New Instore - [A'kin] Natural Hair Care

The [A’kin] natural shampoo range works differently from most other shampoos. Their sophisticated combinations of cleansers leave your hair feeling beautiful and extra clean, whilst retaining the essential natural oils and moisture.

[A'kin] natural conditioners feature a new generation GMO free rapeseed oil derived detangler that has proven superior detangling ability and is unequalled in its mildness to both your skin and eyes.

Nourishing ingredients are vitally important in any quality conditioner. [A’kin] conditioners feature generous amounts of natural nourishing ingredients - including cold pressed certified organic Australian grown avocado oil, Australian macadamia oil, Australian jojoba oil and hydrolysed wheat protein (GMO free) - all of which are rapidly absorbed to penetrate, nourish and re-moisturise each shaft of hair very effectively.

Check out all the [A'kin] Natural Hair Products.

New Arrival - Green People Make Up Range

Green People has cleverly combined the minerals with plant oils and natural ingredients like Beeswax and Cupuaçu Butter to create a highly effective natural make-up range.

Mineral make-up is perfect for every skin type, even those with skin conditions like rosacea. The minerals' silky lightness provides natural, full coverage without clogging pores. Minerals reflect light off the skin, giving the illusion that it’s smoother and flawless by minimising pores and evening out wrinkles and fine lines - for a softer, more youthful and radiant appearance.

Beware! Many high street "mineral makeup" brands add tons of chemical ingredients, so it’s no longer pure, no less potentially irritating and no closer to improving your skin than any other foundation you pull off the shelf.

Why use Green People’s Eco Mineral Make-up?

• 3 in 1 - our mineral pressed powders work as a foundation, powder and sunscreen all in one!

• Matching the shade with your skin is easy – it blends seamlessly and the minerals reflect and diffuse light to allow your natural colour to shine through

• There’s no chemical ‘nasties’ - free from Parabens, Synthetic Fragrances, Petrochemicals, Silicones, Phthalates, Artificial Colours, Not Tested on Animals

See the Green People natural make up range now.

Application Tips:
Face – Concealer – Apply using your ring finger. Pat on the skin and gently blend moving from the outside corner to the inside corner of the under eye area. Take special care not to stretch the skin!

Mineral Powders - Apply with a brush for a natural coverage and remember to build the base up rather than putting lots on at once. Apply in a buffing motion starting at the outer edges of your cheeks moving inwards, across your forehead and then down over your nose and chin.

Eyes – Smokey Eyes – Apply Fondant shadow starting at the lash line and extending just over the crease. Use Cream shadow to highlight under the eyebrow. Blend Espresso shadow from the outer corner of your lid, blend half way across the eye and up to the crease. For a more dramatic effect use the thin applicator to apply Espresso under the lower lashes. To finish the look apply Volumising mascara to both the upper and lower lashes for full, voluminous lashes.

Lips - starting at the center of the upper lip glide lipstick outward towards one corner. Bring the lipstick back to the center and run it outward to the other corner. Repeat with the lower lip. Blot with tissue to remove excess colour and even out the texture.

New Arrival - [A'kin] Natural Skin, Hair & Body Care

In 1987, Will Evans began manufacturing personal hair and skin care products. Will’s vision was to develop pure, effective, luxurious hair and skin care products from natural ingredients.

One year later Will launched the ‘Ultra Natural’ hair care range into health food stores in WA and NSW. In response to customer demand for a more effective pure range of haircare products, [Al’chemy] was developed and test marketed in Western Australia. The new brand quickly grew from loyal customers who wanted less chemicals in their life and in 1994 [Al’chemy] was launched Australia-wide.

Will then moved from Perth to Sydney and established The Purist Company in 1997 from a small factory in Katoomba in the heart of the Blue Mountains. During this time, Will experimented and refined his formulations until he was satisfied that The Purist Company products combined the latest in scientific knowledge with the best ingredients nature can supply.

In 1998, body washes were launched into the Australian marketplace. Easy to use and gentle to the skin, the body wash was developed to replace soap and to be versatile enough to be used as a shower gel, bubble bath and a gentle wash for delicate clothing.

In 2002 the [A’kin] brand was launched and a variety of [A’kin] skin care products were sold in pharmacies and health food stores. With the ever increasing demand for natural and safe products, The Purist Company expanded its distribution base to include TVSN (Australia’s Television Shopping Network), spa retreats, online stores, complementary medical practices and beauty and hairdressing salons.

In 2004, The Purist Company spread to international markets and today exports to the UK, Hong Kong, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, Ireland, Dubai, Malaysia and the USA with a view to expanding to new markets in the future.

In 2006 The Purist Company launched in selected David Jones stores Australia-wide.

[A’kin] products are made free from sulfates, ethoxylates, parabens, propylene glycol, petrochemical cleansers, silicones, phthalates, mineral oils, DEA and artificial colours.

[A’kin] products are ingredient-rich, vegan, using certified organic ingredients where possible, 100% natural botanical aromatherapy and formulated without animal ingredients or animal testing.

Checkout the fabulous [Akin] Range: [Akin] Hand Care, [Akin] Skin Care.

Courts make ruling on Dr. Bronner’s organic lawsuit

By Simon Pitman, 16-Dec-2009

California courts have upheld certain motions by the defending cosmetics companies in the amended federal lawsuit bought by Dr. Bronner’s that.

The judge chose to grant the motions filed by the defendents to dismiss for lack of subject-matter and failure to state a claim in favor of the defendants, headed by the Hains Celestial Group.

However, the California judgment deemed that Dr. Bronner’s motion to dismiss a counter claim filed by Ecocert, which certifies some of the beauty products in question, was granted.
Nevertheless, both Ecocert and Dr. Bronner’s have been given 30 days to amend their pleadings as the court deemed certain defects in the proceedings could be rectified through amendment.

The court ordered that any amendment plea should be filed by 13th January, 2010, while a case management conference is scheduled for February 12th.

Ongoing saga dating back to April 2008

The lawsuit was first filed back in April 2008 under the plaintiff name All One God Faith, doing business as Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, under the premise that its complicity to strict FDA regulations governing organic beauty products was not being met by its competitors.

Dr. Bronner’s claims that many of the leading organic beauty brands are not complying with the standards enforced by the FDA, in turn not complying with consumer expectations as to the definition of an organic certified product.

The natural soaps company originally brought the lawsuit against a number of players including Hains Celestial (Jason Naturals and Avalon Organics brands), Levlad (Nature’s Gate), Kiss My Face, YSL Beaute and the certification bodies OASIS and Ecocert.

In the original lawsuit Dr Bronner’s asked that the companies cease to market products with organic in the product name unless they meet USDA National Organic Program specifications, which it believes represents consumers’ expectations of the term organic.

However, last July the company upped the stakes and by asking for damages incurred through loss of sales to what it alleged were falsely advertised organic products.

Second amendment focused on mislabeling of organic products

In the second amended complaint presented at the San Francisco Superior Court, Dr Bronner’s is calling for the profits made from the sale of the defendants allegedly mislabelled organic products to be awarded to the company.

In addition, it asked for monetary compensation for the diversion of sales from Dr Bronner’s to the defendants.

Likewise the lawsuit also asked that certifiers OASIS and Ecocert should stop certifying products as organic if they could not be certified under the USDA national organic program.

Dark chocolate can help sun-protection but is not a sunscreen alternative

A study has revealed that a daily portion of dark chocolate could protect the skin against wrinkles caused by UV from the sun. However, experts advise that chocolate should not be considered an alternative to sunscreens.

The research, published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology by researchers at private Harley Street clinic European Dermatology, involved 22 women with an average age of 42. For a three-month period, half the volunteers consumed a daily portion of 20 grammes of dark chocolate droplets that were very high in flavanols, the antioxidants that naturally occur in cocoa beans.

The rest of the volunteers ate chocolate that looked identical but had lower flavanol content. The volunteers were regularly exposed to controlled doses of UV light to assess how long it took before their skin became inflamed. The results revealed that among those on low-flavanol chocolate, there was no change in the amount of UV light tolerated by their skin. For those with the high-content chocolate, there was a significant improvement in the skin’s resistance to the sun’s effects.

Researcher and dermatologist at the European Dermatology London Dr Stefanie Williams, said that consumption of high-flavanol chocolate should not replace topical application of sunscreens but should be used as an additional measure to help protect skin. She said, “At the moment we would not advise people to replace traditional sunscreens with consumption of antioxidant foods such as high-flavanol chocolate, but these two measures work well in concert and can be used together.”

Nutritionist Carina Norris explained that she didn’t believe that the amount of flavanols in chocolate would “give you any photoprotection worth speaking of”.
She added, “Any slight effect would be negligible, compared to, say, the photoprotection from a sunscreen.”

Norris warned against advising the public to compare the consumption of chocolate to the protective benefits of traditional suncreens. She said, “As a nutritionist, I’d be very wary of promoting the photoprotective properties of flavanols, in case people think they can get away with going without sunscreen, simply because they’ve eaten some high-flavanol chocolate.”The health benefits of dark chocolate have been publicised for some time, however, Ailsa Higgins, senior nutritionist at Champneys in Tring, commented that consumption needed to be in moderation. She said, “Too much chocolate will make you fatter, and to get real health benefits you need to eat quite a lot, everyday.

“However, as part of a healthy diet, a couple of squares of dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids) can make a little contribution to your health and pleasure.”

Kate Donovan, Laura McCreddie and Jenni Middleton

Advice to drink eight glasses of water is not backed by evidence

A study has revealed that drinking eight glasses of water a day as traditionally advised may not have the anti-ageing impact originally suggested.

The Food for the Skin review by the British Nutrition Foundation, says that a balanced diet and sunscreen are more important in preventing the signs of ageing such as wrinkles and that there is no firm evidence to back up the theory that eight glasses of water should be consumed a day in order to maintain youthful, vibrant looking skin.

Dr Laura Wyness, senior nutrition scientist at The British Nutrition Foundation, confirmed that although water has been presented in the popular press as the secret to healthy glowing skin, the scientific evidence to support such a statement is lacking. “Water is essential for life; the human body is made up of between 45 to 75% water, depending on body weight,” she said.

“Drinking water has the advantage of fulfilling hydration requirements without providing additional energy or adversely affecting dental health. There is however, little scientific evidence on the effects of water consumption on skin hydration, and the influence of drinking more or less water on the appearance of skin.” She said that more research in this area is required.

Wyness added that water can be obtained from both food and various drinks, not just plain water consumption. “We obtain water from all the foods and drinks we consume. The body has sophisticated systems for getting rid of toxins, and it is not necessary to consume excess water or other substances to enhance this process,” she explained. “A universal water intake recommendation that is applicable to all individuals is difficult to define as there are many factors that affect an individual’s need for water, such as environmental conditions, changing physical activity levels of the individual, their age, gender and body mass.”

Although individuals need to drink enough water to maintain body fluid, other factors are more important for the condition of the skin according to Carina Norris, registered nutritionist. “For example, most skin ageing is caused by sun damage, so your first consideration regarding keeping your skin looking good should be a sunscreen, not a glass of water,” she explained.

However, she added that nutrition does play a role in how skin looks and that someone eats a poor diet it does show in the skin condition. Norris stated, “Vitamins A and C are particularly important. Vitamin A is involved in maintaining your skin as a 'barrier' to the outside world, and vitamin C is needed to make collagen, which is responsible for the skin's resilience, and resistance to wrinkling. Vitamin E is also thought to play a role in skin condition.”

Eating fruit and vegetables also remain important to skin health according to Norris. “Some of the best 'skin foods' are fruit and vegetables,” she commented. “They're rich in vitamin C, as well as beta-carotene, which the body can use to make vitamin A. Nuts and seeds are good too, as they contain vitamin E.”

26 Nov 2009
Kate Donovan

Best Xmas Gift Buy's

Our very own beauty guru's best buys.

Jubilee Vanity Bag - by Lavera
Sarah Says: Great value Xmas gift and very handy bag.

Minicure Gift Set - by Zoya
Sarah Says: Cute gift set and everything you need for a great manicure.

Essentials Kit - by Inika
Sarah Says: Everything you need for a mineral make-over and a glam bag to keep it in.

Hair & Body Gift Set - by John Masters
Sarah Says: A great starter set to experience the benefits of this professional organic range.

Passion to Garden Gift Set - by Essentially YoursSarah Says: Superb value gift for the keen gardeners.