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Best All Natural Personal Lubricant

The Alarming Facts About Harmful Ingredients In Lubricants

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Vaginal Dryness Solutions

Personal Lubricants Are All The Buzz. But Which Ones Are Safe?

America is having a love affair with personal lubricants. Both men and women are discovering the benefits of more pleasurable and comfortable sexual experiences provided by the variety of lubricants available. But most of these lubes contain dangerous ingredients that can turn healthy sex into toxic sex. More and more people are waking up to this issue.

Many lube ingredients are harmful because they were not intended for the human body.
Several authoritative health professionals agree that many of the personal lubes available on the market should be avoided. Even prominent politicians are voicing concern. California Senator Diane Feinstein and Senator Susan Collins of Maine, have introduced a bill (S.1014-the Personal Care Products Safety Act) that would require FDA review of some ingredients to “help ensure a safe marketplace for personal care products and reduce harms from exposure to toxic chemicals.”  Some ingredients were originally made for industrial or commercial use such as rocket ships, anti-freeze, insect repellants, and even oven cleaners.
Vaginal Dryness solutionsDo any of these sound like substances you want to put on or inside your body? We hear you saying “NO” loud and clear. And some ingredients on the labels of these products are so confusing, you feel like you need a degree in chemistry to figure them out. Some manufacturers don’t even list all of the ingredients. (They know you’re smart enough to look them up.)

How Do You Know Which Lubes Are Safe Or Even Good For You?

It would take a long time—hours or even days—to research the good and the bad stuff, so we did it for you. The good news: Aloe Cadabra® is one of the few lubricants that is FDA-cleared and contains 100% food-grade, natural ingredients, including 95% high-quality organic aloe, Barbadensis. It contains none of the harmful ingredients that our expert sources tell us to avoid.
Here’s A Partial List Of Unhealthy Ingredients

Parabens If an ingredient ends with the suffix “paraben,” stay away! These are synthetic preservatives that extend the shelf life of common household products. In vaginal lubes, they mimic the effects of estrogen and have been found in breast tumors. The Feinstein-Collins bill highlights propylparaben “as an endocrine-disrupting chemical…that is linked to a wide range of health effects, including reproductive system disorders.” Parabens may also have links to higher risks of breast cancer.
vaginal dryness solutionsMineral Oil Sounds safe enough, right? But it is a petroleum by-product just like motor oil and it clogs the pores. Skin care consultant, Carol Lee, warns that “by coating and clogging the pores, mineral oil and its derivatives interfere with your skin’s ability to eliminate toxins, or even perspire.” Untreated mineral oil has been proven to cause cancer.

Phenoxyethanol Dr. Laurie Steelsmith tells us that phenoxethanol “can be harmful when absorbed through your skin, causes reproductive damage, and according to the FDA, depresses the central nervous system in newborns.” It can also adversely affect your immune system. Thankfully, this ingredient is not in Aloe Cadabra®!

Glycerin A form of sugar, glycerine is a drying agent and may increase the incidence of candida, which can result in vaginal yeast infections. The pain, discharge, and itchiness that accompanies this fungus is not something you want to deal with.

Benzoic acid Here is a preservative usually derived from trees but sometimes from animal urine! You’ll also find it in insect repellant. Need we say more?

Polyquaternium This is a synthetic polymer (polymers are compounds used to make plastics, concrete and glass) associated with severe irritation and disruption of skin surfaces. It also increases reproduction of viruses, including HIV.
Sjogren's Syndrome Vaginal DrynessNon-oxynol 9 This ingredient is an oil-based spermicide! It severely irritates skin surfaces and increases transmission of viruses, including HIV. Do NOT use it if you’re trying to conceive. And do not use it rectally. Better still, don’t use it at all!

Lidocaine Your dentist uses this to numb your gums before a procedure. In a vaginal lube, it irritates skin surfaces and increases the risk of skin trauma. Besides, who wants to feel numb in the vaginal area when you want to have pleasurable sex!

Capsaicin Better be ready to sink into a tub of cool water if you use this one. It’s the oil of very hot chili peppers and it’s used in warming lubes. It triggers a pain reaction in the nerves-which is bad enough—but then may last longer than the intimate experience and can be difficult to remove from skin once applied.

Chlorhexidine This preservative found in KY Jelly® and Surgilube®, destroys normal, protective genital bacteria that help fight infections. Ellen Barnard, co-owner of “A Woman’s Touch,” warns, “No way! It kills all your healthy vaginal bacteria.”
Sjogren's Syndrome Vaginal DrynessPropylene Glycol This component lets chemicals penetrate the body and get to the blood stream. It’s been linked to cancer, developmental problems, and toxicity of the human organs. It’s also used in some oven cleaners and antifreeze products. We can’t even imagine putting a substance that is used for automobile maintenance on your sensitive vaginal tissues. And why would you want to use a chemical that allows other chemicals to get even deeper under your skin?

Petroleum or petroleum-based ingredients It sounds harmless, but for vaginal use, this component can coat your skin and interfere with its normal functions. Some studies show links to cancer. Silicone-based ingredients also function like petroleum-based ingredients.

All Natural Aloe Cadabra® Contains Only Food-Grade Ingredients
In their book Great Sex, Naturally, Dr. Steelsmith and Alex Steelsmith describe Aloe Cadabra® as “a lovely lubricant… with a sleek quality that’s as magical as its name implies. It not only facilitates pleasurable sex, but if used often, can help keep your vaginal and vulvar tissue well nourished, moisturized, and healthy.”

Check https://aloecadabra.com/lubricant-comparison/ and https://aloecadabra.com/ingredients/ for more information on the harmful ingredients you may not know you’re using, and the good things in Aloe Cadabra®. And don’t confuse “all natural” with boring. Aloe Cadabra® comes in scents and fragrances to enhance your pleasure and delight the palate. Stay safe.

Copyright © Live Well Brands 2015

SOURCES

http://thegoodhuman.com/2007/06/21/what-are-parabens-and-why-should-you-avoid-them/

http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/beauty/skin-and-lifestyle/parabens.htm

http://drlauriesteelsmith.com

http://www.oilsofyouth.com/dangers-of-mineral-oil-in-cosmetics/

http://www.alternet.org/sex-amp-relationships/whats-best-natural-sexual-lubricant-you-might-be-surprised

http://www.naturalnews.com/040471_personal_lubricants_parabens_ingredients.html

http://www.holisticwisdom.com/sex-toys-lubricant.htm

The Truth About Hormone Replacement Therapy

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Organic Aloe CadabraWHAT DOCTORS KNOW ABOUT HRT TODAY

When the most common symptoms of menopause—hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and disruptive sleep patterns—cause discomfort, or worse, tormenting pain, women think HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) is the answer to relief.

From the 1960s, until the mid-nineties, doctors were liberal with HRT prescriptions to treat these and other menopausal symptoms, such as anxiety, irregular periods, psychological problems, and prevention of bone loss. Until the estrogen hit the fan!

In 2002, the medical world was rocked like an earthquake. A series of government-run clinical trials  (Women’s Health Initiative or WHI) on the risks and benefits of hormone therapy was discontinued. Researchers had discovered that long-term use of synthetic estrogen and progestin in HRT increased the risk of heart disease, stroke, blood clots and breast cancer. Fearful patients called their doctors asking what they should do.

painful sexAND THEN THE AFTER-SHOCK
It got worse.
•    Subsequent studies found HRT also increased the risk of Alzheimer’s, dementia, and asthma.
•    An April 2007 JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) study determined the risk of stroke increased in HRT users by more than 30 percent, and that age or years at the onset of menopause was not a factor.
•    In 2010, new research found that combined estrogen-progestin HRT increased the risk for more severe forms of breast cancer and increased a woman’s chances of dying from the disease or other causes.

DIFFERENT DOCTORS = DIFFERENT OPINIONS
Today’s medical community tends to be divided in its views about prescribing HRT. Cardiologist Nieca Goldberg, MD, feels that younger women who go on hormone therapy because of severe menopause symptoms should not worry that HRT can be “detrimental to their heart.” Dr. Steven Goldstein, MD, professor of medicine at NYU Medical Center, concurs, saying “We have strong evidence to show that if it is less than 10 years since you started menopause, the use of HRT on a short-term basis is not likely to harm you.”

But Julia Smith, MD, director of the Lynne Cohen Breast Cancer Program at the NYU Medical Center describes the controversy as “complex” and “still not fully explained or explainable.”

BIOIDENTICAL COMPOUNDING: AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH
Prescription compounding is the art and science of preparing customized medications. When a regular prescription doesn’t meet a patient’s specific health needs, the pharmacist combines, mixes, adjusts or alters the ingredients or physical form of a drug.

Many women choose Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement. With custom-compounding, the ingredients can be plant-based, which some believe are preferable to the synthetic ingredients found in traditional HRT products.

Andrea Dominic, RPh and Steve Hoyt, RPh are licensed pharmacists at San Ysidro Pharmacy in Santa Barbara, CA with more than 20 years experience in Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement. San Ysidro Pharmacy is accredited by the Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board, established to ensure the quality of compounded prescriptions.

“Compounding pinpoints the individual patient’s needs,” says Andrea Dominic, RPh. “There is no one-dose-fits-all when it comes to hormone replacement. The levels needed to relieve symptoms can fluctuate and dose adjustments are sometimes necessary. Unlike synthetic hormones, the structure of the bio-identical hormone is exactly the same as what is circulating in the body, so the body knows how to metabolize it.”

CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN AND MAKE EDUCATED CHOICES
Some women may not need HRT. When vaginal dryness is the primary problem, for example, a hormone-free product such as Aloe Cadabra® vaginal lubricant and moisturizer, may be preferable. Aloe Cadabra® is all-natural; made of 95% quality organic Aloe Vera; is estrogen-free; FDA-cleared; and contains 100 percent food-grade ingredients.

“Gone forever are the days when a doctor routinely prescribes HRT for every woman over 50,” says Dr. Smith. “Today, the decision to go on hormone therapy, even short term, must take into consideration a host of individual health and lifestyle factors.”

Copyright © Live Well Brands 2015

SOURCES:

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/whi/

http://consumer.healthday.com/encyclopedia/breast-cancer-7/breast-cancer-news-94/hormone-replacement-therapy-new-facts-646066.html

www.aloecadabra.com

http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/AlternativestoPostmenopausalHormones.html#sthash.RD7Itig4.dpuf

Lose Those Winter Blues!

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Treatment for Vaginal Dryness Organic

photo provided by photostock/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Have you ever wondered if the rumors were true? Does the dark and dreary cold of winter truly rev up the sex drive?

If you look around the internet at the various studies and surveys done you’ll find that the answer is mixed. While about 15% say that they absolutely notice that the weather definitely revs up their sex lives (citing reasons like being cooped up alone together and bored), another 15% claim that their drives dry up a bit.

So, the same amount who see a rise in their desire is even with the amount whose desire dwindles, what does that mean? Mathematically? Nothing changed.

Don’t get us wrong, the endorphin rush one receives during orgasm would probably go a long way toward curing the winter blues that often affects people because of limited access to the sun and the impact on our internal chemistry. That flood of chemicals can be a powerful thing, which may explain the rise in passion for some. It’s a way to combat both boredom and depression during the cold, dark winter.

And despite the fact that most associate Spring as the season of new beginnings, relationships included, it’s actually Winter that holds the record for highest percentage of new relationships according to a poll done by the Associated Press.

So maybe sweaters, coats, slacks, and gloves aren’t the sexiest gear in the world, especially when you imagine beginning a new relationship. Still, an excuse to get out of the house, snuggle a the fire, and drink a heated libation of some sort still has an appeal.

What better way to warm up, after all, than to share body heat, conversation, and company? Why not see where the next great eye contact and smile might lead? What could be the harm?

And if you decide to “warm up” with a little passion along the way, remember to make it both a sexy and memorable experience. Aloe Cadabra, with 95% organic aloe in every tube, can help make sure that there is no dryness or discomfort. Just relax, let it do the work, and enjoy the connection.

 

Vaginal Dryness got you Down?

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Image courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Although not exactly a popular topic of discussion, vaginal dryness is an issue most women face at some point in their lives. Because of this, most people don’t realize just how common this problem is (yeah, it actually impacts about 95% of all women) or the joy that can be found working with your body to resolve the issue while maximizing your personal enjoyment when it appears.

Causes of vaginal dryness are fairly common and range from the following:
·      Stress / Emotions
·      Menopause
·      Natural changes in hormone levels
·      Chemotherapy
·      Childbirth
·      Allergies

So here’s the inside skinny. Our bodies function better with regular sexual activity. It keeps our juices flowing both literally and metaphorically. Studies show that natural lubrication keeps our organs in strong working order. But, as stated above, our emotional health is just as important. Making a connection with our partner on a deeper level enhances the sexual experience while helping to lessen our stress levels and strengthen our relationships is just as key. Time spent talking, sharing, and reminding each other of why you enjoy being together in the first place strengthens your bond, and enhances your intimacy. As it leads to sexual intimacy, your body’s natural juices will begin to flow. Of course, using a favorite organic personal lubricant from our fabulous Aloe Cadabra lineup helps enhance pleasure while aiding in the healing process.

When it comes to stressors in life, it doesn’t take much to picture the causes. Whether your stressors are caused by career, family, finances, or some other unlisted issues, it’s important to remember that you are in control and make a change. Take time to breathe, exercise, or relax with people you enjoy. Laugh. Have fun. But whatever you do, when stress starts to impact your mind and body, make a change. It will have an enormous impact on stress induced vaginal dryness, not to mention improve the rest of your life.

So what does this have to do with dryness? A healthy vagina’s made up of many layers of cells, stays lubricated with clear fluid, which keeps the vagina healthy, elastic and is noticeable when aroused. The amount of lubrication that occurs is affected by different factors such as the above list, along with low estrogen, fatigue, medications, pregnancy, drying and chemically based soaps.

Vaginal Dryness causes symptoms ranging from irritation, itching and burning, avoidance of sexual intercourse, lack of libido, and thinning and drying of the vaginal wall. Many women even believe that sex drive/libido go away during menopause. Reality is, studies have shown that’s not necessarily accurate. In fact, 80% of women report symptoms of vaginal dryness during perimenopause and menopause.

Here are a few basic options for dealing with vaginal dryness:

1. Drink plenty of water to ensure hydration. Eat a balanced diet and take nutritional supplements as needed.
2. Be careful about using harsh chemicals, soaps, douches and other products containing allergens, dyes and fragrances. They mess with your pH balance. Common chemicals to avoid are petroleum, silicone, propylene glycol, glycerin, chlorhexidine, phenoxyethanol and parabens.
3. Don’t forget the importance of sex. Natural lubrication may take a bit longer, but it is still there.
4. Use an organic personal lubricant. You want to read the labels and be AWARE of what you put in there! A lot of “Natural” ingredients are toxic, drying and well just not what you want on your most delicate parts.

At the end of the day, vaginal dryness is normal. There’s no shame in it, just a lack of discussion and understanding. In fact, it’s highly treatable in the most pleasurable of ways! All it takes is a little attention.

Rachel Carson- Honoring a Trailblazer

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be_the_changeThere’s a strong chance that most everyday people have never heard of Rachel Carson, but there’s no question in my mind that you’ve reaped the benefits of her labor.

Considered to be one of the founders of the Modern Environmental Movement, her book, Silent Spring, drew attention and concerns to the potential damage pesticides like DDT created. Although it was initially met with anger and skepticism, people started to look more closely at the relation between chemicals and the world we live in.

Thanks to her hard work and the efforts of other like minded people, the US Environmental Protection Agency was formed. She was even given the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously by Jimmy Carter. She became the change she wanted to see in this world. She also spawned many groups whose focus on health and safety have improved the quality of both lives and ingredients used in all manner of areas.

In our industry, the ripple effects of her efforts can be seen through Environmental Working Group. They publish a reputable list of body care ingredients and formulas along with their toxicity at cosmeticdatabase.org. as well as publishing a wide host of guides on food, cosmetics and other things that will keep us healthy. For us here at Aloe Cadabra, it was pioneers like her who encouraged us to bring natural, organic ingredients to an often overlooked, but very impactful item; lubricants. By the way, we scored the lowest possible score on their index, which is a very good thing.

We’d also like to recognize the World Health Organization who specifically studied personal lubricants and their health impacts and found that high osmolality and incompatible pH levels in many commonly used personal lubricants could cause secondary health issues including epithelial damage. Aloe Cadabra’s Osmolality and pH are both within the ranges they say make for an optimal lubricant. For more details about this report, click HERE.

We’re proud to be part of the movement to make the things we put on and in our bodies safer.  And, we’re proud to let you know about two great organizations publishing some great information that can help improve your health and well being.

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