There hasn’t been much organic news to report of late but a number of new organic brands and products have recently hit the Australian market. I’ll be reporting on these next month so I hope you’ll keep coming back to get the latest information.

If you don’t want to have to check in you can subscribe to the feed (click the link over to the right) or subscribe to our newsletter.

In the meantime you can find information on organic products on the main site.

Thexton is having another sale with 15% off everything with no minimum purchase amount.

The sale is on all long weekend and ends on Monday 11th June at midnight EST.

Organic products available at Thexton include:

• Sanctum organic skin care
• eco friendly cleaning products
• organic snack/energy bars
• organic vitamins
• organic herbs and spices
• organic Goji berries
• organic hair care products
• organic baby products
• organic tea tree oil
• organic rosehip oil
• organic food

They have lots of other organic products too. Do a quick search on their site and you’re sure to find what you’re looking for. Visit Thexton to see what’s available.

Note: You must enter the code QUEENB to get your discount.

Sanctum Organic skin care is now certified organic meaning their products are free from:

• petrochemicals
• non organic products of animal origin
• talc
• synthetic fragrances
• Sodium Lauryl Sulphate
• chemically synthesised sunscreens

The Sanctum product range is fantastic and includes:

• face and body skin care
• hair care products
• men’s grooming
• baby skin care products
• gift/travel packs

Organic Skin Care

• shower gel
• body scrub
• cleanser
• exfoliator
• moisturiser
• face mask
• eye cream
• eye balm
• blemish lotion
• hand and nail cream
• foot soak
• foot balm

Organic Hair Care

• shampoo
• conditioner

Organic Men’s Range

• face and body scrub
• shower wash
• moisturiser
• deodorant
• shaving gel

Organic Baby Skin Care

• bath wash
• shampoo
• bottom balm
• moisturiser
• powder

Thexton has a special on at the moment where you can get a free 45mL Sanctum Hand and Nail Repair cream when you spend over $75 on Sanctum organic products. Visit Thexton for more details.

Absolutely Gorgeous is having a stocktake clearance with discounts on many of their natural and organic beauty products. Sales are a great time to stock up on your favourite items or to try something new. Some of the natural and/or organic products on sale include:

Certified Organic Lip Balms

• Mama Coco’s Hawaiian Lip Balm - Vanilla
• Mama Coco’s Hawaiian Lip Balm - Lemon + Aid

Wild Elixir - Natural and Organic Skin Care

• Wild - Intensive Creme Cleanser
• Wild - Purifying Hand Cleanse
• Wild - Purifying Room Mist
• Wild - Enriched Hand and Nail Cream
• Wild - Skin Soother

Kosmea - Organic Rosehip Oil Based Products

• Kosmea - Moisture Cream
• Kosmea - Eight Natural Wonder Serum
• Kosmea - Clarifying Facial Wash

100% Organic Rosehip Oil

• La Clinica - Organic Rosehip Oil

Natural and Organic Hair Care

• Avalon Organics - Tea Tree Scalp Treatment
• Avalon Organics - Rosemary Volumising Conditioner
• Avalon Organics - Peppermint Revitalising Conditioner
• Avalon Organics - Lemon Clarifying Conditioner
• Avalon Organics - Lavender Nourishing Shampoo

Organic Candles

• White Flower Lei - Organic Soy Candle

Natural Skin Care

• Bee Natural - Night Cream
• Bee Natural - Facial Cream
• Bee Natural - Dry Skin Cream
• Shizen - Natural Gift Pack

Click on the product link for more information or visit Absolutely Gorgeous to view all sale items.

If you need another reason to start using eco friendly cleaning products (and human friendly) or to switch to organic beauty products, then consider this recent research which show that high levels of synthetic fragrances are being found in breast milk (via New Scientist):

Record levels of synthetic fragrances from everyday cleaning, deodorising and beauty products have been found in the breast milk of American women.

Little is known about the health risks of these fragrances, more accurately known as polycyclic musks. Older fragrances, called nitro musks, caused cancer in animals, and there are indications that high doses of polycyclic musks may cause developmental and reproductive problems. So far, though, no one has looked at the possibility of more subtle effects, says Kannan.

I’ve made the switch to friendlier cleaning products but have yet to completely switch over to organic beauty products. I’m always reluctant to try new skin care products but in the coming weeks I’m going to check out some new products and brands. I’ll review them here so you can all get an idea of the best brands. I’m also going to stop using perfume as it can’t be doing me any good and it’s not really necessary anyway. It’s definitely something I can live without.

New Scientist reports on the banning of certain tests on live animals, which have been used for many years by cosmetic companies:

For decades, posters depicting rabbits with inflamed, reddened eyes symbolised campaigns against the testing of cosmetics on animals. Now the most severe of those tests are to be banned across the European Union.

The so-called Draize tests are a series of notorious procedures that involve applying cosmetics ingredients to the eyes and skin of live laboratory rabbits.

These humane alternatives have been available for commercial use for years, but to enforce their use, ECVAM has had to show they are as good as or better than the procedures on live animals they are to replace.

Unfortunately, they are still allowed to perform certain other tests until 2009 when a complete ban will come into effect. This ban will spare hundreds of thousands of animals each year, mainly mice and rabbits.

While writing my review of Organic Cotton Advantage, I came across Huggalugs, a company which uses OCA’s organic cotton to manufacture some of their fatalistic children’s clothing.

Huggalugs is a fun and funky baby, children’s and maternity clothing label. All Huggalugs products are designed to hug little ones in colour and are made in Australia using high quality materials, such as Australian grown organic cotton and superfine Australian Merino wool.

They specialise in Leg Huggers (or leg warmers if you prefer) which are so cute. Really adorable! They come in loads of different colours and designs. The range of Leg and Arm Huggers are:

Designed to keep little legs and arms warm at all times:

• under pants or under skirts
• no pants or no skirts
• just a nappy or no nappy
• under tops, over tops or no tops at all

Huggalugs super funky Huggers will keep little legs and arms covered, protecting them from the elements and hard surfaces.

Huggalugs also sell:

• T-shirts
• Wraps
• Blankets
• Bump Huggers

Their products look great so check their site or visit one of their stockists.

Today is the final day of the Top 5 group writing project. Yeah, I’m glad too! Ok, it’s a lot of reading (not that I read all 893 submissions mind you) but I’ve found some great new blogs and gained a few new subscribers to this one.  I’ve just finished checking out the submissions from day 4. Again, apologies for those posts which are off topic. If you want something on-topic then you can read my submission about organic beauty products. Here are just a few of the excellent posts on offer on day 4:

• Top 5 Herbs in My Garden
• My Top Favourite Flowers
• Top 5 Italian Words You Really Don’t Want to Mispronounce
• Top 5 Things to do in Istanbul
• Top 5 Things to do Online Before Your Trip
• Top 5 Reasons You Should Be Grilling
• 5 Steps to Getting the Man of Your Dreams
• Top 5 Reasons Darren Rowse is a Marketing Genius
• Top 5 Board Games I Grew Up Playing
• Top 5 Ways to Break Out of a Boring Life

Enjoy reading!

More from Problogger’s Top 5 group writing project. Don’t worry, normal programming will return shortly. I’ve just finished checking out the submissions from day 3. Again, apologies for those posts which are off topic. If you want something on-topic then you can read my submission about organic beauty products. Here are just a few of the excellent posts on offer on day 3:

• 5 Ways to Reduce Your Car’s Fuel Consumption
• 5 Foods to Keep Your Breath Fresh
• Top 5 Signs That You’re in Rome
• Top 5 Reasons Why Australians Are More Likely to be Successful Bloggers
• Top 5 Things I’m Doing to Lose 50kgs
• How to Gain an Additional 5 Hours Per Week
• Top 5 Easy Way to Have Healthier Food
• My Top 5 Brisbane Photos
• Top 5 Productivity Tips
• 5 Ways to Get Rid of Your Muffin Top Without Dieting

Enjoy reading!

More from Problogger’s Top 5 group writing project, there are even more submissions than in day 1. I’ve just finished checking out those from day 2. Sorry if some of these are off topic. If you want something on-topic then you can read my submission about organic beauty products. Here are just a few of the excellent posts on offer:

• Top 5 Eco Friendly Flooring Options
• Top 5 Green Companies to Put Your Dollars Behind
• 5 Reasons Queen’s Market Must be Saved
• Don’t Grow These 5 Plants
• 5 Ways to Make Money on the Internet
• Top 5 Strategies for Travelling Light
• The Top 5 Reasons the Succeed and Why it Sucks to be a Loser
• Top 5 Most Entertaining Foreign Films
• Top 5 Ice Cream Flavours
• Top 5 Things to do With Rhubarb
• Top 5 Free Gym Exercises
• The Top 5 Reasons to Get Even Leaner
• Top 5 Doggie Facial Expressions
• Top 5 Australian Beach Locations for the IT Commuter
• 5 Top European Cities I’d Move to Next
• Five Ways Shiatsu Has Changed My Life
• Top 5 Cutest Gadgets Ever
• 5 Reasons to Work From Home

Enjoy reading!