Organic Earth-Friendly Holiday Gifts
by D.A. Colvin
The holiday season is about giving, sharing, and being with those you love and cherish. December brings out the festive spirit in people, inspiring them to decorate with evergreen, ornaments, beautiful music, and lights. 
There’s also the desire to get dressed up and look your best and give special beautiful gifts that make your loved ones smile.
When the time comes to exchange gifts, there is always anticipated childlike excitement in the air, as everyone anxiously waits to see what they have received. Children are always so happy and excited that they tear open their presents before enjoying the pretty wrapping and packaging. Men, women, and children often receive attractive clothing and hair accessories. They also often receive bath gifts, cologne, perfume, and colorful makeup. These are thoughtful lovely gifts, but these gifts tend to contain harsh toxic scents that could make the recipient potentially ill.
What happens when the products used for self-esteem and beauty are toxic and repel friends and loved ones? According to the National Academy of Science, as of 1999 more than 15% of the population suffers from fragrance and chemical sensitivity and cannot tolerate the exposure. That number is steadily rising. Environmental health awareness writer Andrea DesJardins states that the FDA does not regulate the fragrance industry. Andrea DesJardins also states that of the 5,000 different chemicals less than 20% have been tested for toxicity levels.
Because there is no scrutiny, thousands of chemicals are used to manufacture fragrances. The result is a toxic witch’s brew. One of the detriments of using fragrance is that it’s difficult to stop the usage. According to Anne Cheyne, contributing writer for the Camp Hill Medical Centre in Nova Scotia, Canada, the chemicals in the fragrance product desensitize the nerves and cells.
What this means is that as a person uses the product their nerves experience a dull-like sensation and become somewhat numb to the chemicals. When one is dowsed in fragrance, the scent weakens and the user’s senses diminish. Those who don’t wear fragrance and are sensitive will immediately detect the scent. This would explain why fragrance users find it strange when a sensitive person is repelled by it.
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When watching commercials depicting sexy women covering their bodies with a beautifying product, your first thought is that your skin will feel just as young. You’ll stop the wrinkles. Your new sensual feminine hair will glow with sexy highlights. Everlasting youthful beauty is the biggest motivation that keeps cosmetics sales on the rise.
Look at the listed ingredients. Usually you’ll see a long paragraph, indicating that this product you’re using is loaded with ingredients. Chances are, those ingredients are toxic, especially the ones you cannot pronounce. There’s a well-known expression that many health-oriented people live by when buying products. That expression is “if in doubt, do without”. This simply means that if you don’t understand the ingredient you should avoid it.
According to Anne Cheyne, one of the biggest problems is that many products claim to be “unscented” and “fragrance-free”. Considering that this really isn’t the case, this can confuse consumers. While the product may appear to be fragrance-free, the product is still scented and contains potentially toxic chemicals to the sensitive user.
Scented products are not merely harmful to the consumer. They're harmful to the environment as well. According to the Fragrance Products Information Network, fragrances are volatile compounds, which add to both indoor and outdoor air pollution. Synthetic musk compounds are persistent in the environment and contaminate waterways and aquatic wildlife.
The Environmental Health Network states that the compounds found in fragrance and various mainstream commercial products are derived from petro-chemicals, which are essentially fossil fuels. When using these chemical and fragrance products, it's akin to putting gasoline on your skin and in your hair.
It’s time for the million-dollar question. What’s the solution to this toxic problem? Feeling appealing and having a high self-esteem is important. It’s a natural instinct and should be nurtured in a non-toxic earth-friendly manner. Hygiene and cleanliness are basic needs. In truth, you don’t need a dozen products for cleanliness. This is a fallacy. 
Try Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Shampoo, a natural organic shampoo that contains organic Fennel, Hops, Mint, and Camomile.
It’s important to vote with your wallet by shopping in a natural food store. If you want stylish lively, hair natural product companies like Aveda, Aubrey Organics, and Paul Penders have wonderful moisturizing products. These companies exude compassion and integrity for personal health and that of the planet and animals as well. The herbal aromas are wonderful and a small amount is long lasting.
If it’s highlights you want, I would suggest consulting with an Aveda hairdresser. If dry skin plagues you, massage it with creamy moisturizing Aubrey Organics Rosa Mosqueta Hand and Body Lotion. Aveda colorful makeup is beautiful and aromatic. For every beauty need, there’s an effective organic plant-derived product that will enliven your skin and make you feel wonderful. Your local natural food store has an array of products to try. The right one will appeal to you. All you need is an openness to learn. The sky’s the limit and your health is worth it!
Giving is a wonderful thing and it can be something magical to enjoy for many years to come. Kind thoughtfulness is the key to giving. Whether it’s a handcrafted knitted purse or a special personalized decorated bottle with your friend’s name on it, the joy of giving is something to be cherished and appreciated. Think about the recipient of your gifts. If you know that they are organic-minded and suffer from fragrance sensitivity, give them gifts that are natural, organic, and earth-friendly.
What’s equally important about giving is the way you spend your money. When you give to someone you care about, let him or her see that you care where your money is spent. Let them see that your only interest is in contributing to the solution, not the problem. Show them that you are only interested in supporting those companies that are socially and environmentally responsible. Giving is a magical beautiful thing and it should be done with a pure loving heart.
by D.A. Colvin
D.A. Colvin resides on the East Coast with her husband. Their vegetarian, natural living diet and holistic, environmentally conscious lifestyle keeps them vibrant and youthful. She is an advocate of environmental awareness and as a voice for compassion for animals. She has worked with Greenpeace and other similar organizations in raising awareness to the importance of wholeness, as well as environmental understanding.
Upon seeing the dramatic positive results from her choices, D.A. decided to share her knowledge, wisdom, and experience with the world. This resulted in a series of articles and prose, as well as three non-fiction alternative health books and two unique visionary new age novels. For 20 years, she has taught people how they can enjoy clean, organic, non-toxic, earth-friendly beauty, using only 100% pure organic plant essences, completely FREE of harmful petro-chemicals. She shows people how to distinguish and discern the truth from the lies that the multi-nationals are so good at shoveling with their obscene million-dollar advertising. She teaches people the basic fundamentals of reading a product label and she introduces them to the natural world. To read more about D.A. and her writing, please visit the following web site: http://www.notperfume.com
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