Young Liberian Woman: Vera

Vera Karlors is the youngest member of the future Coconut Cooperative in Liberia. She’s 18 and extremely shy. Brought up during the war, she spent most of her childhood moving from place to place hiding from the rebels. Her father died during the war and her mother cannot afford to provide for her so she lives with her uncle and cousins in a one room structure. For her family she cooks, sweeps, does the laundry and other domestic chores. Vera would rather work than talk, she’s that shy (a symptom of the war). Her uncle is able to send her to school (approximately $50 a year) and she is currently a Senior at a local high school. Science is her favorite subject and she is proud to  receive an education, a luxury many cannot afford in Liberia. Vera is unemployed and looks forward to her future employment with Anti-Body so that she can take care of herself and her family.

Photos of Liberia

Several people have been asking for more images of my recent trip to Liberia…so here are some more. Enjoy!

Slums of Monrovia, Liberia

Brother and Sister who live in the slum

Children praying at a school in Gaye Town, Monrovia.

Coffee and Pineapple plantation in Northern Liberia.

Liberian Woman on Beach

Plantation near Red Light

With Friends

more to come….

B.la

Introducing Sierra Madre’s tiniest treasure trove, B.la (pronounced bee-luh). It’s not much bigger than my closet, but has, well, a little bit of everything. Inspired by her love of shopping, store owner, Deb Doumitt opened B.la last December. Deb’s own habit for shopping and a background as a stylist for commercials give her an edge in knowing what shoppers want. Everything from one of a kind jewelry, letterpress greeting cards, summer hats, cocktail books and, yes, even Anti-Body’s fair trade skincare, fit on overflowing bookshelves, wracks and stands. Most everything you find in B.la boutique is U.S. made and fits fair trade standards and all of these creative finds, along with personalized customer service will keep you coming back to discover more.

Find B.la at 24 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Suite B, Sierra Madre, CA 91024 or call at 626 355 2906

Product Review

I have a friend, Liz, who is very particular about her hair (which is as it should be!). I’ve always been envious of her long, dark spirals and have often wondered what it would be like to have the ability to exchange my own boring, doesn’t-know-what-it-wants-to-be hair for hers. Then I began to consider the care necessary to manager her curly-cues (I’d love to be able to say I even brush my hair on a daily basis) and thought she would be the perfect candidate to test our new Shampoo & Conditioner. Here are Miss Elizabeth’s thoughts:

Particular about my hair care?  Let’s just say I once told a stylist if they didn’t know how to deal with curly hair and they cut off too much, I would sue them. So, yes. I am particular. My hair requires pretty specific management. Due to all the ringlets, its difficult for moisture to get to the ends of my hair. So, my shampoo has to clean my hair but not dry and frizz it out. Anti-Body’s shampoo is the first time my hair has still looked good (and yes I’ll admit this) THREE days after shampooing! The curls stay curly and I don’t look like I’ve been electrocuted!  Brilliant.

Oh and my favorite is the Green Tea and Mint Shampoo and Conditioner.  I even like using it just make my bathroom smell fabulous.

Hair Flair

Anti-Body’s new shampoos and conditioners are here! And if the Anti-Body brand hasn’t convinced you enough, how about these:

Each comes in three different scents and nourishing qualities and all are SLS and paraben-free. Try Tea Tree & Willow Bark with chamomile for gentle scalp treatment, Green Tea & Mint with pro-vitamin B5, aloe and vitamin E to nourish and protect your hair or Pearl Essence with natural pearl powder and mica for radiance and shine! All are infused with organically grown and fairly traded green tea and the conditioners are fortified with fair trade marula oil and shea from Africa. So whether you have dry hair, oily hair or something in between, we have just the product for you!

Sold exclusively at Ten Thousand Villages of Pasadena throughout June. Visit the store for promotional 20% off. Coming soon to the Anti-Body web store.

Shampoos and Conditioners are vegan and no vegetarians were harmed during the testing of this product (Anti-Body only tests on ourselves!).

Icky Parabens

Parabens are a hot topic in the beauty industry, as is the discussion on preservatives in general. Simply put, parabens are chemicals used as preservatives primarily in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. They fight off bacteria and extend the shelf life of products like toothpaste, moisturizers, shampoos, make-up, and even your food. Lotions and cleansers are a perfect environment for the growth of bacteria. For a product to remain safe it needs to be able to fight off bacteria and other nasties that might want to grow there. Parabens do a great job of killing bacteria, which also makes them a hot commodity for the booming beauty industry. They cost very little and are very effective.

But are they too effective? Recent studies indicate they could be hazardous. Everyday, all day, we rub  paraben-filled products onto our bodies - we wash our hands multiple times a day; we wash our hair; ladies, many of us apply female war paint (or make-up); we brush our teeth and the list goes on! Studies indicate that our body absorbs many of the substances in our skincare products through our pours. Though nothing has been proven, researchers are now theorizing that there may be a link to parabens and cancer.

The trick is finding a preservative system that is safe for the body and also keeps the product safe from bacterial contamination. Anti-Body is proud to use paraben-free and non-irritating preservatives in all our products. While a 100% natural and effective preservative system has yet to be developed, many new effective substances are available to keep products safe on the shelf and on your body! Anti-Body is constantly researching and testing to make sure our products have the best and safest preservatives available.

Anti-Body products have always been 100% paraben-free. Using gentle and non-paraben preservatives means your AB products may only last 2 years on the shelf (instead of the 10 years that other preservative packed products may last), but most find they can’t wait that long to use Anti-body anyway!

Steven Moser, another 15 Minutes of Fame

He has his Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering and a resume that includes years at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Now, Steven Moser, Co-Founder of Anti-Body, LLC, formulates all our natural and fair trade body care products such as our Hand & Body Moisturizers, Misters, Oils, Free Range Bath Fizzers and a whole lot more. It’s not easy to make something that’s both good for the skin and that also functions properly. Moisturizers get gloppy, oils separate and fizzers, well, just don’t fizz. But Steve’s flair for physics and love for science provide him the knack for developing quality products that work. Try any of his fair trade, paraben-free and natural products for yourself at the Anti-Body Store.

Chronicle Project, also intrigued by Steve’s genius, recently made a short video on his skills. Take a look!

Liberia Spot

Anti-Body’s trip to Liberia, Africa, a country that is currently experiencing over 85% unemployment due to recent civil wars, was made in order to promote sustainability by starting a fair trade coopertive. Now, in partnership with Ten Thousand Villages of Pasadena, we are working to raise enough money to make this possible. Please view and spread the word!

Thank you, Anatomy of Life (www.anatomyoflife.com) for cutting this piece together.

Sierra Madre Farmers’ Market

That’s right! “The Village of The Foothills” has its very own local Farmers’ Market. On Wednesday, ‘Townies’ from every direction (well, all three square miles worth!) walked with their reusable bags to purchase top quality fruits and vegetables from local vendors. Sweet nectarines, yellow squash and and crisp carrots are just a few of the spray-free, organically grown produce options.

Join in, support local growers and meet your neighbors on Wednesdays from 3-7 p.m. at the Mariposa parking lot between S. Baldwin and Hermosa Avenue (near Buccaneer Lounge for those of you who frequent the local watering hole!). Click here for more info.

from hate to hope…

Due to recent civil wars in Liberia, we have heard many stories of desolation. But here’s a story of rebirth, a message from hate to hope…

Liberians Against Violence, founded by an ex-Rebel Chief (and many of them ex-soldiers), organized themselves into a cooperative to make crosses from the bullet casings strewn across their land. Their message promotes peace throughout Liberia. Moreover, international markets have guaranteed them a sustainable livelihood.

In partnership with Ten Thousand Villages of Pasadena, Anti-Body is making these crosses available to you, a purchase that is a permanent reminder of the lives you helped sustain for the Liberian Coconut Cooperative, a group that will expel oil from coconuts to provide for Anti-Body products and other third party distributors. These crosses are a true testimony to believing that a few people can change the world for better. The money made from these former shell casings will now not only sustain Liberians Against Violence, but help to create even more jobs for a country in so much turmoil.

Each cross size may vary, but stands approximately 1.5 inches tall. Each sold separately for $12.00 Available at www.anti-body.com and at Ten Thousand Villages of Pasadena