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What are Nano-Particles in Organic Sunscreens?

http://www.miracle-balm.co.uk/blogs/news/18971259-what-are-nano-particles-in-organic-sunscreens

At Back To Nature we always strive to deliver the facts about any so-called ‘controversial ingredients’ and nano-particles used in various mainstream skin care products, such as sun creams, is one of the latest substances to go under the microscope!

So what are nano-particles?

•    Titanium dioxide nanoparticles are tiny particles between 20 nm and 80 nm in size
•    They work to absorb UV light and provide an excellent natural sun protection barrier
•    They also absorb and scatter visible light, rendering sun creams invisible on the skin

Are nano-particles safe?

The first concern to address about nanoparticles is that because they are so small, it was thought that they may be able to penetrate the skin’s outer layer (or epidermis), reaching the living cells beneath (basel layer) and then pass into the bloodstream.

All studies show that when combined with creams or lotions which contain emulsifiers or binding agents, nanoparticles not only retain their UV light-absorbing capacity, but they ‘clump’ together. This creates much larger, extremely stable molecules that are far too large to penetrate the skin - think of it as trying to fit a football in a snooker pocket! As a result of this discovery, Ecocert has approved the use of nanoparticles as a sun-filter in certified organic products at a concentration of up to a 25%.

There was also the concern that the nanoparticles in sun creams would become reactive with oxygen, spawning free radicals, because by making the particles smaller they had an increased ratio of surface area to density. To solve this problem, titanium dioxide nanoparticles are manufactured with an extremely thin coating of silicates (basically sand or glass) to encase them in a protective layer to ensure that they are completely non-reactive and safe to use even on the most sensitive skin.

Why use nano particles?

The use of titanium dioxide nano particles in organic Sun Lotions was not a decision that was taken lightly by many organic companies but after extensive research most companies are completely confident that they are safe to use. They bring fantastic natural UV protection to many sun products, which otherwise would only be achievable by using synthetic chemical filters, which real organic companies would never use.

The claim that nanoparticles in sun creams can enter the bloodstream and affect living tissue has been totally disproven by every known scientific test conducted. Various open  scholar articles are available on the internet for further research.

To doubly ensure the safety of using nanoparticles in sun creams, opt for companies who never combine them with any active ingredient that specialises in penetrating the skin (e.g deep moisturisation products, extra moisture and hydration). This guarantees that they won’t be transported beneath the top layer of dead skin cells by any other skin penetrating substances. Sun screen products should be of a drier spray-type to avoid this for maximum health results as well as efficiency in protecting your skin.

Did you know that plants also have a complex content of naturally occurring antibiotics?

Did you know that plants also have a complex content of naturally occurring antibiotics, vitamins, enzymes, minerals and essential fatty acids? The real advantage of drugs vs. herbs is that the latter enter and leave the body in the most efficient way, leaving no toxins behind! Fact.

#naturalmedicine #skinhealth #backtonature

To read more:

http://www.miracle-balm.co.uk/blogs/news/18683283-natures-materia-medica 

A quick guide to our every-day products

http://www.miracle-balm.co.uk/blogs/news/18995523-a-quick-guide-to-our-every-day-products

Essential Guide to Baby and Child Skin Care Products

This guide explains which chemical ingredients you should avoid that are common in many high street products for babies and children, and the reasons why you should avoid using these ingredients on your baby or child's delicate skin.

Ingredients to avoid in baby products

Skin care products need only 1% natural ingredients to be called 'natural' and legally get away with the statement. Likewise, skin care products need 75% organic ingredients to be called 'organic'. This is better, obviously, but 25% still remain for toxic chemicals which will be absorbed into your baby's blood stream no matter what.

It is known that substances, when applied to the skin, are absorbed in as little as 26 seconds and enter the bloodstream.  Research has shown that, depending on the nature and properties of the chemical, as much as 60% of what is applied to the skin may be absorbed by the inner organs. In spite of this, many high street baby products contain a very high number of chemicals which can irritate your child's delicate skin and cause allergic reaction.

Even ‘so-called’ natural skin care ranges could be harmful to your baby or child. Skin care products need only 1% natural ingredients to be called 'natural', meaning that some may contain a mix of man-made chemicals and water to make up the remaining 99%. As rates of eczema and allergies among children continue to rise many have pointed to the early introduction of 'toxic toiletries' as a major contributing factor. Let's face it - we didn't have such a huge amount of allergens 50 years ago!

Back to Nature Ltd. is a truly natural and organic range of skin care which do not contain any of the ingredients listed below. Our products are not 1% or 75% natural or organic - they are 100% naturally organic! Our products contain 100% natural organic ingredients which are full of naturally occurring in plant actives - vitamins, essential fatty acids, enzymes, minerals, plant actives and many more. 

Preservatives in baby products

Artificial preservatives are one of the main causes of irritation and allergic reactions. Some are also known to release small amounts of formaldehyde which is an irritant, a carcinogen and neurotoxin. The following ingredients contain formaldehyde, may release formaldehyde or may break down into formaldehyde:

◦ 2-bromo-2 nitropropane-1,3-diol

◦ Diazolidinyl urea

◦ DMDM hydantoin

◦ Imidazolidinyl urea

◦ Quaternium-15

 Other preservatives that can cause an allergic reaction and irritation are:

◦ Methylchloroisothiazolinone

◦ Methylisothiazolinone

◦ Parabens (butyl, ethyl, methyl, propyl, isobutyl)

Carcinogenic linked ingredients

Many cosmetics contain DEA or TEA. Neither is carcinogenic on its own, but if the product contains nitrites (which are not always disclosed on labels and can be disguised as 'parfum' or 'fragrance') it can cause a chemical reaction, leading to the formation of nitrosamines which are carcinogenic.

Other chemicals that pose similar hazards to nitrosamine formation are:

◦ 2-bromo-2 nitropropane-1, 3-diol (Bronopol)

◦ Padimate-O (found in sun screens)

◦ 1,4-Dioxane  

Foaming and emulsifying agents

One of the most common foaming agents in shampoos, shower gels, bubble baths and even toothpaste is sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS). SLS is a known skin irritant and should be avoided - especially on young sensitive skin.

Back to Nature use a beeswax based gentle foaming agents derived from coconut - no SLS! The emulsifying agents are naturally plant derived from olive and other oils.

Babies and perfume

Fragrances are another of the two leading causes of allergy and irritation. If you see the word 'parfum' in the ingredient listing you could risk a hidden multitude of synthetic chemicals. 95% of the mix in most perfumes is made from synthetic chemicals!

Scents made with natural ingredients can also cause skin irritation; however you are less likely to suffer allergic reactions if you use one essential oil or a blend of a few oils, than if you use synthetic fragrances.

Perfume-free products

Most of our Organic Babies range and Organic Children's products contain natural essential oils such as Lavender and Chamomile, although we do also have some which do not have any essential oils at all.

'Parfum' and 'Fragrance' are two very cheeky ingredients which legally contain up to 200 synthetic hazardous and toxic ingredients in them! There is no way of knowing exactly what those ingredients are so best to avoid products which contain 'parfum' or 'fragrance' of any kind.

Avoid colourants

It is wise to avoid synthetic colours.  They are only used to make the products look appealing to the consumer and can cause allergic skin reactions. Some even contain heavy metals and are carcinogenic.

All colours, whether natural or synthetic, are listed as ingredients in cosmetics by their Colour Index (CI) Number.  Each number is unique to a specific colourant material and is shown by the letters CI followed by a 5 digit number, such as CI 75810.  Naturally derived colours from plants and mineral sources will have numbers greater than CI 75000 and as a general rule, to avoid synthetic colours in cosmetics you should not use any product with a CI number of less than CI 75000.

Here at Back To Nature Ltd.  we do not use any colourants as a rule and our products are not only gentle and safe to use, but also leave skin feeling wonderfully soft and nourished.

Alcohol

Ethanol/ethyl alcohol can cause dryness and irritation and increase permeability of the skin, enabling unwanted impurities to be absorbed quicker and must be avoided at all cost! One of the reasons ethanol/ethyl alcohol is added to many skin care products is so the product dries quickly into the skin and the consumer can go about their day without worrying about the excess residue causing any discomfort. Unfortunately something has to give and because our products have 100% natural content they do leave excess residue.. However, this 'problem' can be resolved very easily and quickly, without any harm to your skin! All you need is a tissue!! 

http://www.miracle-balm.co.uk/blogs/news/18968723-essential-guide-to-baby-and-child-skin-care-products

Why Organic is better

Good news if you love organic! Here's why..

A study conducted by an international team of experts at Newcastle University, has proven that organic crops are up to 60% higher in antioxidants compared to non-organic. This proves once and for all that eco-friendly farming really does improve the nutritional quality of our food.

This is the largest ever study of its kind and shows that there is a substantial nutritional benefit to choosing organic produce rather than food made from conventionally grown crops. The study concluded that by switching to organic fruit and vegetables, the additional antioxidants that you receive is equivalent to eating between 1-2 extra portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

As a result of this extensive study, increased cost may no longer be a reason not to shop 'pesticide free'. With more nutritionally dense fruit, vegetables and cereals, you can end up getting more for your money by simply switching to organic!

The study also proves that organic crops have significantly lower levels of cadmium, the toxic heavy metal. Like mercury and lead, cadmium can be extremely damaging to people who are repeatedly exposed, even at very low levels.

So what about organic beauty?

When it comes to organic beauty and skin care, antioxidants (which fight skin-damaging free radicals) are a large part of what makes natural products so effective. By using organic plant actives such as Flaxseed, Grape Seed Oil and Aloe Vera, for example, our products are particularly potent, delivering increased antioxidant content than non-organic skin care brands.

Watch out though - unfortunately many labels which claim 'natural' or 'organic' skin care are not actually completely truthful about their mission and only use these terms to better their products. Real organic products are certified and approved, and real natural products must contain 100% natural ingredients and be completely chemical-free. For more detailed information please visit our easy to understand guide http://www.miracle-balm.co.uk/pages/why-chemical-free

So all of these findings show that thinking about how we use the land doesn’t just benefit the planet - it has a direct impact on our own health and wellbeing. If that’s not a reason to go organic we don’t know what is! It was once said that 'organic' and 'natural' may not be a very happy combination, but if something is given to the power of Nature and is untouched and unaided in its growing process, then it is as happy and as 'organic' as can be!

http://www.miracle-balm.co.uk/blogs/news/18971247-why-organic-is-better

Essential Guide to Menopausal Skin

Menopause is a time of great change in a female body, and what is happening on the inside can have an effect on your skin.  Our essential guide to natural menopausal skin care is intended to help you understand how your skin may react and assist in adjusting your beauty regime. For each of the issues we make a recommendation for natural products to try from our pure and natural skin care range.

Menopause Skin Symptoms: 

Slower skin repair and increased wrinkle formation
During the menopause protein synthesis diminishes which results in reduced production and repair of collagen and elastin in the dermis of the skin.  This increases the likelihood of wrinkles forming, reduces elasticity and means that your skin takes longer to recover from blemishes.
Supporting your skin with Miracle Balm™ will help restore and rejuvenate the supportive structures of the skin, including collagen and elastin. The potent natural plant actives in Miracle Balm™ have remarkable youth-boosting benefits whilst also being very gentle on your skin.

The appearance of age spots
As oestrogen production decreases during the menopause, it has less control over melanin synthesis in the skin. This means you are more likely to develop age spots, also known as hyperpigmentation. These most commonly appear on your face, hands, neck, chest and arms - those areas which have been exposed to most UV radiation over the years.

Naturally inhibiting skin pigmentation is key, using a combination of plant actives to reduce production of the skin pigment melanin by:

1) Inhibiting the enzyme tyrosinase which is responsible for initiating melanin production
2) Restricting the transfer of freshly formed melanin into cells called malanosomes where it matures and develops its brown colouration;
3) Exfoliating mature, melanin-containing skin cells to reveal younger, lighter coloured underlying skin cells.

Back to Nature offers a Custom-Made Option to aid with any of these.

Development of sagging skin and cellulite
As oestrogen levels drop during menopause, fat deposits in the skin often become concentrated over the stomach and on the thighs and buttocks. The redistribution of fat deposits reduces the thickness of the supportive fat layer beneath the skin of the face, neck, hands and arms which means the skin can start to sag. Counteract sagging and cellulite with Back To Nature's natural exfoliating mud and anti-cellulite toning cream

Increased tendency for spots and blemishes
You may find that during the menopause, your skin develops spots or acne, even if you have not suffered these problems for years. The reason is that cell renewal slows down and your sebaceous glands have begun to secrete a thicker form of sebum, which can lead to the appearance of oily skin. This can also cause blockage of the pores, increasing the tendency toward adult acne in some women.
Spot and sebum control with our Willow Bark Cleansing Bar and a natural Anti-Blemish cream.
Our Mineral Rich Clay with tea tree and lavender will help draw out impurities and gently exfoliate excess dead skin cells to reduce the risk of pore blockage, and to help control the bacteria responsible for acne spot formation.

As well as the issues we have covered here, menopausal skin can also be sensitive to harsh ingredients that are found in many anti-ageing products. Back to Nature Ltd is a natural organic beauty range of treatments specifically developed for all skin types, including mature skin, which does not contain drying alcohol, parabens, methylisothiazolinone, SLS, artificial fragrances or any other questionable ingredients.

For more information, please browse through our website page entitled 'Why go Chemical-Free?

http://www.miracle-balm.co.uk/blogs/news/18896207-essential-guide-to-menopausal-skin-care