Monday, July 18, 2011

Rss To Email Subscription Benefits

Keeping yourself updated with the latest feeds from your favorite websites is great, but it can also be quite frustrating at times. If you subscribe to a lot of sites, you may find your inbox flooded by several messages--and they can really be a hassle to delete and organize. Luckily, there's an incredible solution to this problem, and that is getting an RSS to Email subscription. To know more about this productivity tool, go ahead and read its benefits below and you will discover just how amazing it is Conserve Space in Your Inbox
RSS feeds are often sent via email. The more websites you subscribe to and the more updates these websites provide, you can expect to receive loads of messages that can easily eat up your inbox space--leaving you with lesser room for incoming emails. Subscribing to an RSS to Email service is a wonderful answer to this issue because it combines all your favorite feeds into one message so you can conserve space more efficiently.

Organize Your RSS Feeds More Efficiently
Are your RSS feed messages cluttering your mailbox? RSS to Email services give you the ability to manage your updates effectively because it only sends you one daily email. This single message contains a summary of all your feeds, so there's no need for you to deal with multiple emails that only mess your inbox. All you have to do is view one message and simply delete it when you're done viewing the feeds. It's that easy and automatic with RSS to Email services!

Receive Informative Feeds in One Emailm
Even though your feeds are compiled together, you'll still be getting a complete detail on each website update. You're sure to know everything that's new about your favorite websites with just one look in your daily RSS to Email message!

So those are only some of the numerous benefits you will get when you avail of this amazing online service. Subscribing is incredibly easy! All you need to do is find a reputable RSS to Email website, sign up for their services and then make your preferences. You can specify the websites you'd like to get updates on, as well as avail of ready-made feed packs on various topics. Some RSS to Email sites also offer free trials so you can experience their services before making an actual subscription. So what are you waiting for? Sign up with this remarkable productivity tool right now so that receiving feeds will be much easier and smoother for you!

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Cosmetic Regulations For Personal Care Products

Cosmetic regulation is a misnomer. The FDA (Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act) was created in 1938 and is the designated government agency that should control the Cosmetic Industry as well as the Food and Drug Industries. However, although it does a fair job in food and drugs, it virtually has turned its back on cosmetics and allows it to govern itself.
Cosmetics have a very rich history and from the time of the Egyptians to current day the obsession for fair, beautiful skin has helped this industry to grow and prosper to over 50 billion dollars annually. The Cosmetic Industry, in all countries, is controlled by government bodies and agencies. These agencies presumably are in place for the purpose of keeping a tab on the quality of cosmetic products that are being produced. Cosmetic regulation of personal care products that are produced is the primary responsibility of these bodies. Therefore, in theory at best, US cosmetic regulations for personal care products rests with the FDA.
The question becomes is the FDA truly regulating or governing the Cosmetic Industry?.
The regulations framed under the FDA are quite similar to other countries but there are certain unique features. Though one of the FDA's functions is to regulate the Cosmetic Industry, it gives more emphasis on the regulation of food and drugs. For drugs that are manufactured in the US, prior to their release into the market, they will require the necessary certification from the FDA. However, because personal care products are not considered to be food or drugs, they require no prior certification by the FDA or any other governing body before they are introduced into the marketplace. In fact, the FDA relies solely on the discretion of the cosmetic companies to determine the safety of products marketed to consumers. If the cosmetic company says their new product is safe, it is allowed to go to market without any pre-market testing. Therefore, in effect, cosmetic regulation is left up to the cosmetic companies and thus, is a self-regulating industry.
The following are direct quotes from the FDA website:
"Cosmetic products and ingredients are not subject to FDA pre-market approval authority, with the exception of color additives."
"Cosmetic firms are responsible for substantiating the safety of their products and ingredients before marketing."
According to the FDA there are specific definitions for cosmetics and drugs and one must first go through them to understand the fine difference that exists. Cosmetics are the articles that are sprinkled, poured, applied or rubbed on the body to clean, promote, beautify or even alter one's appearance. Some of the products that fall under this category are perfumes, hair colors, toothpastes, lipsticks, eye and facial makeup, shampoos, fingernail polishes, skin moisturizers, permanent waves, and deodorants. This even includes the ingredients that may be used as a component to manufacture the cosmetic products.
Regarding these ingredients used in the manufacture of personal care products, there is another act known as The Substances Control Act of 1976. This act grandfathered in 62,000 chemicals in existence up to 1976. Of all new chemicals submitted for approval, their record indicates that over 80% are approved within three weeks and only five chemicals are known to have been restricted or banned. It should also be made known that no pre-testing on animals and/or humans is required before submitting a chemical for approval. Meanwhile, in Europe, the European Union has banned over 1100 toxic ingredients used in the manufacture of cosmetic products. Now, with this in mind, let's apply this knowledge to the FDA and its control, or the lack thereof, relative to the Cosmetic Industry.
We know that the FDA allows the Cosmetic Industry to police itself. In fact, if cosmetic companies do not even have to register with the FDA, and if these companies are not required to get approval by the FDA of new products to market, and if these companies do not have to identify the ingredients used in the manufacture of their personal care products, and if these ingredients can be approved by The Substance Control Act of 1976 within three weeks without any pre-testing, then it is safe to say the only conclusion to arrive at is, the Cosmetic Industry is out of control. After all, if no one is in control of cosmetic companies, it only stands to reason, that the industry is out of control. It's interests lie in sales and profits and not in the well bring of their consumers. Cosmetic regulation is virtually non-existent and, therefore, places the burden of safety directly on the shoulders of consumers. The toxic ingredients in cosmetic products has been discussed in depth in some of my previous articles. The consumer must read labels and research ingredients themselves to insure the safety of the product and not rely on any government agency for the regulation of personal care products.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Toxic Free Cosmetics - For Long Lasting Health

Opting for toxic-free cosmetics is the best thing that you can do to your skin, and your health as well as the environment. Enhancing your beauty through products like vegetable based cosmetic mineral make up and organic cosmetics is the new way to promote long term health. There is no reason why one should continue using toxic cosmetics.
Most of the cosmetics that are on the market are made up of chemicals that are banned in other countries. This is because of the incomprehensible stand of our government, which gives the cosmetic manufacturers a free hand to make rampant use of these harmful chemicals. That issue, although explained in this article, will be dealt with in detail separately in another article. The first thing that we need to do is discover how to protect our skin and general well being from the harmful effects of these toxic cosmetics.
New research has shown that exposure to toxic chemicals that raise havoc with our hormones could increase the risk of breast cancer. This is particularly true for teenagers and pregnant women when they expose themselves to these active ingredients in cosmetic products. Europe has made great progress in regulating cosmetics. The European Union (EU) passed an amendment to the "Cosmetics Directive", the law that regulates cosmetics in all 15 EU countries. It would ban any and all chemicals that were known or highly suspected of causing cancer, birth defects, or genetic mutation from use in cosmetic products. Hundreds of chemicals (over 1100) were prohibited.
Some US cosmetic companies responded by saying "American women are not as concerned about cosmetics as the Europeans." How dare they decide what concerns one has! One large cosmetic firm had a real disconnect and responded to a written request regarding the use of Pthalates (pronounced tha-lates and just a fancy word for fragrance and found in over 79% of all cosmetic products), saying "the US has the safest products that our laws will allow both for the consumer and for the environment". However in South Korea, that same company, in response to similar consumer concerns, acted in a somewhat different manner when the "Women's Committee of the Korean Federation for Environmental Movements" tested 24 products for a toxic ingredient known as Pthalates. One hundred percent of products tested had Pthalates. Ninety-six percent had more than two Pthalates. Fifty percent had more than three and eight percent had four different kinds. Now that same company that responded to the US inquiry saying what they used was safe, now responded in South Korea this way. "Our firm does not use DEHP and DBP (Pthalates), about which concerns have been raised, as components of our products". They subsequently removed all Pthalates from their products.
Another very large company took one position in the US, but when challenged in the UK, said this:"We agree with the Women's Environmental Network position on the inherent toxicological potential of Pthalates. We take a precautionary approach and will only use an ingredient if it is safe and approved for use in Cosmetic products. As a consequence of this approach, there is already a program to remove Pthalates from our products."
In April of 2004 there was a march on the US Capitol that organizers claimed was the largest of its kind. More than one million people joined in the March for Women's Lives and it became the launching pad for an organization known as the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. The campaign's message promotes toxic-free cosmetic products. It pledged to replace hazardous chemicals found in cosmetic products with safer alternatives within three years. To accomplish this it asked cosmetic manufacturers in the US to do four things:
1.Remove European Union banned chemicals form all products sold throughout the world.
2.Inventory all products for chemicals of concern.
3.Develop a plan to replace hazardous chemicals with safer alternatives within three years.
4.Report their progress publicly.
Within a few months a small number of companies began signing the Compact for Safe Cosmetics. By 2007, some three years later, over 500 companies had signed the Compact. Ninety of these companies were from outside the US. However, all the signers were already natural product companies and notably, not even one major US cosmetic company was on the list. The reason? The US Cosmetic Industry is the most unregulated industry under the auspices of the FDA. How does the FDA determine if a cosmetic product is safe, one might ask? The answer is it does not. It leaves safety up to the individual companies themselves. In other words, if the cosmetic company feels its product is safe, it can go on the market.
In 2007 the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics ran a full page ad in USA today. The ad read "Putting on Makeup Shouldn't be like Playing with Matches" and showed a little girl smearing lipstick on her face. Three large cosmetic companies were named in the ad. Within three months all three cosmetic companies removed the EU banned chemicals from their lipstick and produced what essentially became a toxic-free product.
Let's be clear here. That example represents only one product in a lineup of cosmetic products that run into the hundreds per cosmetic company. So, although this was a great step forward, it is only one small step in the big scheme of things with the ultimate mission being to get all cosmetic companies to reformulate their lines to new standards of toxic-free ingredients in all products resulting in safe, healthy, toxic-free cosmetics for everyone.
Everyone can help to move this very important process along by shopping for and buying only certified organic personal care products. To do this one must look for the certification logos on any cosmetic products they purchase. These logos will be prominently displayed along with the logos for no animal testing, bio-degradable, etc.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Cosmetic History Worldwide and the Growth of the Cosmetic Industry

Cosmetic history worldwide has gone through a sea of change over the past few centuries. Today the cosmetic industry is worth over $50 billion, but this was not always the case. Before we study more about the history of cosmetics, we need to search the origin of cosmetics. Cosmetics was not a business during its nascent stage and it was solely used to enhance the look of the facial skin. It all started during the 4th century BC when cosmetics and business were words from two different worlds.
If we look into the history of cosmetics then we find that the Egyptians were the precursors of cosmetic use. Here the women of the upper class used animal fat, scented oils and eye color to give a real 'facelift' to their faces. During its initial years, cosmetics were restricted to the confines of a room where they were prepared from natural ingredients. Cosmetics had not yet found any commercial use though it was exchanged among women.
The western world also embraced it (though a little late) much to the dissatisfaction of the Church and Queen Victoria. The use of cosmetics here was more among the lower class women and this is what slowly gave rise to cosmetics being manufactured for sale among the common masses. The French were the first to manufacture cosmetics on a large scale with the use of new and improved methods. They replaced the dangerous ingredients like copper and lead with Zinc oxide and other harmless chemicals. This soon resulted in wide sales of cosmetics and women from the elite as well as lower classes started to use it for their facial beautification.
The history of cosmetics changed with the end of World War II and the industrial growth during the 1940's, when cosmetics found acceptance among women from all corners of the world. With the advent of the electronic media like Television and Radio, things looked really sunny for the cosmetic industry as actresses wore cosmetic makeup that attracted the general masses - a huge boost to the sales figures. Soon more and more women turned it into a habit to wear cosmetic makeup for almost all occasions.
People, mostly associated with the cosmetic industry, wanted to manufacture healthier and better products because they did not treat this as a business but something that even had use in their homes. Technological advancements made it easier for the companies to try out different ingredients for their cosmetics and this has also provided a plethora of options in front of modern consumers. Cosmetic history worldwide is all about providing the right kinds of cosmetics to satiate the obsession to look beautiful and remain young..
Nowadays, the cosmetic industry is not only concentrating on cosmetics for women, but even providing the metro-sexual males a chance to improve their facial looks. Today, the world's cosmetic industry faces a huge demand and a real challenge in producing good quality cosmetic products. It is still a highly lucrative business for new entrants, but the challenge now comes from clinical studies that show the existence of toxic ingredients that are currently used in the manufacture of cosmetic products. These ingredients, used over long periods of time, are now being considered harmful to one's health. Therefore, the history of cosmetics today wills evolve into where the industry will go in the future with this new information that indicates the continuous use of these toxic ingredients could be harmful to one's health.
Little did the Egyptians know then, when they were short of options and they sat in front of the mirror to use their cosmetics, what challenges would exist today.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Tips To Use Skin Care Cosmetics Safely

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which regulates cosmetics in the United States defines cosmetics as: "intended to be applied to the human body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance without affecting the body structure or functions." This broad definition includes, as well, any material intended for use as a component of a cosmetic product.
Producers distinguish between decorative cosmetics and skin care cosmetics. Decorative cosmetics are includes lipstick, foundation, rouge, nail polish, mascara, eye liner, etc. Skin care cosmetics are includes products to cleanse face skin and body skin, creams and lotions to moisturize the face and body, sunscreens to protect the skin from damaging UV radiation, and products to repair or hide skin imperfections such as acne, wrinkles, dark circles under eyes, etc.
In ancient time Cosmetics have used by people. They used harmful substances such as mercury and lead. Many negative side effects have occurred after used those cosmetics, for example: blindness after used mascara lash, even death after used cosmetics contain mercury and lead. Those are happened because there are no regulations of the manufactures.
During the 20th century, the popularity of cosmetics increased rapidly. You should have awareness in cosmetics you applied, because, especially for women, cosmetics are used routine. These are tips for you to choose and use decorative cosmetics and skin care cosmetics safely:
1. If you use decorative cosmetics make sure that the color additives are permitted by FDA. Color additives that not approved by FDA sometimes are colors for textile, not for food and cosmetic. Some color additives can cause allergies, even cancer.
2. Find out FDA approved in its label. This approval includes, as well, any material intended for use as a component of a cosmetic product. It makes you using this product without doubt.
3. Use cosmetics and skin care cosmetics properly. Read that label carefully, especially cosmetics for eyes. Prolonged use of cosmetic has also been linked to thickening eyelashes.
4. Synthetic fragrance, derived from petroleum, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), and parabens can cause dermatitis and allergic reactions. If you have sensitive skin I suggest you to use organic cosmetic products. Find out 'certified organic' in its label, it assurances you to get best natural ingredient found from organic cultivate.
5. Many techniques, such as microdermabrasion and physical or chemical peels are including skin treatments cosmetics. So read carefully the instructions and you will get the younger layers of skin appear more plump, youthful, and soft.
6. Choose your skin care cosmetics appropriate with your skin type.
Retno Kuswantoro is a pharmacist. As a pharmacist she often gives some advises to the patients about skin care products related to their skin problems. Find out her skin products

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Vintage Salt And Pepper Mills Make Good Collectible Items

If you want to give a nostalgic atmosphere to your kitchen and reminisce about the good old days of luxurious services, vintage salt and pepper mills are good items to collect. Though it would undoubtedly bring back memories, these items may be difficult to find. However, the task is made easier these days with the Internet as there are many online stores that specialize in such items. Even if you do not need a vintage set in your kitchen, you should have at least one good pepper and salt shaker set as part of the kitchen or dining room accessories. It is almost unheard of for families living in houses to go without a decent set. In fact, many families keep the sets as collectibles and simply adore looking at them.

Some vintage salt and pepper mills are even worth a fortune, much like any other form of collectible items like coins and stamps. For a non-aficionado, you might wonder what the attraction of such trivia items is, but if you talk to an expert, you will find that there is much more to a good set than just being a functional piece.

For one, salt and pepper mills make great collectible items. Not all shakers are made the same with different designs coming from all parts of the world. The good thing is that every culture in the world has a need for such an item which is why they are produced almost everywhere in the world. So you get designs which are infused with the local cultures. It is this element that makes the shaker sets such good collectibles. These sets, especially the vintage ones, can be worth a lot of money and make a great conversational piece when placed in show cabinets at home.

The salt and peppers shakers of yesteryear were mostly made from durable materials like ceramics, glass and sterling silver. This makes them long-lasting and they can even be kept as an heirloom to be passed down through the family for generations. Besides, the vintage pieces made from such materials are very elegant and lend an air of nobility to the kitchen.

Above all, salt and pepper shakers are functional items. Unlike stamps or coins, these items can actually be of every day use. If you are entertaining in your home, you might want to show off your collectibles to your guests. Instead of just placing them in the show cabinet, consider using them as part of the dining table accessories. This will surely capture the attention of your guests, leading them to compliment their beauty.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Practical Tips On Buying Cocktail Shakers

One of life's most incredible joys is to sit out in the front porch with a glass of your favorite cocktail. If you are in the market for a set of cocktail shakers, you should know that there are various choices from which you can take your pick. In addition, all these shakers have different features and advantages so it is best to know what they are to find out which one would best suit your needs.

Choice of Material

Cocktail shakers are made of different materials, among which include tin, aluminum, and stainless steel. If you are looking for something light and easy to clean, you might want to go with tin or stainless steel. Most novices prefer these two materials because they are easy to use and they do not require much maintenance like other metal shakers.

There are also other types of shakers such as glass or plastic. The latter is often used for outdoor events or gatherings where it is best not to use breakables or anything that is too heavy to carry. Glass is a little less popular but there are some who prefer to have at least one of these in their liquor cabinet as part of the display.

Straining and Other Features

The most important function of cocktail shakers is to facilitate the making of beverages so they have to dispense liquid in a seamless manner. Quick strainers are very popular as they are the ones used by professional bartenders. These quick straining shakers make it possible to prepare more drinks in shorter amounts of time, which directly translates to faster work and more sales and tips.

The shape of a drink shaker is also very important, as in the case of the screwpull mixer. This particular shaker is designed in such a way that it is very easy to hold on to while concocting the beverage. It is especially popular among lady barkeeps since they have relatively smaller hands than male bartenders. There are also other features such as non-slip rubber traction, which comes in handy a lot of the time.

Cost

If you are looking to stock your liquor cabinet with supplies for home use, it is only sensible that you try to find cost effective shakers and other accessories. When shopping for shakers, you have the option of buying merchandise from specialty stores or online. If you choose the latter, there are a number of websites that sell different types of drink shakers at varied prices. Comparing cost and features would allow you to make informed choices particularly if you are on a shoe string budget.