Miessence to date

It has been a while since I last posted in my blog.  Facebook is the in thing now, and I must admit that I am not a serious blogger.  But I write again because there have been some posts previously on Miessence, and I would like to update all who have been reading on my reviews on Miessence.  I think it’s the right thing to do.

I have stopped using Miessence simply for the reason that it has become too expensive for me to use it regularly.  If anyone feels that the price is right, I will still encourage anyone to give it a try.

I am glad that I decided to stop using Miessence because I have discovered other alternatives.  If you are looking for alternatives, perhaps you could give iHerb.com a try.  Use the coupon code IHU745 and you get a $5 off your first order as a new customer.  Please review each product’s ingredients carefully, and there are LOTS!

I am currently giving Dessert Essence a try.  The only grouse I have is that Sodium Coco Sulphate is one of the ingredients.  Sodium Coco Sulphate is the same chemical as Sodium Lauryl Sulphate.  So if you are sensitive to it, please don’t use.  I tried because I didn’t know better then.

Lastly, I wish you all the best in your quest for a safer and healthier personal care product to use.  If I find any that’s really good, I will continue to share that information with you.

Review of Miessence products II

My wife and I have been using Miessence’s organic personal care products for the past 1.5 months. So here’s my continuing review of the Miessence products.

We’re only half way through the shampoo and the facial cleanser. They do last quite a while. Although they cost more than the typical off-the-shelf non-organic products, but they are starting to work out to be quite alright when you put benefits and quality into the equation.

The facial cleanser worked so well that my wife bought the facial conditioner and moisturizer to compliment the cleanser. She has a pimple problem on her forehead for the past 2.5 years, and it’s finally clearing up when she started using the organic facial products. We had spent about $1000 on western and eastern doctors, and medications, prior to using Miessence, and none of them worked. One thing my wife noted about the moisturizer is that it can be oily, and works better if used the conditioner as the base. Her routine is to wash her face with the cleanser, followed by applying the conditioner. Allow the conditioner to dry first, and then apply the moisturizer on specific dry areas, instead of the whole face.

A friend of mine tried out the Intensive Body Cream, and she said that it worked better than the other skin lotions that she used previously. The lotion stayed on longer between hand washes. We haven’t tried this out ourselves because we do not have dry skins, but I thought this information might be useful.

My wife has gotten used to the scent of the hand wash, and what do you know… she’s starting to like it too! The eczema on certain areas of my hand is starting to clear up too. I wonder if it’s a fluke. I’ll update everyone again after an extended period of use. Sometimes eczema does come back. I also found out that the anti-bacterial agent used in soaps and hand washes is a nerve-damaging chemical! So I wasn’t wrong when my fingers felt numb when I was still using those anti-bacterial hand washes. You can read the article at http://www.newstarget.com/005342.html.

We are just finishing the mint toothpaste. I have gotten to like it so much that I could feel like swallowing the toothpaste when I’m brushing. Our bad breath and dry mouths went away after we started using the organic toothpaste, and it stayed away. We’re trying out the lemon flavored toothpaste next once we finish the mint toothpaste. So far the lemon toothpaste smelled refreshing.

We are also going to try out the organic body wash, the facial mask, the Ambrosia essence, and the Mivitality’s In-Liven Probiotic. So stay tuned to my blog!

One Group (manufacturer of Miessence) is green in many ways. The foam used in filling up the empty space in the packaging is made of maize. I used that to fertilize my potted plants now. 🙂

If you liked my reviews and found them useful, please do consider buying from my website at http://jubilaree.mionegroup.com. I’m a genuine user bringing you the reviews, but it does help to pay some bills. Thanks, and good health to you! 🙂

Update:

I knew I left something out. A friend of mine used the deodorant. She didn’t like it because it has a sticky feeling late in the day. I don’t think deodorants work that well in the tropics due to the heat and humidity. If someone manufactures a deodorant that works well in the tropics, I think it will sell very well. 🙂

Chinese toothpaste found to contain a potentially deadly chemical

I read this news article about how a toothpaste made by a Chinese company contained diethylene glycol, which could be blamed for causing 51 deaths in Panama after mixing with cough syrup.

Quote:

Chen Yaozu, general manager of Danyang Chengshi Household Chemical Co., said his company had exported toothpaste to Panama containing diethylene glycol, a chemical blamed for the deaths of at least 51 people in the Central American country last year after it was mixed into cough syrup.

In the article, you can read “used as a low-cost substitute”, “permitted under Chinese rules and was safe in small amounts” and “export markets worth about US$30 billion (€22.2 billion) on alert”.

It is disturbing for a few points. Obviously a lot of manufacturers are using low-cost chemicals to manufacture low-cost products for the masses for the purpose of profits. The safety of chemicals that is acceptable is also questionable. In this instance, it was not safe for 51 people. The most disturbing point was that concerns are more focused on economic ramifications , and not humane concerns.

When are we going to wake up to the facts that the authorities’, the governments’ and the manufacturers’ primary concern is about the bottom line? When are we going to start taking responsibilities on deciding what goes into our mouths and on to our skin?

Read the full news article here.

Useful baking soda

Wow, I didn’t know that there are so many uses to baking soda.  Such a humble cooking ingredient can be so useful.

It’s an effective remedy to heartburn, digestive distress, stomach upset and fatigue.  It’s an effective toothpaste.  It can be a soothing bath if you are suffering from sun burn.  It can draw out toxins from your skin if you are suffering from insect bites.

Read the full article here.

Lots of interesting articles here.

Review of Miessence products

I hesitated to write about this, because it’s just going to read too good to be true.

I went on a health-conscious spree recently. Just couldn’t bear using the chemical-laden personal care products any more, and I found this organic product Miessence. So I made an order and started using them. So here’s my review. I would have written earlier, but just wanted to be sure that it wasn’t my euphoria that was affecting my opinion.

I just love them! I just couldn’t believe that we have been so conditioned to thinking that effective cleaning requires foaming. Well, the Miessence products do not foam, and if it did, it’s only a little bit. They still clean equally well. Let me just go into each product that I am using now.

Shampoo

I am using the Lemon Myrtle Shampoo, for normal to oily hair. It cleans very well. So well, that my wife finds it too dry. I thought it was ok, but men have more oily hair than women. I combine it with the hair conditioner. I’m getting the Desert Flower Shampoo (for normal and dry hair) for her. Initially, you’ll need 2 applications of the shampoo. That means, shampoo, rinse, and do that again. That’s because your hair has those chemicals from the previous brands, and the organic shampoo will need to strip them out slowly. A few days later, you’re back to single shampoo and rinse. Big surprise factor was that I needed only a 2-cm wide amount of shampoo for each application.

Conditioner

I am using the Shine Herbal Hair Conditioner. You’ll need this if you find the shampoo too drying. Again, only a small amount is required. Flowery scent, but on using, it has a woody scent.

Facial wash

Balancing Cleanser for normal and combination skin. First time I used a facial cleanser that doesn’t foam. I was not used to it initially because it felt slightly greasy, like applying only moisturizer. But after rinsing and drying the face with a towel, it felt great! Skin pores are getting smaller, and the oil control is amazing. I don’t wake up with an oily face now. As the day progresses, I get oily spots at the t-zones of the face. No problems with just a little dabbing with a piece of tissue. Skin is starting to glow and less puffy too. My wife is loving this.

Toothpaste

Mint-flavored toothpaste. Ohhh… if you have to get something, don’t miss out the toothpaste! We don’t have bad breath when we wake up now! It’s lovely to wake up without a dry mouth smelling like a rubbish dump. No more Colgate, Darlie, Sensedyne, or Oral B. All those didn’t work. I couldn’t believe simple ingredients in the organic toothpaste could prevent bad breath just like that. Honestly, it took me a while to get used to it because it wasn’t foaming, it tasted salty and there was a slight tingling sensation.

Shaving Gel

Another non-foaming product. For me, I’ve been using Gillette foaming cream/gel ever since I started to sprout hairs around my chin. So when I used this, I was having doubts. But foaming is just a myth! This shaving gel, or rather it’s of a creamy texture, just works as it should. It lubricates the skin, so that your shaving blade can glide along your skin without scraping with accompanying howls. On top of that, it doesn’t dry out like the Gillette foam, so that you can go over your skin repeatedly until you’re satisfied. Here’s the skeptical part… my beard growth seems to be slower after using this shaving gel. Well, that’s what I noticed for the past few days. Anyway, it has a woody scent to it too.

Hand wash

By now, “small amounts only” is not surprising. That’s all you need for an effective wash. Very little foaming, and leaves the hand moisturized after rinsing. A gingery-lemony scent which my wife didn’t like. But I do, so I’m the only one using it now. I do realize that my hands do not having the numbing feeling anymore. I mentioned that to some friends last year, and thought that it could be a side-effect of a heart condition. But it seems like it’s not. My palms are starting to feel more sensitive, and warmer too. By the way, my doctor couldn’t find irregularities in my heart beat.

That’s it. Too good to be true? I don’t blame you. It’s something that you can accept only if you try it yourself. If you want to try it, you can just shop online here: http://jubilaree.mionegroup.com.

Ribena, really just a little bit!

I just read this news article.

http://news.asiaone.com.sg/a1news/20070507_story17_1.html

GSK, the manufacturer of Ribena, has admitted to possibly misleading consumers when it stated that blackcurrents have 4 times more vitamin C than oranges. It was found that Ribena contains “almost no traces of the vitamin”.

Why aren’t they apologizing to the consumers in Singapore?

Update:   Ribena in Singapore is not affected.  Please see comments.  That’s why they are not apologizing in Singapore. 🙂

Miessence package has arrived!

It took only 2 days! After I placed my order on their online shopping site, they sent me an email notifying me on the order placement. Today morning, they sent me another email informing that the package is on the way. Today afternoon, the UPS man arrived to my doorstep with my package. All without me stepping out of the house! After a month of leg work in trying to find safer alternatives to personal care products, this is just a bliss!

So now you know that shipping Miessence to Singapore has no problems. Oh, no GST too. 😉

Update: No GST if your package’s value is below S$400.

From the pictures, you can see that the packaging is nicely done. Nuggets of foam is used to prevent the bottles from tumbling around. The bottles have a tape seal on top. If it’s broken, it means that it has been tampered with, or the contents might have been compromised. Nice touch.

Ok, initial fragrance test!

Extremely pleasant. Quite different from the usual products that we buy. The scents have an uplifting lint to it, which I find it very hard to describe. They are not over powering. I could sniff them repeatedly just to try to identify the scents. I’ll try my best here.

Mint Toothpaste – Wife prefers mint, so we got the mint! Minty and bright scent. The volume looks good enough to last for one month for 2 persons.

Lemon Myrtle Shampoo – Milky scent with a uplifting lint of lemon.

Shine Herbal Hair Conditioner – Flowery scent, like during a spring season.

Liquid Hand Soap – Flowery scent. Slightly more wholesome than the hair conditioner.

For the others, I wasn’t able to sniff it due to the dispenser design. I’ll probably know tomorrow. So far, it’s smelling good. 🙂

Update:

Shaving Cream – Woody scent.

Balancing Cleanser (facial) – Woody, with a hint of rosemary. English herbal kind of scent.

Another organic personal care brand

I found another brand that manufactures only organic personal care products!

It’s Pangea Organics. Although they don’t ship internationally, but you can get them at these locations in Singapore.

I haven’t check out the prices yet, nor tried them before.  But if you have, let me know how you feel about this one.

Organic daily personal care products

Referring back to my earlier post on “Living a life of chemicals“, I would like to update everyone that I have found the safer alternative to personal care products!

The brand is called Miessence, manufactured by an Australian company named Organic and Natural Enterprise group. Their products are certified by “Australian Certified Organic” and “United States Department of Agriculture”.

Lots of information that you can read up at OneGroup’s site. Take a look at the toxins directory and compare against your personal care products that you use daily. I think it will freak you out.

You can have a look at their products too. Yeah, they are more expensive than your typical shopping malls’ products, but I think your health is worth paying for it. I have made some purchases and I’ll update you all on the outcome of the trials. 🙂

Incidentally, they have a business structure in which you can take part in if you are also looking for a business opportunity and want to ride on the wave of growing awareness in better health. I have hitched onto it because I believe we shouldn’t be victims to irresponsible manufacturers.

Living a life of chemicals

Recently my wife started to use cosmetics, and being aware of how most cosmetics are using toxic and carcinogenic ingredients, I embarked on a search for safe cosmetics.

The search led to 1 brand of cosmetic, and a much better knowledge in personal care products.

For a start, let’s begin with some education. Do a google search on “cosmetics dangerous ingredients“, and start reading. Or you can get this book “The Safe Shopper’s Bible“, if you are skeptical of what you read on the Internet. Keep a lookout for the most common ingredients.

The ingredients’ names can be daunting as most of them are chemical names, and most of us are not used to them. But if you start gradually by cross referencing your product’s ingredients to the chemical list, you’ll slowly get used to it. Well, as your concerns grow, your mind will start learning quickly.

So I’m pretty familiar with the ingredients now, and it’s freaking me out. Practically everything that I use on a daily basis is a chemical tub that can trigger off cancer in my body. Although all manufacturers claim that the amount used in their products is “negligible”, “too little to cause any harm”, “with in safe limits as specified by institutions”, the increasing statistics of people getting cancers is telling a different story. The problem is that all the products add up can become “significant”, “too much”, or “outside the safe limits”. Who’s to know? You are supposed to know. Not the manufacturer. If you use toothpaste, facial wash, shampoo, soap, body wash, hand wash, all in one day, and it exceeds the safe limits, it’s really your fault.

So how do we know? Actually, I don’t know. There’s no way for me to measure the amount of chemicals that I expose myself to in a day.

The only way is to use products that do not use such chemicals. Is it possible? Yes. My mum told me that back in my grandfather’s days, toothpaste was a simple home-made paste, made from baking soda and sea salt.

So I embarked on a search for safer products, and it’s a tough mission! Most of the cosmetics and personal care products in Singapore contain these chemicals.

So far, I have found one cosmetics which use minerals for its foundations, blush and shadows. Check out Everyday Minerals.

I’m still searching for the alternatives to personal care products. I’ll update this post if I find one. Good health to you!