Cosmetics the Truth - Why We Will Never Need To Test on Animals?

Cosmetic Science is it really the Science of Marketing?

The world of cosmetic science is it exactly as the words read or is it a science of marketing, using loose terminology, ‘wonder ingredients’ and highly paid superstars to fool the general user into paying vast sums of money for products with grandioso claims.

Should you be buying a product on the hear-say of top models, film and pop stars because you’re worth it. The whole word science brings into question how the general public can really understand what they are really buying and how it has been tested.

Are The Green Range Cosmetic Scientists?

We are cosmetic scientists so much in that we adhere to British/EU Cosmetic Safety guidelines. We submit all our product specifications for independent pharmaceutical analysis to achieve a product safety certificate.

We operate a full batch testing process with samples still kept from 3 years ago for evaluation against fungal spores, product consistency and perfume retention.

So what are we?

We really class ourselves more as obsessive herbal botanists who look for the simple ways to nourish the skin rather than new scientific innovation. An often asked question is why do our skin care products soak straight into the skin instead of leaving a greasy residue like most other skin care products?

There is a simple answer to this; our product should be there so the skin allows the oils to be absorbed deep into the skin layers. Products that leave a greasy film are being rejected by the skin which leads to the surface of the skin pores being clogged up.

The second simple answer is our mission is to sell the right product for a person’s skin. When we demonstrate products such as hand cream, we put a different product on each hand for one reason. The difference is outstanding with one hand soft and nourished whilst the other is just the same as before application.

The Inspiration behind The Green Range products?

We have had an amazing journey already to get to where we are now, talking to herbalists, Aromatherapists, Healers and Afro-Caribbean ladies to map out unique oil combinations that nourish the skin.

Our research has stemmed from simply what is great to apply to your skin as a simple natural ingredient and then incorporating these ingredients into finished luxurious products.

Why We Will Never Need To Test on Animals?

We use natural ingredients that have been tested by generations of people from all continents. Our ingredients have been tested the old fashioned way by the curiosity of ancient humankind to try new things.

We have their research of what worked, felt nice and was truly believed in. So in some ways our products have been tested on animals but the human kind from tribes all over the world.

How we develop a new product?

Developing a new product comes down to two core components. Firstly a great idea of the kind of product we want to create, secondly a huge amount of practice to make a product that has not only the right ingredients but the right consistency. Our latest project is a salon grade shampoo, we already have a fantastic organic shampoo but we need something more luxurious for general use in salons.

We have a great idea and today is the first day I will be testing the early alpha products on myself. It will take as long as it needs to create the finished product.

Internally when we are happy we have a band of alpha testers who take the initial product and give very frank feedback.

We then use this to refine the product into a development beta version which we again send out.

The beta version has an application for a product safety certificate in progress as we are nearly there, we are just fining out the detail.

Once we receive feedback from the beta versions we create the final release version, start batch control and apply for the product safety certificate.

So yes our products are tested on animals, but the human kind and very opinionated ones at that who help us create the best final product.

Timeless Natural Cosmetics In A New Contemporary Way...

Jojoba Oil - Why We Use It In Our Cosmetics?

Jojoba Oil Benefits

Jojoba oil is a natural oil which is highly beneficial for the skin and hair.Jojoba oil is obtained from jojoba plant, which is a perennial shrub that grows in northwestern Mexico and parts of California and Arizona. Actually, the oil is a liquefied form of vegetable wax and is found in the seeds of the jojoba plant.

An interesting fact is that almost half of the weight of the jojoba seed is owing to its oil content. This naturally occurring oil is light golden in color and is odorless. It does not have any toxic effect and rarely causes any allergic reaction.

Uses in Hair and Skin Care

Jojoba oil is widely used for the purpose of skin care and hair care. This is because its components have a striking similarity with that of sebum, an oily matter secreted by the oil glands present under the skin surface. It is this oily substance that gives the soft and smooth texture to the human skin and hair. Some important uses are given below:

As Face Moisturiser

Jojoba oil acts as an excellent moisturiser. The best part is that it supplies the skin with adequate moisture without blocking the skin pores. It is suitable for all types of skin. This is possible because it restores normal oil balance of the skin. Thus, in oily or combination skin, it controls the excess production of oil by the oil glands and in dry skin, it meets the requirements of additional amount of moisture.

If your facial skin is sensitive and has a tendency to get eruptions quite easily, you can still use jojoba oil on it, as the oil is hypoallergenic in nature. It is rich in vitamin E content which is a natural antioxidant that prevents the onset of wrinkles on the skin surface. You can apply pure jojoba oil directly on the face or mix two drops of the oil with your regular face moisturiser before applying it.

As Body Oil

Jojoba oil can be applied not just on the face but all over the body before or after shower in the morning. It gets absorbed into the skin very quickly and has a hydrating effect. People prefer it as a body oil mainly because it does not leave behind any greasy feel after application.

This quality of easy absorption of the oil into the skin also promotes blood flow which in turn will give you a glowing skin very soon. You can use it for body massage as well, but for that, you have to mix it with any other massage oil as it does not have the slippery effect required for massaging.

As Facial Cleanser

Jojoba oil has good cleansing properties and can be regularly used for removal of facial makeup: blush, foundation and lipstick.

Soak a cotton ball and rub it over your face and lips with a gentle hand. The oil will dissolve out all the makeup almost instantly. Then, take out the oily residues along with the makeup from your face with the help of a moist tissue.

As Eye Makeup Remover

Similarly, jojoba oil is helpful for removing eye makeup like kohl, liner, mascara and eyeshadow.

The best part is this oil does not cause any eye irritation. Since the eye area is very sensitive, you just have to apply the oil with great care and make sure you do not rub it harshly. Simply, dip a cotton pad into the oil and apply directly over the eyelashes. Within no time, you will find that it has removed all the makeup. Regular application will make the lashes more beautiful.

As Hair Conditioner

Those of you who are extremely bothered by dull and frizzy hair can use it to improve its texture and appearance. It serves both the purposes of hair oil as well as hair conditioner. It moisturises the scalp skin, provides protection against dandruff and adds strength to the roots of the hair.

Thus, it can control hair fall to a great extent. After shampooing your hair, pour a few drops into the hair conditioner and apply it to your hair. Then, rinse your hair thoroughly. Alternately, you can apply the oil straight onto the damp hair after shampooing it to get thick, soft and silky hair.

Other Benefits

It can bring down skin inflammation and is capable of killing some skin bacteria. For this reason, it is used for acne treatment. Its anti-inflammatory properties can be utilized for treating various skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis where the skin get inflamed.

It has an amazing healing effect on the skin and can be used for treating wounds and minor infections like sunburns, cold sores, canker sores and warts. You can also use it as lip balms on dry, chapped lips.

Original Article By Bidisha Mukherjee

Calendula Oil - Why We Use It In Our Cosmetics?

Calendula Oil Benefits

Calendula flowers or its petals are steeped in oil to extract a golden orange coloured oil. Calendula oil is one of the amazing oils for alleviating a number of common skin problems. We use calendula petals steeped in Sunflower Oil due to its emollient properties.

Calendula, also known as pot marigold is a genus, that includes around 12 to 20 species of annual or perennial plants. Calendula or pot marigold is a herbaceous plant that belongs to the plant family Asteraceae. Its flowers are bright yellow to orange-colored, and their petals are used to extract oil with the help of steam distillation.

This is basically classified as infused oil, as the flower petals are infused or steeped in oil, we prefer Sunflower Oil. The oil extracted in this way is usually golden orange in color with a wonderful aroma.

This oil is known for its amazing healing and soothing properties. Even the ancient Egyptians were aware of its benefits for skin, and used it for curing a number of skin conditions.

Calendula Oil Uses

It is cherished for its mildness, for which it can be used even by those people who have a sensitive skin. Apart from being a mild and soothing oil, calendula has anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antibacterial and anti fungal properties, which make it an ideal oil to treat a number of skin disorders and infections.

More commonly, it is the oil preferred for treating dry and chapped skin, skin rash, wounds, burns, inflammation, skin irritation and several other skin disorders. Commercially, it serves as an excellent base for salves, lotions, creams, herbal ointments and many other natural cosmetics. It is also one of the commonly used base oil in aromatherapy.

Calendula Oil Benefits

Its benefits can be attributed to its medicinal properties. This oil possesses anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, antiseptic and antimicrobial properties. At the same time, it is so mild that it can be used on infants and young children as well. Even people having sensitive skin can also benefit from this oil.

• It is an excellent remedy for soothing and moisturising dry and chapped skin.
• Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, this oil can be used for skin sores and inflammation. It can relieve the swelling and inflammation caused by bruise or muscle sprain as well.
• This oil is gentle enough to be used on babies or infants. Using this oil for diaper rash can help to provide significant relief in this skin condition.
• The oil extracted from calendula blossoms can also be used for accelerating the healing of minor cuts or wounds, acne, burns, insect bites, bed sores and sore feet.
• It is a traditional remedy for some common digestive problems like, stomach cramps, flatulence, constipation and colic.
• People suffering from dermatitis, psoriasis and eczema can also benefit from the topical application of calendula extract and oil. This oil can reduce the skin inflammation associated with such conditions.
• It is renowned for its antifungal properties. It can work as an amazing remedy for ringworm, jock itch and athlete's foot.
• This oil can also be helpful for conditions like, varicose veins, spider veins, leg ulcers and chilblains. Chilblains is the condition characterized by the inflammation of the hands and feet, due to an exposure to extreme cold or moisture.
• Apart from these, you can use it for scars, or for preventing or reducing the formation of scar tissues. Oil derived from calendula can increase the collagen level, and this is the reason why it can prevent the formation of scar tissues, while facilitating the healing of wounds.

So, this oil can be considered beneficial for maintaining a healthy and problem free skin. It can be termed as an invaluable oil, when it comes to skin care. Using this oil for massaging the skin can help in cell regeneration, besides making your skin soft, supple and radiant.

  Original Article By Chandramita Bora

Coconut Oil - Why We Use It In Our Cosmetics?

The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength.

These benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, soothing, etc.

How is Lauric Acid Used by our body?

The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin which is claimed to help in dealing with viruses and bacteria causing diseases such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even HIV. It helps in fighting harmful bacteria such as listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and harmful protozoa such as giardia lamblia.

As a result of these various health benefits of coconut oil, though its exact mechanism of action was unknown, it has been extensively used in Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicinal system. The Coconut Research Center has compiled various references on scientific research done on coconut oil.

Before we move on to the benefits of coconut oil in detail, let us understand its composition.

Composition of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil consists of more than ninety percent of saturated fats (Don’t panic! First read to the last word. Your opinion may change), with traces of few unsaturated fatty acids, such as monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Virgin Coconut Oil is no different from this. Let us have a bit detailed study of this.

• The Saturated Fatty Acids: Most of them are Medium Chain Triglycerides, which are supposed to assimilate well. Lauric Acid is the chief contributor, with more than forty percent of the share, followed by Capric Acid, Caprylic Acid, Myristic Acid and Palmitic.
• The Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: Linoleic Acid.
• The Monounsaturated Fatty Acids: Oleic Acid.
• The Poly-phenols: Gallic Acid, which is phenolic acid. These poly-phenols are supposed to be responsible for the fragrance and the taste of Coconut Oil and Virgin Coconut Oil is rich in these poly-phenols.
• Certain derivatives of fatty acid like Betaines, Ethanolamide, Ethoxylates, Fatty Esters, Fatty Polysorbates, Monoglycerides and Polyol Esters.
• Fatty Chlorides, Fatty Alcohol Sulphate and Fatty Alcohol Ether Sulphate, all of which are derivatives of Fatty Alcohols.
• Vitamin-E and Vitamin K and minerals such as Iron.

  Let us now explore the benefits of coconut oil in detail:

Hair Care:

Coconut oil is one of the best natural nutrition for hair. It helps in healthy growth of hair providing them a shiny complexion. Regular massage of the head with coconut oil ensures that your scalp is free of dandruff, lice, and lice eggs, even if your scalp is dry. Coconut oil is extensively used in the Indian sub-continent for hair care. Most of the people in these countries apply coconut oil on their hair daily after bath.

It is an excellent conditioner and helps in the re-growth of damaged hair. It also provides the essential proteins required for nourishing damaged hair. It is therefore used as hair care oil and used in manufacturing various conditioners, and dandruff relief creams. Coconut oil is normally applied topically for hair care.

Skin Care

Coconut oil is excellent massage oil for the skin as well. It acts as an effective moisturizer on all types of skins including dry skin. The benefit of coconut oil on the skin is comparable to that of mineral oil. Further, unlike mineral oil, there is no chance of having any adverse side effects on the skin with the application of coconut oil. Coconut oil therefore is a safe solution for preventing dryness and flaking of skin.

It also delays wrinkles, and sagging of skin which normally become prominent with age. Coconut oil also helps in treating various skin problems including psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections. Therefore coconut oil forms the basic ingredient of various body care products such as soaps, lotions, creams, etc., used for skin care. Coconut oil also helps in preventing premature aging and degenerative diseases due to its antioxidant properties.

Immunity

Coconut oil is also good for the immune system. It strengthens the immune system as it contains antimicrobial lipids, lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid which have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties. The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin which is claimed to help in dealing with viruses and bacteria causing diseases such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even HIV.

It helps in fighting harmful bacteria such as listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and harmful protozoa such as giardia lamblia.

Healing and Infections

When applied on infections, it forms a chemical layer which protects the infected body part from external dust, air, fungi, bacteria and virus. Coconut oil is most effective on bruises as it speeds up the healing process by repairing damaged tissues.

Coconut oil is very effective against a variety of infections due to its antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. According to the Coconut Research Center, coconut oil kills viruses that cause influenza, measles, hepatitis, herpes, SARS, etc. It also kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and gonorrhea, etc. Coconut oil is also effective on fungi and yeast that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete's foot, thrush, diaper rash, etc.

Other Benefits

Coconut oil is strongly recommended for other benefits which are given below. Usage of coconut oils mildly helps for the following: Liver: The presence of medium chain triglycerides and fatty acids helps in preventing liver diseases as they substances are easily converted into energy when they reach the liver, thus reducing work load on the liver and also preventing accumulation of fat.

• Kidney: Coconut oil helps in preventing kidney and gall bladder diseases. It also helps in dissolving kidney stones.
• Pancreatitis: Coconut oil is also believed to be useful in treating pancreatitis.
• Stress Relief: Coconut oil is very soothing and hence it helps in removing stress. Applying coconut oil to the head followed with a gentle massage helps in removing mental fatigue.
• Diabetes: Coconut oil helps in controlling blood sugar, and improves the secretion of insulin. It also helps in effective utilization of blood glucose, thereby preventing and treating diabetes.
• Bones: As mentioned earlier, coconut oil improves the ability of our body to absorb important minerals. These include calcium and magnesium which are necessary for development of bones. Thus coconut oil is very useful to women who are prone to osteoporosis after middle age.
• Dental Care: Calcium is an important element present in teeth. Since coconut oil facilitates absorption of calcium by the body, it helps in getting strong teeth. Coconut oil also stops tooth decay.
• HIV and Cancer: It is believed that coconut oil plays an instrumental role in reducing viral susceptibility of HIV and cancer patients. Preliminary research has shown indications of the effect of coconut oil on reducing the viral load of HIV patients (Reference).

Finally, coconut oil is often preferred by athletes and body builders and by those who are dieting. The reason behind this being that coconut oil contains lesser calories than other oils, its fat content is easily converted into energy and it does not lead to accumulation of fat in the heart and arteries. Coconut oil helps in boosting energy and endurance, and enhances the performance of athletes.

Coconut Oil and Alzheimer's Disease: There are reports of  research conducted by Dr. Newport stating that coconut oil is useful for treating Alzheimer's disease. Apart from this there is no scientific evidence or traditional knowledge or coconut oil being used for treating Alzheimer's. It was also not known traditionally that coconut oil helps in the brain function.

Why is Coconut Oil Solid?: Unlike most other oils, coconut oil has a high melting point - about 24 to 25 degress Celcius or 76-78 Farenheit. Therefore it is solid at room temperature and melts only when the temperatures go high. Hence, if you buy a bottle of coconut oil and find it solid, don't think that there is some problem with it. Coconut oil is like this only. And of course, don't keep it in your refrigerator. How to Use Coconut Oil?: If you are using coconut oil for topical purposes, especially hair care, just melt the oil (if it is solid) by keeping the bottle in the sun or warm water. You can also take some coconut oil out and put it in a small bowl and heat the bowl over a flame (do not use microwave). Then take the oil on your palm and apply it to your hair. If you want to use it for internal consumption, simply replace butter or vegetable oils with coconut oil in your recipes. Remember, you need not switch to coconut oil completely, as you will miss the benefits of other oils and dairy products. Article Courtesy of Kiran Patil