Approaching Eminence Organics

Incidentally read an article at The Star newspaper about Eminenece Organics open an outlet at 1 utama, this brand from Hungary is famous of its uniqueness points:

1) handmade & fresh
2) contains abundant of active berries extracts
3) smell divine!
4) certified organic by USDA, Demeter & BioKontrolle

Came across this brand during my visit to Hong Kong, i was impressive about their complete organic eye range with not only eye gel & eye cream, but also eye exfoliant and eye mask, which are rare in organic skincares industry. Unluckily, eye exfoliant is not available in Malaysia market yet. This product would help to soften dead skin cell and reduce congestion, perhaps it works for congested eye and fight against oilseeds.

I visited Solaris Mont Kiara outlet named My Beauty Cottage and bought a set of Eminence Organics starter kit for dry skin (RM288) and Rosehip Whip Moisturizer (it's a day cream), spent me RM599. The starter set consists of 5 products: Lemon Cleanser, Rosehip Maize Exfoliating Mask, Blueberry Soy Repair Masque, Naseberry Treatment Cream for day and Linden Calendula Treatment for night.

Let me try for at least a month to share you the testimonials. Stay tune^^


philosophy

New EU regulations for Sunscreens: Say Goodbye to Natural Sunscreens

"New European regulations for sunscreens will soon require levels of UVA protection that are impossible to achieve with natural mineral sun filters such as the titanium dioxide in Dr.Hauschka Sunscreens. In order to meet the requirements of these new regulations and maintain our products' SPF ratings, we would be forced to reformulate using synthetic filters."Our unwavering dedication to pure, holistic skin care and BDIH guidelines for natural ingredients prevent us from using synthetic sun filters in our preparations. As a result, Dr.Hauschka Skin Care has made the difficult decision to discontinue our existing sun care range."

As of January 1, 2009, Dr.Hauschka Sun Care products will no longer be available in the U.S."

In September 2006, the European Commission introduced new guidelines for the labelling of sunscreens, as potentially misleading claims about the level of sun protection offered reached the point of controversy. A report in July 2006 found that sun creams claiming to have Sun Protection Factor (SPF) 15 were giving much lower protection, with the lowest measuring SPF 6.3. The health implications were clearly quite serious.

The EC responded by recommending a new labelling system, currently in the process of being brought into effect. New safety margins will mean that products will have to have a buffer zone of 33%, so those which currently offer SPF 15 will have to test for protection at SPF 19.95. The SPF labelling system will also be phased out in favour of something simpler. It will soon no longer be possible for companies acting within the new guidelines to claim ‘complete protection’. Furthermore, sunscreens will have to provide protection against both types of damaging sun rays, UVA and UVB, at a ratio of 1:3.

When chemical sun protection factors are used it is not difficult to achieve the required 1:3 ratio. However, using chemical sun protection factors is out of the question. The result of this new system is that many ‘natural’ product companies are discontinuing their sunscreen ranges. Weleda, Urtekram, Dr. Hauskha, Living Nature and Honesty are no longer producing sunscreens.

The Environment Working Group, a US based not-for-profit organisation which uses information to defend public health and the environment, publishes the Skin Deep website. This is a comprehensive database of the ingredients found in cosmetics products which is founded on research collated from government, industry or academic studies or assessments. It is possible to search for substances, and the results are broken down into different types of risk, ranging from cancer to the ability of substances to accumulate in organisms or the environment (bioaccumulation). The results are summarised in a hazard rating of one to ten and a percentage figure for the data gap, which is a measure of how much is unknown about an ingredient. 0-2 represents a low hazard; 3-6 a moderate hazard and 7-10 a high hazard.

In the sense that we will no longer have mineral based sunscreens to use in future, other than chemical-based sunscreen which usually offered higher SPF, i am thinking to stock up few more bottles of Living Nature sunscreens before it is totally out of stock.

philosophy

Product Comment：Sulwhasoo Snowise Whitening Fluid

Start with aromatic oriental herbal scent, if your nose is sensitive enough, you could also smell some alcohol tingle your nose, Sulwhasoo Snowise Whitening Fluid is lightweight moisturizer suitable for oily combination skin. It contains butylene glycol & alcohol, which not only ease penetration of active ingredients but also evaporated easily to give fast absorbing sensation applied upon skin. Cyclopentasiloxane & dimethicone are silicon-based ingredient act as emollient to smooth skin; beta-glucan is an excellent calming ingredient to soothe skin.

Highlighted with plant extract based whitening ingredients, rhubarb, mulberry, chrysanthemum, licorice, ginseng, green tea and abundant of plant extracts. To be honest, this is one of the longest ingredient lists i came across, with plenty of herbal ingredients to create synergistic effects.

This whitening fluid I only recommend to normal skin, combination skin, oily skin, most of skin types but not sensitive skin, as it contains some irritants which may cause allergy reactions to skins.

Ingredients:
Water, Butylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Alcohol, Glycereth-26, Hydrogenated polyisobutene, Camellia Sinensis, Ophiopogon japonicus, Paeonia albiflora, Nelumbo nucifera, Rehmannia glutinosa, Chrysanthemum morifolium, Paeonia suffruticosa, Citrus unshiu, Lycium chinense, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-yuen Seed Oil, Angelica Tenuissima Root Extract, Honey, Punica granatum, Beta-Glucan, Cnidium Officinale, Licorice, Angelica acutiloba, Ginkgo Biloba, Portulaca oleracea, Scutellaria baicalensis, Panax ginseng, Paeonia lactiflora, Nelumbo nucifera, Betaine, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Dimethicone, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Jojoba esters, C14-22 alcohols, Stearic Acid, Hydrogenated vegetable oil, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, PEG-100, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Acrylates/C10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer, Polyacrylate-13, Methoxy PEG-114/Polyepsilon Caprolactone, Polyisobutene, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Disodium EDTA, Tromethamine, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Fragance, Rheum Undulatum Root/Stalk/Stem Extract, Broussonetia Kazinokia Root Extract , Polygonatum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract, Lilium Tigrinum Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Adenophora Stricta Root Extract , Oldenlandia Diffusa Extract, Terminalia Chebula Fruit Extract

philosophy

Skincare Myth：Sensitive Skin Care

Some sensitive skin (or so called sensitive skin) will always look for "suitable for sensitive skin", "for all skin types, even the most sensitive skin" in product label when they buy skin cares. In most cases, they claim themselves as sensitive skin when they overcome with tight, redness, itchiness or irritation with certain skin care products, especially new one. Therefore, some will look for mild products to sooth skin condition, may not contribute any healing effect but at least will not cause any complication.

Skincares targeted for sensitive skin is gaining more concerns, even luxury brands such as La Prairie （anti-redness calming range), Declare have also launched sensitive skincares range for sensitive skin, promote cell renewal as well as calm redness. However, when you read the ingredient lists of these so-called sensitive skin products, you will still find a long list of chemicals/natural source which may also cause irritation or reputedly as allergens, such as perfume/fragrance, alcohol (butylene glycol, propylene glycol, panthenol, alcohol denat and etc), SLS, phenoxyethanol, BHT, triethanolamine and much much more. Natural sources of allergens could come from aloe vera, honey, certain essential oils, of course, these are not applicable to all sensitive skins, you have to be observant to understand your own skin than anyone.

In a nutshell, sensitive skin cares are just formulated with lower concentration of fragrance, alcohol or reputable allergens. Other than that, they have not much difference with normal skin cares that suitable for most people. As a consumer, we should smart enough to read ingredients, do not just focus on active ingredients highlighted at flyers/brochures. If you are unlucky to have sensitive skin, easily react with many skin cares in the market, you should have put more efforts to study ingredients, at least find out which ingredients you should avoid. At the same time, look for solutions to curb sensitization, time to grab products with high healing effects or go for other treatments.


philosophy

Skincare Myth：No Sun Protection at Home

Most people think that UV ways cannot emit through cement walls, so they do not apply any sunscreen products while staying at home, only apply it when they plan to go outside or any UV/sun exposure opportunities. Thus, do not wonder if these people have any pigmentation concern.

Applying sunscreen is essential even you are just staying at home no place to go. UV ways still can emit through cement walls and penetrate into your skin caused skin problems, just it is not as serious as you direct expose yourself under the hot sun. However, UV radiations could come from non-sun sources such as lightnings, computer monitors, copiers and etc. Therefore, sunscreens with moderate high values of sun protection factor (SPF 15-25) is recommended for everyone to wear in indoor.

So, today you should start to apply it even you are working in office as Office Lady or a housewife spend most of the time at home.


philosophy

Skincare Myth： Baby Products are Mild?

Based on the anatomical and functional characteristics of a baby's skin, their skin is more delicate than an adult's and prone to irritant and allergic skin problems. The ideal cleansers, moisturizers, powders, and sunscreens should be very mild to avoid irritation, allergic, or sensitizing skin reactions.

Despite this fairly intuitive, common sense information, it turns out that most skin-care products aimed at children are formulated to be anything but gentle and soothing. They are often an irritation waiting to happen. There are an alarming number of expensive and inexpensive baby products that are marketed as better for young, delicate skin—yet, for the most part, they aren't.

The baby section in the pharmacies, cosmetics counters and health food stores have sweet, adorably packaged shampoos, moisturizers, cleansers, and sun products. You may assume the manufacturers use only ingredients that will be the most gentle to your baby's skin, but that assumption is not accurate. Think about the wafting, appealing fragrances emanating from most baby products you've shopped for. Right there you've recognized a major problem—fragrance, serious enough that it makes me leery of using baby products for anyone's skin, let alone a baby's!

Products for babies and young children are usually highly fragranced. That delicious, recognizable aroma you could smell a mile away is nothing more than added fragrance, which we know can cause irritation. Moreover, baby products always have a pretty yellow or pink tint, which is added with artificial coloring, another group of problematic skin-care ingredients for sensitive skin. If baby products were really gentler than those that adults put on their skin, they would be fragrance free and contain no coloring agents. Sadly, few of those exist.


Cosmetics and hair-care companies know that mothers have an impulsive emotional pull toward scents that trigger the image of their babies. That subconscious pull is difficult for a marketer to ignore, given the way women gravitate to the fragrance generated by other perfume-laden products. In other words, hair and skin-care companies don't have much motivation to take these problematic ingredients out. That means you, the mother and consumer, as an advocate for your child, need to pay attention to this issue and choose fragrance-free and color-free products whenever you can.

Aside from the issue of fragrance and coloring agents, it is even more shocking when baby products contain such skin irritants such as propylene alcohol, alcohol denat, methylisothiazolinone, methylchloroisothiazolinone, phenoxyethanol and etc. Their presence is disturbing because these are all problematic for an adult's skin and, thus, so much more for a child's. It is essential to avoid products for your child's skin (and yours for that matter) that contain any unnecessary irritants. Just paying attention to the ingredient label will give you far better information than the product description or claims on the package. Ignore the picture on the label of the sweet innocent child, especially when it can disguise a formula that is anything but sweet and innocent.




philosophy

Women'Secret Bamboo Bodycare

What do your mind appear when you see Women' Secret? I bet all will say lingerie. This brand keeps a strict eye on both aesthetic and practical detail. However, i just discovered that Women'secret come out with body showering series with eye-catching packaging. Do you ever believe that women'secret has shower gel??? It is not surprising anyway, even samsung or giorgio armani have cosmetic, it is acceptable, for me at least.

The images that i could grab is Women'Secret Bamboo bodycare, together will brilliant green colour catch my eye ball, I believe in this range would smell refreshing green. Not sure when it does arrive in any Malaysia retail store, it is an exciting news for Women'Secret fans.

philosophy