Dr Barbara Olioso's Blog

Petrochemicals, what are they these days?

2009-12-16T14:18:56+00:00

I was speaking to a client of mine who was telling me about her intention of avoiding petrochemicals in cosmetic products. I know that there are ingredients from petrochemical sources that are also natural in their molecular structure, so what is a petrochemical these days?

If the molecular structure is found in nature but it is man made and petroleum sources are used, can you still call it natural or you are going to call it petrochemical or both? This is very confusing and I have to say I do not have an answer for this modern hybrid. Perhaps pseudonatural could do.. Any suggestions?

An example of these type of compounds is Sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate (approved in organic standards)

And you also have cosmetic ingredients that are partially natural and partially synthetic. How to call them? Seminatural or semipetrochemical?

If you feel creative drop us a line...

Parabens: new evidence you can see

2009-11-24T20:25:50+00:00

I would like to share with you the results of an in vitro test performed recently by Dr Philippa Darbre at Reading University. The test is very simple: breast cancer cells incubated for 4 days with and without 0.00019% isobutylparaben. See below the breast cancer cells before the incubation (1) and after the incubation without (2) and with isobutylparaben (3)

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

I am aware that this is an vitro test, so all the complexity of the human body is taken out of the equation, however I believe they are still valid in showing there is reason to be concerned about this compound. You can clearly see that after 4 days the breast cancer cells do grow more than the ones without. I believe that the major cancer trigger is emotional stress, however environmental factors like this can promote the cancer cells growth making it bigger.

If you add the fact that parabens do get absorbed through the skin and that they are found in urine, we need to think about their journey through the body as well as their interaction on their journey with other parts of the body. Once they are in the blood stream they are in...

Parabens are not only used in cosmetics but also in many drugs such as cough mixtures (usually they are not declared on the label), however when they get ingested they get exposed to the stomach juices and get transformed into something considered to be safe. This indicates that the parabens found in urine do come form the skin absorption rather than ingestion.

What to do as a consumer? Well my suggestion is to read the ingredients list before you buy your cosmetics in order to avoid them.

At a regulatory level isopropylparaben and butylparaben are under review and the European scientific committee has asked for more data to fill the data gaps. The industry might reply that there is no money to invest in the new research, so what might happen is the ban of these substances based on the lack of the evidence requested.

I shall keep you posted..

References:

"In vitro skin permeation and retention of parabens in cosmetic skin formulations", Pedersen, Marra, Nicoli and Santi, International Journal of Cosmetic Science 2007, 29, 361-367; "Assessment of principal parabens used in cosmetics after their passage through human epidermis-dermis layers (ex-vivo study", El Hussein S, Muret P, Berard M, Makki S, Humbert P, Exp Dermatol. 2007 Oct;16(10):830-6;
“Parabens as urinary biomarkers of exposure in humans”, Xiaoyun Ye, Amber Bishop..., Environ. Health Perspect, 114, 1843-1846

Radiation can affect the antioxidant content of pollen

2009-11-20T19:29:07+00:00

Just come across an article of some research done by Knight Scientific, specialists in the measurement of antioxidant activity and oxidative stress. The article in question was published on Manufacturing Chemist in July/August 2006 and what attracted my attention the most is the graph of antioxidant activity of bee pollen before and after radiation. The graph shows clearly that pollen does loose significantly its antioxidant activity when radiated. The article does not mention the dose applied to the bee pollen, however it makes a point in showing that radiation (a technique used to reduce the microbial load of food and some natural ingredients used in the cosmetic industry such as clay, spices etc.) can affect the activity of the product radiated. This a very tricky topic because radiation is very common these days and is used to sterilise medical equipment, cosmetic and food ingredients as well as finished cosmetic products. I believe that if radiation is used, the activity/quality of the ingredient should be checked.

Orangutan friendly glycerin now available

2009-11-20T18:55:30+00:00

Palm oil derivatives such as glycerin are a hot topic these days because of the destruction of the orangutans wild habitat caused in the South East of Asia. There is an alternative glycerin now available in the UK from Alfa Chemicals. This glycerine is produced from the Karanja tree. Not cheap at over £10/kg, but worth considering if committed to a green ethos.. Visit Alfa Chemicals website here

Something extraordinary to share

2009-11-20T18:44:51+00:00

I know this is the place where I share my knowledge on naturals and the like, however I like to share with you something extraordinary I have been using myself. What I am going to tell you is something that goes out of the conventional rational realm, but it works! You do not need to know how the body works to use it and the same is applicable to the Return to Love Frequencies developed by Thrity Engineer using the Bioluminetics system. I have been using them since March this year and what I observe in myself is an inner peace and trust, getting less entangled in emotional dramas. I know how sticky emotional pain can be and how it can hang around for a life time with no way to get rid of it, but with this system it dissolves gradually and gently to leave space to a sweeter and more objective perception of reality. New pain does not stick as much and life is much more fun. Challenges still come along but I can face them feeling stronger knowing whatever happens I can handle it.

To know more about it please click here

Parabens and breast cancer cells, evidence you can see

2009-10-15T16:55:50+01:00

On the 15th of September, Channel 5 Live Studio featured the work of the most recent work of Dr Philippa Darbre. Philippa is the scientist behind the controversial 2004 article where parabens were found in breast cancer tissue. Well the article found a lot of opposition from the scientific community because the parabens were found in the controls indicating possible cross contamination. Philippa's explanation is that parabens are everywhere and also usually controls are not published in scientitic articles, meaning they are probably found in all controls unless you use high purity solvents. Because Philippa wants to prove her point and she is really concerned about the potential health issues behind the exposure to parabens, she has spent the last 5 years doing her own research at Reading university, with no sponsoring.. The first result is the pictures shown on Channel 5, where breast cancer cells were cultivated with and without parabens. The pictures speak by themselves (more cells with parabens) and they certainly point out to me we certainly need more research done on the safety of these ingredients. What do you think?

Organic Farming is only the start: the soil is the real asset

2009-07-15T12:10:45+01:00

Last night I went to a fantastic talk on organic gardening by Charles Dowding. Charles was very generous with tips and insights and embodies gardening at its best, with a strong pair of arms, a brown tan and no fat!
Charles made me realise I had a blind spot in relation to organic farming. I shall explain why. Charles lives near a field where they farm organic spelt. Last year they could not crop it in August because of the heavy rain. So they did it in September when it was dry but the soil was still wet. Heavy and huge machines squashed the soil making it very compact. When it rained all the water flooded his field and nearly his house. The rain water and the compacted soil are a deadly combination for soil erosion and flooding. This means that even if organic farming is good it needs to incorporate the health of the soil as it is the major asset which we need to care for. No wonder flooding has been a big problem in the last few years..
Charles runs one day workshops on No Dig Growing, you can find out on his website here

Lifescape Magazine: healthy tips and positive inspirations

2009-07-08T10:31:28+01:00

I find Lifescape magazine like a real breath of fresh air: it covers all aspects of a woman's life (fashion, beauty, food, environment, emotions, health and more) in an informative and balanced way. I think Lifescape provides very good and valuable information to modern women living a busy lifestyle and still wanting to be positively informed about healthy alternatives.
I love the editor's blog, because Rajasana is so honest in sharing her experiments that I smile when I read it. If you would like to read Lifescape or subscribe (it is very good value for money), please visit the website here

The Cosmos standard finally out

2009-06-28T19:16:18+01:00

At the end of last month the organic harmonised standard came out. Six European organic certification bodies got together to create a double standard, one for organic and one for natural cosmetics, that hopefully is going to make clearer to define what organic and natural is in the beauty industry. The standard is available Here My opinion is that the most positive aspects are a more cosmetic approach to the standard, an easier way to calculate the organic percentage of a finished product and a clearer idea of natural derived ingredients accepted by the standard. I believe the main challenges of the standard are the use of hydrogenated ingredients, the lack of pesticides analysis, an ingredients positive list and a clear position on palm oil derivatives. What is your opinion about it?

Fantastic facial with Nuz Shugaa

2009-04-19T16:33:47+01:00

Today I had an amazing treat with celebrity facialist Nuz Shugaa. My skin was awakened thanks to Nuz's firm and yet gentle touch along with the natural revitalising products she uses (she selected the ones suitable for my skin). At the end my skin was not only glowing but also when I touched it it felt like silky velvet! Nuz is great passionate as I am about applying only natural products on the skin and also about avoiding extreme measures such as botox. So far she has converted 37 women so to stop injecting the damn toxin into their body because gain without pain is possible: it is all about long term investment with a good diet, quality natural skin products and also jump starting the skin with facials on a regular basis.
Nuz is having her website done, where you can find her contact details to arrange an appointment.