The Colorado No Product Law

Well, its proper name is The Colorado SAFE Products law.  A proposed law, claiming to outlaw cosmetics, toiletries and other products that contain cancercausing ingredients. Sounds great, right? Well, it would, if it were not based on totally "bad science".  The law as written would prevent the use of many of our favorite oils, and prevent most natural products from being sold in the State of Colorado.  For more information, please see the call to action posted this evening on the Samara Botane Blog.

For more information, see the Sagescript blog. Cindy Jones, the founder of Sagescript is BOTH a chemist (she tests our Hydrosols for contamination) and a toiletries and soap maker.

Or Donna Maria's Indie Business blog.

Or just Google "colorado safe cosmetics act"

Why does this concern me, and why should it concern you?  Because this illogical law, while purporting to protect the citizens of Colorado against dangerous carcinogens and neurotoxins in the cosmetics they purchase is "throwing the baby out with the bath water."

They give no 'minimum safe usage levels' they just list substances.  Well, Rose Otto contains traces of some of the phytochemicals they would ban. As does Holy Basil, Fennel, and a wide range of essential oils and other natural products.

If this law passes, Nature's Gift will simply stop doing business in the state of Colorado. I will regret telling our clients there that we can no longer fulfill their wishes...no more Bliss Bath; no more MoonDays, no more... no more. period.

Please, if you live in Colorado, or do business in Colorado, call your state representatives and oppose this bill.  NO ONE here wants to put you, or your loved ones, at risk. We want to be able to go on supplying the same healing products we've shipped you for years.

This law will make that impossible.

"Soldiers Stories"

Tonight I received a PDF file from my friend Sylla at the United Aromatherapy Effort.

It was scans of thank you notes... hand written on legal pads... thanking us for the products we sent to our "soldier on the ground"... well, they weren't thanking us... they were thanking the UAE. But they named and wrote of using our products...and the gratitude these young (and some not so young) troops expressed has me in tears.

Blogger won't let me import a PDF file. I could save them as text files and post them here (and I might)... but the original PDF file may be viewed on our website at: http://www.naturesgift.com/PDF-Files/SolderStories.pdf Please go read their thanks for some simple basic aromatherapy products. And consider donating to the UAE to support their work.

You will need a copy of the Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader to view the file. You probably already have it on your computer. If not, you may download it here.

Well, because they are all hand written, the file refused to save as text. (The computer can't read their writing ;)

Will we be sending more? Of course we will!

Care Packages

Some of you may remember that a month or more the United Aromatherapy Effort sent out a request for aromatherapy supplies to support troops in Afghanistan. As usual, Nature's Gift responded immediately. After seeing the conditions to be addressed, and the requests, we sent a huge box filled with our SineEase inhalers, and bottles of FreshAire and GermBeater room sprays. Last week Sylla received a thank you note that seemed to refer directly to the products we had donated... here it is:

Here is his email (with permission and name removed of course!)-just so you

all know we are serving ALL troops, not just our own from USA; Jim (The "Soldier on the Ground" who distributes the goodies) has access to NATO troops from over 50 countries besides ours.....and he is quite enjoying strolling his supplies through undiscovered parts of CampPhoenix and handing out stuff, meeting lots of soldiers he wouldn't have

met. (and this means that even if you don't live in the USA know we are

taking care of your troops too).

""Dear ladies,

By way of introduction, my name is Major *************, and I am currently

serving in support of the International Security Assistance Force in

Afghanistan with Jim. I was taken aback by your organisation's generosity

and consideration with the care package of aromatherapy goods that you have

sent to the forces.

Your aromatherapy items were received in the most positive manner here. As

you can imagine we live in quite confined living quarters with limited to no

ventilation. Now I have the pleasure of walking into my sleeping space with

a scent I feel more relaxed in and I am certainly no longer confronted with

the musty smell of Afghanistan.

I have made use of the scented air spray and germ spray consistently in my

room to rid it of bad odors and to clean my living area to remain germ free

and healthy. Along with being more relaxed the scents also generally remind

me of the normalcy of home. With the flu season now upon us I am aware that

your products have also brought some relief to my mates affected with sinus

congestion.

Jim has done a great job explaining to people about our organisation and

distributing the items in the care pack.

Just so you are aware of who your care packages are reaching, I am actually

an Australian from Darwin in the Northern Territory. I understand that you

have visited Australia Sylla, and I can only hope that you were treated with

the same friendliness that your countrymen have treated me both here and

from people like yourselves back in the States.

With my thanks, yours sincerely

********(removed)

Major

Australian Cavalry

(I was so excited to see a copy of that email, that I just had to share it. And if you are the parent or loved one of someone serving ... this is a suggestion for adding to the care packages I am sure you are sending.)

Greening our business

Came across an article last week (from Living Green Magazine) about making your office environment more "green"... read it through and was really delighted to see all the things that we are already doing at Nature's Gift.

Some of them are fairly major, and some are probably fairly minor, but they all add up. Maybe some of the ideas will jog you into action.

1. Recycling. We have had big "recycling" barrels for years. All plastics, all aluminum, and most paper get recycled. Especially broken down cardboard cartons, and it's amazing how many of those come in in a week.

2. Additional recycling: Christi is a bird owner - she takes used printouts home to line her bird cages. (has been doing that as long as she's been with us. Said she saw special paper for that in a shop recently...$9.00 a small package!)

3. Temperature control. We keep our workroom and office past cool - it'd downright cold there this winter. And on Friday afternoon we turn all thermostats down lower, to conserve electricity.

4. Lighting. The workroom is kept fairly dim. Rather than brightly lighting the whole area, every work station has a small "task light"...only in use when someone is working there. In the office we never use the overhead lights. A lot of light comes in through the picture window and windowed doors; on dark, gloomy days I'll turn on a spotlight lamp on my desk. Oh, and both at the office and at home we use the compact fluorescent lightbulbs.

5. Packing materials - the packing peanuts we use are cellulose based, totally biodegradable. Whenever possible we reuse packing materials. (Which is why your order may have plastic peanuts. Someone shipped them to us, and we'd rather recycle them than have them go in a land fill!)

The colored tissue with which we "top off" your order is made from recycled materials. In fact, whenever the option is available (printer paper, for example) we purchase "stuff" made from recycled material.

6. We include a reminder to please recycle our packaging with every order.

7. We post suggestions for recycling our packaging, etc. either on the blog or in our newsletter.

8. We do NOT mail out paper catalogues or other promotional materials. No trees die to produce our newsletter.

9. When we remodeled and moved into our new building a year and a half ago we put in new breakroom and work kitchens. All sinks have aerators, as suggested, and we have a "low flush" toilet. (We do draw the line at "flushing whenever necessary." After every use IS necessary!)

We shut all the computers off when we leave for the day; in total honesty I hadn't thought about shutting off all of their surge protectors. That's one we will start doing this coming week.

On the whole, I am proud of us. The only thing we don't do is carpool, but everyone lives in different directions and works different hours, so that is not practicable. (I love to telecommute, would work from home almost all the time, but I'm told my physical presence in necessary. so much for that!)

Arlington at Christmas

Somehow this bittersweet story, that shows the generosity of spirit that still exists in this world, strikes me as an appropriate Christmas Eve post. A friend sent it via email, and I've verified it at Snopes. (The urban legend myth-buster.) 'Tis true, my friends.

Rest easy, sleep well my brothers.
Know the line has held, your job is done.
Rest easy, sleep well.
Others have taken up where you fell, the line has held.
Peace, peace, and farewell...

Readers may be interested to know that these wreaths -- some 5,000 -- are donated by the Worcester Wreath Co. Of Harrington, Maine. The owner, Merrill Worcester, not only provides the wreaths, but covers the trucking expense as well. He's done this since 1992. A wonderful guy. Also, most years, groups of Maine school kids combine an educational trip to DC with this event to help out. Making this even more remarkable is the fact that Harrington is in one the poorest parts of the state.

Save-a-Pet today

This in email from my daughter a few minutes ago:

PLEASE DO THIS 'FREE' GOOD DEED - Animal Rescue

Hi, all you animal lovers. This is pretty simple... Please tell ten friends to tell ten today! The Animal Rescue Site is having trouble getting enough people to click on it daily to meet their quota of getting free food donated every day to abused and neglected animals.

It takes less than a minute (How about 20 seconds) to go to their site and click on the purple box 'fund food for animals' for free. This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate food to abandoned/neglected animals in exchange for advertising. Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know.

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/

Please ask some friends to do the same thing. (I just did!)

Contacting Congress-critters

If you wish to take direct action to oppose the FDA's proposed Globalization Act bycontacting your elected representatives, this link gives the names, email addresses, phone numbers, mailing addresses and other information about your Senat0rs and Representatives.

http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/index.html

It is my understanding that although I am much more comfortable sending email (and I love its speed!) that in this case actually sitting down and composing a written letter - on paper! (what a concept!) and mailing it to their offices might be more effective.

Also I just found out that the deadline for signing the petition mentioned in an earlier blog post is August 4th.

More on the FDA globalization act and "Safe Cosmetics"

Many of our clients and friends are members of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. After all, who doesn't want the products we sell to be safe, and to be publicly allied with an organization dedicated to removing toxic substances from products we use daily?

This week the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics not only drafted a petition to Congress endorsing the FDA Globalization Act, but asking that its provisions be strengthened.

Their Petition asks Congress to change the law so that any manufacturer must obtain pre-market approval of every single cosmetic product. That's tantamount to regulating cosmetics like drugs are currently regulated. The link to the House Committee considering this draft law is here: http://energycommerce.house.gov/FDAGlobalAct-08/index.shtml

The draft law is burdensome and discriminatory to small and woman-owned businesses. You can see the Campaign's Petition here: http://action.safecosmetics.org/petition/Index.asp?id=35. This Petition was announced without consulting with any of the signers to the Compact. Any signer of the Compact, by implication, is assumed to support the Campaign's position to drastically change the law as outlined above. Do not sign the Campaign's Petition if you support small businesses!

While we all support educating consumers and protecting them from unsafe products, this law will not serve that purpose. Instead, it will stamp out competition and return our customers to the days when all they could choose from are Dial Soap and Oil of Olay. It will also more than likely make it impossible for Nature's Gift to make available our range of products, since we can not possibly to the "pre release safety testing" that would be required. We believe that the petition on the Compact for Safe Cosmetics site is counterproductive to the goal of increasing the use of safe cosmetics and skincare products and will do more harm than good to small natural product businesses. If the industry is regulated to the degree they are calling for, small businesses would exit the marketplace in droves because they can't pay excessive fees and comply with burdensom, unfair and unnecessary paperwork.

If you are one of the several hundred signees of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics compact you can contact them, stating your opposition to their petition, and asking that your name (or your company's name) be removed from their list.

Oppose This Law!! Sign The Petition Against This Law The Indie Beauty Network, a trade orgranization representing 700+ small cosmetics manufacturers is leading the charge against this law. So far, over 1,500 cosmetics companies, their customers and concerned citizens have signed a Petition released by IBN. You can watch the video, read the Petition and sign it here (Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page to see the comment section, and be sure to leave you name, city, state and zip.)IBN's July 24, 2008, letter to the Congress persons on the House Energy & Commerce Committee can be viewed here:

Political Post - Free Tibet

Years ago a group of Tibetan Monks came through Nashville, on a mission dedicated to cleansing the world. They spent a week creating a stunning mandala on a table top, created by sifting colored sands in a pattern I couldn't recognize. Several of us visited them daily, watching the growth of the Mandala. On the last day, when the work of art was finished, they prayed over it, then took brushes and carefully brushed away the beauty they had created. Each of us there was given a tiny bag of the multicolored sand, blessed with their prayers. (I wear mine in an Essendulum) We formed a procession walking to the nearest point of the Cumberland River, where the sand, dedicated to the cleansing of the natural world, was poured into the water, to be carried to the oceans. It was a deeply moving ceremony, even though I understood little about their faith.

Since then, I've been moved to study the life and writings of the Dalai Lama, and have come to believe that he is one of the greatest spiritual leaders and wisest humans of our generation.

His country, Tibet, is under the rule of China. The people of Tibet are forbidden to practice their faith, and their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, is forced to lead from exile.

At the beginning of the Beijing Olympics an international light protest is being held to symbolize the desire that Tibet be freed. Those who support this cause are asked to do one simple thing...to light a candle at 9:00 PM on the night of August

From the Candle for Tibet website:

August 7th 2008 is the day before the opening ceremony of The Olympic Games in Beijing. On this day we aim to create the world's greatest LIGHT PROTEST, when at least 100 million people from all over the world will light a candle and say YES to freedom in Tibet!


All you are asked to do is to light a simple candle on August 7th at 9 pm in your own time zone.

Light the Candle at your home, workplace or in a public place. Put the candle in your Window, or on your desk, or anywhere else where other people will see it and hopefully do the same.

Wrong Policy, Wrong Law, Wrong Time

Congress is currently considering the Food and Drug Administration Globalization Act of 2008. Now, we are all in favor of keeping our food, cosmetics, prescription drugs, etc. Safe. And we know what a wonderful job the FDA has done in the past. (Yes, I'm being sarcastic, probably from watching food item after food item being recalled, or warned against.)

Next to be controlled and safeguarded for our protection is the cosmetics industry. The legislation is aimed at giving the FDA authority to promulgate new regulations that are supposed to protect consumers and also provide the funding the agency needs to enforce existing laws in a global market. You can read the full text of the draft legislation here: http://energycommerce.house.gov/FDAGlobalAct-08/Dingel_60AXML.pdf.

The proposed legislation would, among other things:

1. Require all cosmetics companies serving American consumers to register annually with the FDA, and pay a registration fee of $2,000 per facility per year, and to list in its registration the cosmetics it manufactures, processes, packs or holds, and also, for manufacturers, to list all ingredients in each product contained in the registration listing.

2. Require all cosmetics companies to report to the FDA "serious adverse events" resulting from the use of the products.

3. Require all cosmetics companies to comply with the FDA's Good Manufacturing Practices.

4. Require all companies that import cosmetics to register annually with the FDA, and pay another registration fee ($10,000) to do so.

5. Give the FDA authority to levy substantial fines for violations of the new requirements.

How does this affect us, and how does it affect you?

Because it is illegal to make any therapeutic claims for our products, the essential oils and other natural products that we import are "For use in cosmetics and perfume." The blends that we manufacture and make available are for cosmetic use. Thus we fall under the "umbrella" of a cosmetics company.

Now, after 15 years in business, Nature's Gift can afford an annual $2000 registration fee. But...if we have to list every product once a year, what does that do for new products? New oils, new blends, new ideas. Sorry, wait until next year.

We are importers more than we are manufacturers. The $10,000 import fee will add to the already increasing costs we pay to bring in the products we make available.

More than that...many of our clients are where I was 15 - 18 years ago. A passion for creating soaps, or perfumes, or healing salves or whatever... Giving them to friends, and being asked to make more to sell. Just starting out in a business. Anyone who creates any of these sort of products for resale will be covered by this proposed bill. I know that for our first few years in business, I could not have paid to register Nature's Gift.

Even if you are not in business ... if you are ordering for your own personal use or for family and friends you will still be affected if this act closes. Do you purchase from small independent businesses? Do you enjoy the benefits of handmade toiletries, soaps or cosmetics? This proposed act will put many of your favorite small businesses out of business, taking away your freedom of choice, your freedom to decide where to purchase.

If you want to get involved in trying to stop this proposed legislation, which I believe is the wrong policy, the wrong law, at the wrong time there are at least two actions you can take.

1. You may call or write your congressman and/or senators and voice your concerns about and opposition to the Food and Drug Administration Globalization Act of 2008.

2 You may watch the video DonnaMaria Coles Johnson, founder and president of the Handmade Beauty Network has prepared to explain some of the problems with the bill, and find suggestions of action you can take.

3. You may sign the petition hosted by the Independent Business Blog. Please go to the end of the list of comments (the bottom of the page) to add your comment. Please add your city and state so that your comment will be counted and taken seriously.

Thanks for your time and attention. We love what we do at Nature's Gift, and would like to continue to be allowed to do it.

Earth

We have been blessed with so many amazing plants on this earth. Tastes and scents soothe our mind, feed our body, and produce our oxygen to breathe. Essential oils can not exist without the amazing species from which they are distilled. So many are already extinct. With all of the technology of our time, it seems as if we could do something about this. Unfortunately, technology cannot save these plants; only we can.
If every person could just plant one rare species, think of the impact it could have. If everyone could plant one tree, think of how much better our air could be.
The earth seems so huge. What can one person do to make a difference? What does one little plastic grocery bag matter? 1,000 years is the number I've read. One little plastic bag could hang around that long. If we could all just recycle or not use that one bag, think of the thousands.....millions.......billions fewer bags. Less Pollution, better aromatherapy.
EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS. It adds up so quick. Please, don't forget to love the planet which keeps us alive. Thank you for trying.