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We would like to introduce you to a charity that's very close to our hearts, Women’s Community Shelters (WCS). Now more than ever, women all around Australia need to feel safe, secure, supported and equal. Covid-19 restrictions, along with rapid rising inflation rates and financial stress linked to the pandemic, floods and other world events have caused a spike in domestic violence cases across the country.

Did you know, 56,000 women in Australia are homeless every night, and more than one in two women who seek a bed in a crisis shelter are turned away every night, mostly due to a lack of space. And these are just the ones who find out they can ask for a safe place to go.

“Our mission at Wotnot Naturals is to help improve the wellbeing of all women. As part of this we donate a percentage of sales to Women’s Community Shelters”. Sinead Roberts, co-founders of Wotnot Naturals.

WCS is an Australian charity working with communities to support existing and establish new shelters for women. These shelters provide short term emergency accommodation and support in a safe environment, helping enable homeless women to rebuild their self-esteem and achieve control and eventually, fulfilment of their lives.

Adequate support for vulnerable women requires a range of services, not just emergency accommodation and help finding long-term affordable housing. To re-establish control over their lives they also need access to counselling, health care, assistance to navigate government bureaucracy, legal help, further education and assistance gaining employment.

Each individual shelter employs a paid Shelter Manager, a number of Case Workers, an Outreach and Child Support Worker (where funds allow) and are further supported by a network of hard-working volunteers. In addition to the volunteer board members, shelters have up to 80 active volunteers who support the work of the shelter through fundraising activities, event coordination, and organising activities for resident women and children.

 

“WCS relies on the support of partners such as Wotnot Naturals and I thank you on behalf of the women and children in our growing shelter network. We now have seven shelters, with two in the pipeline and we have expanded our transitional housing properties from just 3 in 2018 to over 20 in 2022, meaning we can offer ongoing safe accommodation and support to women and children when they leave our shelters.” Nathalie Peacock – Women's Community Shelters

Wotnot Naturals is a company founded by women, creating products for women and their children. Our community drives everything we do, and we are so proud to be supporting WCS in their mission to help build an Australia where women and children are safe, secure, supported and equal.

To hear more about their invaluable work or to see how you can help, visit https://www.womenscommunityshelters.org.au/

Congratulations, you are pregnant! And so begins the thrill of shopping for tiny newborn onesies, choosing nursery themes and becoming more health conscious than you have ever been. Your doctors will tell you to drink plenty of water, eat a wholesome diet, and ensure you are taking the right prenatal vitamins… but has the conversation progressed to mindfully choosing safe skincare in pregnancy?

Our bodies absorb a portion of what we apply topically, and some of this can transfer through our bloodstream, and to our growing babes either through the placenta, or later, via breastmilk. For this reason, we want to ensure that when this happens, the chemicals they are exposed to will not interfere with normal growth and development.

Especially during the summer months, even those who usually pay no mind to sunscreen, find themselves lathering it on to prevent harmful sunburns. With sunscreen likely being a part of your daily routine, it is worth taking a close look at the ingredients and chose a low toxin sunscreen.

Active ingredients within chemical sunscreen includes oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate and / or octinoxate. These ingredients are readily absorbed by the skin and may then reach the fetus. This is concerning, as these ingredients are considered endocrine disruptors which can cause harmful cell changes during embryonic development.

One study detected hormone disrupting UV filters and parabens from chemical sunscreen in the placenta of all samples taken. Another study detected chemical UV filters in 85% of breast milk samples obtained; while another study found these harsh chemicals on the skin and in the blood weeks after no longer being used.  This also means that its worth investigating what toxins to avoid during conceiving as well.

Oxybenzone

 A study reported that pregnant women in their first trimester who apply sunscreen containing 6 percent oxybenzone twice a day (the recommended usage) can absorb the chemical into their bloodstream. It may then reach the fetus, causing harmful cell changes during embryonic development as it is considered an endocrine disruptor. Another study reported statistically significant associations between oxybenzone exposure during pregnancy and birth outcomes. One reported shorter pregnancy in women carrying male foetuses, two reported higher birth weights for baby boys and one found lower birth weights for baby girls.

Several countries ban the sale of sunscreens that contain this ingredient, however, it can still be found in sunscreens within Australia.

 

Octinoxate

Octinoxate is another synthetic chemical which acts as a UV filter, but can also have hormone effects on the metabolic system and affect thyroid hormone production.

 

Homosalate

Homosalate is widely used in chemical sunscreens, can disrupt hormones and produce toxic breakdown by-products over time. The European Commission recommends a maximum concentration of 1.4 percent, however, in Australia the TGA allows manufacturers to use it in concentrations of up to 15 percent. Yikes. 

 

Octocrylene

Octocrylene absorbs through the skin at 14 times the recommended cutoff for systemic exposure, and can often be contaminated with cancer-causing benzophenone.

 

All of this might leave you wondering how on Earth these ingredients could be allowed in our skincare products. Well, the answer is not simple and relates to regulatory change being slow. But there is a solution! All thanks to ever-evolving science and innovation, there are now safer sunscreen options available on the market today.

These are called mineral sunscreens.

 Mineral sunscreen, such as our Natural Sunscreen is made from all natural, certified organic ingredients that make it a safe sunscreen for pregnancy and conceiving. The Wotnot Natural Sunscreen uses zinc oxide as its active ingredient. This is particularly valuable because of zinc oxides ability to filter UVA as well as UVB radiation, allowing for broad spectrum protection. It is safe and effective, with evidence suggesting that few, if any, particles penetrate the skin to reach living tissues.

In addition to being free from the toxins to avoid during pregnancy and conceiving, the Wotnot Natural Sunscreen is made without the use of GMO’s, and is free from sulphates, petrochemicals, parabens, artificial preservatives and fragrances.

 The preservative used is natural, vegetable based and Australian Certified Organic; and the additional ingredients which gives it its smooth consistency, such as jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, safflower oil and shea butter can have beneficial anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects on the skin!  

 Another added bonus? It is reef-friendly and safe for children from 3 months old – so you can feel good about providing the best for your growing babe, as well as the planet.

So mama, congratulations on your new pregnancy! Tick safe sunscreen for pregnancy off your list, and move on to exciting nursery themes! You got this.

 

written by Chelsea Hyett, Low Tox Movement

Let’s talk Blepharitis – with Dr Caroline Catt and Dr Michael Jones from Sydney Ophthalmic Specialists and both senior clinical lecturers with the University of Sydney.

 

See an extract below or watch the full interview here

What is Blepharitis and what causes it?

Blepharitis is a very common eye condition that affects adults as well as children and even babies. Blepharitis is inflammation of the eyelids, causing them to become red, swollen, burning or sore and have flakes or crusts at the base of the eyelashes.
As an inflammatory condition, it can sometimes have an infective component, so it can be related to infection with certain bacteria, such as staphylococcus, streptococcus, or even some viral infection or more common inflammatory conditions like rosacea. In babies and toddlers, it's usually an inflammatory condition not related to those infections and is very uncommon in babies under 12months of age. However, in kids it can also go undiagnosed for a long time.

 

What are the most common signs and symptoms of Blepharitis?

In kids, it's a type of condition related to gland production, that can result in a blockage in the gland itself, which some people know as a sty. Kids often present with blinking and eye rolling or eye rubbing. We see that a lot more in kids with screen time because when they are watching the screen, they don’t blink as much as they should. So that dries the eye out and makes them susceptible. So homeschooling but also TV watching can increase this.

Another factor to consider in kids is allergies, an allergy can become an autoimmune problem and the cornea on the fron of the eye can become unhealthy or damaged as a result. Therefore as parents it is worth being aware of these symptoms and that it is well worth having their eyes checked out.

For adults its more typical that they get a feeling of dry eyes, a certain quirkiness or sandy feeling, along with some redness in the eye.

Who is at risk of it?

Blepharitis is very ubiquitous, there isn't anyone who's immune from it. It can appear in all families and skin types. There are certain hereditary conditions that can make kids between 3 to 10 more susceptible to blepharitis, such as rosacea, excema, and underlying allergies. But also adults that have rosacea (more specifically ocular rosacea) and other dry eye syndromes that can get Blepharitis more commonly.

Wearing contact lenses can aggravate the condition though. Because even the best designer contact lenses are a foreign body, that tend to cause a little bit of irritation on the surface. It is worth trying new lens types as some are more prone to rubbing than others and lens technology has progressed significantly, and they are a lot more water friendly these days. Another important factor is how much you wear your contacts.

How is Blepharitis diagnosed?

The most powerful way to diagnose blepharitis is actually to look at the eyelid margins and listening to the symptoms the patient is experiencing. To investigate the eye, Ophtalmologists use a piece of equipment called a slit lamp, which works like a big microscope that lets them look at the front of the eye and at the meibomian glands. These are tiny oil glands which line the margin of the eyelids (the edges which touch when the eyelids are closed). These glands secrete oil which coats the surface of our eyes and keeps the water component of our tears from evaporating (drying out). Sure signs of Blepharitis are if those glands are blocked by oil or the glandular secretions are stuck in the eye or form crusts along the roots of the eye lashes, or the sequelae of blepharitis such as conjunctivitis, or dry spots on the cornea is visible, then Blepharitis can be diagnosed.

What treatment options are there?

There's a number of different ways to treat Blepharitis and the underlying principle is to reduce inflammation within the eyelids.

• It is crucial to remove all eye makeup at the end of the day. This is important because any foreign material staying there for a long time can worsen any Blepharitis.
• Apply a warm compress over the eyes once or twice a day. To do this use a washer and warm it with bath temperature water, wring it out and hold it over each eye one at a time for at least thirty seconds. The heat will warm up the blocked oil and make it easier to remove it from the glands to the surface of the eye where it's supposed to be.
• Clean the roots of the lashes where crusts and inflammatory debris is accumulating. There are a number of different products you can use to clean right along the route of the eyelashes. Make sure you clean right where you would apply eyeliner along the lash roots.
• Blepharitis occurs in association with dry eye so lubricating eyedrops can help.
• Taking enough omega 3 oil, either through eating fish, or through a dietary supplement can be helpful as well.
• And then there are certainly conditions where there is a role for oral antibiotics, or topical antibiotics, or even topical steroids.

 

Good lid care is fundamental, and there are great results for both adults and kids. Instructing patients on lid hygiene and lid care and getting them on a good routine pays off. All proposed treatments (antibiotics orally or topically or steroids or even surgery) should always be followed by good lid care, and if that is done correctly patients normally do not neeed to have further treatment. In Dr Jones experience only patients that stopped doing good lid care relapsed.

As good lid care needs to be an ongoing routine it is best to keep it simple, to make it easy to stick with it. It should become part of your bathroom routine to wash your eyelids.  Dr Jones recommends a tear-free baby shampoo. Use a little bit of foam on a face wash or your fingers and gently shampoo the eyelashes. This plugs the glands, cleans up the lid margin and helps to get rid of some of the debris.

A home remedy that's effective is using bicarb in water. Boil one litre of water and dissolve a teaspoon of bicarb. This is safe and gentle on the surface of the eye.

 

When should you see a doctor?

If there is any change to your vision. If you think you're visually suffering, if your eyes feel painful, and if they're not responding well to those simple treatments discussed above. It is always good to have children seen by a Doctor, especially because historically they are often under diagnosed. And there are cases of children that had vision threatening complications from Blepharitis. One of the extreme complications of Blepharitis is scarring of the cornea, which can leave to permanent vision complications. Therefore it is recommended that when your child is presenting with reoccurring red eye to have it checked out.

 

Are there any other preventative measures that can be implemented?

Diet is a very important factor. There is evidence that supplementation with omega 3 and 6 as well as flaxseed oil can have a preventative effect.

There are triggers that can cause a Blepharitis outbreak, specially if your Blepharitis is linked to Rosacea.  In this case it is important to know your triggers and avoiding them. These could be drinking alcohol, a sudden change in temperature, coffee or spicy food. Then add good lid care and lubricating eyedrops and this will reduce the chance of those exacerbation.

 

Key points to take away about Blepharitis

It is a very common condition that we all should be aware of, many patients of the Sydney Ophthalmic Specialists present with underlying Blepharitis and raising awareness will help hugely. Even though it is not a life-threatening disease in itself, at its worst, it can be eyesight threatening. There are some very effective and safe measures as discussed above and managing it properly can be lifechanging.

 

I have been chatting to Dr. Caroline Catt and Dr. Michael Jones who are ophthalmologists or eye specialists from Sydney Ophthalmic Specialists based in Sydney. Dr. Caroline Catt graduated with an undergraduate and medical and a master's degree from the University of Sydney and Flinders University of South Australia. She has a keen interest in teaching ophthalmologists in training and is a clinical senior lecturer at the University of Sydney. Dr. Michael Jones is currently the Head of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Children's Hospital Westmead. He is head of the Strabismus Unit at the Sydney Eye hospital, and a senior clinical lecturer with the University of Sydney.

Thank you so much for your time, Dr. Catt and Dr. Jones.

Whether you’re a novice self tanner or just petrified of revisiting a previous tanning disaster (we all have had one) then read on to find out how the pros do it.

There’s a reason why self tan is often called a holiday in a bottle and after all, a natural looking tan can have you looking 1 kilo lighter, 5 years younger and 50 yoga hours more toned.

Follow these insider tips, step by step, to get your natural looking glow on.

PREPARATION

Never underestimate the power of prep work!! If you’re lazy and skip this step…. It’s at your own peril.

Exfoliate your whole body with a gentle purpose-built mitt. There’s no need to use expensive scrubs as you can get the most premium sustainable result naturally, with one of these over and over again.

You always want to make sure you remove any dry, rough patches of skin as they tend to attract and hold more colour than skin that’s even and smooth, which can result in a patchy result.

Once your skin is soft and silky, remove any unwanted hair and make sure you stay lotion and perfume free before you tan. 

CHOOSE THE RIGHT PRODUCTS

You wouldn’t believe how far self tan has come in the way of innovation in the last 5 years.

You can now get a certified organic mousse that’s quick drying, smells like a spa treatment and leaves you looking like you’ve just arrived home from a week in Hawaii.

Always look for a formula with a guide colour, this is critical so you can see where the product is being applied. Without this, there’s every chance you’ll miss a spot and it’s almost impossible to reapply without a streaky looking finish.

If tanning mousse seems too scary there’s also a gradual tanning lotion to dip your toe in the water. This can also be used as a tan extender to keep skin hydrated and avoid skin looking patchy as the tan wears off.

USE THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF PRODUCT

Try as hard as possible not to use more product than you need. A little goes a long way!

Aim for 1-2 pumps of mousse for each arm, lower and upper leg, torso and chest. If you apply more than you need it can make for an uneven application and the end result will look really unnatural.

If you want a deeper tan, add another layer after the first has dried. Tip, the first time you use a product trial one layer first and see what it looks like once it’s developed. That way there are no nasty surprises.

USE A TANNING MITT

This is a nonnegotiable for so many reasons. If you’ve ever wondered whether a tanning mitt is necessary, it is!!! The soft velvet surface of the mitt allows you to evenly distribute, blend and pat the mousse onto your skin. Without a mitt its far more likely you’ll end up with visible streaks, not to mention tan on the palm of your hands…yuk.

How to tan your hands

When self tanning you always want to avoid over-tanned hands, wrists and palms. Have you ever noticed that your skin is naturally lighter towards your wrist, and the palms of our hands don’t tan at all.

When tanning the inside of your arm always blend towards your wrist and be sure not to leave a line at the base of your hand.

Once your arms are done then use what’s left on the on the mitt to softly sweep over the top of your hand towards your fingers for a natural coverage.

Then last, but not least, take a damp cloth or face wipe and sweep in between fingers and over the top of knuckles to remove any excess product.  This is key in natural looking tan on the hands.

how to tan your feet

After hands, feet are the next biggest giveaway of a dodgy tan job. Be careful not to apply too much to ankles and notice where the skin would be naturally tanned.

Like hands, there’s no need to apply extra product to the mitt when tanning the top of your feet. Simply sweep the mitt gently over the surface and blend for a natural look.

Finally, take your damp cloth or face wipe and touch up the sides of the feet and in between toes.  

 

DON’T FORGET ABOUT TANNING YOUR FACE

For a foolproof faux glow, make sure that you give your complexion a healthy glow too.

Face Tanning Mist is the hottest trend in beauty right now and there’s a reason for it. Not only does it give you that natural beachy look daily but it tones and hydrates at the same time.

You can spritz it directly onto your face or use a cotton pad for a flawless finish and bonus you will remove any excess make up, sunscreen or dirt post cleanse and tone all at the same time. Use it each night before you go to bed until you reach the desired colour. You’ll never look so healthy and well.

Hot Tip – Spritz Face Tanning Mist in hard-to-reach places like your back.

Tan Maintenance

Moisture is key to maintaining a natural looking, evenly fading tan. Always apply a deeply nourishing moisturiser morning and night to keep your skin well hydrated. It’s always a good idea to drink plenty of water too.

If you want to extend the life of your glow, Gradual Tan daily is a great option for a two in one boost of hydration and tan at the same time!

Now you know how the pros do it, you can give it a go yourself.