What Men Want…Perfect Holiday Gifts for Him

December 1, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Here’s the holiday season, and once again we find ourselves faced with the challenge of what to get the men in our lives to show them we care. Instead of going the cliché route this year and getting the standard silk ties, power tools, barbecue sets, or accessories for his car, why not consider another alternative: all-natural grooming products.

We all know that most men tend to look at skin care as the exclusive domain of women and just don’t seem equipped to decipher the array of product choices to understand how they can benefit from a skin care routine. However, men have skincare challenges too that can often be addressed with some guidance and a little push in the right direction. So, this season, give the gift of an enjoyable collection of all natural plant-based skin and body products along with a few grooming tools and help the men in your life embark on the path to smoother, softer, healthier skin. Below are some great ideas for products to gift alone or to combine into a wonderful gift basket for him:

1. Cleansing is essential to controlling oily skin. For a minty fresh and clean feeling that men love, try any of our Refresh blend products. If bar soaps are his preference, give one that is glycerin-based or a super-fatted soap made with shea or cocoa butter.

2. Regular exfoliation helps unclog pores, which is key to fighting acne in addition to allowing for a closer shave and fewer ingrown hairs. The combination of our Gentle Cleansing Body Wash and Nourishing Hand & Body Lotion works great for this especially in the Revitalize blend. Add a set of Loofah Facial Disc Sponges to provide gentle exfoliating action that won’t cause irritation.

3. A good toner should soothe and calm irritated or inflamed skin, re-balance the pH of his skin, and tighten pores without drying out his skin (which is what alcohol does). Your best bet is a toner that includes witch hazel (a natural astringent), vegetable glycerin (a humectant), aloe (to normalize skin), and essential oils of lavender, chamomile, and cedarwood. A spritz of our purified water and hydrosol based Aromatherapy Mister Spray will do the job too.

4. After cleansing and shaving, men should apply moisturizer. Give him a plant-based lotion or cream made with light hydrating anti-oxidant rich oils like Jojoba, Grapeseed, or Coconut oil. For more on this read our ezine article “Inside-Out: Heal Dry Skin with Natural Skin Care Oils Good Enough to Eat!“ Our Simply Naked unscented hand and body lotion is a great choice for your guy if he’s not a fan of scented moisturizers It’s gentle enough to use on the face and neck and won’t leave a lingering scent.

5. For occasional breakouts or blemishes, give him our Boo Boo Blend, an essential oil-based blend of Lavender, Tea Tree, Geranium, and Chamomile essential oils that can be applied directly to affected areas. It’s like a natural liquid bandaid that soothes and treats minor cuts, scrapes, and breakouts.

The most neglected parts of a man’s body are his lips, cuticles, elbows, knees and feet, so include some of these items in your gift set:

  • Petroleum-free lip balms to keep lips hydrated and soft –especially when exposed to the elements. Try are yummy Organic Lip Balms, available in 4 blends
  • A protective and emollient balm for dry or cracked elbows, knees, and heels made with herbal extracts, olive oil, and/or shea butter will work
  • Exfoliating salt or sugar body scrubs can help slough off dead skin cells and soften tough skin

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Save Your Skin this Winter! 7 Essential Skin Care Tips to Maintain a Healthy Glow: Part 2

February 22, 2011 by 1 Comment

Here are the other four tips for saving your skin this winter:

    1. Increase Circulation and Blood Flow to Your Skin. Get a massage, facial, or do 10-15 minutes of aerobic exercise a day to increase the flow of blood and vital nutrients t your skin. If you don’t have the time or budget to go to a spa, give yourself a mini aromatherapy facial by adding 2 drops each of Rosemary, Lavender, and Geranium essential oils (EOs) to a bowl of steaming hot water. Hold your head directly over the bowl and place a towel over both to hold in the steam. If you’re congested add a drop of Peppermint EO. Both the Peppermint and Rosemary stimulate the skin’s oil production and increase circulation. Finish by gently massaging your face with our Soothe or Divine Certified Organic Moisturizing Body Oil. Both contain skin balancing essential oils of Lavender and Geranium in a base of certified organic Jojoba oil –the oil that’s closest in composition to our own natural sebum.

      You can also add a couple of drops of Rosemary essential oil to a tablespoon of our Revitalize body oil for an invigorating leg and foot massage to help increase circulation.

 

    1. Use a Humidifier Indoors. Mitigate the drying effect on your skin of too much indoor heating. Add a drop or two of Rosemary, Peppermint or Eucalyptus EO to the water to keep sinuses clear and stimulate your circulation.

 

    1. Avoid Conventional Soaps and Body Washes. These products contain detergents and synthetic ingredients that strip the natural oils from your skin –leaving it dry and prone to cracking which can lead to infection. Our Gentle Cleansing Body Wash is a great alternative –made with highly moisturizing and protective organic coconut, olive, and jojoba oils, it has rich cleansing lather that rinses clean without drying your skin. Combine it with a little bit of our lotion or your favorite moisturizer to create a gentle creamy cleanser, massage onto your face in a circular motion, then rinse with a washcloth soaked in tepid water.

 

  1. Use Body Oils vs. Lotions. In late fall and winter months when dry skin is acute, use body oils as your primary moisturizer instead of lotion to improve hydration. Since lotions are made of mostly water, harsh winter conditions will evaporate the water from your skin before it can do the job. Body oils on the other hand contain no water so they are the purest form of moisturizer. However, they should be applied to skin while still wet (i.e. immediately after you shower) to enhance absorption.

    I recommend applying our Certified Organic Moisturizing Body Oil to your skin and face while in the shower because your pores are wide open, facilitating absorption. Massaging it onto your skin will also increase circulation. By the time you finish your shower the oil will be completely absorbed into the dermis and subcutaneous fatty layers of the skin, giving it the deep moisture it needs to stay supple and hydrated.

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Save Your Skin this Winter! 7 Essential Skin Care Tips to Maintain a Healthy Glow: Part 1

February 18, 2011 by 1 Comment

Every year, at least once a year, I like to share seasonal tips for maintaining your skin in optimum condition. With minor exceptions, these skin care basics don’t really change much from season to season, but I like to post them as a gentle reminder that your skin is important and deserves to be taken care of!

For many of you, this winter has been unusually cold and harsh so far, which is all the more reason to review and evaluate your skin care routine to make sure your skin is getting the protection and support it needs to get through the season without taking a royal beating. Sometimes a simple change or addition to what you’re already doing is all that’s needed and can a world of difference in how your skin looks and feels!

Though the weather outside is sometimes frightening, with these quick and simple tips you can maintain a healthy glow from the inside out no matter what the change of seasons may bring. Start with these three:

  1. Stay Hydrated. Drinking fluids is one of the keys to flushing out toxins that can lead to unsightly skin eruptions. It’s also one of the best ways to retain moisture and maintain the elasticity of your skin. Stick to distilled or purified water and herbal teas. Avoid or limit consumption of carbonated drinks; drinks with caffeine or sugar (like coffee or hot chocolate); and high-sodium soups; as these can hinder the benefits of the hydrating fluids you consume. And don’t wait until you feel thirsty to drink something, because by that point you are already dehydrated!
  2. Consume Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs). These nutrients (sometimes referred to as the “good fats”) play an essential role in the health of your skin, hair, and nails –all of which can turn brittle from exposure to the elements. EFAs help your body form healthy cell membranes that can hold more water inside their cells. The more water your cells can hold, the more hydrated your skin is. A tablespoon a day of quality flaxseed oil can work miracles. If you don’t care for the taste of it alone then combine it with lemon juice and a little olive oil to make a dressing for your salad or veggies. Also, eat more almonds, walnuts, avocados, wild Alaskan or Pacific salmon, and other coldwater fish or consider a fish oil supplement.
  3. Eat More Antioxidants. Antioxidants consumed through food and supplements play an important role in skin health by neutralizing the free radicals generated by damage from UV rays. A good antioxidant-rich nutrition plan can halt or even reverse the skin aging process! Eat more tomatoes or tomato sauce for the lycopene; eggs for lutein (which is found in the yolk), blueberries, strawberries and foods rich in vitamin C. You can also supplement with Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA), which neutralizes free radicals in the body, helps remove heavy metals, and promotes healthy cell function.
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The Precautionary Principle Run Amok: Walking a Fine Line …

August 14, 2010 by Leave a Comment

As a member of the Safe Cosmetics Campaign and a participant in the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep cosmetics database, I support and applaud these organizations efforts to bring some reform to the way cosmetics and personal care products are formulated -especially in the case where products are still being made with known toxins. With the recent introduction of the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010, they are clearly making some significant strides in moving their agenda forward.

This is important work because of the potential benefits and protection it could provide consumers who are at present like experimental subjects in the giant petri dish that comprises the $35 billion a year beauty and personal care industry (often ironically referred to as HABA or HBA which is shorthand for Health and Beauty).

However as a small manufacturer who is working hard and diligently to make safe and effective products I sometimes wonder if, in spite of their best intentions, they are on a course that will soon run amok. What I mean is as they continue to gain credibility as an independent authority on the subject (and right now they are pretty much the ONLY independent authority on the subject) they will begin to wield real power or market clout that can have an impact on consumers perceptions of what’s safe and what’s not. And that is not something to be taken lightly.

While these are the “good guys” looking out for your health and safety, at the end of the day they are NGOs (non-governmental organizations) that have neither the scientific backing nor the funding to legitimately substantiate all the red flags they are continually raising. They are walking a fine line now between fear-mongering and agitating for meaningful change.

The latest red flag is the finding from a 2009 FDA study that the ingredient Retinyl Palmitate, which is a synthetic form of Vitamin A found in many skin care products and apparently widely used in sunscreens as well, may actually speed the development of cancer, even when present in low doses. The industry puts Vitamin A in its formulations because it is an anti-oxidant that slows skin aging. It seems that if you use these products at night or indoors you’re ok but if you go out into the sun after applying them you may be in big trouble.

This is not an insignificant finding, however I have to wonder what must be going on in the average consumer’s head when they hear this. In its 2010 Sunscreen Guide, the EWG recommends that consumers avoid all sunscreen products with this ingredient. If more than 40% of sun products contain it then that doesn’t leave a lot of options to choose from. Basically, out of 1400 products with sunscreen that were assessed, the EWG identified only 39 products that were worthy of their coveted “green” rating and all of those products used zinc or titanium oxide (sun blocks) as their primary ingredients.

It reminds me of the story of the boy who cried wolf. If day in and day out, all we hear is more bad news about cancer-causing ingredients and products and little or no useful or better alternatives we can trust, then we might as well all slit our wrists and jump off a cliff now and get it over with! I’m being facetious of course. But my point is if this is all that’s presented to us, eventually fatigue will set in and we will stop listening and that’s not good for anyone. This is one of my fears about what might happen if the EWG continues to lead us down this rabbit hole.

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What We Still Don’t Know About Sunscreens: A Running Debate

August 12, 2010 by Leave a Comment

As I mentioned in my last post, about the only thing that seems to have changed with respect to the state of sunscreens and sun safety products is that the mainstream media is starting to pay more attention to this issue and take a frank look at what needs to be done.

The New York Times appears to have taken the lead here with its recent Room for Debate blog: What We Still Don’t Know About Sunscreens. In Room for Debate, The Times invites knowledgeable outside contributors to discuss news events and other timely issues. For this conversation, the Times convened the following contributors:

  • Darrell S. Rigel, Clinical Professor of Dermatology
  • Sonya Lunder, Environmental Working Group
  • Michael K. Hansen, Consumers Union
  • Kerry Hanson, Chemist, University of California, Riverside
  • Lenora Felderman, Dermatologist

Darrell Rigel tackles the subject of better labeling and better ingredients. Apparently in the U.S. there are only 17 approved sunscreen agents, while Europe has 28, and Japan has more than 40. He blames the FDA for lagging in formally approving regulations and feels that rather than wait until they can come up with their own standards for testing UVA that we simply adopt the same standards as Europe has.

Sonya Lunder looks at an alarming new finding: the use of Vitamin A (in the synthetic form of Retinyl Palmitate) in sun care products may be accelerating the development of skin lesions and tumors when applied in the presence of sunlight! According to Lunder, this ingredient can be found in a whopping 40% (almost half!) of sunscreens used in the U.S.

Michael Hansen takes the FDA to task for not being more aggressive in demanding and enforcing the use of warnings on product labels that would clarify which products provide actual protect against UVA. A product may have a high SPF which means it protects against UVB radiation but that doesn’t mean it protects against UVA. He also feels that the FDA should more thoroughly investigate the health concerns that have been raised about various sunscreen ingredients.

Kerry Hanson questions whether our current concept of sun care protection needs to be redefined given what we’ve learned about the difference between UVB and UVA exposures and their respective roles in causing or promoting skin cancer. Since companies don’t have the substantial resources needed to fund the research (or the proper impartiality), there’s an opportunity for government agencies like the FDA, National Science Foundation, and the NIH to jump in and take the lead.

Lenora Felderman laments the false sense of security that sunscreens provide and echoes the other contributors’ call for better and more responsible action by the FDA.

Since it was posted on July 5th, this has generated over 200 comments. You can read the full discussions here and add your comments as well.

What do you think the FDA’s top priorities in this area should be?

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Update on the State of Sunscreens: The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same!

August 10, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Every year around this time of the year, I scan industry trade rags and do some searching on the Internet in an attempt to find out what’s new in the market for sunscreens. And every year I marvel at how some things never seem to change! In fact they appear to be getting worse!

In spite of a growing body of increasingly credible evidence that turns everything we’ve been led to believe about sunscreens over the years on its head, companies are still producing essentially the same products, and packaging and marketing them in increasingly deceptive ways. Caveat emptor (buyer beware!) …

The FDA still hasn’t formally issued its new rules and guidelines for sunscreens with respect to UVA testing and labeling, which were informally adopted back in 2007 after an exhaustive 9-year review. This was supposed to happen in May and now the word is that it will happen later this year, probably in October. And in spite of the fact that there’s no consensus on whether sunscreens prevent skin cancer, and the discovery that some sunscreen ingredients might actually increase our risk of getting melanoma (the deadliest form of skin cancer), women’s magazines, sun product manufacturers, and dermatologists still relentlessly and religiously repeat the mantra to wear sunscreen whenever we go outside, or avoid any exposure to the sun. Are they really that blind to their hypocrisy or are they waiting for a larger force (i.e. the FDA) to force them to sit up and fly straight?

Most experts agree that people should use sunscreens to protect their skin from the sun, but they disagree widely on how well they actually work. There’s so much conflicting information and outright disinformation on the subject how can anyone make a reasonable decision about what products to use? The simple fact is that sunscreens were never developed to prevent skin cancer. They were (and continue to be) designed primarily to prevent sunburn. And even though SPF ratings are notoriously unreliable people continue to mistakenly believe that using higher SPFs buys them a lot more time in the sun without risk, so sun care companies keep coming out with higher and higher SPFs. We’ve hit a new high (or new low depending on how you look at it) with SPF 100!

Almost in defiance of the FDA’s proposed regulation, these companies substantially increased their high-SPF offerings this year. According to the Environmental Working Group’s analysis of nearly 500 beach and sport sunscreens, nearly one in six products now lists SPF values higher than 50, compared to only one in the prior eight years. Neutrogena has six products labeled “SPF 100,” and Banana Boat has four.

About the only thing I can see that has changed is that more mainstream media are finally starting to question the safety of sun care products.

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Father’s Day Gifts: Skin & Body Products to Treat a Man’s Oft-Neglected Spots

June 18, 2010 by Leave a Comment

feetLet’s face it. If you were to keep tally how much time you spent tending to the various parts of your body (i.e. cleansing, toning, moisturizing, etc.), you’d probably find that you mainly focus on the parts that are most visible to others (i.e. your face and hands). Women of course are more inclined to pay attention to the condition and presentation of the skin on their arms, legs and even their feet –especially during the spring and summer months when they are more likely to wear sandals, sling-backs, or open-toed shoes. Women are also far more likely to tend to their lips and their cuticles.

But how many men do you know pay attention to those vulnerable spots? For better or worse, lips, cuticles, elbows, knees, heels, and feet in general, are usually the most neglected parts of a man’s body. If you’re considering giving a Father’s Day gift of natural grooming products, then don’t forget to include some of these items in your gift set:

  1. Petroleum-free lip balms to keep lips hydrated and soft –especially when exposed to the elements. While men are very focused on shaving and the quality and appearance of the skin on their faces, remarkably, they somehow manage to ignore their lips –at least until they become a problem. Help your guy keep his lips in tip-top shape by encouraging him to apply a natural (preferably organic) hydrating lip balm as part of his daily grooming routine. Since these items are small and easy to misplace, you may want to get him a couple (one for his shaving kit and one to carry around in his pocket).
  2. A protective and emollient balm for elbows, knees, and heels (and even cuticles). One made with herbal extracts, olive oil, and/or shea butter will work wonders. For cracked skin include a small bottle (10 ML or 15 ML) of therapeutic grade (or organic) Tea tree essential oil which can be applied directly to the skin and is an excellent first aid assistant that disinfects and promotes the rapid healing of damaged skin.
  3. Exfoliating salt or sugar scrubs can help slough off dead skin cells and soften skin on cuticles, elbows, knees, heels, and feet. Sugar scrubs are especially effective because they’re made with sugar cane, which produces glycolic acid –one of the natural alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) commonly used in chemical peels (at much higher concentrations than you’ll find in an over the counter product). The primary purpose of AHAs is exfoliation but they also aid in the penetration of other substances. By facilitating removal of the outer layer of dry cells, additional skin care ingredients can treat the new skin more efficiently. For best results, look for a scrub that’s made primarily from sugar but also includes some salt and is in a base of antioxidant-rich plant-based oils like olive, coconut, sunflower, or grapeseed.
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Keeping Dad’s Skin Safe from Over Exposure to the Sun

June 16, 2010 by 1 Comment

Some of the latest research in the area of repairing sun damaged skin and protecting it from future damage, takes its cue from the many antioxidants found in vitamins and botanicals. There’s been some debate as to whether taking these antioxidants internally as supplements or through diet is more effective than applying them topically to the skin. There is definite scientific evidence that applying Vitamins C and E topically to the skin is very effective at reversing skin damage, by wiping out the free radicals that inevitably emerge from the combination of UV radiation and some of the chemicals used to manufacture sunscreens.

But now scientists are finding that when antioxidants are added to the skin AND taken orally – they can significantly boost the skin’s natural UV-filtering properties while enhancing its defenses against free radical formation. Here are some quick tips for improving sun safety and repairing sun-damaged skin:

  1. To clean up skin that’s already damaged use skin care products that are rich in antioxidants like Vitamins C & E and Green Tea extract. Jojoba, coconut, and olive oils are excellent ingredients to look for when seeking antioxidants and other deeply restorative properties.
  2. For ongoing protection, increase your intake of vitamins and antioxidants either through diet or supplementation. Be sure to consume carotenoids like Beta-carotene, Lutein, Lycopene, and Zeaxanthin, which are found naturally in green leafy vegetables, carrots, tomatoes, corn, and eggs. Enhance your body’s ability to properly utilize these nutrients by eliminating trans-fats and reducing consumption of saturated fats. Increase your intake of Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) through flaxseed or fish oil supplements, to help balance and regulate excessively oily skin.
  3. Don’t overdo it with the sunscreens because they impede your body’s natural ability to synthesize Vitamin D –a vital nutrient that can protect you from common cancers like prostate or colon cancer. Because SPF ratings are notoriously unreliable don’t depend on sunscreens as your only form of protection. Whenever possible choose sun blocks like zinc and titanium dioxide over chemical sunscreens.
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Soap, Drugs & Rock ‘n’ Roll: How Law Enforcement Can Teach Us the Difference Between Real Soap & Not So Real Soap!

January 25, 2010 by 2 Comments

A couple of years ago, my friend David Bronner (president of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps) put together this cute little tongue in cheek video that pokes fun at the notoriously unreliable drug-testing kits that cops use in the field, while revealing their hidden value in determining which soaps are real, honest-to-god soaps, and which ones are really just detergents masquerading as soap!

It was shot at the first Chicago Green Festival in spring of 2007. Check it out. You’ll learn a little bit about the difference in the chemical composition of each type of soap and hopefully get a little chuckle from it all as well!

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Toxic Soap May Lead to Super Bugs: How Safe is Your Soap or Personal Cleanser?

January 22, 2010 by Leave a Comment

These days, many of us don’t use soap in the shower or bath anymore. Instead, we lather up with bath foams, shower gels, facial washes and scrubs, all of which rely on complex detergents (often the same ones used in heavy industry) to wash away simple dirt.

I recently came across this analogy, which really highlights an important point that bears repeating: The difference between soap and detergent is like the difference between cotton and nylon.

Soap and cotton are produced from natural products with (in most cases) little modification. Detergents and nylon are produced entirely in a chemical factory. If you use mainstream commercial brands (even so-called “Premium” brands), what you basically get is the same detergents and surfactants (foaming agents) that are found in your household cleaning products, only in a much lower concentration. Many of these harsh surfactants deplete natural fats and phospholipids from the epidermis that weakens the skin allowing toxins and bacteria to invade.

read labelsIf you have sensitive or perpetually dry skin, discontinue using liquid soaps or body washes that contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) or Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES). These surfactants (foaming agents) are among the most commonly used foaming agents in shampoos, cleansers, body washes and even toothpastes and mouthwashes, because they are extremely cheap. They work by lowering the surface tension of water, which unfortunately, also dissolves your skin’s natural oil and strips it of its protective layer. SLS, particularly in shampoos, penetrates very easily through the hair follicles on the head, and assists other chemicals to more readily penetrate as well. It can cause skin damage, flaking, drying, cracking, roughness, and breakdown of the skin’s protective barrier.

Other ingredients to be concerned about in your liquid soap, body wash products, and shampoos: Cocamide EDTA (or similar compounds ending with DEA, TEA or MEA) along with formaldehyde-forming substances such as Bronopol, DMDM hydantoin, Diazo-lidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea and Quaternium-15. These are ingredients that have been known to react with other nitrogen-based ingredients to form cancer-causing nitrosamines after absorption.

And one of the worst offenders of all … Triclosan – a commonly used ingredient in many of those anti-bacterial soaps that’s also a derivative of Agent Orange! It’s considered highly toxic by the EPA and is measured in parts per billion. In addition to the toxic exposure to your skin and body from using soaps with this ingredient, scientists believe that as a result of making its way down drains and into landfills and streams, this ingredient may be leading to the proliferation of Super Bugs – i.e. bacterial strains that are highly resistant to antibiotics!

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