Jim and His Goats

He doesn't fit the stereotype of your storybook farmer wearing overalls, a straw hat and riding on a big old red tractor. In fact, like many farmers today he has a university education and is knowledgeable  in animal husbandry, nutrition and growing crops .  His name is Jim and he's a goat farmer. 

Actually, Jim’s farming is not limited to goats.  At his rural property near Uxbridge Ontario, Jim runs a mixed farm, raising goats, rabbits, chickens, calves as well as a few token horses and a mini donkey.  By his dress he may look like a city guy, but he certainly knows his stuff as evidenced by the health and harmony of the animals on his farm.

Jim has been providing Savon Du Bois with fresh goat's milk for our soap since the very beginning of our business.  His award-winning goats produce exceptionally creamy milk, giving our soap the gentleness and moisture that is our hallmark.  It might have been more convenient for us to use powdered milk or buy cartons of goat's milk from the grocery store, but we could never match the quality and freshness of the milk we get from Jim.  Often, we are making a batch of soap with milk that was just milked from the goat that morning.

We visited Jim's farm recently to learn more about his goats.  He raises Nubians exclusively, which is a breed known for its long floppy ears and the high protein and fat content of their milk.  They are sometimes called “the Jersey cow of the goat world”.  Jim has been breeding purebred Nubian goats for 13+ years and currently has 20 of them actively milking.  Now that the cooler, wet weather is here, they are predominantly indoors as they find the high wind and rains stressful as they cannot easily detect predators and as such become fearful.  They are housed in groups according to age and gender in order to avoid bullying and  stress.  They peacefully share their space with a few free range chickens and barn cats, who roam in and out of the pens freely, going about their business. 

The barn is stocked with all of the goats' preferred foods which along with hay includes various weeds and swamp grasses.  There is a well-known saying that goats will eat anything – including tin cans.  While it is true that goats will try to eat many things, they are actually very finicky eaters and received the “bad publicity” on their eating habits because they prefer to eat what other livestock will not, such as tree leaves and aggressive weeds such as Canadian thistle and Stinging Nettle ahead of the normal grasses that other livestock consume.  While in the fields they graze on buckwheat and late planted oats , but their favourite treat is dry, fall maple leaves.  They all come running when Jim pulls out a bag of leaves and sprinkles them around for the goats to munch on.  Competition for these crunchy treats sometimes results in a bit of posturing and head-butting, even amongst the females.  Jim is strict in making sure that the hay he feeds his goats are free of pesticides by harvesting it all himself.

Jim houses the adult bucks in another barn, away from the does.  They are a spirited bunch with scruffy beards and curious personalities.  One of the bucks, Webinar, is currently the top male goat is Canada for production and type as determined by goatgenetics.ca.  In fact many of Jim's does and bucks are ranked in the top 10.  Genetics combined with husbandry may be why many of Jim's goats remain productive for many years and are capable of producing milk for upwards of 600 days, rather than the more typical 300 days.

In spite of gates and fences, coyotes are an ongoing threat to Jim's herd.  When in the fields, a donkey provides good security, but in the barn, precautions must be exercised.  The most effective deterrent that Jim has tried is music!  He keeps a radio playing in the goat barn at all times.  While the goats are enjoying the latest Christian songs, the coyotes are fooled into thinking there are people around and run off to search for food elsewhere.  Currently, the goats are in the Christmas spirit, listening to holiday tunes on the barn radio.

Several years ago, one of Jim's goats was attacked by a coyote.  She was seriously injured on one of her front legs, requiring it to be surgically removed.  She was subsequently donated to Windreach Farm, a local facility catering to individuals with disabilities, and has been living there quite happily for many years, enjoying the attention she is given.  She is a great encouragement to their visitors that even though she is disabled, she is still useful and special.

We are very proud to be partners with Jim and his goats.  Not only does he provide us with a outstanding, creamy milk for our soap, but he is a genuinely nice person.  He shares our values of local, natural, and quality and that makes him all right in our book.

www.savondubois.com

Our New Beer Bar with Beau's Beer

When I was a kid, hair trends were all about looking like Farrah Fawcett or Dorothy Hamill.  I was a short 'n sassy girl myself, and I spent many long hours in front of the mirror trying to perfect it.  My friends and I all used “Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific” shampoo, and dreamed of being Breck Girls like Cheryl Tiegs and Jaclyn Smith.  If we found something we liked, we told two friends, they told two friends and so on and so on...  We feathered our hair, parted it in the middle and rocked the shag.  I think it might have been about this time that beer became a popular trend in hair care also.  Some of us bought beer shampoo, and some of us poured bottles of beer directly on our hair hoping to get the shine and body that the magazines promised us.  I am very happy that these hairstyles have fallen out of fashion, but I think we were on to something with the beer thing.

We don't hear much about beer in hair and body products anymore.  Today, we are more sophisticated and prefer to put fruit extracts, herbal oils, and nut butters on our skin and hair.  Unfortunately, a lot of today's products also contain chemical ingredients which strip out all the goodness of the extracts, oils and butters.  This got us to thinking:  sometimes things are trendy because they actually work.  With that in mind, we bring you The Beer Bar. The Beer Bar originally started out as a new addition to our men's product line.  What guy doesn't like beer, right?  We thought a refreshing, cleansing bar with beer in it would be a must-have for the testosterone crowd, so we started researching and testing recipes.  We made several test batches before we came up with one we liked and wouldn't you know it?  It is one of the nicest bars we've ever made!  We used beer from a local, organic brewery and mixed it with almond oil, coconut oil and an amazing olive oil to create an extremely creamy bar.  We also added lime and rosemary essential oils to give it a clean, refreshing fragrance.  The finished bar was so amazing, we decided we couldn't let the guys have all the fun and now include it in our regular soap product line for everyone to use.  We also discovered that it is great for your hair, as well as your body.  The Beer Bar does it all.

You may be wondering why we strayed from our trademark goat's milk when we created this bar.  We certainly didn't do it as a gimmick.  We strongly believe that nothing goes into our soap unless it is beneficial in some way, so beer had to have something good to offer for us to consider using it.  Beer contains a lot of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and amino acids.  These are great for our skin.  It also contains brewer's yeast which helps kill bacteria, making it great for acne sufferers.  The yeast also helps control oil production and balances pH levels.  Enzymes in beer provide gentle exfoliation without causing dryness.  Dull, frizzy or chemically processed hair will also benefit from the amino acids in the beer.  Beer may help with fine hair by adding texture, volume and body.  An itchy, irritated scalp will also feel better after a wash or rinse with beer.  With benefits like this, substituting beer for goat's milk was something we felt was worth trying and we're extremely glad we did.  We are very proud of this bar and believe it will be a new favourite.  For the record, we did try to keep some goat's milk in the beer soap recipe, but the gloppy, curdled mixture that resulted was not pretty.

I am happy to say that my Dorothy Hamill haircut grew out sometime in the late seventies.  Since then, I made it through several perms (you did too - admit it), one or two home hair colour disasters, The Rachel and The Snooki.  Although I use a different brand of shampoo now,  I'm reasonably sure that my hair still smells terrific.  The Beer Bar is the next big thing.  Can you dig it?  Far out!

A quick shout-out to Beau's All-Natural Brewing Company, our beer supplier and partner.  They are a local, organic brewery that shares a lot of our business philosophies and practices.  Simply put, they're great people and their beer makes great soap.  It tastes great too... we tested that also.

www.savondubois.com

The A Bee C's of Honey

 

 

     On a hot August afternoon, I stood in a meadow of knee-high grass and wildflowers. The blue sky was clear. The breeze was soft and the birds chirped happily from their treetop perches. Not far from where I stand, there is a dense flurry of activity. Little creatures fly in haphazard patterns around this small area, searching, smelling, and guarding. At this distance, it is quiet, but as I move closer, the sound increases to a buzzing that I can feel as much as hear. I walk clumsily toward the cluster of activity, awkward in my full body gear, but excited to get an up close view of a real, working bee hive.

     Guided by my host, beekeeper Jeff Burns, I peek inside one of his three hives. He tells me it contains 50,000 bees, give or take a few. It is absolutely fascinating. It is constant motion. The bees are walking, flying, hopping, buzzing, moving up, down, over and across. They are much smaller than what I expected. I thought I would see big, jolly, fluffy bees, but these creatures are small and brown, tinier than a peanut. Jeff shows me one of the panels in the hive and explains how the bees have built the waxy combs, within which they will make and store honey. The bees allow me this glimpse into their secret world and go about their business like I wasn't even there.

     In the beekeeping world, Jeff is a newbie. He has only been beekeeping for a few years. It is just a hobby for him, but he has the know-how of a real veteran. There wasn't a question he couldn't answer and his enthusiasm was contagious. He told me that bees could visit as many as 100 flowers in a single trip and can fly distances of up to 3 km. The nectar they collect when they forage is brought back to the hive and regurgitated into the stomach of another bee. After a few of these transfers, the substance becomes partly ripened honey, which is then stored in the honey combs. It becomes ripe honey after most of the water has evaporated from it.

     Probably one of the most interesting things I learned from Jeff that day was also a bit disturbing... some supermarket honey is not really honey at all. According to many of the world's food safety agencies, honey must contain pollen in order to be considered the real thing. If the pollen has been removed, it is not honey. Most of the popular brands of honey go through a high-tech procedure involving heat and ultra-fine filters to remove the pollen. In 2011, Food Safety News proved this when they tested more than 60 different brands of “honey” available in the United States and found that 76% had no pollen in them. This is concerning because many of us buy honey for its health and wellness benefits. It is a real powerhouse of vitamins, anti-oxidants and anti-bacterial agents. No pollen means no health benefits. All you have left is a sweetener.

     Even more concerning is the fact that some well-known honey brands are adulterated by additives like corn syrup, molasses, and dextrose or even illegal antibiotics and heavy metals. This is especially true of honey originating from China. Although banned and considered unsafe in many countries, the U.S. imports millions of pounds of Chinese honey and sells it in huge quantities. Once word of this tainted honey spread, China officials began using illegal means to hide the origins of their honey and distributed it through other countries. On the label, the country of origin refers only to where it is bottled, so consumers are none the wiser.

     Personally, I don't eat a lot of honey, but I bought a jar from Jeff that day anyway. I am going to start using it on my toast, in my baking, for sinus colds and to treat minor cuts. I was happy to support him and his bees, knowing his honey was pure, organic and unadulterated. We keep a jar of this honey in the soap shop too. It is a key ingredient in our Honey Bee Fragrance Free soap... and our afternoon tea.

Sources:

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/11/tests-show-most-store-honey-isnt-honey
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/08/honey-laundering/
http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/chinese-honey.html

Toxic Language 101

 

     Here at Savon Du Bois, we believe that it is very important to make smart choices when shopping for skin and body care products. Looking for and avoiding toxic ingredients in these products is something I talk about a lot in this blog. Past blogs have highlighted several of these ingredients and warned you of the potential health effects of using products that contain them. I've talked about things like organ and immune system toxicity, and endocrine disruption, but what do these mean? It's all well and good to know that “phthalates” could cause non-reproductive organ system toxicity, but what, exactly, is that? Am I going to need a band-aid or a prescription? Let's see if we can figure this out, shall we?

 Health Concern #1 - Toxicity

     The word toxins refers to substances that cause damage. In our bodies, toxins damage healthy tissues. Some substances are highly toxic, while others are less so. The amount of damage it is capable of doing determines its level of toxicity. In the beauty and skin care industry, it is the chemical ingredients used in our cosmetic and cleansing products that introduce these toxins into our systems*. Most of the time, they get in to our bodies by soaking in to our skin. Depending on where they end up, various types of toxicity could occur. Organ toxicity means that the toxins have traveled through the body to our organs (sometimes only one or two, sometimes many) and started to affect the normal functioning of that organ. Immunotoxicity refers to damage to the immune system making us susceptible to allergies, getting sick more often or taking longer to recover after illness. Reproductive toxicity, as the name suggests, is damage to our reproductive systems and organs. This could result in problems with sexual function or fertility. When you're reading labels, ingredients with toxic potential include hydroquinone (found in skin-lightening treatments), parabens (found in a wide range of products like shampoo, moisturizer, and toothpaste), and formaldehyde (in nail polish, hair colour and some shampoos).

Health Concern #2 - Endocrine Disruption

     Your endocrine system is a series of glands responsible for regulating certain functions in the body like growth, development, metabolism, tissue function and mood . Our hormones are the messengers that travel in the bloodstream to tell different parts of our body what to do. When something interrupts that process, (sending our hormones out of whack), problems can occur. The impact of that could be small, like acne or weight gain, or extremely significant, like birth defects and cancer. Applying cleansers, make-up and lotions to our skin that contain endocrine disrupting chemicals introduces these substances into our bloodstream. Once in there, they start cause havoc with our hormones. Check your ingredient lists for things like BHA/BHT (a preservative), fragrance/parfum (usually means a cocktail of chemicals), oxybenzone (the active ingredient in sunscreen), parabens (a whole class of chemical preservatives) and triclosan (also known by the brand name Microban, found in hand sanitizers, cleansers, antibacterial products).

Health Concern #3 – Cancer

     There is not much that needs to be said about this one, so I'll cut to the chase. Be on the lookout for ingredients such as talc (similar in composition to asbestos, look for talc in baby and body powder, eyeshadow, blush), parabens (they mimic estrogen and increase breast cancer risk), coal tar (found in anti-dandruff shampoos, anti-lice treatments), and DEA/TEA/MEA (used to increase lather in face and body washes, and shampoo).

     There are many more ingredients to avoid and quite a few more health risks to be concerned about, but I don't want to frighten you with this information. Well, maybe I do. If I frighten you enough to get you to empty your make-up bag, and pull all the shampoo bottles out of the shower for a closer look, then it was well worth it.

     Each day we use body products that contain chemical ingredients is another day of accumulating exposure, because our bodies can't get rid of these toxins as fast as we are exposed. Brushing your teeth once isn't going to send you to the ER, but it may make you sick eventually. However, brushing your teeth, washing your hair, applying deodorant, using hand cream and spritzing on your favourite perfume day after day after day is increasing your risk of illness and disease. Is it a risk you are willing to take?

Thanks to YouBeauty.com, Skin Deep Cosmetics Database and Gillian Deacon for filling in the blanks for me. For more information on this topic, see the list of “Scary Ingredients” on our website.

* Smoking, alcohol, some foods and other things also cause toxicity in the body.

www.savondubois.com

Why I Hate Sunscreen

     You either love it or you hate it. Personally, I hate it. Maybe hate is too strong of a word, but I really, really don't like sunscreen. I like the concept behind it (the whole “prevention of skin cancer” thing), but I can't stand the greasy, sticky feeling of it on my skin. For me, it is especially irritating when the sunscreen is on my face. My regular blog readers will know that I have oily, blemish-prone skin. Most sunscreens are loaded with moisturizers, and moisture is the last thing I need to be adding to my face. When I use sunscreen, my face looks extremely shiny and oily, and usually breaks out in pimples. It's not fair that I have to choose between zits and skin cancer.

     Last summer, I finally found an oil-free sunscreen for my face. It felt wonderfully dry on my skin, and didn't give me a glossy sheen. Best of all, no blemishes! I was super duper excited. Until I found out that this sunscreen was loaded with chemicals. Sigh.

     Unfortunately, a lot of the sunscreen brands available in our local stores are formulated with a chemical ingredient called oxybenzone. Its main job is to absorb ultraviolet rays. For 30+ years, it has been used in sunscreen formulations with the approval of the FDA (USA) and Health Canada. However, the Environmental Working Group (a USA-based non-profit) and other toxicology experts believe oxybenzone is harmful. It can soak into the skin and lead to possible hormone disruption and skin cell damage. The EWG also suggests we watch out for retinyl palminate, a type of vitamin A, also found in a lot of sunscreens brands. Using products containing retinyl palminate could increase your risk of skin cancer.

     Each year, the EWG analyzes and rates sunscreens based on safety and effectiveness. Out of a total of 800 products tested, only 48% were free of oxybenzone, and 25% had no retinyl palminate. Not stellar numbers by any means, but it does mean we have options. I highly recommend that you check out the EWG's Sunscreen 2012 website. They have loads of information there to help you find the right sunscreen for you. They even have an app you can download to your iPhone! You should also check out the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics website and Gillian Deacon's book There's Lead In Your Lipstick if you want to learn more.

     Searching for a sunscreen for myself is still a problem, even with all of this great info. It is something I have to do though, because my skin is already showing signs of sun damage from the many sunburns I've had over the years. For my face, I may have to resign myself to the notion that I will always have to choose between sun protection and zit avoidance. Usually, I like to have choices... red wine or white... chocolate or vanilla... but not in this case. I want both! I want a sunscreen that is (i) all-natural, (ii) oil-free, (iii) oxybenzone-free, (iv) retinyl palminate-free, (v) fragrance-free, (vi) vegan, (vii) not tested on animals and (viii) inexpensive. That's not asking too much, is it?

     P.S. If you know of a sunscreen brand that fits my short list of completely reasonable requirements, please FB me on our Savon Du Bois page or leave a comment here.

http://www.savondubois.com/

Backyard Chickens

     Here in the soap kitchen, we spend a great deal of time talking about new ingredients we'd like to try, cool new products we'd like to create and how to make Savon Du Bois bigger and more awesome than it already is. We also talk about animals a lot, as the welfare of our two- and four-legged friends is a passion all of us here share. Recently, our soap kitchen discussion was about chickens.

     It all started a few months ago when Anne read an article in the Toronto Star newspaper (http://bit.ly/ApObup) about a woman in that city who kept chickens in her backyard. The three little hens, Pippi, Mabel and Elli, lived quietly in Trish Tervit's yard in a custom-built chicken coop. In direct contrast to the lives of chickens on factory farms, these girls enjoyed full freedom to stretch their wings, wander the yard, eat grass and do whatever it is chickens like to do. It was a mutually beneficial relationship too. The chickens happily produced fresh eggs every day for Trish and her family, and gave her kids an opportunity to learn how to care for a pet. In other words, they were part of Trish's family.

     I tell this story in the past tense, because sadly, things have changed since the newspaper article was published. Pippi, Mabel and Elli don't live in Trish's backyard anymore. The chicken coop is empty. One of her neighbours anonymously (and cowardly) complained to the city, and Trish received notice that the chickens had to go. Backyard agriculture is a no-no in Toronto and if she didn't re-home the hens herself, the city would do it for her. The reasons were vague. Her chickens weren't noisy and there was no unpleasant smell from them. She couldn't understand the problem. Misinformation about disease and predators had the city counsellors running scared, and Trish was left with no choice but to get rid of her precious hens.

     When Anne read this story, her heart went out to Trish and her dilemma. She sent an email of support and offered to take the chickens herself as a last resort, if no other solution could be found. A few anxious days later, Trish called and asked Anne if she would take them. She had been unable to find a new home for the girls and time was running out. Not able to have backyard chickens either, Anne had to think fast to come up with a solution and she set to work making phone calls to see what she could do. She placed a call to our wonderful friends Eric and Jenny at Gallery on the Farm, and they agreed to provide a long-term home for the hens at their organic beef farm. They moved in March 2012 and have been there ever since.

     On a recent visit to the farm, Anne was pleased to see that Pippi, Mabel and Elli are loving their new home. They have new chicken friends, but the three of them still stay together most of the time. They wander the barnyard, visit with the cows and fly up to the roof occasionally for a view of the countryside. Anne keeps Trish up-to-date on a regular basis and sends her a photo of her girls every now and then. Trish misses them, but is happy they have found such a wonderful home.

     In a city where snakes come out of toilets and raccoons break into houses, why are a few little chickens considered such a big deal? They aren't destructive or messy. They aren't noisy, and they mind their own business. I don't get it. I bet the narrow-minded bureaucrats that voted on this issue did so blindly, without getting the information they needed to make an informed decision. Most major U.S. cities have made allowances for backyard chickens, noting that legitimate reasons for prohibiting them are as hard to find as a needle in a haystack.

     Pippi, Mabel and Elli are thankful for Eric and Jenny's generosity and reward them with fresh eggs every day. Trish, like any pet parent, misses them and thinks of them often. Anne, and the rest of the crew here at Savon Du Bois, are thrilled to have contributed to this happy ending.

http://www.savondubois.com/

Warning: Talc Body Powder is Toxic

     I was watching one of those lifestyle talk shows last week and saw a segment with a beauty expert giving out tips on multiple use beauty products. One of her tips was to have baby powder on hand because it can be used for many things, not just diapering our infants. Since it is also easy to find and economical, this seemed like a good suggestion. What this “expert” failed to point out, however, was that most baby and body powders contain talc, which is an ingredient that should set off alarm bells in your head. Talc is hazardous and toxic.

     Talc is a mineral called Magnesium Silicate Hydroxide that is produced by mining talc rocks and crushing, drying and milling them into a fine powder. Talc is used industrially in home and garden pesticides, insulating materials, paints, asphalt and paper. It is sometimes found in pharmaceuticals and could be used in food processing. These areas of use are fine, according to toxic substance professionals. What is of concern is their use in the cosmetic and body care industry. When talc is used in baby or body powders, eye shadow, face powder or loose-mineral cosmetics, it becomes dangerous. Its asbestos-like fibres are a serious hazard.

     There are many high brow organizations out there that consider talc to be a toxic ingredient and have placed it on their hot lists with warnings against using it. Health Canada, Environment Canada, the Environment Working Group (USA) and the Cancer Prevention Coalition (USA) all advise against using body products that contain talc. When we use them, the talc can become airborne and if inhaled, it puts us at risk of respiratory cancers. When powder is used in our girlie areas (sorry guys), our risk of ovarian cancer is increased. It would stand to reason that using it on a baby during a diaper change can be doubly dangerous, and should be avoided also.

     Not every powder product out there contains talc, but you need to be on the lookout and do your research. There is no warning label for talc, no explosion or skeletal hand to alert you. Read the ingredient list. It will be listed as either talc or talcum and if you see it, don't buy the product. This bums me out severely and I will have to break my secret addiction to baby and body powders. I love having a shower at bedtime, sprinkling on some powder and heading off to bed for a cozy, comfy sleep. As nice as this is though, I can't justify the risk. I will have to tough it out and stop using it.

     In the coming weeks, Anne and I will be experimenting with some talc-free body powder recipes. Keep reading this blog for an update on how our finished product turns out!

http://www.savondubois.com/