WAHM Forums

Urban Botanic provides THE GREENEST</font> way to fragrance your home, period.
ALL waxes have chemicals. And on top of that, most fragrances contain
phlalates, which are linked to birth defects, cancer and obesity, among
other things. Obviously we don't use wax. And our fragrances do NOT contain phlalates! (This is a lot
of the reason those who are allergic to scents or get "fragrance
headaches" have no problem with our products.)

I was emailed some more very interested articles this morning about soy. So many people are moving to soy candles because they are being told they're a "healthy" alternative to other types of wax. But it's just not the case. True, soy as a plant is healthy, but did you know that in order to get it into wax form, this is the processing that occurs:

First soy beans are combined with an alkaline solution which removes the fiber. Next, they're separated using an acid wash. The acid washing occurs in aluminum tanks, which leaches high levels of aluminum into the final product. This process results in soy curds, which are then spray-dried at high temps, and finally a high pressure extrusion process occurs to produce a textured vegetable protein for the candle. The end product is full of just as many chemicals and hormones as in other types of waxes, they're just different chemicals. There is still soot with soy candles, it's just white in color instead of black.</font>


Some popular counter-arguments brought up by the pro-soy crowd are that the
Asian populations of the world have consumed soy for millennia with amazing
health benefits and evidence abounding for its proof. But you need to realize with candles and some other processed soy products, we are not talking about the
natural, fermented soy foods used only in moderation in Asian cultures. We are in fact talking about industrially produced, altered soy products that
in no way resemble these ancient, medicinal foods.


Here is a link to a list of some other articles you can read if you're interested in more info on soy:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/10/07/the-evidence-against-soy.aspx?source=nl

Hi Kennalyn,

Are the home fragrance oils synthetic or are they essential oils?

Thank you!
Jenn

Essential Oils have medicinal effects and are often dangerous to apply directly to the skin. Also, in regards to perfume for bath &amp; body products, essential oils only last a few minutes and then the scent is gone.

Our oils are natural fragrance oils. They do not contain the chemicals and phlalates that most other fragrance oils contain, but they are not essentials and therefore do not have any healing properties.

(And just to clarify my last post for essential oil enthusiasts: I'm not saying our oils are superior to essential oils overall</font>... they're superior for this application - bath &amp; body &amp; home fragrances in relation to our product. But obviously essential oils would be superior in medicinal applications)

Thank you. I guess when I asked if they were essential oils, I really meant are the scents natural or man made. I love candles, but have gotten to the point that I can't really tolerate strong smells. I found some candles that I love that are scented with only essential oils. It's a much softer scent and not at all overpowering. I was thinking if your home fragrance oils were natural, it might be another option for me.

Thanks again,
Jenn

I have the same problem as you!It's not so much with candles as it is perfume. There are a few that I am really allergic to. For instance if I end up in a movie theater next to someone wearing Thierry Mugler's Angel, I'll have a headache for the rest of the night.

What I've learned is that as long as the scent is natural, it's not the fragrance itself that's causing the allergy, it's the nasty preservatives that are found along with the scent. Chemicals in the wax or in the perfume that cause headaches. (In perfume, it's usually different alcohols, formaldehyde and benzene.)

We have a lot of customers who have this problem with other scented products, but love our products. You may really enjoy them!

Thank you! I may give these a shot.

deleted - joined MB - no soyEdited by: thatspagirl

Gina!

I'm so glad your husband is aware of these issues. Most people aren't, so it's quite refreshing! At each party I do there's at least one person who raises their hand and says, "okay, so do you have a pumpkin [or insert scent here] scent b/c my fave candle is pumpkin and I refuse to burn it now!" smileys/smiley36.gif

I'll check the list to see if we've already sent you an information packet in the mail (including catalog, etc.) and if not, I'll make sure one gets sent to you TODAY!

I'd love to learn more about you and answer any questions you have to help you make an educated decision about our company.... and see if UB is a good match for you and visa-versa. Feel free to contact me personally or post more questions here for any Fragrance Designer to answer. We're here to help!

deleted postEdited by: gkoinski

I just want to jump into this conversation as a regular old fragrance designer. When I joined UB a little over a year ago, natural ingredients were my concern also. I've tried to get highly procressed foods out of my diet, and I wanted to reduce chemically processed products on my body. I investigated UB for several weeks before I jumped in, and I am extremely pleased with the natural formulations of the products. I have friends with eczema who can use the lotion without irritation. I love the subtle yet staying power of the natural perfume oils. I'm having a ball!

Thank you for your input, Tonya. I do plan to give the home fragrance a try and can't wait. :) I agree, I've cleaned up my diet &amp; my household cleaners, so I'm trying to bring in as few chemicals as possible. I do love the warm glow of candle light, so I'll probably always use the cleanest candles I can find at times. But, this sounds likea perfect option for everyday use.

Jenn

Just ordered and can't wait to try it! :)

Awesome, Jenn! I think you'll really love it. Let us know what you think when you get it!