Healthy Chia Seed Chocolate Pudding (no seed lumps)

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I had to be on a very restricted diet, for health reasons, a while back and couldn't find a receipt that fit my needs. I searched through a ton, never found something I liked, and finally just played around until I got it just the way I like it.

I wish I would have written this all out sooner so I apologize if you don't get perfect results but seriously, this stuff is amazing! In fact, I think I might make it again right now!


You will need: 

1 can coconut milk

1/2 cup cocoa (you might want to add more, I usually do)

Coconut Sugar - to taste (I started with 1/4 cup. You could use any sweetener of your choice but I liked this because it 1) Fit within my diet and 2) It helped thicken)

1/4 cup chia seed (I'll be honest, I didn't measure so it could have been a bit more! Play around :)


Throw it all in your Vitamix and blend away.

I have a Vitamix so it shreds the seeds amazingly well. Some blenders wouldn't cut the seeds so you will end up with little seed crunches (which I don't like).

If you have trouble with this try putting the coconut milk in first, then the seeds, let it sit for 10 minutes and then blend.

The mixture will be runny but pore it in a bowl and it should set (as the seeds absorb the liquid).

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If you google "Chai Seed Pudding" it won't look anything like this but this is how mine looks and I wouldn't go back to dairy pudding after this! No way! 

Flour-less Chocolate Cake

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So far this is the best flour-less chocolate cake I have found! It tastes amazing and is super moist and rich (I added more cocoa). I give it a 9 out of 10 (only because maybe there is still something better out there that I haven't found) 

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 1-ounce squares coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• For Glaze:
• 2 1-ounce squares coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate squares
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoon milk OR light coconut milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Agave syrup OR honey
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°F

Spray a 7-inch tart pan with removable bottom with cooking spray. If you don't have a tart pan, use a 6 to 7-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and spray the paper.

1. Melt 6 ounces of chopped chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium low heat. Stir until chocolate and butter are melted and smooth.
2. Add sugar and salt and reduce heat to low. Cook while stirring for about one minute, until sugar starts to dissolve.
3. Remove pan from heat. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. The mixture will look smooth and glossy.
4. Use a mesh hand sieve to sift cocoa into mixture. This prevents lumps. Whisk until the cake batter is smooth.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for about 25 minutes. The center of the cake should be just firm to the touch, but be careful to not overbake the cake or it will be dry.
6. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert the cake on a plate.
7. To prepare the glaze, melt 2 ounces of chopped chocolate and 1 1/2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in the same saucepan you used to make the cake. When melted and smooth, remove the pan from heat. Add milk and Agave syrup OR honey and vanilla and stir until smooth and glossy. Let the glaze cool for about 3 minutes before pouring it on the cake.
8. Pour all of the glaze in the middle of the cake. Use a silicone or rubber spatula to spread the glaze evenly over the cake, allowing the glaze to evenly run down the sides of the cake.
   
   Serves 6

Recipe Source

Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Bar

Best Ever Chocolate Oatmeal No-Bake Bars

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (you could also substitute butter)
• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts, raisins, or dried cranberries
• 1 1/4 cups dark chocolate chips (or regular semi-sweet chocolate chips, if you prefer)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt the peanut butter, honey, and coconut oil over medium-low heat in a saucepan on the stove. {Watch this closely. Mine started to burn!}

Remove from heat once it’s melted together and add in the oats, shredded coconut, chocolate chips, nuts/raisins, and vanilla. Stir together until the chocolate is completely melted.

Pour into a greased 9×13 pan and cool in the fridge. If you’d like thicker bars, you can pour the mixture into a smaller pan.

When the mixture is hardened, cut into bars and eat. Store in the refrigerator or freezer.

(I made it with nuts and raisins and really liked it that way!) 

Recipe source

Chocolate Chip Quinoa Cookies

 These cookies are seriously tasty and guess what, no grains!

Ingredients:

2¼ cups quinoa flour (or 1¼ cups quinoa flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour)
½ tsp baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
¾ cup white or cane sugar
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Grease a large baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
Mix the flour and baking soda in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, blend the butter and sugars until smooth and fluffy.  Add the salt, vanilla and eggs and mix until well blended.  Stir in the flour mixture and blend well.  Mix in the chocolate chips.

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.

Bake on the center oven rack for 8 to 10 minutes.  The cookies will be puffy and soft when removed from the oven, but will flatten when cooled.  Allow the cookies to sit for 1 minute before removing from the pan to a rack to cool completely.  Shore in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month.

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Quinoa Flatbread

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This turned out pretty good. I think I will make a couple of changes next times but it was nice to be able to eat bread! (I can't have any grains right now)

Ingredients

• ¾ cup quinoa flour
• ½ cup almond flour
• ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 flax eggs (2 Tbs. ground flax seeds + 6 Tbs. warm water)
• 1 Tbs.+2 tsp. coconut oil or grapeseed oil
• 1 tsp. unsweetened applesauce
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ~~Optional additions for a savory version:
• 1 Tbs. fresh, chopped rosemary
• 1 Tbs. fresh, chopped basil
• black pepper, to taste
• ~~Optional additions for a sweet version:
• 2 Tbs. honey
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grease a cast iron skillet or a 9″ round pan with 2 tsp. coconut or grapeseed oil. Place the skillet/pan in the oven to heat it up.
3. Prepare your flax eggs: combine ground flax seeds with warm water and allow the mixture to sit and thicken for at least 10 minutes.
4. Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the almond milk, flax eggs, applesauce, and 1 Tbs. coconut/grapeseed oil (if using coconut oil, make sure to melt it first). Mix together until combined.
5. Remove the skillet/pan from the oven and tilt it around to spread the oil evenly. Pour the batter into the pan and lightly tap the bottom of the pan on a hard surface to even out the batter.
6. Bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until the edges have turned golden brown. Allow the flatbread to cool, remove from the pan, and slice.
7. Top with any toppings you prefer! For a savory version, you could try macadamia nut cheese (recipe listed above) or hummus, tomatoes (fresh or sun-dried), basil, cucumber or zucchini. For a sweet version, you could top with any kind of nut butter (I prefer almond), jelly, honey, or fresh fruit, just to name a few. Feel free to get creative!
8. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Enjoy!

 Recipe Source

Healthy Baking Substitutes

All the great details are over at picklee.com

Health Tip of the Week: Facts about Our Nails

There are many interesting facts that are related to nails. Some of these facts are pure superstition but most of them are scientific. So, here are some interesting facts about nails:

• Nails are actually the same as hair. Both hair and nails are made of the same protein, called keratin.
• The nail plates are dead cells and contrary to the popular belief, they don't breathe. So they don't require oxygen. However, the nail beds and the cuticles are live cells and they do need oxygen, vitamins and minerals.
• Nails don't sweat. The nail bed does not have sweat glands, so it can't perspire. It is the skin around the nails that gets sweaty.
• Nails grow at the rate of 0.1 mm daily (or 1 cm in every 100 days). So, for a finger nail to regrow completely, it takes between 4 and 6 months. For toe nails, the period of complete regrow is 12 to 18 months.
• Men's nails grow faster than women's nails.
• Finger nails for both genders grow faster than toe nails.
• Toe nails are about twice thicker than finger nails.
• The fastest growing nail is on the middle finger. The slowest – on the thumbnail.
• When nails are freshly cut, they grow faster than nails that are not cut often. That is why it takes so much time to grow nails longer than an inch (breaking nails is excluded).
• Seasons and weather also affect nail growth. Nails grow faster in warm climates and during daytime, than in cold climates and at night.
• Nails grow faster on young people than on old people. Also nails grow much faster during pregnancy.
• Nails grow at different speeds on both hands. If you are right-handed, the nails on your right hand will grow faster than the nails on your left hand and vice versa.
• Light trauma, like typing on a computer stimulates nail growth.
• It is a myth that hair and nails will continue to grow for several days after death. This is an optical illusion and is due to the fact that the skin shrinks, thus making it look as if the hair and nails are growing.
• Not drinking enough water leads to dry nails as well.

Health Tip of the Week: Omega-3 Recipes

Back in May I did a series on Omega Oils and I thought it would be a good idea to follow up with some great recipes to help you along the road to increasing your omega oils. Now these are for sure not the healthiest recipes, so I almost didn’t want to post them, but for those of you who hate pills, or fish, this might be an ok option from time to time to help you along the way.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Power Bars

Canola cooking spray
1 tablespoon butter or canola margarine
1/3 cup reduced-fat smooth peanut butter
2 cups miniature marshmallows, lightly packed
1 cup low-fat granola
1 cup Rice Krispies
1/3 cup ground flaxseed (golden flax works better in this recipe)

Coat an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with canola cooking spray. Put the butter, peanut butter, and marshmallows into a medium-sized microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds, or until mixture is just melted. Stir to blend.
Microwave again briefly if the mixture isn't melted or smooth. Then stir in granola, puffed rice and flaxseed.
Spread the mixture in the prepared pan, flattening it evenly with a sheet of waxed paper. Let it cool completely before cutting into 8 equal-sized bars.
Yield: 8 bars
Per serving: 207 calories, 5.5 grams protein, 31 grams carbohydrate, 8 grams of fat ( 2 grams saturated fat, 1 gram monounsaturated fat, 1.8 grams polyunsaturated fat) , 4 milligrams cholesterol, 3 grams fiber, 174 milligrams sodium. Calories from fat: 35%. Omega-3 fatty acids = 1 gram, Omega-6 fatty acids = 0.7 gram.

Mocha-ccino Freeze

1 cup low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt or light vanilla ice cream
1/4 cup low-fat milk
1/4 cup strong decaf coffee, chilled
1 cup ice cubes
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed

Add all ingredients to your blender or food processor
Blend on highest speed until smooth (about 10 seconds). Scrape sides of blender, and blend again for five more seconds.
Pour into two glasses and enjoy!
Yield: 2 smoothies.
Per serving: 157 calories, 7 grams protein, 23 grams carbohydrate, 4.5 grams fat ( 1.3 saturated fat, 1 grams monounsaturated fat, 1.9 grams polyunsaturated fat), 7 milligrams cholesterol, 2.3 grams fiber, 79 milligrams sodium. Calories from fat: 26%. Omega-3 fatty acids = 1.5 grams. Omega-6 fatty acids = 0.4 gram.
Both recipes are from The Flax Cookbook by Elaine Magee

Health Tip: Taking Control

ONLY I CAN CONTROL:

· How hard I work
· How much I learn
· How close I am to my team
· How creative I am in business -Mark Sanborn


I got this quote from a girlfriend who sends out daily quotes (which I think is wonderful) and thought it was a perfect health tip. I know it’s not my usual health tip material, but I’m planning to switch it up a bit! (Change is good!)

How often do we try to pin things on others? “It’s not my fault it’s not going faster”, “It’s not my fault, they didn’t teach me how to do it very well”, “It’s not my fault we don’t get along”. You have the power to change almost anything in your life (with enough effort).

So if you don’t like what’s going on, if you don’t like your situation make some change! Sit down and write a list of what you want to have happen, what you want to be better at, what would be healthy options for a better and more productive you! It’s time to care a little more about your mind, and take up the responsibility of getting the job (of life) done well!

What could you do better at? I know I have my list going!

Health Tip of the Week: The Benefits of Fibre Pt. 3

Keeping Weight under Control

Foods containing plenty of fibre have more bulk than low-fibre foods. If taken in the right form at the right time and at sufficient quantities, fibre can sometimes slow the onset of hunger.

Nice To Know:
To help control your weight with fibre:

Always try to take fibre in the natural form. For example, instead of sprinkling bran over your food, choose foods naturally high in fibre.

Avoid foods that have been made easier to eat and digest by removal of fibre, especially sugars (including fruit juices).

Choose foods that satisfy hunger without providing many calories, mainly vegetables and most fruits, which are rich in fibre.

Need To Know:
Some individuals claim that fibre alone can cause weight loss without the need to diet. But in fact, the only effective and safe way to lose weight is to:

- Reduce calorie intake to a safe level
- Get enough exercise to burn off excess calories

However, fibre can be a useful aid in reducing calorie intake.

I posted a while ago a great fibre muffin recipe; check it out here if you want!

Health Tip of the Week: The Benefits of Fibre Pt.2

Preventing Certain Diseases

Getting enough fibre in the diet can lower the risk of developing certain conditions:

Heart disease. Evidence is now growing to support the notion that foods containing soluble fibre (such as oats, rye barley, and beans) can have a positive influence on cholesterol, triglycerides, and other particles in the blood that affect the development of heart disease. Some fruits and vegetables (such as citrus fruits and carrots) have been shown to have the same effect.

Cancer. The passage of food through the body is speed up when fibre is eaten. Some experts believe this may prevent harmful substances found in some foods from affecting the colon and may protect against colon cancer. (However, a recent study conducted by Harvard University concluded that eating high-fibre food did not appear to protect people from colon cancer.) Other types of cancer that are linked with overnutrition and may be prevented by a fibre-rich diet include breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and uterine cancer.

Diabetes. Adding fibre to the diet helps regulate blood sugar levels, which is important in avoiding diabetes. In addition, some people with diabetes can achieve a significant reduction in their blood sugar levels and may find they can reduce their medication.

Diverticular disease. Diverticular disease is a condition in which small pouches, called diverticula, develop in the wall of the colon. In a small percentage of people, these diverticula become inflamed or infected, a condition known as diverticulitis. Diverticular disease can cause pain, diarrhoea, constipation, and other problems.

Gallstones and kidney stones. Rapid digestion leads to a rapid release of glucose (sugar) into the bloodstream. To cope with this, the body has to release large amounts of insulin into the bloodstream, and this can make a person more likely to develop gallstones and kidney stones (in addition to diabetes and high cholesterol).

For further information about diverticular disease, go to Diverticular Disease.

For further information about gallstones, go to Gallstones.
For further information about kidney stones, go to Kidney Stones.

Come back next week for part 3 and the completion of this series!

Health Tip of the Week: The Benefits of Fibre Pt. 1

Fibre is helpful to the body in many ways:

- Relieving constipation and haemorrhoids
- Preventing certain diseases
- Keeping weight under control

Avoiding and Relieving Constipation
Fibre can absorb large amounts of water in the bowels, and this makes stools softer and easier to pass. Anyone starting a higher-fibre diet will notice the difference in stool bulk.
In almost all cases, increasing fibre in the diet will relieve constipation within hours or days.
Because stools are easier to pass, less straining is necessary, and this can help relieve haemorrhoids.

Digestion Fact:
On average, it takes 39 hours in women and 31 hours in men for food to pass through the colon and out of the body. This time varies a lot from person to person, depending on personality, state of mind, and fibre intake. Usually, the effect of fibre is to speed up this process.

Come back next week for part 2!

Health Tip of the Week: Power Boost Smoothie

My friend Sara is one of the healthiest people I know and suggested this smoothie to me. I’m not too sure I would have the egg in it, but here’s the complete recipe for those are you wanting to be a bit more extreme on your health journey.

1 cup Frozen Berries

1/2-3/4 cup Coconut Milk

1 Egg

1 scoop of Greens

1-3 tsp Ground Flaxseed

Blend and enjoy!

Health Tip of the Week: Home Made Facials

As a follow up to my many make up posts here are some healthy, chemical free alternative for facials!

Homemade Facial Scrub Instead of Soap

This is for the lady who wanted a homemade facial mask. First, clean your face with water only. Never use soap. You can open your pores with hot compresses (washcloth) for a facial scrub, moisten oatmeal to a “goo", use it to scrub your face (not around your eyes). Wash off with cool water. You may also make a paste of the oatmeal and allow it to dry. Remove with cool water. Sliced fresh cucumber placed on your closed eyes will reduce bagginess and dark circles.

Honey for Best Facial

The best facial mask that I have found is honey. Use warm cloth to open pores, smear on honey, leave on 15 to 30 minutes, rinse off with warm water, and then use cold water to close pores. Use for 3 days in a row and then once a week. Sometimes I mix a little ground oatmeal with the honey, which makes a great mask.

Exfoliating Mask

For an easy exfoliating mask, mix three tablespoons olive oil or any good oil and one tablespoon kosher salt mix and gently rub into dry skin. Do not use around eye area. This works great on elbows and feet, but it can also be used on cheeks and forehead

Egg Whites

I use egg whites. Just beat one egg white until it is frothy. Spread it all over your face. Wait until it dries. Rinse it off. My face feels very clean and "tight" after this application. And then I use the yolk for cooking.( I have yet to have found a use for the shell)

Egg Yolk

The best homemade facial mask that I have used is a raw egg yolk. Just apply the raw yolk to your face and neck for 30 minutes and rinse with cool water. Egg yolks are high in vitamin A. The mask is very effective in healing blemishes.

For dry skin, try:

· An egg yolk mixed with olive oil and warmed honey

· Sour cream

· Avocado

For oily skin:

· Dissolve a teaspoon of baking yeast in a small amount of warm milk, wait until foamy, then apply (best done in the bath tub);

· Puree flesh of a tomato and mix with some potato flour to make a paste;

· Cucumber (it will whiten your skin);

· Beaten egg whites with a few drops of lemon juice (great for getting rid of blackheads);

· Carrots (but don't use this one more than about every other week because it can over dry your skin). This one will make you look tanned.

General refreshing masks:

· Grapes (just cut a berry in half and rub lightly)

· Strawberries (test behind your ear first, because many people are allergic to strawberries used this way even though they can eat them just fine)

· Honey and ricotta cheese

Health Tip of the Week: How to Eat to Help Speed up your Metabolism

Breakfast is essential. Your body has been deprived of food throughout the night, therefore your metabolism has slowed. If the cells do not receive sufficient nutrients they will begin to function less efficiently on smaller amounts, and they will actually store more fat to use during these times of nutritional deprivation.

Eat six small meals a day to keep your body's fuel supply consistent and keep your metabolism revved up. Avoid eating late at night because your metabolism naturally slows down in the afternoon and evening, so eat a hearty breakfast. Consistency is important because your body metabolism adapts to your current weight. If you have been dieting or skipping meals your body's metabolism slows down to compensate for the lack of nutrients. When lean people overeat their metabolism speeds up and when obese people diet their metabolism slows down. The key is a balance of exercise and diet.

Eat fewer high-fat foods and less total calories. Choosing healthy foods, such as lean protein and vegetables, can actually increase your metabolism as well. Increase dietary fibre and limit sugary foods, alcohol, caffeine and don't smoke. The best foods to increase your metabolism and help you lose weight are fish, dark green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, blueberries and other fruits, whole grains, and at least 8 glasses of water a day.

When your cells need energy they will break down carbohydrates first, then fat and finally protein. Your body converts carbohydrates into a form of sugar called glucose which is easily used as fuel by your body. Any excess carbohydrates you eat will be turned into fat for storage. Of course, any fat you eat will be stored as fat as well. Your body converts the fat you eat into body fat very efficiently. If you exercise and eat wisely, however, you will burn those fat stores and increase your metabolism.

Information found at www.consumeraffairs.com

Health Tip of the Week: Jump starting your Metabolism

The best way to jump-start your metabolism is to exercise. Exercise will reduce body fat and increase lean muscle mass. By increasing lean muscle mass, metabolism will increase and aid in the weight-loss process. Muscle tissue uses more calories than fat tissue because it has a higher metabolic rate. Aerobic exercise, like walking, swimming or cycling, has the added bonus of speeding up your metabolism for 4 to 8 hours after you stop exercising. Additional calories will be burned off long after you stop exercising. Weight lifting, resistance or strength training, does not speed up your metabolism, but it does burn fat and increase your lean muscle mass which increases your resting metabolic rate.

Information found at www.consumeraffairs.com

Health Tip of the Week: What You Need to Know about Your Metabolism

Metabolism gets blamed when people put on weight or have trouble losing weight, but you can learn how to speed up your metabolism. Increasing your metabolism can help you burn calories, replace fat with muscle and give you more energy. The key to increasing your metabolism is understanding what it is.

Metabolism is a combination of physical and chemical processes called anabolism and catabolism. Anabolism is the constructive phase of metabolism in which body cells synthesize protoplasm for growth and repair. Catabolism is the destructive phase of metabolism in which complex substances are broken down into simpler compounds producing energy which is essential for the proper functioning of body cells. Together, these processes distribute nutrients which are absorbed into the blood after digestion.

Three factors determine your metabolic rate, which is the amount of calories your body uses every day. The basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the rate your body uses energy for vital body processes. The rate you burn energy during physical activity and the rate you use energy during digestion of food are the two other factors involved in your total metabolic rate. To improve your metabolic efficiency you only need to alter what you eat and what you do a little bit to experience a difference in how you look and feel.

Information found at www.consumeraffairs.com

Health Tip of the Week: Our Skin

We expose our skin to harsh weather conditions and products containing toxic petroleum derivatives that are drying, irritating, and pore-clogging. Alcohols and solvents destroy the skin's pH balance, stripping away the skin's defence barrier to infection while contributing to wrinkles, fine lines, spots, red veins, or other discolorations. Skin is a living, breathing, blood-circulating organism that must be treated with the same care we'd give our heart, liver, and lungs. In fact, Chinese medicine considers skin to be the "third lung."

Contrary to previous beliefs that skin was impermeable, we now know that skin easily absorbs chemicals, hence the nicotine patch, nitroglycerine patch, and birth control patch. Toxic chemicals in makeup, personal care products, commercial, industrial, hobby, and household products are also absorbed into the bloodstream through dermal contact. Skin is a two-way membrane, and the body's largest organ of elimination via perspiration, which is why saunas are so healthful in ridding the body of unwanted toxins. 



Skin is composed of three layers: the epidermis, the dermis (cutis), and the subdermis (subcutaneous). The epidermis has no blood vessels, but contains many small nerve endings, and its outermost layer is constantly shedding and being replaced. The middle layer, dermis or cutis, is highly sensitive with a vascular layer of connective tissue containing blood vessels, lymph vessels, nerve endings, sweat and oil glands, hair follicles, arrector pili muscles, and papillae. The subcutaneous tissue makes up the third layer of skin. It is adipose (fatty) tissue, necessary for energy. The subcutaneous tissue acts as a protective cushion for the outer skin, hair, and nails.

Sebum is a complex oil released onto skin to slow down water evaporation while preventing excess moisture from penetrating into the skin. Exposure to wind and cold have a drying effect on skin. Mineral-oil based creams appear to be helpful, but eventually inhibit the skin's natural moisturizing process.

Exposures to toxic chemicals add up. According to a survey by the EWG and a coalition of health advocacy organizations, the average American adult uses nine personal care products daily containing a total of 126 unique chemical ingredients.

The survey also revealed the following:

12.2 million adults are exposed to known or probable human carcinogens through daily use of personal care products.

4.3 million women are exposed daily to toxic ingredients linked to fertility impairment and fetal development problems.

20% of all adults are exposed daily to the top seven carcinogens commonly found in personal care products: hydroquinone, ethylene, dioxide, 1,4-dioxane, formaldehyde, nitrosamines, PAHs, and acrylamide.

Information found at townsendletter.com

Health Tip of the Week: Chemicals in Makeup Pt. 3

Quaternium-15 is a toxic agent used in cosmetic creams. Quaternium-15 can cause skin rashes and allergic reactions. Trade names: Dowicil 200, Dowicide Q, and Preventol.



Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is a surfactant, detergent, and emulsifier used in thousands of cosmetic products and industrial chemicals as a cleansing agent. It has a degenerative action on cell membranes and is damaging to hair and skin. High levels of skin penetration may occur at even low-use concentrations. Because it is derived from coconuts, SLS is implied to be "natural," but it is mixed with sulfur trioxide or chlorosulforic acid and then neutralized with aqueous sodium hydroxide (lye).

Sodium Laureth Sulfate (shortened from Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate or SLES) is a yellow liquid detergent similar to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, with higher foaming ability. SLES is considered slightly less irritating than SLS.

Talc – used in face powders and baby powders – can cause lung problems. Talc may be contaminated with asbestos. 



Color Additives date back as far as 5000 years. The desire to improve one's appearance is not a modern concept. Artificial colors and dyes are now included in nearly every cosmetic product.

Many coal tar derivatives are suspected carcinogens, and most artificial colorants have not yet been tested for cancer risk. About 76 D&C (approved for use in Drugs and Cosmetics) color pigments, and approximately 19 FD&C colors are used in food and toiletries. Six FDA "certified" colors are suspected carcinogens. Others may cause hives, eye irritation and permanent blindness, behaviour problems, emotional outbreaks, attention deficit disorder (ADD), chromosome damage, and reproductive mutations. Absorption of certain colors can cause oxygen depletion of the body resulting in death.

Fragrance chemicals are added to cosmetics and toiletries. Fragrance on a label can indicate any of 4,000 individual ingredients, nearly all synthetic. Fragrance exposure can affect the central nervous system, causing depression, hyperactivity, irritability, inability to cope, and other behavioural problems. "Fragrance-free" and "unscented" products may still contain fragrance chemicals without listing them on the label. 80%-90% of fragrance chemicals are petroleum derivatives that can enter the body through inhalation, skin, or ingestion, and go directly to the brain.

Information found at townsendletter.com

Health Tip of the Week: Chemicals in Makeup Pt. 2

Mineral oil is used as an emollient to prevent water loss from skin, but can be toxic and actually dries out skin.




1-Naphthol and 2-Naphthol are coal tar derivatives used as dye intermediates. They can be absorbed through skin and are skin irritants. Oral doses larger than one teaspoon can be fatal.




Nitrosamines are a class of carcinogenic compounds that can be absorbed through skin. Nitrosamines are by-products created by the chemical reactions of many cosmetic ingredients. However, vitamins C and E act as blocking agents, inhibiting the toxic effects of nitrosamines, and some manufacturers add vitamins C and E to their products for this purpose.




P-Hydroxybenzoic Acid Benzyl Ester (PHB Esters), are widely used preservatives more commonly known as methyl paraben, propyl paraben, ethyl paraben, and butyl paraben. They are highly toxic, causing skin rashes and can behave as xenoestrogens, raising the risk of breast cancer in women and low sperm count in men.


Petrolatum (petroleum and paraffin jelly) is a type of mineral oil used in baby oil, creams, lipstick, makeup remover, and lip-gloss. This type of waxy mineral oil sits on top of the skin, clogging the pores which leads to blackheads, whiteheads, and eventually, enlarged pores.




Propylene Glycol is a petroleum derivative found in most forms of makeup and other cosmetics as a humectant (moisture retainer), surfactant (oil emulsifier), and solvent. Its industrial uses include hydraulic brake fluid and antifreeze. Surprisingly, it is an ingredient in many products claiming to be "natural." Because of Propylene Glycol's ability to quickly penetrate skin, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires workers to wear protective clothing, gloves, and goggles when working with this toxic chemical. The Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) warn against skin contact because of possible brain, liver, and kidney abnormalities. Stick deodorants have concentrations higher than most industrial applications.

Information found at townsendletter.com