Narelle Chenery is the founder and creative director of research and development for Miessence, the worlds first extensive range of internationally certified organic skin, hair, body, cosmetic, oral and nutritional products.


Like myself, Narelle is a huge fan of green smoothies and this is her nutrition packed version that serves 2.

1 x baby green coconut (juice and flesh)
1⁄2 cup of fruit of the season (paw paw, mango, peaches, pears, berries)
1 x banana
1 x handful of goji berries
1 x tsp bee pollen granules
1 x tsp maca root powder
2 x tsp In-Liven
2 x tsp Berry Radical
2 x tsp DeepGreen
2 x tbs soaked chia seeds
1 x big handful of spinach (or other leafy greens)
1 x tbs flax oil (or evening primrose or hemp, or good EFA blend)
4 x tbs hemp protein (or protein powder of choice)

"This is a variation of a summer morning smoothie meal that keeps us going until lunchtime. It's got everything you need it in.  Loads of phyto-nutrition! Greens, antioxidants, probiotics.  Plus the macro-nutrients (protein, oils, fibre).  Plus it's delicious"    Narelle Chenery


More about Narelle and Miessence

The Miessence story began almost 20 years ago when Narelle Chenery, at home with two young children and pregnant with her third, started to question the ingredients in her personal care products. Her quest to find a truly natural product range failed, so she started her mission to create her own. After numerous mould growing and exploding experiments in her kitchen, Narelle developed a range of products she sold at markets and by mail order.

Her products were discovered by a pioneer on the organics industry, Alf Orpin. He challenged her with his help, to make her products certified organic. In February 2003, Miessence was born as the world’s first extensive range of certified organic personal care products to food standards. Miessence produces products for skin, hair, mouth, body, men and baby as well as perfumes, essential oils and nutritional products.

Organic products are well known to be better for the environment, safer and more nutritious. However Miessence is more than a company producing and selling certified organic products. Their vision is ‘to be an outstanding enterprise of inspiration, conviction, and integrity that is a force for change towards ethical and ecological business practice’. Cool huh?

For more info about Miessence please visit:
www.onlinesales.miessence.com

For more info about green smoothies please visit:
www.greensmoothiecommunity.com

Organic products are well known to be better for the environment, safer and more nutritious. However Miessence is more than a company producing and selling certified organic products. Their vision is ‘to be an outstanding enterprise of inspiration, conviction, and integrity that is a force for change towards ethical and ecological business practice’. Miessence takes environmental responsibility very seriously and includes the following initiatives.

Electricity offset 100% by renewable wind energy with GreenPower

With Greenflet, Miessence is carbon negative, meaning its offsets more than its current transportation usage to plant trees. Green fleet has planted 7 million native trees in over 400 locations since 2007 and has a goal to plant 2 million this year.

Miessence is one of few companies to be Gold certified with GreenBizCheck. GreenBizCheck is a global, technology based environmental certification programme for any company with an office. Their programme helps companies implement sustainable practices to save money, conserve energy, water, resources and minimize waste. Their criteria are rigorous and audited annually. You can visit GreenBizCheck at www.greenbizcheck.com

Coming back to the concept or organics, it’s important to clarify what organic means to the cosmetic industry. Organic and natural are terms that are unregulated and as a result they are abused in the form of greenwashing. In the chemical industry, natural refers to anything derived or synthesised from nature.

Organic will refer to anything containing carbon. Petrochemical based preservatives such as the paraben group, that have been found intact in breast cancer tissue, are sometime referred to as ‘organic preservatives’. Natural really means ‘existing in or formed by nature’. Organic really means an ecological and sustainable farm management system that is synthetic chemical free.

Certified organic is a third party guarantee of an organic claim. Certified organic to food standards means at least 95% organic ingredients excluding water and salt, and the rest is natural and approved ingredients. All seven certifying bodies in Australia have the same regulated food standard for organics.

Unfortunately there is no such standard for the cosmetic industry. Instead each body makes up their own standard and self regulates. The problem is that the standards are not the same and they are not as high as food standards, allowing less than 95% organic ingredients and allowing some synthetic ingredients in varying degrees. Therefore a certified organic logo on cosmetics does not necessarily mean the same thing as on food. For this reason Miessence is certified organic to food standards and not to a made up cosmetic organic standard. 

If you are wondering about the quality of ingredients in your products at home, here are some guidelines to help: Split the ingredient list in to thirds. As a rule of thumb the top third will have 90-95% if the listed ingredients. The middle third will have 5-8% and the bottom third 1-3%. Some products will contain mostly chemicals and a small amount of natural listed at the bottom. Some may have mostly natural ingredients with a few chemicals listed at the bottom, usually a synthetic preservative.

You should also be aware of a method of greenwashing a product which is to say ingredients are ‘derived from’ something in nature, or putting the original natural ingredient in brackets. E.g cocamide DEA (di-ethyl-amine) is DEA added to coconut oil to create a synthetic foaming agent for products like shampoo. The amine in DEA has the potential to form carcinogenic compounds when mixed with other chemicals. These toxic by-products are estimated to be in 10-20% of cosmetic products and they increase once the product is opened. Another labelling trick is to list first an ‘aqueous infusion of botanical extracts’ which is just water with weak addition of herbs and essentials oils. When listed first with the water, the natural ingredients infused in the water may give the impression the dominant ingredients are natural when in fact the water should be listed first, then chemicals, then the small amount of natural ingredients last. If your labels list the natural ingredients without saying ‘derived from’, list natural ingredients in the top two thirds, they are not making organic claims without  a logo, then they are a step in the right direction and are not greenwashing and misleading consumers.

I am a fan of voting with my dollar and not buying into the hype of mainstream marketing and advertising. Because I value my health and the environment, I am willing to pay a bit extra for certified organic products given the real cost of the alternative is so much more. If buying with your dollar is important and you like to lead a low impact lifestyle then Miessence ticks all the right boxes. Miessence is Australian, has set the gold standard worldwide for certified organic to food standards in the cosmetic industry, is totally transparent as a company and is incredibly environmentally responsible.

Spirulina, AFA and some chlorella strains have the blue pigment phycocyanin, which is an antioxidant, is blood building along with chlorophyll, and is a stem cell enhancing substance. With the green chlorophyll pigment these algae are often termed blue-green algae. Chlorella strains are mostly green algae with chlorophyll predominating with no blue pigment. They all have a variety of red/yellow antioxidant pigments which are in the cancer fighting group of carotenoids.

Whilst they are all protein rich, Spirulina is the richest with 65-71% protein and is reported to enhance the reproduction of lactobacillus bacteria in the gut. Slightly lower in overall nutrients than the others, spirulina is also considered the easiest to digest with chlorella being the most difficult. Chlorella unlike the others, has a hardy cellulose call wall (versus a soft, easily digested call wall), so supplements need to be cell-wall broken for effectiveness. Some people also lack the right enzymes to metabolise chlorella.

Unique to AFA is the substance PEA or the ‘love chemical’ which improves dopamine levels. Also present in cacao, PEA aids concentration, improves attitude and wellbeing. Dopamine deficiency is associated with Parkinson’s disease and depression.

Each of these amazing micro-algae contain essential fatty acids (EFAs), however the salient types differ in each. Spirulina contains a lot of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) which is an omega 6 EFA that is second only to the amount of GLA found in mother’s milk. GLA is anti-inflammatory and good for allergies. AFA primarily contains alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and to a lesser extent the omega 6 oils (LA) linoleic acid and GLA. MPP contains ALA, eicosa-pentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosa-hexaenoic acid (DHA). Chlorella is rich in ALA with the presence of other EFA’s unclear with variable reports of the presence of LA and EPA.

EPA and DHA are otherwise only found in seafood. Plants contain ALA which in an ideal human body, get converted to EPA and DHA. This requires the presence of B vitamins, magnesium and good body chemistry. Consuming AFA or MPP is a good insurance policy for vegans and vegetarians and those not eating a lot of seafood to ensure sufficient DHA is supplied for brain, eye and reproductive health. Coconut oil can also assist with the conversion of ALA to DHA, so it’s a great idea to include coconut oil with plant based ALA such as that in flax and chia, and algae based ALA in microalgae.

Chlorella has the richest source of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is similar to haemoglobin in our blood, with chlorophyll being based on magnesium and haemoglobin on iron. Chlorella is considered the best microalgae for detoxifying the body of heavy metals and offering protection against radiation.

Supplementing with micro-algae appears very attractive based on their attributes and it’s clear they each have their own unique selling points, namely:

Spirulina for allergies, digestibility, the highest protein and increased reproduction of probiotics in the gut. Recommended brand is InLiven probiotic Superfood which contains spirulina and probiotics.

AFA for PEA and DHA, which will improve mood and supply non-seafood sources of essential omega3 fats unavailable in plants. Recommended brand is E3Live or Ancient Sun Crystal Manna.

MPP for additional nutrition, especially minerals, DHA and EPA. Recommended brands are Ocean’s Alive or Longevity MPP

Chlorella for heavy metal detoxification and radiation protection. Look for products that are ‘cell wall broken’ and cold processed.

Miessence masks are based on clay and come in four different types to suit your skin. Balancing for normal to combination is a pink clay, soothing for sensitive skin is an red clay, rejuvenating is a white clay for mature/dry skin and purifying is green for oily/blemished skin. These masks come as a powder that you mix with water.

My secret weapon is to combine the mask with chocolate. I mix 1 tsp of Miessence mask with 1tsp of raw cacao powder. (You can buy raw cacao in good health food stores, however if you can't use normal cocoa powder and  preferably organic). Cacao is rich in magnesium and extremely high in antioxidants. Magnesium is an important mineral for relaxation of muscles so I figure it may work like botox without the extreme loss of facial expression. Antioxidants fight free radicals which are known to lead to chronic diseases and the aging process. So  my anti-aging, re-mineralising and facial relaxing mask was applied today. I should put my feet up for 15mins and relax while it is on but as a typical busy woman, I did 50 million other household activities while it was on! At least 30 mins later I figured it was time to have a shower. The effects of the cacao in the mask significantly raise circulation so my skin was red after the removal of the mask. The redness faded in less then an hour and would likely have been less if i had left it on for a smaller time frame! Today my skin has felt fabulous and I know when I mask every week my skin is in better condition..

This increase in circulation will be particularly helpful to skin that is blemished or dry/aged. The increased circulation will assist healing and it can help to plump up the skin. Miessence purifying and rejuvenating masks already have this quality and the addition of the cacao supercharges this effect.

To be even more decadent, a tsp of Miessence Berry Radical Antioxidant Superfood can be used with the mask. Berry Radical is an antioxidant superfood powder containing cacao powder with freeze dried berry powders of coffee berry, acai, goji and more.

Take the mask challenge with me and do a chocolate clay mask twice  a week for the next 6 weeks and see what the result is.

Split an ingredient list into thirds. The top third contains the
bulk of the product and the bottom the least. The top will contain water or ‘aqua’ to sound fancy, followed by ingredients
like silicone derivatives (e.g. dimethicone) in hair conditioners, which create gloss and coat the hair. In shampoos this will be water and the surfactant chemicals like SLS (sodium lauryl sulphate) which are the harsh cleansing agents that create bubbles and foam. Some companies mislead consumers by listing 'aqueous infusions' at the top of the ingredient list. These are simply tiny amounts of essential oils and herbal extracts
in what is mostly water. This effectively hides the synthetic surfactant ingredients that make up the core of the product further down the list. Labelling the 70% water component of the herbal mixture as organic, is prohibited under International Organic Standards. This practice artificially inflates the organic content in order to make a deceptive 70% organic claim.

Ingredients to look out for :

• Anything that looks like a chemical name will be.
• Anything that has a natural ingredient in brackets after it is still a chemical.
• Anything that says ‘derived from’ is a chemical. E.g. the foaming agent Cocamide DEA is made by adding the chemical DEA (Di-ethyl-amine) to coconut oil. The process is synthetic and can be contaminated with cancer causing nitrosamines due to the reaction of the ‘amine’ in the DEA with nitrogen based chemical co-existing in the product.
  

Why are these chemicals no good?
Harsh cleansers and fragrances are potential irritants to the scalp, and also the eyes, skin on the face and body (given they are rinsed over these regions) and airways. Recent studies have indicated that prolonged exposure to silicone derivatives (that coat hair, and also found in night creams, cosmetics and hair waxes) causes skin irritation. Some are known tumour promoters and accumulate in the liver and lymph nodes. They are also non-biodegradable, causing negative environmental impact.

Preservatives such as parabens have an association with breast cancer as they have been found intact in breast tumours.
Other preservative s such as Methylchloroisothiazolinone are known to cause allergic reactions.

What's the alternative?
Miessence Shampoo and Conditioner has a base of Organic Aloe Vera which has proven healing and soothing properties. The Energy of Certified Organic Ingredients, 100% Beneficial Ingredients. Also in non-leaching polypropylene packaging. Shampoos are 71-75% organic and the hair conditioner is 90% organic.

Hair detox.
You may experience a hair detox in the first few weeks using Miessence if you have been using hair care with silicone derivatives e.g dimethicone, cyclomethicone, anything ending in ‘cone’. As the silicone coating comes away it can leave your hair feeling rough and dry and the shampoo will struggle to foam up. This is temporary and can be assisted by making a paste of bicarb soda with the shampoo, massage it generously into your hair and leave for 10-15 mins, then wash out and condition as normal. You will have silky, baby soft hair again before you know it.

Miessence hair care is available at www.onlinesales.miessence.com

 known to cause cell damage, and this is concerning because the aluminium free radical freely crosses cell walls including brain cells. Aluminium has been found in high levels in the brain plaques that are associated with Alzheimer's disease, and also in breast cancer tissue.

Parabens
Parabens are synthetic chemicals used as preservatives. They are usually labelled at the bottom of an ingredient list and includes propylparaben, ethylparaben, butlyparaben and methylparaben. Parabens are known to disrupt hormone function because they are xenoestrogens. This means they mimic the actions of estrogen, a female sex hormone. Parabens are just one type of xenoestrogen that women are exposed to and it is estimated that parabens can be found in over 13,000 cosmetics products and not just deodorants. What is clear, is the more estrogen (including xenoestrogens) a woman is exposed to in her lifetime, the greater risk she has of
developing breast cancer. There is however, no proven link between the use of parabens or aluminium in deodorants/anti-perspirants and the risk of developing breast cancer or Alzheimer's. However, aluminium can be absorbed by the body via other means too, such as from cookwear, aluminium foil and some cosmetics. Similarly, parabens are found in nearly all conventional personal care items regularly used on a daily basis. Given that these chemicals are not only in deodorants makes it hard to prove the link. What we do know for certain is that alumin-ium and intact parabens have been found in the upper outer quadrant of the breast, nearest the underarm in women with breast cancer.

Other chemicals in deodorants and anti-perspirants
BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) is used as a preservative and believed to be a hormone disrupter and toxic to the nervous system.
Fragrance can be made up of hundreds or even thousands of synthetic chemicals potentially capable of a myriad of reactions such as skin irritation, depression, hyperactivity and breathing difficulties.
Propylene glycol helps the deodorant go on smoothly, however it is linked to skin irritation, nervous system and major organ damage. It is also used commercially as a paint remover, as antifreeze and to remove barnacles off boats.
Phthalates are use to soften plastics and are used to help the fragrance stay on the skin. They are known associations with
phthalates and birth defects especially in male genitalia which may affect future reproductive ability.

What to do instead
Use deodorant instead of antiperspirant, since sweat is normal and blocking the pores is not.
If you wish to reduce your exposure to the chemicals listed above then use no deodorant (if you dare!!),
or use a natural deodorant.

Miessence deodorants are 100% natural, with a very effective formula even for the most active people. There are no aluminium compounds or chemical antiperspirants. Instead, based on the traditional remedies of bicarbonate of soda to eliminate odours and aloe vera to soothe. For a week or two you may experience increased odour due to the absence of aluminium compounds in the products. Aluminium
compounds block your pores, preventing healthy elimination of toxins via perspiration. Normal deodorants prevent this from happening, and you get a backlog of toxins. When you start using Miessence deodorant , your body can then begin eliminating. If you are still using a conventional deodorant or anti-perspirant then its better to begin using the aroma free deodorant. The essential oils in the scented product can sometimes sting the armpits when going through the initial detox. While detoxing you may need to use the deodorant 2-3 times during the day to assist with odour control, which will only be a temporary experience

Buy Miessence deodorant now

The Organic Consumers Association has long fought against what it calls “organic cheater brands”. This year at the Expo West Natural Products Expo in Anaheim, California, the OCA staged a very visible public protest to expose what it calls “shampoo products” that are “organic cheaters.” The protest was part of the OCA’s Coming Clean Campaign which continues to expose dishonest or misleading products in the skin care industry. Due in large part to the OCA’s efforts, Whole Foods now says it will enforce honest labeling by taking a closer look at the word “organic” on personal care products.

You can read the entire article here: http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/index.cfm

According to the Organic Consumers Association, here are names of cheater brands to boycott:
• Avalon “Organics”
• Desert Essence “Organics”
• Earth’s Best “Organic”
• Eminence “Organic” (Except a Few w/USDA Seal)
• Giovanni “Organic”
• Goodstuff “Organics”
• Head “Organics”
• Jason “Pure, Natural & Organic”
• Kiss My Face “Obsessively Organic”
• Nature’s Gate “Organics”
• Physicians Formula “Organic” Wear
• Stella McCartney “100% Organic”

Miessence® products have never and never will contain synthetic chemicals or use chemical processing of its ingredients.

Ingredients are pure, potent and fresh. ONEgroup was founded on these values. Reading labels on a Miessence® product is never to ensure authenticity. It’s simply to discover and marvel at the unsurpassed botanical ingredients bursting to work their magic on your body, health and home.

The next step: all-ages safety. We have our sights set on a total overhaul of cosmetics laws, which would allow the FDA to fully assess and ensure the safety of ingredients in all personal care products before they hit store shelves.

Source: The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
Date: June 3, 2009
Web: www.safecosmetics.org

Do you know that conventional baby care products frequently contain the same harsh and toxic chemicals that are in personal items designed for adults. Such chemicals can include:

Surfactants are used to make things foam up e.g. bubble bath, soaps, shampoos, even toothpaste e.g.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (ALS)
Used in car washes, garage floor cleaners and engine degreasers - and in 90% of products that foam.

Animals exposed to SLS and ALS experience eye damage, central nervous system depression, laboured breathing, diarrhoea, severe skin irritation, and even death.

Young eyes may not develop properly if exposed to SLS and ALS because proteins are dissolved. SLS and ALS may also damage the skin's immune system by causing layers to separate and inflame. It is frequently disguised in semi-natural cosmetics with the explanation "comes from coconut".

From Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS):
EYE CONTACT:INSTILLATION OF A 29% SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE SOLUTION INTO THE EYES OF SIX ALBINO RABBITS PRODUCED SEVERE IRRITATION. THE MATERIAL WAS CLASSIFIED AS A SEVERE SKIN IRRITANT.

Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) Ammonium Laureth Sulfate (ALES)

When combined with other chemicals, SLES and ALES can create nitrosamines, a potent class of carcinogens. It is frequently disguised in semi-natural cosmetics with the explanation "comes from coconut".

From Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS):
WARNING! CAUSES SKIN AND EYE IRRITATION! AVOID CONTACT WITH EYES, SKIN AND CLOTHING. THE MATERIAL WAS CLASSIFIED AS A MODERATE TO SEVERE EYE IRRITANT.


Mineral Oil is a petroleum by-product that coats the skin like plastic, clogging the pores. Interferes with skin's ability to eliminate toxins, promoting acne and other disorders. Slows down skin function and cell development, resulting in premature aging. Used in many products Any mineral oil derivative can be contaminated with cancer causing PAH's (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons).

Mineral oil is also known as
Liquidum paraffinum (also known as posh mineral oil!)
Paraffin oil
Paraffin wax
Petrolatum

Manufacturers use petrolatum/mineral oil because it is unbelievably cheap.
 
Baby oil is 100% mineral oil!

Source: ONEgroup toxic ingredient glossary