what the heck is in a johnson's baby shampoo?

Breaking down the ingredients in a johnson's baby shampoo:

Water - (H2O)
we all know water ... hopefully it is clean water.

Cocamidopropyl Betaine -
(CAPB) is a synthetic surfactant (wetting agents that lower the surface tension of a liquid so it can spread out easily) derivative of coconut oil (i know what that is) and dimethylaminopropylamine (now that is a mouthful try saying it 10 times really really fast, but i still don't know what that is?) it is some kind of amino compound ... but it has some impurities that can lead to skin irritation, but not likely allergy if not produced correctly.
And one property being an antiseptic. Also help stabilize the foam in the shampoo.

PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate -
(also known as PEGs Sorbitan and sorbitol Fatty Acid Esters) is detergent like chemical that works as a surfactant ... ... according to the cosmetic ingredient review expert panel ... it is safe to use.cleans skin and hair by helping water to mix with oil and dirt so that they can be washed away. okay that make sense just as long as it is safe ... but note that this is synthetic.

Sodium Trideceth Sulfate -
is in the family of organic salts. it is is also a surfactant (so how many surfactants do we need in a baby shampoo?) less irritant and milder than sodium lauryl sulfate found in most adults shampoo products is a plus. a cleansing agent that has conditioning properties.

PEG-150 Distearate -
basically the same thing like all of the above that helps with cleaning skin and hair by helping water to mix with oil and dirt so it can be easily wash away ... etc
it is produced from stearic acid which is a natural occurring fatty acid derived from animal fats and oils. stearic acid mixed with number of units of ethylene oxide to create the desired chain.
and what the heck is ethylene oxide? it is an organic compound that use to sterilize the majority of medical supplies such as bandages and surgical implements. in itself this is classified as carcinogenic to humans by the international agency for research on cancer.
so then my next question is if it is mixed with stearic acid then it is no longer carcinogenic?

Fragrance - smells good, but do not know what kind or if it is safe

Polyquaternium-10 - (quaternized hydroxyethylcellulose)
also known as quaternium-19 is a white granular powder with characteristic amine (organic compounds derivatives of ammonia) odor and deemed safe by the cosmetic ingredient review expert panel. it can reduce static electricity and enhances appearance and feel of hair by increasing hair body, sheen and texture of hair that has been damaged. it absorbed well into hair.

Tetrasodium EDTA - and the EDTA = ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid
wow ... okay no wonder they need the shorter version ... nor do i know what it is ... okay it is a chelating agent? something to do with separating bonds of atoms ... yada yada ... trying to make some sense of this ... oh okay it is a water softener ... basically getting rid of the metals in water by stripping it away!

okay ... still not finished yet

Quaternium-15 - is a quaternary ammonium salt or compound used as a preservative in many cosmetics and industrial substances. They are used as disinfectants, surfactants, fabric softeners and anti static agents (especially in shampoos).
It acts as a formaldehyde releaser. (hmm why do we need a formaldehyde releaser ... cause all those chemicals listed above can actually creates formaldehyde??? Formaldehyde is an intermediate in the oxidation of methane as well as other carbon compounds! In view of its widespread use, toxicity, and volatility, exposure to formaldehyde is a significant consideration for human health! (must i go on ... you get the picture)
It can cause contact dermatitis, a symptom of an allergic reaction, especially in those with sensitive skin, on an infant's skin, or on sensitive areas such as the genitals ... hmm ... so why is in in a infant product?

Citric Acid - is a weak organic compound. a natural preservative and is also used to add the sour taste in foods and soda pops. used as a benign cleaning agent. and also a chelating agent.

Yellow 10 and Orange 4 - are color dyes

in the United States, quinoline yellow is certified by the Federal Food and Drug Administration and designated as D. & C. yellow No. 10. Under the provisions of the Code of Federal Regulations, it "may be safely used for coloring drugs generally in amounts consistent with current good manufacturing practice." This is precisely the function for which it was employed in the study in Finland (where quinoline yellow is approved for food use).

May also contain: Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide

Sodium Hydroxide - also known as lye or caustic soda ... solid sodium hydroxide or solutions of sodium hydroxide will cause chemical burns

an hour of my life learning all this stuff

body butter recipe

i hate cold dry weather ... my hands are cracking up and itchy at times ... so i decided to buy a pound of shea butter ... waiting for it to come in the mail =)

found this simple body butter recipe:

8 ounces of shea butter
1 Tbs of jojoba oil
1/2 tsp of vitamin E
1/4 tsp of essential oil

i will like to add some aloe gel to it and for the essential oils ginger mixed with lemon ... well let see if i can make it and will post some pics of the result

directions:

mixing bowl ... get a metal one
using a double boiler method ... heat the water to boiling then lower the heat
melt shea butter but do not boil the butter ( let it heat for a while so it doesn't turn gritty)
also it is flammable so watch out
add the vitamin E and jojoba oils to the mix first
use a mixer to mix for 8 minutes
have another bowl ready with ice and again a double method with the mixture on top of ice
continue mixing the shea butter mixture for 10 minutes
and let it sit for a bit in the ice for 5 minutes
and mix it up again for another 10 minutes
and let it sit for a bit in the ice for 5 minutes
and mix it up again for another 10 minutes till it is fluffy
lastly add the essential oils and continue to mix it until it firms up to a whipped cream or frosting texture

organic / natural preservatives:

vitamin E also known as (d-alpha tocopherol) it is also an anti oxidant which will help the butter not to become rancid so fast

a dash of neem oil which is anti fungal and anti bacterial

lemon essential oil minimum amount of 0.7% promotes preservation and also has vitamin C and removes moisture to prevent spoilage and rotting

cheap like me

okay maybe not cheap, but it is about saving money for the everyday use products

nowadays every pennies count

i really like the following websites:

www.ebates.com : where it pays to shop online ... you use ebates portal to link to your fave online stores and get cash back. sometimes they have double days so i always look for that. the site is very well organized and you can save your favorite stores. you get pay via paypal link to your own account ... really no brainer.

www.retailmenot.com : share the love share ... coupons! who doesn't like coupons ... $5 here and $10 here ... just adds up. this is a community website where everyone get to post the latest deals and coupons for other people to use. the more we share the more we save as a group =D

www.pricegrabber.com : compare prices ... be smart shopper ... tax free ... ship free ... you just enter your zipcode and outcome are a list of online stores and their prices and pick the one right for you. well organized and with ratings of each online stores.

www.dealcatcher.com : you can go to this site everyday to search for deals ... mostly for electronics and computers and office stuff ... but sometimes you will find coupons that you cannot resist. you can really spent a lot of time just browsing ... if you are bored at work you can rrs feed from this site ;P

lenders warning

i am bummed cause the condo i wanna get will not close escrow on the intended date. but there is one thing i am sure of is never to go with those small lenders.
one of them is known as AMX alternative mortgage express ... www.amxloans.com ... one of the divisions of land home financial services, inc.

waste of time and money if you are dealing with this lender ... probably ran out of money or whatever.

we are putting almost a 50% down payment on a 469K condo, we have no outstanding debt and our credit score is high up at 870 points. if we are the ideal client than you other folks out there forget about getting a loan from this lender cause they will waste your time and money to come up with a lame excuse after pre approving you to deny you the loan in the very last minute.

we were slate to close on august 31st and was very ready to sign closing on august 27th then was told by our loan officer that it is a red light!

and their excuse was the condo / building was not fannie mae approved ... and shouldn't they know that right away if they do their diligences? who are you kidding? and with a 220K down payment we are not going for a low income loan ... seriously.

i also posted in a threat to answer someone's question:

AMX alternative mortgage express. who has used this lender?

Has anyone used this lender? any comment?
by gaofengxu August 13, 2009 2:59 PM

http://www.mortgagegrapevine.com/thread/?thread=570418

A horrible experience with them and it is recent too. Just yesterday!
My husband and I were suppose to sign to close escrow and they just decided that they do not want to give us a loan in the last minute ... and our closing date is the 31 of August and I hate them.
We provided them with all the requirements and this is for a 469K condo and we are putting 220K down which is almost 50% and we have no debt whatsoever and both of us with great credit score 870s.
We were pre approved ... so now we are going with Bank of America cause AMX wasted our time and money!!! And I am grateful that the buyer is understanding in this matter.
If this is how they do business ... you have to beware.
by petitespoon August 29, 2009 3:07 AM

so you live and learn ... go with the big guys ... Bank of America or Chase ... great experiences with those two banks.

we just locked in a 5.30% rate with B of A ... not too shabby.

another back story was we did have a back up lender called PMC BanCorp www.pmcmtg.com
you can call this lender nosy or what ... they were asking for the details on deposits i made into one of our checking accounts and needed bank images to verify ... verify for what? that the 11 dollars i made selling beads on ebay was legit? ... is that going to pay for the mortgage? why not look at our income from a job for example, those are steady income that would pay for the mortgage ... not my 11 dollars or 13 dollars a month selling beads on ebay!!! ... what a bunch of retards ... thank goodness i am not going with any of these lenders!

even the B of A loan officer dropped his jaw when he heard all this craziness.

etsy and paypal fee calculator

genius ... just what i needed

http://www.rolbe.com/etsy.htm

standard necklace length

i haven't been doing much with my blog
i have been putting together some standards for jewelry making just as references i can refer to later on ... so here is the first one

i always wonder what length should i make certain necklaces in ... so here is a quick reference of length

for women's
16 inches is choker length
17 - 18 inches is at collarbone
20 inches is a few inches below collerbone
22 inches at or above neckline
24 inches below neckline
28 - 30 inches at or below bust line

for men's
18 inches is at the base of the neck (for some men this is already really tight)
20 inches is at collarbone which is most common size for average men
22 inches is a few inches below collarbone
24 inches is just above the sternum

sizing:
in general it is better to have a 2 inches minimum for anything close to the neck

if your neck size measures at 15 inches it is better to choose a 17 - 18 inches necklace, which also depends on the chain you choose to wear too. for something that would require to lie flat on your neck, you would want to have it longer than shorter just for appearance.

for men in general 20 inches should be good for a simple chain. necklace with hanging pendants or charms should require a longer necklace.

fund raising for toysfortots.org and a family in need to recovery

november raised $42.06 for toysfortots.org


10% retail sales at my jewelry findings etsy shops proceed to toysfortots.org
for month of november and december 2008

shop for a cause visit my etsy online shops:
petite spoon
and
petite vintage



10% retail sales at my jewelry shops proceed to a family in need to recovery from lost of their house to the Porter Ranch fire

shop for a cause visit these shops:
petite design
or
love.stella & dot