Category — General Information

I caught a documentary on PBS some time ago. It got me thinking. It got me really thinking.

It was the fourth part of the National Geographic’s Strange Days on Planet Earthdocumentary, entitled “Troubled Waters”, and it was provocatively intelligent and scary in its implications. On a surface it dealt with men’s interaction with water. But the implications were much deeper. What do man-made chemicals do to the environment, and to man himself? What doses does it take to cause harm?

I strongly recommend that everyone watches this movie. At least once. …

But since this site is dedicated to organic makeup and skin care, I’ll focus on topics from the show that I found most relevant.

Are low doses of chemicals really safer?

One of the most shocking (and controversial) new ideas was suggested by biologist Tyrone Hayes. From his research about how chemicals like Atrazine (which get washed into the waters by wind and rain) affect reproductive systems of Northern Leopard frogs, he came to a counterintuitive conclusion. That is – frogs that were exposed to lower doses, developed more abnormalities!

Putting aside the horrible thought that Atrazine is one of the most used herbicides (weed killers) in US, and what it does to our rivers and ecosystems, not to mention reproductive systems, I am trying to focus on that one notion of doses. Because, when it comes to makeup we use, and facial creams – the most common argument one hears from the mainstream scientific community (sponsored by the manufacturers) is that the quantities of such and such ingredient are negligible, and therefore are harmless.

But according to Dr. Hayes, at least in case with Atrazine, when the amount of exposure is low, it “slips under the radar”. The immune system doesn’t trigger the alarm on time, and the small continual exposure does its havoc unobstructed. It’s like the proverbial frog in a water steadily getting warm vrs hot at the outset. If you put the water directly into the hot water the frog jumps out immediately. However, if you put it in cool water, and then steadily warm it up… Well, according to Al Gore (An Inconvenient Truth– a most provocative piece of work on its own) somebody has to save it…

Now, think about all the ingredients that are present in conventional cosmetics. The tiny amounts. Consumed by you over years and years with daily regularity. And we are not just talking about the intentional chemicals, used as ingredients or preservatives. There are also the “unintentional” pesticides residue from the plants used in formulations.

The very same Atrazine that messes up the reproductive systems of frogs and mammals, is quite possibly finding its way onto your makeup counter. And then your face. And not just Atrazine… Japan’s government alone has designated “about 70 chemicals as “endocrine disruptors” — substances that may, at tiny doses, interfere with hormonal signals that regulate human organ development, metabolism and other functions.” Common substances dangerous even in the tiniest amounts. (See a very informative article here.)

And the quantities are too small for most bodies to trigger a self-defense alarm.

An alarming thought indeed… Makes me want to hold on to my organic and biodynamic creams with renewed fervor.

One plus one equals ?

Yet another part of this documentary included the findings of scientists such as Dr. Sylvain DeGuise who maintain that combinations of chemicals, or “chemical cocktails” may have completely different effect than the starting ingredients. . What may or may not be harmful on its own, might be extremely toxic when combined…

“The possible number of interactions is overwhelming given the fact that the US Federal Government alone registers an average of 2,000 newly synthesized chemicals each year.”

Where do we even start on this one? Did anyone actually test the long-term effects of mixing preservatives and chemicals and applying them on our skin? Even chemicals known to be dangerous on their own find their way into our little bottles, what are the chances that their interaction is going to be studies seriously any time soon? Do we really want to be the guinea pigs of such a study?

And the problem with all these products is not just whether or not they harm you directly on application. But as you wash your face, you sending all these chemicals back into the water supply. Back into circulation. Back into nature. To play “not so nice” with other chemicals…

The show went on to discuss other horrible things we’ve done to the environment and our health, such as the links between chemicals infields and male sperm count. I was a no-fluff, full of facts and reliable scientific evidence. It is a National Geographic production, which means quality and experience in itself. It is also very well narrated and edited by Edward Norton, for whom I now have a whole new measure of respect.

The fact that manufacturers have managed for so long to ignore such obviously dangerous facts really boggles my mind.

I strongly recommend that you watch this show. All four parts are now available on DVD and you can get them here.

You should definitely watch this show if you care about the kind of legacy are we leaving for future generations?

Provided that we don’t mess up our health to the point where we put those generations’ very existence into question…

Sometimes I find celebrities annoying. Especially when they launch their beauty products, which generally have no real value, or beauty for that matter, and only serve as “let’s milk my brand while it lasts” concepts.

But sometimes I can’t help but admit that some do try to set a good example. Or at least do something the right way.

Which is why I applaud Kate Hudson for landing her celebrity status to developing an eco-friendly and cruelty free hair care line (which she also hopes to later expand into skin care and makeup as well).

Kate and David Babaii (her celebrity stylist) have been working on the line for the past two years. They have been testing various ingredients such as volcanic ash, blue algae and white ginger.

The products are said to be paraben-free and “packaged in containers made from 10-percent recycled plastic.”

The company will also be donating 10% of profits to Wild Aid, an animal conservation group.

It is obviously too early to evaluate the real “naturalness” and effectiveness of the product. Is it another example of “greenwashing”? Or a genuine attempt to tread the good side? I do though think that the “paraben-free” stand is commendable, and is a good start.

I have to admit, at first when I dived into the world of organic skin care and makeup, the term “biodynamic” left me completely buffled. It was highlighted on a few sites I checked, but to the best of my knowledge it was another term from the modern scientific mumbo-jumbo marketing world created just to attract my attention.

How wrong I was. The more I researched it, the more amazed I was by how little exposure this concept has had in main-stream North America.

And guessing that there are probably readers on this site who are not all too familiar with the term as well, I am creating this biodynamic post, just so I can link to it every time that it comes up in the future.

So buckle up, and let’s dive in.

Biodynamic – what is it?

The term biodynamic refers to a type of farming/agriculture. Sometimes it is simply shorthanded as BD. The method dates back to 1924 and is one of the original approaches to organized organic farming worldwide. It was founded by Rudolf Steiner, a philosopher, who established the spiritual movement of anthroposophy. (Rudolf Steiner is such a multifaceted figure, that it is impossible to summarize him in a few sentences. Thus I must respectfully send you to Wiki, if you would like to learn more about him and his teachings.)

Originating from a spiritual view of the universe, biodynamic farming regards the farm as a living organism.

The best way to envision this living organism approach is to think of a wild forest. The forest is a system with a high degree of self-sufficiency. It doesn’t need external input to sustain itself. It’s fertilized through recycling of organic material within its own system. The intrinsic biological and genetic diversity of the forest inhabitants prevents pest species from moving in. And the water is cycled through the system efficiently.

In the same way, biodynamic farming practitioners view a farm as a closed system. Sustainability and self sufficiency is the key. Thus most seeds and fertilizers are self produced. Working by hand is essential (for the living connection between human and earth) and sowing and harvesting are matched to the rhythms of nature. Harmony with the world and other organisms, regeneration instead of degeneration, and sustainability as opposed to depletion are the values that guide biodynamic farming.

Needless to say (but I’ll mention it anyways) that biodynamic farming does not use artificial fertilizers or pesticides. Instead the fertilizing preparation are made from farm-sourced materials.

Today biodynamics is practiced in more than 50 countries worldwide.

There is also a biodynamic certifying organization, Demeter International, who also hold the trademark to the word biodynamic. Demeter certification is the oldest traditional organic certification in Europe and is regarded as the highest grade of organic farming in the world.

These are its typical logos (though there are some other variations within specific country markets):

Sample of cosmetics brands that use biodynamic ingredients:

Dr Hauschka

Jurlique