August Scavenger Hunt Winners!

Congratulations to the winning mamas: Pam (Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash), Cary (A Little Something For Baby), and Jen (Angel Baby Shampoo & Body Wash PLUS a 1 liter refill)!

Mamas on the Hunt for Cocoamidopropyl betaine!

Mama Cary found more than 20 “natural” products from A to Z that list it, and was decidedly disappointed, “Aveeno also tests their products on animals. :( Avalon... who knew?! Bummer.”

Mama Jen was surprised that, “Avalon Organics Shampoo & Body Wash for baby and Johnsons® Softwash™ for baby, whose companies are supposedly so different in theory, both contain such a high rated ingredient!”

Last month’s Scavenger Hunt featured Cocoamidopropyl betaine, a worrisome ingredient that is commonly found in so-called “natural” or “organic” personal care products. How would you know that a product that misleadingly creates an image of purity and safety contains an ingredient that is rated a “5” for toxins on the Skin Deep database? Or that it is a known human immune system toxin, according to the National Library of Medicine? Well, that is what the Scavenger Hunt is all about!

The Hunt Continues: PEG-100 stearate

This month’s Scavenger Hunt features PEG-100 stearate. With a toxicity rating of 5-7, this common ingredient raises concerns from contamination to cancer, endocrine disruption, and developmental toxicity. Yikes! We have to admit, we’re more than a little distressed when we see manufacturers label their products as pure, safe and yes, even organic when they contain genuinely concerning ingredients like polyethylene glycol (PEG). Don’t tell mamas your product is safe if it contains ingredients that are known liver toxins and endocrine disruptors. Right? Right! So, here’s how to join the hunt!

Email us a list of at least three “organic,” “natural” or “green” pregnancy care products (like pregnancy cleansers, lotions or body washes) that contain PEG-100 stearate. Feel free to make comments, we’d love to hear what you have to say. If you want to get really sleuthy and find out more, check out the products’ toxicity rating on the Skin Deep database, or take our eye opening What‘s Your Score? Challenge.

Prizes:
1. One Pregnancy Pampering Kit
2. One A Little Something for Mama-to-Be
3. One A Little Something for Baby


In this issue: Mama's Monthly Special • We Won! Twitter Party Surprises • A Contest!




			Bottoms up, baby! Keeping bottoms in tiptop shape is high priority for us, that’s why a lot of talk around EMAB HQ centers on easing bottom problems. So this month we’ve got some of our best bottom-soothing products on sale! We’ve also got a report on the Twitter love-fest that tickled us from top to bottom, and we help you get to the bottom of another worrisome ingredient in so-called “organic” pregnancy and baby products. And for a special treat, click here for delicious mocktail recipes using Earth Mama Angel Baby USDA Certified 100% Organic Tea. Brew enough for a party or adjust just for you, plop down on your bottom and raise a toast to the end of summer — bottoms up!




	Hemorrhoids? Postpartum soreness? Episiotomy? Swelling? Diaper rash? Yep, you and your little angel deserve some pure, natural comfort! Cooling, soothing New Mama Bottom Spray is a heavenly herbal perineal mist to help new mamas sit easier and feel better after labor, or for any flare up “down there.” Store Earth Mama Bottom Balm in the fridge for added cooling and comfort of prenatal and postpartum hemorrhoids, postpartum vaginal swelling and bruising, and episiotomies. Baby got a sore bum too? Diaper rash is no match for the yeast and rash-fighting herbs in Angel Baby Bottom Balm and Angel Baby Diaper Rash Soap. Pure, safe, and perfect for family first aid. And of course all Earth Mama Angel Baby products are rated 0 for toxins on the respected Skin Deep database! Just pure, safe bottom comfort for pure, sweet mamas and babies! New Mama Bottom Spray, Earth Mama Bottom Balm and Angel Baby Bottom Balm are 15% off, and Angel Baby Diaper Rash Soap is 10% off for the month of September! Just use coupon code BottomsUp01 when you check out to get your discount!




			Angel Baby Bottom Balm has been chosen as an Editor’s Pick in the diaper cream category of Natural Solutions magazine’s second annual Beauty With a Conscience Awards! This is a great honor, since the Beauty With a Conscience Awards honor “companies that use only the cleanest, healthiest ingredients available.” We’re proud that we fit the exclusive criteria. The Awards come out in October, so we’ll tell you more about it then, but we just couldn’t keep it under wraps!




	Twitter Party Report Did you make it to our Greenwashing Scavenger Hunt Twitter Party August 12? Together with 3 Green Angels (@3greenangels) and Stacy Malkan (@safecosmetics), the co-founder of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, we talked to mamas about Cocamidopropyl-betaine and why you don’t want to find it in your baby shampoos or body washes. Cocomidopropyl-betaine is a common ingredient in shampoos and body washes, and it’s surprisingly in many products labeled “green” or “natural” or even “organic.” One of the most commented on facts from the party was that there is no regulation for the word “natural.” You can find it on literally anything, and unless you read the label you have no guarantee what you’re purchasing. Mamas who partied with us used Skin Deep to look up their baby shampoos, there was a lot of fast and furious typing to win lots of prizes and keep up on all the conversation. If you’ve never been to a Twitter party, come to our September party on the 23rd and talk about PEG-100 Stearate. Ironically, you’ll find PEG-100 Stearate in many products for damaged, sensitive or dry skin. Read the chat log here if you missed the fun this month, and we’ll see you for Eco Wednesday on Twitter! To make sure you never miss out on Mama’s great advice and comforting words, check out her fun and charming posts in Mama’s Herb Garden, and her tweets about all things mama-related, from herbs to product safety to getting down and dirty about good, clean fun. And you can sign up for her RSS feed too!