Why is Solace Essentials Paraben Free?

There are many possibilities for bodycare lotion. Bodycare lotion usually has water elements and oil elements and by way of heating both liquids, these ingredients blend together into what we call lotion or cream.

This lotion or cream is vulnerable to bacteria and other microbes because water is an ingredient. To combat these microbes, lotions and creams usually have preservatives, the most effective of which is parabens. According to A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients (Ruth Winters, 2005), parabens are "a cause for concern" in that they "act like the female hormone estrogen" which was researched by the Journal of Applied Toxicology in 2004. The problem is that "in high levels estrogen can cause some women to develop breast cancer" (p. 386).

With Parabens, lotions and creams had 3-4 years of shelf life. There are alternatives to parabens which still give the lotions and creams a shelf life of 1-2 years. This is the choice I have made with the lotions at Solace Essentials. I research every ingredient and make sure they are all found to be safe. For preservatives, we use: Mannan (basically sugar), Rosemary Oleoresin (from Rosemary) and Salix Nigra (Black Willowbark) Extract. These three help our lotion to have a nice long shelf life and create a wonderful texture that helps heal your chapped skin.

We hope you love it and welcome all of your questions and feedback.

-Carol

What does organic mean?

Here at Solace Essentials, our aim is to provide you with bodycare that smells good, works well and feels good. This is what makes us stand out from others.

But, why do we care so much?

Many bodycare products available on the market today claim that they're natural and yet that is not the whole truth.

**NEWS FLASH**
Just because a product says that it's organic, doesn't mean it's ALL organic. There may only be one ingredient that's organic. Is this ethical? Depends on who you ask. It's not inaccurrate to say that a product is organic if it has one organic ingredient. But, I do think it's unethical beause a normal customer like us would think that the WHOLE product is organic.

What does this mean for me?

Become a label reader! Read the label and if the ingredient is organic, the label should state this. If it's not, you will be able to see that, and move on. If the company is up on the latest USDA standards, they will tell you what percent organic and natural the product is. The USDA only has so much time in the day. If they come across a label that says it's organic when it's not above the required 87%, they will ask the manufacturer to change the label and remove the product from the shelves. However, this rarely happens currently since there's so many manufacturers. Someday, this will be more regulated.

For now, once again, become educated on the ingredients that you like in your bodycare products. Read the labels and understand what it all means. What goes on your skin goes in, so it's important to know what you're putting in your body - the more natural and organic (pesticide free) the better!

Solace Essentials uses all natural and organic ingredients where ever possible! If it exists, we are using it, in terms of Natural and Organic! We are in the process of obtaining our USDA Organic certification, so you will see this on our labels soon.

....More to come on Solace Essentials ingredients and what they do for your skin! If you have any questions, please email us at: carol@solaceessentials.com.