Surfing is a way of life!! Advertisements use the surfer image to sell everything from beachwear, fashion and food to  hair & skin care products, but those who don't actually surf are no closer to understand this most free-spirited of sports than was the famous British explorer Captain Cook. You are a surfer first; everything else comes second.

Everybody wants to be a surfer and wants to have what they have - FREEDOM! Without a doubt surfers have style!! If it's in the water or on land, fashion or appearance and surfers require different hair and skin care than most as they have to deal with the elements (salt water, wind & sun) for several hours a day... I should know, I am a surfer, too!!

What makes Liquid Soul special? Our aim is to offer you handmade health and beauty products that are 100% organic, using certified organic ingredients!

Liquid Soul was born from frustration due to the lack of non toxic products available for surfers.  Well there never really was a hair & skin care range exclusively for surfers - not to mention 100% organic!  

Me being a surfers for many years myself and having to deal with split ends, unmanageable, frizzy, brittle and sun & salt water damaged hair and dry, sun damaged skin, had to come up with something myself to solve the problem!

Almost all shampoos, conditioners, body lotions and everything else available on our surf shop and supermarket shelves contain a cocktail of sulphates, petro chemicals, parabens, artificial fragrances and other toxins that are, at best harmful to our health and worst, carcinogenic.

Using only 100% natural and CERTIFIED organic ingredients the unique products on this site are completely free of all impurities and synthetics to support and encourage healthy balanced hair and skin that glows with vitality.

Liquid Soul products do not come in wasteful cardboard and plastic packaging and the bottles are recyclable.
We will evolve as the organic industry continues to grow to bring you whatever you need to complete your organic lifestyle. I hope you'll enjoy the journey with us.

Why 100% organic?

The use of cosmetics and personal care products is an everyday affair, especially when you are a surfer and you are out in the salt water and sun all day!

We have learnt to trust the corporations that provide health and beauty products because most governments dictate the processes that protect people from harmful substances - don't they?

Unfortunately this assumption is only half correct.

The government aims to protect people from harmful drugs and medications taken orally by screening the results from drug companies. However, since the cosmetics industries do not provide substances to be taken within the body, there are only a few restrictions for a product to be considered 'safe' enough for sale in your surf shop, supermarket or drug store.

For instance, the US cosmetics industry's own safety review panel has assessed only 11 per cent of the 10,500 ingredients contained in health and beauty products available in stores today.

According to the FDA

"Cosmetics and their ingredients are not required to undergo approval before they are sold".

Manufacturers can use any ingredient, except for 10 prohibited substances, without government review."

With only 10 substances being banned for use on the skin, what is the impact of the other 10,490 substances being used by cosmetics companies?  European laws are much tougher, but even the UK governments currently only ban 1200 toxic chemicals.

How are chemicals used in hair and skin care products affecting you?

Why is your skin important ?

Your skin is the largest eliminatory organ in the body. It is a two-way membrane. Toxins are eliminated out through the skin via perspiration and absorbed into your body's systemic circulation, through hair follicles and sebaceous glands.

One square inch of skin contains 65 hairs and 100 sebaceous glands.

That means if you put a chemical compound on your skin your body is likely to absorb it.

The principle behind HRT and Nicotine patches is that they absorb into your skin. And it is precisely by absorption that you receive other unwanted chemicals and toxins, which are found in hair & skincare applications.

Long time exposure for people who don't remove chemicals properly means they accumulate toxins that can contribute to health problems.

Most scientists agree at least 80% of the 200 different types of cancer known today are related to toxins and carcinogens from synthetic and toxic chemicals.

A UK study discovered traces of methylparabens (a synthetic chemical commonly used in body creams, lotions, washes, anti perspirants and deodorants) in breast cancer tumours, and a poll of 150,000 Americans found even low doses of chemicals to have a huge impact on brain health.

The bottom line is the more cosmetics you use on your skin, the more chemicals you absorb.

According to "The Environmental Working Group":

• More than one-third of all personal care products contain
  at least one ingredient linked to cancer.
• 57 percent contain "penetration enhancer" chemicals that
  can drive other ingredients faster and deeper into the skin
  to the blood vessels below.
• 70 percent of all products contain ingredients that may
  contain harmful impurities such as known carcinogens,
  according to FDA or industry reviews.

The alternative: 100% ORGANIC, CERTIFIED ORGANIC 

The impurities in hair & skin care are not restricted within the personal care products industry.

As you can see health and beauty do not always go hand in glove which is why you need to seek out 100% synthetic chemical-free and toxin-free hair and skin care products.

Fortunately there is a range made from purely natural organic ingredients, many of which are Certified Organic to Food Standards. This means you could even eat them and they wouldn't do you any harm - but please don't take that as a recommendation. 

The quality and integrity of Liquid Soul products is assured because the ingredients used meet CERTIFIED standards. 

All the ingredients uses in Liquid Soul products are food based and 100% beneficial. Unlike the majority of products on the market, which use dead inert bases, these products use all active ingredients.Their bio available nutrients feed and nourish the skin.

More importantly there are NO SYNTHETIC INGREDIENTS to create health problems. You have peace of mind!
Just as healthy nutrient rich organic food is more expensive than the cheap but nutritionally weak food most people consume, organic hair and skin care products can appear slightly more expensive than their toxic filled counterparts.

However, as the beneficial organic ingredients are so potent and active only small amounts are required making them very cost effective. Also the packaging is environmentally friendly and not wasteful of your planet's resources.
The healthy option and the solution to avoiding toxin exposure from your hair and skin care products is to adopt a 100% organic or certified organic approach.
 
BENEFICIAL Ingredients in Our Products 

• Synthetic Chemical and Toxic FREE
• ACTIVE and BENEFICIAL
• FEED and NOURISH
• LOOK and FEEL GREAT
• Are WONDERFULLY/NATURALLY FRAGRANCED

• 60% of what you put onto your skin can be absorbed
• Most shampoos contain sodium lauryl sulphate which is irritating for the skin, a penetration enhancer (a bad thing when there are other nasties in the product) and has been linked to health problems
• Styling products often contain Parabens & Propylene Glycol which are not good for your skin, but our natural products don't
• Using organic hair care limits the amount of toxic chemicals your skin will absorb and works as well as, or better than mainstream brands

Nothing we sell ever contains SLS, Parabens, Mineral Oil, Synthetic Fragrance, Propylene Glycol or is Animal Tested so you can feel confident in choosing any of our organic hair care products

Why not grab a selection of products from your bathroom or kitchen now and see what they contain?

Beware of the following ingredients and their effects:

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), - a harsh detergent used in industry as a degreaser and garage floor cleaner, it is a key ingredient in most shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers, cleansers, body wash, bubble baths, toothpastes, hand wash and detergents.  When applied to skin SLS strips away the oil layer, causing it to separate, leaving it irritated and rough.  SLS is rapidly absorbed and retained in the eyes, brain, heart and liver which may cause harmful long term effects. Studies have shown regular use can cause improper eye development in children, cataracts in adults, hair corrosion and dysfunction of the biological processes of the skin.

When SLS is ethoxylated (a chemical process that enables fatty acids to become more water soluble) it becomes SLES, which is less abrasive and has enhanced foaming properties however a harmful compound called 1,4-dioxane ( also known as para-dioxane) is created in the ethoxylation process.  1,4-dioxane is a hormone disruptor thought to increase the chances of breast cancer, endometrial cancer and lower sperm counts.

1,4-dioxane is listed by the National Toxicology Program, (under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) under the label ‘Reasonably Anticipated to be Human Carcinogens' since tests on animals have shown it to cause gallbladder cancer in guinea pigs, skin tumours and lung cancer in mice.  Their report also notes that consumers are open to exposure to 1,4-dioxane via detergents and shampoos.

1,4-dioxane has been banned in Europe where there was a recall of contaminated products, yet in the US, and most probably in Australia, The Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org) estimates that a quarter of all personal care products sold contain this cancer causing ingredient. Simple manufacturing changes could eliminate 1,4-dioxane from our products.

Phthalates - are commonly used in household cleaners, shampoos, skin creams, hairspray, perfumes, nail polish, deodorisers and insect repellents. Phthalates are regulated as toxic substances under environmental laws that limit their discharge into the air, land and water but there are no limitations on the amount of phthalates used in consumer products. Health effects from phthalates include birth defects, decreased sperm counts, testicular cancer, early puberty onset in girls, damage to the liver and kidneys, and other reproductive disorders

Parabens (eg. Butyl, propyl and ethyl parabens) are found in many products such as deodorant, face creams, shampoos and toothpaste. Originally thought to be non-toxic, recent research has found that the length of time parabens are on the skin increases the absorption through the skin directly into the blood stream. The greatest concern regarding parabens is their link to breast cancer - studies have found parabens in breast cancer tumours - however this research is not yet conclusive.

Diethanolamine (DEA), Monoethanolamine (MEA), Triethanolamine (TEA) - are emulsifiers (enable water soluble ingredients and oils to blend) and foaming agents used in bubble baths, shampoos, conditioners, body-wash, moisturizers, soaps and facial cleansers. Ethanolamines irritate the eyes and skin causing dermatitis and psoriasis. "Animal tests show it causes damage to the liver, kidney, brain, spinal cord,  hormone disruption, bone marrow and skin. Contact with the eyes can cause impaired vision." These chemicals interact with nitrites (often preservatives in the product) to form nitrosamines - carcinogens that penetrate the skin. 

Talc is a toxin and carcinogen that continues to be available in our supermarkets as Talcum Powder. Talc should never be used on babies both because of its carcinogenicity and its link with acute respiratory distress from inhalation that can result in death. Routine application of talc in the genital area has been associated with a 3 to 4 fold increase in the development of ovarian cancer. Talc also causes lung irritation, pneumonia, cough, vomiting and lung cancer.

Propylene Glycol (PG), Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) - a humectant (retains moisture) in skin and hair care products so that they don't dry out, PG and PEG are petroleum derivatives that can easily penetrate the skin causing liver abnormalities and kidney damage. Other uses are cigarettes, pesticides and anti-freezes.

Mineral Oils - are derived from petroleum and coats the skin so that it can't breathe. Our skin needs to breathe in order to eliminate toxins. When our skin cannot function as it is intended we develop skin irritations, blemishes, reduced skin cell development and premature aging of the skin. Check your moisturisers and cosmetics for mineral oil - and be aware, Baby Oil is mineral oil!! All of the products offered at Liquid Soul are based on natural botanical oils or ‘essential oils'.