Update on Facials Project

We are getting great feedback from our Facial's test subjects. Many love the product and can not believe how great the system works. Most say it's very gentle on their skin but still gives them a deep clean. Some are even giving us special requests for new products like facial serums, masks, and an SPF specifically designed for your face. We plan to get our R & D team together and start working on formulas. It's a very exciting time here at Absolutely Natural.

Crazy week at Absolutely Natural

What a crazy last week my crew and I had. My crew in the production room couldn't of performed better. We had to get a rush order out for Grand View around 16,000 pieces for there amenities, not to mention a 26,000 piece order for Natural Tone. We worked long hours doing everything from numerous machine cleans to labeling and prepping thousands of boxes and bottles. Even though we were pushed hard last week it was well worth it because in the end our clients were happy and that's what matters the most. This week has slowed down a little but, there is always something to do here at Absolutely Natural. I am keeping my fingers crossed on this tropical wave bringing us some waves. I haven't surfed in months because of our dry spell here in Melbourne, but I'm hoping it will turn around soon. To all the other fellow surfers and beach lovers, don't forget to wear your sunscreen!

Facials Project

Recently, we sent out questionnaires asking how each individual took care of their skin on a daily basis. We asked questions ranging from how many times do you cleanse your face to how many glasses of water you drink daily. The responses were very interesting.

After receiving hundreds of replies, we made our selections carefully and ended up choosing only 16 test subjects. Our demographics range from the age of 20 to 65. Mostly women, however, we do have a few men. We then tailored packages for these individuals depending on their skin type. They received the full kit of the Facial's system, Rosehip Aloe, Pure Aloe and a sunscreen depending on their skin tone. We felt that it was necessary for them to use an all natural sunscreen because as we all know those chemical sunscreens can lead to breakouts and cause skin irritations.

For the next two months, we will be working closely with these individuals. We are thrilled to receive feedback and can't wait to get started!

60% of Sunscreens Don't Protect Adequately & Contain Toxic Ingredients

Should you be scared? Not if you're using our products at Absolutely Natural!

These statistics come from the Environmental Working Group's (EWG) 2009 Study.

I'll attach a link at the end of this post to a report posted on WebMD, regarding their thoughts on the Environmental Working Group's (EWG) study.

I have my own opinions of the criteria used by the EWG to rate sunscreens and will be sharing many thoughts in coming posts. In general, I believe each of the following quotes found within the WebMD article hold merit:

Jane Houlihan, EWG, Senior VP for Research:

"I'd give the industry a C minus. They have moved from a D to a C-minus in my book."

Sandra Read, MD, a Washington, D.C., Dermatologist and member of the board of directors of the American Academy of Dermatology:

"Using sunscreen correctly, using the right sunscreen for your exposure and skin type, and reapplying every two hours is crucial."

Henry Lim, MD, Chairman of the department of dermatology at Henry Ford Health Systems in Detroit. Member of the photobiology committee of the Skin Cancer Foundation and chairman of the Council on Science and Research of the American Academy of Dermatology.

"Some points are definitely correct. But, he adds, this report has somewhat of an alarmist tone.''

MY THOUGHTS
From the perspective of Absolutely Natural and our suncare products in comparison to the chemically laden products typically found on merchant's shelves:

• We applaud the efforts of the EWG to serve as a consumer watchdog group regarding the safety of suncare and other consumer products. They definitely have helped raise awareness of potential toxic dangers from various chemical ingredients commonly used in sunscreens.
• We created the first 100% natural suncare line in 1992 for the sole purpose of removing chemical sunscreens, parabens, petro-chemicals and other ingredients we viewed as non-desirable for our customers.
  

Proud to be 100% Natural since 1992!

RESOURCES
Article Link from WebMD summarizing the Environmental Working Group's 2009 Suncare Report and from where I sourced quotes from the various individuals noted in my post.

Charley Richards

Now that you have met some of our team, I'll tell you a bit more about our company. We actually started in a garage in the 90's with a lofty goal of making the world's only 100% natural suncare. I know that a lot of companies claim to be all natural and will have buzzwords like "Natural", "Organic", "Biodegradable" on the front of their label, but a quick perusal of the back of the label proves they are certainly not natural.

At any rate, it took almost two years but we succeeded and sold our first bottle in 1992 at resorts in Hawaii and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. I am happy to report that we have outgrown the garage and now 17 plus years later we are in 100's of resorts in Hawaii, Florida, Mexico, the Caribbean, California, Spain and many, many more ares.

Our facility is now in a 10,000 square foot building we built in 2003 in Melbourne, Florida and our equipment and processes are top notch. If you are ever in Melbourne feel free to come and take a factory tour; we welcome visitors.

Though the favorite part of our business is the one-on-one interaction with our customers, we are no longer a little ma and pa shop. We have among our customer base some of the greatest hotel companies in the world including Ritz Carlton, Hyatt, Marriott and the Sandals Resorts. From 8 formulas in 1992 we now boast more than 200 in our suncare, facials and spa lines with more being developed every month.

One thing we haven't changed is our commitment to quality. Every formulation and production decision is easily made ... use the best raw materials in our innovative formulas, always make sure there are positive benefits for our customers and never use any ingredient just for marketing purposes.

Our team is young and dedicated and we will be around for many decades to come.

I was born in Hawaii but have lived in Indialantic Florida since I was two years old. Growing up here I have been active in sports like baseball, soccer, skating and of course, surfing.

Growing up on the beach and being by the ocean my entire life has really made me appreciate skincare products especially since I am blonde and have a fair complexion. From the day that I started working with Absolutely Natural is the day that I knew this is where I wanted to spend my career. I have been an employee of Absolutely Natural for 6 years.

I’m currently attending University of Central Florida to earn my bachelors degree in business marketing. My father, Charley Richards, is the owner of Absolutely Natural and has taught me everything I know and I plan to follow in his footsteps. My current position is Warehouse Manager where I make sure products are manufactured and completed for various hotels around the world and our mail-order customers. I also do everything from inventory to machinery repair to a part of marketing. I work with an excellent team and feel that we are a family, and that’s what I believe makes Absolutely Natural.

Other than attending school, I have recently purchased my first house and tend to keeping up on it. I also enjoy spending time with my friends, family, and surfing as much as possible. I have surfed in many places such as Costa Rica, Hawaii, and The Sebastian Inlet in my hometown of Indialantic, Florida.

Introduction: Todd Anderson

I am the National Sales Director for Absolutely Natural and couldn’t be more proud to represent our product line and be part of our Team! Unlike typical skincare companies, creating multi-million dollar ad campaigns, exaggerating benefits or compromising on our ingredients are things we will never do and part of why I am so committed to our company. It is very rewarding and comforting to offer products that deliver so much benefit to people and compare so positively to those typically found in the marketplace.

Prior to joining Absolutely Natural, I served as Vice President of SportsCare USA, a national marketing firm. I joined SportsCare due to my passion for “prevention first” with regard to health and the pursuit of achieving optimal vitality through lifestyle choices. I helped SportsCare pioneer the mainstream acceptance of the “Wellness” philosophy by hospitals & their communities, leading market development in Florida, Hawaii, Texas and many other locations during a 12 year career. I helped coordinate the 2nd official Ironman event in the mainland United States along with dozens of other sporting events across the country.

I’ve known Charley for almost 20 years and have always had great respect for him as an entrepreneur and person of great character. It is his leadership, plus personal life-changing results with our products that help me generate effortless and genuine passion for our company & products. After spending nearly a decade suffering atopic dermatitis symptoms under the direction/treatment of physicians and being prescribed a continuous cycle of topical steroid treatments, antibiotics and other medications, I have been nearly symptom free for several years and attribute the primary factor being daily use of Absolutely Natural’s products that keep my skin’s health in optimal condition.

I am married to my beautiful wife Candace and the father of two wonderful children, Jessica & Jake. My career has taken me across Florida, Hawaii and Texas with much travel in between. We are most grateful to be settled back in my high school hometown of Melbourne, FL and closer to much of our family. On Saturdays in the fall you will find me cheering on my alma mater, the University of Florida Football Team…Go Gators!!!

Introduction: Charley A Richards

I am the founder and owner of Absolutely Natural which I started in 1992. We sold our first bottle of suncare in April of that year after two years of research and developing the formulas for our all natural suncare line.

Previous to Absolutely Natural, I lived in Hawaii and worked with resort hotels as a contractor providing services at the beach and pool areas in exchange for selling products at kiosks. We started in 1978 at the Sheraton Maui, the Maui Surf and the Whalers, all on Kaanapali Beach.

This business led to the development of Maui Jim Sunglasses as there was a need for a sunglass that could protect against UV, eliminate glare and not distort the beautiful colors of the island. Maui Jim’s were born and the first glass was sold in 1986. Although I haven’t had any ownership in the company for many years, I am proud of what the brand has accomplished under the direction of Walter Hester, owner of Maui Jim’s. I am the original patent holder along with Mr. Kobiyashi who was instrumental in developing the technology.

My first job in the industry was as a salesman for Hawaiian Tropic products at various hotels in Daytona Beach, Florida. I started when I was 16 years old (between my junior and senior years in high school) so I have been around suncare for 38 years!

I also was a school teacher for four years teaching high school English with added duties as a wrestling coach (I know, a strange combination).

I have done many things in my business career including import/export, owning retail stores, consulting and manufacturing, but I truly love what we do now. To be able to develop the incredible products we have now and to help so many people is extremely gratifying.

Our factory and my home are in Melbourne, Florida where I moved in 1988.

Introduction: Lindsey M Pushman

I was born and raised in Melbourne, Florida and I absolutely love it here. In my early years, I was very active teen. I enjoyed ballet, dance, cheerleading and my heart was with rodeo. I was very active in activities that involved being outside. As a Florida girl, I enjoyed the sun and would take any chance I had to be outside. Besides using store brand skincare I was never really introduced to a skincare line that I loved until I was introduced to Absolutely Natural in high school, my passion immediately changed. I knew that taking care of your skin was important especially in the Florida sun.

Shortly after high school, I continued my education at Brevard Community College. I graduated with my Associates of Arts in 2007. I then moved on to the University of Central Florida to gain my Bachelor’s Degree. I am currently still attending and working towards my degree. I plan to go even further with my education and receive my Master’s Degree.

I began working at Absolutely Natural in February 2005 starting out as our Customer Service Manager. Once I started interacting with our customers, I soon began to see how our 100% natural products changed their lives. It soon changed mine as well. Soon after working here, I knew my position here was very special. Charley started to notice my hard work ethic and my passion for this company. I then was promoted and was ready to further my career within this company. I am now the Vice President of Absolutely Natural.

Recently in the past two years, I was fortunate enough to be one of the developers of the Facials line. This was very thrilling for me as I have never been a part of such a process. The process took a little over a year and a half of research and development. After deciding on the formulas we then had several family members, friends, and several random people testing the product line. The formulas worked for every skin type and most of them noticed a difference in 1 week! We new we had a unique organic formula that was really going to change the lives of many. Shortly after, we chose the packing and the overall look of the product. Since I played an important role in this process, Charley came to me and wanted me to be the model for this skincare line. To be honest, I was scared and excited at the same time. Modeling was very different from what I have ever done before.

I feel well accomplished for my age and I look forward to the many accomplishes to come. I enjoy what I do and what our company stands for. It is very gratifying working with a great team and ultimately our loyal customers.