Newf Brand Notes

As you may know, Newf Brand Bath & Body Care strives to be an all natural cosmetics company. Of our three products, only one contains any sort of chemicals and they make up only 6% of the product vs. the other 94% which is organic (Venereous Shaving Jelly). One of my personal concerns which is also a concern of the company and a reason why it was founded, is the high number of chemicals that are in the products we use daily on our bodies. As I glance through the products in my shower, I find a long list of things I can’t even begin to pronounce and I certainly have no idea why I need them. Even after researching some items, I sometimes have to wonder just why they are in products when they seem to serve no purpose at all. So I’ve decided to start focusing on one product from my bathroom each week, listing everything in the item and doing my best to explain what those items are and how harmful the contents may or may not be. And hopefully I’ll be able to continue switching out these products with natural products as time passes (and as Newf Brand’s product line grows!)

First up is one of my favorite shampoos, Paul Mitchel’s Cleanse Awapuhi Shampoo®.

The list of ingredients: Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamide MEA, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Bisamino PEG/PPG-41/3 Aminoethyl PG-Propyl Dimethicone/Hedychium Coronarium (White Ginger)/PEG-12 Dimethicone, Bisamino PEG/PPG-41/3 Aminoethyl PG-Propyl Dimethicone/Algae/Aloe Barbadensis Leaf/Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile)/Henna/Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba)/Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary)/PEG-12 Dimethicone, Glycol Stearate, PEG-14M, Tetrasodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, DMDM Hydantoin, Iodopropynl Butylcarbamate, Fragrance, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate

So, there’s plenty of things in that list which I can’t even begin to pronounce…but all in all most of the ingredients really aren’t that bad. Some of them are even natural – but somehow that still doesn’t make me feel great about using this every day. But you can make your own decision about what you use on your body. You can click on the names and other words in this post to take you to more detailed descriptions of everything on our website.

Sodium Laureth Sulfate (aka sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES)) – A cleansing detergent and surfactant found in many personal care products (soaps, shampoos, toothpaste, etc.) which is very inexpensive and an excellent foamer. People with sensitive skin should avoid using products containing SLS or SLES. After the product is washed from the body, it strips moisture from the top layers of skin which could cause further irritation. There are rumors on the internet that these ingredients cause cancer but that is unconfirmed. SLES can be contaminated with 1,4-dioxane (considered a probable carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends manufacturers strip out this contaminant. The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association discourages the use of SLS in products intended for prolonged use, unless contained in low concentrations.

Cocamide MEA (cocamide monoethanolamine) - Cocamide MEA is used in shampoos and bath products to increase foaming capacity, stabilize foam and thicken the water portion of cosmetic and personal care products. It may be a skin irritant but is not considered harmful.

Cocamidopropyl Betaine - Cocamidopropyl betaine is used as a medium strength surfactant in bath products like shampoos and hand soaps and in cosmetics as an emulsifying agent and thickener. It also serves as an antistatic agent in hair conditioners and has antiseptic properties, making it suitable for personal sanitary products. It usually does not irritate skin or mucous membranes.

Bisamino PEG/PPG-41/3 Aminoethyl PG-Propyl Dimethicone/Hedychium Coronarium (White Ginger)/PEG-12 Dimethicone – Bisamino PEG/PPG-41/3 Aminoethyl PG-Propyl Dimethicone is used to condition hair without build up. It is commonly used in products which treat color, perm, sun and heat-damaged hair. PEG-12 Dimethicone is added to provide luster and sheen. It’s my understanding that a hefty silicone compound is created with the above silicones and the white ginger essential oil to enhance the quality of the shampoo.

Bisamino PEG/PPG-41/3 Aminoethyl PG-Propyl Dimethicone/Algae/Aloe Barbadensis Leaf/Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile)/Henna/Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba)/Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary)/PEG-12 Dimethicone – Same as above but with different ingredients and essential oils.

Glycol Stearate - An emulsion stabilizer which helps to keep an emulsion from separating into its oil and liquid components. It’s considered safe for use in cosmetics by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel.

PEG-14M - It is used in a wide variety of products including bath products, shaving products, skin care products, makeup, skin cleansing products, shampoo, hair conditioners and deodorants. It’s considered safe for us in cosmetics by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel.

Tetrasodium EDTA - EDTA, also known as edetic acid, and its salts were developed to counteract the effects of hard water and heavy metal ions in the manufacture of textiles. By binding with metal ions, these ingredients prevent the metals from being deposited onto the hair, scalp and skin. It’s considered safe for us in cosmetics by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel.

Citric Acid - Citric acid is widely used in the cosmetic industry as a preservative and to adjust acid-alkali balance. It is said to have antioxidant and toning properties and is one of the alpha-hydroxy acids. AHA’s are used not only to reduce wrinkles but also to brighten your skin.

Sodium Chloride – Sodium Chloride, or table salt, can also increase thickness of the aqueous (water) portion of cosmetics and personal care products. Sodium Chloride occurs naturally in seawater and as the mineral halite.

DMDM Hydantoin – DMDM Hydantoin is a preservative used to protect cosmetics and personal care products from spoilage. It’s considered safe for us in cosmetics by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel.

Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate – Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate prevents or retards bacterial growth, thereby protecting cosmetics and personal-care products from spoilage. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel views Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate safe as a cosmetic ingredient at concentrations less than or equal to 0.1%. It should not be used in products intended to be aerosolized.

Benzyl Alcohol - Benzyl Alcohol is used in cosmetics and personal care products as an external pain reliever, fragrance ingredient, preservative, solvent and to decrease the thickness of liquid cosmetic products. Benzyl Alcohol is found naturally in many foods such as apricots, snap beans, cocoa, cranberries, mushrooms and honey and also in the essential oil of many plants, including jasmine, hyacinth and ylang-ylang. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel concluded that Benzyl Alcohol is safe for use in cosmetics and personal care products at concentrations up to 5%.

Benzyl Benzoate - Benzyl benzoate is generally used to treat lice and scabies infestations. As a medicine, it is believed to be absorbed by the lice and mites and destroys them by acting on their nervous system.

Sources used to learn about these ingredients: Wikipedia, CHEC’s HeatheHouse Chemical Profiles , CosmeticsInfo.org

The phrase “Manscaping America, One College Campus at a Time” was the winning slogan for a team of women from the University of Michigan. They participated in the “Create Buzz for Braun” competition which asked business school students across America and won $40,000 for their marketing idea. Not too shabby!

Personally I’m pretty happy to see more companies take on the topic of manscaping since you all know how much I like talking about it…but one thing I have failed to mention in the past is that it’s not just about pubic hair. Manscaping encompasses most of the hair on a man’s body below the neck. That means chest, underarms, legs and, yes, even the unpleasant back hair.

If you are a furry beast of a man, that’s who Braun is now targeting with their new body groomer. Unfortunately if you live in the U.S., you may have to wait a while to get your hands on the product. It’s supposed to be launched as the Body Cruzer in Canada and Germany “soon,” but no word on when it might hit American markets. If you’re dying to get your hands on a product like this, you can try the Philips Norelco’s Bodygroom which came on the market in 2006. Be sure to watch their flash intro about using the product on your body. Quite amusing with a very Van Wilder feel to it.

Or check out their music video below:

You can also read a great review here about the Bodygroom from a man and a woman’s viewpoint!
Read the full story about the competition at Forbes.com.

Well, it’s Monday again and we got a lot of brainstorming done here at Newf Brand this weekend. I can’t share all the details with you but I can say that there will be some exciting new street marketing events in our future and we can’t wait. Unfortunately it’s still a bit too early to tell you everything but we currently hope to have events in Switzerland, Holland and Florida this year. Yep, we’re all over the place. Naturally, we’ll be sharing a lot more details as everything develops.

In addition, we took our first steps to finally starting Team Newf, our collection of sponsored athletes. Team Newf will be a group of motivated, strong and incredible women who give their all when they’re participating in the sports they love. We’ve currently got our eye on individuals involved in rock climbing, snowboarding, triathlon, motocross and surfing. But we will look forward to expanding into a few other sports once our team gets off the ground. If you want to be sponsored or know someone who is looking for sponsorship – drop us a line!!

February 1st is National Wear Red Day, a day created to raise women’s heart disease awareness.  Heart disease is the number one killer for women and women ages 40-60 are especially at risk…but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t start caring for yourself early and being aware of the risks!

Tips for Heart Health

• Don’t smoke, and if you do, quit.  Women who smoke are two to six times more likely to suffer a heart attack than non-smoking women.  Smoking also boosts the risk of stroke and cancer.
• Aim for a healthy weight.  It’s important for a long, vigorous life.  Overweight and obesity cause many preventable deaths.
• Get moving.  Make a commitment to be more physically active.  Aim for 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity on most, preferably all, days of the week.
• Eat for heart health.  Choose a diet low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol, and moderate in total fat.
• Know your numbers.  Ask your doctor to check your blood pressure, cholesterol (total, HDL, LDL, triglycerides), and blood glucose.  Work with your doctor to improve any numbers that are not normal.

 Learn more about heart disease and further ways to lower your heart disease risk here.

The last few days I’ve posted quite a few tidbits about manscaping but I have yet to voice my own opinions about it. So I figured since it’s Friday I might as well go for it, right?

Our staff writer Annie wrote a little article about manscaping, pointing out that there are several good reasons why men should trim or shave their nether regions. For example,  it’s much more hygienic and healthier. Not only will smells probably be reduced (which often get absorbed into the hair) but there will be less risk of unwanted germs (and who knows what else) hanging on in your hair.

Another common belief is that your penis often looks larger to yourself and your partners. This makes sense to us since your little friend will no longer be hiding in a vast jungle but in a carpeted room…or perhaps even a well waxed tiled room if you brave the “boyzilian!”

Personally I just think it’s much nicer if a guy is shaved or at the very least trimmed. You don’t feel like you’re going to suffocate down there and don’t have to pick hairs out of your teeth every few minutes. And honestly, how many of you guys out there like going down on a girl who’s not shaved or at least trimmed?? So isn’t it only fair that what you expect your woman to do, you do yourself?

With that being said, if you are going to shave yourself bare, try to remember to touch up regularly because your woman is not going to enjoy gyrating on top of you if you’ve got rough stubble going on down there. Guys, you’ve seen the reverse, I’m sure…you know it’s not a nice situation! Use a good shaving oil and/or jelly to keep the area smooth and bare – we think your partner will give you sweet rewards for it!

Hope you have a great weekend and happy shaving!