Healing Use of Essential Oils for Winter

The onset of colder temperatures brings with it coughs, colds and flu symptoms. Adverse weather conditions and evenings that darken earlier mean that we all spend a lot more time shut up in homes and workplaces and less time out and about enjoying sunshine, even if we don't suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) we can all start to feel a little down. It is at this time especially, that essential oils extracted from plants during the summer months can really lift our gloom. We've all experienced the power of fragrances and their ability to transport us to another time and place – cinnamon, ginger and orange reminds us of Christmas, rose and lavender takes us to a summer garden.

Medicinally too, essential oils and the plants they are extracted from are becoming more and more widely recognised, from the honey and lemon blend we sip to ease our sore throats to the eucalyptus we inhale to clear our sinuses.

Kasia Organic Salon offers a range of Apothecary Diffusion Blends and Essential Oils that will boost your immunity, freshen up stuffy homes, ward off those winter viruses and raise your mood.

KASIA WINTER WARMING BLEND

Combine the following essential oils: 10 drops of "Spiritual" cedarwood 25 drops of  "Cheerful" bergamot 10 drops of Kasia "Universal Healer"  Lavender You can use the Kasia Winter Warming Blend to make a massage oil, just dilute 4 drops of the blend in 1 ounce of vegetable oil. This blend must not be used topically on the skin if you are pregnant or are going to use a sun bed within 12 hours (bergamot sensitizes the skin to UV light). The Winter Warming Blend can also be diffused into the air, use 3 drops diluted in a small amount of water.

KASIA SORE THROAT GARGLE

To soothe a sore throat and combat infection add just 2 drops of lemon-scented tea tree pure essential oil to a glass of water, use as a gargle and then spit out. Do not swallow, essential oils must not be taken internally.

KASIA MOOD ELEVATING BLEND

1 drop of  "Warming" Cinnamon Leaf

2 drops of "Happy" orange

This zesty blend is perfect for use in a diffuser to elevate your mood and give you some zing.

Changing Views of The Safe Cosmetics Act 2010

When I first started working with chemists 3 years ago, I was a proud signer of the  Safe Cosmetics Datatbase.   While I still stand by many of their articles, and much of there studies, I can see a common thread to many exposed thoughts around my field. You, and I must always thinking critically and empirically.  Who wrote it? What is the motive?  What is the backing of the research and other truth that surround it?

Yes, I DO believe cosmetics could and should be safer, and cosmetics labeling in the USA DO need more transparency. Safety can always be improved in any field, especially in the light of new scientific data, but SCA 2010 over-reaches what is needed to such an extent that, with the possible exception of distilled water, I cannot think of any cosmetic ingredient that would be acceptable under its terms.

Back from the Fall of the Roman Empire as the Grain Tax came from government, this is example of how the Government now rules the Free Market. This is how the "best for all mankind" will come into the personal care industry and regulate ALL and put many true capitalistic entrepreneurs OUT of business.

To bring in the other side, take your time to read about others comments on the .....

The Safe Cosmetics Act 2010

Read about Rober TIsserands Article Here

Quoted from Personal Care Truth Website: A Campaign Against Campaigns, Or One in Particular

The “Campaign for Safe Cosmetics” (CFSC) is a misnomer. It is NOT a campaign for safe cosmetics. It is a part of the political lobbying process engaged in by the Environmental Working Group, amongst others. In other words it is part of Ken Cook’s ragbag army of professional lobbyists (one of whom actually lobbies for an oil company), career  anarchists, and a large number of well-meaning, but naive, dreamers. They rely on misinformation, disinformation and downright lies in order to scare the ordinary consumer.

I find the existence of a campaign for SAFE cosmetics an abhorrent insult to the rest of the industry, as the implication is that, if you are not a signatory to this campaign, you neither care about the safety of cosmetic products and the products you produce may not be safe. There is an insufferable smugness about the CFSC – a “we are right, and everyone else is wrong” kind of attitude. It is unfortunate that, in fact, it is the CFSC that is wrong.

How can I make this bold claim?  Read the rest HERE.

What do you think? I would love to hear your view!

Do you really absorb up to 60% of what we apply to our skin?

I remember back to 3 years ago when the phrase "we  absorb up to 60% of what we apply to our skin” was just starting to be used among natural beauty pioneers that were health minded as well.   Through my Functional Medicine research at the time, I just knew that this had to be true. To bring this topic up is important to me, as we are finding a increasing number of women with dermis allergies and environmental health complications with the overload of product use.   So, let's back this up.

There is  research to show strong evidence that we do in fact absorb quite a bit of what is applied. Rates of skin absorption of contaminants in public drinking water were studied by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. The study found that the skin absorbed an average of 64% of the total contaminant dosage. In another study the face was found to be 2-6x more permeable than other body surfaces such as the torso, and underarms and genitalia to be even more permeable. In fact, the underarms and genitalia showed up to a 100% absorption estimate (Kasting, 2005).

The studies showed that absorption rate varies depending on the compound. Some examples include, caffeine, which is absorbed by the skin at 48% while DDT is absorbed at 10%. Alarmingly  fragrance ingredients, showed a 100% absorption rate (Robinson et al, 2000).

In any case regardless of actual percentage rates, it makes sense to know the ingredients in our skin care products so we know what we are applying and absorbing. Of course those of us at Kasia Organic Salon commit  to  the  choice of natural/organic  as it immediately cuts out artificial preservatives, fragrances and color compounds that are either suspected or confirmed to be harmful to us.

We suggest the following TOP 5 for your everyday Beautiful Health needs:

Pureoderant Kasia Natural Skin Care Jojoba Oil La Bella Donna Makeup Kasia Spicy Citrus and Weigh-less Organic Conditioner

Reference:  Vitale

Top Essential Oil BLends for a Winter - Warming Bath

Looks as though winter is here to stay and the Holiday CRAZE is around the corner. Here are a few timely simple blends of  Kasia Apothecary Essential Oils to try for your next bath, to relax.

Only use 6-10 drops total of essential oils per bath.

Sweet Flower

Lavender - 6 drops

Ylang-Ylang - 3 drops

I’m Tired

Lavender– 4 drops

Peppermint – 3 drops

Roman Chamomile – 3 drops

Sweet to sound sleep

Lavender – 5 drops

Sweet Orange – 3 drops Burning the midnight oil

Rosemary – 3 drops

Lemon – 3 drops

Peppermint – 2 drops

Or how about plain old Lavender!

NEW @ Kasia! Microwavable Comfy Corn Bags

With those cold Winter days ahead, I thought you might enjoy these Microwavable Comfy Corn Bags from Kasia~   These are great to use on those aches & pains, and a wonderful pain relief for stiff joints due to arthritis!

Corn Bags are an all natural way to warm up,  relieve stress, tension, muscle aches and pains. They are made with 100% cotton fabric and filled with only the highest quality clean feed corn.

Kasia Warming Comfy Corn Bags can be used for both Warm or Cool applications:

Directions: Heat: Place your  Bag in the microwave as directed on the instruction tag attached (2-4 minutes depending on size) and enjoy the warmth for an hour or more to relieve stress, neck pain, back pain, sore muscles, cramps, arthitis and fibromyalgia pain... Cold: Place your Bag  and store in the freezer to use on icing injuries, headaches, fevers etc.

Use Kasia  Apothecary Essential Oil Blends to lightly scent the pillow:  drop 2-4 drops of oil on the pillow fabric.

• Relaxing - Lavender, Lemon Balm, Chamomile, Rosemary

• Headache - Lavender, Peppermint, Rosemary

• Sinus - Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Spearmint, Lavender

Kasia warming comfy  bags are completely portable and easy to use.   Enjoy your use  while you relax on the sofa or at work on your computer, bring them to bed with you or in the car. The uses are endless!

These make GREAT  gifts!!!

Baby Shower  -  Just right to fit on baby's tummy....and instant heat to that colicky baby's tummy ache! Get Well Soon! Friendship Gift "You Warm my Heart"

PS:  Kasia Warming Comfy Bags will be available to lay in your lap as you receive your hair services at Kasia Organic Salon!

Maintenance Free Kasia Dry Shampoo

Dry Shampoo is the perfect choice for anyone who wants to have the appearance of clean hair without investing the time necessary to achieve it. Let’s face it: washing hair takes time. It’s not just about spending the 2 minutes or so it takes to lather and rinse… once you get your hair wet, you then have to dry it, and in most cases, style it as well. This can become rather tedious day after day. Thankfully, you can skip all of those steps and save a lot of time by using a little-known product called dry shampoo.

Dry shampoo is a specially formulated powder that gives hair a clean appearance and fresh feeling. It absorbs the excess oil that leaves hair looking greasy between washings. All you have to do is apply the “shampoo” to your hair and then brush it through. The result is soft-looking, lightly fragranced hair and a few more days before you have to get out the liquid shampoo.

Another benefit of powder shampoo is that it adds some volume to your hair. Hair that hasn’t been washed for several days not only looks greasy but also rather lifeless. By brushing in some dry shampoo, volume is instantly created. A bit of dry shampoo can help give a little bit of body and create the illusion of freshly blow-dried hair. The fragrance can help mask smoke and sweat odors as well.

This type of shampoo is very convenient to use on oily hair in a pinch, but it is not a long-term substitute for washing your hair the traditional way with regular shampoo and water. It is intended only to extend the time between washings, not replace them. Most people need to wash their hair the regular way at least once per week, and on the days in between.

Stop in to Kasia Salon to try our new Kasia Dry Shampoo 3 oz.

Reference: Dry shampoo guide

The vicious cycle of Silica + SLS and your hair!

Are you experiencing dry hair?  Limp with excess frizz?Do your hair products contain Silica or sodium laurel sulphate (SLS)  ?

Does this sound familiar?  The cycle of hair washing goes like this........

• we shampoo our hair because it is dirty
• the SLS in the shampoo strips the hair and scalp of natural oils so both are dry and hair is flyaway or frizzy
• we use conditioner with silica to reduce the frizziness created by the SLS
• the silica builds up on our hair leaving it feeling a bit flat and dull looking
• and start all over again, never getting the results we want so change products always looking for something that will give us healthy, shiny hair

Well this is the  story of many of our new clients anyway!  When you invest in a good natural or organic shampoo & conditioner for at least a month, it can take time to really see results when moving away from SLS and silica. Regardless, do yourself a favor and ditch the sodium laurel sulphate.

The Kasia Team suggests:

Kasia Spicy Citrus Shampoo and Weigh-less Organic Conditioner

Free of petrochemicals, parabens, synthetics, and colors. Ideal for colored hair and suitable for all hair types.  We use simple “beautiful health” ingredients you can trust with your hair and body and safe for the whole family.

Chemical Deodorants - They're the Pits

The natural deodorant revolution helping stop breast cancer and Alzheimer's

Deodorants have become a part of everyday life for almost all of us. Antiperspirant deodorant is extremely common among women ... and unfortunately, so is breast cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Even women that wear no makeup, lip gloss or hair products almost invariably use deodorant products - body odor is seen as one of the seven deadly sins, whether you’re at the office or out with friends! This 'essential' part of our beauty routines may have serious health consequences for us down the track, however.

How do regular deodorants/antiperspirants work?

Deodorants and antiperspirants are two different products, and they work in different ways. Deodorants contain ingredients that kill odor-causing bacteria on the surface of the skin. Antiperspirants, on the other hand, block the pores in the skin that move sweat to the outside of the body, from the sweat glands situated in the armpits.

The substances in deodorants that are used to kill germs include alcohol, parabens and steareth. Aluminum chlorhydrate and aluminum zirconium are the most common active ingredients in antiperspirants.

But the manufacturers must test them, right?

The continuing widespread use of deodorants by women across the world, who may have heard concerns over health risks but disregard them, comes from a common perception that because it is on the supermarket shelf, it must be okay.

We tend to believe that it wouldn’t be possible to sell something, in this day and age, that would be harmful to people. In fact, the process of proving that something is harmful to humans is quite long and rigorous, and without a carrot dangling at the end of the process (a profit or new product for a corporation), it is often difficult to get funding.

The law (in the US) allows companies to use any raw material they like in their products. Yes, some ingredients and colors have been banned. These bans were the result of indisputable evidence of harm. However, there is no requirement that companies test their products to check that they are safe. They do not even have to be tested for efficacy - the financial burden to companies would be enormous and the government is worried about that economic impact.

Even the FDA can only have a product removed from the marketplace if it can be proven harmful in a court of law. There simply aren’t the resources to do the testing necessary for these strict proof guidelines. So, the results of many smaller studies go unheeded, and the potential dangers of deodorants and antiperspirants to women are ignored.

The risks of using conventional antiperspirants and deodorants

A study of 437 females by KG McGrath, looking at the frequency of underarm hygiene linked to the age of breast cancer diagnosis found that:

• The more a woman shaves as well as applying deodorants or antiperspirants, the earlier the diagnosis of breast cancer
• The earlier in life women begin using these products, the earlier the diagnosis of breast cancer

In the 1990s, the World Health Organization released a report showing that the analyzed brains of Alzheimer's sufferers (after death) contained unusually high levels of aluminium. A report in the journal of clinical epidemiology also associated more frequent aluminum-containing deodorant use with Alzhemier's incidence.

Some health professionals also believe that preventing sweating by blocking the pores traps toxins within the body, that would otherwise have been carried out by our sweat. This toxic buildup, along with a buildup of aluminium, is thought to be another of the risk factors for breast cancer with antiperspirant use.

Ingredients to avoid in deodorants

While aluminium is the main deodorant/antiperspirant ingredient that has been studied for negative health effects, almost all of the common ingredients in supermarket deodorants are harmful to us. Here are the effects of some of the common underarm 'hygiene' ingredients:

• Aluminium chlorhydrate, aluminium zirconium tetrachlorhydrex gly, and other aluminium salts: We talked about the links between aluminium salts and breast cancer, as well as  Alzheimer's disease. There may be further links to disease that haven't yet been identified.
• Parabens (all types): These are derived from toluene, which can both cause reproductive harm and mimic the effect of estrogen in the body, driving the growth of cancerous cells.
• Triclosan: This ingredient is a common antibacterial which cause contact dermatitis in many people, and is classified as a pesticide by the FDA.
• Talc: Even the humble talcum powder has been regarded with suspicion by cancer researchers. It may contain asbestiform fibers (yes, these are related to asbestos) - the level of asbestiform fibers in talc is unregulated.
• Propylene glycol: According to the NIOSH this is a neurotoxin. The EPA admits that it hasn’t been fully investigated for cancer-causing potential, despite being in almost every personal care product on the market.
• Silica: This skin irritant is often contaminated with crystalline quartz, which is known to cause cancer
• Steareth-n: (Where n is any number) reacts with ethylene oxide in the manufacturing process. Ethylene oxide is a known carcinogen.

Natural deodorizing

The ingredients which have been found to be effective at keeping you dreamingly scented in natural deodorants include:

• Naturally occurring alum
• Cornstarch
• Lichen
• Herbs and herbal extracts
• De-ionized or distilled water
• Aloe vera
• Baking soda
• Essential oils
• Vegetable glycerin

Naturally occurring alum is related to aluminium, but the molecules are much larger and are not readily absorbed by the skin. It acts as an anti-bacterial, so while it doesn’t prevent sweating, it helps ensure that there is no strong odor from that sweat. The UN has recommended that drinking water sources in some areas of the world have an alum rock placed in them to aid with decontamination.

Natural deodorants may come in the form of a rock or crystal to be rubbed on the underarms, a non-aerosol mist, a gel, or a roll-on like many antiperspirants. These methods can actually be 3 times more effective than commercial deodorants in reducing body odor, both in volume, and over time.

There are plenty of companies recognizing the need for natural deodorants - Kasia Organic Salon is one that has recently launched a brand of natural deodorant, 'Pure-odorant'. It is certified organic & comes straight from nature with a pure blend of organic hemp oil, aloe vera and mineral salts that soften skin and eliminate odor-causing bacteria for up to 24 hours.

Kasia's Pure-odorant formulation leaves absolutely no residue and contains no aluminum, parabens, PG, alcohol or petroleum chemicals. It is scented with organic essential oils.

You can also reduce your consumption of meat, alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine to help cut down on your body odor naturally.

Naturally reducing perspiration

One of the keys to becoming comfortable without antiperspirants is realizing that it isn’t natural not to sweat. Our body uses sweat for thermoregulation, but it is also a convenient way to help spread pheromones, which help other people intuitively understand what we are feeling and our state of health. Julia Roberts went to the Notting Hill premiere without even shaving ('I don't think about my underarms on a daily basis', she said) ... you can deal with a little dark patch under your arms, for the sake of your life and health.

Some people believe that heat conditioning (using saunas or spas) is a great way to help prevent hyperhidrosis (sweating more than is necessary for thermoregulation). You can also use cold water under your arms before you hop out of the shower to help close your pores.

DIY natural deodorant

Do it Yourself!  Making your own natural deodorant is also possible by combining Cornstarch with baking soda to help sweat evaporate more readily and absorb some moisture. Mist-spray some essential oil or natural face toner over the mixture to give it a scent-boost.

You could also mix sage, coriander, lemon or rosemary tea with mineral water and a small amount of antibacterial essential oils like eucalyptus, tea tree or lavender for antibacterial effect.

Ode to becoming an Informed Beauty

As the world continues to become transparent and we as communities wake up and to look around, you will be amazed to find that there are many natural substitutes to the artificial chemicals present around us. It is advisable to keep away from products or items that are tricky to enunciate or pronounce.  Become an “Informed Beaute” in how to minimize our coming close to artificial and ecological toxins, keeping you “out of the pits!”

Kassie Kuehl is a respected leader in, and advocate for, natural health and beauty care. The founder of   Kasia Organic Salon, Kassie combines her experience as nutritionist and living foods educator with her ongoing Functional Medicine research to apply a whole of body “Beautiful Health’ approach to hair care and styling. Become an Informed Beauty and learn more at www.kasiaorganicsalon.com.

Sources and Related Reading:

EMedicine from Web MD: Toxicity, Aluminum Michael R Edwards, MD, Medical Director,   Department of Emergency Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine Updated: Jun 20, 2006 (http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/165315-overview)

Dr. Christine H. Farlow, D.C. is "The Ingredients Investigator."

http://www.downwithbasics.com/deodorant.html

http://www.hyperhidrosisweb.com/natural-deodorants.html

http://www.organicmakeupandskincare.com/blog/2008/07/review-of-lafes-natural-and-organic-deodorant-stick/

http://www.ehow.com/how_4590254_increase-deodorant-effectiveness.html

http://greenlivingideas.com/topics/personal-care-and-services/natural-deodorants-and-antiperspirants

http://greenermagazine.blogspot.com/2006/02/antiperspirant-evolution.html

http://hubpages.com/hub/Natural-Aluminium-Free-Deodorant-and-Antiperspirant-Alternatives

http://www.drmilinda.com/cariboost_files/kgm_paper.pdf

http://md1.csa.com/partners/viewrecord.php?requester=gs&collection=ENV&recid=2226464&q=&uid=788381485&setcookie=yes