It was inevitable. Boys would get sucked into the beauty industry at some point. And it has happened. According to a recent New York Times article, boys from tweens through their 20’s are now targeted heavily by the manufacturers of grooming products like hair products, deodorants, body sprays, colognes, etc. All of these products with all of these scents. Not only are parents getting fed up with the clouds of fragrance trailing their sons (thankfully mine are still too young for this…) – but the kids are getting more than they bargained for.

As Stacy Malkan, the founder of Campaign for Safe Cosmetics says in her blog posting:

“The irony of this story, which the Times missed entirely, is that the ads promise virility and masculinity, yet the products may have the exact opposite effect on the bodies of developing boys. Most fragranced products contain diethyl phthalate, a chemical that has been linked to sperm damage and feminized genitals. Many of the products, from body spray to shampoo, also contain parabens, a chemical that acts like estrogen in the body.

In all, the 18 body-care products used by the above-mentioned teenagers contain roughly 200 synthetic chemicals that the boys are putting on their bodies each day before breakfast. This daily dose includes dozens of chemicals linked to cancer, skin problems, allergies and hormone disruption, according to an analysis of a typical suite of these products on the Skin Deep database.”

Boys have just as much to lose as girls through exposure to these unnecessary chemicals. Teach them at a young age to read labels and avoid the fragrances. Look for natural, essential oil-based products instead – they are out there, they’re just harder to find. Otherwise, the consequences can be serious. And really, they’ll be doing everyone else around them a favor anyway. Have you ever been around a teen doused in Axe. Iiiiicccccckkkkkk.

I have a great disdain for phthalates. I have posted many times about this category of chemicals that are used as a plasticizer and strangely also used commonly in fragrances (both perfumes as well as fragrances/scents for products). All Garden Girl products are phthalate-free for the very reason that there is a lot of research popping up that points to phthalates being a very harmful chemical.

Well now there’s more research to point to the dangers of phthalates. On Monday, Reuters published an article regarding recent research on the chemical.

“Researchers from Turkey found higher blood levels of the most commonly used plasticizer, DEHP (the most common phthalate), in a group of boys with abnormal enlargement of the breasts — a common condition seen in up to 65 percent of adolescent boys called pubertal gynecomastia. The condition usually resolves on its own after boys get through puberty.”

The report goes on to say that boys with the highest levels of MEHP (another type of phthalate) were 25 times more likely to have breast enlargement. Yowzah.

The study was unfortunately very small, so there are many valid issues with the testing process. But it does add to the growing list of concerning information about phthalates. Exposure to phthalates can be from an almost unlimited number of sources, including: personal care products, paints, building materials, household furnishing, clothing, dentures, children’s toys, cleaning materials, insecticides, food, certain medical devices and pharmaceuticals. Ugh.

So until the chemical is banned, the best we can do is avoid what we can. Some tips: avoid using plastics with hot foods, keep them out of the dishwasher and microwave, and try to use alternatives whenever possible. Also – avoid soft plastic toys for babies that might get chewed on, and don’t microwave baby bottles to heat them. If at all possible, try to use glass baby bottles.

What a pleasant surprise to see another great review on one of my favorite beauty blogs – Bionic Beauty! They had reviewed Garden Girl back in January but I didn’t realize they were going to do “Part Deux” as they call it. Bonus!

In this review, Jami checks out Garden Girl’s Starting Over microderm scrub, No Worries face cream and Break Free fruit acid gel. Best part? She loved them all! It’s always a little nerve wracking to read reviews – you never know where they are going to go. The reputable beauty bloggers (like Bionic Beauty and Mythbuster Beauty) give their honest opinion. That is why they are good – you know you’re getting the real scoop – rather than just random reviews you might see posted elsewhere on the web (like in beauty chat rooms). So I was thrilled to see that she loved them. And with Bionic Beauty’s highly sensitive skin, it speaks to the fact that both Starting Over and Break Free can be used very effectively on sensitive skin.

And don’t forget – this week you can save an incredible 15% on ALL ORDERS (no minimum). Just use coupon code July7 – anytime before Saturday at midnight. If you haven’t tried Starting Over, No Worries or Break Free – now is the perfect time! And don’t forget, our products are always free of parabens, sulfates, petroleum products and phthalates!

• Pucker Up Coconut Sugar Scrub
• Liven Up peppermint/rosemary/basil dead sea bath salts
• Simmer Down cinnamon/nutmeg/ginger dead sea bath salts
• Hugs vanilla body butter (4 oz)
• Smooches chocolate mandarin body butter (4 oz)
• Zippity Do Dah peppermint foot cream
• Hand it to You hand cream (4 oz)

Just relaxing with the Desperate Housewives after a very busy weekend. Last night we had the school’s auction fundraiser. While there were many great things there’s always that last minute rush at the end of the silent auction so we only “won” couple of things. One of the winnings was the class art from my son’s kindergarten class. It’s actually pretty cute but it makes me laugh everytime I look at it. It’s comprised of a bunch of 2×2 squares that each child used to draw his/her self-portrait. Among all of the stick figures and cute funny-shaped people is one that looks like a brown snowman with a brown top hat. Yep – that’s my son’s drawing. Turns out that if you look at it closely you can see the stick figure but at first glance it’s definitely snowman-esque. But it will keep me smiling .

Anyway – I digress! You’re reading this because you want to see what this week’s special is. This week it’s back to basics – just a good old fashioned straight 15% off all of your purchases! Don’t you love this kind of sale? No restrictions, no minimums, just a big fat discount on your purchases.

Check out all of our paraben-free, sulfate-free, petroleum-free and phthalate-free goodies at www.gardengirlskincare.com – then simply place your order and use coupon code:

MARCH22

So enjoy the discount – and don’t forget this is good for the WHOLE WEEK – until Friday at midnight. Have fun and have a great week!

Big news!!! Garden Girl has been spotted in Body + Soul’s April issue! I actually haven’t seen it yet – but if you are a b+s subscriber you have probably just gotten it. Garden Girl’s Pucker Up Coconut sugar scrub was featured in the Things We Love section. Wahoo!! I don’t have images of the magazine yet but I’ll post them as soon as I get them. Can you tell I’m excited?

To celebrate – we are offering a no-holds-barred deal this week. Use it to buy our fabulous sugar scrub – or any of Garden Girl’s other paraben-free, sulfate-free, petroleum-free and phthalate-free products.

The deal? Get $5 off ANY order OR get $10 off any order of $50 or more. Yep – straight up money back.

Check out our:

Body Scrub
Facecare
Shower Gels
Body Lotions
Body Butters
Bath Salts
and
Garden Baby line

Haven’t tried Garden Girl but curious what all the excitement is about? We have travel-sized face kits and body lotion samplers that let you check out our line before committing to full-sized products.

But regardless, know that we have a guarantee that you’ll be satisfied with the products. So you can try things without any worry. The thing is – we KNOW you’ll love it!

So to take advantage of this great offer, simply go to www.gardengirlskincare.com before MIDNIGHT MONDAY March 9, and when you check out use either coupon code:

5OFF to save $5.00 off your order of $50 or less
10OFF to save $10.00 off your order of $50 or more

Simple! Enjoy and let me know if you see Garden Girl in Body + Soul!!

I am often asked if Garden Girl has anything for lips. I have searched around for a product that would be a good match for Garden Girl. The trouble is, most seemed to have “oxybenzone” in them for sun protection. Skin Deep’s Cosmetics Database has raised some serious concern about oxybenzone (found in many many sunscreens) and I really don’t want to have it on my LIPS. So I searched for something that I could create myself. And I am excited to say that I have found it!

Which leads me to this week’s One Day Sale – EVERY order (no minimum order) will receive FREE brand new, all natural Garden Girl Berry Silky lip balm.

Pretty cool, eh? This lip balm is smooth, silky and extremely hydrating. It is natural, and free of preservatives and chemicals. A combination of rich moisturizing oils plus beeswax smooth and protect your lips with a light, delicious scent of berries from a phthalate-free flavor oil.

Check the lip balm out for FREE with your order. Orders of $50 or more will receive 2 free lip balms!

To take advantage, simply go to www.gardengirlskincare.com and place an order. In the comments section write Free Lip Balm Please.

These lip balms have not yet been uploaded to our website so this is your sneak peek!

Let me know what you think of it – and have a great week!