Green Gift Ideas for the Holiday Season!

It's that time of year again, when everyone scurries to the mall in search of the perfect gift for that special someone. While most of us relate the holiday season to the stress of last-minute shopping, fighting for parking spots, and over-maxed credit cards, the true meaning of the holidays is often forgotten. Spending time with loved ones, thinking of others less fortunate than ourselves and creating long-lasting memories are the true gifts of the holiday season.

This year, we decided to compile a list of great gift ideas that truly embodies the spirit of the holidays.

1. Instead of buying an expensive gift for each person on your list, why not take the next 6 weeks to make a meaningful connection with each person? Whether it's going for a coffee with a loved one, or taking a relative for a stroll, these are the moments that you'll remember in the future.

2. Looking for green, eco-friendly gift ideas? Have your friends and family create a holiday wish list at Ethical Ocean, a marketplace devoted to all things green. Our friends at Ethical Ocean (www.ethicalocean.com) have made it easy to sort through products by filing them under their ethical claims. You can feel good about knowing that your gift hasn't harmed the planet in any way, and is helping to support communities throughout the world.

3. Give a tree, plant a tree, or dedicate a tree in someone's honour. At www.lovetrees.ca, you can purchase a $15 tree planting certificate to have a tree planted in North America, Africa, or Haiti. Always a great stocking stuffer idea as this is the gift that makes a contribution for years to come.

4. For the person that seems to have everything, consider giving them the gift of a charitable donation. Providing the basic necessities for those in need can make a meaningful impact on many families, especially at this time of the year. The following link is a list of the Top 20 charities in Canada, with a breakdown and percentage of where your donations go: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6JQQYf2xOjfmCjRdXtYRZrr3sclzG0yrbQPdjIibqjGUW90EN2C7M0suAtZP5ApqeT804nWju_kpJmFY1YMZsTOFJM1Imsk3uKEU_l4-Nu-xbe2KyJM3pIrGdoq_yAC06CwzufAebKWM/s1600-h/top20Charities.jpg

5. Organize a Recipe Exchange for the holidays with a group of friends. This idea challenges your taste buds with creative and new ingredients, while staying under budget.

6. Give the gift of time and experience, rather than material goods. Offer to weed a friend's garden, or give lessons in a talent that you excel at. Offer baby-sitting time, or plan to make dinner for your family once a month. Volunteering your time not only makes a great gift, but it also provides you with a new experience to increase personal satisfaction.

This year, make a positive difference to the environment by choosing original and thoughtful gifts. Pause and reflect on the true meaning of the holiday season as it is so easy to be swept up into the commercial aspect of it. We hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday season!

W.L at Pretty Organic Cosmetics

Harmful Chemicals in Baby Products

Many of today's baby products contain ingredients that are not only toxic, but are often unnecessary. Although the demand for more natural products has increased over the years, cosmetic manufacturers continue to use carcinogenic ingredients in products made for babies.

We believe that it is important to create an environment that is free from harmful chemicals at this important life stage. Decreasing a baby's exposure to chemicals from day one could mean a lower risk of allergies and chemical sensitivities, and lower risk of cancers and other illnesses. Choosing healthy alternatives to conventional baby products is simply one way of reducing your baby's exposure to chemicals. Here is a list of things to watch out for:

Mineral Oil (Baby Oil)

What exactly is Baby Oil? It is mineral oil, a by-product from petroleum. Despite being made for sensitive skin, it most likely has a fragrance added to it, derived from a synthetic origin. Mineral oil is known to coat the skin like plastic wrap and prevent the skin from "breathing." This interferes with the skin's natural ability to eliminate toxins; in fact, it has the opposite effect by clogging pores.

Since mineral oil is derived from crude oil (a non-renewable resource), it is also incredibly harmful if ingested. Mineral oil contains hydrocarbons, which can lead to severe vomiting and fatal lung damage in infants. With all the natural alternatives available, this ingredient should be avoided at all costs, for both your baby and the environment.


Talc Powder

The size of the minerals found in talcum powder are so small that they can easily be carried in the air like dust and reach the smallest areas of the lung. Inhaling the powder has been found to cause serious lung complications in infants. The use of talcum powder has also been linked to an increased risk of ovarian cancer in women, although more clinical trials still need to be studied on this controversial product. Most often, the use of a diaper ointment is just as effective at preventing diaper rash as talcum powder, without the harmful effects.


Bisphenol A (BPA)

In addition to banning Bisphenol A from baby bottles, Health Canada has recently issued a warning about all products containing BPA. This chemical compound is found in some hard, clear, lightweight plastics and resins. Until recently, it was used in the production of plastic baby bottles, drinking cups, and various types of food containers. Animal studies suggest that, once ingested, BPA may imitate estrogen and other hormones. Luckily, there are now a variety of options available for sippy cups and baby bottles, now free from BPA.


Formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde are both probable carcinogens
though the risk of cancer from absorption through the skin is not fully understood. The chemical can also trigger adverse skin reactions in infants, children and adults. It is often recommended to avoid exposure to these two chemicals, especially for those suffering from eczema or contact dermatitis. The European Union has banned 1,4-dioxane from cosmetic products. And formaldehyde is not allowed in cosmetics sold in Japan and Sweden.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics recently commissioned a report to determine which children’s bath products were contaminated with formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane. The results of the study can be found at this link:
http://safecosmetics.live2.radicaldesigns.org/article.php?id=426
Unfortunately, 61% of the 48 baby and child personal care products tested had both chemicals!

It is also interesting to note that many "tear-free" shampoos are formulated with numbing agents to prevent babies from feeling the pain.


Phthalates

Baby shampoos, lotions and powders often contain phthalates, a chemical found in many ordinary products including cosmetics, toys, vinyl flooring and medical supplies. They are used to stabilize fragrances and make plastics flexible. Exposing infants to chemicals that have been linked with possible reproductive problems. The products with the strongest phthalate association were baby powder, lotion, and shampoo. Although more evidence is needed to determine the harmful link between phthalates and health, it is best to choose products that are labelled phthalate-free.

For more information, you can always use this website as a resource on safe, non-toxic products for your children and yourself. http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/

You'll be fascinated to learn about all the safer alternatives that are now available.


W.L at Pretty Organic Cosmetics

Best Start Baby: making your own baby food.

With the recent baby boom in my circle of friends and the upcoming birth of my new niece or nephew, my sister and I explored the benefits of making our own baby food. We wanted to ensure that we are providing the best start for this new baby. By making our own baby food, we could be picky about choosing only food that was locally produced where possible, nutritious, and free of additives or preservatives.

In addition to the obvious health benefits to making your own baby food, there is also a cost benefit to this project. Despite the pricey cost of organic food, the higher quantity that it yields provides a greater cost savings. It's also a simple and fun project, taking only about an 1 hour to prepare for a week's worth of meals.

We wanted to share some of our tips that we learned while experimenting with making our own baby food:

Offer a variety of foods for your baby. This is the best way to shape your baby's palate.

Steaming food is the best way to keep all the nutrients in food.

Enjoy the natural flavours of food--don't add any spices, salt, sugar, butter, or seasoning, although I sometimes make an exception to cinnamon and tumeric due to their proven health benefits.

Here is also a guide to what your baby can eat during their crucial months of early development:

4-6 months
Babies can eat fruits like avocados, pears, and bananas, or cooked vegetables like green beans, squash, and sweet potatoes.
Cereals made from oats, rice and barley are also good choices.

6-8 months
This is a great time to introduce new food to your growing baby. You can try different fruit combinations that allow you to provide your baby with the most nutritious foods. In order to keep track of food allergies, make sure that you are only introducing new foods one at a time, and at least once a week. Foods that commonly induce an allergic reaction in children include:

Strawberries
Egg whites
Cow's milk
Wheat
Seafood
Citrus fruits
Tomatoes

8-10 months
Babies can be harder to feed as they start to become picky during this age. Looking at more textured foods and finger foods are an ideal option at this time.

10-12 months
This is the best opportunity to offer a wide variety of food to your baby. You can expand the number of foods to introduce to your baby so that their taste buds can recognize new flavours and senses. Spices can be added at this time, such as cinnamon or tumeric. This is the time to be more creative with baby food recipes.

Because of their hardness, texture or shape, some foods can cause infants to choke. Avoid giving these foods to children under 12 months of age:

Raisins
Grapes
Nuts
Popcorn
Hot dogs
Peanut butter
Raw carrots
Raw peas
Raw apples
Corn kernels

Raw honey should also be avoided during the first year of life, as it contains bacteria that could cause serious harm to the digestive tract of your baby.

Here are some easy recipes provided by The Vegan Society (www.vegansociety.com) that have been tried and tested by my loving circle of new moms:

Age 6-7 months
Vegetable Puree

1 large potato, peeled and chopped
Florets removed from 1 broccoli stalk
1 courgette, sliced
2 or more tbsp soya milk

1. Steam or boil all vegetables for 10 mins or until cooked.
2. Cool a little and place in a blender with soya milk. Blend until smooth and creamy. Other vegetables can be used instead of those listed.

Age 8-10 months
Lentil Stew

25g dried red lentils
1 small potato, peeled and cubed
1/2 tsp tomato puree or tomato juice
1 small carrot, cubed

1. Place all ingredients in saucepan and just cover with water. Bring to the boil slowly and simmer until all liquid is absorbed and vegetables are softened.
2. Cool a little and blend until smooth and creamy.

Age 10 months +
Shepherd's Pie

750g potatoes, peeled and cubed
25g-50g vegan margarine
50ml or more soya milk
Vegetable oil for frying
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, diced
75g dried red lentils, cooked in water until tender
1 x 400g tin tomatoes, chopped
150ml vegetable stock

1. Steam potatoes until soft. Place in separate bowl and add margarine. Mash thoroughly, adding soya milk until potato is smooth and creamy. Place aside.
2. Heat vegetable oil in frying pan and add onions and celery. Fry until tender. Add carrot, lentils, chopped tomatoes and vegetable stock. Simmer for 20 mins or until lentils are cooked and liquid is absorbed.
3. Place in casserole dish and spread creamed potato on top. Heat in oven at 180C, 350F or gas mark 4 for 15-20 mins until potato is browned on top.

W.L at Pretty Organic Cosmetics

The Importance of Shea Butter

Shea Butter is one of the most luxurious healing and moisturizing agents that can be found in Nature. It is derived from the nut of the shea tree, grown in the wild in West Africa and used by African women to keep their skin smooth and lineless.

Collecting shea butter is a tedious task. It involves sorting and picking the shea nuts, washing them and leaving the nuts out to dry. The shea nuts are then roasted over a fire until they turn shiny and oily. After the drying process again, the roasted shea nuts are pounded into a mortar until a dark chocolatey sludge appears.

The chocolate mixture is then ground into a smooth paste, adding a little bit of cold and hot water to the mixture. The shea butter than starts to separate from the mixture, after cooling, and rises to the surface, similar to the separation of cream from unhomogenized milk. The gray mass is then heated over a fire, and the butter is left at the bottom.

Shea butter is used for a variety of purposes, not strictly for cosmetic uses. In West Africa, it has many meanings--it is the pride of the women in Sahel region of Africa, not only for it's skin softening properties, but also as a source of income and independence. In fact, women exclusively collect and trade shea butter, as it is known as a curse for men to touch the shea tree. Many cooperatives have been built from the making and trading of shea butter, and women have been united to improve their living conditions through the sale of shea butter.

Aside from leaving your hands and feet feeling like silk, shea butter is used as a vegetable oil for cooking. It is highly nutritious and contains fat soluble vitamins and essential plant sterols. It is safe enough to consume, and it is also one of the safest ingredients to use for massaging the delicate skin of babies. In addition, shea butter is used as an intensive hydrating and healing treatment for eczema, psoriasis, and cradle cap.

At Pretty, we use over 90% concentration of shea butter in our hand and foot butters, as we know the importance of this miraculous nut. The rest is simply pure essential oils and antibacterial neem oil to keep the butter fresh. We know that using this important ingredient in our products does wonders for our skin, but it also helps to support a community of women to live independently and provide for their families.

W.L at Pretty Organic Cosmetics

Pretty Perspective Series: what does Pretty mean to you?

Dear Pretty,

I have been a fan of your products since you first launched. It’s refreshing to see a great cosmetic line that embodies mother natures ingredients and respects the environment. I hope you plan on expanding your product line for men soon. My wife uses Pretty almost exclusively and I love the smile it brings to her face. I went on line the other day to purchase some products to surprise her and came across your blog. I must admit, this is my first time blogging and for some reason I was compelled to do so.


What does Pretty mean to me?

Pretty is a state of mind, it’s a feeling of comfort, love and confidence. Pretty is not tangible nor can it be seen with the naked eye. My wife and I have been together for 3.5 years and what we have is Pretty special. My life revolves around a few simple pleasures.

Giving my wife a little kiss on the cheek while she still lays asleep in the morning,

holding her hand while we walk the dogs or just watching her laugh.

Throwing a football with my nephews or enjoying a feast with my parents on a Sunday afternoon. To most this may seem mundane, but to me, I’m the Prettiest guy in the world.

I think we make life too complicated. No one ever has it all figured out and Mother Nature's path in life can be a bit bumpy at times. Often we get sidetracked and we literally can’t see the forest through the trees. I’m no different, and at times it’s important to stop and better value the love and relationships around us………only then will we truly experience real joy.


Kudos again to you for embracing the challenge and having the dedication to produce such a great product line. My wife comes to bed with your face mask all the time…..it must be true love.


Wishing you all a Pretty life,

Constantine

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is the practise of applying essential oils to achieve physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Dating back over 5000 years, essential oils have been used for methods of healing since the existence of the Egyptian Pyramids.

What exactly are essential oils? The rising popularity and increased usage of essential oils in the Western world is evident most often in cosmetic practices. Essential oils are the highly concentrated and extremely potent aromatic essences of plants. They are derived from a variety of flowers, herbs, bark and leaves from around the world. Although they are called oils, their actual consistency is not oily. In fact, essential oils are quickly and easily absorbed into the skin.

There are multiple uses for essential oils, ranging from stimulating circulation and preventing hair loss to opening up nasal passages and preventing headaches. At Pretty, our products are based specifically on the practise of using aromatherapy to heal and balance the skin. There are so many uses for oils as each one has its own unique properties and therapeutic uses.

I like to keep an "emergency" kit of essential oils with me that include the following pure essential oils:

Lavender oil for headaches, burns, bug bites, and sore muscles.
Peppermint or eucalyptus oil for migraines, bug bites, itchy rashes, fatigue, congestion.
Tea Tree oil as a natural disinfectant (antibacterial and antifungal). It's also great for bug bites, scratches, and scrapes.
Roman Chamomile for relaxation, easing sore muscles, and as an antispasmodic.

We do encourage you to try making some of your own products by combining pure essential oils. The following recipe is a great one to try: it helps to calm the mind and relieve insomnia.

Insomnia Recipe

Ingredients:

10 drops Roman Chamomile
5 drops Clary Sage
5 drops Bergamot
2 drops Lavender

Directions: Blend the oils well in a clean dark-colored glass bottle. Add 1-2 drops to a tissue and place inside your pillow to aid you in falling asleep. Or if you have an essential oil diffuser, you can add this combination to the diffuser for an hour prior to bedtime.

We would love to hear and share some of your recipes or usages for essential oils.


W.L at Pretty Organic Cosmetics

Kenyan Inspiration

A few months ago, I was fortunate enough to travel to Kenya, where I was able to see first-hand how to truly appreciate nature and learn the importance of living a sustainable lifestyle. Not only was the landscape jaw-droppingly beautiful, but the culture of the Masai people taught me more than I could imagine about living in harmony with our planet.

Their focus on embracing our land and learning how to use the natural resources available to them was truly inspirational.

Take a look at some of these photos that demonstrate how innovative one can be when we strip away many of the material goods that we take for granted.

The Masai of East Africa build their homes with sticks, cow dung, and grass. The cluster of homes is surrounded by a boma, a thick thorny bush of acacia trees. The boma provides formidable protection against lions, elephants, and the dangers of the wildlife in the Serengeti.

Their shoes are made of rubber tires, taking recycling to a whole new level. Their cooking utensils are made from gourds or carved instruments from wood. Cattle is considered sacred to the Masai, and the blood and milk of the cow is their main source of food. Living as their ancestors did, there is little evidence of Western civilization in their tribes.

The waste produced through their daily activities is recycled back into the earth, through the process of decomposition. Their "leave no trace" philosophy made perfectly sense in an area where humans beings live alongside the wilderness. Despite their evident lack of commodities, the people were friendly, happy, and caring. We celebrated through dance and song, around a fire that we watched them start using dry grass and the strategic angle of the sun.

In our world of over-consumption and our society's focus on always wanting more, it was a humbling experience to see how many people in the world live with so much less. This experience really made me question whether we were placing value on the wrong things in society.

W.L at Pretty Organic Cosmetics