CAMPAIGN FOR SAFE COSMETICS

Earlier in the MADARA Inspiration Challenge post I mentioned about a study I'd read about perfymes and fragrance patents that actually allow companies to add more chemicals to the products which they don't mention in the list of substances. It stayed bothering me, what was the report I'd read couple years back? Finally I found the research "Not so sexy - The health risks of secret chemicals in fragrance" which summary and the full report you can find here. I recommend everyone to read it! It has very interesting and revealing insights to the fragrance industry, what the common chemicals usually contain and what they might be doing to us.

Nowadays I'm only using ecological and eco-certified products because even a bottle says "Natural", "Unscented", "Fragrance-free", it might still contain some very nasty hormone disrupting chemicals that can have effect on development and fertility, both in women and men. "Most fragrances don't list phthalates on the label, but hide them under the term, "fragrance."".

So read the ingredient labels and remember - less is more.

Not so happy about Clinique's nine secret chemicals not mentioned in the label.

MADARA BLOGGER CHALLENGE - LET'S GO TO LATVIA!

Some years ago I started to pay more attention to the daily cosmetics I was using. Mainly because I had been suffering from major migraine attacks and decided to change my living habits and diet to see if they would make any difference - which they of course did! When I was eating clean, organic food it started to become clearer to me that I didn't want to have any extra chemicals from other sources like cosmetics. First natural thing was to cut off the parfymes - I've always suffered from most of the strong chemical fragrances but now I ditched all my parfymes to the bin. Especially after reading a research where I learned that the patent right of the fragrance actually allows the cosmetic companies to add more chemicals to the parfymes and NOT mention about them in the list of substances... This would then of course go with other cosmetic products too! It freaked me out and there out from the garbage door went my parfyme bottles!

Slowly I've changed the content of my make-up bag even it still has some oldies left like Lancome mascara which I've used ever since I started to wear make-up. But the biggest difference has been that I've changed the face cleansing and moisturizing products mainly to MADARA Cosmetics. My first touch to the brand was when I found their deodorant to be perfect for me. For the face I had tried couple other cosmetic brands over the years but they didn't seem to work with my type of skin. Usually the face was moisturized from the surface but soon got dry again or left a greasy feeling in the skin. Now that I've used MADARA cleansing foam and different face creams I feel that my skin is feeling so much better than with the other brands. I feel that the effect is deeper than in the surface and more long lasting. Also you don't need to use big amounts of the product to have the wanted effect so I don't mind putting little more money to a product that is effecting, ecological and long lasting! 

When I got invitation from Sugar Helsinki to participate in a blogger challenge for MADARA I was naturally excited! I didn't know what we were supposed to do but felt that I wanted to be part of this. Not only because I like creative challenges but also because I admire the story of the brand, how the young Latvian girls started MADARA out of their own ambition and need for organic cosmetics and now after six years they are internationally known ecological cosmetic brand! Very inspiring don't you think!

MADARA means a special type of flower in Latvia, one with a sweet fragrance and is very suitable for the brand as they use mainly local raw materials to make their products. To celebrate a special cooperation with a Finnish company Nordic Koivu we were asked to think on two ingredients from the Finnish nature that could fit our favorite MADARA products and then produce a short video testimonial of it. So here's the videos and all the bloggers guesses! Mine was inspired by my morning porridge - oat and raspberry:

NOW HERE'S THE DEAL LISTEN UP DEARS!


If you comment to this post, like it in Facebook here and share it, me and one of you readers in Finland can win a trip to the motherland of MADARA, Latvia! Wouldn't it be nice? YES! The trip will take place 5.-6.7 which would definately work with my summer plans and I'd love to share it with some of you peeps! Unfortunately this Inspiration challenge concerns only Finnish readers but if you want to help me to get a short visit to the Baltic, comment and like! ACT FAST, SPREAD THE WORD AND LET'S GO!

Here's some pics from the PR event that took place in Annala which I'd visited the previous day for the seedling market. I was happy to go back there, it's a beautiful place!

Natcos and Sugar Helsinki representing!

Natural Finnish birch sap drink.

MADARA's founder Lotte Tisenkopfa-Iltnere giving very inspirational presentation.

Challenge is on - are you in? 

UPDATE! Me captured with Lotte's lovely sister Paula Tisenkopfa, MADARA's export marketing and sales manager. They are both very charming and inspirational young women. More pics here!