Companies I’ve reviewed: Earthley

I have for some time now very much appreciated and been inspired by Earthley’s mission for natural health and am pleased to be able to recommend them highly!

 

About Earthley: Earthley was founded by Kate Tietje who for years blogged at https://modernalternativemama.com/ There, as a result of her own experiences and research, she has shared various recipes for natural skin and health products. She also was asked to author a book on natural remedies for kids a few years ago. As more and more people were asking about being able to purchase products instead of having to make them themselves Earthley was born. It's still a pretty small company but growing thanks to more awareness. Learn more about Earthley here: https://www.earthley.com/about-us/ 

Affordability: As I was going through comparing their products to some other non-toxic companies, Earthley’s prices were almost always lower – on some by more than half! This is a definite plus! They offer free shipping over $50 and they also have free health guides available on their website which I have found very helpful.

Ingredients: It is extremely important to me that companies 1) disclose all ingredients, and 2) use all non-toxic and mostly organic ingredients (I say mostly organic because it’s just not always practical for everything to be organic). Earthley meets these requirements. All ingredients are disclosed on the website and on products. As an extra bonus, all ingredients are easy to understand – no weird-sounding chemicals! While Earthley has not yet been rated itself on ewg.org, all their ingredients are rated 1 (that I could find anyway). Also all their herbs are organic. All products are made in the USA. I am super pleased with their ingredients and their transparency. See more information including descriptions about their ingredients here: https://www.earthley.com/our-ingredients/

Products: Earthley has various skin/body/hair products. They have a few different moisturizers, cleanser, toner, various bar soaps, deodorant (baking soda free) dry shampoo, and leave-in conditioner, sunscreen, bug repellent, natural hand sanitizer, lip balm, and MORE! I haven’t tried a ton of their products yet (I’m currently still using up previous brands) but all the ones I have tried so far I have really liked!

But what makes Earthley really unique are their Herbal Remedies and Nutritional Support products. They have various salves for cuts, bites, etc., various “potions” or remedies for pain, headache, digestion, baby teething, earache, sinus issues, PMS and postpartum support, infant and mommy tummy relief, balance, calming and sleep tinctures, anti-inflamatory tincture, a magnesium lotion (which I was super excited to find!) and more. For Nutritional support they have a vitamin D cream (vitamin D is better absorbed by the skin), vitamin C powder, cod liver oil and other multivitamins. As I use more of their products I will update this post.

Business Model: You can buy direct from the company or through an affiliate. It is NOT an MLM company (hooray! Can I get an amen?!?). This was a big concern of mine! In their affiliate program there are no “teams”, no uplines or downlines, no pressure to recruit or get higher sales, etc. All it is, is in exchange for them promoting their products, affiliates get a small commission and discount. The difference between this and an MLM is that in an MLM the commission is not just for the person you’re buying from – it’s for everyone in her upline. (Which is why there is more pressure to recruit and sell more because those in the upline can make more money without doing as much work.) With Earthley the commission is JUST for the affiliate and no one else. It’s exactly half of what I got before – 15% to be honest, so really not much but I don’t mind since the products are also a LOT cheaper (and again them not an MLM was important to me). I am an affiliate for Earthley. I do not see this as a business for me! It’s an opportunity for me to share and use great products and save a little at the same time. But again, you can purchase directly from the website if you don’t want to go “through” anyone. If you don’t mind helping me out just a little bit I’d appreciate it – you can use the link below OR choose my name at checkout (where it says “who do we thank for your order?” Thanks very much!

https://www.earthley.com/ref/ameliacoburn/

Also, if you’re possibly interested in products, but maybe not right now, or if you would like to be notified when I’m doing a group order so that you can get free shipping let me know! I have an e-mail list! Earthley does have products go on sale fairly often so I can also keep you informed about those! No spam I promise! Happy health journey! 

Circumcision - Did I just say that?

I very rarely have to block someone on Facebook. I have on occasion. But you know what? A good 95% of the time they are rabid intactivists (as anti-circumcision activists are called). Look, I do NOT have a problem if you are anti-circ. You can absolutely have an opinion/conviction, it's a free country! We can disagree, but there’s a line one can cross from disagreeing to attacking. Umm NOT OK. Anyone who attacks my sanity and/or threatens my parental right to do what I believe is best for my child I will have nothing to do with. 

I have been mocked, verbally assaulted, called all kinds of names and harassed. Usually it's because they make some kind of assumption about me or what I believe... and almost every time it's NOT true. One thing is that they ALWAYS assume I have not researched this issue. Um yes I have. Both sides too. You want to know my research? Alright, I'll do it this way.... Here are things they typically argue with my response:

• Circumcision is not a parental rights issue. His body His choice.

This IS a Parental Rights issue. Don’t tell me that it’s an individual rights only and should be left up to the child, because 1) by not circ’ing you are making a decision that can affect them in the future, and 2) as a parent you make personal, medical, health and other decisions for your child all the time. His body, His choice doesn’t apply when it comes to other health and parenting choices. You decide what kind of food he’ll eat and how he’ll be raised. You decide how to treat him when they get sick and what medicine or medical interventions to use. You decide what education he receives and monitor what he reads and watches. Even when he gets older you continue to make a lot of decisions for him; you are careful who your kids hang out with and where they go and what time they should be home. Sorry, but to argue a parent shouldn’t circ for this reason is hypocritical.

But, what if your son resents you for this when he grows up? God forbid! Largely, it seems to me that men resent their circumcision because a woman makes him feel bad about it. Which is why I largely left this decision regarding our son up to my husband. However, I should hope that as my husband and I build a strong relationship with our son he will know that whatever we did for him was because we loved him and believed it was best for him. If a child resents his parents for doing their best, then that is his/her problem not theirs. Parents do need to be open to where they might have failed their children or been wrong, but also should not beat themselves up or feel guilty for seeking to do what they believed was best. Parenting is messy no matter what. There is grace in the mess. 

• The Bible is not relevant to the discussion.

It is very relevant unless of course you don’t believe it. In the Bible, God commanded the Israelites to circumcise all their male children on the 8^th day (8^th day because that’s when vitamin K levels peak and so the ideal time to do it). While I believe the OT law is no longer valid today (in other words, we do not circ “because the law says so”) the fact that this was something God commanded them to do is something we should at least take into consideration. Why did God command this? Since He is a good God, He would not command something that was harmful to the child, rather God’s commands were very much for the GOOD of the individual and community. This says to me that God knows that there was a benefit to circumcision. Some may ask, well why didn’t God just design men that way? Answer: I don’t really know, but God did and made provisions for a lot of things that we don’t really understand. But I know this: God would never command people to do something that was harmful. Any God-believing person who tries to tell me that circumcision is harmful completely loses me. And I disagree with those who claim that circumcision today is very different from then and therefore we shouldn’t do it. It CAN be yes if it is not done correctly which is why as an informed parent you need to make sure you have someone who knows what they are doing and cares about the process. You can get a professional like an orthodox Jewish Mohel to do it like they have for thousands of years. So… there goes that argument.

• The Bible says it’s no longer required. Paul said you shouldn’t circumcise.

I never said it was…. But that does not mean that it can’t still be an option. Paul’s whole point in the book of Galatians is that circumcision (or keeping the law) is no longer required as a means of salvation. We no longer enter the Covenant via circumcision or keeping the law. False teachers were saying that new converts had to be circumcised in order to be saved and Paul is condemning that. Paul had Timothy circumcised for cultural reasons but refused to circumcise Titus (for cultural and theological reasons). *See Acts 16:3. This would indicate that if someone chose to be circumcised (or to have their son circumcised since that is the normal practice) for cultural or health or other reasons it would not be wrong. See this article on why Paul circumcised Timothy: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/qas/acts-16-paul-encourages-timothy-be-circumcised-the/

• It is cosmetic.

It is NOT “cosmetic”! <insert major eye roll here>  That you would suggest it’s about how a man’s private part looks is bad reasoning at best and at worst utterly creepy. Gross. Stop thinking about what a man’s parts look like. I should hope we can ALL agree that the decision about circumcision should not involve how it looks!!!!

• The way it’s done now is not how they did it under Moses.

There is actual a fair amount of truth to this one. Mainstream doctors are not trained how to do it properly, there have even been some who have push circumcision as a way to harm. This is tragic! However, you can find specialists, like a Jewish Mohel, who’s whole job is to circumcise and to do it as God commanded. Mainstream doctors usually do not know (or care) about doing it “right” and as a result there are more risks of something going wrong, too much skin being removed, and it causing harm. I always advocate for screening the doctor and making sure it will be done correctly. My son was done by a doctor that had been doing circumcisions for years and had done hundreds very successfully. He did a great job plus he gave topical and local anesthesia. Future sons however I think I will still look for a mohel just to be sure.

• It is traumatic; it’s abusive.

It is NOT “abuse” nor would I agree it itself is traumatic. It nowhere close to the same as being starved or thrown against a wall or refused love. To say that it “alters the brain” like true abuse does minimizes and demeans those who have actually suffered abuse and trauma. Millions of male babies have been being circumcised for thousands of years and 1) again, God would not have commanded it if it was harmful, and 2) we’d have a LOT more evidence and messed up men. Now I am not denying that there have been doctors who have not done this correctly and have caused some harm (and as a result trauma) – but comparing it to abuse is extreme at best and blaming the trauma on circumcision instead of the doctor is not fair – or really logical. To say that circumcision is traumatic or abusive is outrageous. If you want to insist that it is…. I want nothing further to do with you.

 

 Now, circumcision can cause pain if proper anesthesia is not used – but there are also many accounts of babies not having pain at all or being very bothered by it. Remember that for thousands of years millions of baby boys had NO pain management… and they shockingly were just fine! However, in our day and age a well-researched and caring parent should make sure the circ is done with local numbing at the very least.

Intactivists often say something like "obviously you've never watched a circumcision". Actually, I watched my son’s circumcision. He had numbing cream then additional local anesthesia. Yes, he screamed – but it was largely because he was being held down, he was cold, people were touching him and he could still feel some pulling etc. (It’s like going to the dentist – they numb you, but you can still feel the vibrations, pushing, etc. Not really painful but still can be super uncomfortable - for some more than others.) The next 8 hours or so he was very uncomfortable at times – mostly when I had to change his diaper. I was vigilant and followed all the instructions for follow-up care carefully. I was thankful I was breastfeeding too as that was very comforting to him. He was naturally upset because he did not understand what happened or why he felt uncomfortable. I do remember crying myself at one point because he was uncomfortable and crying. But I was a new mom and my hormones were a little crazy, so understandable…. many moms report being “traumatized” by their son’s circumcision – but it is quite likely that it is largely due to their emotional state and attachment. I don’t at all want to dismiss their experience, but you do need to consider the role your emotional/hormonal state takes in things. (Case in point, I’ve never heard a dad who watched say the same.) The morning after the procedure my son was back to normal and didn’t even fuss when I changed him.

• It’s comparable to female mutilation. 

It is NOT the same as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).  FGM and male circumcision (MC) involve different organs with different functions. Mutilation involves the destruction of a part or a whole to make intentionally hideous or remove function. This is what FGM does, but MC does not (although you could argue there are some who do do this which is why it’s important to have it done right by someone who cares about the process – I am assuming here that the circumcision is done correctly). MC and FGM remove different amounts of tissue with different functions and different degrees of physical, psychological, and sexual effect. Medically speaking, whereas male circumcision does have some scientifically-demonstrated benefits, FGM has only been demonstrated to cause harm. Psychologically speaking, any effects of MC on the man and his female partners is dubious at best, with some research showing benefit and some showing harm. On the other hand, FGM has only been demonstrated to cause psychological harm to the woman, her husband and family. Sexually speaking, whereas male circumcision has no proven effect on or in sexual sensation, function, and satisfaction for both the man and his female partners, FGM has been demonstrated to cause harm to both her own and her male partners’ sexual sensation, function, and satisfaction. In short, there is simply no comparison between MC and FGM. If you want to insist there is, then well, I guess we’re done talking.

• It is never medically necessary or even beneficial.

I saved this one for last since the response will be longest. While again I would agree it’s not  necessary there are occasions where it IS necessary to be done for medical reasons such as severe infection or other problems (so to say “never” is just a little ridiculous). There are also many that would argue that it IS beneficial to men’s health. Not to mention it's absolutly certain that it's safer to do when the boy is a baby rather than wait. The procedure is much more complicated even if you wait a couple months. Now there are medical studies that can be used to back up BOTH sides and I honestly don’t think one is necessarily more convincing than the others, but there are several reasons why I believe circumcision is beneficial to health: 

1. Circumcision has a long history. Circumcision has been practiced since about 4,000 years ago (or 70,000 years ago evolutionary dating). See http://www.circinfo.net/history_and_recent_trends.html for one source on this. Hundreds of different cultures all over the world have practiced it for thousands of years. Even in primitive times they took the risk and circumcised. They believed even then that the risk was worth the benefit! But modern man has finally now figured out that there is no benefit and that it’s all risk and only harm? Yeah OK.

2. There are hundreds of researched and proven benefits to circumcision. If you don’t believe me you can start here:

UTI Circumcision Studies:
Summary: Uncircumcised infant boys have approximately 10X higher UTI rate than circumcised boys and about the same (12 mo) or about 10X higher (newborn period) than girls. UTIs in infancy are particularly dangerous, leading to kidney infection, permanent kidney damage, meningitis, and bacteremia/sepsis. Uncircumcised men have about 3X higher UTI rate. UTIs in adults are painful but generally not dangerous, except in the elderly. Antibiotic resistance is an extremely serious problem today, leading researchers to refer to modern times as the “post-antibiotic era” or the “antibiotic apocalypse.” One of the most commonly antibiotic-resistant bacteria is E. coli, which is the most common cause of UTIs in all age groups and both sexes.

Increases UTIs or Periurethral Bacterial Flora
~~No Studies~~

Has No Effect on UTIs or Periurethral Bacterial Flora
~~No Studies~~

Reduces UTIs
[1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9851381
[2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16140703
[3] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11772190
[4] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10742321
[5] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9685461
[6] http://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(96)70423-7/fulltext
[7] from Germany! http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11793114
[8] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8453827 (A 2-part study. First was a cohort study. Second was a meta-analysis; see [MA04] below.)
[9] https://www.researchgate.net/.../21840620_Renal_scarring...
[10] study in ADULT MEN http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1472171
[11] http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/86/3/363
[12] Kashani & Faraday, 1989 (apparently, it’s not online, but it’s cited by [8], [11], and [MA03] on this list, as well as by several literature reviews and opinion pieces)
[13] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2624614
[14] http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3476(88)80625-5
[15] http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/.../3/338.abstract...
[16] http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx...
[17] http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/78/1/96
[18] http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/75/5/901
[19] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7070887
Meta-Analyses
[MA01] http://www.jurology.com/.../S0022-5347(12)05623-6/fulltext
[MA02] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18316994
[MA03] http://adc.bmj.com/content/90/8/853.long
[MA04] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8453827
[MA05] https://www.readbyqxmd.com/.../-circumcision-in-the... [Note: This comes from Mexico, a low-circumcising country.]

Reduces Periurethral Bacterial Flora (which reduces UTI risk)
[1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9563029
[2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8453827
[3] http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3476(88)80625-5
[4] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2902235
[5] http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx...

Also:

Study performed that examined the pain level in circumcision. This shows that circumcision should ideally be performed the first week of life in order to be painless. Delaying circumcision also increases risk for bleeding. https://lookaside.fbsbx.com/file/banieghbal%202009.pdf?token=AWyR39rBRJS8dnzkzDP1pOw05Nz6nhlUCKt59p1SpAMxP5yCjeZppxOFyXgpSZtyE8icQAklWi4R3zp7GlMki6lwDvL_O0ch_JrGSmsl0uk4hkKKswJgnp_e0tDhRYyWc21sodP8tihZ1Q9q8d7wc7H8

You can disagree with me if you like, it’s a free country. But I hope this helps you understand this perspective a little more. But whatever you decide, please, don’t be an angry arrogant intactivist. Don’t touch my parental rights or question my parenting ability or love for my child. Because I will have no patience with you.

Health and Peace!