The honey is produced by bees that have collected the nectar from manuka trees which are found in New Zealand and some parts of Australia. This manuka honey is used in skin care products, creams, lotions, hair products, foods, lozenges and is also used in the treatment of wounds because of its impressive antimicrobial properties.

Recent testing by scientists has shown that not only is manuka honey well suited to treating an infection but also may actually help to prevent the infection occurring in the first place. This is an important discovery especially in the presence of growing antibiotic resistance.

According to ScienceDaily:

“Streptococcus pyogenes is a normal skin bacterium that is frequently associated with chronic (non-healing) wounds. Bacteria that infect wounds can clump together forming ‘biofilms’, which form a barrier to drugs and promotes chronic infection. Researchers at Cardiff Metropolitan University have shown that manuka honey can not only destroy fully-formed S. pyogenes biofilms in vitro but also prevent the bacteria initially binding to components of wound tissue.” ~ article excerpt from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131205919

I think that over the next few years will see manuka honey being used in more and more products for the treatment of infections and for health as it is an incredible natural ingredient.

So here at Natural Products 4 Health we source our products from suppliers that share the same values when it comes to bringing the focus back onto products that are naturally healthy.

It’s time for another supplier interview and today we’re talking with Elise from Corrynne’s Natural Soap.

 

Question:
When it comes to making your products, what are the most important aspects in manufacturing, for example is it natural ingredients, organic, sustainable, animal friendly, etc?

Answer:
To make products that are not harmful to the body.  To be made with natural ingredients instead of chemicals.  As our motto states ‘MAKERS OF GENUINELY NATURAL PRODUCTS’.

 
Question:
Why did you decide to start making these products? How long have you been doing this and when did your company first start-up?

Answer:
Corrynne started making soaps 15 years ago in Sydney and sold them at the Paddington Markets.  She was waitressing at the time and wanted to do something different and creative.  She saw a niche in the market as there was no natural essential oil soaps being made.  She made them in her kitchen using milk cartons and this is where the square shape came from.  Milk cartons have a waxey lining which make them easy to peel away from the soap.

 

Question:
What is the best comment or most memorable comment that someone has made about your product?

Answer:
We have had loads of good comments over the years – here are some of them:

“Love the soaps as the smell lasts to the last slither”

 

 

Question:
Can you tell us a bit about how your products are made?

Answer:
Corrynne’s Natural Soap is made to this age old recipe, however animal fat has been replaced with palm, coconut and olive oils. This type of natural soap is called cold processed soap.
The process of saponification (soap making) occurs when fatty acids are acted upon by lye to make a mixture of soap and glycerine.  Lye may be a solution of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) or caustic potash (potassium hydroxide) dissolved in water.  Once the soap has saponified and been left to cure for a week no caustic agents will remain.  This process ensures that the soap retains all the moisture from the palm, coconut and olive oils. These oils form an ingredient called glycerine.  Glycerine makes soap softer and more moisturising to skin.  This is also called superfatting.  The result of a superfatted soap is that it has many fine bubbles and is very creamy,lathery and gentle on the skin.

Commercially made soap by contrast is made using cheaper ingredients such as synthetic surfactants such as Sodium Lauryl Sulphate. This ingredient is used to make soap lathery, forming big bubbles.  The down side to surfactants is that they strip the skin completely of oils, leaving skin very dry and exposed to the elements.  The surface of skin is made up of sebum and sweat which forms a protective layer against infections, wind and pollutions. The natural pH level of skin is in the range of between 4 to 5.5 which is slightly acidic.  When washing with soap this acid pH becomes alkaline which kills germs and washes away dirt and oils.  Because natural soaps are gentler and full of superfats the acid mantle of skin is not exposed as much.  Natural cold pressed soaps also act as a humectant, drawing moisture from the air to your skin.  Commercial soaps completely strip away this protective mantle and expose skin for a longer period of time, opening up the skin to possible infections and rashes such as dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis.

Corrynne’s Natural Soap also include essential oils for their fragrance and therapeutic benefits.  They are natural oils extracted from the flowers, stems and leaves of plants.  Also included in some soap bars are Australian clays for their exfoliation effect and cleansing properties.  Dried herbs, flowers and seeds add to their aesthetic appeal.

 

 
Question:
Where do you source your ingredients from?

Answer:
Essential oils are sourced from all over the world as certain plants grow in certain areas, for example Patchouli and Ylang Ylang essential oil comes from Malaysia,  orange oil is from Italy, we source clays from Australia and France. Where we can, we source in Australia, however ingredients like coconut oil can’t grow in Australia in commercial amounts.

 

Thanks Elise.  For more information about Corrynne’s Natural Soaps you can visit their website and to see the range of products we supply from Corrynne’s you can check out our shop page at Corrynne’s Natural Soaps.

What we do know is that emu oil is excellent for nourishing the skin because it contains fatty acids that are similar to human skin oils.  The linolenic acid and oleic acid penetrate the skin with healing, anti inflammatory and nourishing qualities. Possibly applying emu oil to your scalp may help to improve your skin and stimulate hair growth.

We supply pure emu oil as it is a natural moisturiser and free from added nasty chemicals.  It is an ideal carrier oil as it penetrates quickly and deeply into the skin tissue, reducing inflammation and thereby easing pain, while carrying other healing ingredients to the problem areas.

It seems that emu oil is even popular with some of the movie stars. In an article on InStyle, Charlize Theron lists emu oil as one of her “must haves” and she carries pure emu oil in her makeup bag- “I use this once a week to moisturise my hair.”

Here at Natural Products for health our emu oil product range includes pure emu oil in 50mL size or 200mL size, organic eyecreme, face cream, massage mousse and emu oil soaps.

In doing so we have sourced our goods from suppliers who also value the importance of reducing the chemicals that we put onto and into our bodies.

Over the next few weeks we will be posting interviews with our companies, discussing the natural products that they manufacture.

Today’s Q&A is with Alesha of Emuse Emu Oil Products

Question:
When it comes to making your products, what are the most important aspects in manufacturing, for example is it natural ingredients, organic, sustainable, animal friendly, etc?

Answer:
All of the above, but the most important thing is to provide a quality product, this will give the company a reputation which will set you aside from the competition.

 

Question:
Why did you decide to start making these products?

Answer:
After selling other brands of emu oil products for 7 years, I noticed that many customers wanted not only pure emu oil in their skin care products….but other natural and organic ingredients as well. Many emu oil brands out there use quality pure emu oil in skin care products, but it’s then added into a product that contains harsh ingredients and cheap additives which does nothing good for the skin at all, so this defeats the purpose. Emuse is based on natural and organic ingredients with no harsh ingredients and minimum preservatives.

 

Question:
How long have you been doing this and when did your company first start-up?

Answer:
Emuse started in 2010, since then we have rapidly grown to now have 19 products…..and constantly researching more.

 

Question:
What is the best comment or most memorable comment that someone has made about your product?

Answer:
We get many testimonies form happy customers but when someone says that a product is the BEST they have ever used.  This one is from a lady in Singapore……..

“Oh Yeah – BTW the lip conditioner is fantastic. it doesnt melt and it’s so far the best lip conditioner I ever used”

 

Question:
Can you tell us a bit about how your products are made?

Answer:
We try to be environmentally conscious and strive for quality at every step of the way. Emu oil is a natural & sustainable product where the emus are raised in their natural habitat, then the whole animal is used for the oil, meat, leather, feathers etc.

Then the products are made with other natural and organic ingredients which are again better for our skin and better for the planet. We put as many natural and effective ingredients in each product as possible.

 

Question:
Where do you source your ingredients from?

Answer:
We source our ingredients as local as possible, all our products are Australian made with Australian ingredients.

 

Question:
Do you have any images of the manufacturing process or short videos or anything that you think the readers might find interesting and valuable?

Answer:
In 2012 we plan to make a short video and once it’s ready we’ll be releasing it on our website.

 

Question:
Do you have any upcoming exciting product or brand updates?

Answer:
Yes, we have just launched our Emu Oil Capsules !! They contain a healthy balance of Omega 3 6 & 9 and are currently being tested in Australian hospitals, we will be releasing the results on the website as soon as the trials have been completed.

 

Question:
Thanks Alesha, and do you have anything else you would like to add?

Answer:
Yes, we always like to hear from customers and the public about what they want in a product, so feel free to call or email us anytime as we appreciate all feedback.

For more information about Emuse you can visit their website at www.emuseproducts.com.

You can visit our Emuse Emu Oil product range on our Emu Oil Products page.

Here’s a round up of the tips with some added goodies…

 Okinawa is a group of 161 islands located just southwest of Japan.   It is a place where the ageing process has slowed right down.

Centenarians (people who have reached the age of 100) are still active, social and independent.  They look incredible for their age and are still energetic, and this is the norm in Okinawa.

In fact they have the highest concentration of centenarians in the world.

So how do they do it?

Well it is their lifestyle, or more to the point, it is the way that they live their lives.  They live by the philosophy of less stress.  They react less negatively and with less hostility and accept that change is an inevitable part of life.  Okinawans have developed “stress resistant personalities”.

Key traits include:

• easy-going
• cheerful
• adaptable
• active
• independent
• self confident
• creative
• relaxed
• happy
• calm
• open
• satisfied
• agreeable
• conscientious
• sociable

In addition to having these positive personalities, they also have a fantastic diet which supports their healthy lifestyle.

“Nuchi gusui: food should nourish life, this is the best medicine.”

How to eat the Okinawan way:

Serving sizes: 1/2 cup= a closed fist, 1 cup= a softball, 3 ounces= deck of cards

1.  Eat 10 serves of vegetables and fruits daily:

Serving suggestions: 1 cup raw leafy veges, 1/2 cup other veges, 3/4 cup of vegetable juice, 1/2 cup cooked or canned fruit, 1 medium banana, orange or 1/2 grapefruit, 3/4 cup fruit juice

2.  Eat 10 serves wholegrains daily

Serving suggestions: 1/2 cup cooked cereal, rice or pasta, 1 ounce ready to eat cereal, 1 slice of bread

3.  Eat 3 serves calcium foods daily

Serving suggestions: 1 +1/2 ounces reduced fat cheese, 1 cup low fat or fat free milk, 1 cup fat free yoghurt
3 ounces calcium fortified tofu, 1 +1/4 cup prepared seaweed, 1/2 cup watercress

4.  Eat 3 serves flavonoid (an antioxidant) foods daily

Serving suggestions: 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed, 1/2 cup cooked beans, legumes, 3 ounces of tofu
2 tablespoons soy nuts, 3/4 cup miso soup, 3/4 cup cranberry juice
1 teaspoon miso paste, 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder, 1/4 cup soybean sprouts, 1/4 cup chopped onion

5.  Eat 2 serves omega-3 foods daily

Serving suggestions: 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed, 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, 3 ounces cooked fish
1 omega-3 egg, 3 ounces tofu, 1 teaspoon canola oil, 1 teaspoon flaxseed oil

6.  Drink fresh water and tea daily

7.  Eat no more than 7 protein serves per week- cut back on red meat

Serving suggestions: 2-3 ounces cooked poultry, 2-3 ounces cooked lean meat, 1 non omega-3 egg

8.  Drink alcohol in moderation or not at all

What are your tips for longevity?  Share in the comments below

Image: Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

This week’s featured product is Emu Oil Organic Eye Crème by Emuse Products.

Here’s a quick list of key properties:

• Cucumber oil for soft skin
• Aloe Vera to heal and repair
• Vitamins A, D and E and omega vitamins for tone and elasticity
• Powerful antioxidant CoEnzyme Q~10 to protect the skin
• Sweet Almond Oil to soothe and smooth

Producer: Emuse Emu Oil products- Australian made and owned

Size: 30mL

Instructions: Only use a small amount, and gently rub into skin around your eyes, daily.

How’s your skin?

One of the most obvious places that we notice the aging process is undoubtedly our skin.  As we get older, when we look in the mirror we notice the lines on our faces, and our skin starts to look less smooth and more wrinkly.

Wrinkes and sagging skin may be an inevitable part of growing up, but who says we can’t try to slow down these effects on our skin.

Our Skin’s makeup

Our skin is made up of 3 main parts: epidermis, dermis and the subcutaneous layer.

The epidermis is the outside layer, which is the skin cells that are in direct contact with our environment.  The middle layer, dermis, is composed of blood vessels, oil glands, nerves and hair follicles.  Beneath the dermis is the inner layer (subcutaneous layer) which contains more blood vessels, sweat glands and fat.

Inside each layer is also connective tissue consisting of collagen fibres for support and elastin fibres for strength and flex. It is this connective tissue that changes with age as the epidermis thins and causes the skin to lose its flexibility and strength.

Changes to our skin

Age, environmental factors, genetic makeup, nutrition, and other factors all contribute to the changes in your skin.  By far the most damage to our skin is caused by too much sun exposure.

Looking after our skin

The first step is to ensure you are looking after yourself by drinking enough water, eating a well balanced diet, adequate sunlight exposure but not too much and exercising regularly.

To help maintain the health and elasticity of your skin, the use of natural healing products and vitamins can help to prolong the youthfulness of your skin by keeping moisture in your skin.

That’s where Emu Oil Organic Eye Crème comes in.  It contains the amazing carrier oil from Emu, that penetrates and nourishes the epidermis as it carries healing ingredients deep into your skin.

As it moisturises and nourishes the sensitive skin around your eyes, it reduces fine lines, soothes and feeds the skin with organic rosehips oil, cucumber, aloe vera, sweet almond oil, pure emu oil and Co~Q10.
It is a wonderfully effective eyecreme that rejuvenates the skin around your eyes.

Try some today by heading over to shop for Emu Oil eye creme for smoothing the skin around your eyes.

Ingredients:
This eye creme is made with natural organic ingredients and does not contain Sulfates, Parabens, Lanolin, Mineral oil, Artificial colour, Artificial fragrance, SLS or Petrochemicals
Contains: Aloe Vera – Organic, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl alcohol, Shea Butter – Organic, Glycerine, Rosehips Oil – Organic, Sweet Almond Oil – Organic, Emu Oil, Avocado Oil – Organic, Apricot Kernel Oil – Organic, Macadamia Seed Oil – Organic, Jojoba Seed Oil – Organic, Tocopherol, Water, Cocoa Butter – Organic, Co Enzyme Q10, Cucumber Oil, Lavender, Potassium Sorbate, Lactic Acid.

For some more information, read about emu oil products here and here.

Image of eye: graur codrin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Here’s some quick facts why Emu Oil is so good:

1. Emu Oil contains fatty acids which regenerate and preserve our skin cells, ease muscular aches and pains, and work as an anti inflammatory to reduce joint pain and swelling.
   It contains the fatty acids- Oleic acid, Omega 6, Omega 3 and Linolenic acid.
2. Emu Oil speeds up the healing processes of the skin, thus reducing scars, and soothing burns and pain.
3. Emu Oil is hypoallergenic and reduces skin irritation from eczema, dermatitis and dryness.
4. Emu Oil may stimulate hair regrowth.
5. Emu Oil is an excellent skin moisturiser as it enhances your skin’s upper layers to retain water and can penetrate the epidermis, transforming rough, dry skin into smooth and healthy skin, thus helping to reduce your visible signs of aging.
6. Emu Oil does not clog the pores of your skin, or cause acne, as other oils can.
7. Emu Oil enables emollients to penetrate your skin’s surface so they have a much greater effect, and so emu oil based creams are much more effective than water based creams.

Pure Emu Oil should be applied to your skin by gently massaging it onto the affected areas 2-3 times a day for the first 3-4 weeks, then apply once daily from then on.

It helps with the following conditions:

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Osteoarthritis
• Fibro myalgia
• Eczema
• Psoriasis
• Dermatitis
• Aching muscles
• Inflammation
• Dry skin
• Nappy rash
• Cradle cap
• Burns
• Bruising
• Scar tissue
• Sun burn

We are happy to be able to use and promote Emu Oil products.  Share your thoughts below in the comments, let us know what you think of Emu Oil and if you’ve used it before.

For many years I’ve had skin issues on my hands, and after trialling many different hand creams, I finally have a solution.

The problem with my skin on the top of my hands could be eczema, dermatitis from working with my hands in chemicals years ago, or even just from having to constantly wash my hands.  But it is a very annoying problem, and sometimes you just wish there was some magical cream that would fix it !!

As my hands became more painful and itchy, not to mention the fact that they didn’t look nice, I consulted a dermatologist hoping to find some answers.  He asked questions, showed me some information on his computer, and then wrote me out a prescription.  Not quite what I was expecting or hoping for, but then I had no idea what to expect at the appointment.  At least this ointment that he had prescribed might work… I thought.

Unfortunately, after handing over all my money, both for the cream, and also the very expensive consultation fees,  I had an ointment from the chemist that didn’t work.  Aarghhhhh….

I was beginning to think that there wasn’t going to be a solution.  That maybe this is just something that I have to learn to live with.

A new hope

Well the answer came a few years later.  Friends returned from a New Zealand holiday and they brought me back a present.  They’d come across a hand creme made by Parrs, a New Zealand company.  It contained that magical ingredient I was looking for.  MANUKA HONEY.

The conditioning hand creme was amazing.  Absolutely incredible because it cleared up the itchy painful rash in a matter of days.  Something that no other product I had used, or used since, has ever done.

Not only is the manuka honey conditioning hand creme good for your hands, as it nourishes and heals the skin, but it can be used on other areas of the body where the skin is damaged or itchy and sore.

Amazed by the simple natural ingredient of manuka honey, I have since started using other products with manuka honey, but this is still my favourite.  The look of the outside of the tub has changed, as the packaging has had an update, and the Parrs Manuka Honey skincare products are now marketed under the brand “Wild Ferns” but the product is as effective as ever.

For more information about manuka honey check out our manuka honey page and to purhase Parrs Wild Ferns Manuka honey Conditioning hand creme have a look at our new shop- Manuka honey hand creme.

Thanks for your patience while we finished setting up the Natural Products 4 Health shop.

As of today Tuesday 18th October 2011, we are now open for sales.  Check out the information in the pages on our website about Natural Products.

Feel free to have a browse through our range of natural products in our online shop: http://www.naturalproducts4health.com/shop

As part of our grand opening special we will be including some freebies with every order, and don’t forget to sign up to our email subscription list so that we can keep you up to date with new products and monthly promotions.