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Recently, the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) announced that it was considering legislation to strengthen food, drug and cosmetic safety (see the Draft Discussion here). While I sincerely believe that the FDA and all that testified on behalf of the legislation have the consumers’ best interests at heart, I am deeply concerned about the unintended consequences of this action.

I am so concerned I am heading up the letter writing campaign here in Washington state, where which we will send letters to our congressional representatives voicing our opposition to this legislation. I will have copies of the letters available next week for you to download, print and send, to make it easier for you. August is a great month to pursue your representative as congress is out of session, and the members are usually at home, in their home state.

The FDA Globalization Act of 2008, is designed to impose stringent monitoring, manufacturing and reporting requirements on all products under FDA purview. The “Cosmetics” portion of the bill is actually very small (1/64th of the entire bill) in relation to the “Food” portion. None the less, the implications for small, home based crafters and cosmetic manufacturers, is concerning.

This legislation is coming at a time when cosmetics and personal care consumers have never had more choice, nor have the products they have to choose from ever been more safe. Just look at these quotes from experts:

Pamela Bailey, President of the Personal Care Products Councill (formerly CFTA), stated in her April 12th testimony to the Energy & Commerce Committee, “Cosmetics and Personal Care Products are the safest category regulated by the FDA.”

Additionally, Stephen F. Sundolff of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition stated, “The FDA’s oversight has ensured that the Nation’s cosmetics are among the safest in the world.”

The experts quoted above believe the system is already working!

Consumer safety is important to me. I am a strong advocate of proper ingredients labeling, best manufacturing practices and education.

This new proposed legislation will do nothing to strengthen the cosmetics industry safety. Rather it will just be a bigger burden which could force MOST small producers out of the market.

The areas in the current discussion framework which I find particularly disturbing are:

• Requirements that you register all of your formulations with the FDA – This rule would add another unnecessary burdensome reporting requirement onto small businesses. Who exactly of the 18 people currently employed by the FDA to oversee Cosmetics is going to look at the formulations? If there were 100,000 (this is a small estimate!) large and small manufacturers, each with 25 formulations … well, that’s a lot of paperwork to go through! Not to mention, the stifling effect such a reporting requirement will have on new product innovation, or even minor improvements made to old products.

• Requirements that you report all “Potential Adverse Reactions” to the FDA – Again, through self-regulation (GRAS list, The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) and Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary) there is a comprehensive list of approved (and not approved) ingredients to use. Who is to say what a “potential adverse reaction” might be? I might have an adverse reaction to the soap I just made … if I put it directly in my eye! No one can legislate or know what consumers do with our end products. Why would the government want us to even try? According to the Personal Care Council, every year, out of 11 BILLION personal care products sold, there are less than 150 adverse reactions. That’s a safety factor of .00000000136%. There is no evidence that the current laws and regulations are not working. In fact, the excellent safety record of the Cosmetics Industry proves the contrary.

• Fees, fees and more fees will jeopardize businesses all over America. In uncertain economic times, it is imperative that Americans have choices about how they earn their money. At the minimum, this act would require a registration fee of between $2000 up to $12,000 per year, no exceptions. 95% of small and micro businesses would not be able to bear this burden and have to close their doors immediately.

Just think of how these three points might affect YOUR choices. The time to act is now. This law has many unintended consequences. Rather than strengthening the cosmetics industry, it will force thousands of small producers out of the market. Many of these producers use the income from their small cosmetics business to substitute income from their full time job, and it makes the difference between having a home, or being on the street. And, where there is less choice, there is always a higher price in the end.

If you haven’t yet signed the petition, there is still time. Head to Indie Beauty Network’s site here. Be sure to sign your name, business name if applicable, city and state.

I also urge you to write to your congress representative and tell them you oppose this legislation. Together, we can make a difference!

References:

Kayla Fioravanti from EssentialU’s blog post on her trip to DC 

The Organic Beauty Expert

Are you using internet explorer to view this page? You shouldn’t be!

Internet explorer is the least secure browser out there. It is fraught with loop-holes and leaks that can allow malicious hackers, or malware loaded websites to attack your computer swiftly and with ease! Even with the “latest security patch update”! I have completely hidden all icons for IE on my computer it’s that bad!

Firefox is a progressive browser, integrated with all kinds of innovative add-ons. What are add-ons? Essentially, add-ons are like software for your browser that will let you do cool stuff all while browsing the web. Like blogrovr, it surfs the web and “fetches” interesting articles you might like to read based on your browsing habits. You can also tell it what you want it to look for and have the information delivered in one place. Nice and time-saving! Plus, Our website is built to be best viewed by Mozilla (firefox).

There are other browsers that are better than IE, like opera, but I really suggest Firefox.

Anyhow, if you haven’t already download firefox, or check out these resources for more information.

Have you noticed there were fewer chips in your last bag of doritos?

Your mind is not playing tricks on you.

Slammed by the skyrocketing costs of agricultural goods and energy, many companies are quietly shortchanging their customers by putting a little less into bags, jars and boxes, while keeping the packaging the same.

“We are tightening our belts,” PepsiCo chief Indra Nooyi said in a company conference call last week. PepsiCo recently reduced the amount of Tropicana orange juice you get in a large container by 7%, from 96 ounces to 89 ounces. Bags of Doritos, also made by PepsiCo, have been trimmed by as much as 2 ounces.

Kelloggs, proctor & gamble, unilever & wrigleys have all recently jumped on this bandwagon.  Is it legal–? Yes, but it’s sneaky.

You as a consumer need to check the  weights and measures on the packages of things you purchase.  Or you can check out Mouse Print, a Web site dedicated to tracking what the fine print on consumer products “taketh away.”

You can easily grow sage and use it’s benefits within your own home everyday. Some of the most common sage varieties are:

Purple Hybrid Sage (Salvia xsuperba): one of the best member of the genus thrives as a hardy perennial (up to Zone 4) and actually performs better in cooler climates. Has an abundant of colorful flowers, a compact growth habit and a reasonable adaptability to varying growing conditions.

Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans): Its leaves smell exactly like pineapple when gently rubbed with the fingers. In its native habitat of central Mexico, pineapple sage grows at altitudes of 6,000 to 9,000 feet, but you don’t need to line on a mountaintop to grow it easily in your own garden or flowerbed.

Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia leucantha): Is a standout in any garden. Every part of the plant seems designed for maximum beauty. The velvety, intensely purple flower spikes; the white, softly hairy stems; and the dark grayish-green leaves with white undersides.

Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea): A tall, impressive plant that grows its violet, blue and pinkish-white flowers on large, multi-branched stems. In early summer, when clary sage blooms, it is the dominant plant in any garden or flower bed.

Sages essential oil is more popular among body products is used in a lot of every day products we all commonly use everyday. Clary Sage has antidepressant, antiseptic, aphrodisiac, astringent, deodorant, digestive, and euphoric properties.

Make these body products today and take advantage of the great benefit of sage:
• Clary Sage Sea Salt Body Scrub:

½ cup Sea Salt (found at your local natural store, such as Trader Joe’s)
4 Tbsp Grape seed Oil or EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
¼ cup Baking Soda
5-6 drops of Clary Sage Essential Oil

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, and pour into a seal-able container.
Standing in bath tub, wet hands and apply mixture, (using small circular motion) starting with feet and work upwards towards the neck.
Rinse and continue your showering routine.

• Clary Sage Body Salve:

4 tbs. carrier oil Jojoba, Apricot, or even Shea butter
3 to 4 tsp. of dried Sage leaves
1 tbsp Beeswax pellets, Apricot Wax or Soy Wax
1 tsp Vitamin E oil
20 drops of Clary Sage Essential Oil

Gently heat oil on low heat until warm. Stirring constantly, do not allow to boil, Remove from heat and add herbs to oil, and stir with a wire whisk very quickly. Cover and allow to cool completely. Strain oil from herbs. Add the essential oil now and stir quickly again with the wire whisk.

Combine infused oils and beeswax together in a *double boiler until wax melts. Remove from heat when melted. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Pour into containers, allow to cool completely before use.

Imagine you have very sensitive skin, and no commercial product would suit your needs. Imagine you’re very creative and thoughtful, and crafted a super-product to perfectly meet your needs. Imagine you decided to sell that product to friends, co-workers, online or at local farmers markets. Great, or so you thought. The FDA has other intentions.

Dear Members,

I write to you with an update on a regulatory concern that threatens the Indie Beauty industry, and the action I would like to take.

First a bit of background.

Before 2000, the year I founded the Indie Beauty Network, I worked as an attorney for many years, mostly as an advocate for various companies before federal and state regulatory bodies. When I started making cosmetics of my own, and later selling them, I often pondered and appreciated the regulatory freedoms that participants in the cosmetics industry enjoyed.

Unlike other industries, cosmetics industry participants do not have to register their businesses or their manufacturing facilities with the federal government. Registration is voluntary, and estimates are that less than 1/3 of the operating cosmetics facilities in the US are registered under the FDA’s voluntary registration program. While a few states require facility registration, the vast majority do not. In addition, companies do not have to obtain state or federal pre-approval before selling cosmetics.

One of the reasons I started IBN is because I have a passion for cosmetics and beauty products. I also have a passion for you — the Indie beauty business owners — who make and sell them. I have always felt strongly that, as the industry grew and flourished, increased regulatory oversight would follow.

Today, Congress is poised to give the Food & Drug Administration the ability to implement what I consider to be burdensome and costly regulations that go far beyond what is required for the agency to effectively perform its legislative mandate.

I formed IBN in part so that, when the time came, IBN members would have an advocate in the event this type of unfair regulation became a possibility.

It seems as though that time has come.

Food and Drug Administration Globalization Act of 2008

The draft of the Food and Drug Administration Globalization Act of 2008 was announced late last month. The legislation is aimed at giving the FDA authority to promulgate new regulations that are supposed to protect consumers and also provide the funding the agency needs to enforce existing laws in a global market.

Since its announcement, several industry participants have testified before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Health about the draft, including Stephen F. Sundlof, DVM, PhD, Director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the Food and Drug Administration, and a representative of the Personal Care Products Council, formerly known as the Cosmetic, Toiletries & Fragrances Association. (See: http://www.personalcarecouncil.org/Template.cfm?Section=News_Room&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=5976)

You can read the full text of the draft legislation here: http://energycommerce.house.gov/FDAGlobalAct-08/Dingel_60AXML.pdf. As you can see, the proposed legislation would, among other things:

1. Require all cosmetics companies serving American consumers to register annually with the FDA, and pay a registration fee of $2,000 per facility per year, and to list in its registration the cosmetics is manufactures, processes, packs or holds, and also, for manufacturers, to list all ingredients in each product contained in the registration listing.

2. Require all cosmetics companies to report to the FDA “serious adverse events” resulting from the use of the products.

3. Require all cosmetics companies to comply with the FDA’s Good Manufacturing Practices.

4. Require all cosmetics that import cosmetics to register annually with the FDA, and pay another registration fee to do so.

5. Give the FDA authority to levy substantial fines for violations of the new requirements.

The implications of passage of this draft legislation are obvious and far reaching, and should it become law, it will have a definitive and immediate effect. While I feel we must acknowledge the critical role of the FDA in protecting consumers from unsafe or misbranded cosmetics products, we also must ensure that they appreciate that imposition of registration fees, registration requirements and burdensome reporting requirements on small businesses will snuff out an entire segment of the cosmetics industry. It will also have the devastating effect of hampering the creativity and robust competition that consumers have come to expect and appreciate. What I’d Like To Do On Your Behalf

I would like to prepare a position paper on behalf of the 700+ members of the Indie Beauty Network to will address the draft legislation and share IBN members’ perspective. Of course, I first need to know what your perspective is, so I have set up a forum for you to post your opinions: http://www.indiebusinessforum.com/showthread.php?p=695#post695

Please share your suggestions, opinions and questions there.

Please post your comments as soon as possible. Once they are reviewed, I will call a member-wide teleconference meeting to address our options so we can collectively decide what steps to take next.

I will also post this email message there, along with other updates from time to time. Please note that the forum is open to the public at this time, but any draft letters sent to any authority on this topic will be vetted only among IBN members in a private forum. Members of the public will not be able to see our draft letters, or the edits we make to them.

Please feel free to post this email to your blogs, discussion groups, newsletters, etc. I know it’s kind of long, but if you post it, please do so without making any changes.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and questions, and to working with you on these important matters.

Thank you,

Donna Maria Coles Johnson

Founder & President

The Indie Beauty Network

Selected Resources & Links:

Committee on Energy & Commerce Website: http://energycommerce.house.gov/FDAGlobalAct-08/index.shtml

Discussion Draft Legislation: http://energycommerce.house.gov/FDAGlobalAct-08/Dingel_60AXML.pdf

Testimony of Janet Woodcock, M.D., Director, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research http://www.fda.gov/ola/2008/fdaglobalact050108.html

Testimony of Center for Science in the Public Interest: http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety/fdaglobalizationact.pdf

I ask you to do your part and contact your local representative and urge them to veto this amendment. We need choice and this bill is NOT small-business friendly.

Thank you from this Indie!

xoxo
Jen

We’re sending candles down to LA for another green with music event! They are doing a wrap party for “Battleground Earth” BG is a reality TV show starring Tommy Lee and Ludacris, they had to compete to see who would have the least amount of carbon foot print by end of show. Basically they are promoting environmental awareness - you can be green and a “rock star”.

Though I personally don’t care for their tunes, I do appreciate the message. You can see the lovely little gifts we crafted for their gift bags in the pic - aren’t they cute?

Also, if you happen to watch the finale, our candles are supposed to be all over the set so drop us a line and tell me what you thought cheers!

After months of stalling, the Bush administration’s recent decision to list polar bears as a “threatened” species — while failing to provide any real protections for these magnificent Arctic animals — rings pretty hollow.

With this listing, the administration continues to ignore the ongoing threats that global warming and oil and gas leasing pose to polar bears. This federal decision was carefully crafted to leave holes big enough to drive an oil tanker through… which is exactly what the administration wants.

The Polar Bear Seas Protection Act, introduced last week by Representatives Jay Inslee and Maurice Hinchey, seeks to protect these critical polar bear habitats until essential environmental impact questions are answered and the Department of the Interior clearly designates critical, protected habitats.

You can help these magnificent animals by demanding change - sign this petition today!

article courtesy of earthjustice.org

Have you ever thought about what’s in your toothpaste? Does your toothpaste list the ingredients on the tube? It’s highly unlikely that you’ll find out. If that frightens you, try making your own old-fashioned “toothpowder”.

This old fashioned toothpowder doesn’t have the consistency that most people associate with toothpaste, but it leaves your teeth feeling clean as can be. If you like a sweet toothpowder, add 1/2 teaspoon of stevia powder (available at any health food store location or online.)

Minty Fresh Tooth Powder

1/2 cup baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons myrrh powder
1/2 teaspoon stevia powder (optional)
20 to 40 drops peppermint essential oil

Mix all these ingredients together and store in an airtight container. To use, place 1 teaspoon of the powder into a small bowl or the palm of your hand. Wet your toothbrush, and dip the toothbrush into the powder. Brush and rinse throughly.

Herbal Healing Toothpowder:

This combination of herbs helps heal mild to moderate cases of gingivitis by tightening gums and fighting bacteria. It’s very astringent and doesn’t taste that great, but it does work wonders.

2 tablespoons powdered myrrh
4 tablespoons powdered white oak bark
4 tablespoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon powdered cloves
1/4 teaspooon powdered cinnamon

Mix all the ingredients listed above together and store in a tightly covered container. To use, place 1 teaspoons into the palm of your hand or a small bowl. Wet your toothbrush, and dip the toothbrush into the powder. Brush your teeth and gums thoroughly with the powder and rinse well with luke warm water. That’s probably the way your great-great grandparents did it :0

My husband and I were mulling about this morning, and he turned and asked me, “Why do you suppose “they” decided you should wear your wedding ring on your left hand”?

So after a quick google search, here’s what I’ve come up with:

It’s not easy to put a ring around the heart. So in the old days “they” had a simple answer: they put the ring on the third finger which they believed had a vein, artery or nerve (a sort of a USB cable) running directly to the heart. And as the left hand is a bit closer to the heart than the right, they placed engagement and wedding rings on the third finger of the left hand. (In some cultures the ring is worn on the right hand, since the right hand is considered more righteous.)

Interesting eh?

Hmmm… The word ‘they’ appears quite a few time in the previous paragraph, with no indication of who ‘they’ were. Or when or where or why. Seems like it’s alway’s the proverbial “they”..