“Certified organic” ingredients are a great marketing gimmick, because they conjure up images of products with proven safety. As the global rates of cancer and other diseases continue to rise, who doesn’t want that?

So the largest manufacturers are incorporating “certified organic” ingredients into more and more products. For cosmetics, several "organic colors" now called "lakes" are available in many shades offered by the leading cosmetics companies.

But do you REALLY know what goes into your “certified organic” lipstick, blusher or eye shadow? 
 
The “certified organic” ingredients in such products are more often than not simply coal tar-derived or anilines – poisonous substances that have been linked to cancer. In the U.S., in fact, some “certified organic” colors may not be used around the eyes because the FDA believes that they are dangerous to the skin. Other “certified organic” ingredients have been linked to cancer.
 
Paul Penders uses inorganic colors which are derived from natural sources (e.g. clay, carbon deposits, mica and silica) or are simply synthesized. Inorganic colors do not have health risks as “certified organic” colors and therefore do not require certification. These ingredients are listed on all Paul Penders cosmetic packages.

To learn more about Paul Penders cosmetics, and view ingredients by product, please click here.

This year, celebrities attending the famed Sundance Film Festival received a special treat: goodie bags filled with Paul Penders products.

Held last month in Utah, the annual festival is the largest independent cinema festival in the U.S. with more than 50,000 attendees. Each year, festival officials select 200 films for exhibition from more than 9,000 submissions. In addition to discovering filmmaking's newest talent through the festival's program of documentary, dramatic, and short films, Festival goers experience live music shows, panel discussions with industry leaders, and parties celebrating the community.

Special events this year focused on the festival’s 25th anniversary. Celebrities attending the festival included Mariah Carey, Paris and Nicky Hilton, Jamie Lynn Sigler, Elijah Wood, Parker Poseyand Ashley Judd, among others.

To read more about the Sundance Film Festival, please click here.

Just before the start of the New Year, Paul Penders products arrived in Slovenia!
The skin care, hair care and cosmetics are being sold by ZIN Corporation, a husband and wife team that has established a reputation for providing high quality, wellness-based products. ZIN, which in Slovenian means “healthy and natural”, also imports Aubrey Organics cosmetics.
ZIN launched the Paul Penders line at the annual Nature & Health Fair, and is also advertising in women’s magazines and online. Response so far has been excellent, says ZIN owner Teja: “Our consumers here have accepted these lines very, very well. When we introduced Paul’s products, everyone was delighted”.
Part of the reason, she says, is Slovenian consumers’ rising awareness of the benefits of natural products and appreciation of Paul Penders’ policy against animal testing.
Slovenia is a central European country of about two million people, bordering Italy to the west, the Adriatic Sea to the southwest, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north. More than half of the country is covered with forests, but Slovenia also boasts many scenic mountain ranges and a picturesque coastline.
A press conference is planned in the spring to introduce the Paul Penders line to the media. The event will be held during Paul’s visit to Slovenia. 

Over 90% of the carbon footprint of a shampoo is due to the product’s usage, according to German company Henkel.
As part of Germany’s Product Carbon Footprint Pilot Project, Henkel calculated the carbon footprint of its Schauma 7 Herbs shampoo. It found that more than 90% of the total carbon dioxide release arises during the heating of the water for showering and hair washing.

Reducing the water volume from 22.5 litres to 18 litres and the temperature from 40 to 37 degrees Celsius can reduce emissions by a third, Henkel claims.

Henkel reported similar findings for laundry detergent, where over 70% of the footprint is due to the washing phase.

The carbon footprint of a product provides both companies and consumers with a means of measuring their individual contributions to carbon dioxide emissions, which have been linked to environmental damage and climate change.

The pilot project aims to help establish an internationally coordinated assessment framework for calculating the carbon footprint of a product or service. It operates on the principle that before we can start optimizing we need to be able to assess our emissions: “You cannot manage what you cannot measure” it claims.

To learn more about the Product Carbon Footprint Pilot Project, its sponsors and findings to date, please click here.

To read about carbon footprints and calculate your own, click here.