Creme Deodorant

Many of you are under the spell of this hippie shit already, but those who are still on the fence: I urge you to read this interview with creator, Maren, It’s likely that after trying this product, you will become a follower soon. A variety of scents are available at the shop: Lavender, Lemony, Bergamot, and Yazmine Sage. Figuring out your fave is really like picking a favorite child: impossible.  

3706 E Anaheim Ave Long Beach, CA 90804.

Q: Where are you from? What are your hobbies? Do you create your beauty products full time?

A: I’m from Fountain Valley and I’m 35, a mom and a wife.  I enjoy thrifting with my teen daughter, Ruby, and cuddling up with my son Cruz to watch cartoons.  I don’t care for any popular “TV” shows; I’d rather listen to music.  I am a hair stylist and makeup artist first, and a natural beauty product developer second.

Q: How did you get in the pit business?

A: I actually was inspired to begin my natural product line by you!  Your article for Pastorale Magazine about deodorant spoke to me. The options, and whether we want to be stinky or slather cancer all over our pits.  After reading that, I was online reading everything I could about natural skincare, what folks were doing at home, and figuring out how I was going to incorporate that into my daily life.

Q: Do you have a personal favorite scent?

A: My favorite scent is Yazmine Sage.  It’s an acquired scent but after making batch after batch of Lemony and Lavender, something different is pretty welcoming.

Q: How do you come up with scents? Inspiration?

A: I typically begin developing scents around the antimicrobial essential oils first, and then adding secondary scents for a more aesthetic aroma.  Sometimes I get awesome suggestions from clients, which will inspire me to come up with something new and different. 

Q: Tell me about the ingredients you use.

A: I use organic pure essential oils, as well as organic coconut oil; however, the cornstarch and arrowroot powder is not confirmed to be organic.  I’ve found some great suppliers, most of which are in Oregon. My long-term goal is to connect with local growers and businesses to make my products in the future.

Q: Any special instructions?

A: I use my wooden spoon to scoop a ball about the size of a nickel and put one under each pit and put my arm down.  By the time I’ve applied to both underarms and screwed the lid back on, my body temperature has melted it and it creates a much smoother consistency for spreading with your fingers.  Also, should you have sensitive skin, applying Lemony on freshly shaved pits may cause a little burning from the natural citrus oils.  It doesn’t happen to everyone, just be cautious if you’re prone to sensitivity.

Q: What is your favorite movie?

A: Any John Hughes film is a win (yeah, original, I know). Tank Girl is a cult classic for me as well as Rocky Horror.

Social Media:

Instagram & twitter: @gstyleanddesign

Facebook: @Marengalindostyle 

Edited by Toni Mathews ms.tonimathews@gmail.com

Mixed Chicks

New product alert for my curly girls! The line Mixed chicks (aka anyone with curly hair) came out with a product called the "morning after". Its a curl redefining foam to be used on dry hair. Do you ever wake up with a head full and frizz and think the only thing that can help this mess is to wash? Well get lazy cause all you really need is some of this and your back in smooth business. I was personally a little scared because my curls are not of the course variety. They are fine and soft but this did not give me top o' ramen hair. *rejoice* You just scrunch/apply it in like you would any other foam/mousse. I know every gal has their way that works best for their hair type. Regardless, get into it. Less wash, less color fade, less damage.

Paraben Free the Way to be?

As consumers grow ingredient savvy the debate on the safety of Parabens in personal hygiene and beauty products continues steadily.  The great paraben panic began when scientific studies, followed by viral email news stories, reported that high concentrations of parabens in the body can cause cell mutation leading to cancer – more specifically breast cancer. Many scientific reports have since have discredited parabens having any direct link cancer requiring further study, however, the interpretation of the findings is all over the map.

What is a Paraben? A paraben is a preservative used in products to increase shelf life. They are widely used because they are compatible in many formulas and provide bactericidal and fungicidal properties in products.  All commercially used parabens are synthetically produced although some are identical to naturally occurring parabens, like the ones found in blueberries.

Why the controversy? A very small percentage of consumers with skin allergies, specifically paraben allergies, can experience contact dermatitis or rosacea. 

Research has loosely connected parabens found in anti-perspirants to the usual location of tumors in breast tissue; the upper area of the tissue nearest the armpit.  The controversial ingredient has proven to mimic estrogen and some estrogens are known to drive the growth of tumors. It is also important to note that the mutating activity of estrogen that causes cancerous tumors and estrogen production are not the same thing.  

In addition to scientific reporting, The American Cancer Society has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to support a claim that use of cosmetics such as antiperspirants increase an individual's risk of developing breast cancer, but went on to state that "larger studies are needed to find out what effect, if any, parabens might have on breast cancer risk”.

Until research proves otherwise, it’s probably safe to say we don’t have much to worry about as far as facial cosmetics go.  Body products, however, we’re going to say better safe then sorry. 

Sources:

http://safecosmetics.org/

www.fda.gov

www.cancer.org