What's in YOUR red colorant?

I know this is my soap blog and I try not to include too much stuff about Mad Oils, my wholesale supply company, but I thought this was just too important not to post here:

Mad Oils carries only vegan ingredients.  We believe in using and selling only cruelty free products.  We are an animal loving team here with a vast array of rescued pets between us.

Carmine is an ingredient very often used in red and pink micas.  You may not be aware of what it is or where it comes from, but it might be in the micas and other colorants you use in your products.  

photo courtesy of http://safewithdrsandraelhajj.com

“Carmine” is an ingredient used often in the food and cosmetic industry.  It is often found in micas and other colorants to produce red, pink, purple and brown colors.  What is carmine?  Cochineal bugs that are dried and crushed to produce a red dye, are called cochineal, carmine, or carminic acid.  The dye comes specifically from the female insect called Dactylopius coccus. These bugs are killed, dried and crushed to create the color.

It takes about 70,000 insects to make one pound of cochineal.

 

photo courtesy of http://www.hottopixnow.com

 

Carmine is generally safe, but manufacturers of products need to know that in a small number of people, carmine can cause swelling, skin rashes and even respiratory problems.  The red powdered pigment is used as a natural alternative to artificial coloring, but it is not vegan.  It is important to be aware of ingredients we choose when making our products so that customers can choose for themselves what they want to use on their body.  

We share this information with you, not to gross you out, but to ensure that when choosing Mad Oils, you know exactly what you’re getting.  We stand by our claim that Mad Oils will carry only 100% vegan micas.  In fact, all of our products are 100% vegan, even our fragrance oils.  (Yes, fragrances often contain animal products).  We know this is important to many of you, as it is to us.

It’s important to make an educated choice when purchasing reds, pinks, browns and purples. It is up to you whether to use products containing carmine or not. Remember that knowing what is in your products and providing full disclosure about their ingredients is empowering to you, as well as your customer.  Knowledge is power.

Xoxo - All of us at Mad Oils

Note: Please refer to the FDA website for color additive regulations to find out what label requirements are in effect.

 http://www.fda.gov/ForIndustry/ColorAdditives/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation

 

Full Belly and News Of A Giveaway

I hope everyone's holiday weekend was a good one.

I am full.

I know it's only an American holiday, so I ask, "How was your weekend?"  Mine was full of family, napping, Thanksgiving food, lots of sweet potatoes and cookies.  Oh, and I wrapped over 200 bars of soap today.  But I took off Thursday, Friday and Saturday off - - completely.  I haven't given my family ALL of me for almost a year.  Funny though, I give up the computer (includes, Twitter, blogs, email, Facebook) and as I walk around the house looking for some quality time with one of my family members, one is shopping online, one is editing digital photos and the other is playing video games.  Hmmmph.  I can't say that that was the whole weekend.  My son did some skateboarding and we watched, took photos, we ate many meals together, talked, laughed.... and overall, I think it was quite relaxing.  I also did some gardening.  It was starting to look like a jungle outside.  It was like when you were little and they show you three pictures of something similar and one that is totally different.  That was my house before the weekend.  Which one is not like the others?  It was pretty gratifying to pull away debris from my house and put it to the curb.

I did want to mention to everyone that Product Body is having a giveaway over at the blog and we are giving away two soaps and two bath steeps of your choice.  So head on over there and enter to win!  It is open to everyone in the world.  Ends on December 15th and there are a number of ways to enter.  Good luck and spread the word!

Our newest Bath Steeps:

decadence bath steep...

... which include Pacific Sea salt, coconut milk powder, baking soda and colloidal oatmeal. 

Simple, decadent and creamy good.

soothe bath steep...

... enriching ingredients some which include Dead Sea salt, coconut milk powder, colloidal oatmeal,

arrowroot powder, lavender flowers, chamomile powder, roses,  and calendula petals.

invigorate bath steep...

... enriching ingredients as Dead Sea salt, Pacific Sea salt, coconut milk powder, colloidal oatmeal,

arrowroot powder, white kaolin clay, calendula petals essential oils of multiple citrus fruits plus orange peel powder..

And we have so many new offerings in the soap department, it's crazy, but most of the newest editions are also limited, and so when they are gone they are gone.  I have one suggestion to any of you who might be interested in Product Body's products:  Go here and sign up for our newsletter, because we often have exclusive sales for just our newsletter subscribers and you never know what might happen here at the Product Body Family.  It's a whirlwind of fun!!


xoxo Jo

Titanium Dioxide: Is It Safe? A Re-Post

The following was written by Erin of Inner Earth Soaps and I think it's an industry issue that might be of interest to you. I have copied it verbatim.

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Recently I've had some customers asking me about titanium dioxide. I've always considered it to be a fairly innocuous product, but lately there have been some concerns over studies where it has been shown to be a possible carcinogenic, causing fear in consumers. So let's bring it out in the open.

What is titanium dioxide?

It's a naturally-occurring mineral, mined from the earth. After mining it is processed to remove impurities, leaving behind a mineral pigment in the form of a white powder.

Which products might contain titanium dioxide?

Soaps, make-up, toothpaste, sunscreen, food, plastics, paints, ink and paper, to name a few.

Why use titanium dioxide?

Apart from in sunscreen - where the titanium dioxide is used to block UV rays from the skin - it is a mostly aesthetic ingredient that makes products appear more white or opaque.

Is titanium dioxide safe?

Titanium dioxide is listed as a safe pigment, with no known side effects. However there is some debate over a specific type of titanium dioxide: ultrafine or nano particles. This is the type of titanium dioxide that is used in sunscreens, because the particles are small enough to be invisible to the naked eye, yet still reflect the UV rays. The debate is whether these particles are small enough to penetrate the skin and become a possible carcinogenic.

Does Inner Earth Soaps use titanium dioxide in their products?

Yes, in some soaps we do. Where it is used, it is listed in the ingredients. However, we don't use the ultrafine powder that is the subject of debate.

Even with this explained, some folks just don't feel comfortable using products containing titanium dioxide. So I've started experimenting with our soaps: some of the ones that currently contain titanium dioxide will be made without it. Below is our Honey Toffee soap. The one on the left contains titanium dioxide, the one on the right doesn't. You can easily tell the difference - the left one is much more opaque, and the layers more well-defined. I'm interested to see whether this new batch will be more popular.

What do you think? Do you use titanium dioxide in your products, or do you feel strongly about using products made with it? I'd love to hear your comments.

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If you'd like to read the comments left for her, leave a comment for her or see the original post, please go here. Thanks, Erin!

Also feel free to express yourself!

Fragrance & Essential Oil Destash!

Most of you are soap makers and bath and body products creators so I put this out to you.  Perhaps it could benefit us all.

I have more oils than I know what to do with and I want more stuff that I DO want to work with so I am thinking that I either want to sell my stuff or trade it with something of equal value that I really want.  I have WAY to much stuff here that will go to waste if I don't move it along.  We all have to pay through our nose to try new things.  I am ready for new things to have!

I received three essential oils from Camden Grey today that I do not like at all and I want to try others because I have grand ideas that I can not start on until I clear out some things.  I am running out of space.  I did not want to offer half empty stuff, so everything listed is either unopened (you can see the black tape on some of them or untaped (they didn't come taped - Camden Grey).

Click on the pictures to get a bigger view.

update!

Camden Grey Ginger EO - 2 ounces - I paid $5.95 -  it arrived today. 
S O L D!

update!

Camden Grey Manuka EO - 1/8 ounce - I paid $5.95 - it arrived today.  
S O L D!

update!

Camden Grey Rosewood EO - 1/8 ounce - I paid $3.12 -  it arrived today.  
S O L D !

Brambleberry Peppermint EO - 1 ounce 

update!

Brambleberry Mango Lassi FO - 16 ounces

S O L D !

update!

Brambleberry Cream Cheese Frosting - 16 ounces
SOLD!

u p d a t e !

Majestic Mountain Sage Graham Cracker FO 
(love this, but I have too much!) - 16 ounces
S O L D

If you are interested in buying any or all of these, offer me a price and I will charge you actual shipping costs.  My email is jo(at)productbody(dot)com.  I wish I could offer you more at the moment, but I will have other type of things, like perhaps clays, botanicals and other stuff.  I want to keep it quality, not junk ...I'll keep you posted!

Oh, did you like my hi-tech copy paper back drop and our cool '57 Chevy that bit the dust under some car as my prop?  Also the cute face is my office pen.   

No Smoking, Get Clean!

I have always been a bit mystified by hemp products. Hemp is derived from marijuana but it is not marijuana. Hmm. okaaaayyyy. Honestly, I have never cared enough to ever look into it ---although, the whole hemp clothes thing stumped me years ago. How do you make clothes out of pot? Whatever. Again, I tell you. I don't care enough to look it up, and I look up everything that puzzles me. I am an information hog.

So I decided that I haven't touched on hemp oil here. The wonder oil in soaps. I still haven't tried it raw or in a soap, but in looks nice. Wonder what it smells like. Pot-ty?

Here are some beauties, I think you'll agree.

Dope On A Rope
by Point Pleasant

This soap on a stick is handmade glycerin soap blended with 100% pure cold pressed hemp seed oil, hemp seeds and patchouli essential oil. Soap has real hemp seeds & hemp fiber blended in.

Cerveza and Lime Soap
by Red Eft Designs (redeftshibori.com)

Not a beer drinker, but as soon as I see limes, I think of margaritas, I mean, really...

Organic Hemp Herbal Bar
by Good Enough To Eat Soap

This soap maker described in detail how each of these ingredients benefit the skin: Organic coconut oil, organic hemp oil, the hemp seed oil is infused with chamomile, comfrey, hops, marshmallow roots, nettle, parsley, sage and yucca root.

Natural Buzz Soap ~ honey buttermilk + oatmeal~
by Nature's Edge Farm

Patchouli and Hemp Shea Butter Soap
by Mooka Soap


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