FTC to Require Bloggers to Disclose Payments for Reviews

*Soapbox* (Paraben free, of course) Not pointing a finger at any single person, but one of the reasons I stopped watching hauls and reviews on You Tube is that I know a majority of them are reviewing products they were given for free by the manufacturer. I have no issue with that - as long as they explicity say that 'X provided these products at no cost for me to review'. That is frequently not the case.

All of the products I review on this site are paid for out of my own pocket. Sometimes my postings are pretty thin because I just didn't have the money to spend on new goodies. As I have said in previous posts, I don't accept freebies or sample products because I don't feel I can fairly assess something that has been given to me. There is always the expectation of a favorable response and that I will encourage others to purchase. I feel bad for turning down some very nice people, but I want to keep my blog independent. That's the way I roll.

I don't know how this will shake out in the blogging and You Tube community, but I can say it's about darned time! Read the FTC long version below. Celebrity spokespeople can now be held liable for unsubstantiated product claims. Is this the death of the celebrity infomercial?

Here's the FTC long version: FTC Press Release


PHILADELPHIA -

The Federal Trade Commission will require bloggers to clearly disclose any freebies or payments they get from companies for reviewing their products.

It is the first time since 1980 that the commission has revised its guidelines on endorsements and testimonials, and the first time the rules have covered bloggers.

But the commission stopped short Monday of specifying how bloggers must disclose any conflicts of interest.

The FTC said its commissioners voted 4-0 to approve the final guidelines, which had been expected. Penalties include up to $11,000 in fines per violation.

The rules take effect Dec. 1.

Paraben Soup: Germaben & Phenonip

Slacking again, I know. I have actually been trying out lots of products from different online e-tailers. Small business folks who make and sell their own bath and body products. Folks on Etsy, etc. Well, I was tempted into a website that is having a sale and was loading up my cart because I didn't see any Parabens or Urea on the ingredients list. What I did see was Germaben II and Phenonip. That annoying little voice started squeaking, so I looked them up before placing an order.

Germaben II: Propylene Glycol, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Phenonip: Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben

Well, that's just full of all kinds of fail. I guess there are so many of us Paraben dodging that chemical companies are now creating their own brews and slapping a pretty name on them. There are probably more of these preservative mixes being used out there and I will update the bad list as I find them.

Another lesson learned, especially for me. Once you have been reading labels and are familiar with the general mixes of products, always research any ingredient that you don't recognize. I emptied my cart and send a polite note to the store owner explaining why she just lost my business. Some people just aren't aware of the Paraben concerns, so we need to speak up.

Elegant Minerals - 50% Sale

Elegant Minerals just sent out a code for 50% off everything on the site. Sept. 15-16 only. There is also a special section for Halloween makeup for kids.

From the e-mail:

September marks 6 wonderful years serving You - our wonderful customers.
We thank all of you who have helped us grow into one of the
Premier Mineral Makeup Companies.

We now have women and stores all over the world switching to Elegant Minerals.
Thanks to everyone for recomending EM.

To help celebrate, we're having a 50% OFF sale!
Two Day's Only!
Sept 15th & 16th 12a-12am CST

Just enter birthday2009 into the coupon box during checkout.

GDA: TJ Maxx Clearance Sale

I had read that people were making incredible hauls from TJ Maxx over on Makeup Alley. Crazy prices like .30 and .50 for full size products. I decided to check my local one out. I didn't have the luck of some of the posters, but I found a few useful items that passed my ingredients test.

The brushes in the green bag are wood and boar bristle. I bought 2 sets. $1.00 each.
Juice Organics Moisturizer. I have wanted to try this for a while. $3.00.
The tin contains fizzing bath sea salt. $.70.
Faith in Nature Seaweed Conditioner. $1.00.

Remember to read your ingredients if you go on an expedition!

Cool Product: Epistick Hair Remover

I just received a nifty thing in the mail. It's called an Epistick and you use it to remove facial hair. It's basically a spring wire with plastic handles. Those of you who remember the original Epilator will recognize how this works. You bend it and twist it as you work up your face.

It seems to do a fantastic job with little face hairs. I just zipped through one side of my face before posting this. Personally, I did not think it hurt. There was a slight pinching feeling, but that was it. These products are recommended for facial hair only. I don't know how it would work elsewhere. If you get one of these, I recommend giving it a good wipedown with alcohol. I do the same thing with razor blades before I use them.

I bought mine off of E-Bay for $2, but you can buy the 'official' version of this which is called Bellabe for $16.99.

Here is a great video demonstration I found of how it works. Very simple.

BOO on Walgreens!

This week, Walgreens just unveiled their new website. It's just about impossible to navigate. My browser locks up with all kinds of script errors. But, that's not my biggest complaint. They have removed the frigging INGREDIENTS listings for their products. For years, they have been the go-to website when you wanted to check out a product's ingredients before chasing it down in a brick and mortar.

Freebie: Burt's Bees Acne Product Sample

I just saw this while flipping through my current copy of Allure. Burt's Bees acne freebie. It doesn't say exactly what you will receive, but I took from the Allure ad it would be some of the acne serum. White willow bark (salycilic acid) extract. Look in the upper right for the green tab. It will take you to a short Start Sampling survey.

Burt's Bees Freebie

Review: SUKI Concentrated Balancing Toner

I purchased a bottle of Suki Concentrated Balancing Toner after reading rave reviews about it on several skin boards. It was supposed to really help acne prone skin.

I've been using it for over a month now and can't see any difference in my skin. None at all. I spray it directly on my face, chest, and upper back after my shower in the morning and after I wash up before bed. It has the vague smell of stale lemon juice. The bottle is very nice, thick glass, but not good for spraying at angles.

For me, it certainly isn't the wonder juice everyone raves about. Maybe I take better care of my skin than other people who have tried it, I don't know. After I purchased this, I read about making your own version using apple cider vinegar and crushed aspirin. I may try that after I make it to the bottom. But hey, it's a really nice bottle.

Grade: C (I want to grade it lower than that because it costs so darn much!)
Price: $30
Size: 4 ounces
Pros: Has great reviews from other users, nice bottle
Cons: Had zero effect on my skin, bottle can't be sprayed at angles

Marketing blurb from their website and the ingredients list:

what a super potent anti-inflammatory, bacteria-fighting, vitamin C tincture
who all, especially combination to oily, acneic, rosacea, eczema & dermatitis
key actives standardized white willow bark for active 15% salicylic acid, natural vitamin C polypeptide liposomes & organic roses in our high potency organic botanic concentrate™
solves breakouts, redness, irritation, inflammatory symptoms, oil-balancing issues & bacteria production
benefits reduces inflammation, purifies pores, relieves redness, itchiness & irritation, balances ph, cleanses cuts, soothes sunburns & preps the skin for treatments & moisturizers that follow

Active Ingredients: white willow 15% active salicins + vitamin c polypeptides
Ingredients: organic roses (rosa centifolia) infused in purified, filtered water (agua), organic concentrated aloe vera (aloe barbadensis), organic rose (rosa canina), lavender (lavandula angustifolia), calendula (calendula officinalis) & chamomile (anthemis nobilis) extracts, natural vitamin C polypeptide liposomes, standardized white willow bark extract (salix alba), organic seaweed extract (algae), aroma (pure premium steam distilled essential oil)

ELF 75% Off Studio Line Products

Edit: In case you are new to this blog, most of the ELF makeup is full of Parabens and MCI/MIT. This includes all of their $1 makeup and the majority of their body products. There are a few items that do not contain highly objectionable ingredients, but may contain talc or bismuth which can be irritating to the sensitive skin.

I'm sitting here trying to make a cranky face for posting another ELF deal, but I can't quite get there. I think their cheaper products are awful and contain everything I warn against, but I really like their Mineral Lipstick. I feel so dirty. Anyway, they currently have 75% off their Studio Line products. These are quite a step above their regular $1 fare. Extra bonus on this deal is that you can get free shipping at a certain $ level and Bing Cashback (formerly Windows Live).

I bought a brush set, several individual brushes, eyelash curler, eyeshadow singles (talc, but acceptable), and threw in one of their blotting papers to get me over the hump. I figured anything I didn't like could go up for trade at Makeup Alley. Avoid anything liquid in the Studio Line. It will contain MCI and MIT. Avoid the blushes and face powders as well. Mineral oil. Yuck.

Deal Code: WWYB75S
Free Shipping: When your total is $18.75 after code (translates to starting total of $75).
Bonus: 10% Cashback if you go through Bing Cashback. People on SlickDeals are reporting they are receiving the 10% o their original total, so $7.50 cashback. You need to go through the ELF store listing on Bing: http://www.bing.com/cashback
2nd Bonus: Maybe. There is a deal on the ELF homepage if you spend $20 to get free Marie Claire OR a rebate back instead. I don't know whether this is before or after code.

Reader Mail: Yes to Carrots - Not So Fast!

Wanted to share this e-mail from reader K. Take this as a warning about some of the reactions you can have when you use products with questionable ingredients. The Yes to Carrots brand seems fine, except for them using IMIDAZOLIDINYL UREA. That's one of the dirty cousins. Aside from releasing Formaldehyde, it is also a known allergen. More here. Bottom line, if you are having any kind of skin issues, you need to pull out all of your products and read your labels. You could very well be causing your own misery.

"First I want to thank you for your blog! I found your blog two weeks ago while researching my one year old's skin problems. We were getting ready to leave for a family vacation, so in the rush I picked up the first paraben free lotion I came across at Rite Aid. It was the Yes to Carrots brand and we took it with us on vacation. Two days later my son and I both broke out in an awful itchy rash. I was shocked because I thought I was going in the right direction with the paraben free lotion. So I went back to your sight and read more and discovered that Yes to Carrots has a nasty cousin in it: Imidazolidnyl Urea. So I followed your link on it and realized that is exactly what was causing this rash on our arms. We have switched two days ago to Burt's Bees and the rash is already going away!

I was wondering if you would post something warning against using Yes to Carrots and the reaction that Imidazolidynl Urea can cause.

Thank you again for your wonderful blog!

K"