Organic Face Masks

Back in the old days, food was preserved using salt, vinegar, wine, and other natural commodities. But nowadays, companies have found better ways to make food last for even longer, which is why, in the past 50 years, the usage of artificial food additives has skyrocketed. Even in Australia, where you would think that the food is basically organic, there are a lot of food additives!

If you have never done so, you might want to try doing this. Go into your cupboards, your freezer, and your refrigerator, and read the ingredient labels on all of them. Now, not to throw an alarm out there, but does a chocolate chip cookie really need all of the ingredients on the list? Come on, you make them at home with eggs, flour, sugar, and chocolate chips, right? Well, all of those ingredients that you do not recognise, or at least a good part of them, are probably artificial additives. They are put in the food to make it last longer, and it is not always a good thing.

Why Avoid Food Additives?

The problem with artificial food additives is that they are still a relatively new idea, and so they have not all been thoroughly tested. So, in a way, we are all guinea pigs… if we all have serious health complications from a particular additive, then the government will probably ban them later on, but for now, there is no long-standing proof that any of these additives are of a serious health risk.

There is short term evidence, though, that suggests many of these additives are in fact hazardous and should be avoided. Some have been reported to give people problems ranging anywhere from headaches, to nausea, to even breathing problems. Some additives, if combined in the wrong proportions, can cause nerve damage! This is just too much danger for us to ignore.

Therefore, a lot of people are recommending shopping for organic foods that do not contain harmful additives. Organic foods might cost a little bit more, but they are better for our planet, and they are better for you!

New at Urban Baby

Urban Baby still stocks some organic baby clothes, but their range now also includes a few different skin care ranges designed for babies and for mum too. Check it out!

• Babies Only
• Babies Only for Mum
• Badger Balms
• MILK Baby Skin Care

Bamboo Sheets and Towels

The most noticeable new addition at Urban Baby is the bamboo bedding range which includes:

• bamboo cot sheet sets
• bamboo blankets
• bamboo hooded towels
• bamboo muslin wraps and washers

More Baby Stuff

Other interesting products available include:

• Taggies – 100% organic security blanket
• pure merino wool baby gown
• Kiddopotamus swaddle me wrap
• bamboo baby hat
• bamboo swaddling blanket
• Cuddlemoo toddler towel

Earlier this year, Urban Baby was voted as a Top 10 website by Hitwise which is quite an achievement for a baby store. Check out what they have to offer and pick up some new baby items for the summer.

Absolutely Gorgeous Skin Care

This range covers most of your day to day facial skin care needs. Cleanser, face cream, and their pink clay exfoliating mask are the mainstays of this range but you can also find organic rosehip oil here and a handy travel or starter kit. 

Absolutely Gorgeous Essentials

The Essentials range includes body wash, body moisturising cream, massage oil, and the relaxing bath milk which would be perfect as a gift or just to treat yourself.

Absolutely Gorgeous Baby

This is their newest range of products designed specifically for the special needs of your baby. Baby wash, baby balm, massage oil, and more can be found here.

All of the products at Absolutely Gorgeous contain natural and organic ingredients whenever possible. All the ingredients are listed on their website so you can check it out for yourself and, naturally, none of the products have been tested on animals.

Visit Absolutely Gorgeous for more information.

Now’s the time to stock up on your favourite natural and organic skin care and hair care products or to try some new products and brands.

Click here to visit their site and enter the code SKIN to get your discount.

Available at Thexton:

• Sanctum Organic
• Kosmea Australia
• Mukti – Naturally Organic Skincare
• Natio – Natural Australian Beauty
• Giovanni – Pure Organic Technology
• GAIA – Made for Men
• Botani – Pure Plant Skin Solutions
• Bod

Don’t forget to enter the code SKIN.

Visit Thexton while stocks last.

Free Samples

The free samples are mainly organic skin care products but also include some eco friendly cleaning products, organic tea, organic coffee, and a few samples of organic baby clothes.

Contact me if you want them.

I’ll give one item only per person on a first come first served basis. They are only small samples so don’t expect too much but if you want them, they’re yours!

Babies Only Organic Mother Care

This range includes the following natural and organic skin care products:

• Luxury Honey and Milk Bath
• Luxury Honey and Milk Body Lotion
• Mums Back Rub Oil
• Sole Mama Foot Scrub
• Sole Mama Foot Balm
• Hands on Hand Cream
• Boobie Cream Breast Restore
• Organic Rosehip Oil
• Organic Rosehip Cream
• Belly Oil

Check out Babies Only at Urban Baby.

Babies Only is an organic range of skincare products that has been developed in conjunction with a Paediatric Herbalist and their resident Aromatherapist. The products are made from pure organic ingredients that are both safe and extremely effective in hydrating and pampering baby’s delicate skin.

A key feature of many of the Babies Only range is Organic Manuka Honey. Produced by the bees from the plant nectar of the Tea Tree of New Zealand, Manuka Honey is a pure, raw, natural and organic honey that is highly regarded for its anti-bacterial and antibiotic properties, Organic Manuka Honey aids tissue healing and is effective for treating areas of dry cracked skin.

Babies Only

The natural and organic range includes:

• Baby Wash
• Baby Shampoo
• Bubble Bath
• Babies Balm
• Talc Free Baby Powder
• Massage Oil
• Nourishing Cream
• Chest Rub
• Baby Sunscreen

If you would like to try Babies Only, you can start with their Babies Only Start Me Up Kit, which includes 4 products, or the Babies Only Face Gift Set.

Get further details from Urban Baby.

National Organic Week (NOW) runs from Saturday 11th to Sunday 19th October 2008. It is a week of agricultural, media and retail activities and promotions intended to increase awareness of organic produce, products and systems and to accelerate the uptake of these in the wider Australian community.

NOW objectives include :

* targeted media articles and education to promote awareness of the organic industry;
* increased community and primary industry participation in the organic sector;
* showcasing Australian organic products; and
* interaction at farm level with organic growers.

Stop by one of the events to learn more about Australian organic produce.

Thanks to Sid and Edith de Burgh from Baramba organic meats for reminding me about National Organic Week.

Below is a list of organic farmers’s markets in Canberra and the ACT. Please leave a comment if you know of any other organic markets in the region or if you have further information on the markets listed.

For online organic produce deliveries in Canberra, try Organic Express.

Note: Not all markets are completely organic but you can find organic food stalls there.

Farmers Markets in Canberra and the ACT

ANU Food Co-op
Kingsley Street
Acton ACT 2601
Tuesday – Sunday
From 10am
http://anu.foodco-op.com/

Belconnen Fresh Food Markets
Lathlain Street
Belconnen ACT 2617
Wednesday to Sunday
8am – 6pm
http://www.belconnenmarkets.com.au/

Capital Region Farmers’ Market
Exhibition Park (EPIC)
Entry off Northbourne Avenue
Canberra ACT 2600
Every Saturday
8am – 11am
http://www.capitalregionfarmersmarket.com.au

Gorman House Markets
Ainslie Avenue
Braddon ACT 2612
Every Saturday
10am – 4pm
http://www.gormanhouse.com.au

Old Bus Depot Markets
21 Wentworth Avenue
Kingston Foreshore ACT
Every Sunday
10am – 4pm
http://www.obdm.com.au/

Southside Farmers’ Market
CIT Southside Campus
Ainsworth Street
Woden ACT
Every Sunday
9am – 12pm
http://www.southsidefarmersmarket.com.au

The Hall Markets
Hall Showground
Hall ACT 2618
Every 1st Sunday
10am – 3pm