Salubrious Life

Nutritional Supplements - good for your skin?

The buzz last fall at the Health and Beauty Expo in New York city was "Beauty from Within". The concept of "Beauty from Within" is really a simple one in theory: what you eat, what you put into your body has a direct benefit or detriment to the beauty you radiate. In other words, if you want to have great skin, eat well. This isn't new news, in fact, it is the premise of the Zone Diet and the latest theory behind Dr. Perricone's cult-like following. It is not necessarily the theory I question, but rather, the practice of putting internal wellness to use for the sake of external radiance.

Interestingly, new research funded by vitamin maker BASF indicates that supplements of either natural source or synthetic source vitamin E almost double the levels of this important antioxidant on the skin's surface. Vitamin E is one of the staple ingredients in cosmetics, made popular by the notion that it wards off harmful free radicals, and now the science exists to prove it. Antioxidants should be, for all of us, the thing we think of first when considering protecting our skin. Free radicals, or damaged cells, are caused by everything from aging to the sun to the increasing levels of pollution all around us. Antioxidants protect our bodies - protect our skin - from harmful environmental factors that cause damage.

Why then, I wonder, weren't Olay Vitamins a hit with conscious skincare consumers? Why has there been so much talk about consuming better-for-you products to effect better-looking skin, but a generally a lackluster response from consumers about the idea? Consumer awareness of the idea that nutrition can influence beauty is rising. When the level of awareness among consumers reaches a tipping point, what products, or more importantly, what companies will be best positioned to catch the headwind?

Ayurvedic Health Concern

Ayurveda is a science of diagnosis and treatment that uses herbs in tandem with breathing, meditation and yoga. The practice began in India more than 2,500 years ago. Ayurveda is Sanskrit for longevity and knowledge. Proper therapeutic remedies are prescribed only after determining a person’s physical and mental characteristics (dosha).

Throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia Ayurvedic remedies are experiencing renewed interest. But a recent study by Dr. Saper at Boston University, published in the latest issue of the Journal of American Medical Association, found that about 20% of ayurvedic herbal supplements sold over the counter contain heavy metals such as lead, mercury and arsenic at levels that are sometimes well above limits.

These herbal medical supplements are not subject to regulation or approval by the Food and Drug Administration and can lead to serious medical conditions such as some types of cancers, skin disorders and, in some children, lower IQ or reduced growth. Additional studies should be undertaken to examine this further.

Today Is The Day

"Unless one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.  Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans; that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.  All sorts of things occur to help one that would never have otherwise occurred.  A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in ones favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no one could have dreamed would have come their way.  Whatever you can do or dream you can do, begin it.  Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now."

H.H Murray

Forget The Village...It Takes an Oprah

More often than not, it's word of mouth advertising that gets a product off the ground in the natural products sector. 

And what better mouth to endorse something than the Grande Doyenne of opinions herself..............Oprah Winfrey.

We just reviewed Airborne, the all natural bubbly cold preventer or stopper.  Sales of the product had been tripling year on year - a nice growth story for any fledgling company. 

But in December when Oprah mentioned Airborne on her talk show, sales went through the roof. The company had a hard time keeping up with demand.   It's good to see high profile personalities talking up the little guy.

Airborne - newest entrant into the cold cure market

I arrived at yet another CVS to have my hopes dashed. The shelf where I had become so accustomed to finding my beloved Airborne miracle tablet was empty. In fact, both flavors (Old Staple Orange and the newest and greatest Lemon Lime) were both nowhere in sight.

Seems as though I'm not the only one who has discovered Airborne magic. Started by a schoolteacher who'd had it with catching colds from the children in class, she spent five  years developing an all natural antidotes to her woes

The packaging is eyecatching, but it's the ingredients that really caught my attention. Airborne is actually a health supplement - some might say multi-vitamin. Contained with-in one tablet that dissolves when placed in water creating a ever-so-subtle fruity "energy" drink is 1,000 mg of Vitamin C, 30 I.U of vitamins E and A, a hefty dose of energy-boosting B-vitamins, amino acids, magnesium, selenium with no caffeine, no funky names I couldn't pronounce. And most importantly, I didn't have to plug my nose when I swallowed my first sip.

Given that B-vitamins, particularly those in folic acid have been linked to reduced hypertension in women and women are encouraged to take vitamin B supplements to ward off neural tube defects in their unborn children. Vitamin B12 has been shown to help prevent bone-wasting disease. Vitamin E supplements have been described as an anti-wrinkle remedy for the skin, causing the near-doubling of skincare antioxidants on the skin's surface when consumed regularly.

In the world of natural products, and in particular, natural cold/flu remedies, Airborne strikes me as: current, hip and fun.  More important.... it works - judging by my sniffles that went away soon after taking it.

Most importantly, Airborne is "clean" When I phoned the inquiry line on the back of my Airborne package the other day to ask whether I could possibly take too much of the stuff in a day, the very helpful Representative reiterated the recommended dose but told me I had little worry about if I wanted to take more. The only question I have is: where can I find more?

Big Beauty Mags Remain High On Tech

WWD Beauty Biz, a veritable bible for the industry recently asked close to 60 of the major magazine editors to gaze into the future and share their visions of trends for 2005.

Five of them (less than 10%)!!! talked about natural and environmentally friendly products or a holistic approach to beauty.

Now, surely these well informed industry execs understand the explosive growth in the organic and natural cosmetics market?  I have to wonder if the fact that the conventional cosmetics manufacturers who still buy the majority of their ad pages has any influence?

And when these companies finish developing their own natural cosmetic lines to compensate for the loss of their market to a shifting toward nature-based body care.......will we see these sages looking again at the glass orb and proclaiming an era of holistic beauty?

Why "Clean" Products Are Important

What does it mean when we say that a product has a "clean formulation"?  It means that there are no synthetic ingredients, no petroleum products, artificial fillers, perfumes, dyes or talc in the product - at all. This is important for the health of our bodies, complexions, our children, air, water and land. It is healthy for a clean industry such as organic farming and it is important for a healthy future.

"All Natural" has lost it’s meaning by being used so indiscriminately in the marketing of products, instead of in the formulation of them. So the term CLEAN is a word that we use to indicate the real thing. We've found only a dozen or so products that truly fall into this category and we'll introduce you to them in our column called  "Label Watch".

Why no Petroleum Products? Simply put, they pollute our lives, air, water, land and marine life. Petroleum products used in skincare and cosmetics include mineral oil, paraffin(used as thickeners), propelene, ethylene and diethylene glycol which are absorbed through the skin and can caused allergic reactions, not to mention long term effects that are still under investigation

Why no Artificial Dyes, Perfumes or Preservatives?  Synthetics, which are often derived form petroleum, need not be used to stabilize all cosmetic formulations. In herbal traditions, the combination of ingredients is what creates product stability. But still one must be attune to shelf lives, method of storage and use of the product within a relatively short period of time. No need to hang onto a product for 50 years (which is what some of these artificial preservatives guarantee). If a small bottle or jar of product is not gone within a few months, you probably don’t care for it and would be better off throwing it away!

Why no Talc? The molecular structure of talc is jagged and is abrasive to lung tissue when inhaled. Also, talc is known to occur in nature side by side with asbestos and has been known to contain trace s of the carcinogenic substance in its preparation. It is also extremely drying to the skin. Eliminating excessive moisture is the thought behind using "powder" , however, talc eliminates most ALL of the moisture , not just the excess which is what natural arrowroot and cornstarch and clay do so effectively.

Should your Doctor be selling you supplements?

Nutrition Business Journal Reports that supplement companies are seeing increased sales due to heightened demand from the medical profession.  It would seem that the increased sales of supplements are due to patients' concerns about prescription drugs, underscored by the recent Vioxx recall.

Hey, and why not get a little commission on the side? Physicians say they are working harder and earning less, leaving some more open to selling products to boost their incomes.   So if your Doctor is recommending specific brands of over the counter supplements, perhaps he or she is on the payroll?

The question is: Do you want your Doctor recommending products when he has a vested interest in their sale?

Detailed coverage of the CAM business and the practitioner channel will appear in NBJ's upcoming issue on Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Http://WNW.nutrition business.com

Badger Balms

I stumbled upon a truly authentic product line recently.  I marvel at product lines that show their authenticity from the product you purchase all the way up to their corporate culture. These companies are rare, but this one seems to be just that.

W.S Badger and Company in tiny Gilsum, New Hampshire produces a line of 100% clean balms, potions and natural remedies called Badger Balms

I got a tiny care package in the mail from one of their Senior product people and was amazed at the amount of material there was to read.  Even more amazing was that I wanted to read it.  All materials printed on what looks like recycled paper and with low key, earnest messaging. "We are a small company working hard to do good things in the world" or "Balms,Potions & Natural Remedies Formulated & Produced with Care"

The company was founded and is run by a former carpenter who in 1993 developed product to help with his chronically cracked hands.  He liked to work with natural remedies and created the first product in his kitchen calling it "Badger Healing Balm".  It healed his fingers and "a business was born"

The main ingredient in most of the products Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. They believe it to be the most therapeutic of all skin care oils. All of the essential oils are naturally processed and most are organically grown.  And Badger doesn't simply purchase its ingredients, it has a personal relationship with the single supplier of this Oil in Spain where Bill and others from the company go, help harvest the olives and get a first hand look at the quality and care that goes into the organic growing of their main component.

In my package was the Lip Balm (wonderful, penetrates straight into the lip tissue creating a soft feel without sticky or overly wet feel), Evolving Body Balm,  Badger Body Butter in antique Rose and Sore muscle Balm.  Each one of these products has the instant feel of being the "real deal"  It's not just what you read in the labels (though as I've said already, reading is believing. These labels do authenticate the 100% clean formulations) It is the way these products absorb right into the skin leaving no sticky residue.  The fragrance of each product is light, but distinctive as only purely made products can be.

The packaging was a little too "home-spun" for my tastes. When I had all the products out together it looked a little like a Beatrix Potter scene and more of a children's line that one for me.

The body butter, made with Wild African Shea butter, cocoa butter and a variety of herbal botanicals is a rich balm for the whole body. It comes in an aluminum tube with its own "key" - a gift from the lovely folks at Badger to ensure I get the very last drop of butter.  When the butter is gone, they don't do a hard sell to get me to buy more, they tell me to use the key on another metal tube I might have in order to waste as little product as possible ending the note with "waste not, want not"   I really like that kind of sell.  And you know what?  I'm gonna buy more.

The evolving Body Balm is designed to help young pregnant women with stretch marks all the way to helping with the cracked and dry skin that comes with aging. This is lighter than the body butter and contains pure rose oil, seabuckhorn berry, calendula, and rose hip extracts. As with all herbal and natural products, the same product will have benefits for many different kinds of complaints.  I could imagine having Evolving Body Balm in various parts of my home.  Diaper rash, foot balm,  under eye dryness, quick overall face mask, cuticle fix, ........not to mention the actual body itself.

The sore muscle rub with cayenne pepper extract, ginger, cardamom, rosemary and lemongrass essential oils really did soothe my lower back after a strenuous yoga class. The fragrance was my favorite of all the products I tried.

One last item that has endeared this company to me:  I discovered that the company provides an organic lunch each day for it's staff.  This is a company that seems to practice what it preaches.  I plan to try a few more of their potions and lotions.

Badger Balms seem to be available mostly in smaller retail locations and at Whole Foods.  I personally had never seen a display of this product and still have not since trying it myself.  You can find their retail locations on their website  http://www.badgerbalm.com

Skincare - What's natural and what's NOT!!

With double digit growth for retailers in the organic food sector, the organic and natural cosmetics and personal care category is gaining new attention. 

Producers of natural and organic skincare products have been around for quite some time, but as the number of people who are concerned about chemicals and toxins in our air, water, foods and consumer products grows - more and more skin care companies are wanting to ride the wave of interest.

But what does it really mean to have "natural" and "organic" on a product label?  Does it assure us that the product has no harmful chemicals or preservatives? 

Sadly - no.  If a product truly was "natural" it would be delivered to you in the same "natural state" as it was found in nature.  Does that ever happen? 

And what of the term "Organic" ?

Organic refers to food grown without synthetic pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, hormones, fertilizers or other synthetic or toxic substances for a three-year minimum. No artificial flavors or colors have been added. Organic certification excludes foods that have been irradiated as well as GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms).

In October 2002 the U.S. Department of Agriculture passed a new national standard for organic labeling, which includes three classifications. If the label says:

1. 100% Organic.  The product contains only organically produced ingredients. It may bear the USDA Organic seal.

2. Organic. The product contains at least 95% organic ingredients. The USDA Organic seal may be used.

3. Made with Organic Ingredients. Contains at least 70% organic ingredients. The product does not qualify to carry the USDA organic seal.

So what about products classified in ways that indicate less than 100% of contents are pure?  The rest of the contents could be chemicals, preservatives or toxins.  You need to read the labels carefully to know exactly what you are purchasing.

In future articles, I'm going to refer to products which are 100% free of all synthetic ingredients, petroleum products, artificial fillers, dyes, talc as   100% CLEAN.  This is the phrase I'll use to indicate the "real deal" in the natural product category.