Another victory for MuLondon and safe skincare everywhere!

The entire range of MuLondon organic, vegan skincare products has been named Champion in a new report issued by Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics announced today that MuLondon, together with 334 other cosmetics companies, has met the goals of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, the Campaign’s voluntary pledge to avoid harmful chemicals and to fully disclose product ingredients - a pioneering practice in the cosmetics industry.

Being named Champion by Campaign for Safe Cosmetics shows my dedication to bringing safe skincare products to the market. All the products in MuLondon range are cruelty-free, organic and effective and MuLondon will always be at the forefront of truly natural, safe skincare.
 

The report “Market Shift: The story of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics and the growth in demand for safe cosmetics” describes the seven-year project during which the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics worked with MuLondon and hundreds of other companies in the personal care products industry to set a new high-bar standard for personal care products.  These best practices include: 
 

- Making products without using ingredients prohibited for use in cosmetics in other countries.    

- Disclosing all product ingredients, including those that make up “fragrance,” showing that it’s not necessary to hide these ingredients from the public.

- Working together with nonprofit health groups to increase market demand for safe, sustainable products and practices. 

See the full report:

http://safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=913

MuLondon’s all-natural range is fully compliant with the requirements of EWG's Compact for Safe Cosmetics. Check it out here:

http://www.MuLondon.com
 

Thinking about what to get your loved ones for Christmas? Want to remain green & ethical at the same time? Have a look at these gift suggestions, and fret no more!

What are you treating yourself to this Holiday season? Let me know by leaving a comment below.
 

For Her

If she loves lush, smooth, sensual and feminine fragrances, enchant her with MuLondon Organic Rose Moisturiser. With 100% certified organic ingredients and precious Rose Otto oil, this cream will pamper her skin like nothing else. If you add the Organic Rose Face Wash to it, she'll be over the moon!
 

For Him

Does he like woody, masculine, smoky perfumes? Treat him with MuLondon Organic Hemp Moisturiser. Packed with hemp oil and essential oils of cedarwood, vetivert and black spruce, this cream is ideal for male and oily skins. Great to soothe those nasty nicks and cuts he gets after shaving! Although, those cuts would probably not be there if he was using one of new MuLondon Organic Face Wash foams - perfect for shaving all over!
 

For Young Ones

For young and sensitive skin of all ages, make sure you treat it right and use mild products from the start! MuLondon Organic Lavender Moisturiser and Cleanser soothe and protect with 100% natural, relaxing ingredients.

 

For Mature Wise Ones

Dry, ageing and mature skin will benefit from MuLondon Organic Marigold, Frankincense & Myrrh Moisturiser. Its healing base of Shea butter and Jojoba oil is enriched with extracts of Blue Chamomile and Marigold and essential oils of Frankincense & Myrrh - to soothe and repair. Be as wise as the Three Wise Men, and give the gift of (Mari)Gold, Frankincense & Myrrh!
 

I am very excited to launch a new range of organic, mild and preservative-free MuLondon foaming facial cleansers. You can now feel fresh and clean with all-natural ingredients based on certified organic liquid soap.

All MuLondon face cleansers are 100% natural and plant-based. They contain no ingredients that can irritate sensitive skin: detergents like SLS, alcohol, mineral oils, preservatives like parabens or sorbates, silicones, emulsifiers or other man-made chemicals. The cleansers are ideal for your morning and evening face cleansing routine or to wash your hands. Great for shaving, too!

The cleansers are a testament not only to my continued commitment to my customers, but also to the environment: All new cleansers come in recyclable HDPE plastic bottles that are free from phthalates, bisphenol-A and PVC, and contain no propellant gas. All cleansers are registered by The Vegan Society and PETA, and are completely free from Palm oil.

MuLondon cleansers come in three unique varieties:

Organic Rose - Foaming Face Wash - Luxury organic foaming face cleanser with Rose Otto oil, Rosehip Extract and Rosemary Antioxidant. This amazing trio will clean, balance and nourish dry, irritated and sensitive skin.

Organic Lavender - Foaming Face Wash - Mild and organic foaming face cleanser with Lavender, Jojoba Oil and Rosemary Antioxidant. Great for all skin types, including dry and normal skin.

Organic Fragrance-Free - Foaming Face Wash - Foaming organic Fragrance-Free face cleanser with Jojoba Oil and Rosemary Antioxidant, for the most sensitive skin types.

All MuLondon products are carefully and lovingly handcrafted and contain a unique combination of certified organic ingredients, herbal extracts and essential oils that heal, balance and repair all types of skin, even the most sensitive.

More information about the cleansers can be found at the link below, where you can place secure online orders, 24/7, with affordable worldwide shipping:

http://www.MuLondon.com/cleansers

My MuLondon motto is: I test everything I make on myself. I have very strict criteria when it comes to skincare: It has to be natural, safe and effective. So when I booked my holiday to Spain earlier this month, I was in a bit of a conundrum: Where do I get all-natural sunscreen?
 

I looked at a number of products, but most of them contained the following chemical sunscreens:

PABA, Oxybenzone, Octocrylene, Octyl methoxycinnamate or one of many other available synthetic substances. They are either toxic to humans, or not even properly tested.

I moved on to natural alternatives, and started looking into other options, but even ones claiming to be "natural" contained one or more of the following:

Emulsifiers: Cetearyl glucoside, Sodium stearoyl glutamate, polysorbate 60, potassium cetyl phosphate

Preservatives: Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, potassium sorbate, benzyl alcohol, 1, 2-octanediol

Other crazy stuff: vitamin E (usually synthetic or solvent-extracted), cyclomethicone (and other silicones), VP/hexadecene copolymer (Copolymers of vinylpyrrolidone and long-chain a-olefins)

A couple of “natural” sunscreens looked great – as instead of parabens, they were using the following lovely-sounding ingredient: Honeysuckle Flower Extract (Lonicera Caprifolium/Lonicera Japonica). An article on Organic Consumers Association website highlights that these are essentially parabens created from highly concentrated extracts of the Japanese Honeysuckle: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_17679.cfm

In light of all this horror, I made the decision to make my own, all-natural sunscreen. I knew there were two minerals I could use to keep my skin from getting burned – either Zinc oxide or Titanium dioxide.

A lot of research show that Zinc oxide is the safer one out of the two, so I decided to go with it. Yay! - you hear me shout, but that's not long-lived, as you'll soon discover there's more to sunscreen than meets the eye.

Zinc oxide comes as a fine, white powder. That powder can be either regular or “micronised” Zinc oxide. Regular powder is made up of particles sized at between 200-1000 nanometer (nm). “Micronised” zinc particles are between 1-100 nm. This is what is commonly known as NANO-PARTICLES. As nano-particles can penetrate the skin, and there's not enough safety data on them, I was not going to use them. They are also not allowed in organic products.

The reason many natural skincare companies use nano-zinc is that it disperses much better than regular zinc, and it does not leave white streaks on your skin. I decided to risk looking ridiculous in the name of research, as I had to go with regular Zinc oxide.
 

There's a simple sunscreen recipe and an SPF chart at the website below, that I adapted to my own needs: http://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-Sunscreen/

I did not use any emulsifying wax, and I would definitely advise against using any citrus oils in the sun, as with sweet orange oil suggested in the recipe. Citrus oils are phototoxic, and should NOT be used in the sun.

I made my sunscreen using only organic Jojoba oil and regular Zinc Oxide powder, which I mixed until Zinc had dispersed in Jojoba to form a milky liquid. Make sure you follow the SPF chart – I used 15% of Zinc to get an SPF value of around 12-19.

I poured this into smaller glass containers, and added an essential oil that is not only safe to use in the sun, but is healing for the skin, and is used to treat sunburn – Lavender.

I was expecting my face to be completely white from this lotion, but that did not happen. There were some white streaks, though – in the antecubital region, more commonly known as the “elbow pit”, and the “knee pit” - basically, wherever your skin folds. This is easily removed by rubbing the excess lotion in and around the area, and white streaks are prevented by rubbing the lotion in properly and not applying too much at once. You also MUST shake the bottle vigorously before each use. I could live with this, and would rather have a white streak or two than nano-particles and chemicals on my skin.

The most important thing, however, was that my home-made sunscreen worked – I did not get burnt! Experiment: passed!

I will get a lot of questions from customers asking me if my organic moisturisers contain any sunscreen.

All my creams are based on organic Shea Butter, which has a natural SPF of between 4-6. I also use Jojoba Oil which has an SPF of 4

In our climate, this is usually sufficient for most people. However, if you have very fair skin, a family history of skin disorders or any other any skin issues, you should consult a dermatologist and your GP.

Now, some naturalists like Dr. Holick claim: "And to give you an example of how powerful putting sunscreen on is, if you put a sunscreen on with an SPF of 8, it reduces your ability to make vitamin D in your skin by more than 95%."
 

Vitamin D is needed for calcium absorption and is essential for a healthy immune system. Our Aussie friends have learned this the hard way: due to their heavy sunscreen use, “MILLIONS of Australians are living with dangerously low levels of vitamin D, putting them at risk of developing fractures, bone disease and deadly illnesses.” http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/12/08/1196813083745.html

I personally believe that there is no need to use high SPF every day, especially if you do not spend the majority of your day outdoors. When you're on holiday, or live in a really hot, harsh climate with strong sun, it's a different story. You do not want to get burnt.

I hope this sheds some light on sunscreen for you!

Are you using products with SPF on a daily basis? What kind of product do you use when you're on holiday, and do you read the ingredients list on your sunscreen? I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments – let me know what you think!

I was watching a BBC documentary the other day, "The World's Most Dangerous Place for Women"  where a young girl goes back to find her roots in Congo. Among the many unbelievable heart-breaking stories she hears and amazing people she encounters, she tells about the mining of metals in Congo, which helps fund the arms trade. Metals mined include wolframite, which is a source of tungsten, used to make mobile phones vibrate.

I had to find out more.

Voice Of America says: "What we know is that some of the metals that are being produced in eastern Congo are vital to the mobile phone market," said Daniel Balint-Kurti. "For example, there is a metal wolframite, which is the ore for tungsten, and tungsten has specific use in mobile phones in that it is used for the vibrating function of mobile phones."

I was appalled to hear that mobile phone manufacturers may be still using tungsten from Congo, so I thought it would be best to contact them directly and ask them.

I emailed the following mobile phone manufacturers:

Sony-Ericsson, Nokia, Motorola, Apple, HTC, RIM/Blackberry, Palm, LG and Samsung.

Only three of them replied - Apple, Palm and Nokia. All three of them replied within 24 hours of me emaling them.

Here is what they had to say:

Apple: Check out p23 on the 2010 Progress report at 
http://images.apple.com/supplierresponsibility/pdf/SR_2010_Progress_Report.pdf

"Monitoring the Source  of Extractives"

Apple requires our suppliers of tantalum capacitors to certify they use only
materials that have been produced through a socially and environmentally
responsible process. In 2009, we extended our certification requirement to
tungsten used in iPhone vibration motors.

The supply chain for tantalum consists of many types of businesses—including 
mines, brokers, ore processors and refiners, component manufacturers, and
board assembly manufacturers—before reaching final assembly manufacturers. 
The combination of a lengthy supply chain and a refining process makes it
difficult to track and trace tantalum from the mine to finished products—a
challenge that Apple and others are tackling in a variety of ways.

Apple is an active participant in the Extractives Workgroup, a joint effort 
of the EICC and the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI), focused on the
extraction of minerals used by the electronics industry and their movement
through its supply chains. The group has commissioned the nonprofit 
organization RESOLVE to map the supply chain for tantalum and tin, and 
to develop standards that apply throughout the supply chain.

Palm: Palm publishes details of its environmental stewardship at the following web address
http://www.palm.com/uk/en/company/environmental-stewardship/index.html

However,  when I emailed them back to ask where EXACTLY their statement was on sourcing wolframite, all I heard were crickets.

Nokia: Nokia supplied the most relevant and personal reply. They also provided a full response in their email, instead of just giving me a link to their environmental progress report. I got a feeling they do actually care.

Tungsten is used within components that are used in our phones. Congo, or rather the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), contributes only 2-4% to the world's total tungsten production. In DRC there are mining activities that are legitimate but there are also conflict areas where several sources have reported not only poor practices at the mine operations but also potential links between militant groups. We have banned the use of all metals (tin, tungsten, tantalum) from conflict areas and take every possible effort to ensure that our requirements are met throughout the supply chain (as you probably know, we do not source or even buy metals directly - typically there are 4-8 layers of suppliers between consumer electronics companies and any mining activity).

We take continuous action to ensure that metals from the conflict areas do not enter our supply chain. First of all we require our suppliers to confirm that our ban of conflict metals is respected, and our requirements fulfilled. We are also working directly with suppliers of components that contain these metals to map out the supply chain back to source. Furthermore, we are actively working on an industry initiative to develop and smelter audit process. The process will first be rolled out to smelters to tantalum, and then for other metals.

The challenge at the moment for every company is that currently there aren't means to trace any metals to the mine with a 100% guarantee of origin. Once a mineral is smelted any characteristics of the ore, or its origin, is gone. In the process the sources for metals used multiply quickly. That's why it is impossible to give the exact origin of e.g. tungsten used in a particular product or its component, and why industry wide cooperation, like the initiatives we are participating in, are so important to ensure ethical sourcing.

For description of the supply chain and our approach, please visit our website at http://www.nokia.com/A41459939#anchor

Motorola replied after the blog post went live with the following statement:

We must have missed your original email to Motorola, but I'm happy to provide information on what we are doing re: conflict minerals.

Motorola is concerned about poor social and environmental practices at some mine operations around the world. Mining activities that fuel conflict are unacceptable.

We require high labor and environmental standards in our own operations, and make concerted efforts to drive improvements. We expect our suppliers to do the same, as reflected in our supplier code of conduct.

The mining and processing of raw materials raises serious concerns. We don\'t procure these materials directly; however, we are working to effect positive change. For example, when Motorola first became aware of the illegal mining of coltan in early 2001, we took swift steps to cease the use of materials containing tantalum derived from illegally mined Congolese coltan.

Tantalum is used in the production of materials, such as capacitors, for a wide range of electronic products. Motorola requires all of our suppliers of tantalum-containing capacitors to verify, in writing, that capacitors sold to Motorola do not contain tantalum derived from illegally mined Congolese coltan.

Motorola supports the development of U.S. legislation that helps companies determine whether or not the sources of the materials they use are associated with conflict. We are very concerned that currently no credible independent systems exist to allow companies to verify the source of the metals in their products.

Motorola is collaborating with others in the industry to tackle the challenges of traceability/tracking and other issues through the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) and Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) extractives workgroup, which we co-lead. We believe this effort will drive greater transparency in the mining industry.

In 2009, the extractives workgroup launched a project to improve visibility in the minerals supply chain, with particular focus on identifying sources of specific minerals and understanding how the minerals move through their lifecycles — from mine to electronics manufacturing. Motorola is actively involved in this project. Additionally, this workgroup has engaged companies from all levels of the tantalum mining and processing industry to drive toward a solution that promotes the responsible sourcing of tantalum.

In October 2009, Motorola, Dell, HP, Intel and Philips co-hosted a multi-industry forum on metals extraction issues. More than 40 attendees brainstormed potential industry actions to address these issues. Follow-up meetings between different industries and stakeholders are taking place as a result.

Motorola will continue to champion more responsible metal sourcing by engaging our suppliers and by participating in collaborative efforts with other stakeholders including mining companies, non-government organizations, labor organizations involved in mining, other industrial sectors that purchase and use metals, the governments and multi-government organizations with jurisdiction over these issues and the end users.

Sony-Ericsson, HTC, LG and Samsung never replied to my questions. I wonder why? Did they not think this was important enough? Or do they not have any policies in place to ensure that their mobile phone components are not sourced from the conflict zones? Who knows. Maybe you will have more luck than me:

Sony-Ericsson »
HTC »
LG »
Samsung »

More information about the mining activities in Congo:

VOA: Mobile Phone Industry Accused of Financing Congo Conflict: http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/africa/Mobile-Phone-Industry-Accused-of-Financing-Congo-Conflict--84401567.html

BBC: Human cost of mining in DR Congo: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8234583.stm

Make it right: Sign the petition on Change.org and ask the mobile phone manufacturers to make sure that they are not helping fund the arms trade:

http://www.change.org/petitions/view/tell_mobile_phone_manufacturers_do_not_fund_the_arms_trade

Thank you.