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Staying healthy at work and at play

Staying Healthy At Work And At Play

Posted on by Editorial Team

We are experiencing some unprecedented threats today to our health and safety. Staying healthy at work and at play has become quite the challenge. Many of us may be experiencing anxiety over the best course of action to take while waiting for the world to come back to normal. CoVid19 is not our only concern, of course. Everything from stress to chronic illness, climate change to food uncertainty complicates the picture for many.

Good Health Is More Important Than Ever

If you are currently in good health, you’re ahead of the game. Healthy bodies are better able to fight infection and recover more quickly when illness strikes. Studies have shown that chronic inflammation can contribute to many chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and arthritis. A healthy lifestyle can help to mitigate the effects of environmental pollutants, chronic diseases and even cancer.

Despite the challenges involved, there are a number of things that you can begin doing right now to maintain health and to stay well no matter where you are. A few of these are listed below:

Healing is a matter of time, but it is also sometimes a matter of opportunity.

Hippocrates

Staying Health At Work

  • Practice Preventative Medicine – Regular checkups are the mainstay of a health and wellness regimen. Tests that measure blood levels of vitamins, minerals, blood sugar, triglycerides and more can tell you a lot about your current health status. Moreover, if you alert your physician about any symptoms that you are having early on, your physician can help prevent more serious problems. Most employee health insurance plans include regular checkups.
  • Get A Good Night’s Sleep – Not only will you perform at your peak, but a lack of sleep has been correlated with conditions like diabetes and chronic inflammation. It also affects your immune system, making you more susceptible to infection and making recovery more difficult. If you suffer from insomnia, avoid alcohol and caffeine, especially late in the day. Keeping computer monitors and TVs out of the bedroom prevents blue light from reducing levels of sleep-inducing melatonin. Melatonin also decreases as we age. Maintaining a regular sleep routine involving consistent sleep times and wake times helps to maintain your body’s biological clock.
  • Avoid Empty Calories – Some individuals like to eat out while others like to bring a bag lunch. Whichever you choose, it’s important to avoid temptation when it comes to those unhealthy snacks. A healthy diet can be completely derailed by that box of cheese danishes in the break room. If possible, stock the refrigerator with healthy snacks like nuts and seeds, carrot sticks, yogurt and whole grain crackers. Ask if the vending machines can be stocked with low-calorie seltzers instead of soda and fruit juice. Green tea with lemon is a healthy alternative to those high-calorie Coolatas.
  • Prevent Infection Before It Starts – If you’re feeling ill (cough, fever, body aches), stay home. Keep alcohol wipes on hand to wipe down high-touch surfaces regularly. Check the humidity level in the office; it should hover around 50%. Low humidity dries out mucus membranes, increasing the likelihood of developing upper respiratory infections. Use a room humidifier if necessary, and be sure to stay hydrated throughout the day. And avoid touching your face.
  • Get Up And Move At Least Once Every Hour – Prolonged sitting has been implicated in a number of issues from back problems to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity. If possible, set a timer and get up and walk around on a regular basis. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Stand while you talk on the phone or use the computer. Every opportunity taken to move extends your life.

Staying Healthy At Play

  • Consistency Is Key – Whether trying a new exercise routine, diet or a new sport, it’s important to stay at it long enough to reap the benefits. Find a work out buddy. Pick the same time each day or week to practice. Pace yourself. Reward yourself for a job well done. Remember that achieving something new can be its own reward.
  • Be Aware Of Your Environment – Be aware of potential hazards for a particular area so that you can be prepared for them. Wear boots in areas that harbor ticks or snakes. Carry water and sunscreen if sunlight and heat are prevalent. In cold climates, avoid staying outdoors too long and wear adequate protection. Carry a first aid kit with you when visiting a new area or maneuvering across new terrain. And if you must travel alone, make sure that someone knows where you are going and when you’re expecting to return.
  • Carry Snacks That Travel Well – Use stainless steel or glass water bottles in warm weather; plastic bottles can leach chemicals. High-calorie snacks like nuts, dried fruit, jerky and granola don’t require refrigeration.

Whether at work or at play, staying healthy can be as simple as being prepared for the inevitable. By being mindful of your body’s needs, you can take important steps to remain at your best for as long as possible.

Whats New in 2020 WEBA Natural Products

What’s New With WEBA Natural Products In 2020?

Posted on by Editorial Team

It’s A New Year And Change Is Coming.

Change is inevitable, of course. In our case, we hope to implement new initiatives that will contribute to increased transparency and sustainability going forward. We’ve been reading a lot about the importance of sustainability. Consumers are becoming more conscious of role that businesses play in terms of global warming, deforestation, pollution and more. Of course, we’ve been talking about being environmentally friendly since the beginning, and that hasn’t changed.

Here are some of the areas that we are looking at:

  • Primary packaging – Packaging solutions have improved over the years in response to consumer demands for less plastic and more earth friendly options. We will continue to offer our balms in aluminum tins, which are completely recyclable. We would like to move away from plastic bottles in the near future; we are looking at glass and other recycled/recyclable materials. While it is challenge given our desire for the most hygienic solution, we are committed to contributing to a more sustainable future.
  • Secondary/tertiary packaging – As we look towards designing boxes for new and revamped products, we will be transparent with customers about the sourcing and percentage of recycled material in these packages. All of our secondary packaging, as well as our shipping materials, will become 100% recycled/recyclable content. Our bar soaps will continue to use our tree-free lokta papers, which are durable and recyclable. In doing so, we support an underdeveloped community of artisans in the Himalayas.
  • Sampling program – Customers really like sampling programs. Ours will utilize post-consumer (recycled) materials, while providing customers with a cost-effective way to experience WEBA products before committing to full-sizes.
  • Raw materials – We will continue to hold suppliers accountable for organic and/or fair trade raw materials used in our products. While our bar soaps are fully palm oil free, it has been challenging to find suppliers who product palm-oil free raw materials for a few of our products. We will be working with our formulators to find new and innovative cruelty-free substitutes while maintaining product efficacy.
  • Haircare and Cosmetics – A few new lines will include basic haircare and cosmetics that are vegan, cruelty-free and perfect for travel. We will avoid problematic materials like glitter and will participate in the Responsible Mica Initiative. Issues like deforestation, child labor and toxic exposure are issues that matter to us. We will be looking for focus groups to help us develop these products; stay tuned for these developments.

We’d Love To Hear From You

There are many new and exciting things in the future for WEBA Natural Products and for our customers. We are always happy to hear from consumers – what do you love? If you would like to make a suggestion or if you want to join a focus group, please feel free to go to our Contact Us page and send us a line. After all, our customers are the reason why we strive to provide clean beauty products that meet their needs.

The Tree Free Movement Pinterest graphic

The Tree Free Movement

Posted on by Editorial Team

How Long Have We Used Paper?

Paper has been with us for quite some time. From the time of ancient China when papyrus, parchment and other materials were used to 11th century European, Middle Eastern and African water-powered paper mills.

But it wasn’t until the 1830’s that wood pulp became an important medium in paper making, when more sophisticated techniques for processing wood pulp were developed by Friedrich Keller and Charles Fenerty.

Where Does Our Paper Come From?

In the U.S., the wood used for commercial paper-making comes from what are called “managed timberlands.” Fast-growing trees are planted and grown specifically for wood harvesting (building lumber, fuel and paper). Here, trees are an agricultural crop, and whenever trees are harvested, more are planted. There are a number of privately owned companies in the U.S. that manage these timberlands, with the biggest by far being Weyerhaeuser, with over 12 million forest acres. The southern United States also has the greatest concentration of these timberlands. However, old growth forests have been threatened by logging companies around the world for a variety of reasons. These ecosystems are home to many species of plant and animal life, which may not have anywhere else to grow. These forests also play an important role in sequestering greenhouse gases.

Why Go Tree Free?

The total consumption of paper in the United States has been steadily decreasing since the year 2006, according to Statistica. One reason might be the rise of the computer era, digital documents like electronic health records and cloud storage. Many consumers may also be concerned with the number of old growth forests (including rain forests) that are being cut down unscrupulously. (For more information, click here.) Most commercial papers are also bleached using bleach compounds, which results in the release of potentially toxic chemicals into the environment. As with many situations, we have come full circle. There now exist a wide range of plant-based alternatives to timber being used to produce paper, which remains a recyclable resource. Some manufacturers are responding to the demand by producing packaging that removes plastics, which is much less recyclable and is clogging landfills and polluting waterways. Below is a partial list of tree-free alternative materials:

  • Banana leaf – made from banana waste. New Leaf makes a nice paper which is available at Office Depot.
  • Cotton rag – not a new material, but cotton is a pesticide-heavy crop.
  • Elephant poop – you read this correctly! I’ve come across very nice all-occasion cards that utilized this interesting byproduct.
  • Hemp – once vilified in the U.S., hemp is making a comeback and is one of the most versatile plants on earth. Paper is just one of the many products that can be produced using hemp, which can be grown without pesticides.
  • Straw – once popular in the US, it is now hard to find. However, actor Woody Harrelson of Step Forward Paper fame created a paper using 80% waste wheat straw. It is available at Staples.
  • Lokta paper – one of our favorites, this tree-free paper is made by hand in the Himalayas using the bark of the Daphne (lokta) bush. This durable and beautiful paper is what we use to wrap our palm oil-free bar soaps. And they can be recycled or re-used in creative ways.

A Tree Free Future?

While consumer concerns over sustainability and global warming are no doubt driving the tree-free movement, we will never be completely tree-free. So how can we help to reduce paper waste and contribute to increased sustainability?

  • Purchase unbleached and recycled paper goods. Items like toilet paper, paper towels and napkins are widely available.
  • If possible, use cloth napkins and re-usable kitchen towels towels to reduce the amount of soiled paper going to landfills.
  • Sign up for paperless billing.
  • Enroll in patient portals to view lab results, etc.
  • If you must print, make it two-sided printing; reduce the fonts, remove unnecessary graphics to conserve paper.
  • Use a paper shredder and shred unnecessary documents for use in gift boxes, packing boxes, to add to compost piles, as garden mulch, etc.

If we exercise a little thought when making purchases and before discarding goods, we can contribute to greener, more sustainable world. Have you joined the tree-free movement?

https://theweek.com/articles/562853/why-future-paper-more-complicated-than-think

Why Do A Nightime Routine Blog Post graphic

Why Do A Nighttime Routine?

Posted on by Editorial Team

You may love a good night-time skincare routine, but do you know what its benefits are? Read below to learn why a night-time routine can really benefit your skin.

What happens to your skin while you sleep

Your skin is the second-largest organ in your body, and as such it performs many functions. So what is happening to your skin while you sleep?

  • Your skin loses water – or “sweats” – while you sleep due to less oil production, which means that it’s important to counteract this moisture loss with a moisturizer. Oils like jojoba imitate the skin’s natural sebum, while oils like hemp and olive supply much-needed fatty acids to maintain elasticity.
  • Skin becomes drier due to this moisture loss, which makes an extra-emollient moisturizer all the more important. If your skin is normally dry, then slather it on!
  • Your skin needs the right amount of sleep in order to replenish itself. If you’ve ever pulled an all-nighter, you’ll notice that your skin is more sallow and your eyes are puffier. Lack of sleep also raises cortisol levels, which contributes to inflammation. Higher stress hormones can contribute to breakouts and other skin problems, as well. Hormones like Melatonin and Human Growth Hormone increase during sleep, making a good night’s sleep all the more important.
  • Skin is warmer at night, which can make it easier for skincare products to be absorbed. So why not take advantage of this and apply products like AHAs or BHAs to speed cell turnover while you sleep? Turnover tends to occur between about 11pm and 4 am, before body temperature drops to its lowest level during sleep. Skin is also more permeable, so products can be absorbed more easily.

What should your skincare routine look like?

We already know that a good moisturizer can counteract moisture loss while we sleep, but what else can we do to enhance our nighttime skincare routine?

  • Be sure to remove all traces of makeup and accumulated dirt gently before bed. A light oil-based makeup remover like Whole Earth Body Actives Facial Cleansing Oil and Makeup Remover is rich in Vitamin E and contains geranium oil to help balance sebum production. A gentle exfoliator will remove any dead skin cells.
  • Use products with ingredients like AHAs, BHAs, retinol and Vitamin C to help “detox” your skin, increase collagen production and reduce inflammation while you sleep. We like our Whole Earth Body Actives Age Defying Vitamin C Creme with Niacinamide. It’s gentle enough to use day and night for botanical-based antioxidant protection.
  • Get the best quality sleep that you can. Avoid electronic devices, caffeine, alcohol, and heavy meals before bed. If you’re a side sleeper, a silk pillowcase can help prevent wrinkles while you sleep. Products like melatonin (which decreases as you age), or valerian extract (which can help you fall asleep) are non-habit forming and effective for some. Use a humidifier in winter and a dehumidifier/air purifier in the summer if needed to maintain a humidity level of about 45 percent and keep mucus membranes from drying out.

By spending just a little extra time at night, you can go a long way towards helping your skin to be its very best. And isn’t waking up to healthy skin worth it?