What does 'Natural' mean to you, when it comes to personal care?
Like to have your say about what constitutes a natural personal care product?
Burt's Bees (Natural personal care company from the US), have launched an Australian survey, so you can have your say. It is easy to complete and takes around 5 minutes or a little less. You'll find the link on the Burt's Bees home page. http://www.burtsbees.com.au/
Below is a little information from Burt's Bees on the Survey.
Burt’s Bees and Porter Novelli Adelaide have launched an online survey asking Australian consumers about their concerns and attitudes to ‘natural’ ingredients – what ‘natural’ means to them and what matters to them about ‘natural’ ingredients in personal care (meaning products for body, face, hair etc). Burt’s Bees has done a similar survey in the US but as far as we know, no-one’s done one here.
Essentially, we would like to invite you to take a look at the survey and help us encourage people to participate. If you would like to take it further, we are more than happy to set up an interview with Emma Atkinson, the GM of Burt's Bees here in Australia, to discuss in-depth the ideas behind the survey and the ultimate goals for the results.
The survey process itself is only five minutes long and is just a series of simple questions about/around natural ingredients and natural personal care products. We are aiming to gather as much feedback as possible over the next three months, and will be sharing the results with online communities and health and beauty media. Burt's Bees is committed to transparency about 'natural' in the industry, and was instrumental in the creation of a 'natural' standard in the US - now we're aiming high here too! I think that for many people this issue is confusing and frustrating, and I hope that we can achieve greater clarity for everyone interested in natural personal care.
Why are we doing this? Firstly, because we just don’t want to make assumptions about what Australians think and know about ‘natural’ in personal care. Obviously Burt’s Bees is a ‘natural’ focused company but this survey is about understanding what consumers actually want. All sorts of assumptions get made in marketing and both Burt’s Bees and Porter Novelli Adelaide have decided that’s not enough for us. So we’re asking. We’ve decided to approach online communities because we know connecting online is one way consumers can share their unfiltered views and concerns, and that’s what we want to hear. Yes, you will be talking to a PR company and a manufacturer in the industry - because we genuinely want to know what people are thinking.
We will use the results of the survey in the following ways: we will report back to the blogs and site communities that link to the survey on what we find, we will share the results with the health and beauty media in Australia and we will make the results available via the Burt’s Bees website. We hope the results will help address any concerns or confusions about what ‘natural’ means and how it is presented in Australia. (One result of a similar survey in the US was that Burt’s Bees joined together with other major natural personal care companies to develop a national standard for ‘natural’ via the Natural Products Association.)
The results will be available to you to use and we hope the whole process encourages conversation and education about the topic.
The survey is for Australian residents and will run from August 20 until November 14. You can find it here.
As the results of this survey will be featured in the media, this is a great opportunity for CleanLife readers to have their say about what 'Natural' means.
One of the most common questions we get asked at CleanLife is;
'What is your favourite .........?'
In the days when green, natural and organic products were limited in number, it was fairly easy to say which was our favourite nappy, lipstick, sheet set etc. Now however we are blessed to have a bounty of great natural products in Australia, more than the CleanLife team can possibly test individually. So, we have started asking our favourite companies, what their favourite products are and why!
This 'favourite product' entry is from Cassandra, owner and founder of New Age Nappies, an online store that sells a huge range of types and brands of eco nappies and associated items.
www.newagenappies.com.au
Cassandra's favourite product;
IMSE VIMSE All-in-One cloth Nappy
The easiest available Very easy to use, keeping baby dry through the night, quick-drying and works just like a disposable!
-an All-in-One with a modern design - soft and stretchy fabric provides a comfortable fit for baby - signature ImseVimse soft leg-gussets keep everything contained - soft and adjustable hook and loop closure for quick and easy diaper changes - fold-back laundry tabs prevent snags when washing - waterproof, but breathable outer fabric (PUL) is both soft and durable - diaper soaker layers are made with 100% certified organic cotton terry - designed with internal flaps to allow thorough washing and quick drying - flap-style soaker design allows the versatility of either stay-dry micro fleece or certified organic cotton next to babies skin
Gina's comment: while you are checking out www.newagenappies.com.au, check out the Imse Vismse swim nappies; we use them for Lilian and have found them fantastic.
SIGG Bottles, not as safe as we have been lead to believe?
SIGG Replacement Bottles - Update
Thanks to a CleanLife reader and one of CleanLife's favourite companies, BIOME (www.biome.com.au) we have discovered a little more about the SIGG saga detailed below.
The really good news is that SIGG are offering to replace your bottles with their new BPA free version. You need only return your bottles by mail, free post and notify them of which bottle you would like for a replacement. Full details are below in an email sent to one of our CleanLife readers from the Australian SIGG distributor;
"Our company is distributing SIGG in Australia.
First of all we would like to take the opportunity to thank you for your loyalty and trust towards our products.
After headlines dominating some internet blogs over the past few days about “SIGG and BPA” we would like to clarify the situation with some firsthand information based on facts.
The former SIGG liner (applied until July/August 2008) did undergo regular tests, which were carried out under the watchful eyes of highly regarded, independent laboratories in Europe and the U.S.A. (to view the tests please log on to http://www.siggaustralia.com.au )
All of the test results show: No leaching of BPA! in the former SIGG liner. (BPA information for Australia and New Zealand are published under http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/consumers/c...isphenol-a.htmhttp://www.foodstandards.gov.au/news...ndfood4218.cfm )
Based on these facts, we are confident, that the former SIGG liner is safe!
However, if you feel in any way uncomfortable with your SIGG bottles that still have the former SIGG liner, SIGG offers you to swap it for a new bottle with the new “EcoCare-Liner”, introduced in Summer 2008.
The new SIGG “EcoCare-Liner” is a powder-based, co-polyester that has been thoroughly tested and certified not only to be 100% BPA-free and as well free of phthalates, BADGE, BFDGE & NOGE.
Just log on to http://www.siggaustralia.com.au choose your favourite design, write the SIGG-Code on a piece of paper with your address details and send your old liner bottle to the address below:
SIGG Exchange Reply Paid: 86193 Werribee VIC 3030
All costs involved of handling/ postage goes on us.
We hope that you will continue to have confidence in the quality and safety of SIGG products. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us"
The other good news your retailer should also be able to issue a replacement free of charge, if you would like to deal in person. Additionally although it may not give you complete peace of mind, despite the epoxy resin previously used containing BPA, there has not been any evidence at this stage to suggest that it has leached into water contained in the bottles.
To find out a whole lot more about this story and to help you make your decision about your next reusable water bottle purchase, check out the 'accidental greenie' blog from BIOME founder Tracey Bailey. It is very open and honest about the whole saga.
http://accidental-greenie.blogspot.com/search/label/SIGG
For those of you looking for an alternative brand / type of drinking flask, a safe option is usually pure stainless steel. These are becoming readily available, but ensure you are not being exposed to nickel and other contaminants by choosing 18/10 or surgical grade stainless steel items. As Tracey rightly points out their are many cheap versions that are likely to be bulk manufactured and not the highest in quality.
Happy water guzzling
Gina
Previous blog on this topic.......................on 12/10/09
I am so sick and tired of companies telling blatant lies!!
The latest in this list of unethical companies is SIGG! Yes I was shocked too. These guys sell re-usable bottles that we greenies like to drink from so we avoid plastic and the potential BPA and other nasties that they can contain. There was murmurs some time ago that the epoxy resin used to line SIGGs bottles may leach a number of toxic compounds, however an 'independent' report was swiftly released (now I am wondering just how independent it really was), showing that their was no leaching of BPA into the contents (water) in bottles. The bottles were said to be BPA free! While it may (or may not) be true that the lining does not leach, the bottles (we now find out, thanks to the environmental working group) were made of BPA based epoxy resin as the lining, up until mid 2008, so many of us (including me) may still be using bottles containing BPA. The bottles are no longer lined with BPA epoxy resin, but they still do use a lining, and at this stage they won't reveal the contents of this lining.
In the US you can get a replacement, new bottle (if you want one!) from SIGG retailers, I am not sure of the situation in Australia, so you may need to contact the shop you purchased from.
Patagonia, who is in the green retail world, a GIANT, is now refusing to sell the bottles, so hopefully SIGG will suffer from this.
To any CleanLife readers who have been using these bottles, we are very sorry, we have been too!
Organic cotton; the best way to 'treat' your little ones
Natural Origins for our little people
If you thought organic cotton products were all beige and daggy looking then look no further than Natural Origins (www.naturalorigins.com.au) for view changing selection of organic products. Thanks to Crecy and Jeremy, Natural Origins makes available to both individuals and retail outlets a range of organic cotton products including the beautiful range of Ellaroo baby carriers and slings, the Kanoe motion sensitive baby hammocks and the delightful Scout Baby range of kids clothing. I'm currently trialling the Mei Tai baby carrier (in the stunning Hershey design) and LOVING it!
We caught up with the Natural Origins team to find out a little about the ethics behind their company, the products and what drives them; we also ended up finding out a lot more about the benefits of eco dyes, baby carrying and the joy sunny Australia. So sit back with a fair trade, organic cuppa and be inspired, this is a good one!
Ellaroo Ring Sling
What inspired you to bring Natural Origins to Australia?
After careers in IT and film location management, we both felt we wanted to be involved in a business that focused on environmental sustainability. Just at the right time we were reconnected with family friends, Raja and Susannah Ramji, who had been building a very successful business in the USA sourcing organic cotton fabric and managing the process of product manufacture for several large and boutique brand names.The Ramjis had just started a project with a small Boston-based family business that had designed a really beautiful range of organic cotton-based children’s furniture. As soon as we saw the products, we were hooked.They were really unusual, totally sustainable and poles apart from a lot of the plastic, and often toxic, stuff which is swiftly discarded and ends up in landfill. The furniture was called Nest, and we became their Asia Pacific distributors.Since then, we have been gradually building a portfolio of really good quality organic cotton products focused mainly on the mother and baby market.
What are your three favourite items from the Natural Origins range and why?
It’s quite difficult to pick any three favourite products because one of the important criteria for sourcing the products is that they are the kind of things we would want to buy. However, if we had to chose, it would probably be the Ellaroo Ring Sling because it is so versatile and stylish, the Kanoe baby hammock because of its clever, simple and elegant design, and the Scout range of clothing because it is such fun for children to wear and so easy for parents to look after!
Kanoe Baby Hammock
For those who aren’t versed in the benefits of organic cotton, why should they choose it in preference to conventionally grown cotton products?
There are two reasons why you should choose something made from organic cotton rather than from conventionally grown cotton – the health of the planet and the health of the person wearing that cotton product. Let me explain.
People often buy a t-shirt or dress made from cotton because it is hailed as a natural fibre so the assumption is that is that it will be better or healthier than a man made fabric.What the cotton industry doesn’t tell us is that conventionally grown cotton (which is nearly all of it!) is one of the most toxic crops in the world. 25% of the world’s pesticides and 10% of the world’s synthetic fertilisers are used to grow cotton which covers less than 3% of the world’s farmland. 150 grams of pesticides and synthetic fertilisers are needed to produce enough cotton for just one t-shirt. Defoliants, fungicides and herbicides are also used in large quantities. Most of
these chemicals are classed by the World Health Organisation as moderately
hazardous or highly hazardous because they can lead to cancer, birth defects
and nervous system disorders. Moreover, these toxic chemical have a highly detrimental impact on the land, the waterways and on the health of the workers who produce the cotton and this prolific and ever increasing use of chemicals goes hand in hand with a huge demand for water, often in areas where water is in short supply.
By contrast, organic cotton is grown with no harmful chemicals, the plant uses little water and what water is used is recyclable. Because the ground is not poisoned, food crops can be grown to feed the villages and to enrich the soil, and bugs are controlled by the introduction of other insects that feed on the ones that attack the cotton.It all makes so much sense!.
The Natural Origins range has a heavy focus on products for babies and toddlers including organic slings, and organic hammock for baby to sleep in and organic baby clothes, is their a reason you have chosen to focus on these products?
Yes, more by accident than design.As we read more about the difference between conventional and organic cotton, we realised just how important the organic cotton industry is, and what better place to start to promote it than in the baby market?As parents, we are very aware of the importance of doing the very best by our children from their earliest moments.Why would you clothe your tiny and vulnerable baby in cotton that had been grown and dyed with toxic chemicals, many of which do not wash out, when there is a pure and gentle alternative?This is particularly relevant for babies and children as they often have allergies which these chemicals can irritate.
For those of us who have used carriers with our babies, the benefits are obvious but for those new to the idea, what are the main advantages of baby wearing?
There is lots of research to show the importance of baby wearing but, even before you look at any of this research, it seems pretty obvious that babies would find great comfort and reassurance in the arms of their parents. Since the earliest moments of consciousness, babies have grown accustomed to the sounds of their mother’s body in particular– the rhythm of her breathing, her voice, her walk - so it stands to reason that this familiarity would be hugely comforting when a baby is confronted by all the challenges of the big, noisy and bright world outside the womb.Closeness to the parent provides physical and verbal reassurance and offers continuity and a safe place from which to explore this new world.It is the one constant in this new awesome adventure.The research I mentioned just now shows that babies that are carried in a sling rather than pushed in a pram, cry less, are more alert, more attentive, smarter, learn quicker, are more confident, have better speech and physical development, and are more humanised because they are so much a part of adult interaction and adult experiences.It is also a wonderful experience for the parent – not only do they have the comforting bonding closeness of their baby, but at the same time they also they have hands free independence to get on with all those everyday tasks that await their attention.In particular, it helps dads to bond with their babies and it makes breast feeding on the go much easier for mums. It also provides mums with a bit of cardiovascular activity and weight training which will help shed those extra kilos gained during pregnancy.It certainly did that for me!
Mei Tai Carrier
The Ellaroo range of baby carriers offer a ring sling, the mei tai and the mei hip.Is there a standout favourite with customers, or do people choose different carriers for different circumstances?
Each carrier is designed to do slightly different things.All parents are different so it is great to be able to offer a choice of carriers.The Ring Sling is a wonderfully comforting way to carry newborns who need to be fed and settled for much of the day (and night!).It is really easy to do this in the Ring Sling because you can move your baby into different positions by just adjusting the fabric through the rings. You don’t have to disturb your baby by taking off the sling. The tail of the fabric provides a discrete cover for breastfeeding, a handy cloth and a source of protection from the sun and cold. (Some parents even use the sling as a hammock or a child restraint or as a cover for a supermarket trolley baby seat!!).The Mei Tai is ideal for parents with different aged children as it will carry a newborn and a toddler equally well. It is slightly more structured than the Ring Sling without being bulky or cumbersome. It is also easily interchangeable between parents of different sizes.No buckles to adjust – it just ties with a double knot and there are lots of different ways of wearing it. The Mei Hip allows you to carry your toddler on your hip in great comfort. Lots of parents naturally carry their infants this way but they can end up with sore necks and backs.The wide supportive strap of the Mei Hip cups the shoulder and distributes the baby’s weight across the wearer’s torso counterbalancing the weight so it prevents back and neck pain.
In addition to being made from organic cotton all the baby carriers use eco dyes, which are a far safer and more environmentally responsible alternative to conventional dyes, can you tell us a little about this?
Unlike conventional cotton dyes, eco dyes are gentle on the environment and on the people who wear clothing coloured in this way because they do not contain any of the heavy metals or formaldehyde which are part of the conventional cotton dyeing process.
There are two types of eco dyes available at the moment – low impact fibre-reactive dyes and vegetable dyes.The dyes used in all our products are low impact (because they have a minimal impact on the environment) and fibre-reactive (because the dye binds to the fibre so small quantities of dye are required to achieve a rich and vibrant colour. Moreover these dyes use minimal amounts of water and the waste is treatable and recyclable. This has enormous ecological benefits at the dye house but also for the consumer as the colour doesn’t wash out and enter the waterways and the product retains its original colour. All low impact fibre-reactive dyes meet the organic standards specification for toxicity and are certified to Oeko-Tex-100 standards. These standards apply, not just to the dyes that are used but also to the whole dyeing process. All fabric needs to be bleached before it can be dyed to create uniform colour. Conventional cotton is dyed with chlorine which can be carcinogenic but organic cotton dyeing uses hydrogen peroxide which breaks down into water and oxygen.
The reason eco dyes are such an important step forward is because conventional dyes are often very toxic. The dyes used in colouring conventional cotton are usually Azo dyes or sulpha dyes. Azo dyes contain heavy metals – chromium, magnesium, vanadium. These are banned substances by Ecocert, Oeko-Tex etc because they are carcinogenic. Sulpha dyes are sulphur-based and have low levels of acid and they are banned by organic certifiers because they don't meet the required toxicity standards.
Apart from low impact fibre-reactive dyes which are used to dye 98% of organic cotton fabrics produced worldwide, there are organic vegetable dyes which are also permitted in organic cotton dyeing. The issue with these is that they don't meet the colourfast standards and they create significant environmental issues. Vegetable dyes have a low absorption index, which measures the amount of dye needed to dye a yard of fabric, because they don't stick to the fabric or fibre at the time of dyeing (or when you wash the finished garment). As a result a much larger amount of the dye has to be used to achieve required colour depth, and consequently, a significant amount of precious water. Most of the unabsorbed dye washes away and enters the water . (The term for this is Biological Oxygen Demand – it has a high BOD!). The only currently available way to make vegetable dyes adhere better is to use mordanting agents which contain heavy metals such as chromium – so you are back to square one in a sense! However research is ongoing into finding ways of making the vegetable dyes adhere better without toxic chemicals and we talked to a few bed linen manufacturers about this while we were in India. One of the difficulties about the area of vegetable dyes is that it is not well regulated. Natural dyes sound so much better than synthetic dyes but as yet there is no really sustainable natural alternative.
What advice would you have for anybody wishing to set up an ethical business?
Setting up an ethical business is in many ways no different from setting up any kind of business in that you have to start by doing a lot of research to make sure there is a market for your product.This is just as true for the organic cotton business.People won’t buy your product just because it is organic, sustainable and ethically made: they have to like the product in its own right first!
Then you have to do a lot of research to make sure your product is certified all the way through its production and to be comfortable that its impact on people and the environment is in line with your own goals.It seems counterproductive to produce a product made from organic cotton if it is put together in a factory that uses child labour and pays its workers a pittance for long hours of toil in terrible working conditions.
We’re involved in Natural Origins because we wanted to be associated with a sustainable business which does the right thing at every step of the production process.Our cotton is certified organic, the farmer gets a good price for his cotton, we use eco dyes which don’t harm the workers, the environment or the people who wear the products, and the products are all produced in India under fair labour codes of practice. Where possible we use recycled materials in our marketing and packaging.The padding in our slings and baby carriers is made from recycled plastic bottles which are melted and combed into fibre which is non-allergenic. The wood in our Kanoes is plantation grown. However, we recognise we have a long way to go as well. For example, we would love to source our organic cotton from Australia but, at the moment, there is no commercially grown organic cotton in Australia. Everyone needs to think about carbon offsets and how to minimise their footprint. Our goal is to be an example of a sustainable business in terms of its carbon footprint. The more we advance in our collective knowledge about environmental issues, the more we are discovering how best to protect our world.
The perfect day is different for everybody, how would you describe yours?
Our business, like any other, relies on us choosing the right products so a perfect day for us is when we hear that one of our products has made a difference to someone’s life – that a sling has helped a mother reassure and comfort her baby while getting on with her chores, or a Kanoe has helped a baby to settle so that harmony can be restored to the home and the whole family can get some much needed sleep.
On a more domestic level, a perfect day is a day when our children are happy and filled with the joys of life.
On top of that, a perfect day is when we wake up to a blue sky and golden sunshine.After decades spent in England, that is something we never take for granted!!
