs.
3. Consider locally grown organic
foods. First, your carbon footprint is reduced because
the food is not transported across the country or even
across the world. Second, the food that you purchase
from the grocery store can be filled with ash and other
filler products that can seriously affect your pet's
health (and your pocketbook).
4. Consider toys that are made from
recycled or natural materials. There are many
manufacturers that now make recycled fiber toys and the
prices are not significantly higher than traditional
toys. Is someone at your local farmers market or gift
show selling natural or recycled-fiber pet toys? Not
only are you not supporting foreign markets, but may
reduce the carbon 'pawprint' of your pet.
5. Think about a natural fiber bed the
next time you go shopping for a lounge for kitty or a
pad for your pooch. There are new and recycled
alternatives available that do not contain artificial
matreials and are not transported halfway across the
world.
6. Finally, consider the impact of the
environment on your pet. Winter is coming and not
everyone uses pet friendly ice melter. Dogs
especially, like babies, try to put everything they find
into their mouths and most commercially available
products use harsh chemicals to melt ice. There are a
number of pet-friendly alternatives on the market, and
the ice still gets melted!
Whatever you decide to do about greening your pet,
remember to read the ingredients carefully of anything
you use on, around or feed to your pets. They are
important to us, and for some of us a substitute for
children, so let's take care of them as best we can. |
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