Australian Made vs Made in China

JOLI Natural Skin Care quality products at affordable prices

I don't know how others feel about this type of thing... still I have to ask.  What comes to mind when you see those super cheap K Mart, Rivers and other low low price ads offering $12 shoes, $5 T-Shirts, cheap toasters and microwaves?


Do you say "Yay, it's exactly what I need"?  Do you wonder why or how the prices are so low?  Maybe wonder about the quality?

When I see those ads  I think of sweat shops.  Asians working long hours to make products that can be sold here for cheap, getting paid .2c an hour to make items that are sold for more than the people who make them are worth.
It also makes me worry about Australian small business and Australian jobs.  At the same time I appreciate the aspect of sharing our wealth and offering jobs to people who would otherwise struggle to survive (though how much of the profits go to them we don't know).

When it comes to Made in China it can be quite tricky trying to find stuff that isn't.  I have a friend who refuses to purchase anything that says Made in China (or Taiwan and the like).  I went shopping for a gift to give her sons and found nothing she'd find suitable.  It was so frustrating.  Every single toy and item I picked up said Made in China!

I like to support local Australian businesses - for a number of reasons.  I like Australian made.  I like giving money back to our economy.  I like supporting the people whose businesses keep our country running.  Being a small business myself I appreciate the time and effort that goes into manufacturing a product and trying to run a successful company, therefore I like to support small businesses as much as possible.

Here are some businesses I like to shop with:

Your Cheeky Monkey.  I have purchases a number of items from the lovely Monique such as cute little finger puppets, seriously good quality flannels as well as a birth of baby gift pack.  Your Cheeky Monkey offers unique, eco-friendly and fair trade products and excellent service.

Eco Toys.  As the name suggests their products are eco friendly, green and made with sustainable and natural resources.  I love the fact that I am doing something good for the environment when I shop with them.  And their service is impeccable.  I purchased and item that wasn't quite right, asked them a question about the product and was sent a replacement product free of charge and it's perfect.  Keeps my boys occupied for ages.

STUNTgirls.  One of the things I hate the most is going clothes shopping.  You know how it is.  Those awful mirrors and lights that leave you feeling like everything looks crap on you.  My solution to this is to shop for clothes on-line.  My fear was that I would get the sizing wrong however Stuntgirls have the measurements written out so you know exactly what you're getting.  Once I knew what size I was I can now order on-line knowing what I purchase will fit me, and they always throw in a little freebie.  We all love a freebie!

Rainbow Designs.  What can I say, chocolates and lollies delivered to your door!  It just doesn't get any better than that.  It's a great way to send a gift to those far away from you, those hard to buy for people whom you know LOVE chocolates and lollies - yum yum.  With the price of postage included in the price and goodies delivered to your door it is an excellent gift idea.  Or as a treat for yourself for cleaning the house.

Romantic Flair Original.  We are serious tea drinkers in my family so it stands to reason when Your Cheeky Monkey had a competition to win a personalised coffee cup I jumped at the chance.  I'm not one of those people who win things so I was pleasantly surprised to win and decided to make a personalised cup for hubby with a photo of our boys.  Of course I had to order a cup for myself as well.  And also ordered a cup for my mother in law who doesn't get to see her grandchildren often.  Their range is way more than just cups, personalised baubles, educational toys, plates the list is huge.  All created by the lovely and talented Marthese.

And of course there are some fabulous and amazing jewelery makers out there.  Too many to mention I'm sure.  I'm not a big wearer of jewelery myself.  Too lazy to be bothered changing it up all the time.  Yet jewelery is a wonderful gift for my family and friends who like the bling, pizazz, colour and fashion statement of one off beautiful pieces of work.  These lovely ladies (below) have stunning handmade jewelery that I can't help but fall in love with and I'm sure you will too.

TTTreasures.  Unique and funky, made with crystals, gemstones and beads from various parts of the globe, her designs are a real eye catcher to wear.  Simply stunning, creative, eye catching jewelery

Creative Mandie.  Does unique things with vintage buttons, recycled, natural and/or re-sued materials.  So again I'm making green choices when I purchase there.  I gave my mum some purple coffee cup place-mats creatively made out of vintage buttons, such a unique gift my mum couldn't help but appreciate.

Platypus Dreams artisan soaps.  Now it may seem a tad odd for me to plug a competitor, yet I can't help but not do it.  Platypus Dreams have some of the most amazing soaps I've seen, gorgeous, pretty, divinely scented.  With a choice of fragrance or essential oil soaps.  Why, they're the reason I gave up soap making... if/when I'm ever that good I'll take it up again.  Until then I'll be in awe and desire for their beautiful soaps.

Bubbalooba.  Now I confess I've never purchased from Bubbalooba only because I don't have any babies :(  However I love her hand made products and what her business stands for.  Environmentally friendly cloth nappies, wipes, wetbags and change mats, with funky designs and prints in a range of sizes.  We know cloth nappies are good for the environment and supporting a local home grown business is an added plus.

JOLI Natural Skin Care.  Now I can't go and talk about supporting Australian made if I don't mention JOLI and the beauty of skin care delivered to your door anywhere within Australia.  Environmentally friendly skin care that also makes a wonderful gift for family and friends.  I know it's easier to purchase your skin care while you're up the street doing your shopping.  I also know products that sit on store shelves aren't good for you.  The beauty of buying on-line from JOLI is that you don't even have to leave your house, plus the products ARE good for you.

All these businesses are home grown so you support our economy and Australian jobs when you purchase from them.  I know there are loads of great Aussie businesses out there we can support and these are but a few.  And I'm all for sharing our wealth among more poorer countries so I don't mind shopping at the big stores as well, after all it's jobs for our people, yet I think it's equally important to support small businesses who are the backbone of our country.

Spruce up your tootsies ~ DIY recipes.

Feet are one of our most neglected body parts and foot-care products tend to be slow selling items because of this.  Out of site out of mind.

How about some DIY foot-care recipes you can enjoy at home.

Beach Sand Foot Scrub:
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons beach sand
3-5 drops rosemary essential oil

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl with a fork.  Massage scrub onto feet, over a bath tab or in the shower, concentrating on problem areas.  Rinse off with warm water and pat dry.

Lemon Soak (for dry rough feet):
1 bowl warm water
juice of one lemon

Add lemon juice to warm water in a bowl.  Soak feet for 15 - 20 minutes.  Give feet a good going over with a pumice stone on problem areas.  Pat feet dry.

Pine Foot Bath (for stinky feet):
1 bowl warm water
a splash of witch hazel
5 drops of pine essential oil

Add witch hazel and pine eo to warm water and soak feet for 10mins.  Pat dry.

Sage Deodorizing Foot Powder:
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 drops sage essential oil

Mix baking powder and oil in a plastic bag and shake well.  Allow to dry.  Break up any clumps (sift if necessary).  Dust feet regularly with powder and add a teaspoon in shoes overnight.

Relaxing Foot Bath:
a handful of lavender flowers, thyme and rosemary (or have only one of these herbs)
2 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons sea salt

Made a herbal infusion by soaking the herbs in the boiling water.  Allow to cool then strain, keeping liquid and discarding herbs to the compost.
Fill a large bowl with moderately hot water.  Add the herbal liquid and the sea salt.  Soak your feet in the warm foot bath for 10-20mins.  Finish off with a gentle foot rub and massage with a relaxing oil - such as Luscious Body Butter.

Enjoy!

  

The Truth About 'Other' Moisturisers

You ask anyone who has been using natural skin care for a long period of time (6+ months) and they will tell you their skin has never looked so good.  Many who make the switch have used mainstream cosmetics and skin care products for years, so they're in a really good position when they tell you their skin looks amazing and they'll never switch back.

What does this say about mainstream moisturisers?  For the most part they have some similar moisturising ingredients and properties - though they may contain petroleum based ingredients which do little to moisturise our skin, as well as all the fancy chemicals they put in their products: claiming to have NEW and IMPROVED formulas - for example argireline (acetyl hexapeptide-3).  This builds up hype for an old product so it can be re-sold as something more impressive.  That's not to say that these fancy man made chemicals don't do as they say, get deep into the skin with their nanotechnology etc.  They most likely do.  Enough bunnies have suffered at the hands of man to prove that it works.  And each year more and more new improve synthetic and potentially toxic ingredients are created to sell more moisturisers.  It's just that these fancy chemicals are not really better for us (i.e. good for us) than products that don't contain them.  They sound better, they sound impressive, they sound like amazingly wonderful scientific discoveries.  And who knows, perhaps they are?  You might be lulled into believing mainstream moisturisers are better than a natural moisturiser because "the adds say so" - and fear not as you're not the only one tricked into believing the hype.

The truth is it's not a better product than a natural moisturiser because it contains these fancy chemicals.  For one thing nanotechnology also means more toxins get deeper into our skin which is NOT a good thing.  As mentioned, natural skin care has the same moisturising properties as mainstream* skin care, yet without all the icky stuff and the adverse effects this stuff has on our skin and bodies, i.e. build up of toxins in our skin cells, eczema, psoriasis etc.  

So it's no wonder those that are making the switch to natural skin care (truly genuine natural skin care - not pretend natural) are seeing the benefits and noticing the difference in the appearance of their skin.  They've made the switch to skin care that REALLY DOES moisturise, hydrate and reduce fine lines because the wholesome ingredients in them are designed by nature to do just this!

So don't be fooled by what you see on TV and what the superstars are PAID to tell you.  Switching to natural skin care is considerably better for you and your skin.  If you're not already using natural skin care what is stopping you?

*mainstream skin care refers to products that are not made fresh upon order and are able to sit on store shelves for long periods of time because they have ingredients in them (synthetic chemicals) that allow them to be stored indefinitely.  Did you purchase your skin care from a store?  Then most likely it is not natural / 100% natural even if it is claimed to be.

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visit www.jolinatural.com.au the HOME of truly natural skin care and subscribe today!!!

  

Pink Washing for Cancer Awareness/Cure

Where do JOLI stand when it comes to cancer foundations, fund raising events and pink this and that?  Well it might surprise you to know that pink washing (the art of making something pink and selling it to the population in order to boost product sales under the premise that money will be donated to some cancer fund or another) doesn't sit well with us.

Many of these pink products contain chemicals in them that are known carcinogens.  Which is like saying "We'll donate money to a charity that brings forth cancer awareness / cure from the sale of this product that causes cancer in the first place." or "We'll donate money to go towards the very companies that produces these chemicals to begin with."

Caner awareness?  Cure for cancer?  What is that?  And where is finding and eliminating or even reducing the CAUSE in all this?  Cancer is on the rise even with all these fund raising events (and rest assured humanity donates copious amounts of money every year!  Almost all of the funds raised to cure cancer comes from the public making donations even though the pharmaceutical companies who make billions of dollars a year fund only 2%).  Yet, cancer is still not abating.

We are more aware of cancer now than ever before because so many of us are have been touched by cancer in some form or another.  With so many chemicals in so many different things, and with us being born with these chemicals  (even obsolete ones) in our blood streams, how can we not be.

As for a CURE for cancer, most money raised goes towards research for better drugs to make the cancer go away once a person has it.  Don't get me wrong, medicines that treat a person efficiently and kill off the cancer is a wonderful development and we have come leaps and bounds in this field.  Money raised also aids those who cannot afford the medications and treatments.
Still  I'm fairly certain that many of us are aware that part of the root cause of cancer is ALL the chemicals we are exposed to on a daily basis... yet,

large cosmetic corporations use known carcinogens and anticancer drugs are tested on animals

No-one is shouting from the roof tops DITCH THE CHEMICALS so that cancer can abate.  No-one is shouting from the roof tops WE'LL STOP USING THESE CHEMICALS and see if cancer rates decline.  No-one is shouting from the roof tops WE'LL STOP USING THESE CHEMICALS "AND" donate money towards finding the root cause of cancer. 

The bottom line for me is unless and until these CANCER cure, awareness, companies ARE protesting against the use of CHEMICALS in our skin care products, cleaning products, foods, meats, clothing, furniture etc. there is little point in donating for a cure.  It's not good enough!

Many people who host a pink event are happy to have products that contain known carcinogens because many products are donated and they'll take what they can get to boost attendance / fundraising.  Some cancer beauty facilities will accept products from L'Oreal etc. even though these products contain known carcinogens.  Because they rely on donations for their business to survive.  Big companies can afford to DONATE vast quantities of products, which in turns boosts their reputation, which in turn boosts their sales, which in turn boosts the rate of cancer causing agents getting into people's systems.

When it comes to fund raising events, many of the people who attend or participate in these events use products laden with chemicals.  Maybe it's their haircare products or their aftershave, or their skin care, their makeup, their cleaning products.  Or maybe it's the chemicals in the meat they eat, or the chemicals sprayed on their fruit and vegetables.  Chemicals in the tin and plastic packaging.  What ever it is... they're using products that contain chemicals that cause the VERY THING they're hoping to find a cure for.  Seems a little bit out of sorts to me.  They would be better off ditching these types of products altogether so that the companies that produce the chemicals no longer have a monopoly, thus reducing the amount of chemicals manufactured.  Maybe then chemicals can be phased out and we can see what happens to cancer rates.

At JOLI we feel it is more important to educate people about hazardous chemicals in products and help people make informed choices.  Offering alternatives, offering ideas and DIY recipes.  This is our way of reducing cancer among people.  This is our way of contributing to the cancer (and chemical) crisis society currently faces.  We would love to say we support pink events, such as World's Greatest Shave and Australia's Biggest Morning Tea, because the intent behind such events and the people who host them is really quite inspiring.  However, unless we know our contribution goes directly towards reducing the amount of chemicals produced and used then, sadly, it's moot point.

These anti cancer foundations / events need to put their mouths where there money is and demand the use of chemicals be banned, they need to stop supporting companies like Monsanto who produce medicines to fix cancer once you've got it, yet also produce the vast amounts of chemicals we're exposed to daily.

You should also READ: Who Tests on Animals (also covers who uses hazardous ingredients in their products.

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When making enquiries about JOLI donating products and samples to special causes, charities and events please be aware that JOLI have a few select charities and events they regularly support and sponsor. All of whom are intimately familiar with JOLI products and services.  If you are not intimately familiar with our products (i.e. don't use them, recommend then etc.) it would be unwise to request a donation of products you are unfamiliar with.

  

DIY Making Paint With Kids

You may have seen this idea on Facebook with a recipe on how to make some finger paints for children.

I decided to try this out with my children and see how it worked.

The children had a lot of fun making the paint, measuring the ingredients, stirring the pot, making the colours etc.

This is how the paint comes out when used on paper.  Not very bright.  I don't know if using different colour additives aside from food colouring makes a difference.  The children still had fun using the paint which is the main thing.

Sadly though, within a week the paint was already going off inside the jars (stinky!)  We would either need to use it in one hit, put much more salt in the recipe or keep the jars in the fridge (though it will still go off eventually).

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Since the children wanted to use some paint outside and the above jars of paint had gone off I decided to improvise.  Using pieces of coloured chalk crushed in the mortar and pestle and adding a little bit of water to make a paste I made them some paint they could use outside.  It was rustic yet they still had a lot of fun and it kept them occupied and playing together nicely for ages.  Two of my favourite things!

  

Who Tests on Animals?

Which companies test on animals and which companies use hazardous ingredients?

L'Oreal: TESTS ON ANIMALS. Product Hazard rating 2-10. 7-10 is HIGH hazard rating.

Brands: Kérastase, L'Oréal Professionnel, L'Oréal Technique, Matrix, Mizani, Redken, L'Oréal Paris, Garnier, Maybelline New York, SoftSheen-Carson, Biotherm, The Body Shop, Cacharel, Diesel Perfumes, Giorgio Armani Parfums and Cosmetics, Guy Laroche, Helena Rubinstein, Kiehl's, Lancôme, Paloma Picasso, Ralph Lauren, Shu Uemura, Victor et Rolf parfum, Dermablend, La Roche-Posay, SkinCeuticals, Vichy Laboratoires, Innéov, Ombrelle.

Proctor & Gamble [owned by Monsanto]: TESTS ON ANIMALS. Product Hazard rating 0-10. 7-10 is HIGH hazard.

Beauty brands: Gillette, Head & Shoulders, Olay, Pantene, Wella, Aussie, Clairol, CoverGirl, Herbal Essences, Infusium 23, Ivory Soap, Max Factor, Natural Instincts, Nice'n Easy, Noxzema, Secret, SK-II, Vidal Sassoon.  See full range <<HERE>>

Estee Lauder: No Animal Testing. HOWEVER - use ingredients that are TESTED ON ANIMALS. Product Hazard rating of 8-9. Very HIGH Hazard rating.

Brands: American Beauty, Aramis, Aveda, Bobbi Brown, Bumble and bumble, Clinique, Daisy Fuentes, Darphin, Donald Trump The Fragrance, Donna Karan, Estée Lauder, Flirt!, Good Skin, Grassroots, Jo Malone, Lab Series, La Mer, Kiton, MAC Cosmetics, Michael Kors, MISSONI, Origins, Prescriptives, Rodan and Fields, Sean John, Tommy Hilfiger, Coach Fragrances.

Unilever: TESTS ON ANIMALS. Product Hazard rating 0-10. 7-10 is HIGH hazard.

Beauty brands: Caress, Degree, Dove, Lever 2000, Pond's, Suave, Sunsilk, Vaseline.

Johnson & Johnson: TESTS ON ANIMALS. Product Hazard rating 0-10. 7-10 is HIGH hazard.

Beauty brands: Aveeno, Clean and Clear, Neutrogena.

Avon: No Animal Testing. HOWEVER - use ingredients that are TESTED ON ANIMALS - reported to have third party testing. Product Hazard rating 7-9. Very HIGH Hazard rating.

Beauty brands: Avon Color, Anew and Solutions, Skin So Soft and Naturals, Avon Fragrances, mark.

Revlon: Product safety rating 2-10 -7-10 is HIGH hazard. Unknown animal testing policy. 

Information from: http://www.makeuptalk.com/
Testing on Animals and Hazard Ratings of the brands as per the Safe Cosmetic Database, added by JOLI.

* * To find out the safety rating of your products visit the Safe Cosmetic Database.  You might be surprised to find that products you're using, even the ones you think are natural may still contain hazardous ingredients. * *
  

  

JUNE Gift Box Giveaway!!!

Win a GIFT BOX competition.

It's that time of the month again where we are giving YOU a wonderful opportunity to win a gift box full of gorgeous goodies.

In this Gift Box you get: 

A stunning scarf from Stuntgirls,
A cute puppy dog address book from Artwrap,
A beautiful lime and hot pink necklace[42.5cm] & bracelet[18cm] set,
Mulled Wine Sorbet wax melts by Inner Glow,
Two adorable finger puppets by Your Cheeky Monkey,
Ease the Aches balm by Herbal Horse,
A choc berry Lip Balm + a banoffee Moisturising Lip Balm by JOLI Natural Skin Care,
A hand made frangipani hair clip.

So now you're wanting to know   
 "How do I enter?"

Entering this competition is easy.  All you need to do is like ALL of the pages of the businesses taking part in this Gift Box [click on the links below to be transported to each of these wonderful pages], and WRITE a message on each page's wall letting them know you are liking their pages as part of the JUNE Gift Box competition [feel free to browse their gorgeous goodies while you're there!!]. 
If you're already a liker of any of these pages leave a comment saying you are already a fan wanting to be part of the JUNE Gift Box Comp.

[Open to Australian residents only.]

Names of those entering the competition will be collected and submitted by Friday 29th June.  A random name will be drawn and announced at 6pm 29th June on the JOLI Facebook page and shared on the other wonderful pages also.

GOOD LUCK !!

 p.s. if you're a business wanting to contribute to our future Gift Box comps please 

contact JOLI Natural Skin Care for more information.

  

I'm Getting Old

I'm getting old.  It's a fact.  We all are.  Some handle this better than others.  Some enjoy and even relish getting old while others fear it, loath it and spend lots of time worrying about it.

Cher and Tina Turner were asked by Oprah what they thought about getting old.  Tina said she loved it.  Cher said she can't stand it.  I'd like to say I'm with Tina... However I lean towards Cher on this one.  Getting older is scary, losing all that youthful vitality and having to work (dam hard) at trying to stay fit is tiresome - where as once upon a time it was a breeze.  Yet I'm also fascinated by getting older and the changes that take place.  Not all of them are bad.

Marilyn Monroe was another person concerned about ageing.  In a documentary on Marilyn narrated by a close friend, she was quoted as saying she disliked getting older and was worried she was losing her youthful beauty, gaining weight (below) and losing her gorgeous slim youthful figure (above).  We love the full figured Marilyn Monroe, to us she is a curvacious beauty.  Something many non-skinny-mini women aspire to.  However, regardless of the below quote about not wanting to be bone thin, gaining weight and looking older plagued Marilyn during the last years of her life.  In fact she was outright depressed by it.

Anyone who has children or spends time with children can see they have practically perfect skin.  Tiny pores, blemish free, beautiful soft skin.  During our teens this changes, we start getting blemishes or dry skin patches.  Our skin begins to go through changes as we take after our parents skin type.  As we get older our pores are no longer tiny, they grow and stretch with age.  In adult hood many of us start to feel tired majority of the time and worry we look as tired as we feel.  Our youthful energy goes out the window along with all that vibrancy as well.  Our bodies start to give way, we have aches and pains, maybe our hips hurt or our gait is off, maybe our spines are no longer straight or we suffer from migraines.  Signs of cellulite appear and gather momentum as we age.  Between 75% and 90% of women develop stretch marks to some degree.  Arthritis will also be an issue for some.  Soft peach fuzz appears on our cheeks near our ears, perhaps we develop mustaches to some degree as well.  Things are starting to sag.  Creases are starting to not bounce back the way they once did, and they're apparent even when we're not pulling any facial expressions.

I don't know what the future holds though I'm certain it's more laughter lines and, sadly, less energy.  I like to look at this quote (above) to remind myself that getting older is a blessing.  One good thing about getting older is we become less worried about what people think and more content to be us (where as in our teens we are awkward and think the whole world is judging us and their judgment isn't favorable).  We become more at ease with who we are as people as we age, what we're good at, what our strengths are.  We understand we have faults however they no longer define us.  Many of us will still worry about our looks and while I personally am not fond of getting old, I am however blessed to be alive.

Are you like Tina or Cher?  Does ageing bother you or do you take it in your stride.  Has your skin care regime changed over the years?  Share your story with us.

ALSO: click HERE to see a video on how to apply your 'war paint' and get ready in under 6mins.