I am a huge fan of detoxification. Funny enough it is actually what got me interested in natural cosmetics. I was born 6 weeks premature which resulted in underdeveloped lungs. I had to live with asthma most of my childhood. I still painfully remember the worst feeling in the world was to have an asthma attack and not have my inhaler around. I was a stubborn adolescent and did not really put much faith in authority. I felt I knew better and needed to research and through trial and error seek the answers to my questions myself. I know that there must have been alternatives to being dependent on a drug for the rest of my life. That simply was not an option for me. So then started my path toward researching health.

I must have read hundreds of books and did so many workshops, I got burnt out on information. At some point you just got to do it, no amount of book information will replace good old fashioned experience. So then I changed my diet, went vegan for 1 year then slowly transitioned to a 100% raw food diet and got really into healthy skin care (hence was that beginning of my obsession with natural cosmetics). I started to feel a major shift on all levels of my life. I remember my first cleanse was using the supplements from Arise and Shine. It was called their master cleanse and WOW what a relief. In one week I released a lifetime of impacted mucoid plaque from my colon.

From then on I have done many cleanses, fasts, colonics etc. It is just natural for me now to cleanser once or twice a year. Plus the best part I haven’t used my inhaler for over 10 years! This stuff works! Dr. Jeff our health and wellness contributor has posted a new thought provoking article about facing the toxicity in our “real” world and why we need to take responsability for our own internal environment. Go green take care of your internal landscape first.

Cosmetic Chef

David Parker

DR. JEFF – A Toxic World?

Some people think that detoxification is a “new age” idea. For me it isn’t, but I decided to at least look and see what shows up. First stop, PubMed, an Internet site put out by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health. Entering detoxification into their site search brings up 15,823 citations of studies done on detoxification. Pretty impressive. Next stop, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website. A quick look brings up 981 citations of studies involving detoxification. Not as impressive, but still noteworthy. Last stop, the World Health Organization’s website. A quick search here brings up 1250 citations. All-in-all, detoxification seems to be a worldwide concern.

So, is detoxification an issue? If detoxification were not an issue, then we could eat all of the mercury laden fish that we wanted to. We could breathe polluted air without consideration. We could smoke 10 packs of cigarettes each day for a life time and not suffer as a result. We could dump all the waste that we wanted to into the oceans, rivers, and streams. We could do away with water filtration plants, waste recycling, and all the controls surrounding pollution. We wouldn’t need life-saving antioxidants in hospital and clinical settings. I think that it is self-evident that detoxification is an issue. It is a primary function of all cells, tissues, and organs in the human body and all other living organisms, as well as the planet itself.

.

Detoxification is a necessity for life on the planet to go on existing. Without detoxification, we would suffer and die in our own wastes. The largest organ in the body is a detoxification organ, the skin. The next largest organs – the liver, lungs, large intestine, and kidneys – also deal heavily with detoxification. Detoxification sites and pathways are everywhere in our body’s tissues. As an organism, we come armed for detoxification.

Some people think that the body is adequately equipped for detoxification, but if it were, we wouldn’t have words like carcinogen, teratogens, reproductive toxicants, and endocrine disruptors. These are chemicals that create disease and dysfunction in the body because the body isn’t able to remove them. The human body was not made to handle the toxic load that it has to handle in today’s environment, and the environment wasn’t made to handle the toxic load that humans have dumped upon it. Of the 100,000+ chemicals in use worldwide, some 5000 of them are produced in high volumes in excess of 1 million pounds per year. Only a small percentage of these have been tested for environmental and human impact.

The human body is like a sponge that soaks up hundreds, perhaps thousands of chemicals. In testing done on babies, the number of toxins present at birth has been shown to be around 200-300. Scientists estimate that everyone alive today has a toxic load of at least 700 contaminants. Chemicals that have been outlawed years ago can still show up in the body’s tissues decades later. What goes in, doesn’t necessarily come out.

How we manage the toxic load of the body can have a great impact on our health and the health of our children. Reducing exposure to toxins is a great place to start. The home should be a safe place for us to retreat to and renew ourselves. We should eliminate, or greatly reduce, our exposure to chemicals through the foods we eat, the beverages we drink, and the air we breathe. Lotions, shampoos, conditioners, detergents, and household cleaners should be organic or biodegradable. Our water and air should be filtered whenever possible. Food should be our medicine. Routine sweating via saunas and hot baths is an established practice in many cultures that makes use of the skin and its detoxification abilities.

One can work with healthcare practitioners to investigate ways to assist the body in reducing its toxic burden. Nutrients can be useful in boosting the body’s resources for antioxidants. A supplement like N-acetyl-cysteine helps to replenish the stores of one of the body’s most abundant antioxidants, glutathione. Glutathione help to decrease the oxidative stress created by the toxic load we carry and expose ourselves to continuously.

So, perhaps detoxification is a “new age” concept, but more importantly, I believe that it should be a part of a new age of personal responsibility for our health and how our choices play a role in determining the quality of the life we live.

Dr. Jeffrey S. McCombs, DC, is a 3rd generation Doctor of Chiropractic, author of the book: LifeForce, and developer of The McCombs Plan (formerly known as The Life Force Plan). His 25 years of ongoing research and practice emphasizes addressing the nutritional, environmental, emotional, structural, and biochemical aspects of acute and chronic health conditions in his patients.
He can be reached at www.mccombsplan.com, 888.236.7780.

THEBODYDELI.COM

Now that the election is over it is time to reflect on a campaign that has lasted almost 2 years and a la Hillary Clinton, fractured many a glass ceiling. We wish President-elect Barack Obama the very best on his victory and now we can look forward to hopefully a much brighter 2009.

Are you a beauty Junkie? I couldn’t think of a better addiction. Why is there just something about lotions and potions in pretty jars that make us go crazy! Personally, I love the textures and scents and of course the best part is the benefits. No matter how pretty something is and great it smells, if it does not get the job done then alas it is just another pretty face without substance. When beauty becomes beneficial I need to run to the nearest 12-step meeting. Maybe I should create the first Beauty Addicts Anonymous in Palm Springs, hey it would  be the Betty Ford for Beauty. Beauty Junkie in SF,  a fabulous fellow beauty addict had some great things to say about a couple of our products, here is her review.

Cosmetic Chef

David Parker.

The Body Deli – Skincare products so natural you could almost eat them

Like to eat fresh? Organic? Raw, whole foods? Well, why not use them on your body too? The Body Deli has created a line of skincare and body care products made of fresh, organic, raw ingredients. They are so fresh, each product actually has an expiration on it! I’ve had the chance to try a couple of their products and so far I really like them. It is very cool to read the list of ingredients and actually know what all of them are!

Inspired by the concept of natural living and driven by the science of “living foods,” The Body Deli’s products are designed to provide nutrition for the skin. All of the products are handmade in small batches and incorporate raw, fresh, natural and organic ingredients, including organic yogurt, amino acids, fresh fruit and vegetables, and all-natural plant oils. Yum! The result is nutrient-rich products for the body, face and hair that deliver fresh vitamins, enzymes and minerals at their peak potency. Hence the expiration date!

When my skin was freaking because it was so dry, I reached for the Creme de la Rose. Normally, this luxurious cream would have been too heavy for me but my skin was extra thirsty from the dry heat. I used it only at night and it kept the tightness I was feeling at bay. So, if you want a heavy cream with tons of anti-aging benefits, from the oils of pure organic steam distilled bulgarian rose, moroccan rose geranium and sandalwood from India, try this out. You’ll feel like you are using a cream meant for a queen.

Another lotion I tried was the Solar Defense Day Cream. We all know what a big fan I am of moisturizers that include a sunscreen. Who wants to put two products on when one can do the job just fine?! My typically slightly oily skin likes the lightness of this lotion and the fact that is blends in fast. No to mention it includes anti-oxidants such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Superoxide Dimutase, which work to neutralize free radical damage and improve the health and vitality of the complexion. Yeah, that’s right! Nature does good work!

Lotion Lovely!

THEBODYDELI.COM

We love fine cuisine of all types. Raw, vegan and even at times ultra indulgent gourmet fair hits the spot. In this tivo and digital age food content is everywhere, come on who has not TIVOd Paula Dean and watched her in the middle of the night with a pint of Haagan Daz or Ben and Jerry’s. Once in a while it is good for the soul to indulge your sweet tooth. Jessie from the Hungry Mouse is an epicurious blogger that has a passion for great food and food inspired beauty products. We loved Jessie’s blog post about a few products that we shipped for her consideration. We are delighted that she loved everything and went as far to say that our Creme de la Rose in her opinion blows Creme de la Mer out of the water, funny that has been my opinion too. If you are into food you will love her blog, it has been nominated for countless best of the web in the food category. Enjoy!

Cosmetic Chef
David A. Parker.

THE HUNGRY MOUSE

Order up! Get fresh with The Body Deli

The Body Deli is one of these companies I’ve been talking about that definitely believes in the power of feeding your face. Based in Palm Desert, California, The Body Deli is owned by duo David Parker and Margaret Skarin, who bill themselves as “cosmetic chefs.”

They were kind enough to send me some of their products to review. Man, am I glad they did. I think I’m hooked.

(I’m actually kind of boggled by how impressed I am. Let me be clear before I start raving: They didn’t pay me one red cent to be nice.)

The Body Deli’s products are all handmade in small batches with fresh, raw, natural, and organic ingredients. Parker and Skarin believe that your skin benefits most from vitamins and enzymes at the peak of their potency—which means that the “living foods” you get from them are fresh, fresh, fresh.

So fresh, in fact, that my products arrived by courier in a refrigerated lunch bag, complete with ice packs. (Imagine The Angry Chef’s confusion when he saw this sitting in the fridge.)

Inside, there was an exfoliating blueberry scrub, a mud mask, and a sea cucumber gel moisturizer—all three of which needed to be kept cold.

Embarrassingly, I was tempted more than once to take a little nibble of each of them, except maybe the mud mask.

A little background
All these products worked really well for me as a small, gray mouse (a.k.a. a gal in her 30’s with fair, combination skin).

Below, I’ve included product shots from The Body Deli’s website (professionally shot), as well as pics I took myself (shot in my kitchen). That probably accounts for any discrepancies in color you might notice.
Blueberry Fusion Scrub—$36

You know that St. Ives Apricot Scrub you might have kicking around in the back of your medicine cabinet? Toss it and buy some Blueberry Fusion Scrub. Trust me.

First off, if you like blueberries, this stuff smells a-ma-zing. I can’t think of a smoothie I’ve had that smells better. This is an exfoliating scrub that smooths your skin with a combination of fruit acids and natural earth particles. You massage a little blob of it onto moist skin in a circular motion. It was slightly gritty without being harsh. It also turns your face a really entertaining shade of pink before you rinse it off.

It left my skin smooth, really soft, and kind of glow-y. Two thumbs up.

Ingredients: Organic Aloe Vera Juice, Colloidal Oatmeal, Guar Gum, Organic Blueberries, Xanthan Gum, Diatomaceous Earth, Vitamin E, Organic Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Carrot Seed Oil, Organic Rose Hip Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Rosemary Oil Extract, Fresh Cells of Pomegranate and Kiwi, Organic Fruit Acid Enzymes, Potassium Sorbate.

Glacial Mineral Mud Masque—$24

I used the Glacial Mineral Mud Masque next. It was a really cooling contrast to the blueberry scrub.

Instructions state to use it as a whole face mask or a spot treatment. Not one to skimp at this point, I slathered it all over my face. It had the consistency of almost-melted chocolate ice cream.

This mask is chock full of clay and other ingredients that are supposed to draw out toxins and oil and shrink pores. The smell was a brisk mix of herbal and something bordering on menthol. I left it on for about 20 minutes, until it dried completely and lightened in color.

I rinsed it off, and my skin felt really clean, fresh, and tight (but not at all dry or irritated). Again, two thumbs up.

Ingredients: Glacial Mineral Mud, Bentonite Clay, Organic Aloe Vera Juice, Micro Clustered Ionized Water, Colloidal Silver, Allantoin, Squalane, Evening Primrose, Rose-Hips, Calendula, Carrot Seed, Chamomile, Japanese Honeysuckle, Rosemary oil, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Benzoin, Lecithin, Honey, Lavender, Ylang-Ylang, Rose, Lime, Geranium.

Sea Cucumber Gelee—$45

If this was a three-course meal, then the Sea Cucumber Gelee was definitely the dessert. It was cool, refreshing, and moisturizing—without being the least bit greasy or oily.

I was interested in this in particular, since it includes Hyaluronic acid, an ingredient in some injectable wrinkle fillers and nicer skin creams, that works by attracting water and then holding it in like a sponge.

The gelee went on smoothly and sunk in after just about a minute, leaving my skin remarkably smooth. The Body Deli says that it “imparts a dewy glow.” And honestly? It does.

(I admit to sashaying around and asking The Angry Chef if I was glowing. He agreed that I was, and then threatened to smoosh me if I didn’t stop prancing about.) Two thumbs up.

Ingredients: Organic Aloe Vera Juice, Kombucha Tea, Sunflower Seed Oil, Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Fresh Cells of Cucumber, Pomegrante, & Kiwi, Green Tea Extract, Castor Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Organic Olive Leaf Extract, Chamomile Extract*, Rosehip Seed Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Organic Calendual Extract, Organic Comfery Extract, Organic Golden Flax, Evening Primrose, Guar Gum, Xanthun Gum, Chorella, Blue Green Algae, Spirulina, Chorophyll & Potassium Sorbate.

.The Hungry Mouse verdict
I love this stuff. When I woke up the next day, my face looked—and felt—like I just spent a day at the spa.

I’ve used some super swanky products in the past, and The Body Deli blows a lot of them (including Creme de la Mer’s epic moisturizer) out of the water for me.

I know I’ll be a repeat customer. Definitely check them out. I’d be shocked if you were disappointed.

Jessie, The Hungry Mouse

THEBODYDELI.COM