The Safe Cosmetic Act of 2010

This absurd, obnoxious bill was placed before congress this week.  It is unrealistic, un-American and another of the many ploys to put small businesses out of business.  In some instances it is a direct violation of our rights as Americans touching on freedom of the press and I am sure some others. 

"But it will make consumers safer" you say?  I am sorry but this is an illusion, it may be called the safe cosmetics act but it should really be called the tyrannical rules and regulations of big government goons who have no idea what they are talking about.  There is actually a part of the bill which would require us to list ALL trace elements in ALL ingredients, including things like water, think about it, even bottled water companies do not have to do this and WE DRINK THAT WATER! 

It's ridiculous and that name of the bill will make the average consumer believe that this is in their own best interest.  This bill will sink the small companies and leave only the large corporations, it will limit your choices and cost more for you in the end as the price for cosmetics will rise in order for everyone from the vendors to the manufacturers to comply with this pile of crap (aka "the bill").

Why am I touting and spouting about this?  I am a small business owner, this affects me, my family and my wonderful and loyal customers.  I know many soap makers, lotion makers and cosmetic manufacturers.  The people that make these products, make them by hand, with the utmost care and consideration, they are overly cautious because they know their customers, they speak with and interact with them regularly, their customers are their neighbors, friends and family.  These small time manufacturers ARE NOT the ones to worry about.  These are the people who already list everything on their labels, they do extra research on products, vendors and methods to ensure that they are always making the best possible item for their customers, their friends.  We do not have some fancy legal team in our back room that will tell us how to skirt around an issue so we are just honest and straightforward. 

We got into this business because I was tired of not being able to pronounce some ingredients on labels, I was tired of wasting my money on the newest miracle cream only to find that it was just a lot of fluff.  I was tired of the largest organ on my body (our skin) taking the brunt of misinformation.  So I read, and I read, and I read some more and I scoured the internet and I found forums and read their threads, and I would sit and think and make notes until one day I just did it, I made my first batch of soap.  It was the ugliest looking thing I have ever created but it was also the best thing, it was bubbly, moisturizing and made my skin feel like a rockstar!  I took that experience and ran with it and hence the birth of Serendipity Soapsmiths. 

We have a wonderful company, we have great customers who interact with us regularly and challenge us with questions which I love, they make it so that I want to and need to continue to learn so that our products are better for them.  There is no large corporation who does this.

Please read the petition and review the bill, please help us to stop this, I don't want to have to run off and join the circus to make a living.

Thanks

~CM

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/oppose-hr-5786-safe-cosmetics-act-of-2010/671435043/taf

To ban or not to ban......that is the question

Just stumbling all around the web today and came across a really interesting article on a seemingly dangerous chemical that made my hair stand up.  Luckily for us there are coalitions out there trying to get this substance banned.

Read below:

Dihydrogen monoxide:

• is called "hydroxyl acid", the substance is the major component of acid rain.
• contributes to the "greenhouse effect".
• may cause severe burns.
• is fatal if inhaled.
• contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape.
• accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals.
• may cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of automobile brakes.
• has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients.

Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used:

• as an industrial solvent and coolant.
• in nuclear power plants.
• in the production of Styrofoam.
• as a fire retardant.
• in many forms of cruel animal research.
• in the distribution of pesticides. Even after washing, produce remains contaminated by this chemical.
• as an additive in certain "junk-foods" and other food products.

And some more information:

What is Dihydrogen Monoxide?

Dihydrogen Monoxide (DHMO) is a colorless and odorless chemical compound, also referred to by some as Dihydrogen Oxide, Hydrogen Hydroxide, Hydronium Hydroxide, or simply Hydric acid. Its basis is the highly reactive hydroxyl radical, a species shown to mutate DNA, denature proteins, disrupt cell membranes, and chemically alter critical neurotransmitters. The atomic components of DHMO are found in a number of caustic, explosive and poisonous compounds such as Sulfuric Acid, Nitroglycerine and Ethyl Alcohol.

Are you freaked out yet?

Here's a tad more:

Should I be concerned about Dihydrogen Monoxide?

Yes, you should be concerned about DHMO! Although the U.S. Government and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) do not classify Dihydrogen Monoxide as a toxic or carcinogenic substance (as it does with better known chemicals such as hydrochloric acid and benzene), DHMO is a constituent of many known toxic substances, diseases and disease-causing agents, environmental hazards and can even be lethal to humans in quantities as small as a thimbleful.

Research conducted by award-winning U.S. scientist Nathan Zohner concluded that roughly 86 percent of the population supports a ban on dihydrogen monoxide. Although his results are preliminary, Zohner believes people need to pay closer attention to the information presented to them regarding Dihydrogen Monoxide. He adds that if more people knew the truth about DHMO then studies like the one he conducted would not be necessary.

A similar study conducted by U.S. researchers Patrick K. McCluskey and Matthew Kulick also found that nearly 90 percent of the citizens participating in their study were willing to sign a petition to support an outright ban on the use of Dihydrogen Monoxide in the United States.


So how did something like this get swept under the rug for so long?  The truth - the truth is that this was a high school science experiment and became very famous due to the results it produced.  Every element on earth (and perhaps in space) has a chemical name and Dihydrogen Monoxide is the chemical name for water!  I was tricked the first time I read about this awful chemical too, I stopped just short of starting a campaign myself to get this guy off the streets.

So why is this on my blog?  Simple, it was a good lesson to teach ME to do my homework before jumping to any conclusions because there are a lot of people out there who will take advantage of the fact that we are not chemists and long complex chemical names instantly make us uncomfortable even if they are only talking about water.

I no longer believe everything I read, almost to a fault, but at least I sleep well at night knowing I did all I could to not be tricked by someone with an agenda.

Now go on you!  Pour yourself a nice cool glass of dihydrogen monoxide!

Ta
~CM

PS- I almost forgot, this hoax has such hype that there is a whole web site built just for it!  Can you believe that?!?

http://www.dhmo.org/

Shout Out To An Awesome Blog

Hi again,
I know it's been awhile but not because I have not wanted to write.  Life has been a bit of a whirlwind and I am a little behind.  Anyway I was cruising around on the net today and came across some lovely ladies who have their own awesome blog.  Since I love to connect with great people I wanted to pass this forward for your reading pleasure as well.

Now, just because I shared this link doesn't mean you can permanently abandon me!   The site I found today is all about the truth - since I dig and search for the truth like a hound doggie looking for a fox I found them to be right up my alley.  The web site I called Personal Care Truth and it is run by a group of professionals in the health and beauty industry.  It has great articles about what is going on in the industry from anything like legislation to speaking out on ingredient scares (which is becoming more and more common) and is truly frustrating.

Of course most of you know that I take this very personally because it misleads people into thinking some products are dangerous to use when really there are no conclusive studies and someone created the "scare" to help their own bottom line. 

As with all things in life I want to be able to make an educated decision based on research that has not been adulterated.  This site seems to be of the same mindset which is going to be a great resource for me.

Here is the link:  http://personalcaretruth.com/

Happy hunting!


~CM