Choose Cruelty Free - Would You?

NOT TESTED ON ANIMALS !

What exactly is cruelty-free and who are 'Choose Cruelty Free' ?


Choose Cruelty Free (CFF) is an Australian organisation that certifies companies based on their animal testing and animal ingredients policy. 


Would you be comfortable knowing that the lipstick you are wearing had been subjected to an animal toxicity test which involves cruelty, restraint and in most cases torture to the animal involved.


For an in depth look at the inhumane way that these dear little animals are treated, please visit Choose Cruelty Free... This site show cases what really goes on behind the scenes of some of the worlds biggest cosmetics companies. 
http://www.choosecrueltyfree.org.au/tests.html

 Its quite hard to believe that people actually torture animals when there are other ways to determine whether or not a chemical or product is detrimental to the skin or mucous membrane. 


Take a stand like us and SAY NO to animal cruelty - you just need to be aware that this kind of stuff still goes on in our 21st Century world.


ONE ANIMAL DIES EVERY SECOND IN USA
This is astonishing !!! please read below
Many breeds of animals are used including dogs, cats, monkeys, mice, rats, rabbits, sheep, pigs. These animals are often referred to as 'products', not animals.
One animal dies in a laboratory in the USA every second, in Japan every two seconds and in the UK every twelve seconds - BUAV. See Australia's national statistics here.

What is a Serum?

Designed to be used under Facial Cream, Serums are the hottest and latest skin care product to sweep the market. With a rise in available serum brands over the last 12 months it's no wonder people are asking 'What is a Serum'?

Serums are anti-oxidant rich little formulas filled with anti-ageing and nourishing ingredients including vitamins A, C and the ever popular vitamin E along with various ingredients such as rosehip, argan, sea buckthorn and pomegranate.

If you're in the 35-40+ category you're probably using a Facial Serum in your quest for younger and more radiant skin. If you're not using a Facial Serum then you probably should be.

SPOTLIGHT PRODUCT
Amboni Organics 'Recovery Facial Serum' is an anti-oxidant rich potent formula filled with Organic Aloe Vera, Organic Argan Oil, Organic Jojoba and Vitamin E just to high light a few of the key ingredients. Scented with pure organic aromatherapy oils this formula is even more natural and effective than many of its rivals.
The dual purpose product - yes I forgot to mention that this particular serum is the 'perfect makeup primer'.. It helps even out skin complexion and dry patches making foundation application much more even and long lasting.
Yes I may be a little blast but this product is one not to miss, try it today !!!!

Mention this blog via email info@amboniorganics and we will email a coupon code which will allow you to receive 25% off this product. It's the perfect time to try this little beauty essential.

View this product Click here

Retailing for $39.95

Why is Amboni Organics Skincare better?

OUR DIFFERENCE?

1. NATURAL PRESERVATIVE SYSTEM - our natural preservative system is a GMO free and totally natural botanical preservative. It is a proprietary blend of several naturally occurring herbal extracts including almond and vanilla. We may enhance this preservative with natural vitamin e, vitamin c and rosemary extract which gives the products a high level of anti-oxidants and protection against rancidity.

2. FRESHNESS IN EVERY BOTTLE - skin care products stocked for long periods of time degrade in biological activity and efficacy. This can be bad news for your skin, hence the reason that each bottle of our Skin Care is made fresh and in small batches to ensure superior quality and the longest shelf life possible.

3. CONCENTRATION OF ACTIVE INGREDIENTS  - when choosing skin products many of those on the market today appear to contain some great ingredients and in some cases they may even be organic. Unfortunately they are often in too small proportion to have any real therapeutic effect. Bumble Bees Organic Baby Skin Care and Amboni Organics contain high concentrations of active ingredients and therapeutic oils required to make a real difference to your skin.

4. THE QUALITY OF OUR INGREDIENTS  - how would you like to know that every ingredient you are using is of the highest quality? Well with Amboni Organics and Bumble Bees you can. Only the highest quality ingredients have been selected for addition in each of the product formulas. For example many products use commercial coconut oils that have that been refined, bleached and deodorised. We only ever use unrefined and unbleached coconut oils to retain their full beneficial skin loving qualities.

5. WE ONLY USE NATURAL VITAMIN E  - we all know that  Vitamin E is great for skin but not all Vitamin E has been created equal. Natural Vitamin E has been shown to have substantially higher biological activity than the synthetic version. We only use natural Vitamin E across our entire ranges.

6. WE ARE CRUELTY FREE -  we are accredited with Choose Cruelty Free for both of our ranges, while Amboni Organics is almost Vegan (it contains milk powder in its Bath Milk), Bumble Bees   Organic Baby Skin Care is Vegetarian as it contains organic unbleached beeswax in (2) of its products (Botty Butter and Baby Chest Rub). Our Accreditation with Choose Cruelty Free means that we have not tested nor do we have a 3rd party test our products or ingredients on animals. We do not use animal ingredients that cannot be obtained without harming the animal. The beeswax and milk powder that we use in our products are obtained without harm to the animal.

Visit Amboni Organics Website Now

What's in a Brand?

DO YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR?

So what's in a brand - why buy a brand name ?

As a business owner and skin care formulator, I have a varied opinion on this subject....

Firstly I believe YOU get what YOU pay for within reason. 

Now good quality skincare isn't cheap to produce but do consumers really realise they are paying for advertising ! Models and actresses like Jessica Alba or Kim Cattrall need to be paid to promote the brand. As much as the models believe in the product there is a Price Tag involved to promote, at the end of the day these well known faces are used to help sell the product.

There is also a lot of money spent on clinical trials where skincare is involved; which I believe is money well spent. All companies can do clinical trials, it's simply a matter of collecting data from questionnaires given to willing participants who want to trial the product. This research shows the company believes in the product and are willing to get improve the product if it doesn't perform as it has been intended to.

How do we know that we are getting a quality product?

How can the consumer understand those labels and decifer what the ingredients are? That's a hard question, a little bit of research will help you understand ingredients to avoid. Follow this link for a great starting point - Ingredients to avoid.

Generally a lot of skin care products are mainly water based, with mineral oil (the bi-product off petroleum making) and other less desirable ingredients; they usually have a couple of good ingredients like rosehip oil or calendula extract to use as a selling point. The percentage of GOOD ingredients compared to BAD ingredients is the main problem with a lot of skincare brands; being the good ingredients makes up too small a percentage to actually be of any real help.

MOTHER NATURE knows best and she has an array of amazingly beautiful ingredients that actually work wonders for the skin. 

Search out ORGANIC brand claims and see how much of the ingredients are actually organic, it should be at least 70% - 100% certified organic to ensure you are getting a potent botanical product that actually has skin benefits  to rival most upmarket skin care products.

To use organic ingredients to produce skincare obviously costs a lot more than conventional ingredients however they benefits far outweigh the costs:

ORGANIC INGREDIENTS:

• aren't laden with toxic chemicals from pesticides etc
• are pure and whole as intended by mother nature
• are less refined which makes them more nutritious

Organic skin care that is truly full of organic ingredients is rich in nutrients for the skin and not full of parabens / petrochemicals or other nasty ingredients that can cause skin reactions/irritations.

With Organic skincare I believe you are getting a better quality product for your dollar - just be careful the brand is not marketing the product as ORGANIC with only 1 or 2 ingredients that are actually organic.

My favourite brand is of course Amboni Organics, it's full of Organic Ingredients... You only have to look at the label / ingredients list to see you are getting what you pay for.

The products are made using concetnrated formulas so you need less than other brands and they are all very powerful combinations consisting of active botanicals.

www.amboniorganics.com 

What's Lurking In Your Skin Care?

Have you ever looked at the ingredients in your Facial Cleanser, Facial Cream or Body Wash?


What are you really putting onto your skin? What are you putting on to your baby's skin? What is being absorbed into your body?
Skin Care should be safe - gentle - effective…..




MY personal EXPERIENCE:

After my first daughter at the tender age of 6 months started to develop skin irritations and eventually eczema that ended up being 'out of control' eczema, it forced me to look further into what could be causing or irritating her sensitive skin. After doing all the conventional doctors, specialists (yes we ended up at Westmead Children's Hospital because she had it all over her genitalia), chemists and cortisone treatments, I started reading the ingredients on all her bath and body products and was horrified to learn of the origin of some of them - i wouldnt wash my dog (if i had one) with these products let alone put it on my precious new baby. There had to be an alternative !
I searched and searched and kept searching to find truly natural skin care worthy of my beautiful bub and could only find one that satisfied me which was a beautiful brand called 'Aromababy'.  I absolutely loved the brand, it's philosophies and beautiful natural smells of the products. Her skin definitely improved with the use of Aromababy products, the only downfall being they were expensive compared to supermarket brands. 

The brand is based on Aromatherapy Oils and i had always wanted to Study Aromatherapy after my Sports and Massage Diploma but i was busy working and raising my new baby girl. As my daughter grew into a toddler I decided it was time to add Aromatherapist to my qualifications and studied at night for what felt like forever while working as a massage therapist and raising my daughter. Such a juggling act but also so rewarding because of all the knowledge i was learning. I knew i could improve her skin myself and blended all these beautiful oils and lotions for her (she loved the attention).


My massage clients (who were mostly mums) would often ask what products i would recommend for skincare or for their children's bath or what shampoo is the most natural...... i had in fact become a bit of a NATURAL FREAK some might say...
I blended up creams and oils and shampoos all natural and all ORGANIC (something which Aromababy wasnt - organic that is) for my clients.


It hit me in the middle of the night that i needed to offer my blends to other parents and on a much larger scale; developing a skincare range seemed like the path i needed to take, the name that keep running over and over in my head was Bumble Bees????. I named the skincare range BUMBLE BEES ORGANIC BABY SKIN CARE.... Hence the beginning. 
My difference was to be totally ORGANIC, aromatherapy based and affordable; so the formulas had to be concentrated. 
I haven't looked back, i just expanded with it's sister brand AMBONI ORGANICS to cater for Pregnancy, Facial Care, Spa & Body products.  Learn More about these 2 brands.... visit the website

At Amboni Organics, we see organic and natural skin care education as a key to our strength and viability as a sensitive skin care company. We believe consumers should be informed to enable them to make the best choices about organic skin care. We are often told what ingredients we should be putting on our face and bodies while there is so much confusion about what ingredients we should be avoiding. There are so many unnecessary chemicals that are used in today’s skin care products many of which are dangerous and damaging to the skin and mucous membrane, that's why we have made a list of the nastiest ingredients commonly used in the face and body care industry today.  These notorious ingredients are hard to pronounce and found in some of the big names in skin care, so just because you are paying top dollar for a well marketed product, doesn’t mean that you are getting product full of top ingredients.

INGREDIENTS TO AVOID:


Methyl, Propyl, Butyl, and Ethyl Paraben - These are the most common preservatives used in skin/hair care today. They are designed to inhibit  microbial growth, which extends the shelf life of products for up to 3 years (imagine your Facial Cream sitting on a shelf for 2 ½ years before you got it – no thanks). Parabens are widely used even though they are known to be toxic. Parabens have been known to cause many allergic reactions and skin rashes and are commonly used as a group to preserve.


Imidazolidinyl Urea and Diazolidinyl Urea - The most commonly used preservatives after the parabens. Derived from ANIMAL urine, they are well established as a primary cause of contact dermatitis (American Academy of Dermatology).


Isopropyl Alcohol - This is a solvent and denaturant (poisonous substance that changes another substances natural qualities). Isopropyl alcohol is found in hair colour rinses, body rubs, hand lotions, after-shave lotions, fragrances and many other cosmetics. This petroleum-derived substance is also used in antifreeze and as a solvent. It is very drying and damaging to hair and skin, according to ‘A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients’, inhalation or ingestion of the vapour may cause headaches, flushing, dizziness, mental depression, nausea, vomiting, narcosis and even coma.


Mineral Oil & Petrolatum - The best baby oil is made from vegetable oils; however there are still companies that are selling baby oil that is 100% mineral oil. Mineral oil is a derivative of crude oil (petroleum) that is used industrially as a cutting fluid and lubricating oil. Petrolatum - A petroleum-based jelly that is used industrially as a grease component. It is commonly contaminated with PAHs, or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, Petrolatum exhibits many of the same potentially harmful properties as mineral oil and is found in 40 percent of all baby lotion and oils (products assessed by EWG).


Propylene Glycol (PG)- Propylene Glycol is actually the active component in antifreeze. There is no difference between the PG used in industry and the PG used in personal care products. It is used in industry to break down protein and cellular structure (what the skin is made of) yet is found in most forms of make-up, hair products, lotions, after-shave, deodorants, mouthwashes and toothpaste. The Material Safety Data Sheets warn against skin contact, as PG has systemic consequences such as brain, liver and kidney abnormalities.


Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) - Polyethylene glycol is used in making facial cleansers to dissolve oil and grease as well as thicken products. Because of their effectiveness, PEG's are often used in caustic spray in oven cleaners and yet are found in many personal care products. PEG's contribute to stripping the skin while also leaving the immune system vulnerable. They are potentially carcinogenic.


Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) & Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) – These are the ones most people are familiar with, they are a synthetic substance commonly used in shampoos, body washes and bubble baths for their foaming capabilities. They cause eye irritations, skin rashes, hair loss, scalp irritations (often mistaken for dandruff) and allergic reactions. It is frequently disguised in pseudo-natural cosmetics with the parenthetic explanation "comes from coconut". SLS is a detergent that is used in garage floor cleaners, engine degreasers and is extremely disruptive to the mucous membrane.  Research indicates that exposure to SLS can result in eye damage, depression, laboured breathing, diarrhoea, severe skin irritation, and in some cases even death. Eyes may not develop properly if exposed to SLS. SLS can be transformed into nitrosamines, a potent class of carcinogens. They accumulate in the body and maintain residual levels in the heart, liver, lungs, and brain. 


DEA (diethanolamine) MEA (momoethnanolamine) TEA (triethanolamine) -  DEA and MEA are usually listed on the ingredients label in conjunction with the compound being neutralized. For example; look for names like Cocamide DEA, Lauramide DEA, etc. These arehormone disrupting chemicals and are known to form cancer causing nitrates and nitrosamines. These are commonly found in most personal care products that foam, including bubble baths, body washes, shampoos, soaps and facial cleansers. They cause allergic reactions, eye irritation, dryness of skin and scalp/hair. They accumulate in the body over time.


Synthetic Colours - The synthetic colours are used to enhance aesthetic properties of the product and make it more appealing to the senses, synthetic colours should be avoided. They will be labelled as FD&C or D&C, followed by a colour and a number. Example: FD&C Red No. 6 / D&C Green No. 6. Synthetic colours are believed to be cancer-causing agents. FD&C Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue #1 are synthetic colours from coal tar that deposits toxins onto the skin, causing skin irritation. Absorption can cause depletion of oxygen in the body and death. 


Synthetic Fragrances - The synthetic fragrances used in cosmetics can have as many as 200 different ingredients. There is no way to know what the chemicals are, since on the label it will simply say "Fragrance". Some of the problems caused by these chemicals are headaches, dizziness, rash, hyper-pigmentation, violent coughing, vomiting, skin irritation, and the list goes on. Why would companies use Synthetic fragrances when there are so many wonderful natural scents available straight from nature. Avoid ALL products that have the word fragrance on the ingredients list. 


Hydroquinone - This ingredient is commonly used in skin whitening products. It is also commonly used in plastics manufacturing and is a highly toxic chemical. This ingredient should not be used on humans or animals. Hydroquinone is a well known carcinogen and is known as a liver, blood, lung and respiratory, reproductive organ and skin toxic-ant.


These are just some of the more common ones but the list goes on and on...... Just do a google search and you'll be bombarded with pages of info on it.

My son Ashton at 5 months 

The Bumble Bees Organic Baby Skin Care range for Premature and Newborn Babies as well as Toddlers.... Click to learn more  

Free from all the NASTIES 

$49 Massage - Spring Sale On Now

For a limited time only - 1 hr Massage for only $49.

All Health Funds can be claimed so there is no time like right now to come to Body & Soul and receive a massage in our AMBONI ORGANICS Treatment Room.

Choose your massage:-

* Remedial

* Swedish

* Sports

* Pregnancy

* Aromatherapy

Call Body & Soul Natural Therapies to make your appointment:

(02) 4648 1897   or   0409 834 105

We are based at Smeaton Grange, Sydney.

Limited Time Only 

ATMS member # 16407

BENEFITS OF MASSAGE

Most people would agree a massage makes them feel good but many probably don't realise exactly how good a regular massage is for their overall health. 

How about if they knew massage could improve their overall well-being ! Improving body performance, aiding recovery, preventing and eliminating injuries, reducing mental and physical stress, increasing circulation and even enhancing metabolism! 

With so many alternative health treatments available it's little wonder people get confused about where to go when they're not feeling the best. 

While new health therapies continue to emerge, think about this, the Chinese began using massage to heal the human body as long ago as 5,000BC and it's still being used today. 

Now there has to be something to be said for that.

* Relaxation

* Ease anxiety and related conditions

* Help with Insomnia

* Ease Muscle Soreness

* Treat muscular injuries

* Keep muscles supple and elongated

* Aid sports performances

* Assist preventing injuries

* Increase circulation and lymphatic flow

If you haven't had a massage recently - go out and get yourself one... 

www.AmboniOrganics.com 

          

Why is Organic Skincare Important

 For those of you who don't know, the skin is the largest organ of the body !! 

Approximately 70% of everything that's applied to the skin gets absorbed into the body and gets into our blood stream. That's a pretty scary % especially if you are pregnant, elderly, sick or a baby all of whom's immune system is under stress. 

Using Organic skincare products ensures there is little to no chemical additives reaching your blood stream reducing the levels of residue that will remain in your body trying to be processed by your liver.

Adding natural additives like Organic Lavender Extracts to skincare products help to maintain product freshness and can prolong shelf life; i.e, a natural microbial inhibitor. 

Natural preservatives that are approved by organisations such as ACO (Australian Certified Organic) are available for all companies to use however they are at a huge cost in comparison to cheaper ones. Cheaper preservatives are less healthy than organically approved ones and can attribute to many health and skin conditions.

At Amboni Organics, all skincare is formulated in accordance with ACO standards and guidelines. You will find truly natural and effective products that dont have all the harmful chemicals common in generic and upmarket skincare. Just because it costs a pretty penny doesnt mean it's good for you...