Cosmetic Ingredients | What's In Your Bath & Body Product?

Hey Y'all!

I hope this post finds you doing well. I felt compelled to write this after reading so many posts that are aimed at scaring the consumer in reference to toxic chemicals in their personal care products.

You, the consumer, are a very savvy bunch of smart cookies. Read the labels on your cosmetic products and while on a company's website, read their ingredient listings. If a company doesn't list all the ingredients for a product on their website or only tout the "natural" or "organic" ingredients then I have to wonder what they have to hide.

I belong to the Cosmetics and Beauty Network group on LinkedIn that had a discussion posted that was titled "Did You Know The Average Consumer Puts 515 Chemicals On Their Face/Body Everyday?". I had to respond because statements like this are very alarming. Donna Maria, CEO of Indie Beauty posted a reply as well and in part said "Would you rather use a facial cream with a tiny amount of chemical preservative that has been proven safe, or would you rather use a facial cream with no preservative that will grow bacteria and mold that could blind you or a family member?"

What concerned me the most about the person who started this discussion was she represents a company that says they produce products with premium botanical ingredients and a commitment to pure, safe and beneficial products. The only problem I see with this statement is that they do not list the ingredients on their website, as far as I can see. If they are listed then I must need to be a psychic to find them.


Cactus & Ivy proudly lists the ingredients for every product on our website. We list the ingredients on a product label as required by the FDA Labeling Guidelines. There are a wealth of sites that provide information without using "scare tactics" to make you believe the current lotion or soap you are using will cause cancer.

As I've stated in the past, let me say this again. Cactus & Ivy is and always will be for providing safe cosmetics and personal care products. If you ever have a question about an ingredient used in our products, my door is wide open. I welcome your questions and/or feedback.

For more information on cosmetics, ingredients and regulations, check out the links below:

Cosmetics Info - "Your source for safety information about cosmetic and personal care products, their ingredients and how they are tested and regulated."

Personal Care Products Council - "is the leading national trade association for the cosmetic and personal care products industry and represents the most innovative names in beauty today."

Cosmetic Ingredient Review - "Mission: The Cosmetic Ingredient Review thoroughly reviews and assesses the safety of ingredients used in cosmetics in an open, unbiased, and expert manner, and publishes the results in the peer-reviewed scientific literature.

Truth In Aging - Organic vs Natural Cosmetic Standards

The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association (CTPA) - "an association of manufacturers of cosmetic, toiletry and perfumery products, founded in 1945 to promote the interests of members, primarily with government. That remit has now extended to include the European Commission and many other regulatory bodies, national and international groups.

Confidence in Cosmetics

Thanks for stopping by y'all and have a great day!





Creator Extraordinaire
Cactus & Ivy

The Colorado Safe Personal Products Act | How Will It Effect You?

Hey Y'all!

I hope this post finds you doing well. Proposed legislation in the state of Colorado could change your life drastically and your state could be next!

I was a compact signer of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CFSC) until they formed a petition in favor of the FDA Globalization Act of 2008, which would have more than likely been the end of Cactus & Ivy. I could no longer support an organization that was for legislation based on their beliefs and not concrete evidence that has been in place and continues to work. Our industry is and always will be concerned about safe cosmetics.

Instead of giving you my take on this proposed legislation, I have been given permission to use content from other industry leaders in regards to this dangerous bill. Please take the time to read each one. The Colorado Safe Personal Products Act, if passed, will have a huge impact on you, the consumer.

Donna Maria Coles Johnson, CEO/Founder of The Indie Beauty Network has this to say....

Oppose the Colorado Safe Personal Care Products Act
In November, I shared my views as leader of IBN on the FDA Globalization Act of 2009. This post was followed by a second trip to Washington, DC to meet with Food & Drug Administration (FDA) officials and staffers in the House Energy & Commerce Committee. I have also shared my views on President Obama’s initiatives to earmark additional funds to support small business owners as our nation faces the challenges of a recessionary economy....read more
____________________

Kayla Fioravanti, VP, Chief Formulator, ARC Registered Aromatherapist and Co-Founder of Essential Wholesale and Essential Labs has (2) posts as follows....

Colorado Safe Personal Care Products Act :: Take Action Immediately
If you live in Colorado or sell cosmetics into Colorado it is time for you to speak up. Colorado has a proposed a bill before them during this session known as The Colorado Safe Personal Products Act. This Act is so broad and vague that if it passes in this form the personal care shelves in stores would go bare. You can read the entire bill here. To follow the bill as it is updated click here and change the range to House Bills 1201-1250 and then scan down to 1248....read more

The Slippery Slope of Bad Science
I live and do business with green practices. Organic is part of our business and how we eat and shop. Natural medicine is a major part of my life, beliefs and history. My husband and I got into the natural cosmetic industry because of my own allergies and chemical sensitivities. I am telling you all this so that you understand that I believe in green, natural and organic in all things. My stance against the Colorado Safe Personal Care Products Act is due to the fact that even completely safe cosmetics using organic, natural and organic materials will be banned in Colorado with this bill....read more

____________________

Two other great posts on this proposed legislation are:

Tunnel Vision by Robert Tisserand, Founder of The Tisserand Institute and Tisserand Aromatherapy

You Can Die From Salt Too by Anne-Marie Faiola, CEO of Bramble Berry, Inc.

I cannot stress enough how important this legislation is to you and I urge you to take the time to read more at the above links. Please post your comments here and/or at any of the other sites. I'd love to know what you think!

Thanks for stopping by y'all and have a great day!





Creator Extraordinaire
Cactus & Ivy

An Indie Business Revolution

Hey Y'all!

I hope this post finds you doing well. Over the past 4 days, we've had a great deal of rain and on Sunday, the sun came out, the wind was high and everything seems to be drying up now!

On Friday, I was interview by Darryl Johnson, Co-CEO of Indie Business Media and husband to Donna Maria Coles Johnson, CEO of Indie Beauty Network. Donna and Darryl are working on the Indie Business Documentary (working title), which will feature the products, services and lifestyle choices of independent business owners from all types of industries.

It was a great pleasure to work with Darryl, and he made me feel right at ease. At first, it felt like the butterflies in my stomach were 'dancing with the stars' and in no time, Darryl had made me forget there was a camera and light focusing on my every word.

Donna and Darryl are presently working on putting a "trailer" together to place on their site once it goes live. I am very grateful to Donna and Darryl for the opportunity to tell my story and to be a part of yet another fabulous opportunity created by Donna Maria! This is just another avenue to put a face to the indie business owner and show that we work hard at our craft to make a living, help support our family, give back to the community and hopefully build a company that will employ many.

If you or someone you know would like to be considered for a feature in the Indie Business Documentary, contact Donna Maria through Twitter at http://twitter.com/indiebusiness, and use the hashtag #indiedoc if you Twitter about it. The new Indie Business Revolution website will launch in April.

Thanks for stopping by y'all and have a fantabulous day!


Creator Extraordinaire
Cactus & Ivy

The FDA Globalization Act 2009

Hey Y'all!

I hope this post finds you doing well. To start off this post, I would like to say a big "thanks" to Jennifer at Eco-Office-Gals. Now, I am pretty handy when it comes to the computer and have "some" graphic skills but designing "ad buttons" is not one of them. Jennifer designed the handy dandy "shop" button to the right, which is a direct link to the Cactus & Ivy website. So, if you are in need of a Virtual Assistant, then please visit Eco-Office-Gals. You'll be glad you did! You ROCK Jennifer!

Now, I would like to say thanks to all who went to the Indie Business Blog last year to read and sign the petition to stop the FDA Globalization Act of 2008. Your voices were heard! The old draft would have put thousands of "indie" businesses out of business with mountains of paperwork and outrageous fees.

Thanks to the efforts of Donna Maria Coles Johnson of Indie Beauty, Lela Barker of Bella Lucce, Kayla and Dennis Fioravanti of Essential Wholesale, Anne-Marie Faiola of Brambleberry, Marie Gale of the Handcrafted Soap Makers Guild and the thousands of signatures to the petition, the future of the indie business owner looks much brighter. Read the latest letter submitted to the House Energy & Commerce Committee.

If the FDA Globalization Act of 2009 is passed, the only thing that has not changed is mandatory registration of our business and ingredients to the FDA. I am proud to say that Cactus & Ivy was already registered with the Voluntary Cosmetic Registration Program (VCRP).

"The Voluntary Cosmetic Registration Program (VCRP) is an FDA post-market reporting system for use by manufacturers, packers, and distributors of cosmetic products that are in commercial distribution in the United States. The VCRP helps FDA in its mission to protect consumers, while also helping cosmetic manufacturers and distributors make informed decisions. The greater the participation by the cosmetic industry, the better this program works."

I believe in the FDA and its mission to protect the consumer, while helping me make informed decisions as a manufacturer. This is great news and I thank y'all for hearing my call last year to let your voice be heard!

Thanks for stopping by y'all and I hope you have a great day!


Creator Extraordinaire
Cactus & Ivy

Cactus & Ivy on Indie Shopping Vignette

Hey Y'all!

I hope this post finds you doing well and having a fabulous start to 2009! I wanted to fill you in on something awesome. As you may know, I am a member of the Indie Beauty Network. Donna Maria, or dM as we refer to her, has created the Indie Shopping Network.

Just a little background on dM, from my perspective. Donna Maria is a true champion of the Indie Business owner. She works tirelessly on keeping on top of legal issues related to our industry, providing cost effective products for our business, as well as creating other avenues for the cosmetics/toiletries small business owner to participate.



dM has been doing vignettes, or short highlights of 3 companies, in between her full blown shows, and above is the vignette dM did on December 31, 2008. I feel so honored to have Cactus & Ivy included with the creative talents of Bidwell Botanicals and Soapylove. Thanks again dM!! You rock gal!

Subscribe to dM's Indie Business Blog to keep up with what's happening on Indie Shopping Network, as well as joining the site.

Thanks for stopping by y'all and I hope you have a fabulous day and a relaxing weekend!

Lisa M. Rodgers
Creator-Extraordinaire
Cactus & Ivy

My 15 Minutes

Hey Y'all!

I hope this post finds you doing well! First, if you received my "Share the Love" post again, I do believe my blog had a mind of its own. Even though I did not post it intentionally for a second time, I am happy to share the love!

(This is Me)

Now, on to the matters at hand. On Friday, December 5th, a trial run of Indie Shopping Network took place and Cactus & Ivy Soy Indulgence products were used during the test. Donna Maria of Indie Beauty Network has given the indie community an opportunity to showcase their products. It is the first e-shopping portal designed especially for Indie Business owners and will stream live from the Indie Shopping network set. The video from the trial run is below.

(Regina as Me)

Since I was unavailable to play the part of me, Regina Mowrer, owner of Dr Flowers Essentials, Inc., played me. I met Regina on Twitter and let me tell you, she did a fabulous job being me. While I was away from my office, I did not pick up on the fact that another fabulous lady that I met on Twitter, Jennifer Kirkwood, owner of La Dolce Diva, was busy taking my profile picture and lending a crafty photoshop hand to it. Since Regina did such a fabulous job, Jennifer decided to place Regina's face under my hair. I haven't laughed so hard in my life!

(Jennifer - The Crafty Photoshop Culprit)

In addition, another fabulous lady I met on Twitter, Shelley McNamara, owner of System Bath, just had to see what she would look like with all my hair on her head! Again, the laughter just about brought me to my knees! There is nothing better in this world than a good ole' laugh until you cry moment! It is so good for the soul!

(Shelley as Me)

While both of these women are beautiful, it's hilarious to see your hair on someone else's face. I do believe they could pass for my twin, or is it triplet?! What a hoot! Thank goodness I am not eating or drinking while I write this post! Otherwise, Prevo would be calling 911!

Whew!! I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did. I had every intention to make this my Monday post, however, the DSL powers that be were not cooperating.

Now, back to Indie Shopping Network. Please join us all to connect and learn more about this fabulous opportunity. Below is the video of the trial run that took place this past Friday! While Indie Shopping Network is under construction, you can visit Indie Beauty Network.

Thanks again for stopping by y'all and I hope you have a fabulous day!

Lisa M. Rodgers
Creator Extraordinaire
Cactus & Ivy

Guinea Chicks Rock & Rule

Hey Y'all!

I hope this post finds you having a fabulous day! Today I am introducing Cactus & Ivy's youngest "Guinea Chick"!

I love this press!! Cactus & Ivy's youngest "Guinea Chick", Vanessa, posing with our Perk Up Lip Balm. Vanessa's favorite things are school, dancing, playing with friends, mint chewing gum and her Guinea Chick mom, Donna Maria Cole Johnson, CEO of Indie Beauty Network.

Thanks dM for sharing Vanessa's pic for use on my site and The Southern Accent Blog. Vanessa is a cutie pie! Guinea Chicks Rock & Rule!!

As always, thanks for stopping by and hope you have a fabulous day!

Lisa M. Rodgers
Creator-Extraordinaire
Cactus & Ivy

Survivor - The Indie Business Owner

Hey Y’all!

It’s another brisk morning in South Carolina and I couldn’t be happier! The rush of cool air has my creative juices flowing with new product ideas and I am looking forward to sharing them all with you.

Today I am writing about my favorite show...Survivor, and what it actually means in comparison to the "Indie" business owner. The tag line of the show is Outwit, Outlast, Outplay. In today’s struggling economy, that is exactly what small business owners are doing. With the fall of 4 major players in the banking industry, I am reminded why I started Cactus & Ivy so many years ago.

Survivor is defined as:

• one who lives through affliction;
• one who outlives another;
• an animal that survives in spite of adversity

Survivor completely describes what the “Indie” business owner is all about. We survive sourcing ingredients, packaging options, shipping, equipment, etc, in smaller volumes because we don’t meet the minimum requirements that are afforded by big business. And yet we survive.

Every “indie” owner has started out the same, whether in a small work area or even our homes. We strive to build a business that will produce products that offer something different than the “one size fits all” concept that big business is putting on retail shelves. With the threat of the FDA Globalization Act of 2008 discussion draft, we are really in for the fight of our lives. If you haven’t already done so, please click here to read and sign the petition. Your support is greatly appreciated by so many, myself included!

I applaud you for supporting your “Indie” business owner, whoever they may be. We pride ourselves on excellent customer service and never forget how far we’ve come. Cactus & Ivy will work hard to earn your business and even harder to maintain it. That is a promise!

You know what I’ll be doing at 8pm tonight. That’s right……watching Survivor!

Thanks for stopping by y’all and have a great day!

Lisa M. Rodgers
Creator-Extraordinaire
Cactus & Ivy

Hey, I'm an Indie

Hey Y'all!

First things first. The Indie Business Owner is on the verge of extinction if a particular draft is turned into law. I am talking about the FDA Globalization Act of 2008. Donna Maria Coles Johson, CEO of Indie Beauty Network has been working feverously to make our voices heard. Just yesterday, WUSA9 in Washington, DC aired a story about a fellow Indie Business Owner, Jamila White, CEO of J.Blossom. Read the story here and then, ask yourself this question. "Do I want the government to take away my fundamental right to choose"?

Please help the survival of the Indie Busieness Owner and your right to choose your personal care products. Go to Indie Business Blog. Read the FDA Globalization Act of 2008 petition, watch the video, read what other consumers are saying and sign the petition. The life expectancy of the Indie Business Owner depends on it.

Ok...now to "hey".

I was listening to the morning news and there was a report on how people use the word "hey".

According to www.dictionary.com the word "hey" is defined as:

1. Used as an exclamation to call attention or to express pleasure, surprise, bewilderment, etc.
2. Southern U.S. Informal. hello: used as a greeting.

"Traditionally, hey was just an exclamation. Sometimes it expressed delight, sometimes a warning. Nowadays we find it used for emphasis as well, especially in the expression but hey. It is also a greeting. It is a short, colloquial version of How are you? and thus close kin to the informal salutation hi, which it seems to be replacing in many situations. Until recently, this greeting had a distinctly Southern flavor. The national survey conducted in the 1960s by the Dictionary of American Regional English found hey as a greeting restricted chiefly to Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. The friendly hey has since spread throughout the United States."

I have Southern roots and have used "hey" all my life. My mother was born and raised in South Carolina and she is responsible for my Southern Accent. To me, it reflects my whimsical, friendly, laid back attitude, which in turn, overflows into my everyday life of running a business. My company, Cactus & Ivy, is small, yet determined. There are many ingredients that shape who I am and being a small business owner is one of them. To create a product that produces feedback of joy, excitement and exhilaration, all while benefiting the skin, is what I'm after. I want to earn your business and will do everything to keep it! Hey, I may not be big business, but my business is big to me!

Knowing the person that manufactures your skin care products is rare in this day. Unless of course, you are a customer of an Indie Business Owner in the Cosmetic Industry. We have been around for decades and are creating products better than the "big box" manufacturers. We will go out of our way to provide the best customer service, unique and original products and descriptions of our ingredients, so you can make an informed decision on what you are putting on your skin. What makes us different, you ask? Our business is our baby! We care about sourcing the best ingredients at the fairest price. We care about contributing to our community and giving back. We absolutely, without a doubt, appreciate and care about our customers!

I thank you all for your unwaivering support and greatly appreciate you as a consumer. Have a fabulous weekend!

Lisa M. Rodgers
Creator-Extraordinaire
Cactus & Ivy

Who is the Creator-Extraordinaire of Cactus & Ivy

Hey Y’all!

Remember when I did the Introduction for my first post? I indicated that some days would be completely useless but full of fun and energizing filler? Ding…ding…ding…..you guessed it! Today is that day, although none of what I am about to tell you is useless to me, it's the fun and energizing filler part.

First, on a serious note, congratulations go out to the Twindie of the Week winners, Dusty Warren of Jorren Co., Kelly Bloom of Southern Soapers Fragrances and Lela Barker of Bella Lucce. I met these incredible ladies on Twitter. Donna Maria Coles Johnson, CEO of Indie Beauty Network runs a Twindie of the Week contest for “tweets” to figure out who the IBN member is. Indies ROCK!!

Now, today I am sharing with you a little about me, the Creator-Extraordinarie of Cactus & Ivy. I’m a proud Navy brat and an Army wife. Imagine my conflict during the Army-Navy game? Growing up in the military has totally defined me as an individual. We never lived in one place long so I had to perfect the art of making new friends and finding a way to keep up with the ones I left behind. The kids that were picked on in school always had a friend in me. I am a champion for the underdog but yet, I am a very emotional person. Not weepy all the time emotional but I care deeply about others and how they are treated. My parents, two phenomenal individuals, are completely responsible for the person I have become and I thank them!

For 12 years, I have been hitched to the same man, Prevo, the love of my life! We turned his proposal and how we got married into a song. And believe me, that’s a whole other post saved for later! Prevo is creative in his own right. He has been writing and singing music since the age of 16. When he returned home from Iraq in 2006, he wrote a song about his experiences and feelings while abroad. December, 2007, To The Fallen Records chose his song to be on a Country Compilation album. I am so proud of him! Presently, Prevo is recovering from vocal cord paralysis and I will never give up hope that I will hear beautiful music from him again. www.prevorodgersjr.com | www.tothefallenrecords.com

Prevo and I are supported and surrounded by awesome family and friends. Cactus & Ivy is honored to have such a great group of “Guinea Chicks & Bucks” to test out our products before making them available to the general public. I can always count on detailed and a "no holds barred" feedback.

The walls in our home are decorated by various metal signs that pretty much describe the feeling of the atmosphere. Here are a few that adorn our home:

- Kiss My Grits
You gotta have this living in the South!

- I’m not sure if life is passing me by or trying to run me over
Some days move by so quickly, so this just seemed appropriate!

- All stressed out and no one to choke
Do I really need to explain this one?

- We had to get rid of the kid, the cat was allergic
Just kidding! We are just huge cat people and my sign is Leo.

And, my two favorites are:

- Hot Beer, Lousy Food, Bad Service - Welcome - Have a nice Day
I don’t drink hot beer, the food is always good because I love to eat and we always have impeccable service

- There’s a skinny girl who lives inside of me that’s trying to get out but I can usually shut her up with cookies!
Oh….so true. I had Oreo’s & milk just last night!

So, now you know a little about me. I am living the life I was meant to live and continue to aspire to become a better person each day. To some, I may seem too casual and not take life seriously. Oh contraire, I say. Everyone needs a break from the day to day of life. As a creator of natural spa and body products, I take my responsibility very seriously. Creating safe and quality products for all consumers is my number one priority. A favorite goal of mine is to one day have Cactus & Ivy products on Oprah’s Favorite Things show. Oprah is a true inspiration and I am living my best life. Woo-hoo…….can you hear me Oprah?

Until next time, I bid you farewell. I hope you and your family has a safe and fun Labor Day weekend!

Lisa M. Rodgers
Creator-Extraordinaire
Cactus & Ivy