NMB Blog

Are you using chemical-free beauty products?

Do they have any cancer-causing ingredients in them? Certainly not in your toothpaste. Or lipstick. What about your body lotion and underarm deodorant? Or hair spray? And, of course there's NO WAY that manufacturers would put cancer-causing chemicals in your baby shampoo and baby lotion, would they? Would the Government allow that? Watch this if you love yourself, your spouse, your parents and especially your children.

Here at Nurture My Body we make absolutely chemical free beauty products. And they're madewith certified organic ingredients, are not tested on animals, are phthalate-free and packaged with eco-friendly materials.

Nurture My Body is a proud Signer of The Compact for Safe Cosmetics. This means that we care what goes on (and in) your body.

Come visit us now at Nurture My Body if you decide that chemical free beauty products are safer for you and your family. Especially your kids.

Are we EVER excited because ABC News has featured our products on Tom Watson's EcoConsumer segment on May 13, 2009. Watch out world, Nurture My Body is here to stay to offer you the safest beauty products made with certified organic ingredients!

This is the final excerpt from E Magazine, March/April 2009, a noteworthy article about protecting our precious little ones by learning about the more unrecognized allergen sources and where they are located, with simple solutions that can help reduce those indoor asthma triggers.

Where to Find Indoor Allergy and Asthma Triggers, and How to Stop Them

by Jeffrey C. May

Last time we learned about some obvious and some not-so-obvious sources of indoor allergens, such as Dog Beds, Fish Aquariums, Feathers and Jar Candles. This time we'll discover a few more that just may surprise you.

Kitchens and Laundry Areas

Kitchens and laundry areas can contain allergen sources. Always vent a dryer to the exterior, because lint or excess moisture can build up indoors, leading to condensation and mold growth on cool surfaces. And if your dryer hose is leaky, lint containing potentially irritating laundry chemicals can build up behind the appliance and enter the home on dryer airflows.

Solution: Check the hose for leaks and also vacuum the lint collector area. Lots of lint collects in the slot where the catcher is located.

If your refrigerator has a drip tray that hasn't been cleaned for a while, it may be full of mold, yeast and bacteria.

Solution: Remove the tray once or twice a year for cleaning. If the tray is plastic, add three tablespoons of salt to inhibit microbial growth.

Basements

Basements are prone to elevated relative humidity and mold growth. In the winter, up to a third of the air in a house rises from the basement, so basement mold is a potential health concern.

It's not always easy to see surface mold growth. Shine a bright flashlight parallel to a surface to look for oval mold colonies. In an unfinished basement, mold can grow on the bottom of a shelf or workbench, on the ceiling joists or on dust captured in exposed fiberglass insulation. In finished basements, mold can grow on the lower foot of wooden furniture legs, on furniture surfaces facing cooler floors or walls, and in dust captured in a basement carpet.

Solution: Control the moisture that leads to mold by dehumidifying a finished or unfinished basement in the humid season. Measure the relative humidity (RH) with a hygrometer, and keep the RH at or below 50%. [I use a Digital Pen-Type Hygrometer Model DTH10&91; And whether in use or not, finished basements must also be consistently heated in the cooler season, with the thermostat set no lower than 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Air-to-Air Heat Exchanger

An air-to-air heat exchanger helps flush out a home's stale air and lets the fresh air in, but because cool air and warm, mist air flow by each other inside the heat exchanger, condensation can occur. Most air-to-air heat exchangers have inadequate filtration and fill with dust, dead bugs and pollen, leading to mold growth. By-products of this biological growth - including unpleasant smells - are carried into the house on the incoming air stream.

Solution: If you have an air-to-air heat exchanger in your home, install a supplemental MERV-8 (minimum efficiency rating value) filter on both the intake duct for the house air and the intake duct for the exterior air. And clean the heat exchanger at least twice a year to avoid dust build-up.

Real vigilance against household allergens may result in increased energy use, but preventing mold growth and keeping a home's indoor air clean is essential to protecting your family's health. And properly maintaining appliances and filters is always energy-wise in the long run.

Surprise, surprise for me; I learned a great deal. I hope this was helpful for you. Let me know.

I am taking a departure this week from my world of Organic Beauty Products because I have come across a fantastic article to help those who suffer from Allergen Attacks. Here's an excerpt from a phenomenal magazine, E Magazine, March/April 2009. Where to Find Indoor Allergy and Asthma Triggers, and How to Stop Them by Jeffrey C. May Some sources of indoor allergens are well known: mattresses and bed pillows infested with dust mites, for example, and carpeting that contains pet dander. Others are more secret. If you or anyone in your family has allergies or asthma, getting to know the more unrecognized allergen sources and where they are located can help you take steps to reduce the indoor triggers. Dog Beds Dog beds can become infested with dust mites and their allergens. Your beloved companion's fur is then exposed to the allergens -- and you are, too, when you cuddle the dog, or if you allow the dog to sleep on your bed. Solution: Use a blanket or think quilt instead of a thick dog bed that can't be washed, and wash the blanket or quilt at least once a month. Fish Fish are often the pet of choice when children are allergic to dogs or cats. Unfortunately, dust mites can colonize a fish-tank cover, where there is warm, moist air and plenty of food in the form of protein-rich fish flakes. Solution: Don't put a fish tank in your allergic child's bedroom, and wherever the tank is located, always keep the cover and tank rim free of dust and fish food. Feathers Feathers produce fragments that can be irritating to breathe and may contain microscopic granules of bird allergens. Families with allergic or asthmatic members should avoid feather-filled bedding or furniture. Feathers are also a problem when attached to a living bird. Several types of respiratory diseases, including hypersensitivity pneumonitis, are associated with contact with birds and their microscopic dander. So it's not a great idea to have a pet bird in the house, either, especially cockatiels. Solution: The solution is rather obvious here. The birdie has to find a new home. Jar Candles Jar candles (regardless of the type of wax inside) produce a lot of soot that can stain walls and ceilings. Soot particles are small enough to remain permanently suspended in air and to be breathed deep into the lungs. And a soot particle can also become a surrogate allergen (carrying the allergen on its surface). Solution: If you find you can't give up burning candles altogether, burn tapered candles, which typically produce less soot. Personally, I have found this information enormously helpful. Haven't you? Stay tuned for Part II of Jeffrey May's Secret Allergen Attacks next time.

Two of the main components we use in Nurture My Body product formulations for you are herbs and flora because they contain volatile oils, antibiotics and other healing chemicals as well as being aromatic. Usually one part of the plant is used at a time, such as root, bark, stems, leaves or flowers. You can either use the plant material fresh or dried. Dried herbage is generally 2 to 3 times stronger than fresh. How We Release the Miracle of Plants The chemicals of the plants are released in a wide variety of ways. Plants react to stimuli. Some plants are soluble in water while others require a medium such as grain alcohol or oil to withdraw the chemicals of the plant. Two of the methods we use to release nature's miraculous healing chemicals are infusions and extracts. These two principles are done in-house to insure that when we use the infusions or extracts in our formulations they are the freshest, so the healing properties are most potent. Types of Infusions There are two types of infusions, cold or hot. Cold infusion is used when the active principles of the plant are highly volatile and can be injured by heat. We infuse our herbs in an oil base. The benefit of this is that the infused oil contains the therapeutic properties of both the carrier oil and the herbs that were infused in it. The types of herbs used are ones that can release their active ingredients easily such as chamomile, in our Organic Baby Shampoo and Body Wash, and hops, in our Organic Exfoliating Cleanser and Organic Moisture Cream. Infusing Once, Twice or Thrice and Why The common mixture ratios for infusions are 1 oz herb to 1 pint liquid. The time the plant material is infused in the oil depends on the strength of the infusion desired. It can be heated by the sun or another heat source. Once the infusion is ready the plant material is strained out. Straining is generally done twice. You can also triple infuse an oil meaning the whole process is done three times. And What is an Herbal Extract? Liquid herbal extracts result from the evaporation of the substance the herbage was obtained from. Extracts can be obtained a few different ways. One is by expressing the juice of fresh plants, by using a solvent such as pure grape alcohol or by simmering or setting in water. Some herbs are not soluble in water thus requiring using the other methods as stated above. An advantage of herbal extracts is their ability to preserve the active constituents and their long shelf life. Our herbal extracts have high potencies and superior quality. We use carefully detailed methods and unsurpassed integrity. The Actual Making of an Extract Requires Patience To make herbal extracts you can either use fresh or dried plant material. Cover completely the herbage with your liquid of choice in a container, generally 1 part herb to 5 parts liquid with fresh herbs being used, or 1 part herb to 3 parts liquid when using dried plant material. The mixture is then kept in a dark environment allowing the herbs to soak or macerate for 4 to 6 weeks being shaken every few days. This allows the liquid to extract the active constituents from the herbs. The herbs are then strained until the extract is clear. Some of the plant materials we use for extract are green tea, found in our Organic Vita C Cream and Organic Regenerating Cream Fragrance Free, and seaweed, found in our Organic Cleansing Milk. We hope this has helped to inform you of two of the methods we use to make use of the miraculous healing properties of the certified organic plant materials that are in our personal care products. Nature is amazing and these methods are great ways that allow her to release her life essence to be used in healthy and rejuvenating formulations for your hair, skin and body.

The written word is so powerful. Especially when presented by the "trusted" name brand companies. Let's find out just how honest these companies really are when it comes to listing their ingredients on their personal care products. Proud as a Peacock I can tell you that Nurture My Body feels as proud as a peacock while being a signer of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics. This is an organization that is helping to spearhead the requirement for companies to disclose all of their ingredients on their labels. Nurture My Body has always listed all of the ingredients used in our formulations, but the way we list them has changed per the requirement of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. INCI - What is That? As a campaign signer we are now required to list our ingredients by their INCI name. INCI stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetics Ingredients. It is a system for naming cosmetic ingredients that is multilingual, multinational and based on the Latin language. Here is an example of a partial list of ingredients for our Acne Serum: Old Version of an Ingredient Label Water, Organic Aloe Vera Gel, Organic and Wildcrafted Herbal Infusion of Burdock Root, Echinacea, Dandelion Root and Leaf, Horsetail, Calendula Blossom NEW Version of an Ingredient Label Purified Water, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Gel**, Arctium Lappa (Burdock Root) Infusion**, Echinacea Angustifolia (Coneflower) Infusion**, Taraxacum Officinale (Dandelion Root and Leaf) Infusion**, Symphytum Officinale (Comfrey Root) Infusion****, Calendula Officinalis (Pot Marigold) Infusion** * Organic  ** Certified Organic  *** Wildcrafted  **** Biodynamic/Demeter Certified Whew, now that’s a lot to read. So, let me simplify it for you. Just look at the words in parentheses. Those are the common names of the plants. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has also asked to provide you with the nature of the plant if it is:

• Organic
• Certified Organic
• Wildcrafted

You will notice after each ingredient there is an asterisk or series of asterisks. At the end of the ingredient list there is the explanation (legend) of how each plant was grown, harvested and manufactured. The Most Important Thing to Learn About the New Ingredient Requirements If the ingredient does not contain an INCI listing then it is not from a plant origin. It is either derived from plant material or is synthetic. One example is our Lauryl Polyglucose which is a safe derivative found in our Organic Body Washes and Shampoos. For this particular ingredient it is shown on our Ingredients Glossary that it is a very gentle and mild surfactant that occurs naturally in ambrette seed and sweet orange. It is a fatty polyglycoside that is prepared by reacting corn starch glucose with natural fatty acids. It contains no solvents or hydrotropes. Nurture My Body hides absolutely nothing when it comes to educating our customers and keeping you healthy. How Companies Fool the Unknowing Consumer This is what irritates me. Some companies think they can fool consumers to make their ingredients look more natural. They list a chemical ingredient and follow it with a plant name in parenthesis. Great (deceptive) example, a proven poison - sodium lauryl sulfate (corn). It's an ingredient that is chemically processed from corn; however it is absolutely synthetic because it has been altered tremendously. But you think it's OK because it's followed by "Corn". How deceitful. Nurture My Body is Up To Date (almost) You'll notice that our product ingredients listed on our Website now reflect the current INCI requirements. We even go further to teach our customers the properties of each ingredient by offering a link to an Ingredients Glossary. Great idea, huh! Our outstanding homework assignment is to now change all of the labels on our bottles. This will require twice as much space to do, making the labels even larger (or the font smaller!), so we are researching a solution. Knowledge is Power (and Health) We hope this information will make it easier for you to read our labels and other personal care labels. Knowledge is power and it is always our intent to have the most brilliant and trusting customers.

When choosing ingredients for our formulations we strive to use primarily Certified Organic, Organic or Wildcrafted ingredients. Out of the 105 ingredients found in our products and listed in our Ingredients Glossary, there are only 7 ingredients which I have elected to use that are naturally derived and are irrefutably safe. The reason for this is that I was not pleased with the action or results that the Organic or Wildcrafted ingredients provided and chose a healthy alternative that would give me the effect I was after and at the same time be safe for our bodies.

An example of this would be the surfactants (sudsing agents) that I use. The purest form of surfactant is Castile based. However, I do not like the way it leaves a waxy residue on the hair shaft or how you need to use a vinegar or lemon rinse to remove the soap film. So, I replaced it with our Decyl Polyglucose and Lauryl Polyglucose, both naturally derived and safe.

Below is a list of our 7 naturally derived ingredients, as well as an explanation of the Water Process we use in our formulations. Being a Hairstylist and an Esthetician for twenty-some-odd years, I have grown accustomed to using the best products out there and so I strive to provide you with high quality products that meet and surpass the high-end synthetic products in my field. As you can see below, these 7 naturally derived ingredients all have the lowest ratings from EWG (Environmental Working Group) and we are pleased as punch that we can provide you with the safest, yet most effective products we can dream up.

1. Grapefruit Extract: (Citrus Paradisi) Is a liquid derived from the seeds, pulp, and white membranes of grapefruit. The extract is prepared by grinding grapefruit seeds and pulp into a fine powder. In the United States, standardized GSE contains 60% grapefruit extract materials and 40% vegetable glycerin. Per EWG*, Grapefruit Seed Extract has a low concern rate of 0 on a scale of 0 to 10. It is a natural preservative.
2. Vegetable Emulsifying Wax: Our vegetable emulsifying waxes are fatty polyglycosides that are prepared by reacting glucose or olive wax and collagen with natural fatty acids. They contain no solvents or hydrotropes. Per EWG*, Vegetable Emulsifying Wax has a low concern rate of 0 on a scale of 0 to 10. They are moisturizing to the skin and allow the liquids to mix with the oils in our formulations.
3. Xanthan Gum: Is a natural carbohydrate gum produced by a pure culture fermentation of a carbohydrate with Xanthomonas campestris. Per EWG*, Xanthan Gum has a low concern rate of 0 on a scale of 0 to 10. It is a thickener, emulsifier, and a stabilizer.
4. Vegetable Glycerin: Is a sweet oily fluid obtained by adding alkalies to fats and fixed oils. Per EWG*, Vegetable Glycerin has a low concern rate of 1 on a scale of 0 to 10. It is a demulcent, emollient, soothing and healing.
5. Decyl Polyglucose: Is a naturally based ingredient derived from corn and several different sugars. It occurs naturally in Sweet Orange and Ambrette seed. It is nitrogen and ethylene free. Per EWG*, Decyl Glucose has a low concern rate of 0 on a scale of 0 to 10. It is a surfactant as well as soothes the skin.
6. Lauryl Polyglucose: A highly active, non-ionic surfactant containing no solvents or hydrotropes. Per EWG*, Lauryl Glucose has a low concern rate of 0 on a scale of 0 to 10. It is a surfactant.
7. AHA: Alpha Hydroxy Acids are water soluble. They are a group of structurally related organic acids found in natural sources. Per EWG*, Alpha Hydroxy Acids have a low concern rate of 2 on a scale of 0 to 10. AHA's allow the skin to be smoother and softer with an overall lessening of fine wrinkles and skin discoloration.

Purified Water: Well it’s not just water; we utilize a 2-step process.

In the first step we use a natural purification processes in combination with advanced technology. Our water filter not only removes harmful contaminants but it also enhances the water through a patented process that creates a quality of water beyond the reach of conventional water filters. The filter eliminates salt and other chemicals. The result is conditioned, purified, and enhanced water. You’ll notice the difference in your skin and hair after just one bath or shower. It’s like bringing a spa into your home.

The second process our purified water goes through is using an energizing device. After extensive research and basing their work on the knowledge of ancient cultures, our company based out of Austria has been able to develop the NARASAN technology that gives water back its original structure and spring energy: when the water passes through the NARASAN energising device, disturbance information in the structure is eliminated and its natural structure is reestablished - thereby the quality of water and even its action on life-energy are increased. Since our bodies are composed of mostly water it seemed only right to rehydrate the cells in order to make them more permeable for our other ingredients.

*Environmental Working Group: Click Here to Visit the Environmental Working Group. We have submitted our Company’s products and out of the 47 products currently listed we are proud to say that 44 rate a 0 and 3 rate a 1.

There seems to be a bit of confusion as to why Nurture My Body offers Fragrance Free Organic Beauty Products in addition to products with essential oils. First, you should know that we have never used Synthetic Fragrances in our products, nor will we ever, as they are toxic to the body.

All About Essential Oils - Are They Really Oily?

The only ingredients we use in our products that produce a scent or fragrance are our certified organic and wildcrafted essential oils. And here's the real important reason why. We use essential oils not just for their smell but for the therapeutic properties they possess.

An essential oil is made by taking different parts of plant materials and either processing them by steam distillation, cold process or CO2 process. An example is Lavender. The plant flowers are used to create the essential oil. It takes about 25 pounds of the flowers to produce 1 ounce of essential oil by the steam distillation process. So, you can see how potent it is.

The essential oil is said to be the essence or soul of the plant. It carries the information in it that the plant uses to survive and thrive in nature. The oils are contained in the cellular structure of the plant in the glands of the leaves, root, bark or blossoms.

Although it is called an Essential Oil, there is no oily substance to it! It can evaporate easily in the air if it is not put into a medium or stored properly. It is easily dissolved by the sebaceous fat and the molecules are so small it can actually penetrate the skin to reach the lowest level affecting the deeper tissue. Because of its potency we use only 0.5% in our Baby Care, 1% in Hand and Body Lotions, Body Washes, Shampoos and Moisturizers, and 0.25% in our Eye Cream.

Clearing Up the Confusion

We are proud to offer Fragrance Free to our customers. The reason we brought on Fragrance Free was that we have customers who have illnesses that have compromised their immune system, such as Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, AIDS or Cancer. So even though essential oils are a natural substance, your body possibly may not be able to handle them because of the complexity of the information. The solution to those who have major health issues was to offer our products in Fragrance Free - which means without the essential oils.

What Should I Use If I'm Healthy?

If you are healthy it is recommended that you choose our products that contain Essential Oils because of the added nutritive benefits they provide. They are an essential part to any organic formulation. We formulate our products for specific purposes of that product. The wonderful fragrance that you smell is a pleasurable benefit the beautiful plants produce to either repel certain animals or insects from it or attract beneficial birds, insects or butterflies.

So feel safe knowing that whether you use our products that contain essential oils or are Fragrance Free, they are made with the healthiest ingredients we have found available.

And you can count on us to never settle for anything less.

Shampoo, conditioner, serum, wax, gel, hair spray, color... the list goes on. Hair, like the skin, is extremely absorbent and all those products can contain harmful chemicals.

Watch out for shampoos and conditioners containing petroleum products and sodium laurel sulphates; hair dyes with carcinogenic coal tar; hairsprays and hair gels containing petroleum derivatives, formaldehyde, phthalates, and synthetic fragrance.

Care for your hair and use only safe organic hair care products including pure organic shampoos and organic conditioners. And take the time to find out exactly what's in the products you're about to buy. Your hair, and health will love you for it.

Good Morning Nurture My Body Family :)

In my “oh my gosh where did the summer go?” frenzy I realized that I haven’t posted a blog in a while, so this morning I decided to grab a hot cup of coffee and get to it :)

To help you get over the end-of-summer blues, I've got some news that should cheer you up :)

I’m happy to announce that we will be bringing back the much adored Acne Serum!  Each week, we get at least one email from one of you guys about how you wish we would bring our Acne Serum back.  Well, your wish is our command and we have done it!

With gentle yet effective acne fighting botanicals such as calendula, grapefruit extract and tea tree oil; apply this serum daily to a freshly washed face to treat your acne organically.

As an NMB insider, I have had the opportunity to try the Acne Serum before it is re-released.  I have only been using it for a week and my end-of-summer stress induced pimples have vanished before my eyes.  Unlike other acne serums that contain harsh chemicals that dry my face out, the Nurture My Body Acne Serum is gentle enough to use on my sensitive skin.

Oh, and did I mention that it is ranked as a “0” by the EWG?

Just in time for back-to-school, be sure to arm your teens (and yourselves) with the botanical acne fighting powers in Nurture My Body’s Acne Serum.  Got kids in college?  Surprise them with a care package from Nurture My Body (we ship all over the world). :)

-Sally, Summer Intern

Benefits of Natural Skin Care Products

There are so many benefits that you're able to get out of our natural skin care products that you'll wonder why you didn't use them sooner than this. With moisturizers, toners, facial serums and cleansers – you're able to choose the best product to match the results you're in search of. First things first though, let us take a look at what benefits you're able to obtain from purchasing these natural skin care products – we promise you'll love them.

- The natural skin care products are not made using chemicals or other harmful products that might harm the skin and cause rashes or other problems.

- The ingredients are all ingredients that you know and trust. These are listed out right on the product that you're using.

- 100% biodegradable products so you're able to do your part for the environment.

- All products are certified organic and safe to use.

- Be able to personalize what you'd like to use, while also ensuring that it is free of gluten, vegan or even specially formulated for you to use during pregnancy.

- Each and every package is eco-friendly, so even on the outside, we are trying our best to do our part to save the environment.

- Never have to worry about not obtaining the right product for your skin with our all natural skin care products – each one is made for all skin types and sensitivities, find one that works with you.

Now is the time to choose natural skin care products that can give you exactly what it is that you're after. Finding a skin care product does not have to be hard to do when you are able to put a little more time into it. Speak with us about any natural skin care products you're looking for specifically, we are always happy to help.

FAQ on Natural Skin Care

Understanding more about your skin is essential if you want beautiful, rejuvenated and youthful looking skin as you age. However, did you know that some of those products you're rubbing into your skin have many harmful chemicals in them? Why not learn a bit more regarding natural skin care and what it can provide you and your skin with – it could be well worth it.

Do you only provide one lotion, for one type of skin or can I be certain there is something that matches what I am looking for?

We provide numerous types of natural skin care products that are able to match a wide range of skin types. We provide moisturizers, toners, facial serums and facial cleansers for you to use. Each one is 100% organic and provides the nutrients that your skin needs to feel nourished and soft.

Are all of your products cruelty free and all natural? Will I have to worry about chemicals and animal testing with the products you sell?

No, you do not have to worry about animal testing with any of the products that we offer. We are able to provide you with an all natural solution to the dry skin that you're faced with. Each natural skin care product is made with ingredients that you know and trust to use on your skin – there is nothing on the ingredient list that you do not recognize and if there is – give us a ring and we can let you know what that something is.

Can anyone use the natural skin care products that you're offering?

Anyone is able to use these products – adults and children. If you have a young one suffering from dry skin and you'd like to put a nice, all natural remedy on that skin without worrying about them breaking out then our products can provide just that and so much more.