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Parabens, like sulfates, elicit somewhat impassioned responses. From the mouths of cosmetic chemists, parabens are safe, but more and more niche brands are claiming “paraben-free,” touting it with natural and organic, creating an aura of a cleaner, healthier product.The chemical realm of cosmetics can be messy and complicated to the consumer when unpronounceable ingredients pile up. So, what to believe? And more importantly, what to buy? Before we get too heated here, let's get the definitions out of the way. Parabens, in the simplest terms, are preservatives. They're the stuff that keeps your makeup fresh and free from having to keep a mini fridge just for your foundations. Essentially, anywhere there’s water, you’ll likely find a paraben, said Perry Romanowski, an independent cosmetic chemist formerly with Alberto Culver (manufacturer of products such as Nexxus, St. Ives, Simple, Noxema, and Trésemme). “I would say that cosmetic products are all prone to be contaminated with microbes like bacteria, mold, and fungi that can cause diseases,” Romanowski said. “To make sure products stay fresh, we need to include preservatives to kill them. One of the more effective types of preservatives, particularly against bacteria and mold, are parabens.” There’s a common misconception among consumers that the umbrella term “paraben” is one ingredient, when, really, there's a list of parabens. The most commonly found in cosmetics include methyl- and propylparabels. More than a decade ago, a study was published in the Journal of Applied Toxicology claiming a link between parabens and breast tumors, due to estrogen-like properties attributed to parabens. But not everyone was convinced. “The impact of the study was way overblown,” Romanowski said. “The study was not done in a scientifically rigorous way in that did not have a control group in it. They found parabens in non-cancerous breast tissue, too. Really, what that study said was that there should be more studies done.” In turn, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review, an independent panel of cosmetic chemists, and the Scientific Committee on Consumer Products reinvestigated parabens but found no harm or cause for alarm. Though it is notable that some countries in the EU have placed restrictions on some parabens, to which Romanowski had to add: “Butylparabens and isopropylparabens have demonstrated greater safety risks, but again, these are not commonly used parabens.” The most commonly used variations, methylparaben and propylparaben, have no restrictions on them at the moment and are deemed as safe for use in ingredients up to 25 percent—though concentrations are often as low as 0.01 to 0.3 percent. While realized for their efficacy in preserving and keeping products safe, the one issue specific people might have with parabens lies in irritation. Ginger King, cosmetic chemist and founder of Grace Kingdom Beauty in New York, says avoidance of parabens should be contingent on your skin type. Similar to allergy tests, King said “stinging tests” are performed in Asia, testing parabens for intense stinging effects. “Asian skin, in general, is more sensitive,” King said. “For a lot of big brands, their people cannot use their products because of parabens, namely methylparabens.” Removing parabens from formulae entirely can help brands reach a wider audience. For brand loyalists, King said parabens aren’t an issue—so, if you haven't had any adverse reactions lately, keep on keepin' on. But there's also no harm in springing for paraben-free products, if that's your bag—your skin, your choice. This article is from Into The Gloss.

Hey Everyone! It's that time of year again and we are happy and blessed to announce our third year of gifting deserving students with a free laptop to assist with and enrich their academic pursuits! If you are a student in elementary, high school or college and in need of a new laptop we strongly encourage you to apply! What we need from you to apply: please complete our application process which includes providing your contact information, educational status, writing an essay and filming a video telling us why you need the laptop and how it will benefit you in the upcoming academic school year.  We will be awarding one to four laptops to the students who submitted the most compelling applications. Entry begins today, July 1, 2022 and ends July 31, 2022. Winners will be announced in the middle of August so they can be shipped before the start of the new school year. Applicants must live in the United States.   The winner (s) will be awarded a MacBook Air laptop and it will be shipped directly to the address provided in the application.   Submission Details: Elementary School Students (Ages 6 years to 12 years) please complete the form below and film a video telling us about you, why you need the laptop and how it will benefit you? High School Students (Ages 13 years to 18 years) please complete the form, write a 500 word essay describing what winning the laptop would mean for your educational pursuits and film a video telling us about you, why you need the laptop and how it will benefit you?  College Students (19 years to 25 years) please complete the form, write a 500 word essay describing what winning the laptop would mean for your educational pursuits and film a video telling us about you, why you need the laptop and how it will benefit you?               

We had an opportunity to join Vitalcy with Chef Babette and Terrah for an interview. https://www.vitalcy.com/watch/bites-and-tidbits/darrell-and-mary    

This year we at Hello To Natural would like to spotlight our Unsung Hero: Linda Johnson, beloved wife, mother, sister, daughter, aunt, cousin, friend and precious and faithful woman of God. As we celebrate International Women's Month we thought about many of the women in our lives and especially those who have had a tremendous impact on us and Hello To Natural. Linda, affectionately known as "Ma" or "Mrs. J" is not only our Mother, but she is and continues to be one of our biggest supporters and we just wanted to say thank you!  Linda Johnson was the devoted wife of the late, Deacon Wonzie Johnson and mother to Darrell Johnson and Leslie Johnson. As a dedicated wife and mother she has spent her life creating a legacy of worship, hard work, family togetherness and always being in service of others. Linda Johnson has served as a Teacher, Instructor to Teachers, and she continues to teach, instruct, inspire, and prepare young and old alike to be their best in their position.  Linda has served in the capacity as a Teacher in the Chicago Public School system for over 40 years at several schools throughout the Chicagoland area.  She holds a certification from The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), one of the most prestigious certifications in the teaching profession.  As an Illinois National Board Certified Teacher, she went on to be a leading force in teaching best practices for Early & Developmental Studies in children in the Chicagoland area.  Additionally, Linda became Technology Advisor within her local school, and initiated increased use of technology in the classroom to facilitate learning.  This is commonly used now, but Linda Johnson was an early advocate during the pioneering days of the Internet!   In addition, she has lived a life of service in the Lord, as well as a dedication to education and molding and developing the minds and talents of children for over 40 years. She has sung and still continues to sing with various prestigious choirs, as well as lead and teach Sunday school classes. She serves as secretary for one of many ministries in her church and faithfully continues to serve as Deaconess.   In celebration of Women's History Month, we honor, salute, thank, celebrate and love you! Thank you, Linda aka Mom for being a beaming light for all of us.     Love, Darrell & Mary  

Autumn is here! We love the changing of the seasons, the colors of the leaves, and everything.... ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌       Autumn is here! We love this time of year. The leaves change colors and fall from the trees, reminding us of the changing seasons and that we've made it through another season of the year! We are preparing to bring back all of our custom signature butters, including whipped shea butter, whipped mango butter, and the all new shango butter! In addition we are launching a new product in October! Hello To Natural Clay Facials Coming Soon! 3-in-1 system will be available for pre-order be on the look out in one of our next emails! Top Fragrances for Fall! Many potential notes are used to make unique fragrances, but here we will discuss the top 5 most used notes in fall fragrance. Jasmine Jasmine has a sweet scent and originating from India, France, Morocco, Western China, Italy, and Egypt. Its texture is fresh and green with a narcotic and sweet aroma and provides a velvety feeling of sensuality and comfort. It intensely is green when used in a natural form and synthesized in the lab. However, Jasmine note has a classically feminine smell and is also known as an extremely popular mid-note. Examples: Amber White (W), Pussy (W), LMAO (W), Libre (M), Angel (M) Vetiver Vetiver is the most popular fall fragrance note, which is indispensable in perfume production. Exuding earthy and robust woody notes, it was exclusively used to create colognes for men a few decades ago. Although perfume makers began to use it for a long time to develop unisex perfume as their main ingredient. Vetiver note is widely used in perfumes to create a sweet fragrance. Examples: Savage (M), Red Number 5 (W), Eternity (W), Water (M) Blackberry Blackberry note is typically a fruit note, but it has a fall’s magic that reveals lusciousness and fullness. Often blackberry notes are supplemented by musk, complex woody, or amber notes. However, perfumes that are made with blackberry notes’ central theme are bold, sexy, and adventurous. Examples: Crush (W), Angel (M), Viva (W)   Ylang-Ylang Ylang-Ylang has a beautiful floral and sweet scent with a benzoate touch used in alternative aromatherapy treatment. Ylang-Ylang is found in South East Asia, Burma, the Philippines and Indonesia, the Pacific Islands, and Papua New Guinea. This note is erotic and rich floral scent also has subtle banana tones. Simultaneously, its natural sweetness is suitable for more decadent scents that need to be lightened. Examples: Crush (W), Baby Powder (W), Creed (W), Blush (W) Amber Amber is a classic base note that is a sweet, spicy, and warm ingredient from fossilized tree resin. Amber is easily found across the world. Its scent can be slightly different depending on its place of origin since Amberoxen is one of the most valuable natural elements and considered the default base note for fragrance. Because Amber has a strong, intense, and strong fragrance, it is only used in small amounts in perfume blends. Examples: Amber White (W), Blush (W), Black Man (M), Rebel Sand (M), Guilty (W), Maki (M)   ‌

Starting an online business may seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be.  There are a couple of things to check in terms of your proposed business, and then establishing an online presence. The Idea Start with an idea for a business.  The idea should fill a need for a group of people who currently have a need and have the ability to pay for the solution.  Each point should be checked off here: group of people currently have a need group of people willing to pay access to raw goods  pricing To go along, we are going to create an online business that sells tea.  This product fulfills both of our requirements, in that it is consumable and there's a need by those who consume it, and they are willing to pay for it. In thinking of access to raw goods, I'd start with looking on Amazon to see if it can be ordered.  Alternatively a local store, or other local access to raw goods can be used. Pricing is key, because you must be profitable in order for the business to succeed.  Your product should be priced such that it's at least three or four times the cost of making the product. (Raw product goods + packaging) x 4 = Product price For the tea idea, I'm planning to invest $4 in raw goods and packaging, and price the product at $20.  With this decided, naming is next. Name Your Business Your business name is your brand.  It should be short and to the point, or descriptive, or creative and pertaining to the specialty of the business.  It may be helpful to come up with a couple possible names. Check for Existing Website & Social Media Next open your favorite search engine, ie Google, and search for your business name.  If it's already taken, try another name or variation of the name.  Alternatively, try spelling the name creatively.  This could mean substituting letters or being creative in spelling.  When you've found a name that is not being used, search for the name on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  For Facebook, search for your business name, and likewise on Instagram. On Instagram, also look up a unique handle or name that would also work as a website name.  If you haven't yet, think of a website name.  Try typing the website into your web browser.  If the website does not open to an existing webpage, save this in a notepad. Lastly, use this handle as your business email address. Gmail has been a good go-to for creating a new email account, but by all means use whichever one is most convenient and cost effective.  Now is a good time to and review. Review At this point, you should have: Business name Facebook page Instagram account handle Twitter handle Business website domain Email address For my tea company, I've decided on Crazy Yummy Tea as the business name.  A Facebook search returns no results, and i've decided to use Twitter and Instagram handles with the name @crazyyummytea and a website domain of www.crazyyummytea.com Crazy Yummy Tea Crazy Yummy Tea Facebook Page @crazyyummytea @crazyyummytea www.crazyyummytea.com crazyyummytea@gmail.com It is important to have consistent branding across social media.  This helps the company name to be found across different social media platforms, and establish the business overall.  With all of these set, each account can be created to establish the business online.  Each of these can be done without spending any money, except for creating a website domain. Creating a website domain can be done at any website domain registrar.  GoDaddy, Squarespace, Wix, are a few known websites to create a website domain.  I'll add a few more as well.  Each has its own pricing, but on average it'll be around $10/year. You don't need to have an actual website when you buy a website domain.  The domain can be pointed to a facebook page, instagram page, or any other page.  It helps to have a website domain in establishing a business that will be remembered by customers. With an online business presence established, the business exists! In the next article of this series, we will start building a social media and online presence. 

It's back! We are giving away laptops to children returning to school in the fall of 2021. UPDATE: We've given laptops to the winners! Thank you for supporting education and entrepreneurship, and check back for the next laptop givewaway!

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Cel-Liberation Day or the Black Fourth of July, an American holiday that commemorates the liberation of black slaves in Texas in 1865. We want to share our heritage as well as acknowledge this historical and monumental day for African Americans in the United States. If you are an ally of the black community and interested in participating or helping us celebrate today please support a black owned business, donate to social cause, sign a petition to help eradicate the many injustices that still continue to harm our community, watch a movie, documentary or read a book or play to help educate yourself about our culture and experiences.

This year we at Hello To Natural would like to spotlight the Chief Operations Officer and Co-Founder of Hello To Natural, Mary Johnson.  She has been pivotal in the creation and growth of Hello To Natural.  Her knowledge and expertise guided the company in its early days, and she developed most of the practices that continue to drive the growth and popularity of the company.  Behind the scenes, she oversees day-to-day operations within the company, manages employees, and ensures excellence within the customer experience. As a graduate of Grinnell College, brings a wealth of experience in management and performance excellence, from her work at FEMA during Hurricane Katrina, to achieving top sales awards during her time at Allstate, to managing the top performing retail store in the midwest region during her time as general manager at LensCrafters, overseeing and maintaining hundreds of business relationships as an account executive at Groupon, and again at Yelp, Mary Johnson brings a history of experience to lead at Hello To Natural as Chief Operations Officer. Everyone loves her beautiful smile and charming personality, and we are thankful to have such a blessed woman of God at Hello To Natural. We salute Mary Johnson this International Women’s Day 2021 and we invite you to salute and send her some love as well!