Sunday, November 30, 2008

Black Friday Super Sale

Save 15% on all Sum-Bo-Shine products through December 3, 2008!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

The Benefits of Organic Baby Skin Care


Organic baby skin care is essential, especially for newborns. Many of us are unaware of the benefits associated with organic baby skin care products. Not only are they better for your baby’s skin, they’re actually safer.

As most of us know the skin is the largest organ in the human body. What goes on the skin ends up in the bloodstream and is spread throughout the body. What goes on your baby’s skin is just as important as what goes in his or her mouth. Some baby lotions and ointments are loaded with harmful ingredients hidden under cover-up names. For example, Quaternium 15 is in a lot of shampoos and baby lotions. Quaternium 15 is a formaldehyde releaser used as a preservative and has been linked to many forms of cancer. It is also an irritant to the eyes, ears and nose and has 30 different names it can go undercover with!

This is just one example of harsh chemicals found in conventional baby products. It is frightening if you were to take your baby’s shampoo and look up each ingredient on the internet. With a baby’s skin being so new to the world it is even more susceptible to absorb and react to these chemicals. The absence of these harmful chemicals is the most important benefit of using natural and organic baby skin care. Natural and organic baby skin care products are made from natural ingredients raised in compliance with organic standards and practices. This will ensure nothing harmful is coming in contact with your baby’s skin.

Natural and organic baby skin care is also beneficial because it is gentler on the skin and is environmentally friendly. Remember, after you empty your baby’s bath tub, the water enters our world to mingle in with the wildlife. As the harmful chemicals in conventional baby products mix with other chemicals dumped down the drain, they form new highly toxic chemicals and can harm wild and sea life.

With the popularity of organic products, natural and organic baby skin care products are being produced and sold at a much more affordable price. You can find plenty at www.sumboshine.com. Buying organic baby skin care products are a win-win situation; better for you, better for your baby and better for the environment. Visit www.sumboshine.com to find out more information on purchasing organic baby skin care products.

Toxins Around Us


Daily, thousands of children may be exposed to over 120 harmful chemicals primarily through their skin and mouth. Some of these toxins have never been evaluated by the FDA and therefore go unscreened and without regulation.
A non-profit organization, The Environmental Working Group, has researched and discovered that children are exposed to over 60 chemicals daily through the air or from the absorption of their skin. Because the US Government doesn’t require any standards of safety on cosmetic products, it is 100% legal for companies to use whatever ingredients work for them, not the safety of the consumer. Many baby products contain carcinogens (cancer causing chemicals) and phthalates (bi products of plastics that cause reproductive disorders in boys).

The greater concern is that a child’s body does not function and react the same as an adult. Whereas an adult is able to fight off and handle toxins, the child’s sensitive body is extremely vulnerable. Babies and children are still developing, whereas adults are, for the most part, fully developed. Many of these harmful chemicals may directly affect the development of the child as proven in the recent study on phalataes. Another danger is the potential for toxic overload in your baby. Basically, the vulnerability of a baby’s immune system may be able to handle one toxic ingredient, but when 60 different toxins are being ingested daily could result in allergies and a host of other issues.

Aside from the basic ingredients in your baby products, artificial ingredients will have an effect as well. Artificial dyes, perfumes and preservatives add extra strain to the young baby’s body. The human body comes from nature and will function at its best when it is in harmony with nature. Anything artificial is a warning sign to stay far away from.

The greatest fallacy is that just because a product is made for a baby, it is safe and gentle. Remember, these large, corporate manufactures are after one thing – money. They may claim to be about your well being of your child, but the bottom line is what is driving their products.

Be an advocate for your child and research and study up on what it is that you’re putting on your baby’s precious skin. www.sumboshine.com is a safe and trusted online store you can purchase natural and organic baby products. You can shop with confidence and peace of mind at www.sumboshine.com.

What to Look For In Safe Organic Skin Care Products for Baby



Parents all over the world have are making the choice to switch to organic skin care products for their baby. The trend has hit an all time high, making more and more money which in turn is given back to the customer with lower and lower prices. Although buying natural and organic skin care products for your baby is an excellent choice, there are some companies that are trying to pull a fast one with so-called organic products. We will provide you with the basics of what to look for in safe organic skin care products for your baby.

Let’s start at the beginning. Organic products are defined by the USDA and FDA as ingredients that have been made without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, hormones or antibiotics. In short, all the ingredients are true to nature without the help of chemical science. If a product is contains 95% organic ingredients, it can be labeled “organic”. If a product contains 70% organic ingredients, it can be labeled as “made with organic ingredients” and if your baby product has less than 70% organic ingredients, it can still be labeled as “made with some organic ingredients”. Unfortunately, not all natural ingredients are organic but are safer to use than chemicals.

So when you go to make your purchase for natural and organic skin care products for your baby be aware that there is a billion dollar market out there attempting to make their products appear to be organic without sincerity. Here are a few quick items you can check before purchasing a baby product labeled organic:

Always check the label, natural and organic products will not have anything in them that is unnatural. If you notice a long, hard to pronounce word that looks like something from chemistry class, don’t trust it! Look it up when you get to a computer and see what it really is. Many organic products will give a quick reference to any ingredients that may be confusing.

What is the company’s history? If the company is a major label of conventional products that is now introducing organic products, I would be leery. Most likely, it’s all about money and I can almost guarantee corners are being cut somewhere. If the company has always held a high standard of natural and organic products I would trust it a bit more.

In today’s market you, the consumer must be educated and on your guard. www.sumboshine.com offers plenty of trusted natural and organic products. When you visit www.sumboshine.com, be sure to check out all the products they offer.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Phthalates - why do we care?


One would think that baby products, which include, lotions, shampoos, powder, etc, would be quite safe and harmless, but this is not the case. In a recent article published by the Pediatrics - Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (PEDIATRICS Vol. 121 No. 2 February 2008, pp. e260-e268) the authors concluded “that reported use of infant lotion, infant powder, and infant shampoo were associated with increased infant urine concentrations of MEP, MMP, and MiBP, and this is strongest in younger infants. These findings suggest that dermal exposures may contribute significantly to phthalate body burden in this population. Young infants are more vulnerable to the potential adverse effects of phthalates given their increased dosage per unit body surface area, metabolic capabilities, and developing endocrine and reproductive systems.”
So, what are phthalates? Phthalates are polymers that are used to make plastics softer and are used in the cosmetic and personal care industry as a fixative to hold fragrances. That lingering scent you smell after applying scented lotions to your baby contains phthalates unless the lotion is scented with true essential oils. Just think of all the products that are used daily that are scented; washing powders, air fresheners, candles, hairspray, furniture polish, and the list goes on and on. We are constantly exposed to phthalates. In a 2002 study by The Center for Disease Control and Prevention revealed metabolized levels of phthalates in the urine of test participants. In a 2002 report by The Environmental and Health Working Group stated phthalates were found in 72% of beauty products.
The Food and Drug Administration requires all ingredients to be listed on a product’s label; however a fragrance ingredient list does not have to be listed, only the term “fragrances”. It can take up to 200 different ingredients to make a fragrance and if a person has an allergic reaction to a product it is usually due to a chemical in this so called fragrance. At present the FDA “has no compelling evidence that phthalates pose a safety risk when used in cosmetics.” But, on the other hand who wants phthalates in their urine?
So, what harm can phthalates do? Phthalates are synthetic, man-made chemicals and have potential toxic effects to the developing endocrine and reproductive systems, in other words they are considered as endocrine disruptors because they can mimic the body’s hormones. These chemicals are found in plastic products such as children's toys, lubricants, infant care products, cosmetics, and personal care products, and are known to have “developmental and reproductive toxicants in animal models and the immature male reproductive tract is particularly sensitive.”
How can children and parents be protected from phthalates? By purchasing products that are fragrance free or those products that are scented with true essential oils and products listed as phthalate free. The state of California will pass a bill banning phthalates in 2009, hopefully the rest of the US will follow suit.
On a personal note, while visiting a friend I picked up a bottle of lotion label “All Natural”, I read the ingredient list and the only recognizable ingredient was water, the rest was a list of manmade chemicals that I couldn’t pronounce so I swiftly pulled out a bottle of Sum-Bo-Shine Organic Baby Lotion which is not only phthalate free but paraben free as well, but more on that subject later.
Carolyn Deal
www.sumboshine.com

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Conscientious parents use organic skin care for their children.

It seems as if everywhere you are turning anymore, all you hear about is organic products which most people dismiss with the wave of a hand. It is hard to take any fad or trend seriously if you are use to watching them pass by within months. Therefore, if you have heard about organic skin care for children you may just brush it off as another unaffordable celebrity craze or something you need not concern yourself with. However, in the case of organic skin care for children, this is one trend that has deeper health implications for the development and overall health of your baby and children. With this in mind, you might seriously consider natural and organic skin care for baby products with a little more discretion.
One of the number one reasons why organic skin care for children has become a mainstream topic of discussion and a trend, is because new developments have shown that children actually develop better with the use of organic products over processed chemical skin care products? Why? The answer is simply a biological one that is medically proven to be true.
Children and babies skins are not yet fully developed until they reach adulthood. This means that their skin is much more open to absorbing all chemicals and elements that they come in contact with. Therefore, if there is a synthetic chemical inside of a skin care product, it will seep through their skin through absorption at a much higher concentrate then as adults. Think of it this way, if you knew that your makeup or skin care products contained toxins that are dangerous if ingested, you would never let your child drink or eat them correct?
Well, since children’s skin absorbs chemicals at a very high rate, when you apply products that have a synthetic chemical base, you are basically allowing their skin to ingest the toxins and pollute their bodies. Although it may be shocking, it is true. This is the reason why you make sure to purchase natural and organic skin care for baby and organic skin care for children products. As a parent you want to protect your children from harm’s way, and that includes using products that will not cause harm to them. Natural and organic skin care for baby product formulas do not include any non-natural chemicals or toxins, thus you have the satisfaction of knowing you are protecting your child each time you apply lotion to their skin.
The purpose of lotions and creams are to moisturize and hydrate, so make sure you are preserving their inward body functions as well by purchasing natural and organic skin care for baby products and that is what you will find at specialized stores such as http://www.sumboshine.com/. http://www.sumboshine.com/ is a wonderful place to shop since they have a wide array of natural and organic skin care for children at a price to meet your budget.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Fun Things To Do!


Creative ideas to keep the little ones entertained on a rainy day, or any other day!

Activities
-- Paper Bag Vest
-- Drawing on the Walls
-- Hide and Seek
-- Napkin Rings

Paper Bag Vest

Large brown paper bagScissorsPaintMake a vest from a brown paper bag by cutting a head hole, arm holes, and fringe along the bottom. Your child can paint and decorate the vest. When the vest is dry, your child can wear it! Parents, it needs to be said, use age appropriate scissors for the little ones!
Drawing on the Walls

Butcher paperCrayons/MarkersThis project was one of my children’s favorite activities! I would line the hall with white butcher paper from the floor to just as high as their little arms could reach. Boxes of crayons were placed outside each of their rooms. Hours were spent drawing, writing and doodling on the make shift mural. This satisfied their desire to draw on the walls, and saved me a lot of scrubbing.

Hide and Seek
Kitchen timerWind up your kitchen timer and hide it somewhere in the house. Have your child search for it by listening for its ticking sound.

Napkin Rings
Empty paper towel or toilet paper rollsScissorsCrayons, paints, stickers, or glitterMake napkin rings for a special occasion or to give as a gift. Cut empty paper towel or toilet paper rolls into one-and-a-half-inch pieces. Have your child decorate them with crayons, paints, stickers, or glitter.

Carolyn Deal
Sum-Bo-Shine Naturals & Organics
www.sumboshine.com

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Baby your Baby


Baby Your Baby’s Skin with Organic Skin Care Products

Everybody is talking about organics these days, but more often than not they are referring to food. Did you know that organic products encompass skin care and clothing as well as a variety of other goods? It is possible to buy clothing made from organic cotton materials and you can feel assured that nothing harmful will be on your baby’s skin. If you choose cloth diapers rather than disposables, you can find 100% organic diapers to soothe your baby’s behind. Not only will organic cloth diapers save you money, they are much kinder to the environment than disposable.

Pure Ingredients are Best

What you put in your baby’s stomach is just as important as what you put on their skin. Read the label on any baby skin care product and you will be looking at a list that is not only long, but most of the words you can’t pronounce. That can’t be good; usually those ingredients are some sort of chemical and/or preservative and that is not what you want touching your baby’s skin. Using organic skin care products for baby ensures that only the most natural of ingredients are caressing your baby’s skin.

What Type of Organic Skin Care?

Natural markets, the organic or natural food aisle of your local grocery store as well as the internet have a myriad of organic skin care products. You may want to use organic soap as well on baby. There is organic baby bath so baby can splash away in the bubbles without the fear of chemical residue, baby oil, baby lotion and even powder to dust on baby’s bottom. There is even baby shampoo and/or conditioner available that is organic.

When you use organic skin care products on your baby, you can rest assured that only the finest ingredients will come in contact with baby’s skin. Giving them a head start in life without chemicals and chemical build up is a gift to your child that will keep on giving. Using organic skin care products will ensure that there are no rashes and usually no negative reactions you might find with conventional baby care products. Why not give them a try; doesn’t your baby deserve the best?

Not only does baby deserve the best, but so does the environment. When you buy organic products you are supporting those farmers and manufacturers that choose to do business in a much greener manner than before. This is important to your baby’s future and should be kept in mind when shopping for baby supplies.

For a large selection of natural and organic skin care products visit http://www.sumboshine.com/.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Health Benefits of Organic Baby Products: Green vs. the Alternative

by Carolyn Deal, founder and President of Sum-Bo-Shine Naturals and Organics

In the early 1970s I walked into a grocery store in a large metropolitan city and asked for organic eggs. To my dismay, I was literally laughed out of the store. My, how times have changed! In today's market, being green is more than accepted--it's recommended. It's an age of awakening and a new way of life. Educated consumers are demanding a more eco-conscious lifestyle--from the foods we eat to the clothes we wear and now even the products we use on our skin. The latest market to emerge from this lifestyle into the mainstream is that of baby care products.

Unfortunately, as green living becomes more of a part of daily life, so do the businesses that want to jump on the bandwagon of the budding industry. These companies package and sell products to green consumers without truly being green. New consumers to the movement who are uninformed buy these products thinking they are healthy, when in reality they are no different than the harmful ones that have been on the market for years.

Speaking with one storeowner regarding a natural and organic line of baby products, I was disappointed to learn that sales of the product were less than stellar. Upon reading the label, I noticed the products contained parabens and fragrance. To the informed green consumer, these ingredients are both allergens and potentially harmful. The storeowner admittedly purchased the products based on the wholesale price and not the ingredient list.

Rightfully so, parents are becoming increasingly more concerned when it comes to protecting their children from these harmful chemicals. During the first years of a child's life, it is extremely important to lower a baby's exposure to chemicals and products that may include harmful insecticides, pesticides and herbicides that are not only harmful in the long run, but unnecessary ingredients. By using organic baby products, parents can help lower their child's exposure to these hazards.

Green consumers may often be touted as overly conscientious but the negative health effects these unnecessary chemicals have are very real. The proof is in the science. In a recent article published by the Pediatrics - Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (PEDIATRICS Vol. 121 No. 2 February 2008, pp. e260-e268) the authors concluded that reported use of infant lotion, infant powder, and infant shampoo were associated with increased infant urine concentrations of MEP, MMP, and MiBP (monoethyl phthalate, monomethyl phthalate, and monoisobutyl phthalate) and this association is strongest in younger infants. These findings suggest that dermal exposures may contribute significantly to phthalate body burden in this population. Young infants are more vulnerable to the potential adverse effects of phthalates given their increased dosage per unit body surface area, metabolic capabilities, and developing endocrine and reproductive systems.

Many consumers do not realize that it can take up to 200 different chemicals to formulate what is listed in the ingredients as a fragrance. The FDA does not require companies to list each of those individual chemicals on their labels. If a child has an allergic reaction to a product, it is most likely in response to one of those chemicals.

In contrast, many natural and organic personal care products carry "The Truth in Labeling" logo. With this label consumers are assured there are no hidden ingredients. What you read is what you get. Essential oils replace synthetic and chemically infused fragrances. These green products are often more expensive than the alternative simply because it costs more to produce natural ingredients than to mass-produce synthetic ones.

It's true that green consumers are spending billions each year to ensure their little ones are protected from a bombardment of chemicals--from organic cotton diapers and clothing to organic baby food and personal care products. Green parents realize the bigger picture in all of this is sustainability. Not only are we protecting our children, but we are protecting their future and planet as well.

It's safe to say that my eco-conscious 1960s generation is no longer the only one propelling this movement. It is our children and grandchildren who are carrying it into the future. Going green is no longer a trend; it's a way of life.

http://www.sumboshine.com/



Monday, August 18, 2008

Enter to win a Sum-Bo-Shine Gift Box!



Enter To Win A Sum-Bo-Shine Naturals & Organics Gift Box!



This relaxing trio of treats gift set contains Milk & Honey Body Lotion, Coco-Shea Belly and Body Butter, and Natural Himalayan Bath Salts, and comes in an attractive round gift box!




Sum-Bo-Shine Milk & Honey Lotion Milk and Organic Honey--a formula that would leave even Cleopatra envious! Our Milk & Honey Lotion is formulated just for Mommy. A moisturizing body lotion that leaves the skin smooth and supple. Contains no added fragrance and is paraben-free. 87% organic content



Sum-Bo-Shine Coco-Shea Belly Butter - Organic Aloe, Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Vitamin E and Jojoba Oil are just a few of the natural botanical ingredients you will find in our Coco-Shea Belly Butter. Created to help maintain skin elasticity and moisture, our Belly Butter lotion is rich and ultra-moisturizing.




Natural Himalayan Bath Salts. Two great products in one! We have combined relaxing bath salts from the Himalayas with soothing Aloe Vera Powder and added the essential oils of Lavender and Chamomile to create a most unique bathing experience.



Post a comment on our blog and one lucky winner will receive this amazing Gift Box! A $65.99 value for free!
Please leave an email address in case you are the winner.
Contest ends August 29, 2008. Winner is chosen by random count.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Exciting News!

We have some exciting news at Sum-Bo-Shine, our new website will be ready to launch next week which will enable retailers to make wholesale purchases online directly from the Sum-Bo-Shine website. A login name and password will be required which can be obtain by registering on the new site, this login and password will allow retailers to make purchases at the wholesale price.

We will also be introducing e new products!


Naturally Pure Milk and Organic Honey Lotion--a formula that would leave even Cleopatra envious! Our Milk & Honey Lotion is a moisturizing body lotion formulated just for Mommy that leaves the skin smooth and supple. (87% organic content)


Naturally Pure Coco-Shea Belly Butter - Organic Aloe, Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Vitamin E and Jojoba Oil are just a few of the natural botanical ingredients you will find in our Coco-Shea Belly Butter. Created to help maintain skin elasticity and moisture, our Belly Butter lotion is rich and ultra-moisturizing. (77% organic content)


Naturally Pure Baby Crème - Simple and clean describe the newest member of our baby line of products. Lighter that our baby lotion, Baby Crème is made with organic aloe and organic coconut oil and we include soothing Roman Chamomile essential oil for the sensitive skin of babies. (85% organic content)


After receiving the Best Eco Friendly and Organic Award we have been swamped with request for samples of our products from national magazines, TV stations as well as local news interest. I am so excited with the attention our products are receiving; I was even interviewed for a book coming out next year on Green Entrepreneurs.

It has been a very busy and exciting summer for Sum-Bo-Shine and we thank all those who have particiapted in our growth!


Take care!

Please check out this review:
http://2gerberbabies.blogspot.com/2008/08/sum-bo-shine-naturals-organics-little.html



Monday, August 11, 2008

Welcome To Sum-Bo-Shine!


Sum-Bo-Shine Baby Products are naturally pure products specifically created for nature's most wonderful creation - babies! Our line of gentle and soothing products include Aloe & Lavender Shampoo & Body Wash, Aloe and Lavender Lotion, Aloe & Lavender Bath Powder , Naturally Pure Diaper Ointment, and Naturally Pure Baby Oil. Babies have their own sweet smell so Sum-Bo-Shine products are free of artificial fragrances, and do not contain parabens, sodium laurel sulfates, mineral oil or any harmful ingredients while using the least environmentally harmful preservative available on the market today. Our products are certified vegan and cruelty free, with the exception of our diaper ointment which contains beeswax.
Sum-Bo-Shine products are made in an FDA registered lab and undergo standard bacterial essay (BacT) and before they are ever released to the market undergo CTFA Challenge Testing. Our products are produced using the least amount of preservatives on the market today. We only use a very small amount of a broad spectrum preservative (less than one percent) along with up to 14 other natural inhibitors and antioxidants to help with preserving our products. By combining the healing and nutritive benefits of plant extracts and whole food ingredients with the advances of science, we were able to create products that are safe, effective and gentle. In a word, preservatives can guard against impurities and support the healthful actions of nature's finest botanicals, we feel you deserve this kind of protection.

Our tag line, "I'm HAPPY here!" was spoken by my grandson at the tender age of two. While playing quietly by himself, he looked up and simply said, "I'm happy here!" And we at Sum-Bo-Shine hope you are happy here too!