Melody Hansen
<h2>Information on our certified organic, paraben-free, phthalate-free, vegan, gluten-free, pure essential oils and Accuy™ logos!</h2>
<p><img src='http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0032/8112/files/CertifiedOrganicLogo.jpg?1263101087' alt='Aromatherapy Products made with Certified Organic Ingredients' /></p>
<h1>Certified Organic</h1>
<p>This means to us – and to you – that a third party certifying agency approved by the <span class="caps">USDA</span> and/or the <span class="caps">USDA</span> itself has certified that this ingredient is produced using the criteria established by this agency. Check under our “Why Organic” link for more information. This is a very important consideration for us and one that we’ve paid dearly for, but feel that the pesticides, hormones and other synthetics in products on the shelves today are harmful for us, our family and future generations. Our products are not in and of themselves certified organic, but any and every ingredient that can be found in that form is. To have our products “certified organic” would be an expensive proposition and, frankly, we’d have to charge more and also, frankly, we don’t have the coffers to do this – not yet anyway. Our oils are certified organic by <span class="caps">QAI</span> and our botanicals, extracts, herbs are certified organic by the <span class="caps">USDA</span>. If you want to see our certificates, please just ask. In case you might have noticed, we believe in full disclosure and we are quite transparent about our ingredients, because we’re pleased as punch that we’ve been able to make formula’s available to you with high quality ingredients without stealing the bread off your table.</p>
<p><img src='http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0032/8112/files/PfreeLOGO.jpg?1263101109' alt='Paraben-Free and Phthalate Free Organic Skin and Body Care Products' /></p>
<h1>Paraben-Free</h1>
<p>Well, that’s what it is – free of parabens – any and all of them. You’ve probably read, or you might not have, about the problems with parabens. If not, then please take time to read our blog about them. We knew about parabens long before it was cool to talk about parabens or being paraben-free. We had many people look at us cross-eyed and questioned our use of a different preservative in our products, but science and time have proven us correct. To make a longer story shorter and you can read more on our blog, parabens have been found to be endocrine disrupters, possible carcinogens (cause cancer) and can and will cause acne. You may think you have a really bad case of acne, spend lots of money at the dermatologists, when, in fact, you just need to start using natural, organic and paraben-free products. So – we’re recommending that you read your ingredients before buying and avoid buying makeup, creams, lotions, shampoos – anything- that has an ingredient that ends in “paraben”.</p>
<p>A relatively recent research document that details our concerns: (1)In vivo and in vitro studies have confirmed the ability of parabens to penetrate human skin intact and to be absorbed. The health risks from aggregate use of body care products containing parabens have been shown to include increased incidence of female breast cancer, interference with male reproductive functions, and increased development of malignant melanoma. Therefore, where possible, it is recommended to eliminate use of paraben-containing products. Darbre PD & Harvey PW. Paraben esters: review of recent studies of endocrine toxicity, absorption, esterase and human exposure, and discussion of potential human health risks. J Appl Toxical. 2008 Jul;28(5):561-78.</p>
<p><img src='http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0032/8112/files/PfreeLOGO.jpg?1263101109' alt='Paraben-Free and Phthalate Free Organic Skin and Body Care Products' /></p>
<h1>Phthalate Free</h1>
<p>Now that’s a hard one to pronounce, so don’t ask me to. But according to the dictionary (just in case someone does ask you), it’s pronounced with the “ph” silent – as in “thalate”. Now, if you go online and start to do some research you will run into a lot of controversy because a lot of people have vested interest in whether you buy phthalate free or not. Basically, for cosmetic purposes, as there are lots of uses for phthalates which include plastics and you should be aware of these also, phthalates are used in synthetic fragrances. We’ve decided it’s not worth the risk and we like natural fragrances using essential oils better anyway, so why use them when you know you have a better choice. There are still a few products on our website that are not phthalate free, but you won’t see the icon on those. Why you ask? Well, we still love our lilacs, apple and pumpkin fragrances, but we are in the process of purchasing these also in a phthalate-free form. These particular fragrances are not available in a natural form (go figure), but we only use them in our soaps as they are what are considered to be “wash off” products, so will not sit on your skin like a cream. If you have sensitivities to fragrance and we’re finding that many people do and more and more people are becoming sensitive, please shop for phthalate-free choices. Sensitivities to fragrances are growing leaps and bounds and a lot of that is caused by the overuse of Glade type products in our homes. Read my blog about that when you have a chance. Using synthetic fragrances and phthalates would allow us to make a much higher profit margin, but that’s not why we do what we do. Your ingredient labels won’t say “phthalate”, but if it says “fragrance” and it’s not an essential oil, then it has phthalates – unless it claims to be “phthalate-free”.</p>
<p>Now, to balance this popular and widely disseminated media definition, I’m also providing a <a href="http://www.personalcarecouncil.org/Template.cfm?Section=News_Room&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=5721">link to the Personal Care Products Council</a>, formerly <span class="caps">CTFA</span>. They have responded to an article in the journal, “Pediatrics”, which brought into question several types of baby care products. We have also addressed the necessity of choosing the right baby bottles in a recent <a href="/blogs/blog/1465932-what-are-your-baby-bottles-made-of">blog about baby bottles</a>.</p>
<p>Again, concerning synthetic fragrances, the Personal Care Products Council, has a <a href="http://www.personalcarecouncil.org/Template.cfm?Section=News_Room&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=5721">slightly different view</a> and we have provided that link as well. We, however, believe and practice that <strong>anything</strong> synthetic is a burden on one’s immune system – and that’s all we need to know. If we have a large synthetic burden each day, then our immune system is busy taking care of those invaders rather than more serious invaders such as viruses and cancers.</p>
<p><img src='http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0032/8112/files/veganLOGO.jpg?1263101124' alt='vegan quality animal free skin and body care products' /></p>
<h1>Vegan</h1>
<p>If you care whether it’s vegan or not, then you know what that means. To our vegan friends, we are telling you that the products with this symbol (icon) is free of any (any!) animal products. We do like to use honey and beeswax a lot because it is a cruelty-free choice and has amazing benefits for the skin. However, we have, for the sake of those who want to practice a vegan lifestyle, added vegan choices and those are clearly marked with the vegan symbol.</p>
<p><img src='http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0032/8112/files/accuyLOGO.jpg?1263100340' alt='Aromatherapy Products made with Yucca Plant' /></p>
<h1>Accuy</h1>
<p>This is the icon we use for those products that contain our own unique and special ingredient, organic infused Yucca oil. Wingsets has developed a unique and powerful infusion using certified organic olive oil and wild-crafted Yucca (Yucca glauca) from Nebraska. This is different than the Yucca in the Southwest. I’m not as familiar with the history of that plant, but Nebraska yucca was used extensively by Native Americans as a natural soap due to the high level of saponins in this natural bontanical. It grows like a weed on ranches in western Nebraska, so they are really happy when we come out with our harvesting equipment and dig up some yucca roots. It is a very sustainable crop and we wild-craft this yucca on land that has not been sprayed with pesticides. I take the roots and well…that’s all I can tell you about our process, except to say it has turned out even better than we imagined – truly. The difference is most noticeable in our soap as it cleans gently but deeply, yet still leaves your skin feeling soft and renewed.</p>
<p>Further research reveals that yucca are part of the Agave family. Yucca extracts may offer relief from arthritic pain, perhaps due to the belief that it is also anti-inflammatory. It is also known to have other effects including being anti-fungal and anti-protozoal. We will begin using Accuy in our soon-to-come pet products as well. One of the reasons we were drawn to Yucca was that some studies have shown that it is a good source of phenolics, including resveratrol and a number of other stilbenes (yuccaols A, B, C, D and E). And with all of our products, we try to load them with as many antioxidants as possible and Yucca extracts and its phenolics have been shown to have this property.</p>
<p><img src='http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0032/8112/files/glutenFREElogo.jpg?1263101102' alt='Aromatherapy skin care Products that are gluten Free' /></p>
<h1>Gluten-Free – coming soon!</h1>
<p><img src='http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0032/8112/files/EOlogo.jpg?1263101094' alt='100% Pure Theraputic Grade Aromatherapy Essential Oils' /></p>
<h1>100% Pure Essential Oils.</h1>
<p>This designation means very simply that there are no synthetic chemicals added to the product in the form of fragrance, parfum or any other such indicator of a scent. As a professional clinical aromatherapist, I’m really picky about the quality of our essential oils, so the ones we use in our products are the same ones (not cheaper, diluted or adulterated) that we sell in individual <a href="/collections/essential-oils">10 ml bottles</a> for their therapeutic and beneficial properties. We’ve discovered that once you start using natural fragrances in the form of essential oil blends you will discover a noticeable difference from that of synthetic fragrances. I used to absolutely love Chanel No. 5 – you’d have to love it to spend that kind of money to wear it! But, now that I’ve experienced natural fragrances like our <a href="/collections/essential-oils/products/mellow-metm-blend-essential-oils">Mellow Me</a> blend, I find any synthetic fragrances to be sharp and unpleasant. Many people have a much more serious reaction than just finding the aroma unpleasant and, in fact, have a serious allergic response. I personally would develop welts on my face if I used even a dab of one of my “used to be” favorite creams from the buy-3-get-the-4th-free store. The additional and probably even more important fact is essential oils are natural. Because of this your body sees them as natural and there is no immune response that happens when anything synthetic is introduced to your body. Any immune response takes up precious reserves that should be and could be better used against other environmental assaults on your body. It is also a well-known, well-researched fact that essential oils are naturally antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal – some more than others. Check out our individual assessment of each of our essential oils under the <a href="/collections/essential-oils">essential oil</a> section of our website. We will be constantly adding to and updating this information as well as being actively involved in clinical research of our own.</p>
2009-09-08T01:34:33-05:00
details-about-logos-certified-organic-ingredients-paraben-free-phthalate-gluten-free-vegan-accuy-yucca-pure-essential-oils-products
3473202
2009-09-08T01:34:33-05:00
328112
What do these logos stand for?
2010-02-19T11:56:07-06:00
<h2>Information on our certified organic, paraben-free, phthalate-free, vegan, gluten-free, pure essential oils and Accuy™ logos!</h2>
<p><img src='http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0032/8112/files/CertifiedOrganicLogo.jpg?1263101087' alt='Aromatherapy Products made with Certified Organic Ingredients' /></p>
<h1>Certified Organic</h1>
<p>This means to us – and to you – that a third party certifying agency approved by the <span class="caps">USDA</span> and/or the <span class="caps">USDA</span> itself has certified that this ingredient is produced using the criteria established by this agency. Check under our “Why Organic” link for more information. This is a very important consideration for us and one that we’ve paid dearly for, but feel that the pesticides, hormones and other synthetics in products on the shelves today are harmful for us, our family and future generations. Our products are not in and of themselves certified organic, but any and every ingredient that can be found in that form is. To have our products “certified organic” would be an expensive proposition and, frankly, we’d have to charge more and also, frankly, we don’t have the coffers to do this – not yet anyway. Our oils are certified organic by <span class="caps">QAI</span> and our botanicals, extracts, herbs are certified organic by the <span class="caps">USDA</span>. If you want to see our certificates, please just ask. In case you might have noticed, we believe in full disclosure and we are quite transparent about our ingredients, because we’re pleased as punch that we’ve been able to make formula’s available to you with high quality ingredients without stealing the bread off your table.</p>
<p><img src='http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0032/8112/files/PfreeLOGO.jpg?1263101109' alt='Paraben-Free and Phthalate Free Organic Skin and Body Care Products' /></p>
<h1>Paraben-Free</h1>
<p>Well, that’s what it is – free of parabens – any and all of them. You’ve probably read, or you might not have, about the problems with parabens. If not, then please take time to read our blog about them. We knew about parabens long before it was cool to talk about parabens or being paraben-free. We had many people look at us cross-eyed and questioned our use of a different preservative in our products, but science and time have proven us correct. To make a longer story shorter and you can read more on our blog, parabens have been found to be endocrine disrupters, possible carcinogens (cause cancer) and can and will cause acne. You may think you have a really bad case of acne, spend lots of money at the dermatologists, when, in fact, you just need to start using natural, organic and paraben-free products. So – we’re recommending that you read your ingredients before buying and avoid buying makeup, creams, lotions, shampoos – anything- that has an ingredient that ends in “paraben”.</p>
<p>A relatively recent research document that details our concerns: (1)In vivo and in vitro studies have confirmed the ability of parabens to penetrate human skin intact and to be absorbed. The health risks from aggregate use of body care products containing parabens have been shown to include increased incidence of female breast cancer, interference with male reproductive functions, and increased development of malignant melanoma. Therefore, where possible, it is recommended to eliminate use of paraben-containing products. Darbre PD & Harvey PW. Paraben esters: review of recent studies of endocrine toxicity, absorption, esterase and human exposure, and discussion of potential human health risks. J Appl Toxical. 2008 Jul;28(5):561-78.</p>
<p><img src='http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0032/8112/files/PfreeLOGO.jpg?1263101109' alt='Paraben-Free and Phthalate Free Organic Skin and Body Care Products' /></p>
<h1>Phthalate Free</h1>
<p>Now that’s a hard one to pronounce, so don’t ask me to. But according to the dictionary (just in case someone does ask you), it’s pronounced with the “ph” silent – as in “thalate”. Now, if you go online and start to do some research you will run into a lot of controversy because a lot of people have vested interest in whether you buy phthalate free or not. Basically, for cosmetic purposes, as there are lots of uses for phthalates which include plastics and you should be aware of these also, phthalates are used in synthetic fragrances. We’ve decided it’s not worth the risk and we like natural fragrances using essential oils better anyway, so why use them when you know you have a better choice. There are still a few products on our website that are not phthalate free, but you won’t see the icon on those. Why you ask? Well, we still love our lilacs, apple and pumpkin fragrances, but we are in the process of purchasing these also in a phthalate-free form. These particular fragrances are not available in a natural form (go figure), but we only use them in our soaps as they are what are considered to be “wash off” products, so will not sit on your skin like a cream. If you have sensitivities to fragrance and we’re finding that many people do and more and more people are becoming sensitive, please shop for phthalate-free choices. Sensitivities to fragrances are growing leaps and bounds and a lot of that is caused by the overuse of Glade type products in our homes. Read my blog about that when you have a chance. Using synthetic fragrances and phthalates would allow us to make a much higher profit margin, but that’s not why we do what we do. Your ingredient labels won’t say “phthalate”, but if it says “fragrance” and it’s not an essential oil, then it has phthalates – unless it claims to be “phthalate-free”.</p>
<p>Now, to balance this popular and widely disseminated media definition, I’m also providing a <a href="http://www.personalcarecouncil.org/Template.cfm?Section=News_Room&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=5721">link to the Personal Care Products Council</a>, formerly <span class="caps">CTFA</span>. They have responded to an article in the journal, “Pediatrics”, which brought into question several types of baby care products. We have also addressed the necessity of choosing the right baby bottles in a recent <a href="/blogs/blog/1465932-what-are-your-baby-bottles-made-of">blog about baby bottles</a>.</p>
<p>Again, concerning synthetic fragrances, the Personal Care Products Council, has a <a href="http://www.personalcarecouncil.org/Template.cfm?Section=News_Room&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=5721">slightly different view</a> and we have provided that link as well. We, however, believe and practice that <strong>anything</strong> synthetic is a burden on one’s immune system – and that’s all we need to know. If we have a large synthetic burden each day, then our immune system is busy taking care of those invaders rather than more serious invaders such as viruses and cancers.</p>
<p><img src='http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0032/8112/files/veganLOGO.jpg?1263101124' alt='vegan quality animal free skin and body care products' /></p>
<h1>Vegan</h1>
<p>If you care whether it’s vegan or not, then you know what that means. To our vegan friends, we are telling you that the products with this symbol (icon) is free of any (any!) animal products. We do like to use honey and beeswax a lot because it is a cruelty-free choice and has amazing benefits for the skin. However, we have, for the sake of those who want to practice a vegan lifestyle, added vegan choices and those are clearly marked with the vegan symbol.</p>
<p><img src='http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0032/8112/files/accuyLOGO.jpg?1263100340' alt='Aromatherapy Products made with Yucca Plant' /></p>
<h1>Accuy</h1>
<p>This is the icon we use for those products that contain our own unique and special ingredient, organic infused Yucca oil. Wingsets has developed a unique and powerful infusion using certified organic olive oil and wild-crafted Yucca (Yucca glauca) from Nebraska. This is different than the Yucca in the Southwest. I’m not as familiar with the history of that plant, but Nebraska yucca was used extensively by Native Americans as a natural soap due to the high level of saponins in this natural bontanical. It grows like a weed on ranches in western Nebraska, so they are really happy when we come out with our harvesting equipment and dig up some yucca roots. It is a very sustainable crop and we wild-craft this yucca on land that has not been sprayed with pesticides. I take the roots and well…that’s all I can tell you about our process, except to say it has turned out even better than we imagined – truly. The difference is most noticeable in our soap as it cleans gently but deeply, yet still leaves your skin feeling soft and renewed.</p>
<p>Further research reveals that yucca are part of the Agave family. Yucca extracts may offer relief from arthritic pain, perhaps due to the belief that it is also anti-inflammatory. It is also known to have other effects including being anti-fungal and anti-protozoal. We will begin using Accuy in our soon-to-come pet products as well. One of the reasons we were drawn to Yucca was that some studies have shown that it is a good source of phenolics, including resveratrol and a number of other stilbenes (yuccaols A, B, C, D and E). And with all of our products, we try to load them with as many antioxidants as possible and Yucca extracts and its phenolics have been shown to have this property.</p>
<p><img src='http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0032/8112/files/glutenFREElogo.jpg?1263101102' alt='Aromatherapy skin care Products that are gluten Free' /></p>
<h1>Gluten-Free – coming soon!</h1>
<p><img src='http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0032/8112/files/EOlogo.jpg?1263101094' alt='100% Pure Theraputic Grade Aromatherapy Essential Oils' /></p>
<h1>100% Pure Essential Oils.</h1>
<p>This designation means very simply that there are no synthetic chemicals added to the product in the form of fragrance, parfum or any other such indicator of a scent. As a professional clinical aromatherapist, I’m really picky about the quality of our essential oils, so the ones we use in our products are the same ones (not cheaper, diluted or adulterated) that we sell in individual <a href="/collections/essential-oils">10 ml bottles</a> for their therapeutic and beneficial properties. We’ve discovered that once you start using natural fragrances in the form of essential oil blends you will discover a noticeable difference from that of synthetic fragrances. I used to absolutely love Chanel No. 5 – you’d have to love it to spend that kind of money to wear it! But, now that I’ve experienced natural fragrances like our <a href="/collections/essential-oils/products/mellow-metm-blend-essential-oils">Mellow Me</a> blend, I find any synthetic fragrances to be sharp and unpleasant. Many people have a much more serious reaction than just finding the aroma unpleasant and, in fact, have a serious allergic response. I personally would develop welts on my face if I used even a dab of one of my “used to be” favorite creams from the buy-3-get-the-4th-free store. The additional and probably even more important fact is essential oils are natural. Because of this your body sees them as natural and there is no immune response that happens when anything synthetic is introduced to your body. Any immune response takes up precious reserves that should be and could be better used against other environmental assaults on your body. It is also a well-known, well-researched fact that essential oils are naturally antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal – some more than others. Check out our individual assessment of each of our essential oils under the <a href="/collections/essential-oils">essential oil</a> section of our website. We will be constantly adding to and updating this information as well as being actively involved in clinical research of our own.</p>