Archive for the ‘General’ Category
Month of Changes
Wow! February was a wild month for Alabu—so many things are happening around here, my head is spinning. I guess I’ll start with the most disappointing event: our Chief Sales Officer, Tom, has Read the rest of this entry »
The Insecticide in many common personal care products
I was browsing through Colin’s Beauty Pages and I found a post titled “The Insecticide in many common personal care products“. I know Colin is not generally given to fear-mongering and scare tactics, so this post really caught my interest. It turns out that the post isn’t quite what you’d expect from the title, but it is indeed about an insecticide in many common person personal care products. In any event, it’s definitely worth a read. so go check it out!
H.M.
Do You Saponify?
Great article from personal care truth!
http://www.facebook.com/notes/personal-care-truth/do-you-saponify/170972246273165
H.M.
A Message From HSMG
We’ve been pretty darn busy around Alabu the past few months, but I wanted to stop and pass along a message from the HSMG.
The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010, introduced in the House of Representatives earlier this year, would impose very burdensome and unwarranted requirements on the handcrafted soap and cosmetics industry. Fortunately, the current legislation is held up in Committee and no action is expected before the 110th Congress adjourns in December . In January 2011, the 111th Congress will be sworn in and the legislation will have to be reintroduced . Between now and then, we will build a foundation made up of key congressional supporters for the HSMG position .
5 Ways The “Safe Cosmetics Act” Will Harm Consumers
First, let me explain what the “Safe Cosmetics Act” is. It’s a bill that has been introduced into the house by representatives Schakowsky (D-IL), Markey (D-MA) and Baldwin (D-WI). This bill’s stated purpose is to make the cosmetic industry safer through further regulation. While it sounds great on the surface, the group that is really behind this bill is the Compact For Safe Cosmetics, which is funded by the Environmental Working Group. Both have reputations for scaremongering and using arguments which are scientifically unsound. This bill has absolutely nothing to do with cosmetic product safety, but it will have drastic consequences to all cosmetic manufacturers, small and large. This will ultimately impact you the consumer.
Reminder: It’s time to donate blood again!
It’s been eight weeks since the last time we asked you to donate. That means you are eligible to donate again. Right now O Negative blood is in high demand. Please consider finding some time to donate this week, especially if you are O Negative. Donating is pretty quick (about 30 minutes if you make an appointment), very low-risk, and doesn’t really hurt that much. If you’re squeamish around blood don’t worry, you can get Read the rest of this entry »
6 Reasons Why People Use Oatmeal In Soap
Have you ever wondered why people put oatmeal in soap? You can find oatmeal in a variety of skin care products. So, what’s the deal? Oatmeal offers some really awesome benefits for your skin, and a lot of these benefits can be passed on to your skin through Read the rest of this entry »
We Choose Natural!
We’ve discontinued a few soaps recently, and we’ve already explained this a couple of times, but I’ve gotten a few of e-mails lately from people asking why their favorite soap is discontinued. Allow me to address this:
There are two basic ways to scent soap. One is to use fragrance oils, and the other is to use essential oils. Essential oils come straight from the plant. They are most often distilled out of the plant blossoms or leaves using steam and are completely natural. The other way to scent soap is using synthetic Read the rest of this entry »
HSMG 2010 – Day 1
This weekend, I’m at the Handcrafted Soap Makers Guild 2010 conference in Denver, CO. It’s pretty awesome seeing so many soap makers, suppliers, and industry experts all in one place! Today Read the rest of this entry »
Scratching Below the Surface: Regarding Skin Deep
Kayla Fioravanti owns and runs Essential U and Essential Wholesale, one of our valued suppliers. She recently posted an article written by Dene Godfrey, President of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists. These organizations are self-proclaimed consumer advocate groups, but as the article explains, there’s more to the story. Whether or not you’ve heard of the Environmental Working Group or the affiliated Skin Deep organization, this article is a must-read. It does a great job of explaining the truth behind these organizations and what it means to you as a consumer (or a manufacturer).
You can read the article right here.