Priscilla Woolworth Newsletter #69
If, having endured much, we have at last asserted our "right to know," ........
If, having endured much, we have at last asserted our "right to know," and if by knowing, we have concluded that we are being asked to take senseless and frightening risks, then we should no longer accept the counsel of those who tell us that we must fill our world with poisonous chemicals; we should look about and see what other course is open to us.”
-Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring
Hello Friends,
Happy Holidays to all!
Thank you for reading my newsletter and for your interest in what I do.
What began as a small idea has grown into something much bigger than I ever imagined. This January, PriscillaWoolworth.com celebrates its 16th anniversary! I’m truly thrilled to still be here, doing what I love.
Nature has always been a deep source of inspiration for me, and my respect and awe for it has only grown as I’ve learned more about its wonders.
Thank you for your support over the years—it has been instrumental in helping me grow.
My gift to you is: this issue is Free. Please feel free to share it.
Onwards!
#1-Essential Oil of Oregano
When I took a Medicinal Plant course at Cornell University two years ago, I learned more about Oregano Essential Oil and it’s many health benefits. My friend Agnes Baddoo had been telling me about Oregano Essential Oil and how she had already integrated it into her daily self care (especially in the winter time).
Oregano contains compounds called phenols, terpenes, and terpenoids. They have powerful antioxidant properties and are responsible for the Oregano’s strong fragrance. These are terms I hadn’t heard of until I took the Medicinal Plant course!
Health Benefits of Oregano Essential Oil are:
It’s a natural antibiotic because of the carvacrol it contains which helps to fight bacteria. It’s also a powerful antioxidant, which helps protect the body from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are a natural product of metabolism but may play a role in aging and developing some diseases, such as cancer and heart disease. They can also build up in the body through exposure to environmental factors, such as cigarette smoke and air pollutants. One study compared the antioxidant content of 39 commonly used herbs and found that oregano had the highest concentration of antioxidants.
One of my favorite ways to use Oregano essential oil is by rubbing some on the bottom of my feet!
Oils are delivered faster through the bottom of our feet because the pores are thicker on the sole of the foot and our legs act like straws sucking up the compounds quickly into the bloodstream. If applied all over the bottom of the foot, the oil can be detected in every cell of the body within 20 minutes.
Did you know…that the soles of the feet and the palms of the hand are the only sites on our body without Sebaceous Glands. Since Sebum is an oily substance it would actually further “shield” the body from absorption of anything. Since the palms and the soles do not secrete sebum, they are more ready to absorb oil.
Also, the safety is high when oils are administered on the bottom of the feet with a lower risk of skin irritation and sensitivities. The skin on the soles of the feet are less sensitive than the skin throughout the rest of the body, allowing us to use even the “hotter” oils (oregano, thyme, citrus oils…) here without the need for dilution.
When applying Oregano Oil, when possible use a reusable (washable) cotton round when rubbing oil on the bottom of your feet. Using a reusable cotton round helps to reduces waste, by not using kleenex, papertowels or cotton balls.
Just because it’s an herb and is organic, doesn’t mean it’s safe to use for everyone. Medicinal herbs have powerful healing properties that may not be right for everyone. Don’t be afraid to use them but learn the proper way for the best results.
**If you’re interested in using oregano essential oil but are currently taking prescription medications, make sure to consult your healthcare professional before adding it to your regimen.
**In addition, this oil may inhibit blood clotting, cause skin irritation, mucous membrane irritation, and may interact with certain drugs. It is potentially embryotoxic, so avoid when pregnant. Never use essential oils undiluted, in eyes or mucus membranes. Do not take internally unless working with a qualified and expert practitioner. Keep away from children.
My favorite source for Oregano Essential Oil is here
Source for the piece are Healthline. com and my book LOLA
#2-Black Plastic Utensils
Did you know…that a recent study found high levels of flame retardants in everyday black plastic cooking utensils, food storage containers, and more.
I know, it’s one more thing that we should and need to avoid using. Read one to learn why and what the healthier and safer alternatives are.
Researchers tested 203 black plastic items that are available in the U.S., ranging from cooking utensils and food storage to personal care products and toys, for flame retardants. Eighty-five percent of the tested products contained flame retardants.
“It turns out that a lot of them did have elevated levels of flame retardants, and specifically brominated flame retardants, which are linked to a slew of health concerns,” said Kizzy Charles-Guzman, the CEO of the Center for Environmental Health.
Brominated flame retardants have been linked to cancer, hormone disruption, neurotoxicity, reproductive issues and developmental issues, she added.
What’s also worrying is that some of the flame retardants found in these products are banned in the U.S. For instance, sushi trays contained the highest levels of flame retardants, and specifically high amounts of decabromodiphenyl ether, which is a banned chemical.
I just had one of these last week! Ugh
So, how did these harmful, and often-banned, chemicals make their way into your plastic soup ladle or sushi takeout tray?
“They could have been made from recycled electronic waste and electrical equipment — so TVs, computers, appliances, things that, by definition, get treated with flame retardants to prevent fire in your home,” Charles-Guzman explained. And these electronics could have been treated with these flame retardants years before they were banned. For instance, decabromodiphenyl ether was only banned in 2021.
Flame retardants are terrible for us because they bio-accumulate. That means that even a low level of routine exposure really builds up in your body over time.”
If you do order sushi that’s in one of these black trays, Charles-Guzman it’s best to take the sushi out of the container as soon as possible and eat it off of a plate, not out of the container.
Metal, wood and ceramic are all good options for kitchen utensils, said Charles-Guzman.
Utensils #6 and #7 (wood spoons) belonged to my French grandmother and I think of her every time I use them, which is daily.
I prefer metal because it’s well-suited for high temperatures and it’s easiest to clean and the rest of the time, I use wood spoons, making sure to scrub and dry them really well after every use ( the metal utensils as well!).
Source: Huffpost.com
#3-PFAS in Dental Products
The following information is meant to empower you so that you can make an informed choice when shopping for products for yourself or your loved ones. I’m grateful that there are healthy choices available to us and it’s important that you know what those are.
Dental products I use
PFAS’s are a class of man-made chemicals used in the manufacture of a wide range of industry and consumer products such as Teflon, dental floss and personal care products and food packaging. Observational studies in people have linked exposure to certain PFAS to negative health effects (more on that at the end of this piece).
The European Union has proposed phasing out PFAS in non-essential items (such as clothing, cosmetics, toys and food contact materials) by the year 2030.
No such federal regulations have been proposed in the U.S., although several states have passed laws that will ban the sale of cosmetics and other items with PFAS. These bans begin in 2025 (California and Washington) and in 2030 in Maine.
Instead of listing the long list of dental products that contain PFAS, I’m listing
the ones that DO NOT Contain PFAS.
These are the top choices among flosses, picks and tapes
Reach Mint Waxed Floss
CVS Health Mint Waxed Dental Floss
CVS Health Unwaxed Dental Floss
Top choices for Dental Picks are:
DenTek Triple Clean Advanced Clean Floss Picks
Quip Refillable Floss Picks (to help lessen the amount of plastic being discarded).
The following list are more flossing products that do not contain fluorine, leading researchers to conclude that these are “unlikely” to contain PTFE or other PFAS:
Bamboo Earth Pure Silk Eco Floss Mint Flavored
Boka Ela Mint Floss
Cocofloss Delicious Mint Dental Flass
CVS Health Unwaxed Dental Floss
CVS Health EaseBetween Orginial Dental Floss
Dentek Kids Fun Monster Flossers
Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil Dental Floss
Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil Dental Tape
Dr.Rams Fun Flexi Flossers Fun Fruity Flavor
EcoDent Gentle Floss Premium Dental Floss with Essential Oils Mint Vegan Waxed
Equate Mint Waxed Dental Floss
Etee Plastic Free Biodegradable Silk Waxed Floss Mint Flavor
GUM Crayola Kids Flossers Grape Flavor Fluoride Coated
Holy Rose Kids Dental Floss Dispenser
Oral-B Complete Deep Clean Ultra Mint
Oral-B Satin Floss Mint
Oral-B Superfloss Mint Dental Floss for Braces
Piico Dental Floss Picks for Kids
Plackers Twin-Line Dental Flosser
Platypus Orthodontic Flosser
Public Goods Tooth Floss
Quip Floss Pick Refill
Reach Mint Waxed
Reach Waxed Unflavored
Rite-Aid Premium Waxed Mint Floss
Smart Life Company Straw Wheat Floss Picks
Smartly Waxed Mint Dental Floss
T Smile R 3rd Generation Floss
The Humble Co. Plant-Based Materials Floss Picks
Thrive Market Gentle Tape Floss Tea tree Mint
Tom’s of Maine Naturally Waxed Antiplaque Flat Floss
Wowe Silk Floss Natural Mint
These Floss picks specifically claim to be PFAS-free or Teflon-free:
Orthomechanic East Flosser (Vegan, no animal testing, no Teflon, recyclable
Material, BPA-free)
The Humble Co. Natural Dental Floss Picks (Cruelty free, vegan, free from BPA and PFAS)
Hello Hemp Seed Oil + Coconut Oil Infused Floss Picks (PFAS-free floss thread, vegan,
never tested on animals)
Primal Life Organics Dental Floss Picks, Bamboo-Charcoal (Cruelty-free, no
Artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners, parabens, SLS and PFAS).
Take a closer look at the products you use. Since three of the five products I use aren’t on the PFAS-free list, I’m going to contact those three brands and find out if they are PFAS-free.
The following are my products which are featured in the images above.
Desert Essence Dental Floss are vegan, made with sustainably sourced beeswax, made with pure Australian bacteria fighting tea tree oil and are cruelty free (not tested on animals) and are PFAS-free.
Organic Peace Silk Floss is vegan, compostable, infused with bacteria fighting tea tree oil and packaged in refillable glass container.
Thursday Plantation Tea Tree Chewing Sticks are made from renewable birch wood and tea tree oil and are compostable.
Preserve is made with sustainably harvested birch wood grown in the USA, flavored with natural oils and is compostable.
Oral-B Complete Mint Satin Floss is given to me by my dentist and is PFAS free.
**Negative health effects of exposure to PFA are an altered immune and thyroid function, liver disease, lipid and insulin dysregulation, kidney disease, lower bone density, adverse reproductive and developmental outcomes such as low infant birth weights, and cancer.
Source: Consumerlab.com
#4-Artist: Duy Anhn Han Duc
I’ve been following his work for years via his Instagram page and find his work to be poetic, delicate and magical. His use of commonly found materials and elevating them from their artful place in nature into an installation created indoors, creating an art piece that makes you notice and recognize the beauty of a dandelion head, for example.
Duy Anh Nhan Duc is a visual artist that works with plants. He is Vietnamese, born in 1983 in Ho Chi Minh City, and who is currently living in Paris. He makes nature the matrix of his works, creating poetic installations from materials that fascinate him.
"The creations that I imagine highlight plants that we all know, but that we sometimes no longer look at."
Egg covered with rose stem thorns
His work involves days harvesting his materials out in nature, in fields filled with wildflowers and grasses.
A pine tree is transformed into an indoor work of art
Dandelion, salsify, thistle, wheat, clover… form his palette and become the materials of a sensitive work. As he observes the cycles of life, the artist weaves a dialogue with plants and shows how fragile nature is at this moment.
A tree library
Watch a short film about his work here (in French with English subtitles), and a second film here and a third one here
#5-Movie: WOODLANDERS Series
I love the series WOODLANDERS and have been following their work since they first started. WOODLANDERS is an ongoing film series that seeks to document the work of people who care for and depend on forests for their livelihood and well-being throughout the world.
For the past few years they have been traveling around the Northern Hemisphere documenting woodland traditions and cultures. The first season of episodes kicked off in upstate New York and then they went on to travel England, Scandinavia, Croatia, Greece, France and Japan. They are now back in the US traveling across the Pacific Northwest documenting Native American forest traditions and woodcraft.
Watch their trailer here
Watch their films here
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In case you missed it, I was thrilled to be featured last week in Gardenista, which happened while I was having my first Rabbit Hole Pop-Up in Hudson, NY, which was a big success! Thank you to all of you who came. It was so lovely to see you!
For all my latest news, please follow me on Instagram and visit my site and store PriscillaWoolworth.com
Wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful holiday season,
See you in 2025!
Warm regards,
Priscilla