About

You could call it an unofficial New Year’s resolution.

Just late last year [2008], I think after I learned about the possible hazards of drinking out of my plastic nalgene bottle, I begin to research certain aspects of the organic movement.  I have always looked up to certain people that live by this “code” and admired their dedication, not so much in terms of “preserving the earth” but simply for health reasons.  But I’d never actively pursued these things myself.

I found the National Geographic’s Green Guide while looking for a non-pasta equivalent cat food for our oversized furballs and consequently, their article titled “the Dirty Dozen Chemicals in Cosmetics.”  Always the graphic designer, I created and printed a business card with this info to carry with me when buying cosmetics so I could quickly recognize the “psuedonyms” these chemicals were being listed under (available for free download on ‘Box.net’ on the right hand side of this page).  Through this website I discovered the Skin Deep Cosmetic Database.

I used to use straight organic honey for a face wash/masque and decided to go the more costly, albeit convenient, route and find an organic skincare line. I found a brand that claimed to be “organic” and was reasonably priced on Amazon and I looked it up on the Cosmetic Database.  It rated WORSE than most non-organic brands.

If you aren’t convinced of the hype about organics, all you need to do is go grab a couple items out of your bathroom cabinet and check them against this database.  It’s downright frightening. Basically it has a 1-10 scale and rates the overall health risk of the product, breaking it down into cancer causing, irritant, causes reproductive complications, etc. It also breaks down each individual ingredient into the same categories.

I started checking everything I currently had and all the “organic” products online.  None of them scored well, and when you looked at the organic product ingredients they weren’t much different than mainstream brands – just more expensive.

I spent a lot of time on this research before I discovered MiEssence. Sold by ONEgroup, it claimed to be organic (certified organic, even) so I checked it against the database.  All their products rated at 0 and a couple 1’s [the lowest ratings]. They are made in Australia and Australian Organic Certified. Finally!  Pricy, I decided to purchase a travel pack to test. It is FANTASTIC. So much so that I decided to become a representative and have my own online store. I love the fact that I can read all the ingredients without a guide and actually know what they are and that they are good for my skin.

This has kind marked the beginning of my organic journey… I am trying to become more green conscious. A lot of this has to do with reading the labels – it angers me how many products slap a “green” or “organic” label on their product and mark it up. I have discovered a new passion for researching real organics, and I want to share what I learn. Not everyone enjoys long hours staring at a computer screen, but these are facts that everyone should know.

Feel free to contact with questions or comments. I am still new at this and learning, so if I post anything you know to be incorrect please let me know! My miessence store can be accessed here, and I am always available to answer any questions or recommendations on their products. I hope the information on post here helps you in your quest live naturally.