Totally Scent Free!

I saw this being sold in Grocer at Starling Mall. I took a whiff and it doesn't have any fragrance. Unfortunately, the price is quite steep: RM15.90 for 500ml.

If you're desperate for something to wash your dishes (or bathrooms) that doesn't smell, you might want to try this.

Product Review (4) - Nellie's All-Natural Laundry Soda

One blue scoop is all you need.

When I got my front loading HE washing machine, I had to look everywhere for a laundry detergent which was not perfumed AND suitable for my HE washing machine. The one that I had been using wasn't suitable for the HE machine. It foamed up to the point that it almost overflowed out from every outlet of the machine.

I found Nellie's All-Natural Laundry Soda at ACE Hardware for RM109+. It can wash 100 loads. 1 load is RM1.09. I think that is reasonable. And the clothes have no fragrance at all.

The ingredients are coconut oil based surfactants, sodium carbonate (soda ash), sodium metasilicate, fatty alcohol ethoxylate and sodium chloride.

Like I said, when I find something suitable, the universe will go all out against me. ACE Hardware has discontinued importing this product. All their old stocks are sold at 50%. I went to whatever outlets that still had this product and bought it all. That will at least give me some time to look for a new one.

Verdict: It has no smell, no foam - perfect for a HE washing machine.

Product Review (2) - Ecover Washing-Up Liquid

 Today's product review is Ecover washing-up liquid.

Chamomile & Marigold

Lemon & Aloe Vera
(I did not realise that this picture is the product BEFORE the latest ones. The ones I bought do not have FRAGRANCE as in the picture above.)

This is the one I have, the older version.

I have been using these for years now. They are gentle on the hands. The smell is very, VERY faint and that was what caught my attention. It hardly had any smell.

When I first bought this many, MANY years ago, it was only approximately about RM15 for 1 litre. Now it costs RM23+ at many supermarkets and hardware shops. But ACE Hardware is still selling this for RM20+.

*The ingredients are plant-based. They are DI water (deionized water), sodium lauryl sulfate which is derived from plant oil (coconut oil), lauryl/myristyl glucoside which is derived from plant sugars and oils, ethanol which is from fermented plant sugars, sodium chloride (salt), glycerin from vegetable oil, sodium citrate from plant sugars, citric acid derived from fermented plant sugars and T-butyl alcohol which is from fermented plant sugars.

*taken from HERE

Apparently they have a fragrance-free wash liquid but I've never seen this in Malaysia.

Not only do I use these two for my dishes, I use them for my bathrooms. Yes, I use them to wash the bathrooms! They work very well. 1 litre can last for 9 months! After every wash, the bathrooms do not smell as though they got bombed by chemical-fragrance bombs. And they clean the bathrooms very well. No residue and no smell!

Unfortunately, when I find something suitable, the universe will go all out against me. Products are either discontinued or have their ingredients changed.

The revamped products: IMPROVED FRAGRANCE!

I don't know how strong the scents are. I haven't taken a whiff of the new improved versions. I have not bought the new ones as I still have a lot of the old ones.

I might have to start scouting for new smell-free washing up liquid with reasonable prices.

Verdict: The old version was awesome. No comments/feedback on the new ones.

Product Review (1) - Jack N' Jill Natural Toothpaste

I will be doing some product reviews as I come across "safe", "fragrance-free" and "chemically-free" products being sold out there.

My review is my opinion. You can disagree. You can pound your keyboard and scream in disagreement. You can even send in your disagreements.

But if you choose to buy and experiment, you are responsible for your own experiments. Please use wisdom and common sense when you try anything new. Just because I can use/eat/smell it, do not think that you too will be able to. My immune system and yours are different and no two persons' immune system are the same.

Today's product review is Jack N' Jill Toothpaste.

The ingredients are xylitol, purified water, vegetable glycerin (coconut derived), silica, xantham gum, potassium sorbate (naturally derived) and citric acid.

According to what is written on the tube, it's safe to be swallowed. It is also SLS (sodium laureth sulfate) free. It has no fluoride, no sugar, no artificial colour and no parabens.

The gel is transparent/translucent.

When I used it for the first time, my eyes went as big as goldfish eyes. It was sooooooooo sweet! Hey, I thought that it stated "No Sugar?" I read the ingredients again and saw xylitol. Well, *xylitol is a sugar substitute and is used in "sugar-free" candies and sweets. It has a low glycemic index, fewer calories and doesn't spike blood sugar/insulin. The sweetness turned me off.

The price factor was another turn off. For 50gm it costs a whooping RM31.70!!! That was the first and last time I would ever buy this. It's too damn expensive. With RM31.70, I could buy one and a half free-range chicken!

Some salicylate-sensitive people might not be able to tolerate the coconut derived vegetable glycerin. Many cannot tolerate coconut. Vegetable glycerin is from the oil and coconut oil is HIGH in salicylate.

My verdict? A waste of money and WAY TOO SWEEEEET!


*taken from Xylitol - Everything You Need To Know

The Definition of Product Labels

How many times have you been misled to buy some product because the label claimed to be something you thought it to be? Upon closer inspection, the ingredients are a total opposite of what they advertised on the label!

Here are some of the common terms that we come across in our everyday products:

1. Fragrance-Free or Unscented

This is a general claim that implies that the product does not contain any fragrances. (click here)

In reality, fragrance-free or unscented products do contain artificial/natural fragrances OR masking agents to cover up existing smells of other chemicals or ingredients used in the products.(click here)

2. Hypoallergenic

This has very little meaning to it. (click here) In fact, this is a rather unregulated term!

Basically, sensitive people can still react to product(s) that has a hypoallergenic claim. It can also mean that allergy-causing ingredients are still present in the products, but they are used in smaller amounts!

Read hypoallergenic skincare for more information.

3. Ophthalmologist Tested/Dermatologist Tested

This actually means that an ophthalmologist or dermatologist tested the product. How it was tested and on how many people it was tested remains unclear.

An interesting link on dermatologically tested and clinically proven. Do read this!

4. Not Tested on Animals

This mean that the product(s) were not tested on animals. But this does not mean that the INDIVIDUAL ingredients of the products were not tested on animals. The 'Not Tested On Animals' movement was started by animal rights organizations stating that animals have an intrinsic right not to be used for experimentation.

What does this tell hypersensitive people like us about the product? Nothing!

5. Preservative-Free

Preservative-free products do not last long and they are of a greater risk in contamination. Preservative-free products would need to be refrigerated and thus consumers find them to be a great hassle.

Click here to read about 7 reasons there aren't more preservative free cosmetics.

An interesting link about preservative-free cosmetics.

So if you buy a product which states that it is preservative-free and yet it expires within 1 to 3 years, chances are that the manufacturer is lying!

6. Organic

The term organic means plants or natural materials have been produced by using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and synthetic chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms (GMO), and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents or chemical food additives.


Transparency of labeling of products is very important because it helps people who are hypersensitive and people with allergies to identify the ingredients in products that they are sensitive to. By doing so, consumers can be safe.

To Scent or Not To Scent - (Part 5) Fragrance-Free & Masking Agents

As I was researching for this series on perfumes and fragrances, I stumbled upon a scary discovery!

Fragrance-free DOES NOT MEAN fragrance-free!

Confused?

Let me explain to you what fragrance-free means.

FRAGRANCE-FREE or UNSCENTED products have an added chemical to MASK the smells of the other chemicals or fragrance in their products!!!

OH MY GOD!!!!

How ignorant I have been!

No wonder of late, the Simple shampoo has been irritating my nose and I could not figure out what it was!

Even though the masking agent(s) mask the smells of the other chemicals, they can still trigger a hypersensitivity attack as the chemicals are still in there. It is just that you don't smell it now, that's all.

Scary eh?

Of course I understand that there is no way we can completely avoid synthetic chemicals in our daily life. I am wondering on how to go about this fragrance-free and unscented products with masking agents.

Veratraldehyde

Veratraldehyede is an example of a masking agent.

The compound structure is structurally related to benzaldehyde. It is derivative of vanillin.

This is added to soaps, detergents and luxury perfumes as an odour-masking agent.

Veratraldehyde occurs naturally in champaca flower extracts, peppermint and raspberries. But it is commercially cheaper and thus almost all veratraldehyde used today is synthetic.

Not only it is used as a masking agent, it is used by perfumers as a fixative as it helps perfume linger longer on the skin or fabric.

Veratraldehyde's usage level is meant to be kept at or below 10% of a perfume's concentrate oil.

Veratraldehyde is also known as Methylvanillin, Veratric Aldehyde, Veratral, Veratryl Aldehyde, Veratrum Aldehyde, Vanillin Methyl Ether.


An interesting link.

Click here for more information on veratraldehyde.