Does anyone in this group know how to apply sun care products?

At first glance it seems like one of those insanely easy and stupid questions like "Who's buried in Grant's Tomb" or "what country did the Panama Hat originate in?"

I've asked the following question over the last 30 years hundreds of times to groups large and small. The question is, "Does anyone in this group know how to apply sun care products?" The reaction is usually one of amusement and frequently is accompanied by snickers and guffaws. I have even heard a few "Duhs" headed my way.

When I ask for a volunteer to demonstrate, they almost inevitably say, "Well, you take it out of the bottle and rub it into your skin."

The demonstration by the volunteer usually includes a vigorous rubbing motion, almost as though he or she were racing to see how quickly they could get the lotion into the skin.

I smile my little knowing smile that I am going to be vindicated after the snickers, guffaws and duh's and forcefully say (yell if the crowd is big), "Thank you and that is exactly WRONG!!!"

The fact is that most people don't know how to apply sun care and other lotions and what they don't know can hurt them in the form of a bad sunburn.

A Brief Lesson in Anatomy:
The top layer of your skin is called the epidermis and it is only about as thick as a sheet of paper. If you rub your sun care too quickly into the skin, it can penetrate into the dermis and leave you with a lot less protection than you think you have. We have dozens of our guests at our resorts around the world come to us daily and lament that they thought they were adequately protected but still got sun burnt. Incorrect application is one of the culprits.

How to Apply Correctly:
Instead of rubbing product quickly into the skin proper application involves "dabbing" and "laying" .... My ultra scientific terms! You see, different areas of your body are affected differently when exposed to UV.

When to "Dab"
In simple terms, anywhere the skin is close to the bone it is sun sensitive and you should "dab" a maximum sunscreen on those areas ... Nose, cheeks, décolletage for women, feet, bald heads etc.

When to "Lay"
The rest of your body is not as sensitive and you can "lay" a moderate sunscreen. Just take the product and smooth over the skin; you don't have to apply thickly.

Then wait 60 seconds before massaging the product the rest of the way into the skin. That way you have the full benefit of the SPF without rubbing away your protection.

This just isn't my personal theory, as a recent study in Australia proved, what I have been preaching for years is the real deal. 100 people were asked to apply an SPF 15 on their arms and an immediate spectrograph reading was taken after application. The average SPF left rated at an SPF 3! More than 30 people registered no SPF and the main reason for this phenomenal fact was improper application.

So, our products work great but only when you properly apply. Now you know!

Best regards
Charley

Enhanced formulas, available now!

To see a “New and Improved” sticker on our consumer products about every few weeks is annoying to me.   I always figured it was a marketing gimmick to get me to buy more products. 

With Absolutely Natural now 20 years old, you won’t see “New and Approved” on our bottles, but that is exactly what we have accomplished after working with the formulas with this in mind for the last five years.

And, new isn’t exactly the right word since we will never go away from our bases made from natural ingredients, cosmetic quality, nutrient rich and unique formulas.  Enhanced is the right word.

We have made many enhancements including a complete reformulation of our sunscreens complete with modern, efficient packaging for our sunscreens.

The run down:

Rosehip Aloe

Rosehip Aloe lotion remains in the same bottle but with a fresh, new label that better represents our brand across all lines of products.  In addition, we have upgraded the base oil from Walnut to Hi-Oleic Safflower Oil.  Among many other positive traits, Safflower Oil is extremely high in Vitamin E and therefore a super anti-oxidant and free radical scavenger.  Safflower Oil is also high in Omega 3 and Omega 6.

Other ingredient changes include using Organic Rose Hips Oil and adding Green Tea, a powerful anti-oxidant that has been proven to help rejuvenate skin already damaged by UV and other elemental damages.  This is an important enhancement. 

Pure Aloe Recovery Gel 

Pure Aloe with Tea Tree Oil is also in the same bottle with the fresh label.  And, it remains pure as there just wasn’t much to do with this product as it works so well with sunburn, skin rashes, jellyfish stings, shaving irritation and other skin problems.  We have been especially proud of our 15 year history with Emerson Hospital in Boston where they use Absolutely Natural Pure Aloe on their radiation patients.  One enhancement that will be impactful is the addition of Green Tea to the formula mix.  Green Tea is a powerful anti-oxidant and skin repair.

Platinum Tanning Oil & Professional Tanning Oil 

Our tanning oils are in the same bottles with our new look labels and the Pro Oil has no ingredient changes.   It remains a nut free formula, modestly priced for those who want that golden tan.

Platinum Oil has had some significant enhancements especially the base oil going from Walnut to Fractionated Coconut.   This highly refined oil has virtually no propensity to become rancid and helps with shelf life for the tanning product.  In addition, Fractionated Coconut Oil has close affinity to the body’s natural oils and is nutrient rich for healthy skin.  It is one of nature’s best moisturizers to keep your skin hydrated in the sun. 

In addition, we have upgraded to Organic Rose Hips Oil and Organic Sunflower Seed Oil.  We have also added Cherry Kernel Oil, Jojoba Oil, Carrot Seed Oil Extracts of Green & White Tea and Gingko Biloba, all carefully selected for their nutrient and therapeutic values.  We have done all of this and maintained the same retail price point we have had for 20 years. 

Sunscreens

The biggest changes come in our completely reformulated sunscreens.  The FDA has finally adopted their monograph and unlike most sun care competitors, we welcome the regulations.  Of course, we have been in compliance for our entire existence but since we had to change the way our labels read (INCI names are now required and a very strict Drug Fact label is the law), we too this opportunity to change a lot.

Of course, we are still 100% natural but instead of using 100% Titanium Dioxide for our sunscreen, we are using a blend of Titanium and Zinc.  This gives us more water resistance and of course, measurable protection against UVA light as well as UVB.

The base has been enhanced quite a bit and features anti-oxidants, free radical scavengers and nutrient rich oils.

Below is a list of our new ingredients:

Aloe Vera Barbadensis Leaf Extract

Fractionated Coconut Oil,

Cetearyl Olivate (and) Sorbitan Olivate, (natural emulsifier)

Linoleic Acid (and) Linolenic Acid,(Vitamin F naturally derived from SAFFLOWER OIL)

Organic Rose Hips Oil

Squalane

Green Tea Oil

Shea Butter

Vitamin E Tocopherol, 

Camellia Oil

Chamomile Oil

Calendula Oil

Arnica Extract

Milk Peptides Complex

Gogi Berry Extract

Cranberry Extract

Passion Fruit Oil

Pomegranate Extract

Hydroxyethyl Cellulose (natural derived thickener)

Caprylic Acid (and) Lauric Acid (and) Propanediol, Potassium Sorbate (natural preservative System Blend)

Fragrance

The result? A natural, sunscreen, gentle on the skin and friendly to the environment but a powerhouse of moisturizers and healthy benefits to the skin. 

To go along with these significant improvements is a modest price increase and I am proud to say just our second one in 20 years.   Considering the sizes of our higher sunscreens are increasing from 4oz to 6oz and the new packaging is an easy to use squeeze tube, I am sure you will find the new pricing reasonable.  

Best regards,

Charley

Breast Cancer Awareness Month: October!

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and there is good news in the fight against breast cancer.  Survival rates are up.  They are longer in term.  Quality of life measurements are way up.  All the research and attention this cruel disease gets is helping.  A lot.

There is also bad news.  A quarter million women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012.  More than 40,000 will die.  Think of 8 women in your life.  Mothers, daughters, sisters, teachers, friends, wives, co-workers … one of them will get breast cancer in her lifetime.   That hits home too many times and more research is needed to reduce that rate and to increase the number of survivors of this disease which now number 2.6 million in the U.S.

That requires funding and that’s where Absolutely Natural is stepping up to help.  We are adding to our widely popular Spa Series with a Cherry Blossom lotion with special pink decoration.  Oriental and sensual, our new lotion captures the delicate essence of Japanese Cherry Blossoms with warm base notes of vanilla and oriental woods; this essence is both warm and exotic.

The lotion itself is awesome with Organic aloe, Shea butter and Mango butter to help heal skin while leaving it smooth and silky. Super anti-oxidants such as Irish Moss (Red Algae Extract-Carrageen), Vitamin D Complex and Organic Green Tea keep skin healthy and are 500 times more potent than Vitamin D alone.  

Other nutrient rich raw materials such as Olive Leaf Extract, African Red Bush and Ginkgo Biloba are carefully selected to make this Restorative Body Lotion incredibly effective for daily use.

Our company will also donate 5% of proceeds to an organization dedicated to Breast Cancer prevention and treatment and one that distributes a majority of their revenues to research for finding a cure for the cause. 

And, we’re not just going to do it for October.  This will be an ongoing project and with the help of our 10’s of thousands of customers, we hope to contribute a significant amount of money to this worthy cause.

Best regards

Charley

Absolutely Natural's Factory Fresh Retail Store

On the heels of our successful Absolutely Natural store in Kauai, we are bringing a touch of Aloha to Melbourne Florida with the grand opening of our Factory Fresh store.  Our “in house” designer (and my wife!), Kelly Richards, has helped us put together our latest venture.

Our visitors can now enjoy a cup of Kona coffee while perusing our entire line of products which include suncare, personal care, facial systems and spa products.  Some people would expect a factory store to have last year’s “models”, out of date inventory or close outs, but our store features products freshly manufactured at our facility and presented by our knowledgeable sales personnel.

And, that is another advantage of visiting our location as our staff can evaluate your skin type before recommending what product will most benefit you in the sun, for your beauty regimen and as your daily use products in the bath and shower.  Not really clear about the differences among lotions, butters crèmes and oils?  We will educate you.

The store will also occasionally feature products we have developed for resorts all over the world for their private label lines.  

Featured in the store:

·         Suncare

·         Personal Care

·         Spa Products

·         Facials System

·         Organic

·         Other specialty products 

So plan to visit us soon at 644 Atlantis Road in Melbourne Florida.  Call 321-728-7191 for further information or visit us on line at www.absolutely-natural.com

Best regards,

Charley

Wildlife Conservation through Education and Participation

Brevard Zoo’s mission is “Wildlife Conservation through Education and Participation” and it fulfills this through hands-on conservation projects run by Brevard Zoo, as well as educating Zoo guests and school groups and supporting other organizations’ research and conservation efforts.

Through its Quarters for Conservation program, Brevard Zoo has supported oyster reef and shoreline restoration, sea turtle research and conservation, Northern Right Whale monitoring, a monofilament recycling program, dolphin and manatee research and conservation and coral reef restoration. In 2011, Brevard Zoo’s Quarters for Conservation Program raised over $24,000 to support marine research and conservation projects!

Brevard Zoo also has some of its own hands-on, community-based conservation projects including oyster reef restoration and shoreline restoration along the Indian River Lagoon. The Indian River Lagoon is the most biologically diverse estuary in North America with over 4,300 plant and animal species considering it home!

Photo by: Jody Palmer 

Oyster Reef Restoration Project

The Oyster Reef Restoration Project was started in 2005 by Dr. Linda Walters of the University of Central Florida and now includes Brevard Zoo and The Nature Conservancy as partners. The oyster mats—constructed from mesh and oyster shells—are placed in the Indian River Lagoon to provide a natural substrate for oyster larvae to settle. Results show that the oyster mat restoration technique is very successful - after one year in the water, an average of 79 new oysters settled on each mat.

Why oysters? Oysters are filter feeders that improve water quality and clarity by filtering–one oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day! Oysters are also a food source and provide habitat for many species of fish, birds, and invertebrates, and oyster reefs stabilize and protect shorelines. But, oysters face a number of threats including overharvesting, habitat degradation, reduced water quality, disease, and boat wakes.

Thanks to approximately 25,000 volunteers since the project started, together with the project partners, more than 28,000 oyster restoration mats have been constructed to restore 50 reefs in Mosquito Lagoon. 

Photo by: Amy Fenwick Reaume

Indian River Lagoon Shoreline Restoration Project

Brevard Zoo partnered with Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Indian River Lagoon Shoreline Restoration Project (FDEP IRL SRP) in 2010 to create the Adopt-a-Mangrove program.

The Adopt-a-Mangrove workshops are held at Brevard Zoo with a fieldtrip to the Brevard Zoo’s Indian River Lagoon exhibit to discuss the importance and background of the Indian River Lagoon. 

Participants also learn about the history of FDEP’s Indian River Lagoon Shoreline Restoration Project, the importance of mangroves and shoreline restoration and plant care. At the end of each workshop, participants take home a plant to "foster".  Workshop participants include Zoo guests and members, school groups, scout troops and community members.

After six months of “fostering” the plants, participants return them to be provided to Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Indian River Lagoon Shoreline Restoration Project for use in habitat restoration along the Lagoon. 

From hands-on conservation and restoration programs to educating Zoo guests and school groups about the Indian River Lagoon and its inhabitants to supporting other organizations’ research and conservation efforts, Brevard Zoo is dedicated to its mission of “Wildlife Conservation through Education and Participation!”

How to get involved:

Consider one of the following options:

1. Become a Brevard Zoo volunteer and help with conservation projects, as well as assist in other areas of the Zoo ranging from administration to animal feeding.

2. Participate in one of our local public events. See Schedules below.

Oyster Reef Restoration 2012 Workshop Schedule:

August 7 from 9 to 11 a.m. at Barrier Island Sanctuary

August 14 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Erna Nixon Park

August 21 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Riverwalk: A Family Park

Please note, mat making workshops are free and open to the public. Workshops do not include Zoo admission if the event is held at Brevard Zoo.

If you are interested in booking a private event for your class or group, or for more information about this project, please contact Jody Palmer at Jpalmer@brevardzoo.org or call 321.254.9453 x 265.

Adopt-a-Mangrove 2012 Workshop Schedule:

 October 4

 October 6

November 14

November 17

Workshops are provided free to the public. For more information or to attend a workshop please email Amy Reaume at areaume@brevardzoo.org.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTECTING YOUR SKIN!

The sins of my youth … are finally catching up with me.

No, not those kinds of sins.  I never went through a wild child phase (more like slight mischief at the most), but the “sin” of ignorance.   I grew up in a generation that knew little about the dangers of the sun.  I was one of those that assumed you “had to burn, before you could tan”.  I did nothing to protect my skin in my early years.

Then as a teenager and young adult, I was introduced to the beaches and worked 12 hour days selling suntan lotion to tourists in Daytona Beach.  I learned a little bit about sun protection and a little bit more about using aloe at night to help heal the skin.  But, I still didn’t know enough.

I really believe my education wasn’t complete until 20 years ago when I started Absolutely Natural.  It was through exhaustive research searching for the best, all natural sun protection, tanning products and after sun aloes, that I really learned about how to protect yourself in the sun; how to enjoy the outdoors and still be responsible; how to get and keep a healthy, safe tan.

I was diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer last week and tomorrow am going in for surgery.  Now, the great news is that it was caught early and the surgery is outpatient and the chances of it being life threatening are very slim.  

The reason for this blog is twofold.  One, I beg you to use proper products in the sun.  Of course, our sunscreens offer the best protection and are the safest to use but even if you don’t buy ours, make sure you use a physical sunscreen (titanium and/or zinc) and make sure you steer clear of the very high SPF values that chemical sunscreen companies are promoting.

Second, please, please, please visit a dermatologist and get regular check- ups for skin cancer.    Doing a self-check is valuable but the only way to be 100% sure, is to let a professional exam you.   A synopsis of the three types of skin cancer follows:

Three Kinds of Cancer:
The two most common forms are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. They are referred to as nonmelanoma skin cancer. The most dangerous form is melanoma that tends to metastasize throughout the body and can cause death. There are almost 70,000 new cases of melanoma every year.

Basal cell accounts for 90% of new skin cancers and usually begins as a small dome shaped bump. They can appear very dark and are usually irregular shaped. Squamous begins in the squamous cells which are flat, scale-like cells that form the surface of the skin, the hollow organs of the body and the respiratory and digestive tracts. So, squamous can form in any of these tissues. It most frequently appears on the skin as rough, red bumps on the scalp, face, ears and backs of the hands. It can take 10 years for the cancer to invade deeply into the skin and become fully developed squamous cell carcinoma.

The risks for developing any of these cancers include age, UV exposure in tanning beds, therapeutic radiation and most prominently exposure to the sun.

Skin Cancer claims 12,000 lives a year.  Caught early, as mine was, it usually poses little risk.  Let it go too long and you can, unfortunately, be one of the statistics.

Best regards,

Charley