THE SEVEN SINS OF GREEN WASHING

I found these reading materials is very interesting useful and informative. it help you to have a smatter look at the products and even beyond. It tell you that even a product with third party certification(s) still need a careful look of it.


Further information can be obtain from this website http://sinsofgreenwashing.org/social-media/ 


SIN OF THE HIDDEN TRADE - OFF

A claim suggesting that a product is ‘green’ based on a narrow set of attributes without attention to other important environmental issues. Paper, for example, is not necessarily environmentally-preferable just because it comes from a sustainably-harvested forest. Other important environmental issues in the paper-making process, such as greenhouse gas emissions, or chlorine use in bleaching may be equally important.

SIN OF NO PROOF

An environmental claim that cannot be substantiated by easily accessible supporting information or by a reliable third-party certification. Common examples are facial tissues or toilet tissue products that claim various percentages of post-consumer recycled content without providing evidence.

SIN OF VAGUENESS

A claim that is so poorly defined or broad that its real meaning is likely to be misunderstood by the consumer. ‘All-natural’ is an example. Arsenic, uranium, mercury, and formaldehyde are all naturally occurring, and poisonous. ‘All natural’ isn’t necessarily ‘green’.

SIN OF WORSHIPPING FAULSE LABELS

A product that, through either words or images, gives the impression of third-party endorsement where no such endorsement exists; fake labels, in other words.

SIN OF IRRELEVANCE 

An environmental claim that may be truthful but is unimportant or unhelpful for consumers seeking environmentally preferable products. ‘CFC-free’ is a common example, since it is a frequent claim despite the fact that CFCs are banned by law.

SIN OF LESSER OR TWO EVILS 

A claim that may be true within the product category, but that risks distracting the consumer from the greater environmental impacts of the category as a whole. Organic cigarettes could be an example of this Sin, as might the fuel-efficient sport-utility vehicle.

SIN OF FIBBING

Environmental claims that are simply false. The most common examples were products falsely claiming to be Energy Star certified or registered.

Soap making class

I have finished the handout contents for my Soap making class now.
It should happen very soon.

I'm a bit worry because i have never done any teaching or show people how to do things before.
I need to practise a lot more to master my teaching method.

Hope it could happen by end of this month.

Will update the schedule to share with everyone soon.

Any one wanted to join me in Penang, please drop me a line. Thanks

Mangosteen soap with Eucalyptus essential oil

After a lot of research about how to make Mangosteen soap in various web site. I could not learn any thing much apart from their very nice soap picture. It's a light Purple colour or swirls soap.

Mangosteen have a lot of benefits in health and skin. It's been used to treat skin disorders, fight infection, ... and a very powerful antioxidant.

http://www.natural-plus-healthy.com/benefits-of-mangosteen.html

http://www.health-report.co.uk/mangosteen.htm#Mangosteen%20Information

Excited enough, today I decided to make my very first own Mangosteen soap.

All right, let's do it.
Start with peel off the skin and then take the soft Purple meat to use in soap.

I'm using sieve to milled the fibres.
One thing you may noticed is the colour of the Mangosteen fibres, it's not Purple isn't it ?
I don't understand too.

Infact, it's a brown colour and i'm using fresh fibres. I added the fibres in to the light traced soap then keep mixed thoroughly. I stirred to trace for 10 minutes then poured into mold for set.

I'm abit disappointed with the colour, I thought it will be at least light Purple or Pink.
Turn out, it's more like a green colour with some dark spots.

These pictures are all before curing time. Will se how it will be after curing time. The pH changes may changes the colour, i hope.

Have anyone have any experiences with this soap ? Please leaves your comment.
I'm eager to learn some info from you all. BIG BIG THANKS.
Await to hear from you.

EucaMatcha

It's almost that i'm obsessed with Matcha green tea and hasn't get over it yet.
I have done yet another Matcha green tea recipe with Eucalyptus essential oil.

I hope after curing time, the green tea colour will become a bit brighter.
Love it already.

My Matcha Green tea and Tea tree EO soap

I always love Green tea and fascinating about all the benefits of Green tea could bring to the user.

There are various benefits of green tea soap. Some of them are:

• About 30-35% of a single green tea leaf is made up of polyphenol cells. It is a powerful antioxidant which protects our skin from UV rays and act as a great sunscreen.
• Green tea soap also has anti-inflammatory properties which reduces redness and swelling in the skin. Green tea extracts also prevent acne and early signs of aging.
• Green tea soap has a beautiful fragrance which can energizes anyone after a bath.
• Green leaves extracts in soap also help absorb extra oil from skin giving it a smooth and supple look. 

(http://www.fountainlink.com/benefits-of-green-tea-bath-soap/)

My newest Green tea soap.

New soaps

It has been a long time since i made the last soaps.
I have been playing around for new soaps and preparing for a Soap making course. I must say, if you are not practising every day, you can not make a good looking product when you are restart.
Here after are all my soaps from the 1st batch of restart to the 4th batch.

Palm oil, Rice Bran oil, Coconut oil, Lavender EO, Basil EO,
Blue, Red, Green food colouring.

Palm oil, Rice Bran oil, Coconut oil, Sweet Orange EO, Basil EO,
Green food colouring.

Palm oil, Rice Bran oil, Coconut oil, Lemongrass EO, Clove EO,
Blue food colouring.
My Blue food colouring turn out to be like Purple.

Obviously, you can see the 4th batch look much better swirls than all the batches before.

Well, as people says: PRACTISING MAKE PERFECT.
Will keep practising.

Palm oil, Rice Bran oil, Coconut oil, Lemongrass EO, Blue food colouring.

Commercial soaps story

Here is another studying material of mine about SOAP.

I hope you will find some interest in this reading material like i do.

Soap basic understanding

Soap requires two major raw materials: fat and alkali. The alkali most commonly used today is sodium hydroxide. Potassium hydroxide can also be used. Potassium-based soap creates a more water-soluble product than sodium-based soap, and so it is called "soft soap." Soft soap, alone or in combination with sodium-based soap, is commonly used in shaving products.

Animal fat in the past was obtained directly from a slaughterhouse. Modern soapmakers use fat that has been processed into fatty acids. This eliminates many impurities, and it produces as a by-product water instead of glycerin. Additives are used to enhance the color, texture, and scent of soap. Fragrances and perfumes are added to the soap mixture to cover the odor of dirt and to leave behind a fresh-smelling scent. Abrasives to enhance the texture of soap include talc, silica, and marble pumice (volcanic ash). Soap made without dye is a dull grey or brown color, but modern manufacturers color soap to make it more enticing to the consumer.

The Manufacturing Process

The kettle method of making soap is still used today by soap manufacturing companies. This process takes from four to eleven days to complete, and the quality of each batch is inconsistent due to the variety of oils used. 

Around 1940, engineers and scientists developed a more efficient manufacturing process, called the continuous process. This procedure is employed by large soap manufacturing companies all around the world today. Exactly as the name states, in the continuous process soap is produced continuously, rather than one batch at a time. Technicians have more control of the production in the continuous process, and the steps are much quicker than in the kettle method—it takes only about six hours to complete a batch of soap.

The Kettle Process

Boiling

Fats and alkali are melted in a kettle, which is a steel tank that can stand three stories high and hold several thousand pounds of material. Steam coils within the kettle heat the batch and bring it to a boil. After boiling, the mass thickens as the fat reacts with the alkali, producing soap and glycerin.

Salting

The soap and glycerin must now be separated. The mixture is treated with salt, causing the soap to rise to the top and the glycerin to settle to the bottom. The glycerin is extracted from the bottom of the kettle.

By-products

Glycerin is a very useful byproduct of soap manufacture. It is used to make hand lotion, drugs, and nitroglycerin, the main component of explosives such as dynamite.

Strong change

To remove the small amounts of fat that have not saponified, a strong caustic solution is added to the kettle. This step in the process is called "strong change." The mass is brought to a boil again, and the last of the fat turns to soap. The batch may be given another salt treatment at this time, or the manufacturer may proceed to the next step.

Pitching

The next step is called "pitching." The soap in the kettle is boiled again with added water. The mass eventually separates into two layers. The top layer is called "neat soap," which is about 70% soap and 30% water. The lower layer, called "nigre," contains most of the impurities in the soap such as dirt and salt, as well as most of the water. The neat soap is taken off the top. The soap is then cooled. The finishing process is the same as for soap made by the continuous process.

The Continuous Process

Splitting

The first step of the continuous process splits natural fat into fatty acids and glycerin. The equipment used is a vertical stainless steel column with the diameter of a barrel called a hydrolizer. It may be as tall as 80 feet (24 m). Pumps and meters attached to the column allow precise measurements and control of the process. Molten fat is pumped into one end of the column, while at the other end water at high temperature (266°F [130°C]) and pressure is introduced. This splits the fat into its two components. The fatty acid and glycerin are pumped out continuously as more fat and water enter. The fatty acids are then distilled for purification.

Mixing

The purified fatty acids are next mixed with a precise amount of alkali to form soap. Other ingredients such as abrasives and fragrance are also mixed in. The hot liquid soap may be then whipped to incorporate air.

Cooling and finishing

The soap may be poured into molds and allowed to harden into a large slab. It may also be cooled in a special freezer. The slab is cut into smaller pieces of bar size, which are then stamped and wrapped. The entire continuous process, from splitting to finishing, can be accomplished in several hours.

Milling

Most toiletry soap undergoes additional processing called milling. The milled bar lathers up better and has a finer consistency than non-milled soap. The cooled soap is fed through several sets of heavy rollers (mills), which crush and knead it. Perfumes can best be incorporated at this time because their volatile oils do not evaporate in the cold mixture. After the soap emerges from the mills, it is pressed into a smooth cylinder and extruded. The extruded soap is cut into bar size, stamped and wrapped.

I do believe, my friends reader, you now understand more about how much different between HANDMADE SOAPS and COMMERCIAL SOAPS.

More information can be obtain at www.answers.com/topic/soap

pH, Soaps and Skin

pH

An acid is a chemical, which releases hydrogen ions when it’s dissolved in water.

The pH value is the value of hydrogen ions concentration in solution.

An alkali is the opposite if an acid. It removes hydrogen ions from the solution. When an alkali is added in the correct proportion to an acid, it neutralizes the acid. Alkalis have very low hydrogen ion concentrations. Sodium Hydroxide and Potassium Hydroxide are strong alkali.

Acids have a pH value at below 7 ( 6.9 downward ), alkalis have a pH above 7 ( 7.1 upward ) and neutral solutions have a pH of exact 7. Strong acids have a very low pH and strong alkalis have a very high pH. The pH scale measures how acidic or basic a substance is. Each whole pH value below 7 is ten times more acidic than the next higher value. For example, a pH of 4 is ten times more acidic than a pH of 5 and 100 times (10 times 10) more acidic than a pH of 6. The same holds true for pH values above 7, each of which is ten times more alkaline (basic) than the next lower whole value. For example, a pH of 10 is ten times more alkaline than a pH of 9.

Distilled water is neutral, with a pH of 7.0.

Chemicals that are very basic or very acidic are called “reactive.” These chemicals can cause severe burns. Automobile battery acid is an acidic chemical that is reactive. Automobile batteries contain a stronger form of some of the same acid that is in acid rain. Household drain cleaners often contain lye, a very alkaline chemical that is reactive. Vinegar and lemon juice are acidic substances, while laundry detergents and ammonia are basic.

Substance	pH scale value
Battery acid	<1
Gastric juice	2
Lemon juice	2.4
Milk	6.5
Blood	7.34-7.45
Handmade soap	9-10
Bleach	12.5

pH, Soap and Skin           

There are many questions, claims, controversies and conflicting information about pH and skin.

- One company claims their product is "pH balanced for skin".

- Another company claims their products are made without the questionable chemicals in the "pH balanced" product.

Basically, each camp has a stake in the answer. What is up with this?

Remember 99.72% of cosmetic claims are complete fabrications.

Your skin makes a lightly acidic ( 4.5 – 6.5 ) secretion to help protect itself, differs throughout parts of the body. This is called the Acid Mantle. Because it is acidic, the most effective way to clean it off, along with excess oils, dirt and germs, is using an alkaline foaming system (soap!).

Your skin begins secreting the mantle immediately. Within 20 minutes it is about 1/3 strength and with 2-3 hours it is back up at full strength.  This varies slightly person to person, and there are rare cases of this mechanism failing in very sick individuals.

In other words - this is an absolute non-issue.

It is interesting to note that the mildest cleanser you can use - properly handmade bar soaps - also have the highest pH at 10.01. So don't let anybody tell that mildness equals low pH - it just ain't so!

There is a lovely advert on TV (or there was) in which the advertisers said that their Bodywash was the best because it had very low pH. This means it is very acidic, would you use that product if you know it’s acidic?

Poorly quality and mass producers bar soaps usually have Free Alkali in them; this is what makes them harsh and drying. Basically, the manufacturers are allowing there to be some left over alkali in the soap. This is good for shelf life, but bad for dry skin. It will find every last bit of natural oils in your skin and saponify them (turn them into soap), leaving your skin dry and "squeaky-clean".

The reason this non-issue became a marketing war, is that detergent products have a pH that is more acidic than soap products.

Thing is, about 15% of us are sensitive to detergents. Others are sensitive to the preservatives, colors and fragrances used by mass producers in both soap and detergent products.

So how should YOU, the concerned consumer, who cares enough to read this missive, make intelligent buying decisions?

Lavender's species and varieties

There is a big difference between the two.

It is worth taking a moment to clarify the distinction - especially for anyone interested in using lavender in aromatherpy.


The lavenders (Lavandula) are a genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. An Old World genus, distributed from Macaronesia (Cape Verde and Canary Islands and Madeira) across Africa, the Mediterranean, South-West Asia, Arabia, Western Iran and South-East India. It is thought the genus originated in Asia but is most diversified in its western distribution.

Several varieties of lavender are used medicinally, but the most valuable is the common or 'true' lavender Lavandula angustifolia.

Apart from 'true' lavender, there are principally three other types in which are used for producing essential oils:

+ spike lavender (Lavandula latifolia),

+ lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia)

+ and stoechas lavender (Lavandula stoechas).

Understanding the Species

Lavandula angustifolia: (Commonly referred to as English lavender, true lavender, Lavandula officinalis and Lavandula vera). The name lavender comes from the Latin root lavare, which means "to wash." Lavender may have earned this name because it was frequently used in baths to help purify the body and spirit. However, this herb has also been used as a remedy for a range of ailments from insomnia and anxiety to depression and fatigue. Research has confirmed that lavender produces slight calming, soothing, and sedative effects when its scent is inhaled. It is a small plant and only a single flower grows on each stem. It reproduces by seeding. The essential oil produced from Lavandula angustifolia is called the ‘universal oil’ because it has so many applications. It is known for healing burns and all types of skin wounds; having strong antimicrobial action and other properties.

Lavandula latifolia: (Formerly Lavandula spica, is commonly referred to as spike lavender). It is a tall plant with several branches, therefore each stem carries several small flowers. It reproduces by seeding. It has excellent therapeutic properties used externally, but they are limited due to relatively high camphor content. Spike lavender is strongly antiviral; works well for treating upper respiratory conditions through inhalation; is used for muscle aches, as an antiseptic and to relieve the sting of insect bites.

Lavandin: (Commonly referred to as 'Bastard Lavender', Lavandula hybrida, Lavandula hortensis or Lavandula burnatii). It is a cross between spike lavender and Lavandula angustifolia. The name consists of two parts: Lavandula x intermedia, plus the name of the particular cultivar (a plant that’s grown from cuttings, not from seeds). It is a tall plant with two branches and grows in large clumps. Due to the fact that it is a hybrid, a crossing between fine lavender and spike lavender, it is sterile and multiplies through the taking of cuttings. It started to be cultivated in the 1950’s, and ever since, people have confused it with fine lavender. This is a mistake as it has a much stronger smell, is infinitely less subtle than fine lavender, and according to some experts cannot be used for its medicinal properties. It is used mainly in industrial cleaning products and detergents.

Lavender Stoechas: (Commonly referred to as 'French Lavender, Stickadore, Stichados, Cassidony or Arabian stoechas (Lavandula stoechas). It is not as extensively cultivated as the three former varieties. The oil has a camphorous odour, more like rosemary than lavender, which is used in perfumes and soaps. It is nevertheless useful when used in dilution for chronic sinusitis, bronchitis, and upper respiratory infections. Lavandula stoechas is not used medicinally, but mainly for landscaping.

The Difference Between Lavender & Lavandin 



Although the oil of the lavandula angustifolia is more highly prized and expensive than that of lavandin, in fact far more of the lavandin oil is produced in the world. This is due to two main reasons.

Firstly, lavandin provides a much higher oil yield due to the profuse flowering of the lavandin plants, so that even with the lower price the farmers make more money per field area if they grow lavandin rather than lavender. The lavandula angustifolia seems to produce a yield of about 0.4% to 0.7%. The lavandin oil is much higher at about 1.5%. In the South of France, for example, 130 kg of Lavandula angustifolia flowers are needed to obtain 1 litre of essential oil by the distilling process, compared to 40 kg of lavandin flowers required to obtain 1 litre of essential oil (a much bigger yield than fine lavender!).

Secondly, reason is that the demand for the lavandin oil, to be used in cheaper, high volume fragrances (laundry detergents, dishwasher soaps, etc.) is greater than that for the lavender oil which is used in higher priced, lower volume fragrances in products such as perfumes, cosmetics, essential oils, skin creams, and better quality bath products.

Far less information is available about the use of lavandin oil. The smell between Lavandula angustifolia and lavandin should be very noticeable. The chemical composition between the two is very similar, with one main distinction – the chemical called camphor.

In Lavandula angustifolia the camphor level is between ca. 0.2% and 0.6%, while lavandin contains ca. 6%-8% camphor oil. Camphor has a harsh, sharp, strongly pungent fragrance, almost reminiscent of a cold remedy and it is this effect that causes the distinctive difference between the lavender and lavandin smells.

In general though, the lavandin oil is used when fragrance is the goal, while lavandula angustifolia is chosen for healing.

More Lavender

There are a few species of WHITE LAVENDER.

White lavender is less common than the usual purple variety as it is not as resistant to disease, bad weather conditions or poor soil.

However, there are five varieties available: the tiny Lavandula angustifolia "Nana Alba" and the medium-sized "Alba"; a white form of Lavandula stoechas which grows well in a container; the greenish-white Lavandula viridis, one of the taller growing species; and finally, the hardier Lavandula x intermedia "Alba".

There is also a pale pink variety available, Lavandula angustifolia "Rosea", although some purple plants do produce the odd pink flower here and there. These paler lavenders seem to have a stronger scent than the darker purple varieties.

All these information i have been study recently and now put together.

Thought, it's a very interesting info to share.

Rice Flover

Everyone all known, that rice is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population; also know about how nutritious the rice is.

But recently I just find out that the rice flower is also very beautiful.

Here is presenting what I found on Internet about rice flower.

It's so beautiful, love it.

Essential oils - essential information

What are Pure Essential Oils ?

I may provide some main criteria for your consideration:

+ Growing and soil quality : 
Materials from pesticide-free soil are the best quality! I know some 
distillers working in these conditions.  Skeptics could add that, this is wishful thinking, pollution is spreading.  I agree, but I believed there are 
still a lot of (relatively) unpolluted places in the world.

+ Harvesting : Performed with hand tools or machinery, but more importance is the exact time of harvesting. The components of essential oils could change depending on the time of harvest, not only 
before or after flowering, but also if harvested in the morning or late in 
the day.

+ Distillation methods : Freshly-harvested materials are used in distillation... 
There are some exceptions where the distillation is easier if the plants are dry (for instance, dried peppermint will be easier to distill, and the distillation time will also be shorter). Ylang ylang needs to be distilled immediately, to avoid fermentation and loss of fragrance. 
The seeds of anise and fennel, stored in good conditions, are easier to keep than the essential oils of them.

Distillation is performed at low temperature and pressure; pure spring water and stainless steel equipment is utilized for optimum cleanliness. 
This will also prevent discoloration of the essential oils: lavender distilled in old copper alembics can turn into a red-colored essential oil.

+  Solvent extraction : The essential oils are 100% pure and not in any way "extended" with cheaper materials 
( relatively small volumes are produced ). Good pure quality essential oils will never be a mass-market line.

How do we know whether we buy good quality essential oils?

+ Certificate of
 Analysis made by an independent organization.

+ Information that should printed on the label :

-       Latin name : The only way to really know which aromatherapy oil is which is, to identify the oils using their botanical (Latin) names. Latin name avoided mislead ( For example, "rose geranium" may sound like a mixture of rose essential oil and geranium essential oil, but in fact rose geranium essential comes from a unique, single species of plant ). Latin name tell you exact properties of the oil.

-       Chemotyping constituents : Some herbs that produce essential oils can produce very different 
essential oils, though they all have the same botanical name, 
for instance basil, thyme or rosemary. 
Thyme can contain a majority of the component linalol, or of thymol, 
or of carvacrol... and thus have different medical actions, so it should be 
specified: Thyme ct linalol).

-       Country of origin :  It sometimes makes a big difference (Lavender - France, Bulgaria, USA...).

-       Extraction methods:  An essential oil obtained with solvents should be described on the bottle as an absolute. An essential oil obtained in synergy with another essential oil (for 
instance Melissa officinalis, Lippia citriodora, Spirea ulmaria, Tilia 
silvestris...) should be described on the bottle as a co-distilled essential oil.

Above information, I had been gathering from a few different sources when studying about essential oils myself. Hope it’s useful.

Gingergrass soap

Hi Everyone,

We are really excited with the release this week our new Gingergrass soap. This is a particularly nice morning soap that has an earthy, spicy aroma that can be emotionally uplifting and at the same time calming. A great way to start the day!!!!

As usual with all of our soaps, we superfat  to 7%, which provides a particularly mild and moisturizing soap suitable for all skin types, and especially those with dry skin. 

We have some limited numbers in stock now (first in best dressed), and are now taking new orders for this new soap.

Comments on Indochine products

Reading the comments from people to our products is a pleasure.
It's a lesson to learn for improvement.

We would like to share with you all this comment artical.
We will try to improve our products always.

http://www.mywomenstuff.com/2010/05/20/indochine-natural-geranium-body-wash-handmade-and-natural/

Triclosan Use in Hand Soap

I have this news letter from Campaign for Safe Cosmetics this morning and i would like to share it with you all.

People migh not realise the dangers until notice.

Can Walmart Help Us Stop Triclosan Use in Hand Soap?

Ask Walmart to wash its hands of triclosan!

Perhaps you've seen (or yourself own) an antibacterial product - a facewash, deodorant or even a keychain? Have you ever wondered about the effectiveness of these products, or their impact on people, plants and animals?
Two years ago, Campaign for Safe Cosmetics supporters sent Walmart thousands of e-mails asking the retail giant to help stem the demand for products that contain triclosan, an antimicrobial chemical common in personal care products and cleaning products. One study found triclosan in an astounding 76 percent of liquid soaps on the market.
Well, it's time for spring cleaning, and time to remind Walmart that it *still* has the mega-retailer power to address hazardous chemicals in consumer products.

Why are we concerned about triclosan?

(1) It's bad for health: Research shows that triclosan disrupts hormones. Exposure to hormone-disruptors can lead to early puberty, serious reproductive issues and breast cancer.
(2) It's in our bodies, in soil and in wildlife: Like so many other chemicals in household items, triclosan doesn't just stay in the products its used in: it's been found in our bodies and in the breast milk of women using personal care products that contain the chemical. Triclosan has also been found in water, dolphins, earthworms and frogs.
(3) It isn't more effective than regular soap, but it could lead to bacterial resistance: The CDC found no evidence that antibacterial soap is more beneficial than good old soap and water in reducing bacteria or the rate of disease. Scientists are concerned, however, that widespread use may lead to triclosan-resistant bacteria.
(4) Pesticides shouldn't be on our skin or in our mouths: Triclosan is registered as a pesticide at the EPA, but it's probably in your hand soap and might be in your toothpaste because cosmetics companies aren't barred by the FDA from using ingredients linked to harm or that have never been assessed for adverse health effects.

-Mia, Stacy, Lisa, Marisa and the Campaign Safe Cosmetics Team
And please check this out to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triclosan

Alternatives

A comprehensive analysis from the University of Michigan School of Public Health indicated that plain soaps are just as effective as consumer-grade antibacterial soaps with triclosan in preventing illness and removing bacteria from the hands.

Non-organic antibiotics and biocides are effective alternatives to triclosan, such as silver and copper ions and nanoparticles.

The herbs thyme, oregano, and other essential plant oils have been synthesized into a broadspectrum antimicrobial which is purported to work as well as alcohol-based sanitizers.