Green Options

The energy giant BP and Martek Biosciences, a Maryland based company that uses micro algae to produce oil-based nutritional and dietary supplements, signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) earlier this month to produce microbial oils for biofuels applications.

We are thinking about our skin now more than ever, with sleeveless tops, shorts and (shudder) bathing suits on the horizon.  There are many things you can do to get the bod summer-ready.  Starting with, of course, a healthier diet and picking up where we left that exercise program last fall.  As for the skin, a little self tanner goes a long way, evening out skin tone and giving you a nice glow.

To have truly healthy skin from the inside out you absolutely have to think about what you are feeding it.   Be sure you are using skin care and cosmetic products that are safe (free from harmful ingredients) and right for your skin type.  But don’t stop there, your diet definitely shows up in your complexion.

We all know that too much fat, sugar and salt are not good for us.  Staying up late and being sedentary are also counterproductive to our wellbeing.  As long as you are getting a good night’s sleep, sticking to a healthy diet and exercise program and using nontoxic skincare and cosmetic products you are doing what is right.  Right?

Believe it or not you can get too much of a good thing and we may be overdoing it without even realizing it.  Most of us use too many beauty products. Not only that, but we tend to use too much of each product at one time.

Only a handful of safe and effective items are really needed in our beauty arsenal to keep our skin happy and healthy.  A nontoxic cleanser, a toner for those with oily or acne prone skin, one good moisturizer for the season, an eye cream you can use in the morning and at night, a treatment and a product for exfoliating your skin.  Pair these items up with mineral makeup and blush, nontoxic mascara and your favorite lip color and you are good to go most days.

In shocking news, the Canadian government has announced that two chemicals used in cosmetics are carcinogens that are severely harmful to human health. A further two chemicals found in lipstick and other personal care products have also been found to be highly toxic to the environment.

The two cancer-causing chemicals, isoprene and epichlorohydrin, have been added to the Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist to prevent their future use in cosmetics. Health Canada is also proposing that manufacturers use best-available technology to control releases of isoprene.

The cosmetics chemicals posing a danger to the environment are the siloxanes D4 and D5, which are used as emollients to soften the skin and are found in most personal care products on the market in Canada and the United States.