June 5 is World Environment Day. It is heartening to see greater efforts in promoting and educating the public of the need to preserve wildlife, eco-systems and the bio-diversity of the Earth.
 
Other than illegal trade in wildlife products for precious ivory and rhino horn, the beauty and personal care industry is also largely responsible for causing toxic effects and damages to the environment and its inhabitants. Think about how palm oil causes air pollution and the genocide of orangutans, destruction of wild orchids and rosewood timber and as many as 700 marine species are currently in danger of extinction due to plastic pollution. I'm not even going to get started on how "branded" Shea butter is exploiting human rights in Africa. It is just so tragic!
 
You might protest right now - "but the products I'm using are Fairtrade and anti-animal cruelty!" Well, those only serve 2 purposes - marketing poverty to benefit the rich and protection of cute little animals, not the environment in general.
 
Sadly, it does not all sound very rosy right now. The production of "hope in a bottle or jar" has caused the earth dearly and here are 3 recent concerns that surround the environmental damages of cosmetics and personal care products.
 
The real cost of "natural"
 
Everyone is cashing in on "natural". They seem to think by adding a few drops of essential oil or 5% of botanical ingredients in their products; it is now healthier for use. Have you considered that as more companies are sourcing natural products, the demand for such ingredients have increased and invariably driven cost up? Demand is a good thing; but big companies will want these products cheap and fast, which meant exploitation of farming, production ethics, wages and the lands that flora and fauna survive on.
 
Mining is another problem unknown to many. Minerals are becoming popular ingredients in natural cosmetics. Most consumers are only interested in the effectiveness of the products. But minerals essentially are... yes, extracted by mining companies. When done irresponsibly, the mining of minerals and oil for petroleum based products can disrupt eco-systems and deplete non-renewable natural resources.
 
Thus, the benefits of buying 100% natural products from small businesses become obvious - there is no damage to your body, health and our environment.
 
The truth about packaging
 
The boxes and containers of what we use also have damaging effects to the environment. The more businesses pack, the more there is to toss and how do you think waste gets eliminated? Containers and packaging that are not recyclable or biodegradable consume more energy and landfills to break them down. One of the most common packaging wastes is cheap plastic. The hazard that this plastic causes to the environment is very serious and improper handling of plastic waste emits toxic gases into the air.

​Last Friday, a customer asked me, "Have you heard of Dr. Bronner castile soap? What's the difference between your soap and Dr. Bronner's and what is castile soap?"
 
What's Castile Soap?
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Castile soap is one of the oldest soaps known in the world. Similar to Savon de Marseille (or the Marseille soap), it is an all-natural, vegan and biodegradable soap famed for its astounding multi-purposes. This is hardly a surprise since hand wash, detergents and fancy cleansers have only been around since the advent of modern manufacturing processes and the surge in petrochemical use.
 
The origin of Castile soap also lies in the geography. It is a region in Spain renowned for its olive oil and authentic castile bar soap was traditionally handmade with just olive oil. Today, liquid and bar soap are made with all types of vegetable oils such as palm, coconut, safflower, hemp, jojoba, olive etc. The term castile is now used loosely, and often include detergents or ingredients that is used to enhance the physical appearance and texture of both liquid and bar soap.

So... What's Great About Pure Castile Soap?

Real castile soap made with olive oil is gentle on the skin and environment because it is free of artificial foaming ingredients, harsh chemicals and deconstructed fatty acids from vegetable oils or fats, parabens and synthetically manufactured anti-bacterial agents .
 
If you'd had previously used or purchased a mass market castile soap, you will notice a mix of vegetable oil and artificial agents used in the ingredient list. Some of you would have experienced dry, tight skin after showering. Sensitive and delicate skin should refrain from using liquid soap that contains hard oils. Each vegetable oil contains a percentage of fats that will not be converted into soap. Commercial soap-makers use oils with higher percentage of converted fats to make soap in order to yield more bubbles and a higher volume of produce.
 
I risk sounding like an old cracked record here - but please peruse your ingredient list carefully wherever you are, and just because a product is organic doesn't mean it's more natural as well. If you would not eat processed food laden with preservatives and flavouring agents, why would you use chemically enhanced products created with the profits-driven-mass-manufacturing-principles on your skin and body?!

This infused oil that I am about to introduce is  different from essential oil, which is extracted by steam distillation and mainly a commercial exercise. A herbal oil infusion consists of herbs and flowers simmered on low heat in a base oil. This adds healing and nourishing properties to your oil. This infusion can be used just as it is or added to your DIY projects and soap.

To make an infused oil, you will need 250g of oil (do not use coconut or cooking oil) to 12 tablespoons of herbs. For example, to treat eczema, I chose 250g of sweet almond oil, 6 tablespoons of calendula and 6 tablespoons of chamomile. Sweet almond oil is known to be especially beneficial for eczema - itchy, dry and inflamed skin. When infused with anti-inflammatory herbs, this oil can be used to heal wounds, burns, scratches, nappy rash, facial broken veins, eczema, chronic ulcers and gum inflammation. 

A double saucepan is ideal for this recipe, but a Pyrex jar over a pan of simmering water will do just as well. My personal preference is a crock pot (slow cooker) - the heat stays consistent and you do not have to worry about burning anything.

(1) Heat the base oil gently until about 60 degree Celsius.
*You may skip this step if you are using a crock pot (slow cooker), just make sure its on low heat.

(2) Add herbs and dried flowers into the oil, making sure that everything is submerged. Leave the oil and herbs over very low heat for at least 1s hour, by which the herbs will have released their beneficial and aromatic properties.
**Depending how how concentrated you want your infusion to be, this simmering process can take anywhere between 30 minutes to 3 hours. 

(3) Strain the oil through a sieve or coffee/tea filter bag. Transfer infusion into a sterilised jar or bottle and leave it to cool. At 40 degree Celsius, your infusion is ready to be used (ahhh... hot oil massage) or you can wait till it has completely cooled off. The shelf-life of your infusion oil will be the same as the base oil you had or purchased.