Clementine Art, the natural alternative to toxic art supplies

(NaturalNews) Paints, glues, crayons, markers: many of these things purchased conventionally contain artificial chemical dyes, petrochemicals and other unknown ingredients, despite bearing a non-toxic label. Millions of children use such art supplies every day in preschool, art class and at home, and are unwittingly exposed to unknown levels of contaminants. Fortunately, there is a safe alternative.

Diana Mercer is a teacher of young children in art and founder of Clementine Art, a natural children's art supply company. For many years, she has helped children express their creative intuitions through art, but became concerned over what hidden ingredients might be lurking in the supposed non-toxic art supplies she was using. She began to create her own art supplies from the natural ingredients in her kitchen as an alternative, which eventually birthed into Clementine Art.

Today, the company produces truly natural, non-toxic modeling dough, glue, crayons, paints, crayons and markers. All of the products are certified non-toxic, environmentally-friendly and free of artificial colors and dyes. Unlike conventional brands, Clementine Art products bear full ingredient labels that disclose every ingredient.

Clementine's modeling dough, for example, is composed of simple ingredients like flour and water, similar to what is found in natural baked bread. The dough is colored using natural foods like turmeric, carmine, annatto and spinach, and is scented using natural scents like strawberry, lemon and lime.

Similarly, Clementine's natural paints are colored using earth-based, non-toxic mineral pigments, as are the company's markers and crayons. All of these contain absolutely no chemical dyes or other artificial additives.

"Clementine's creamy, natural crayons are made from kosher soy wax and mineral pigments. Conventional crayons are made from paraffin wax, a petroleum product," explains Mercer about the superiority of her crayons. "The use of soy in our product is better for your child's health and better for the environment since soy is a sustainable crop."

Clementine also makes soy-based crayon rocks which were designed by an early childhood educator to encourage motor and writing skills in small children. Their unique design facilitates young children in learning how to shade, draw lines and mix colors.

Clementine Art also makes a safe, non-toxic glue that is composed of natural bio-polymers rather than animal adhesives. It will not cause harm to a child if ingested, and like the other Clementine products, it contains no artificial colors or dyes.

Mercer truly believes in her products and is enthusiastic about being able to provide a safe alternative for children. "Clementine Art products help to develop your child's creative voice. Our unique, engaging and natural art supplies will inspire your children naturally and safely," she says.

To learn more about Clementine Art, please visit www.clementineart.com.

Common Herbs can be used as Natural Pesticides

(NaturalNews) Essential oils extracted from common kitchen herbs and spices can be used as safer, less destructive pesticides, according to research led by Murray Isman of the University of British Columbia and presented at the Fall Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Washington, D.C.

"We are exploring the potential use of natural pesticides based on plant essential oils -- commonly used in foods and beverages as flavorings," Isman said.

Isman's team has been researching the pest control properties of clove, mint, rosemary and thyme for 10 years, and has found that diluted mixtures of the essential oils from two to four of the plants can be used to both repel and kill agricultural pests. These natural pesticides have been effectively used to fight aphids and mites that would otherwise prey on spinach, strawberry and tomato crops.

The essential oils provide several major advantages over synthetic pesticides. They are significantly less toxic to farm workers and the surrounding environment than synthetic chemicals. Because they break down quickly, they are less likely to cause lasting harm to the environment or human health. Researchers also claim that insects are less likely to evolve resistance to the plant compounds.

Because they are not engineered but simply extracted from foods already deemed safe, essential oil pesticides do not need regulatory approval and can be used on organic crops.

Because the essential oils degrade so quickly in the environment, however -- lasting as little as a few hours -- they need to be applied relatively frequently. In comparison, synthetic pesticides may remain in the soil for months and resist breakdown long after this time, which is part of what makes them so dangerous. The herb and spice-based pesticides also need to be applied in larger doses than synthetic pesticides.

"They're not a panacea for pest control," Isman said. "It comes down to what's good for the environment and what's good for human health."

Sources for this story include: news.bbc.co.uk; www.sciencedaily.com.