Kiss My Face - Do it Naturally

Let the Sun Shine In!

I’m so excited, overjoyed, energized! to announce that Kiss My Face is letting a lot of sun shine in with a new solar powered electric system!  We are now greener than ever thanks to that big star in the sky and many modules of photovoltaic cells on the warehouse roof.  We can make our own electric energy and when we don’t need it, like on the weekends, the power will go into the grid for someone else to use.  We even get credit from the utility company when the meter runs backwards, it’s a win/win situation.

 I’ve worked at Kiss My Face for many years doing everything from packing boxes to running a warehouse to currently project coordinator.  Installing solar panels though is one of the coolest, or hottest, projects I’ve done so far.  It all started with a chance remark 1½ years ago that we had a good location for solar power here in the

Hudson

Valley

.  I thought what a great idea and started to get estimates, work up numbers and bug Bob & Steve.  It’s been a long haul getting the system installed, sometimes disappointing, oft times frustrating, but ultimately illuminating and very, very satisfying.  Now I can walk outside and watch the solar meter spin, even on the cloudy days J

 Sunny Day Fun Facts

3,158 – gallons of crude oil saved per year

23.4 – tons of greenhouse gases kept from the atmosphere yearly

21.4 – tons of coal a year we don’t have to use

268 – solar modules mounted on warehouse roof

46,940 – watts we can produce with the solar modules

50+ - years of life expected from solar electric system

68% - of our electric use will be powered by the sun

8 – years to payback solar system cost

365 – potential sunny days a year - we're optimists!

- Naomi

 KMF Project Coordinator and Solarizer

do you want to save a bit?

Today I am not thinking (or writing) about natural and organic versus commercial products.  Or what we can do to help the environment. Like most of you I am certain the current economic mess is first and foremost on your mind.

So who isn't looking to save a few cents (well ... more like a few hundred dollars) wherever they can. Which brings me to my topic du jour ... a blog site called Common Sense with Money (http://www.commonsensewithmoney.com/). A very cool blog that offers daily giveaways, practical advice on saving money, and links to various other sites that can also help you save. She even recently gave away a bundle of items from our new Kids line (pretty cool , huh?).

The site is run by Mercedes, a self-described "Wife, Mother, Home Manager, CPA and MBA using all of my skills to thrive on one income." And the information, advice, and links she offers is truly stuff you can use everyday. One recent post had a link to Del Monte where they were giving away $25 worth of coupons just for signing up for their newsletter. And $25 in food savings is nothing to sneeze at when you have three kids at home to feed plus two others who come home from college with huge appetites starving for real home cooking. OK, OK ... maybe most of you don't have seven (and sometimes eight) mouths to feed but you still know what I mean. Gotta save where we can to offset the energy and financial mess we have today.

Hmmmmm ... maybe Mercedes should start a new blog giving savings advice to the powers that be in Washington ;-)

RecycleBank & Kiss My Face - A natural partnership

I have a confession to make. My family produces a TON (OK ... maybe only about 900 pounds) of garbage each and every week. Every week we put out a 50 gallon garbage container that is FILLED to the top. In our defense, we do have 5 permanent household members plus another 3 that visit (on occasion) from college. Still ... that IS a lot of waste.

We've tried to cut it down by buying in bulk; avoiding pre-packaged, snack sized lunch treats (although I'm not sure how much that helps given our continuous (and mysterious) loss of snack sized Tupperware containers; and, of course, recycling anything we can.

Recycling is actually now quite easy for us. All we have to do is wheel our containers of recyclables out with the trash every other week. Up until a year ago we had to haul them down to the recycling center ourselves ... which made for some pretty big piles of bottles, etc., by the time we'd get 'round to doing it. Despite how easy it is in our small town ... I still have many friends and family who still do not take the time to recycle.

This is all my long-winded way of saying ... enter RecycleBank!

Kiss My Face has recently partnered with RecycleBank and, if you don't know who they are ... you should learn (www.recyclebank.com). I honestly believe RecycleBank is going to change the way people think about their garbage.

"RecycleBank is the premier rewards and loyalty program that motivates people to recycle and to engage in environmentally virtuous activities." This is the way they describes themselves. But let me boil it down to a simpler explanation. RecycleBank gives you cool stuff ... and the more you recycle ... the more cool stuff you get.

The way this works is pretty easy. You place your recyclables out ... your waste management company weighs it as they collect it ... and you are awarded points based on the weight. The more you recycle ... the more points you get ... and the more stuff you can get by redeeming those points. And the partner companies (such as us) are offering some pretty nice stuff ... from discount coupons to out and out free merchandise. For example, Stoneyfield Farms will give you a free YoBaby Organic Yogurt for every 50 points you redeem. Given the cost of feeding kids today ... getting free yogurt is not bad. Other companies involved include Kraft, Coca-Cola, CVS, RiteAid, Dick's Sporting Goods, and, of course, yours truly.

Hmmmm ... this might even be a good way for me to FINALLY get my kids to recycle. If I let them earn the points and redeem them for whatever THEY want ... it might just take the job of recycling away from me.

Now THAT would be a minor miracle.

Ringing the Bell

Although we all work hard here at Kiss My Face to bring you the best natural products, once in a while we get to mix in a little fun, too. Here is our fearless leader, Bob, helping to ring the opening bell for the NASDAQ stock exchange. He was the personal guest of Novak Djokovic, the number 3 tennis player in the world and a recent Olympic Bronze medal winner.(He is the tall, dark, and handsome guy just to the right of Bob ... click on the images for a better view.) Afterward they all gathered for one more photo opp in front of One Liberty Plaza on Broadway in New York City.

Shampoo...or Dinner?

In the 70’s- the beginning of the natural food and body care industry- the food you could buy in a health food store was good for you, although there were times we wondered if any one at the company had actually ever tasted it before it hit the shelves. If you were into natural food or, god forbid, you were a vegetarian, you were definitely on the fringes of society- a “health nut” (That was me.) And if you also chose to differentiate between natural and conventional body care products, then you were just plain nuts! (That was me too!) What possible difference could there be between the two?

Boy, what a difference a couple of decades have made in all things natural. Consumers finally acknowledge a correlation between what we put in and on our bodies and overall health and well being. It’s cool to be green. “Natural” sells. Major corporations are buying up independent natural food and body care companies faster that you can say opportunism. Kiss My Face is, and always has been, independently owned and it shows.

At Kiss My Face, we love what we do. We strive daily to make fantastic natural products that really work. We're a company that has been in the natural world for a long time; over the years we have consistently tweaked and improved our products as new ingredients and information became available. Within the last year or two, a number of different standards for natural and organic products have been suggested- more than you can count on two hands- with new ones appearing daily. There has been talk about which body care ingredients may be best for the greater good.....or which may meet USDA food standards for organic, with no standard that can be agreed upon. As one of the folks who develop new products at KMF, I can tell you first hand that what works on a dinner plate does not always work on your hair! Any company can make castile soap and call it shampoo. The ingredient list is beautiful- your hair...not so beautiful! We could use alcohol to preserve our products, like some other companies do. It meets natural standards but we don't think it's good for your skin. We work hard every day to find the balance between products that are wildly effective and affordable... and ingredients you can eat. Clean, natural products that work- that's the kind of balance we want and we think it's what you want too. We continue to make adjustments to some of our original products that need updating; we want to get them just right. We're working with exciting, new ingredients to develop wonderful new products that are a pleasure to use. Of course, we'll continue to work hard making the products that you know and love. We're not perfect but we're trying!

Heather

A little lip balm ... a BIG help for the planet

At the risk of sounding a bit self-serving  (but a risk worth taking) if our actions can convince other companies to help the environment ... even if just by doing the "little things" ..... we'll  feel better.

We all get caught up in the day to day business (yes ... it IS a business) of working and running a company. But if we do so while still keeping in mind the needs of our planet ... then we can  make a difference.  Often its a challenge.

We recently came up with an idea ... one that I get the credit for....but was honestly inspired by Lance Armstrong's yellow bracelet.... We would make natural lip balms and give away the profits to help protect our ailing climate. The goal:  raise $1,000,000 for the Alliance for Climate Protection.  I named them Lip Action.  Each flavor bears an  environmentally-inspired name that's supposed to make you smile. Berry Warm, Eco-Coco and Mango Melt.  (so didya' smile ?)

I called the folks at Whole Foods Market  to see if the'd be interested in being our exclusive launch partner.  They were both enthusiastic and supportive.  So thats where you can pick up some Lip Action  and I sure hope you will !

....as small as they are, lip balms are used by millions of people around the globe daily, and having this little reminder can help make a larger impact on our lives, and those of future generations.

One dollar from the sale of each balm, retailing for $3.49, will be donated to the Alliance for Climate Protection, as part of their continued mission to persuade the American people — and people elsewhere in the world – of the importance and urgency of adopting and implementing effective and comprehensive solutions for the climate crisis.

“We believe that consumers pay attention to companies on issues like climate change when the companies themselves have made a commitment to making the world a better place, and we're very proud to be the beneficiary of this important effort,” says Cathy Zoi, CEO of The Alliance for Climate Control.

“Kiss My Face and Whole Foods demonstrate that it is possible to both build a successful business and promote sustainability,” continues Zoi. “With ‘Lip Action’ balm they are increasing awareness of the climate crisis, and the Alliance will use the proceeds to communicate with Americans from all walks of life about the urgency and solvability of this crucial issue.”

- Bob MacLeod

 

About Kiss My Face

Kiss My Face, an all-natural body care company, is no newcomer to the recent explosion of green product marketers. The brainchild of two long-time vegetarians searching for healthy body care products, Kiss My Face was founded on a 200-acre organic farm in New York's beautiful Hudson River Valley and has been operating out of a converted barn and feed store ever since. From moisturizers to liquid soaps, shave creams to body oils, Kiss My Face has something for you.

About The Alliance for Climate Control

The Alliance for Climate Protection is a 501c3 organization founded in 2006 by Vice President Al Gore who is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors. The Alliance is engaged in an unprecedented effort to convince people from all walks of life about the urgency and the solvability of the climate crisis.

Building on the momentum of the Academy Award winning film, "An Inconvenient Truth," the Alliance objective is to engage individuals, communities, corporations and governments across the world to take action to quickly reduce their own greenhouse pollution to become "carbon neutral” and demand action from their political, business and community leaders to enact policies that will sharply reduce emissions.

Through an innovative combination of communication platforms and an influential collection of supporters that includes the environmental community, key leaders in business, the entertainment industry, the faith community, labor and many others, the Alliance will reach new audiences to engage them in solving the climate crisis.

Like I said ... maybe it is a bit of self-aggrandisement ... but I am very proud of this effort.

Why use natural and organic personal care products?

I have been asked this question by my family, friends, and total strangers for YEARS. My first response … especially with family and friends … is a quizzical look as if I am trying to determine if I should start speaking in monosyllabic words. Of course, that elicits the usual "what??!!?? You think you're smarter than the rest of us" and has often led to a 2 hour "debate" (argument according to other family members) … especially with my ultra-conservative middle sister in Vermont (yes … believe it or not they haven't managed to drive off ALL conservatives in Vermont … not yet anyhow). But I digress …

The truth is that I could spout off hundreds (ok … dozens) of reasons why I personally believe that everyone in this great land of ours should be using naturally based products of all types. Resisting the temptation to jump up on my soap box and risk another 2 hour debate, I usually answer simply, "Do you really believe it is healthy for you and your kids to be bathing, covering yourselves in, and consuming dyes, oil-based chemicals, and possibly carcinogens? Because that is exactly what you are doing when you use typical cheap, commercial brand soaps, shampoos, and crèmes."

"Read the ingredients!" I tell them. At the risk of getting myself in hot water with the big corporate lawyer types … one big name Baby Shampoo contains two different coloring dyes and artificial fragrance; another adult "natural" shampoo contain two dyes PLUS DMDM hydantoin … a preservative that works by releasing FORMALDEHYDE into the product!!; most commercial bar soaps contain dyes; and one very big name bar soap contain multiple dyes. (OK … why the all dyes??? Do surveys show that Americans only buy based on pretty colors???)

Almost all commercial bath products aimed at Kids contain dyes, artificial fragrances, and preservatives. My 7 year old son is naturally on the hyperactive side. In a moment of weakness, I allowed myself to be talked into buying several of these products. Within days of using these products my son's hyperactivity went into overdrive AND … even more telling … he calmed down within days of discontinuing their use.

The sad and honest fact is that we, in the USA, are way behind the rest of the world in realizing that what we put ON our bodies also goes INTO our bodies. The European Union has outlawed more than 400 personal care products including anything that contains formaldehyde, a proven carcinogen, while our own FDA has banned less than a dozen. And I haven't even touched on the environmental reasons why we should all go "au natural" (Hey! Mind out of the gutter!).

Now … all that being said … are we at Kiss perfect in producing 100% natural and organic products? No. Yes … I said no. We've made mistakes such as using parabens as preservatives based on the European Union's approval. Yes … even the EU makes mistakes. But we TRY. Our company was founded more than 25 years ago on the belief that it IS possible to make products that are natural, affordable, and that WORK. And we'll never stop following that belief.

Daniel