“I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts...”

 

Palm fronds, golden sand, endless blue skies, hammocks and all things tropical is what I associate with coconuts....

I can now add lovely moisturised skin to the list! I began using coconut oil as a face moisturiser after a close friend raved about how wonderful it was. My skin at the time was quite dry and I had been breaking out quite a bit (which SUCKS)! Well I got almost instant results. Overnight my skin transformed and after a couple of weeks has significantly improved!

This is due to the amazing anti-bacterial and moisturising properties of coconut oil. It is full of amazing fatty acids, antioxidants and Vitamin E.  All of which will make your skin glow, look more youthful and feel great!

The other great thing to do with Coconut oil is EAT IT! It is one of the best oils to use in cooking because it can withstand high temperatures. Plus it is fantastic for your heart, your thyroid and your immune system.

Coconut oil can be purchased from health food shops or supermarkets in a jar for about $10. Depending on the room temperature it will be solid or liquid (If it is solid, chip a bit off and roll in your palms to liquefy it). If possible buy organic extra virgin coconut oil as it will not have been made with the use of chemicals.  

Enjoy the benefits of this tropical wonder!

xo

Miss Chemical Detective

 

 

References and links for further reading:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/coconut-oil-benefits_b_821453.html

http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/food+diet/nutrition/10+facts+about+coconut+oil,18271

 

The Dirty Dozen

Fruit and vegetables should be the staple food in any diet. They are the wholesome, natural, disease combating wonders that should be consumed in abundance! This is why it is so wonderful that your favourites are generally available year round, are blemish free and relatively cheap. Unfortunately such things come at a price. Surprisingly farmers do not just wave a magic wand in order to get your shiny red apples every month of the year for a couple of dollars a kilo. They use a cocktail of synthetic chemical pesticides which remain on your produce long after they are shipped to your local supermarket.

Pesticides ‘are created expressively to kill living organisms’ (EWG, 2011). This is to enhance and enlarge crop production to keep up with population needs and to maximise profit. This is all very well except for the fact that pesticides have been controversial for DECADES.  In fact there are pesticides being used all over Australia today that are listed as ‘probable carcinogens’ and endocrine disrupters. It irritates me but doesn’t surprise me that some of these particular pesticides are already banned in Europe and the UK! Once again Australia seems to be the slow cousin, dragging its feet through the bureaucracy that comes with banning a dangerous chemical.
The EWG has developed a list called ‘The Dirty Dozen’ of the 12 fruits and vegetables that have the highest amounts of pesticide residue.

These are:

#1 Apples
#2 Celery
#3 Strawberries
#4 Peaches
#5 Spinach
#6 Nectarines
#7 Grapes
#8 Capsicum
#9 Potatoes
#10 Blueberries
#11 Lettuce
#12 Kale

If possible, you should buy these products organically. If this is unaffordable you could also try Karen Fischer’s technique of washing your produce in water with two tablespoons of vinegar added which will assist in removing the pesticide residue.

Luckily for us, the EWG also compiled a list of the 15 cleanest fruit and vegetables which can be found at: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/

We have all heard about DDT right? The evil pesticide that causes baby birds to be hatched deformed? Well it was used widely in Australia for 30 YEARS before the authorities decided it probably wasn’t all that safe. Makes you wonder what pesticides are out there today disrupting the ecosystem and damaging our health doesn’t it?

xo

Miss Chemical Detective

References and links for further reading:

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Food_pesticides_and_other_chemicals

http://au.news.yahoo.com/today-tonight/consumer/food/article/-/37953/the-hidden-chemicals-in-fruit-and-vegetables/

http://www.apvma.gov.au/news_media/chemicals/endosulfan.php

http://www.apvma.gov.au/news_media/media_releases/archive/2006/chlorpyrifos_statement.php

http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2007/10/09/2054547.htm

http://awsassets.wwf.org.au/downloads/fs025_a_list_of_australias_most_dangerous_pesticides_1jul10.pdf

Fischer, Karen (2008) The Healthy Skin Diet. Wollombi. Exisle Publishing Limited

Nanoparticles: tiny technology raising gigantic issues

Nanotechnology has been on my radar for some years however I never found the time to look into it properly. Recently a few of my friends have raised eyebrows at the topic which has spurred me on to find out what this technology is all about.

Nanotechnology involves reducing the size of a chemical or mineral to “100 times smaller than a red blood cell” (Miller, 2009). The cosmetic companies adore this technology as it enables them to create products with a smoother or clearer consistency that performs better, hides wrinkles or makes skin glow.  As consumers, we also think that the product is superior for the exact same reasons! However, this very new technology is associated with many danger warnings and the consequences of using it are still largely unknown. The small amount of research that has actually been conducted into using this technology in personal care products is looking pretty grim at this stage.

The scary thing about nanoparticles is also the same reason that the cosmetic companies love them: their teensy weensy size allows them to penetrate the skin very effectively. As I mentioned previously, they may lessen your wrinkles or moisturise more successfully but they may also be entering your blood stream. If you have damaged skin i.e. sunburnt or have eczema, then your skin’s barrier is compromised meaning that these particles can pass through it with even more ease. Once in your system, there are further concerns that these particles can cross membranes and enter organs including reproductive organs hence potentially endangering unborn babies.
 There is also reason to believe that they have the ability to harm DNA due to their ability to create free radicals which in turn can lead to cancer. Not to mention that they can also be inhaled or ingested (think powders, lip gloss, toothpaste etc). Pretty heavy stuff isn’t it!?

As the current state of things stands, there are no regulations on nanotechnology. No pre-use testing and no labelling which means that the cosmetic companies can run wild with this technology and we will not be aware we are using it or what its effects may be. The only way to be sure that your product is nano-free is to ask the cosmetic companies directly or check whether they provide any information about it on their website.

The positive news is that the good old pioneering EU is in the midst of releasing groundbreaking new rules on nanotechnology; specifically labelling and pre-testing which are due to be launched in 2013. Let’s hope that they create a workable model that other governments around the world can easily (and quickly) adopt!

xoxo

Miss Chemical Detective

References and links for further reading:

http://www.nottoopretty.org/article.php?id=307

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/science-of-the-small-may-carry-big-risk-20090327-9e6g.html

http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2011/s3381157.htm

http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2009/November/27110901.asp

http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_risk/committees/04_sccp/docs/sccp_o_123.pdf

http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2011/s3274001.htm

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/national/national/general/govt-opposed-to-nano-labels-paper/2233507.aspx

This summer take a closer look at your sunscreen...

It’s that time of year again...another beautiful Australian summer is upon us. We are a truly sun-kissed country and so it is only natural that we have such a deeply entrenched beach culture.

However, we are a country with the one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world and so have been taught from a young age to protect our skin from the sun.

So each year we go and buy our sunscreen, slather ourselves in it and feel protected as we spend our days on the beach.

But have you ever asked the question as to WHY sunscreen stops us from burning? What goes into the white cream that we all trust so much?

Sunscreen is made up of a mixture of synthetic chemicals that are arguably doing us more harm than good.  After scanning many very long (and difficult to pronounce) ingredients on different sunscreen bottles and then researching what the hell they were, I have come to the conclusion that they are all BAD! Every single one seemed to have something wrong with it! As there are so many, I have just provided a selection (and please note that each of these chemicals goes by about 15 different names!):

-          Octyl Methoxycinnamate: Potential endocrine system disrupter, reproductive system disrupter and can have an effect on functioning of the brain.

-          Retinyl Palmitate: Reacts when exposed to sunlight and can speed the development of tumours.

-          Oxybenzone: Easily absorbed through the skin and studies show that it is a potential endocrine system disrupter, reproductive system disrupter and reacts when exposed to sunlight.

-          4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor: Banned in the US and not recommended for use in Europe as possible endocrine disruptor and reproductive system disrupter. Still used in Australia.

Now the sun-safe message is still as strong as ever and there is no way I would spend a day on the beach without sunscreen, which is where my friend ZINC comes into the picture. Zinc is a naturally occurring mineral that that acts as a physical barrier reflecting both UVA and UVB rays. Luckily for us, it has advanced quite a lot since the days of fluoro stripes on noses.

Zinc sunscreen is readily available in most stores however it is a little more expensive than the old-school sunscreen. I have used zinc sunscreen and have found it to last for hours even in surf.

I still think that it is safer to wear ANY type of sunscreen rather than burn and if you cannot afford a mineral sunscreen, at least make sure that the product that you are using has not been sitting in your cupboard for two years and has gone bad.

Enjoy your summer and be sun smart!

 

xoxo

Miss Chemical Detective

References and links for further reading:

http://www.cancer.org.au/cancersmartlifestyle/SunSmart/Skincancerfactsandfigures.htm

http://breakingnews.ewg.org/2011sunscreen/sunscreens-exposed/the-problem-with-vitamin-a/

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/704203/OCTINOXATE/#

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient.php?ingred06=704372#

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/700047/4-METHYLBENZYLIDENE_CAMPHOR/#