BeautyWorld Middle East 2009

This summer, Dubai is hosting a special two-in-one beauty exhibition; BeautyWorld Middle East, the trade show for perfume and cosmetics, and Wellness and Spas Middle East, the trade show for the professional spa industry. The shows are organized by Messe Frankfurt, a leading trade show facilitator, and will take place from June 7th through 9th.

Both exhibition will be inaugurated by Mrs. Raja Al Gurg, President of Dubai UAE Business Women Council, and one of Forbes magazines "Women to Watch in the Middle East."

One highlight of the event will be the "Walk of Beauty," a performance from some of the most talented professional hair-dressers and makeup artists in the world.

So, why Dubai, you may ask? According to Andrea Werner, senior show manager for Messe Frankfurt, the Arabian Peninsula has the world's largest per capita spending on perfume at about $1 billion in total, with the market for premium brands estimated at about $270 million. Also, the tradition of using perfumes and scented oils in the Middle East is an integral part of the Arabian culture. (http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093241303)

Vegan Beauty

Common cosmetic ingredient names can be really hard to pronounce. Even harder still is to know what they are derived from. For instance did you know that cetyl alcohol (found in almost all cosmetics) is derived from sperm whales and carmine (present in red lipsticks, mascaras, etc.) is extracted from crushed beetles (see my 02.26.09 post "There's a bug in your lipstick")? This can pose a challenge for people that are living strictly vegan lifestyles. What chance do they have to get all glammed up?

The good news is there are more companies now than ever catering to vegan vixens, consumers who do not eat, wear or use anything derived from our furry friends. Below, I've listed out some of the most popular brands in this category.


Urbay Decay - Outlined on their website is a list of product offerings that are vegan ranging from deeply pigmented eye shadows and lipsticks to foundations and powders and even a set of synthetic brushes. Visit www.urbandecay.com/vegan.cfm for more info.


Origins - Most products derived from plant, organic, and essential oil based ingredients except a few that contain cruelty free honey and beeswax. Instituted the Return to Origins program wherein you can return empty product containers to any Origins store to be recycled. No animal testing. Visit http://www.origins.com/ for more info.


Beauty Without Cruelty - Since 1963, Beauty Without Cruelty has specialized in producing affordable color cosmetics that are animal-compassionate. They avoid all animal-derived ingredients and animal testing, making the line suitable for both vegetarians and vegans. Check out www.beautywithoutcruelty.com or see my 04.26.09 post, "Company Profile: Beauty Without Cruelty."

Naturally Sun Safe

WIth consumers more worried then ever over the long term effects of sun damage, and the new trend towards more natural skin care, it's no wonder that a slew of new products have popped up to provide natural sun protection.

Common ingredients in natural sunscreens include:
- Zinc Oxide: Topical agent for centuries; non-irritating; UV absorbing; anti-inflammatory; anti-bacterial; non-comedogenic
- Zirconium Oxide: Coats skin; pigment toner; UVA blocking mineral; non-comedogenic
- Titanium Dioxide: UV blocker; acts like a shield; non-comedogenic


Natural sunscreens form a protective barrier on the skin that allows no UV rays to penetrate, period. Natural sunscreens also have the added benefit of being very good for our skin. Zinc has anti-inflammatory properties and is anti-bacterial for those of us with acne prone skin. The list below highlights some of the most popular and highest customer rated brands available.

*Korres Watermelon Sunscreen Stick SPF 30: shields sensitive areas of the face like the lips, cheeks, and nose. Designed for easy application, this double-duty essential adds a natural, iridescent touch to accentuate features and smooths to silky perfection. www.sephora.com

*Badger Face & Body Sunblock SPF30: Blocks both UVA and UVB rays, and thoroughly moisturizes your skin with Seabuckthorn Berry, which has cell rebuilding and restorative properties. www.skinbotanica.com

* Tinted Kabana Sunscreen Organic. Made from 9 yummy edible-grade organic and natural ingredients. It is tinted with the natural mineral iron oxides for a sunscreens without the characteristic whiteness. Provides the best broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection of any FDA approved sunscreen. www.kabanaskincare.com

* Sunscreen SPF30 by Soleo Organics: Provides three hours of waterproof protection, and made with botanical extracts and antioxidants. Perfect for any outdoor or beach trips. www.soleousa.com

* Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen: Provide a wide range of chemical and fragrance-free sun protection for a sensitive face, children, sport and activity, and regular every day use. www.crownlaboratories.com


*Juice Beauty Lip Trio Lip Moisturizers SPF 8: Ideal for those with dry, damaged lips who want a natural hint of color and soothing, protective moisture. Titanium Dioxide protects from UVA and UVB rays. Coconut Oil hydrates. Vitamin E protects from damage. http://www.skinbotanica.com/

Natural Beauty Summit Paris

SAVE THE DATES
NEXT NATURAL BEAUTY SUMMIT IN EUROPE :
NOV. 23rd & 24th 2009
Following the success of the inaugural and third summits, the fifth Natural Beauty Summit will once again take place in Paris. The high-level summit will once again bring together some of the leading & most influential executives in the natural beauty industry to debate and discuss major industry issues.
The Natural Beauty Summit Europe will be held at the Hotel Pullman Rive Gauche, in Paris, from November 23rd & 24th 2009. A half day workshop will be conducted on November 25th 2009.
Topics to be covered in Natural Beauty Summit Europe will include ethical ingredient & raw material sourcing, sustainability best-practices, natural & organic standards update, retailing & distribution issues, product development & formulation challenges, and corporate social responsibility & business ethics. The summit will debate and discuss these major issues in a high-level forum.

More information can be found on www.naturalbeautysummit.com

Natural Beauty Summit NYC (cont)

The Natural Beauty Summit America took place at the Sheraton Hotel in New York City on May 7 and 8. Some 130 participants of the American beauty industry attended the two-day conferences and were able to hear the presentations of some of the biggest names in the industry, such as Horst M. Rechelbacher, founder of Intelligent Nutrients; Ido Leffler, CEO of Yes to Carrots; Curt Valva, president of Aubrey Organics; David Bronner, president of Dr. Bronner Magic Soaps; Steven J.Mirshak, president Of Dupont Tate & Lyle; Dr. Manfred Axterer, global product director cosmetic ingredients of Symrise; Jasper Van Brakel, CEO of Weleda North America; Mike Indursky, chief of marketing at Burt’s Bees; and many more. Representatives from regulatory bodies also made their case for a more consistent approach for standards in cosmetics and labeling.

The list of attendees was equally impressive. Representatives from L’Oréal, Estée Lauder, Burt’s Bees, Firmenich, Unilever, Clarins, Sephora, Johnson & Johnson but also Korres and Dr Bronner were among the attendees.

Jointly organized by Beyond Beauty and Organic Monitor, the summit was split into four segments looking at the current US regulatory framework; marketing, product claims and labeling, developing an American natural standard, and an update on the USDA standard and European standard harmonization.

Ecocert Opens US Office

Ecocert has opened its first U.S. offices in San Francisco, CA. This is an important development and brings us a step closer to a unified, widely recognized set of organic standards for cosmetics in the U.S.

Ecocert is an environmental certification body created in France in 1991 and is recognized by government authorities in more than 80 countries. The Ecocert Standards for Natural and Organic Cosmetics were released in 2002. The main objectives of the Ecocert Standards are to define and promote a higher level of quality for cosmetics in general, to maximize the use of organic ingredients, and to ensure the optimal usage of true natural ingredients and ingredients from natural origin by setting minimum content requirements.

The Ecocert name and seal are registered trademarks worldwide, and trusted by consumers, businesses, industry, and governments. Manufacturers, distributors, brand owners, and any operator wishing to use the Ecocert name on labels and marketing material must apply to and be duly inspected and certified by Ecocert. Ecocert is the only certification body that demands the display of the real organic percentage with an explication of its calculation.

To learn more about Ecocert and the Standards, visit www.ecocert.com

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a coalition of women's, public health, labor, environmental health and consumer-rights organizations that came together in 2004 to try to prevent certain dangerous chemicals from being used in our everyday personal care products, such as perfumes, lotions, cleansers, and makeup. The group sites that the European Union bans 1,100 toxic chemicals from personal care products, including some phthalates used in nail polish and other products. In contrast, the United States bans only 11 chemicals. Some products sold in the U.S. still contain chemicals banned in Europe even though safer alternatives are available.

A campaign partner of the group, the Environmental Working Group, launched Skin Deep in 2004, the world’s largest database of chemicals in personal care products. This innovative online tool matches the ingredients listed on personal care products with 50 toxicity databases to determine safety ratings and data gaps for each product, brand or company. It can be used to help consumers navigate through the sometimes unintelligible ingredient list on most household products.

Due to pressure from the Campaign, in 2006, some major nail polish brands also removed the “toxic trio” of nail polish chemicals – dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde and toluene – from their nail polish.

More recently, the group is trying to get as many companies as possible to sign the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, a pledge to provide transparency to consumers and to make products free from potentially harmful chemicals.

For more info on the group and to see how you can make a difference, visit http://www.safecosmetics.org/

Toxic Beauty

A new book by Samuel Epstein, MD and Randall Fitzgerald, Toxic Beauty: How Cosmetics and Personal-Care Products Endanger Your Health …And What You Can Do About It, issues a wake-up call to the public on the dangers of ingredients in common cosmetics and personal-care products whose safety most people naively take for granted.

"We are all playing Russian roulette with toxic-laden cosmetics and personal-care products that we apply to our skin, and to the skin of our infants and children, everyday," warns Epstein. "But there is also good news. These toxic exposures are 100 percent avoidable by taking just a few basic precautions."

France's Atelier Creates World-class Halal Perfume for MIHAS

Atelier des Parfums, a well-known French perfume company, will exhibit a world-class halal perfume product at the Sixth Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2009 from May 6 to 10. The special halal perfume called "A Touch of Rosmah" is dedicated to the wife of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor. Its vice president Hermann J. Portner said the company has the capability and capacity to produce halal perfume products for the global market. "We are happy to cooperate with Malaysia and the Islamic community. We are able to bring world-class halal perfume products to the community at an affordable prices," he told Bernama.com. With MIHAS fast becoming the world's premier showcase for halal products and services; Portner said Atelier would like to take the opportunity to help promote Malaysia as a global hub for halal fragrances and cosmetics.

Company Profile: Patyka

Patyka bridges the gap between organic and luxury. The French beauty and fragrance company is one of the few upscale certified organic lines available, offering an all-natural range of elegantly packaged products that appeal to both the eco-conscious and style-conscious set. Last fall, it opened its first US store in NYC's West Village, where you can sample heady, 100% organic perfume and get a facial. Recently, Patyka introduced a new Diffusion line, a younger, more playful range of products all priced under $19. Classic skin-care ranges from $28-$159. All products are fair trade, free of synthetics(sulfates, silicone, petroleum, and parabens), and packaged in 100% recyclable materials.

Visit the store at 33 Carmine Street, New York, NY; call (212) 933-9097; or visit http://www.patyka.com/en/ to see the full product line.

Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me

Since her first book, "Blue Eyeshadow Should Be Illegal," in 1986, Paula Begoun, a.k.a. the Cosmetics Cop, has been busting beauty myths and fighting false product promises. The 25-year cosmetics-industry veteran has her own product line, Paula's Choice, and her best-selling book "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me" is now in its seventh edition.

What does Begoun have to say about organic cosmetics?

"The issue with natural and organic products is it's more about the quality of the ingredients as opposed to their benefit for the skin. What does the research say in terms of the efficacy of the ingredients in terms of what you want them to do? Research about skin is pretty significant we know that antioxidants are good for skin, we know that being gentle is a big deal, that inflammation destroys collagen and breaks down the skin cells. ... I've seen a lot of all-natural ingredients that contain lavender oil, which causes cell damage, and even alcohol. I haven't seen a drop of research that says that organic ingredients are better than other products."

To learn more about her theories and product line, visit www.paulaschoice.com

Interview with an Ecopreneur

Today, the Times Online featured an interview with Horst Rechelbacher, the founder of Aveda Corporation. Rechelbacher is disappointed in the fact that some well known cosmetics brands are selling what they dub as "organic" products that still contain many petrochemicals. He believes everything you put on your skin should be entirely natural and that cosmetics should carry a warning label, much like cigarettes do.

History: In 1970, Rechelbacker traveled to Tibet and India to study meditation. When he returned from India, he started making plant-based beauty products at home and sold them at his salons. On returning from another trip to India in 1978, he founded Aveda to sell his natural beauty products more widely. The company name is associated with ayurvedic medicine. The company was a great success, with its products sold in salons and stores throughout the world. In 1997, Rechelbacher sold Aveda to Estee Lauder for $300 million. Recently, he has launched a new range of products under the Intelligent Nutrients moniker http://intelligentnutrients.com/.

To view the full interview, visit http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/interiors/article6185166.ece

Teens changing the world

A group of Marin County, CA teens have come together in an effort to promote the use of safe cosmetics and sustainability in all lifestyle choices. Teens Turning Green is a national coalition of passionate and powerful teens educating others about safe and healthy choices in daily lives, schools and communities, advocating for policy change to protect health, and working collaboratively to inspire action and promote change that will sustain our Earth.

Their new program, Project Green Prom, is a nationwide effort to promote green, healthy alternatives to every aspect of the high school rite of passage - from dresses and tuxedos to decorations and transportation. Project Green Prom volunteers encourage shoppers to reject dresses made with synthetic fibers in favor of those fashioned from raw materials, using natural dyes and chemical-free production under humane working conditions. They also work to help teens make educated decisions about personal care products. The group has even partnered with Whole Foods Market to create and market their own line of safe, sustainable cosmetics and personal care products.

To learn more about Teens Turning Green and all of their current projects, visit http://www.teensturninggreen.org/