An Organic Snag

For months we've been working with the Utah State Department of Agriculture to become a certified organic processing facility. It's a great state program, in fact it's the only one in the nation that has the power to certify farmers and producers and to enforce NOP (National Organic Program) rules. It's inexpensive for businesses to get certification, local, and saves the hassle of having to fly an inspector out. It's a very thick packet that I work on in-between every thing else that I do (accounting, answering e-mails, developing new products, overseeing production, shipping...you get the picture). Back in January, I was getting close to sending it in and was ready to fill out the final part of the application. I sent an e-mail to the person who handles the department with a question. He wrote me back saying that the legislature had canceled the organic program. Now what?!

This was discouraging news, as now I would have to start all over with the application process, and incur thousands of extra dollars in costs to get certification through a private agency. In fact, certification through a private organization was going to cost us $8000, as opposed to the $1500 the state program would cost. The Salt Lake Tribune also caught wind of the story and interviewed me for it. Click here to read the article.

Being the easily fired-up person that I am, I called the State Legislature trying to find out exactly what was going on and when the issue was or would be voted on. I spoke with the Secretary of the Executive Appropriations Committee and he said that it wasn't even in a bill yet to be voted on. By reading the article and from the response at the Agriculture Department, it seems like the program has already been cut. But according to the legislature, no budget cut has been made, and the subject is still up for discussion. The Secretary told me the issue would be presented first to the committee as a possible budget cut. The budget cut will then be added to a bill and the bill will go through the state Senate and the House and voted on in to law. So, we're five steps away from the program being cut, and by all laws, there still is an organic certification program in the State of Utah. So, why did the head of the organic program tell me that "unfortunately, the program has been cut"? Well, inside sources tell me that the federal government was increasing their fees to charge the state for their organic certification and the state didn't want to pay those extra fees.

So, we rallied. Organic companies throughout the state rallied around Neutraceuticals, a large organic company here in Utah that makes supplements. Bruce Hough of Neutraceuticals became our spokesperson and proposed a fee increase instead of cutting the program. He presented our case to the appropriations committee, and it looks like now the program will be saved!

But the State Department of Agriculture still won't take our application---We still have to wait for the legislative session to end in order to solidify the continuation of the program.

So, in other words, as soon as the program's back up and running, we'll be slapping our application on their desk! In the meantime we're keeping up with all our organic requirements--strict documentation of all ingredients and products that go in and out of our facility, not using pesticides or chemicals in or around our building and so on. We'll keep you updated as the process moves forward!

Update on Makeup

In my last post I mentioned that we were developing makeup products. Lots of you have been asking me for an update, so here it is, in all it's glory...

A couple days after my last post I received my organic color compounds. I couldn't wait to start working on the makeup line. I unpacked the box, grabbed all the little bottles and ran to my test kitchen to get started. I began by testing the colors--some were oil soluble, some water. Once I figured out which colors would work, I started adding them to arrowroot powder and jojoba oil. The colors were very difficult to blend in, so I started mixing them with a stick blender.

The stick blender started working, but the problem was that it would get jammed up in the bottom. I was mixing and mixing but it just wasn't blending enough. Frustrated, I turned it off and stuck my finger down in the bottom to clear out some off the compacted powder mix. Well, just as my finger was in there, I accidentally tapped the very sensitive power button....I let out a gasp and sang a little song...."I just hurt my finger really bad!" I sang out, feigning a positive attitude while knowing I had just severed off a nice chunk of flesh. Steve could tell there was something wrong so he came running. I rushed over to the sink and started rinsing off my finger which had now started to gush blood. "We have to take you to the hospital!" urged Steve. "No, I'll be fine," was my automatic reply. "No, you need stiches!" So, my finger wrapped up in a few layers of paper towels, Steve rushed (and I mean rushed!) me down to the insta care.

Five stitches and a tetanus shot later (which I was opposed to, but they talked me in to it under my state of duress) I was all patched up.

It has been a few weeks now and the bandages and stitches are all out now. The finger's pretty well healed except a funky looking battle scar. I guess when they say you give your blood, sweat, and tears to a business, they really mean it!

I got a new little blender that will hopefully not tempt me to stick my finger in it. The ingredients are there..the equipment is ready. Now all I need is the courage to start blending those dubious colors again.

2009 Bubble and Bee News

Hello everyone! Bubble and Bee has some exciting new developments for 2009 and we want to share them with you now!

First of all, we're opening our own store in the heart of Salt Lake City. Located in Trolley Square, a 100 year old trolley station that has been turned in to a mall, it's the perfect full-of-character location for us. We're going to be making all of our products right there in the store. We're hoping to do a "soft open" on February 6th. We'll be continually improving the store and are shooting for a "Grand Opening" in June. Once it's in full swing, you'll be able to come down and make your own soaps, sit in our reading area and learn about organic products, and even invite your friends to a Bubble and Bee party where we teach your group how to make great organic and natural products. Stay tuned to the website for solid dates and times as they may be subject to change.

Second, we're expanding with Whole Foods. I know some people call Whole Foods "Whole Paycheck," but we absolutely love Whole Foods. We try to do most of our shopping there, because, believe it or not, their prices are lower and their selection of fruits and vegetables is much fresher and abundant. That aside...they have been an extremely great company to work with. We get personal attention from the regional buyers and they believe in us. It's pretty unheard-of for Whole Foods to take a full line of an unknown brand in to their stores---but they see the potential in our company. They do everything they can to support our business without squashing our company with the demand. Currently, we're in 21 stores, and we have plans to expand to 29 in the first quarter of 2009. They work by starting you out in your region. We're in the Rocky Mountain region, which includes Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico and Kansas. When we feel comfortable that we can keep up with the demand, the regional buyers want to help us expand nationally. If you have a Whole Foods or other health food store near you, let them know that you want Bubble and Bee! For a full list of the locations that carry our products, click here.

Third, we have a ton of new products in development. We're working on a fabulous 100% organic shea body butter, 100% organic facial creams and face washes, 100% organic body mist, and organic makeups. If you're on our newsletter list, you'll be the first to know when these products come out. We've had a lot of requests for these products, and we can't wait to bring them to you.

Fourth, we're launching our Chemical of the Day blog. It has been a while in development, but it is coming soon! Every day we'll tell you about a new chemical, what products it's in, why it's used, and why to avoid it. There are going to be some surprises--a few chemicals that rate a "0" risk on cosmeticsdatabase.com rank a "7" with me! Stay tuned to find out more. To sign up for daily alerts, just send an e-mail to stephanie@bubbleandbee.com with "sign me up" in the subject line.

Thank you so much for all of your great support and e-mails. I just updated the testimonials page and it seems like it's miles long. Thank you to everyone who wrote in to sing our praises! We are a small company and each and every order and e-mail means a lot to us. We thank all of our great customers who have helped us have an amazing 2008 and look forward to an awesome 2009.

Sincerely,
Stephanie, Stevie "B," and the Bubble and Bee crew

Winterizing Your Skin Care

An early snow made a beautiful scene in the canyon where we make our products. It got me thinking about how we winterize our houses, our cars, our clothes, but we may not think about winterizing our skin care regime. Well, now is the time! Here are my tips for getting a healthy all-over glow in the winter.

Hands.

Make sure the soap you're using isn't stripping your skin. Strong detergents in "softsoaps" and other liquid soaps can strip skin's vital oils that prevent moisturie loss. (For more on this, visit this blog entry I wrote a while back.) Choose a bar like our Mint Tea Soap that's high in vegetable glycerin to clean hands. Vegetable glycerin draws moisture from the air and to your skin. And it's gentle enough to not strip your skin's oils.

Now that you've stopped stripping the moisture from your hands, let's make sure it doesn't evaporate in the dry air. You need a seal. No, not the kind at Sea World. I'm talking about a moisture seal. In the winter, switch to an oil or cream based hand moisturizer. Our lotion sticks are a great choice. Organic beeswax seals in moisture while organic cocoa butter adds emollience and increases skin elasticity. This increase in elasticity will help heal up any dry cracks.

Feet

Just because you don't have to have sandal-worthy feet in the winter doesn't mean you should neglect them. Taking care of your feet during the winter will make it easier to transition back to sandals in the Spring. Exfoliation and moisturizing is key for feet. An easy one-step way to do this is with a salt scrub. Fill up a little tub with warm water and give your feet the relaxing scrub they deserve. Pay attention to heels and balls of your feet and apply the scrub liberally. After a long day on your feet, the cooling sensation of peppermint will feel absolutely divine. A salt scrub will moisturize and exfoliate all at the same time.

Faces

Once again, make sure that the cleanser you're using isn't drying out your skin. You shouldn't feel strong a tightening and drying feeling after you wash. Try a soap like our Unscented All Over Bar that has added nourishing oils like jojoba and sunflower.

My favorite moisturizer is rosehip seed oil. Rosehip seed oil is high in vitamin A, so it has great anti-aging properties. It absorbs in to the skin quickly and doesn't end up greasy.

Body

A light dry brushing before your bath or shower with a horsehair or other natural fiber brush will slough off dead skin cells and increase blood flow to the skin, giving you a healthy glow. In the bath, use a natural and moisturizing shower gel to gently cleanse skin. Choose one with essential oils, not synthetic fragrance. Choose citrus oils for energizing in the morning, or if you shower at night, pick a calming scent like lavender to end your winter day in peace.

How Bubble and Bee Was Born

Sometimes people ask us how we came up with the name Bubble and Bee. Have a minute? Here's the real story...

In the beginning right before we launched our products at the Farmer's Market, we were going to call ourselves Wild Life Organics. I had done my due dilligence and researched the name through the trademark office, Steve had created a bunch of designs for our labels, we started getting banners printed...then, two weeks before the Farmer's Market, we came to a screeching halt. I did a double-check with the trademark office and lo and behold there was somebody already using that name. I had missed it in my initial search! All of Steve's designs were gone out the window. All of our marketing materials were now garbage. I felt horrible because I had made such a stupid mistake. We had to hurry and come up with a completely new name, design--everything before the market began. We had a bunch of names we had come up with--trying to stay in the vein of Wild Life Organics, but they just weren't working. We were calling and e-mailing friends and family. I'm sure they were tired of hearing all the crazy names we were coming up with. Finally Steve came up with Bubble and Bee and it stuck. However, I wasn't quite sure of it all.

The new Bubble and Bee packaging he came up with was very fun and playful, but I wasn't sure that it was the right decision. I thought we had to be like the other organic body care products with photos of herbs and such. So, that first day at the Farmer's Market I was really biting my nails. This was the culmination of two and a half years of research and development and there was a lot at stake--not just financially but emotionally! We got there at 7 am (after staying up all through the night) and set up the booth and by 8 we were ready to go. For the first hour things were really slow (as they usually are at the market--but I didn't know that then) and I was ready to chew Steve out about how he had gone "too playful" with the packaging. But then all of the sudden the people came and the first thing out of everyone's mouth was "I looove your packaging!" and it's been that way every day since. Suffice it to say that I've been living on a steady diet of crow for about a year. I've grown quite accustomed to its taste.

It's been over a year since that fateful day when we launched this line---we've been so busy we even forgot to celebrate our one-year Bubble and Bee anniversary! We are truly grateful to every one of you who have helped support this organic endeavor since we started it. Thank you.

Why Work Stinks

Recently I received an e-mail from a customer who had a great question. So great, in fact, that I decided to expand upon the subject here in my blog. The gist of her question was this:

I've noticed that it's harder to keep body odor under control in my
air-conditioned office than when working in the heat in my yard on the
weekend. How can this be?

I had noticed the same thing a couple summers ago when I was working at a TV station. The air conditioning was always super cold but I always had a harder time deodorizing myself there than when hiking in 90 degree weather. That led me on my quest to find the answer to the mystery. While there may be other reasons that work may figuratively "stink," today I'll give you the reasons why it really can!

The first reason is caffeine. The body gets rid of caffeine by sweating it out. One study found that caffeine is present in sweat for up to four hours after drinking it. [source] You know when they say the body sweats out "toxins?" Caffeine is one of them! In addition, caffeine inhibits the creation and function of anti-diuretic hormone (ADH). ADH is responsible for regulating the amount of water in your body's tissues. So when caffeine inhibits ADH, you excrete water. That's why caffeine is known as a diuretic. To get rid of water, your body does a number of things. First, it flushes water through the kidneys and bladder (as you've probably noticed in more frequent trips to the bathroom). Second, it stimulates the bowel system and can increase the water content in your stool. Third, it increases sweating to rid itself of water. After all is said and done, that cup of tea or coffee may have made you more alert, but now you're dehydrated and sweaty!
In an office setting you're more likely to need a boost of mental focus and alertness, so you revert to a cup o' joe. Or a cup of organic green tea in my case. ;) Over the weekend just working around the house you usually get to sleep in and don't have the pressures to perform so you don't partake of that extra boost as readily. Thus caffeine is reason number one it "stinks at work."

Every Saturday in the summer we have a booth at the Salt Lake Farmer's Market. And, while it's hot, I usually can keep the sweat and the odor under control with the Pit Putty, no problem. One week last summer I noticed I was sweating a lot. I mean, I was afraid to put my arms up! It wasn't any hotter than previous weeks. I was wearing the same clothes and not doing any activities out of the ordinary. Then I realized it--instead of my usual Strawberry Limeade, I had drank some strong black tea. There was the first hand proof that convinced me to keep the caffeine to a minimum--just for my market neighbor's sake!

The second reason you could be more odiferous at work is stress. When our body comes under stress the sympathetic nervous system is triggered. This causes our heart rate and breathing to speed up, our blood pressure to escalate, and sweat production to increase. [source] In fact, the average person sweats more when stressed out—700 milligrams per hour—than when in a 100-degree room—600 milligrams per hour. [source] In addition to the increased sweat, when you're stressed your body undergoes many physiological changes, like increases in hormones and a shift in pH. Under constant duress, the skin is consistently starved of both blood and oxygen, making it weaker and more prone to the bacterial growth that can cause odor. [source]


Third, our clothing is different. On the weekend you may wear a cotton t-shirt or tank, while in the office you may wear "stuffier" clothing made from rayons and poly blends. These clothes (especially if you're wearing layers) aren't as breatheable as your weekend attire and can trap in sweat, making a moist environment for those odor-causing bacteria to grow.


Now, while you probably can't eliminate stress from your workplace, or start wearing t-shirts, and you may not want to give up that mid-day cup of green tea, there are ways you can improve your odds for staying fresh. First, when choosing business attire, look for 100% natural, lightweight fibers like cotton, hemp, and bamboo. As for the stress, there are plenty of breathing exercises you can do to calm your nervous system and decrease your heart rate. Or just getting up and taking a 5 minute walk around the building. And don't forget all the health benefits of green tea and coffee can be found in decaf. Getting plenty of sleep will help you curb the caffeine cravings. Plus cutting caffiene will help you get to sleep better at night anyways...it's a win-win situation.

So that's it. Mystery solved. Caffeine, stress, and clothing all affect the way we smell at work. Now when someone says work stinks--you'll know exactly why!

Navigating the EWG Skin Deep Database

I am so grateful that so many of you found us through the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Database. It is an invaluable tool in helping to spread the word about the dangers of chemicals in every day personal care products. For those of you who have never been to the database, you can find it at http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/. There, you can look up just about any personal care product or ingredient and generate a full safety report. The database draws upon study data from five different national and international databases. No where else can one find such a vast collection of information on brands, chemicals, and products. But at times browsing the database can be confusing. It has been a topic of lively discussion with many of you and lately I've been bombarded with questions about ingredients and products. My aim today is to help you navigate the deep waters of the Skin Deep Database. Armed with my advice and some common sense, you'll be on your way to choosing the very best, safest products you can find.

Tip #1 for using the Skin Deep Database: Choose natural over synthetic. Let's look for shampoo and compare two products in the database...Terressentials Cool Mint Pure Earth Hair Wash vs. Giovanni Magnetic Energizing Shampoo. Both score a "2" risk score, but they couldn't be more different. On the one hand, Terressentials Shampoo is completely synthetic-free. It's basically an herbally-infused mud you put on your hair. Giovanni's shampoo is a synthetic detergent diluted with water infused with herbs. It uses cocamidopropyl betaine as its main lathering agent. Cocamidopropyl betaine scores a 5 risk score as an individual ingredient for its contamination concerns. (It can be contaminated with carcinogentic nitrosamines, a group of chemicals that it can come in contact with during its synthesis.) However, because the shampoo contains so many herbal extracts that rate a 0, the overall risk score of the shampoo averages out to a 2.

Now let's look at the Terressentials. The main objection that the database has to the shampoo is the fact that it has "clay minerals." The database doesn't recognize "clay minerals," as an ingredient so it gives it a risk score of 4. However, there are no side effects, warnings, or problems listed with the ingredient. Just the fact that the database didn't recognize it gave it a bad score. If you look up other clays, like Rhassoul or Kaolin, they get low risk scores. But because the ingredient was listed on the label as "clay minerals" it put up a red flag. With all the other ingredients, the shampoo averages out at a 2, just like the Giovanni. But let me ask you--which one is more natural? Which one would you choose? One with a truly problematic ingredient, or one that the database flagged? The Terressentials, naturally.


Tip #2: Look for errors. Let's continue to look at shampoo. One shampoo that comes out with a "1" score is "Phyto Phytoneutre Rebalancing Cream Shampoo." If you click on it and read the ingredients listed in the database, it looks like they're pretty safe---we have some herbal extracts and proteins. But let's look closer....up above the database of ingredients is the actual list of ingredients, which includes sodium laureth sulfate. Somehow, the full list of ingredients didn't get entered in to the database (and with the thousands of products they have to monitor, it's a forgivable oversight) so the score is incorrect. Don't just look at the score, look at the label ingredients and the ingredients listed in the database.

Tip #3: Use common sense. Because it's such an information overload, it's easy to hang on to every word that the database gives you. But a little common sense will go a long way when you're looking at ingredients. One case in point is coconut oil. If you look up coconut oil in the database, it gives you a risk score of "1." Listed in the ingredient warnings is the fact that at high doses it can cause fatty liver degeneration. (What that has to do with applying it to your skin, I don't know). However, if you look up hydrogenated coconut oil, it gives it a risk score of "0" and no warnings. Now, we all know that organic extra virgin coconut oil is better for you than the trans-fat laden hydrogenated version. But because the database has no studies to which it can refer, it gives the hydrogenated oil a better score. That's one thing to remember--this is a database, not a person.


Another case in point is aloe vera. "Aloe vera" gets a risk score of 2, and "aloe vera gel" gets a risk score of 1. While there really is no difference, the database somehow sees them as two different ingredients. The risk score of 2 that aloe vera receives may scare some people off, especially with the bad sounding "reproductive toxicity" and "cancer" risks. However, we have to take this rating with a grain of salt. Aloe vera is known to be one of the best things you can put on your skin. It has been used safely for hundreds--maybe thousands--of years to heal bruises, cuts, lesions, blisters, and so on. So why does it get a bad rating? First off, the database could be citing studies done on the effects of aloe taken internally, which has been controversial for years. All it takes is one study that says that aloe vera caused mutated cells in a lab and the database will flag aloe as a cancer risk. (There could be ten studies that conclude aloe cures cancer and it won't show up in the database because it only reports negative information. And who knows who funded the negative study!) Second, there are hundreds of varieties of aloe. Which variety is this study looking at? Third--is this certified organic aloe that they've studied, or aloe that has been grown commercially, with synthetic pesticides and fertilizers? Could these pesticide residues be affecting the outcome of the study?

So, as you look at these natural ingredients that get a less than perfect score, the biggest question to ask yourself is this: has this ingredient been used safely for hundreds of years? If the answer is yes you can breathe easy.


If you haven't ventured over to the Skin Deep Database, do it soon. Your eyes will be opened to the many chemicals out there. You can generate a safety report on just about any personal care product out there. Go look up your fingernail polish, hair sprays and other products--you may be surprised to find out what's lurking in your lotion! Armed with some common sense, an eye for details, and a naturalistic point of view, you'll be able to find safer alternatives for you and your family for years to come.



I'm always happy to answer your questions about ingredients. Because the database is just that---a database--and not a person, it can be quirky sometimes. So sometimes its helpful to have someone off which you can bounce your questions. Keep 'em comin'!
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Now it's your turn--tell us what you think!

Resources:

Environmental Working Group

Environmental Working Group Skin Deep Database