Kiss campaign

Don't always trust the Big Brands - they just want to make a profit!

2009-10-27T10:11:00.000-07:00

I have been scouring the web to bring you articles that discuss ingredients that are put into skincare products and some of the concerns people have on the chemicals that they contain.

I don't want to scare people but I feel really annoyed at big manufacturers who feel that they can put cheap nasty chemicals in baby skincare products and get away with it because they know that the public at large does not have time or are ingnorant of what chemicals can do and how they can affect skin.

Marketing of products is also very deceptive,using words like "natural" "organic" "chemical free" are all terms that can dupe the innocent into believing that they are buying a truly natural product when infact it can contain skin irritating ingredients.

My advice is be informed and know your nasty chemicals - your baby's skin is too precious for you to take a chance. Don't always presume that just because its a big brand and available everywhere that it is good for you. It is cheap for a reason.

Beware of Fragrance in babyskincare products

2009-10-27T09:59:00.001-07:00

Serendipity soap dish
Baby Products With Phthalates.
First, the bad news: Virtually all commercial Baby Products in the USA with ‘fragrance’ listed on the label HAVE PHTHALATES in them. Even the ones with ‘natural’ on the front label. If you inspect the list of ingredients on the back and see ‘fragrance’, then it most likely contains phthalates as part of the fragrance formula. This means that most top selling commercial products expose kids to these (and other) chemicals that disrupt the endocrine and reproductive systems.
“It shows that phthalates are everywhere in terms of baby shampoo, lotions, all kinds of products from all kinds of different roots all the time. It is also important because it shows that you can absorb phthalates through your skin,” he (Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana) told CTV News.
“It also confirms what we thought: the younger you are the more vulnerable you may be. So a younger infant will have a higher body weight of phthalates after using the same amount of lotion and the same amount of shampoo.
In the United States and Canada, there is no requirement that products be labelled as to their phthalate content.
As well, fragrances are considered a common source of phthalates, yet retail products aren’t required to list the individual ingredients of fragrances.
“Parents may not be able to make informed choices until manufacturers are required to list phthalate contents of products,” the study authors note.
t shows that phthalates are everywhere in terms of baby shampoo, lotions, all kinds of products from all kinds of different roots all the time. It is also important because it shows that you can absorb phthalates through your skin,” he (Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana) told CTV News.
“It also confirms what we thought: the younger you are the more vulnerable you may be. So a younger infant will have a higher body weight of phthalates after using the same amount of lotion and the same amount of shampoo.
In the United States and Canada, there is no requirement that products be labelled as to their phthalate content.
As well, fragrances are considered a common source of phthalates, yet retail products aren’t required to list the individual ingredients of fragrances.
“Parents may not be able to make informed choices until manufacturers are required to list phthalate contents of products,” the study authors note.“
The FDA has absolutely NO regulations to how many potentially carcinogic chemicals are allowed in cosmetics, which is a huge loophole. This is why the report suggests that:
“If parents want to decrease exposures, then we recommend limiting amount of infant care products used and not to apply lotions or powders unless indicated for a medical reason,” the authors conclude.
NO to Johnson’s Baby Bath.
NO to Suave Kids.
NO to Aveeno Baby.
Surprising, but true.
In spite of the rather depressing news that Ash and I have been spreading about the absolute lack of relevant rules by the FDA to protect ourselves from harmful chemicals and carcinogins, we Soapchix are actually ‘glass is half full’ kind of people.
We think there is great hope for the laws to change, much like they have done in EU countries–which now regulate and ban phthalates from cosmetic products.
And, we have also found a better solution that avoiding bath products for our kids…we made up our own phthalate and chemical free baby bath products
we made up our own phthalate and chemical free baby bath products. We do not use fragrance oils, preservatives, or chemicals to make our stuff wonderful and lathery…we simply add essential oils to natural oils like palm, coconut, and olive oil. Simple. Natural. Baby friendly…because as moms, that’s what it’s all about.
We recommend our products because we are the ones making them and can assure the quality and natural ingredients.
If you’d like to explore how safe the products you have in your house right now, there is a partial list at Cosmetic Database which ranks baby products according to how many chemicals are in them. It has many, but not all, manufacturers on there and I’ve found it very helpful! It also gives some suggestions for safer baby Shampoos which we don’t offer right now due to our inability to make them all natural.
This is a great time to lead a charge against shady business practices…so if you, dear reader, look forward to a challenge and sticking it to the man, then link over to The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics to find out how to advocate for changing the laws that govern (or, not govern as the case may be) the cosmetic industry. Believe it or not, only one state (California!) has any type of protection on the safety of our skin care products.
This bill faced tough opposition from major cosmetics companies including Mary Kay, Avon, Estee Lauder, L’Oreal, Neutrogena, Proctor and Gamble and Johnson and Johnson. Many thanks to everyone who wrote or called in to help make this new law to protect our health a reality!

Are your Toiletries Toxic

2009-10-27T09:20:00.000-07:00

Mail online
ARE YOUR TOILETRIES TOXIC?
From soap to shampoo - could your daily shower actually be bad for you?
By Alice Smellie
Last updated at 3:19 PM on 07th July 2009
Under scrutiny: Parabens - a common preservative - is being investigated for links to breast cancer and problems with the male reproductive system
Ever read the label of a shampoo, conditioner or shower gel? Then you'll probably have come across the word methylparaben, or perhaps ethylparaben, or propylparaben.
But have you ever stopped to think about what these ingredients are?
Parabens are the most widely used chemical preservatives throughout the world. They're found in children's shampoos, styling gels, body lotions, shaving gels and make-up, and are used to improve the shelf-life of cosmetics.
However, increasing evidence is emerging that use of parabens might come at a high price to our health. Some parabens - namely butylparaben and propylparaben - are under investigation by the Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) because of concerns about links with breast cancer and problems with the male reproductive system.
Research from Japanese scientist Osuma Handa at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine suggests that even parabens that were previously presumed to be safe, such as methylparaben, might mutate and produce free radicals when exposed to UV rays, causing skin ageing and potentially skin cancer.
Alcohol, which is often added to cosmetics, can stimulate the penetration of parabens into the skin and also the conversion of methylparaben to butylparaben, which, with propylparaben, has the greatest hormone disrupting properties in men and women.
The Environmental Working Group in America is so concerned that it has set up a non-profit website (www.cosmeticsdata base.com) where consumers can find out more information about their toiletries.
On the site, methylparaben is listed as being found in more than 16,000 products, including moisturisers, sunscreen and toothpaste.
Traditional argument is that our skin doesn't absorb parabens. Not so says Dr Barbara Olioso, a professional chemist who acts as an independent adviser for brands formulating cosmetics without chemicals. 'Research shows that between 20 and 60 per cent of parabens in cosmetics may be absorbed by the body,' she says. 'They have been found in urine, which proves parabens travel through our systems.'
Dr Olioso's concerns are shared by Tony Tillbrook, who invented the wetsuit in 1957. Tillbrook has launched a paraben and sulphate-free range of bath and body products.
'If you need to look at any ingredient's potential link with cancer, then isn't it obvious that you simply don't use it in a product or smear it over your body?' he asks.
He was inspired to create his range, amaZeneÆ, from his investigations into the components of adhesives used in his wetsuits, which caused dermatitis in some.
'It was then I became aware of how ingredients affected the skin. This was 1965, but it wasn't until 1996 [when it became mandatory for cosmetics companies to list ingredients] that it became clear some of the chemicals may cause health problems.'
But many breast cancer charities feel there isn't sufficient evidence to panic.
'Although research has shown that parabens are found in breast cancer tissue, no research has been published to show that these levels are higher than that found in healthy tissue or that their presence causes healthy cells to change in to cancer cells,' says Arlene Wilkie of Breast Cancer Campaign.
However, opinion remains divided, even among cancer charities. 'Since we released our report Breast Cancer: An Environmental Disease in 2005,' says Claire Dimmer, chair of Breast Cancer UK, 'in which we set out evidence for a link between endocrinedisrupting chemicals and the increasing incidence of breast cancer, more studies have been published that support our argument.'
Is it likely that things will change in the near future? Tillbrook thinks not: 'There won't be changes until consumers become outraged.'
Until then, it's probably worth reading the ingredients on your toiletries.

Where can you buy Natural baby skincare Products?

2009-09-24T06:01:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons I set up miamoo was the fact that most of my family and friends who had babies were really frustrated about the fact that there was so little choice when it came to finding natural skincare products for their babies. One of the few places that give you a really good choice in my opinion is The John Lewis Partnership, which includes their Waitrose stores. John Lewis have a great selection of natural products and you can buy them on-line too!

Videos to help parents bath their baby

2009-09-15T07:18:00.000-07:00

I've created 5 videos to help you bath your baby with ease. Sign up for them for free at http://www.miamoo.co.uk/. I use miamoo products, but you can use any natural products that are free from nasty chemicals. The 3 step routine to remeber is 1. wash 2. moisturise and 3. massage.
I hope you like the videos and the baby in the bath is my little boy Zac!!

Does your baby have little warts?

2009-09-15T04:24:00.000-07:00

When my little boy Zac was about 7 months old I noticed a little wart on his chest. I didn't take much notice of it but within a few weeks lots more of them appeared and I became very worried. I went to see my doctor and he said that Zac had a viral infection called Molluscum contagiosum.

These little warts apparently are quite common amongst babies and children and it is caught by either direct contact or indirect contact i.e by sharing towels.

Zac's warts have spread onto his arms, legs, chest and back of the neck. They seem to scab over and then disappear but then as soon as one goes 3 or 4 new ones appear. The skin around them can get very dry and I have been rubbing my baba oil (http://www.miamoo.co.uk/) on the dry areas to keep the skin smooth and that has worked. They do not bother Zac at all and he does not scratch them which is a relief for me.

The advice that I have receieved is as follows:
1. Leave them alone they will disappear eventually (can take upto 2 years)
2. When moisturising your baby who has Molluscum contagiosum, make sure that you mositurise that part of the body last to avoid spreading to other parts of the body
3. Wash your hands before and after touching the warts
4.Do not share towels
5. Be patient and they will eventually.

I will try and take a photo of them and post them later so that you can see what I am talking about.

Do the Survey

2009-09-15T04:21:00.000-07:00

Please take our survey at the bottom of the page so that we can share with you some real data about what parents are doing when it comes to shopping for baby skincare products. Please try and give an honest answer

Be informed about baby skin products

2009-09-15T03:50:00.000-07:00

I am always amazed at parents who have no idea what products they are putting on their baby's/children's delicate skin and infact who never look at the back of the label to see where the product is made and what it actually contains. To be honest, if you picked up many of the lotions and potions out there you would probably need a degree in chemistry to make sense of all the chemical ingredients used.

Well I am on a mission to help all parents out there to ensure that they are armed with the knowledge on what ingredients in my opinion are child friendly and which they should avoid.

I am not a scientist, nor am I a dermatologist, my only qualification to inform parents about what they should avoid is my own personal expereince of suffering with dry skin all my life. I am 39 years old and over the years I have taken the advice of the "experts" and used all their recommendations of steroid creams and pertroleum based emoillents which actually made my skin worse. I took matters into my own hands and started my own research. Over the last 20 years I have dramatically improved the condition of my skin. My conclusion to preventing dry skin is simple:

1. Always use natural products that don't contain sodium lauryl sulphate, parabens, petrochemicals and synthetic fragarnce and colour

2. Always, wash and mositurise and massage dry skin in the evening with a natural oil

Everyone suffers with dry skin but very few people know that it can be managed and prevented if skin is conditioned with gentle, caring natural products.

Please join the kiss campaign and visit http://www.miamoo.co.uk/ and look at the PDF's to inform yourself about nasty chemicals and what to look out for them when shopping for baby skincare products.

A new standard for natural products?

2009-06-26T04:31:00.000-07:00

It seems we're not the only ones concerned about chemical infested products masquerading as 'natural'. The soil association's on the case too. They've announced today a new standard for organic and natural products called Cosmos.

Read the full article on The Ecologist's website

KISS is go!

2009-06-26T04:15:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the KISS campaign blog and our very first post.

We're determined to make baby skincare products kinder to delicate skins so we're campaigning to make more parents aware of the nasty chemicals used all too often by some manufacturers and ultimately to get these manufacturers to stop using these chemicals.

This isn't something we can do on our own - we're going to need the help of as many parents as possible, so spread the word, sign up for updates and join our facebook group.

Together we can keep infant skin safe.

Laura