The Perfume Bee

CHERYL LU-LIEN TAN has written an informative article about organic cosmetics for the Wall Street Journal Online. It is titled, “Turning Your Skin Green: Cosmetic makers want in on the organic craze, but sorting out labels’ claims isn’t easy”:

It happened with milk, produce and clothing. Now the debate about organics is hitting cosmetics, too.

Some of the biggest names in skin-care are jumping into the organic market, which until recently was a niche product for specialty stores. Estée Lauder, for instance, has nine products in its new Origins Organics line. L’Occitane en Provence and fashion designer Stella McCartney are also expanding into organics.

But such products are already raising some questions. One is whether organic cosmetics provide health or beauty benefits compared to nonorganic products. And for consumers who decide they want to go green, shopping can be confusing since the labeling isn’t consistent. Whole Foods Market and some environmental groups have formed a task force and are now pushing the U.S. Department of Agriculture to adopt standards for organic skin care.

You can read the entire article here: WSJ online

As always, I am delighted when I see the mainstream media writing about organic personal care products. The labeling of organic skincare products and cosmetics has become very trendy, and public awareness and demand for accurate information is on the rise. But this is a trend I am all in favor of, and hopefully in the not-too-distant future choosing genuinely organic make-up will be as easy as selecting a carton of milk.

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Model Josie Maran has announced the launch of her new organic cosmetics line:

After years of strutting the catwalk and posing for Maybelline ads, Josie Maran is taking fresh faces to a whole new level.

This fall, the seasoned beauty veteran is getting her feet wet in the organic beauty business with the launch of her eponymous cosmetics brand. The natural, toxin-free line, Josie Maran Cosmetics, aims to brighten complexions with wearable color without losing sight of the environment….

To ensure that they used only the purest formulas, Maran and her team screened each product through the Environmental Working Group’s Web site, ewg.org. As a result, the final ingredients list reads almost like a baking recipe. Products contain various combinations of corn starch, cocoa butter, pomegranate oil, jojoba, avocado oil, olive oil, coconut and soybean, to name a few (via Womens Wear Daily at wwd.com).

For more info, please visit josiemarancosmetic.com

image source: wwd.com

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According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the average adult uses at least seven different skin care products each day. And yet only 11 percent of the 10,500 ingredients in personal care products documented by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have been assessed for safety by the cosmetic industry (according to the Environmental Working Group, Skin Deep, 2007).

As a result, many of us are choosing to use natural and organic skin care products. However, there are no federal or state regulatory requirements for organic or natural personal care products manufactured in the United States. It is incumbent upon us, the consumers, to analyze facts and labels try to make sense of what is safe for our bodies. I am always seeking useful information on this topic to share with you in hopes of making sense of this confusing world of labeling and natural skincare.

One handy resource I’d like to share with you is the collection of natural body care podcasts presented by Whole Foods Market. These informative, easy-to-listen-to podcasts cover a range of topics, from internal cleansing to Superfoods. The following 15-minute Natural Skin Care podcast provides a nice overview of natural skin care while drawing on the expertise of a 3 beauty experts: a nutritionist, an aesthetician, and a natural body care buyer.

 

 Natural Skin Care Options: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (184)

Disclaimer: Of course, The Perfume Bee accepts no advertising revenue from Whole Foods Market. I’m just passing along this information for you to use as you choose. For specific medical conditions, please consult your health care practitioner.

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Times Online writer Carolyn Asome has provided a very helpful guide to holistic and organic beauty products which she tested over a six-week period. She examined products from Dr. Hauschka, Stella McCartney, Spiezia, Neil’s Yard Remedies, Jurlique, Organic Pharmacy, and Alexandra Soveral. Her top marks went to Spiezia and Alexandra Soveral. The entire article may be read here.

Of the seven brands she reviewed, I am most familiar with Dr. Hauschka. In fact, last month I had my first Dr. Hauschka facial. It was unlike any other facial I’ve ever received. It began with a grounding spruce-scented foot bath. This was followed by rhythmic touch, lymph stimulation, aromatherapy and gentle exfoliation, all with Dr. Hauschka’s pure botanical preparations. It ended with a facial massage using soft bristled brushes to stimulate the facial lymph glands. It was a very relaxing procedure, and the funny thing I noticed while driving home was an improvement in my vision! I’m convinced it had something to do with the rhythmic stimulation of accupressure points around my eyes. It was a very nice bonus.

I am in the process of reading Awakening Beauty: the Dr. Hauschka Way, by Susan West Kurz with Tom Monte. I recommend this beautiful book as a great introduction to living a holistic-beauty lifestyle. It emphasizes that true beauty is an inside job and offers practical, detailed advice for caring for one’s skin using simple, homemade products. The book also includes meditation techniques, meal plans, and delicious organic recipes.

It amazes me that Dr. Hauschka’s products have been around nearly as long as I have (they are celebrating their 40th anniversary) and I am only now just beginning to get to know them. It’s like the old saying, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” I’d love to hear of your experiences with this line or any of the other six mentioned in Carolyn Asome’s article.

photo source of Dr. Hauschka products: Times Online
photo source of book: amazon.com

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Today we are looking at two vegan botanical fragrances from natural perfumer Sevi Kay of Baltimore, Maryland.

The first fragrance is Anatolia Parfum, an oil-based scent described by Sevi as:

A divine blend with floral and bright citrus notes kissed by dark chocolate

It has notes of: Turkish Rose Otto, Chocolate, Jasmine, Vanilla Bourbon, Orange, Tuberose and Osmanthus.

This sweet, feminine fragrance is very beautiful. The white flower notes blend wonderfully with the rich chocolate, rose, and vanilla notes to yield an elegant, sensuous parfum.

The second fragrance is Acacia eau de parfum. According to Sevi,

It is floral and sweet, sprinkled with a dash of spice [topped] with a breeze from the woods…

Its notes include: Turkish Rose Otto, Jasmine , Vanilla Bourbon, Petitgrain, Neroli, White Rose, Tea Rose, Myrrh, Vetiver, Pink Grapefruit, Clove, and Wild Sage.

This is a greener, yet still very soft, fragrance. On my skin there is a powdery note which is brightened by the clove and wild sage notes. Of the two fragrances, Anatolia lasted longest on me due, I’m sure, to its higher concentration of essential oils.

Both of these fragrances are vegan, earth-friendly, cruelty-free and free of synthetics, including phthalates.

They are available online at sevi cosmetics.com.

Cost: Anatolia parfum: 10-ml/$65.
Acacia EDP: 30-ml/$45.

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The May 2007 issue of Perfumer & Flavorist magazine features an article titled, “Topics in Perfumery: Creating Effective Natural Fragrances.” Writer Helen Feygin looks at how large fragrance companies are responding to the public’s desire for 100% natural fragrances. Acknowledging that “natural personal care is no longer a small niche business,” Feygin points out that using an entirely natural scent palette poses challenges for modern perfumers. She states:

There is no blueberry essential oil available to make a fragrance smell like blueberries, nor are there grape or raspberry oils. Matching these fruits with a palette of synthetic materials such as methyl anthranilate and raspberry ketone would be achievable, if not easy, for most perfumers. But limiting oneself solely to naturals, this process becomes a true test of creativity [emphasis added].

I love that she highlights the importance of creativity needed to work with natural essences. Of course it would be easier for a perfumer to add a few synthetic drops of this and that to achieve a particular scent (as you may recall from an earlier post, Lily-of-the-valley’s beautiful scent, for example, cannot be captured through distillation. Lily-of-the-valley is a synthetic note in perfume). But to create something similar to this fragrance using natural ingredients requires ingenuity of the highest order. This is where the joy and artistry of natural perfumery shows its true colors.

Feygin adds:

The complications in working with natural materials are well compensated by the sparkling elegance they impart to fragrances. Wonderful fragrances can be created using only naturals, the way it has been done since perfumery’s dawn.

But she then states:

Synthetics, on the other hand, are essential as well—they extend perfumers’ palettes, adding complexity and diversity…In truth, there is room in the marketplace for safe synthetics and naturals, often complementarily blended together in the service of a fantastic fragrance.

Until those last few lines, I was in agreement with Feygin, who is the founder and principal of a fragrance development company. But nonetheless, I see it as a good sign when the major perfumers are taking an interest in naturals. May this be the beginning of a long and fruitful dialog.

The full article may be purchased from Perfumerflavorist.com or read in GCI magazine.

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For those of you lucky enough to live in NYC, Barney’s is having a fun event tomorrow. Our dear friends at Sniffapalooza share this announcement:

You know we love wonderful products that smell great and get results, and one of our favorite new lines is This Works! We’re really jazzed because This Works creator Kathy Phillips is making a rare personal appearance this Friday, 6/15, at Barneys, Madison Avenue @ 61st St., from 12 noon to 3pm.

Kathy Phillips is also Health & Beauty Director for Vogue Asia, and she’s spent years examining and researching beauty products. So when she was ready to produce her own line, she knew exactly how she wanted to proceed and what materials she wanted to use. The result is an extraordinary collection of body and skincare formulated using 100% natural plant oils. Everything is 100% preservative-free and hand-blended at 15% - 100% concentrations, which means that they are truly powerful, effective and therapeutic. She decided to call the line This Works, because it really does!

Kathy will be offering private, 15-minute consultations, and with a purchase of $100, you will receive a This Works Deep-Calm Bath and Shower gel, a $35 value. The Deep-Calm products are a blend of Lavender, Chamomile, and Vetiver, and yes, this is the shower gel that’s getting all the buzz in beauty magazines as a Summer cult-favorite!

Other blends are Energy Bank (to give you energy), which is a meld of Patchouli and Geranium, and In the Zone (to keep you focussed), which is Frankincense and Eucalyptus. Some of the most popular products are Enjoy Really Rich Lotion, Stretch Mark Oil, Skin Deep Dry Leg Oil, Burning Essences, Bath & Shower Oil, Muscle Therapy, Hot Stone Burner, Travel and Survive kits (these are amazing, you must try the Eye Serum, Turbo Balm, and Quick Spritz!), Bottle Bank, and Candles.

So please stop by the Apothecary at Barneys on Friday, and join your Sniffapalooza friends as we discover this innovative new approach to skincare. There will be plenty of samples on hand to take home. And you’ll recognize our friend Francisco Diaz, who many of you met at Takashimaya at our Spring Sniffapalooza when This Works launched.

Barneys New York adds: “Learn about aromatherapy and its benefits as [Kathy] presents This Works’ new skin care products. Also receive a reflexology treatment. Please call 212.833.2020 for an appointment.”

Friday, June 15th
Barneys, Madison Avenue @ 61st St.
12:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Have fun, and let me know what you think of these products! I have not yet tried them, and I would love to know what you think.

image source: Barneys

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With Father’s Day just around the corner (June 17th), I wanted to share two of my recent finds for men. The first is Herban Cowboy “Dusk” Organic Cologne. To me, the name alone is worth the price! What a great play on the words “Urban Cowboy!”

With prominent notes of lavender and cedar, Dusk has a beautiful, sweet, woodsy dry-down and is very long-lasting. It also has/or is:

• Certified Organic Ingredients
• Recycled / Recyclable Packaging
• Soy Ink
• Sweatshop Free
• US Made
• Vegan / Cruelty Free

ORGANIC DUSK COLOGNE is currently on sale at herbancowboy.com regularly $30.00, sale $25.00 2.0 fl. oz.60 mL.

The second find is MyChelle for Men SPLASH! With notes of chamomile, vanilla, sandalwood, and patchouli, this toning cologne smells light and fresh with a warm, woody base. It also contains aloe vera, shea butter, ginseng and chamomile to tone and refresh the skin; and bisabol (myrrh-type gum resin obtained from Africa) and white willow bark as anti-inflammatories to soothe irritated skin.

MyChelle SPLASH! is:

• paraben-free
• non-toxic
• 100% natural
• eco-friendly
• cruelty-free

MyChelle is offering 15% off their Men’s Products during the month of June. SPLASH! was $15.99, now $13.60, 4.0 fl. oz./118 mL.

Both products are also available at Wholefoods Markets.

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I’ll admit to wearing Birkenstocks in college. The classic brown suede ones with two straps and no pizazz. I’ve also been a yoga-doing, mantra-chanting vegetarian for nearly 30 years. So, in all fairness, I was predisposed to like Rich Hippie organic perfumes based on the name alone. It’s a great juxtaposition of terms that caught my fancy from the get-go.

Then I saw the price tags on Rich Hippie products. Ouch!

Then I saw the description of all-organic ingredients used in making these fragrances. Yes!

And then I smelled the samples Rich Hippie sent me last week. Double yes!!

Rich Hippie perfumes are made with organically grown or wildcrafted plant and flower extracts. Even the alcohol base is made from organic grapes grown in California’s lush wine regions. Each batch is made in very small quantities with careful attention to quality and concern for the wearer’s health and the safety of the environment. The simple, apothecary-style bottles of Rich Hippie are the perfect flacons for these natural fragrances.

Rich Hippie Creator and Perfumer Nannette Pallrand has developed fifteen perfumes in the collection: Bliss, Maharishi, Devotion, Rock Star, Rich Hippie, Bohemian Wedding, Spring, The Kiss, Purple Haze, Marrakech, Wild Thing, Kalachakra, Utopia, Nirvana and Psychedelic. The last three are classified as unisex fragrances.

My three favorites are:

• Rock Star: Racy, dangerous, sensual tropical floral with extracts of rare Indonesian flowers, Madagascan Vanilla Bean and Clove Bud;
• The Kiss: Lush, romantic and sensual with rare organic Indian Jasmine extract, light notes of French and Chinese citrus, and Indian Frangipani petals; and
• Hoochie Coochie: Sweet, tropical, sexy and romantic floral featuring Indonesian Massoia Bark, Madagascan Vanilla Bean, Ylang Ylang flowers and light notes of Tunisian Neroli, Sweet Orange and Tangerine.

The one I least-resonated with was Psychedelic, with extracts of organic Madagascan Vanilla Bean, organic Madagascan Ginger Root and organic Sweet Orange Peel.

Perfumer Nanette states:

“There is nothing more beautiful than an all-natural perfume where you can actually smell the real flowers as opposed to a man-made chemical perfume that uses synthetic versions of flowers concocted in a laboratory. Studies have even shown that a real and all-natural perfume actually creates a chemical reaction in the body that uplifts the senses whereas a man-made, synthetic perfume brings the senses down.”

She makes a good point. I find, for example, that I feel better when I eat organically-grown fruits and vegetables as opposed to non-organic. There is an ineffable life force present in organically-grown produce that enhances one’s well-being. So, too, I detect a qualitative difference in organic perfumes. I feel a certain lightness when I wear them, like my spirit has lifted and my aura has brightened.

The lasting power of these fragrances is what one might expect from something so sheer. On my skin, after three hours I could detect only the merest trace of a scent. They are more complex than I had expected, but never over-powering.

Rich Hippie organic perfumes can be purchased in chic boutiques around the world, as well as online at Rich-Hippie.com.

Prices range from $125- 1/2 oz. ($325- 2 oz.) for many of the fragrances to $535-1/2 oz ($1355- 2 oz.) for Kalachakra.

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