You Shouldn't Be Having Dry, Tight Skin After Your Shower.

We've all experienced that dry, tight feeling on our skin after a shower and we've come to associate it with being clean. Your skin is NOT clean, its dry. Skin feeling dry after a shower probably means your shower gel contains parabens and sulphates. These have been known to dehydrate skin. Parabens are a variety of commonly used preservatives in personal care products and sulphates help make cleaning agents frothy. While the jury is still out on whether they are harmful to health, there is little doubt they can be harsh on skin.

Parabens and sulphates often strip skin of oils. While this may seem like a good idea, that oily layer (good oils) is necessary for skin hydration and health. Within that thin oily layer resides many good bacteria. They protect skin against external bacteria and forms part of its protective layer.

Due to this protective layer being removed (resulting in that dry, tight feeling after a shower) many of us apply moisturiser to rehydrate skin. That stops skin from temporarily feeling dry but that protective layer is missing and skin's pH becomes imbalanced. All this serves to weaken skin over time, making it more susceptible to wrinkles, age spots, scarring and ineffective healing.

The alternative is to shower in botanical formulas made without parabens, sulphates or fragrances. There are a few on the market and they are excellent choices for sustainable skin health. The shift towards these much better cleansing options have been slow for two reasons. Firstly, they seem more expensive at first glance. However, many organic formulas have low water content. This means you will need less shower gel to have a shower. This is also better for the environment as fewer plastic bottles are used. We've estimated that organic shower gels are only about 8% more expensive per shower and reduce carbon footprint by 30%.

d'Organica's™ research department recently (Jan, 2016) conducted an experiment with 82 participants (mainly women) who use moisturiser after a shower. They found that 68% of participants, after using a chemical-free shower gel (d'Organica™ Revitalising Shower Gel), said that they no longer felt they needed to moisturise after their shower. 18% said they would moisturise anyway out of habit and only 15% said their skin still needed moisturising.

We conclude from this experiment that many commonly used bath gels, overly dry skin and the subsequent use of moisturiser is often unnecessary. It's a cycle of over consumption that we don't need. This can be seen with hair care products too - the amount of conditioner used can be severely reduced if shampoos were less harsh on hair.

Let's review the purpose of using shower gel to begin with  - It is to clean. So, does organic, paraben, sulphate-free shower gels clean skin throughly. Yes! It does. Instead of using abrasion to strip skin of dirt, grime and odour, chemical-free shower gels use ionisation technology. The compounds in the gels attract dirt and odour. It sticks to the shower gel compounds  and it gets washed away when you rinse. It's micro smart chemistry.
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Read our previous blog on our "over consumption of personal care". Become aware that organic formulas are not just a luxury item or a passing phase. With growing numbers of people with skin sensitivities and diseases, knowing what you put on your skin and what you cleanse with is vital for sustainable skin health.

brought to you by www.dorganica.net

Huge Inspiration from Oprah

This video really touched me and I wanted to share it with you. It's changed me and inspired me to take this blog and how I think about things in a different direction ...

Are you waking up everyday and wondering what you're doing with your life, with yourself? Watch this! Oprah has a way of keeping it simple and giving you direction through inspiration; not telling you what you should do ...

Sick Air Syndrome - The air in your office is probably making you sick.

Isn’t it ironic that as air quality outside is stabilising, due to government agency regulation, the air quality inside our offices is probably getting worse? The irony continues. According to Environmental Protection Agency’s  (US) 2015 report, newer, more energy efficent buildings are more likely to have poorer air quality than older buildings. It is estimated that a quarter of buildings in the US that are new or have been newly renovated suffer from poor internal air quality, making them ‘Sick Buildings”. Employees falling ill from building-related illnesses cost companies billions annually from lost productivity, resulting in them looking for solutions to this very expensive problem.

The Problem. The Reality

Certainly, in very polluted cities like Beijing and Mumbai, internal air quality by comparison is better. By in large, employees are working in a mild chemical stew due to urbanisation. 

Ways pollution enters our buildings

• If fresh-air-intake vents from the a/c are in the basement or loading docks, it carries carbon monoxide from the vehicles exhaust.

• If smokers are smoking next to the intake vents, offices become polluted with second hand smoke.

• Printers and fax machines still omit ozone depleting compounds

• Pesticides and other chemical cleaning sprays will linger for days on office carpets.

• Revolving doors suck in car and cigarette fumes from the outside.

Find your indoor air scenting / deodorising solution here

And guess what? You can’t escape because in high-rise and newer buildings, you can’t open the windows. You’re in a sealed building. Trapped with the air you’re in.

Even if your indoor air isn’t polluted, you simply may not be getting enough fresh air. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers recommends that ventilation systems pump in 20 cubic feet of fresh air per minute for every person in office spaces. In many cases, however, building operators pump in only 5 cubic feet. That’s like being in the air of a plane.

A long-distance flight, however only lasts a few hours. While you may spend up to 10 hours a day breathing bad indoor air. The result: headaches, nausea, dizziness, irritability, itchy eyes, and respiratory illnesses.

Building-Related Diseases vs Sick Building Syndrome

Building Related Diseases

Building-related diseases have a traceable cause such as colds that spread through an office or allergies and asthma brought on by dust or mold.  

If you suspect that something in your work environment may be to blame, ask your human resources representative to talk to the building manager about having the building inspected. If others in your work area are ill as well, document your symptoms, including when and where they occur. Don’t be afraid to speak up. Finding the root of the problem is to your employer’s benefit, too. 

Building-related asthma, for example, can cause permanent damage to your health and lost productivity and increased health costs for your employer. Investigators should check for water damage and humidifiers contaminated with microbes, which may contribute to work-related asthma and hypersensitivity pneumonitis, according to work-health specialists Mark Cullen and Kathleen Kreiss, who discuss indoor air pollution in the textbook Occupational Health (Lippincott, 2000).

Cullen and Kreiss add that nausea and headaches suggest carbon monoxide may be sneaking into the building through the air-duct system. Mysterious itching may be caused by exposure to fibrous glass from an air-duct lining. And relentless coughing and throat irritation may be the end result of harsh or improperly used carpet cleaners.

Find the solution to your indoor scenting / deodorising problem here

Sick building syndrome

You’re sick ... simply unwell. You feel a constellation of symptoms, fatigue, headache, dry, itchy skin, and irritation of mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, and throat. These symptoms tend to disappear once you’re out of the suspect building.

People with sick building syndrome usually don’t have any disease that a doctor can detect, but their suffering is undeniable, says Richard Lockey, MD, director of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at the University of South Florida and an expert on indoor air quality. In some cases, the symptoms are so severe that a person can no longer work at the building in question.

Sick building syndrome has become more common than all building-related diseases combined. So far, Lockey says, familiarity hasn’t led to understanding. Nobody knows for sure why so many people are getting sick: Is it really the air or is it something else?

Could sick building syndrome be related to the energy crisis of the 1970s, which resulted in highly insulated “tight buildings” and a lowering of ventilation standards to 5 cubic feet of outdoor air per person per minute? Or perhaps small impurities in the air are adding up to something big. As explained in a 1997 article in The Lancet, a British medical journal, tiny amounts of chemicals escaping from paints, carpets, office supplies, photocopiers, and other sources may be combining to make the air hazardous.

Some reports of sick building syndrome have been linked to another great epidemic of our times - job stress. According to Cullen and Kreiss, repetitive tasks, poor work relationships, and feelings of helplessness can all sap workers’ health as well as their enthusiasm. Anybody who spends all day doing tedious work and sparring with bosses and coworkers is bound to feel terrible, fumes or no fumes. Whether the main problem is stress or bad air, employers have to realise their employees are suffering real symptoms. Sick employees are never good for business.

A natural way to detox the air with Singapore Scenting Systems™

Some Quick Fix Solutions

• Don’t obstruct air vents or grilles.
• Smokers must keep away from the fresh air intake ducts. 
• Take care of your office plants -- dusty, dying plants don’t do anything for the air quality in your office, and over-watered plants can develop mold.
• Get rid of garbage promptly to prevent odours and biological contamination.
• Store food properly. Keep perishable food in the refrigerator, and clean the refrigerator out frequently to prevent odours and mold.
• Keep eating areas clean to avoid attracting pests. (Cockroaches have been linked to respiratory problems -- according to the EPA, certain proteins in cockroach droppings and saliva can cause allergic reactions or trigger asthma symptoms.)
• If you or your coworkers are having health problems that you think may be related to your office environment, work with your HR representative and building personnel to find the cause of the problem.

A Long Term Solutions requiring no construction

Source for a natural solution that doesn’t mask the problem but neutralises it. Singapore Scenting Systems™ has developed a solution that’s better than opening the windows in your high-rise office - Let’s face it, there’s no fresh air out there either.

Singapore Scenting Systems™, detoxes, deodorises and ionises the air that’s already in your office. It literally kills everything that’s not suppose to be there making the air fresh and clean. And with the right choice of essential oils, it can also uplift the space with beneficial aromas. Want to find out more? Visit www.thelittleessentials.com or email dianne@thelittleessentials.com.

A natural way to detox the air by Singapore Scenting Systems™

References

Environmental Protection Agency. Air Trends. November 2008. http://www.epa.gov/airtrends

Environmental Protection Agency. Indoor Air Pollution: An Introduction for Health Professionals. August 2006. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/hpguide.html

Air Quality Continues to Improve: new report and data. Environmental Protection Agency. Sept. 15, 2003. http://www.epa.gov/newsroom/headline_091503.htm

Building Air Quality: A Guide for Building Owners and Facility Managers, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/pdfs/iaq.pdf

Routine Maintenance, Cleaning Key to Eliminating Deadly Bacteria, Occupational Hazards, May 1, 2001, Vol. 63, No. 5, Pg. 31

An Office Building Occupant’s Guide to Indoor Air Quality. Environmental Protection Agency.

Indoor Environmental Quality, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, June 1997, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ieqfs.html

Last Updated: Aug 11, 2015

Essential Oils as the new antibiotics to counter "superbugs"

ESSENTIAL OILS MIGHT BE THE NEW ANTI-BIOTICS

Add 4 drops of tea tree oil to
your vaporiser to kill airborne bacteria.
 Click here to buy Aust. certified Org.
Tea Tree Oil S$41.06. 

Below is a simple summary of the debate on why essential oils might be a better alternative than antibiotics in the war against bacteria and viruses.

Essential oils are ultimately just plant extracts—and those are used in countless products and and are the main ingredient in some insecticides and some over-the-counter medications, like Vicks and some hair lice sprays. They’re used in food and beverage industry because of their preservative potency against food-borne pathogens—thanks to their antimicrobial, antibacterial, and anti-fungal properties. Various oils have also been shown to effectively treat a wide range of common health issues such as nausea and headaches, and a rapidly growing body of research is finding that they are powerful enough to kill human cancer cells.

A handful of promising, real-life studies have been conducted with humans and other animals, but most  has been conducted in the lab. More controlled trials will be required before some of these applications will be available to the public, but meanwhile, scientists have turned up exciting results in another area of use: countering the growing antibiotic-resistance crisis. “The loss of antibiotics due to antimicrobial resistance is potentially one of the most important challenges the medical and animal-health communities will face in the 21st century,” says Dr. Cyril Gay, the senior national program leader at the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service.

Can you believe that 80% of antibiotics consumed in the US is fed to livestock, and the percentages are increasing. We are now more resistant to antibiotics because we are not only consuming it directly but ingesting it via the meats we eats. There is now a strain of "super bugs" which are resistant to drugs in both humans and animals. The result - uncontrollable death rates in human and animals and billions of dollars in cost to the global economy (est. US$100 trillion by 2050), not to mention the billions of dollars needed (est. US$20 billion) to come up with new drugs to keep up with these "superbugs".

Livestock still need small amounts of antibiotics to treat infections. However, they are getting inventions (and the prevention of infection) in the first place because they are forced fed with growth hormones and live in cramped unsanitary conditions. The biggest misuse of antibiotics have in the farms!

Some evidence that natural antibiotics work

Published in October 2014, Poultry Science, found that chickens who consumed feed with added oregano oil had a much better survival rate than untreated chickens. Other research from a 2011 issue of BMC Proceedings, showed that adding a combination of plant extracts—from oregano, cinnamon, and chili peppers—actually changed the gene expression of treated chickens, resulting in weight gain as well as protection against an injected intestinal infection. So, there are even alternatives to growth hormones in poultry.

Some evidence that essential oils are just as powerful as manufactured antibiotocs

A study published in March 2012, Journal of Animal Science, found that rosemary and oregano oils resulted in the same amount of growth in chickens as the antibiotic avilamycin, and that the oils killed bacteria, too. Essential oils help reduce salmonella in chickens, and another study found that a blend of several oils can limit the spread of salmonella among animals. One of the co-authors of that study, Dr. Charles Hofacre, a professor at the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine, says it’s such a new area of research that they don’t yet know exactly how the essential oils work, but “there is some strong evidence that they are functioning by both an antibacterial action in the intestine and also some have an effect to stimulate the intestinal cells ability to recover from disease more quickly–either by local immunity or helping keep the intestinal cells themselves healthier.”Lavender (Florin Gorgan/Flickr)

Evidence that essential oils may work better than antibiotics in humans

1) The healing of wounds from staff infections in hospitals were significantly faster when treated with tea tree oil

2) Sanitising gel made with lemongrass oil reduced the spread of infection from contact.

Research published in December 2013 reported that a hand gel made with lemongrass oil was effective in reducing MRSA on the skin of human volunteers, and previous research has shown that a cleanser made with tea-tree oil clears MRSA from the skin as effectively as the standard treatments to which bacteria appear to be developing resistance. This type of simple, inexpensive fix—an essential-oil-based hand sanitizer—could be a major boost to hospitals, in particular, since MRSA infections are so common in healthcare settings.

Recent studies showed that lavender and cinnamon essential oils killed E. coli, and when combined with the antibiotic piperacillin, the oils reversed the resistance of the E. coli bacteria to the antibiotic. Anotherrecent study found that basil oil and rosemary oil were both effective in inhibiting the growth of 60 strains of E. coli retrieved from hospital patients. Other research has produced similar results for many other essential oils, both alone and in combination with antibiotics. Researchers believe that one mechanism by which the oils work is by weakening the cell wall of resistant bacteria, thereby damaging or killing the cells while also allowing the antibiotic in.

Much research is needed to understand essential oils better but the money needed for this research is difficult to source as most research dollars come from the pharmaceutical industry.

Essential oils are a fix of a problem that still will continue is major changes to commercial farming are not sort out. If essential oils are to be a proper long term alternative, they must demonstrate that this practice is really useful, and essential oils must be given the same scrutiny that antibiotics haven’t been given.

Full and original article here : http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/01/...

HOW I USE ESSENTIAL OILS IN MY DAY by Dianne Little

HELLO,

When I first starting using essential oils, I found it complicated and confusing. I soon reaslied that this was because many retailers bombarded me with an overwhelming amount of information about what essential oils can do. Frankly, I got lost in that sea of information.

While I am in awe of the flexibility of essential oils, when you distill all that information down, certain oils with certain grades and more suited for certain things. So, the information on this website is primarily targeted for skincare and topical application. The reason being is that our products are all therapeutic grade. This means that they have strong remedial and healing properties. Our products are also 100% certified organic. This means that they are pesticide and chemical free.

Put this all together and you get a premium product which is safe (please see disclaimer) and effective for skincare and topical application. It would be a waste to use such premium products in your household cleaners or in a diffuser for scent purposes. So, we've kept it simple - providing information on essential oils for skin radiance because that's what the quality of our oils are designed for.

Your skin is the external representation of you. At The Little Essentials we want to invite you to take care of your skin the best way you can with the best natural skincare you can find.  

I personally use all of the pure essential oils in our range. After all, if I don't use or believe in the quality of my product, why should I expect you too. I wanted to share with you how I personally use essential oils in my day. Perhaps it may give you some inspiration into how to use it in yours.

Also I would like to know how you use The Little Essentials essential oils in your day. I'd love to hear from you via Facebook, Twitter or send me a personal email on dianne@thelittleessentials.com.

Warm Regards,

Dianne Little

CEO & Marketing Director

The Little Essential Pte Ltd

The following is an example of how I use essential oils in my day : 

	WEEKDAY	WEEKEND
Diffuser	In my car : I reuse Glade car freshners (the kind that comes in a bottle and clips onto your air-con vent). I wash out the wick and bottle and fill the bottle with lemongrass oil. It's a fresh and uplfting scent.	3-4 drops of lemongrass oil into a diffuser. It makes my bathroom smell like a spa.
Skin	Day : Eucalyptus spray under my arms. It kills odour causing bacteria which deodarants do not do. However, I use an anti-perspirant after it dries to reduce sweat as essential oils do not help with this. Night : Replace moisturiser with rosehip	Day: Use a lemongrass spray on my legs. I'm prone to insect bites. Eucalptus works too but doesn't smell as great. Night : Replace moisturiser with Argan
Hair	Argan on my tips to prevents fly-away hairs and repair split ends. I use a tea tree hair spray to give my hair a nice scent.	In the Pool : I rub rosehip onto my hair to seal the shaft. It prevents chlorine from entering into it and drying it out. Rosehip is a dry oil so it won't disappate into the pool
Face	Day - Tea tree spray as a face toner. I suffer from acne and tea tree is toxic to bacteria found in acne.	Night - I use 1 pump of argan under my eyes, my face and neck. I do not own night cream. Although I'm prone to acne. Argan oil has actually reduced my acne.

CLICK HERE FOR SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO USE  ESSENTIAL OILS

Custom designed scenting PORCELAIN

Fine China (Porcelain) scenting tray. Place your essential oil bottles on the leaf and scent the flower . Our company creates  handmade, custom designed scenting trays from organic porcelain.

Very few companies on the market can claim to do this - custom designed handcrafted scenting porcelain (NOT CLAY). Imagine creating a family heirloom or an exquisite parting-gift for your wedding ... Contact us on dianne@thelittleessentials.com and allow me to give you some ideas on what I can do for you.

International Women's Day 2014 - HER FABULOUSNESS

International Women's Day 2014 Theme: HER FABULOUSNESS

Women's equality has made positive gains but the world is still unequal. International Women's Day celebrates the social, political and economic achievements of women while focusing world attention on areas requiring further action.

HER FABULOUSNESS is the 2014 theme for International Womens' Day in Singapore. The United Nations declares an annual theme (see below) but in Singapore we have opted to select our own theme "Her Fabulousness" to celebrate the fact that women are not only strong, empowered and multi taskers but are beautiful, sexy and soft too. All aspects of a woman should be celebrated. Not just women's contributions in the public sphere.

In line with this, my company THE LITTLE ESSENTIALS will be sponsoring an event to celebrate International Women's Day in Singapore on March 7th (actual IWD is March 8th). Please see link below for details. If you are in the country, please stop by and receive free drinks, an enticing goodie bag, a fashion show and lots of entertainment ... See links below for event details. Hope to see you there.

https://www.facebook.com/events/213123522216168/?notif_t=plan_user_joined

https://www.facebook.com/TheLittleEssentials

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Each year International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8. The first International Women's Day was held in 1911. Thousands of events occur to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women. Organisations, governments, charities, educational institutions, women's groups, corporations and the media celebrate the day.

Some groups select their own International Women's Day theme, specific to their local context. For example, the European Parliament's 2013 theme was "Women's response to the crisis" and their 2012 theme "Equal pay for work of equal value".

The United Nations declares an annual theme:

- 2013: A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women
- 2012: Empower Rural Women – End Hunger and Poverty
- 2011: Equal access to education, training and science and technology
- 2010: Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all
- 2009: Women and men united to end violence against women and girls
- 2008: Investing in Women and Girls
- 2007: Ending Impunity for Violence against Women and Girls
- 2006: Women in decision-making
- 2005: Gender Equality Beyond 2005: Building a More Secure Future
- 2004: Women and HIV/AIDS
- 2003: Gender Equality and the Millennium Development Goals
- 2002: Afghan Women Today: Realities and Opportunities
- 2001: Women and Peace: Women Managing Conflicts
- 2000: Women Uniting for Peace
- 1999: World Free of Violence against Women
- 1998: Women and Human Rights
- 1997: Women at the Peace Table
- 1996: Celebrating the Past, Planning for the Future
- 1975: United Nations recognizes International Women's Day