"Shea and coconut butter, along with golden jojoba, are leading players in this fab range of handmade natural moisturisers. Indulge in the sweet smelling Organic White Chocolate Truffle (£13) or try the Organic Rose (£19) for a floral delight."

EggMag is the free quarterly that takes greener living ideas to the heart of London and Brighton’s popular culture. EggMag is printed on recycled paper using vegetable inks, by a low-alcohol, Carbon Neutral printers. Check out their website for details on where to grab one:

http://www.eggmag.co.uk/

Thanks to the EggMag team for this fab feature!

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.

Fab, right? Thanks so much to wildkatmakeup for this lovely review! Yay yay yay!
Here's the link to the video on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BygQ5j3kCNw

Strawberry, Cherry, Mango, Peach, Pineapple, Magnolia, Fig, Pear

What great suggestions - thanks so much for each and every one of them! Do you have any ideas not already on this list? Or do you have an opinion about the ones mentioned above? Please let me know by leaving a comment below!

Witoxicity is a fabulous Dutch beauty blog and they have reviewed MuLondon products in their latest blog post. How utterly brilliant!

The review sings praises to MuLondon products and customer service.

http://www.witoxicity.com/2010/04/mulondon-organic-hemp-moisturiser.html

  "Frankly, the most impressive aspect about MuLondon is the excellent customer service"

Read the full review below:

http://www.witoxicity.com/2010/04/mulondon-organic-hemp-moisturiser.html

UPDATE: Witoxicity has now written about my Rose moisturiser too:

http://www.witoxicity.com/2010/05/mulondon-organic-rose-moisturiser.html

Thanks so much to Witoxicity for the lovely reviews and the kind words about MuLondon! Yay!

Here are the details of the Witoxicity and MuLondon giveaway:

http://www.witoxicity.com/2010/05/giveaway-mulondon-natural-organic.html

And here are the winners:

http://www.witoxicity.com/2010/05/winners-of-giveaway-mulondon-natural.html

To celebrate, I'm giving away 5 MuLondon products - one each to 5 lucky winners.
 

Here's how you can win - you can do just one task, or a combination of them:

- Watch the video on YouTube, rate and comment on it
- Leave a comment on the Glamology website
- Leave a comment on ANY of my other blog posts
- Follow MuLondon on Twitter and Facebook
- Tweet about this contest
- Digg MuLondon
- Blog about this contest and link to MuLondon
- Do anything else creative to spread the word about MuLondon and this contest (worth extra tickets - surprise me!)

The more entries you have, the bigger your chances of winning are. For every action taken, you will get 1 entry ticket.

Please keep your comments relevant and original. Leave a note below detailing the actions taken, links to the pages where you have taken action, and your usernames for the services you have used. Also let me know which one of my moisturisers you'd like to win. Try to put all your actions together in one blog comment below, if possible.

The winners will be chosen on the 30th of April 2010, announced here and will be notified via email. This competition is open worldwide.

Good luck!

The competition is over and the winners have been chosen!

1. Aik - aik***** @ yahoo.com
2. Chiraag - csw*** @ yahoo.com
3. Masquerade1727 - mas***** @ live.com
4. Natalie Goatley - nat***** @ hotmail.com
5. Scott - nyn***** @ aol.com

Thanks to every single one of you who entered - your kind words and contributions are much appreciated. Stay tuned for more updates and opportunities to win with MuLondon - coming soon - and exciting new products, too!

Dear MuLondon, Can you please tell me which of your skincare products are suitable for dry/sensitive/fragile skin with fine lines around the eye area?
Many thanks, Gemma

All my moisturiser are ideal for dry & sensitive skin. If you also want to use it around your eyes, then either one of these would be great:

Organic Rose Moisturiser
Organic Marigold, Frankincense & Myrrh Moisturiser
Organic Lavender Moisturiser

Please note that as they are all water-free, they are very concentrated, so you need to use only a tiny amount. All of them are hand-made in small batches, and I never use any chemical preservatives or artificial colours or fragrances. Apply in a thin layer, gently using your fingertips.

I just bought your Rose Cream, I'm really excited to try it and hopefully next time I will get the Lavender one too - it seems bliss for night time.

Can you please advise me on cleanser and toner? I've just recently read that toner is actually not good! I've been researching natural skincare for 3 months now and can't get a top cleanser and toner! 
 

Regarding cleanser and toner - I am working on an all-natural, detergent-free cleanser and that will be available in a couple of months.

Toners are not that bad - it depends what they contain and what your skin likes and needs. A lot of toners contain alcohol - and sometimes this can be denatured alcohol, which I'm not a fan of. Alcohol in itself is not bad, it's what they put in it. If it is natural, organic grain alcohol, it's fine. Denatured alcohol contains chemicals to prevent people from drinking it. Those chemicals can be absorbed by your skin. There are also alcohol-free toners for people that find alcohol drying.

You can easily make your own skin toner if you have some Flower Water. Flower Water is what is left from a distillation of an essential oil. It is condensated water that is lightly fragrant and naturally astringent, meaning it will minimise the pores in your face. Which Hazel is know to be a particularly good astringent.

If you do not have any Flower Water, you can make a decoction yourself from, say, chamomile or rose flowers - bring to simmer, sieve, put in a spray bottle and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days. It will keep a bit longer if you add some alcohol to it (about 15%), but make sure it is not rubbing alcohol like Isopropyl Alcohol. Pure vodka (40% and over) will also do.

Any suggestions or tips you can offer? Please leave a comment, I'd love to hear from you.

"Dear MuLondon,

I have recently had twin boys who are absolutely adorable, but poor old mum is looking worse for wear and in need of some urgent TLC, my skin is looking rather dull. I was wondering if you could offer me any advice and information to try that will help to replenish my skin. I really would love to have a facial but at the moment I really haven't the time with the two little ones. I am 29 years old with a normal/dry skin type.

Kind Regards, Vicky"

As there are many of us with not enough time for a facial,here's what you can do instead:

If you feel your skin is dull, I suggest you spend some time outside every day, at least 15 minutes, to get some sun, which is effective even on a cloudy winter day. Also make sure that you get enough essential fatty acids. They can be found in evening primrose oil, hemp seed oil and flax seed oil, for example. These are long-term solutions that will definitely pay off over time, by giving your skin a wondeful lustre appearance.
 
For an instant fix, you could also do a simple facial at home - just boil some water in a pot, add a spoonful of herbs (chamomile, peppermint or rose, for example) or 2-3 drops essential oil, put your head over the pot and cover with a towel for 5-10 minutes. This will clean you face, open up the pores and clean the impurities from your skin.

Afterwards, scrub your face with ground oat flakes and wash with soap.

Apply a moisturiser - my Marigold, Frankincense and Myrrh cream or my Organic Rose Moisturiser are great for dull, lifeless skin.

All my natural, organic moisturisers are packed with pure shea butter and golden jojoba oil. They are concentrated, great for dry & sensitive skin and ideal for daily all-over body use - including face, hands and feet. Give yourself a 5-minute facial massage using one of them.

If you do not have access to a moisturiser, you can use pure virgin olive oil or jojoba oil. There you go - simple facial for next to nothing, and you do not even have to leave the home.
 
I hope this helps!
Best regards
Boris, MuLondon.com

PS: Let me know if you have any tips for home-made facials!

MuLondon goes to Estonia, where Glamorouxx, a beauty blogger, writes about my White Chocolate Truffle cream. She says "It is my all time cure for dry skin"!

She adds:

"It does not only smell like chocolate cream or creamy ice cream, it also looks like whipped and delicious cream. MuLondon creams are never diluted with water. So a little bit goes a long way.

I usually need only tiny bit of cream to rub between my hands and it develops into moisturizing oil that is enough to moisten quite large area of body. If you now think "oil? no way!" then calm down, it does not stay on the skin and leaves a sticky residue on it. It is natural and organic, so your body recognizes it and sucks it right into the skin."

Read the full review:

http://glamorouxx.blogspot.com/2010/01/mulondons-chocolate-dream.html

Get the Organic White Chocolate cream for your hands and face here »

They have tried my Organic White Chocolate Truffle moisturiser - and they love it!

Here's the review:

A Natural Beauty

With more and more emphasis being placed upon ‘superfoods’ and organic produce, thankfully, we are all becoming that little bit more clued up about the contents of our trolleys. So why not apply the same purist approach to your skincare regime?

Here at Find-a-Salon we have taken the time to trawl the UK to bring you the very best in natural and organic skincare. Our search has proved triumphant! We have not only discovered products that are deliciously packaged and sweet smelling, but that also, are totally and utterly pure!

First up is a small independent company called MuLondon. All products are PETA approved, meaning that they are cruelty free and vegan, and are all 100% organic. The best thing about the products? They are all handmade. Your pot is one of a small batch lovingly made by Boris, founder of the company, each product being delivered in a beautiful silver gift bag. We tried the deliciously edible ‘Organic White Chocolate Truffle Moisturiser’ with Shea Butter and Jojoba, and can confirm that it really does smell good enough to eat! The texture is dense but airy- like an expensive whipped mousse- and containing no added water, a little goes a long way. Most commercial moisturisers will give you about 20% active ingredients, but MuLondon moisturisers are all 100% active ingredients. No man-made chemicals, no parabens, mineral oils, emulsifiers and other nasties. Plus, all products can be used for face, hands, lips and all-over body use. With other scents including ‘Rose’, ‘Hemp’ and ‘Lavender’, there really is something for everyone- and the ‘Marigold, Frankincense and Myrrh Moisturiser’ makes for the perfect stocking filler. www.MuLondon.com

Thanks so much to the FindaSalon team for a superb review!