Dirty, Filthy Truth about Hand Sanitizers! Disease in a bottle?

Directly from WebMD!!!

As long ago as  2007 -- Antibacterial soaps are no more effective than plain soap and water for killing disease-causing germs, but the jury is still out on whether they promote antibiotic resistance in users, a newly published research analysis shows.
Researchers from the University of Michigan School of Public Health reviewed 27 studies examining the safety and effectiveness of antibacterial products containing the active ingredient triclosan.
That includes most commercially available soaps, detergents and other products with the word 'antibacterial' on their labels, with the notable exception of alcohol-based hand gels.
Soaps containing triclosan at concentrations commonly seen in products sold to the public were found to be no better for killing bacteria and preventing infectious illness than soaps that did not contain triclosan.
"Antibacterial soaps do not provide a benefit above and beyond plain soaps for generally healthy people living in the community," researcher Allison Aiello, PhD, tells WebMD.
"Washing your hands is extremely important for preventing the spread of infectious illness, especially at critical points like after using the toilet, changing the baby, or handling raw foods. But consumers can't assume that antibacterial soaps are better for this than other soaps."

Antibacterial Soap, Antibiotic Resistance

Along with University of Michigan colleagues Elaine Larson, RN, PhD, and Stuart Levy, MD, Aiello has conducted some of the largest and most rigorously designed studies examining the safety and effectiveness of antibacterial products.
Studies in their own laboratory first showed that triclosan can cause some bacteria to become resistant to widely used antibiotics like amoxicillin, but this has not been shown outside the lab.
In another of their studies, 238 families were told to either use triclosan-containing cleaning and hygiene products for a year or similar products without the antibacterial agent. Skin testing conducted before, during, and after the intervention suggested that both cleansing regimens were equally effective for killing germs.
There was also no evidence of an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria on the hands of people who washed with the antibacterial products.
A spokesman for the soap industry tells WebMD that no evidence exists outside the laboratory linking the use of antibacterial soaps and cleansers to the promotion of antibiotic-resistant superbugs.
"It is egregious to continually hype the hypothesis that these products are contributing to antibiotic resistance," Brian Sansoni of the Soap and Detergent Association (SDA) tells WebMD. "These researchers keep raising the specter of what could happen, but it is a ghost story without a ghost."

FDA: Antibacterial Soaps Not Better

Sansoni called the review "predictable repackaging of old studies and old opinions," adding that the issue of whether antibacterial soaps and cleansers promote antibiotic resistance has been put to rest by "study after study."
Aiello disagrees. While antibiotic resistance is routinely tracked in hospitals and other health care settings, tracking resistance trends in the community remains a huge challenge, she says.
"These [community-based] studies are very hard to do," she tells WebMD. "We haven't been able to study this in the way we would like, and I don't know if we will be able to in the future."
An FDA advisory panel considered the question of the effectiveness of antibacterial products in the fall of 2005; the panel overwhelmingly concluded that there was no evidence proving that antibacterial soaps were more effective than regular soaps for preventing infection.
There was talk at the time of restricting the labeling or advertising of new antibacterial products, but the agency has taken no formal action.

I suggest using a natural, handmade true soap!

Warning: Poison in your food?

A Beautiful Spring Day on the Farm!

Why should you be afraid?

Is this scene "Natural"?

The term “natural,” in many

instances, constitutes meaningless

marketing hype promoted by

corporate interests seeking to cash

in on the consumer’s desire for

food produced in a genuinely

healthy and sustainable manner

Please take time to visit:

http://www.cornucopia.org

This site has a wonderful report on "Natural" cereals that we are trustingly feeding our babies, our children and our families.  We are under the impression that they are all natural grains, when in fact, they contain GMOs.  Well, it is, GMO is Genetically Engineered food.  It is NOT in it's original form.

I am absolutely horrified to learn that "Kashi" with their "all natural grains" promotion is actually owned by "Kellog"!!

Why do GMOs stimulate allergies?????

If you genetically cross the genes from corn and tomatoes to get a stronger tomato, sounds good.  What if your child's ADHA is stimulated by corn allergies and you feed him a GMO tomato with a corn gene???  Do you think he only ate a tomato?

And we wonder what is going on!

I do hope you will take the time to study our food supply.  Our friends at Whitton Farm in AR strongly promote : 

Know your Farmer, Know your food!

I don't know if they came up with this, but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!   

Why Occupy Wall Street?  How about Occupy Monsanto?   

Why am I worried about this?  I have a family, love my kids, my grandkids, I am a youth advocate and volunteer in 4-H.  I don't want your children poisoned, as I don't want to poison mine! I am continuously asked if our milk is Organic or if our Soap is Organic.  Our government is constantly changing the definitions of natural and organic.

Natural to me is the way God intended his perfect creations to be! 

Everything is fried in the South, how about your skin?

Since the time that Coco Chanel declared tanning "in" in the 1920s, a suntan was seen as symbol of health, youth and status. However, recent studies on the relationship between the sun's ultraviolet rays (UVR) and our skin are changing the way we view that "healthy" glow.

The sun's UV rays damage the DNA of the skin's epidermal cells, triggering enzymes that race to repair the damage.  However, these enzymes do not always repair the DNA successfully, and all this unrepaired damage can lead to mutations that increase the risk of skin cancer.  Also, repeated unprotected sun exposure can cause photoaging – wrinkles, sagging skin, and spots associated with sun damage.  We all know that over tanning creates leathery looking skin if not treated properly.

Goat Milk products ARE  great for your skin!
Our goat milk soap is made with only pure, natural, skin-enriching ingredients! We use absolutely NO chemical additives, harsh ingredients, detergents or artificial preservatives.

·         Goats' milk, Our main ingredient for skin health.  Goat’s milk molecules are comparatively small, being composed of short-chain fatty acids with smaller-sized proteins. This makes goats' milk more accessible for absorption into the skin. Bringing with it the vitamins, minerals and botanicals to nourish skin.

·         Other Goat’s milk benefits: It also soothes the surface tension of the skin, allowing it to be moisturized and to absorb the healthy nutrients

·         Caprylic acid, another fatty acid  in goat milk, reduces alkalinity, giving our goat milk soap a pH level very close to that of the skin.

·         Vitamin A  in Goat’s milk slows down the effects of aging and prevents brown spots.

·         Zinc in Goat’s milk aids in the reconstruction of collagen fibers, resulting in firmer, smoother skin. Zinc also encourages moisture retention and assists in maintaining the skin’s elasticity.

·         Calcium in Goat’s milk tones and smooths the skin.

·         Alpha-hydroxyl acids in Goat’s milk plump the skin, reducing signs of aging.

·         Caprylic acid, another fatty acid  in goat milk, reduces alkalinity, giving our goat milk soap a pH level very close to that of the skin.

·         Antimicrobials/antifungals, the other fatty acids present in goat milk are natural protectors to your skin.

·         Selected Oils, our soaps use a synergistic blend of oils such as Palm Oil, by far the highest content of β-carotene of any known fruit or vegetable, 10 times higher than carrots for example. Olive Oil creates a protective barrier (not sunblock), other rich oils that deliver the benefits of the vitamins and minerals to the skin.

·         Herbal Extracts, We use a fantastic blend of skin nutritious herbs in our tan care product line.  All known for repairing damaged skin.

     Covenant Creek Farm website: www.covenantcreekgoatmilksoap.com

Deodorant Soap ~ part 1

I recently heard the comment that the reason perfume and cologne doesn't last on some people and does on others has everything to do with the use of deodorant soap.  If you bathe with deodorant soap and the deodorizing chemicals stay on your skin, why would your fragrance (odor) stick around. It is being attacked and erased by the deodorant!  That's good information.  However, in my investigation I learn a great deal more about deodorant soaps that are on the market.  I have never used them, so had no need to investigate before.  With my findings, I now feel we all need to spread the word to those that do use them.  This post is going to have to be 

in several sections, as it is very long! If you don't want to read all of the "why" info, just skip ahead to the summary.

Let's look at the ingredients of the top selling commercial brands.

According to this soap's manufacturer's website,  the deodorant soap was born after chemists discovered that bacteria on the skin caused perspiration odor. They developed an antibacterial ingredient and combined it with a blend of 14 different oils to launch a new soap with a light clover fragrance. The soap claimed  it provided "'Round The Clock" protection.

Triclocarban

Triclocarban is the first ingredient listed on this soap and the only ingredient termed "active." This is the ingredient that gives this soap it's deodorant quality. Triclocarban, or TCC, is an anti-bacterial agent. CosmeticsInfo.org reports it's widely used in bath products, cleansing products and powders and is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use on the skin. Since TCC prevents or slows the growth of bacteria, it's used in some cosmetics and personal care products to prevent spoilage.

Researchers at UC Davis have reported that Triclocarban can act as an endocrine disruptor. While TCC shows little or no endocrine activity by itself, it was found to enhance the biological activity of the endogenous hormone testosterone by in vitro cell-based bioassay as well as in vivo in a male rat model. Testosterone normally mediates transcriptional activity in sexual reproductive organs, but TCC appears to significantly amplify this activity. Ten day oral exposure to TCC caused a substantial increase in the weight of accessory sexual organs such as the prostate This raises some concerns due to the 45 years it has been used in personal care products and the current surge in popularity of its use in anti-bacterial products. The authors commented in a UC Davis press release (Information found on Wikipedia)

Covenant Creek Farm does NOT use Triclocarban in any product!  Why would we?

Phylates

Chemical Found in Cosmetics, Soaps and Lubricants is Hazardous for Men

Scientists have been aware of the fact that exposure to phthalates is linked to reproductive issues. Recently they have discovered that this chemical, found in nearly everything including plastics, shampoos, cosmetics, lubricants, paint and soaps, is strongly connected to abdominal obesity and insulin resistance in adult males. This scientific discovery was made by the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Scientists think that even in low doses the exposures to phthalates and several other common chemicals might reduce the levels of testosterone in men. Richard Stahlhut, A Preventive Medicine resident at the University of Rochester said that the exposure to such chemicals leads to the increase of obesity rates and an epidemic of such related disorders like Type 2 diabetes. He outlined that some significant declines in both testosterone levels and quality of sperm have been spotted during the last several decades in the United States and some other countries. Stahlhut stated that phthalates should definitely be in the list of chemicals that require a careful study.

It is worth mentioning that phthalates have been actively used for more than half a century. However, only now did scientist start thinking about the possible health problems to which the chemical might lead. Studies made on animals showed that phthalates consistently depress the levels of testosterone. Recently, while performing their studies on humans, scientists have found that the hazardous chemicals are linked to poor quality of semen in men. This also refers to reproductive organs in boy babies.

Covenant Creek Farm uses only fragrances that are certified phthalate free!

What is Saponification?

Saponification in Soap Making

Definition: Saponification is an exothermic (gives off heat) chemical reaction that occurs when fats or oils (fatty acids) come into contact with lye (a base.) Saponification literally means "turning into soap" from the root word, "sapo", which is Latin for soap. The by-products of the saponification reaction are glycerin and soap.

Oils + lye (dispersed into water) = soap + glycerin

Oils and fats each have what is called a “saponification value”, which is the amount of lye needed to completely neutralize them into soap with no lye left over. Each oil has a different value, which is why it’s important to always run your recipes through a lye calculator. We recommend the one on the Majestic Mountain Sage website.
Once oils have been saponified with lye (sodium hydroxide) the lye is no longer available. This means that it is basically "gone"! So, if you are worried about it, don't be. The saponification process has altered the composition of the lye.

Antibacterial Soap

Antibacterial Soap, what's the buzz? I will tell what you need to know:

A friend's daughter did research for a school science fair project (of course she won!). She compared bacteria from her hands after washing with a leading name brand antibacterial soap and all natural goat milk soap with no detergents. After washing daily for a week with each soap and placing scrapings in Petri dishes, guess which ones grew bacteria???? Not the handmade natural soap, Yes, the name brand commercial soap. Most contain Triclosan. What about Triclosan? :

Triclosan Can Transform Into Something Even More Dangerous

The antibacterial agent added to many liquid hand soaps to help kill germs. Triclosan is suspected of contributing to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance.

Here's something else you may not know about that innocent-looking bottle of liquid hand soap sitting next to your sink.

When triclosan mixes with the chlorine in your tap water, chloroform is formed, which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified as a probable human carcinogen.

And when combined with other disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in your tap water, this chloroform can raise the concentration of dangerous trihalomethanes (THMs) above the EPA's maximum allowable amount.

Trihalomethanes (THMs) are Cancer Group B carcinogens, meaning they've been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals. Disinfection byproducts (DPBs) have also been linked to reproductive problems in both animals and humans.

Not only do you absorb them into your skin, these antimicrobial chemicals flow down your drain, contaminating the environment and food chain.

So, let me ask you… do you really want to use this on your skin or your children's skin?

In my opinion, you're better off switching to skin care products made of natural plant names you recognize, can pronounce, and could even eat (if you had to).