Formaldehydes and Safe Cosmetics

     We know that formaldehydes are definitely not safe and yet, somehow, we still put our head in the sand! It's easier to believe that your favorite produc,t from your favorite company, would not put harmful and toxic ingredients in the products you or your stylist purchase; but many do. In fact the very popular straightening products that so many people enjoy the results of, include formaldehyde or ingredients when used in combination, make the harmful formaldehyde plume. Who do they think we are!?!? Well, we have been willing participants! We simply use the products that we have been told should make us feel more beautiful. It is the "nothing will happen to me because everyone is doing it" part of the story.

     We have become used to reading food labels in the market aisles, but do we really read and understand what is in the products we use or are being used on us? Most of us don't. Thank goodness more and more studies are reaching the masses via news reports, online articles, etc. If a product reaches the point of controversy, it's generally a good idea to investigate the reasons why and make a more informed decision for you and your health. After all, the most beautiful thing about us is being healthy and alive.

     Do yourself a favor and check out the 5 reports and videos at this link. Search "Hair Straighteners anad Formaldehydes".

     cbsnews.com

What is Bio Dynamics?

     As a manufacturer that focuses on educating our community, we are out in the field a lot. Of the many classes that we teach throughout the country, we are always asked; "What is bio dynamics?" The answer is more than just organic growing practices. Organic soil used in certified organic farming follows rigorous and clean farming techniques that take time and care to ensure the health of the soil and plants. Bio Dynamics take eco farming to the next level of conscientiousness. Painstaking fertilization and planting practices are utilized that have proven to grow healthier plant life and such leads to healthier lives. Not just we, the consumers but the farmers and their communities as well.

     When food is grown in organic farming conditions, we know that the soil provides not just a better growing environment but will result in better tasting food with all the health benefits maintained and a more satisfying experience. When the soil is kept sustainably, there are no pesticides to kill off any good the soil has to offer. Pesticides are not just harmful to the soil's condition but we know they also can be quite harmful to us and our communities over time. We believe in the sustainability of this type of farming and proudly utilize wholly such ingredients in our products.

For more information on bio dynamics check out this video on our facebook wall.
Bio Dynamics- A Lunar Calendar


Until Next Time,

Janine Hunt
Creative Director

What's in Your Shampoo

     Many people we meet are asking this very question. What's in it, and why? We are realizing the compounded impact the pollution in our environment and in the products we use everyday, has on our body in the short and long term. Just a few changes in your everyday habits and product usage can make a huge difference in you and your loved ones lives. Thankfully, cleaner choices are easier than ever to find but the devil's in the details. It doesn't matter what the front of the bottle or packaging claims, to entice you; the consumer.

     What really matters, is checking out the information on the back or underside of the package...the ingredient label, and not just what is mostly in it (the first few ingredients). Do yourself and your family a favor and read the entire label to see what's inside. If you are unsure of the tongue-twisting vocabulary that lies before you, rest assured there are many resources with which to find the meaning to every word. Not just what they are but more importantly, what they do.

For more information on this very topic, go to www.storyofstuff.org and check out a great video, "The Story of Cosmetics."

Until Next Time,

Janine Hunt
Innersense Organic Beauty,
Creative Director

Inspiration: Joan

By: Janine Hunt

I had a photo shoot with an older woman yesterday. She is a dear friend, client and personal collaborator. She is a one woman band full of strengths I only wish I had. She has a lifetime of achievements in education and is highly recognized for them. She is now “retired” and, of course, busier than ever. Her life’s work has led her to exposing the need for recognizing the aging person; the “artfully aging” person.

She has shared this passion with me for years. It wasn’t until I photographed her that I realized how truly special she is, and how her cause is a valiant one. Recognizing our aging neighbors, family, and friends as wise, powerful, and beautiful, has not been a popular notion, but it is an ever important part in seeing into the depths of ourselves. Their history and wisdom is a precious commodity that I find fascinating and a privilege to witness.

She stopped our session to show me a picture of her and her mother’s hands touching. The two generations, so close and loving, lightly embraced to reveal the ties between the two women. She then said to me, “You know what the hands will show you? They share with you the life they have lived, and what they are living with.” I then went on to photograph her hands. I look back on my shots and I am completely inspired by her strength and passion. I am struck by her unique way of existing in the world, and how she embraces those around her; how she has struggled painfully through advanced arthritis, yet still has the patience for a naive person as I begging more of her. I can’t get enough and she has still so much to offer. I am humbled.

Inspiration

By: Janine Hunt

“What inspires you?” I get that question a lot. How do we stay positively and creatively involved in our work, play, and life? Having been a hair dresser for more than 26 years, I have had to reinvent myself many times. As I look around, I realize that most of my colleagues look to the industry to inspire them in their jobs. However, how many shows can one attend and how many classes can one take? Enough to stay inspired? I found not. I had come to realize that for me to have sustained inspiration in my life I needed to find it not just from within, but in the world around me. Everything from the architecture I see walking down the street to the young people I see hanging around night clubs and concerts.

I am on a journey to find wonderfully unique ways in which to trigger the inspiration senses. I will look deeper into the world around me, dissect it, and share my findings with you weekly. I will be taking photographs and writing out ideas in the hopes that we all might look around us a little differently and feel empowered by the creative process itself.

Thanks for hanging out with Innersense and taking this journey with us.

All the Best,
Janine