SCIENTISTS FIND BENEFITS OF ROSEMARY THAT WE USE IN BEAUTY PRODUCTS

We know that ancient Greek scholars used rosemary to improve memory! Now there is a useful mention in BBC’s Magazine section (July 15) of scientific evidence of the benefits of rosemary. The team of Prof. Mark Moss at Northumbria University is working on tests how rosemary essential oil could benefit future memory.

Rosemary has been linked to memory for hundreds of years. It is also used in aromatherapy and in herbal beauty products. Scientists now suspect there are compounds in rosemary oil that may be responsible for changes in memory performance. One of them is called 1,8-cineole - as well as smelling wonderful (if you like that sort of thing) it may act in the same way as the drugs licensed to treat dementia, causing an increase in a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine.

These compounds do this by preventing the breakdown of the neurotransmitter by an enzyme. And this is highly plausible - inhalation is one of the best ways of getting drugs into the brain. When you eat a drug it may be broken down in the liver which processes everything absorbed by the gut, but with inhalation small molecules can pass into the bloodstream and from there to the brain without being broken down by the liver. As further confirmation Mark and his team analyzed blood samples and found traces of the chemicals in rosemary oil in the blood.

Being in the business of herbal natural beauty products, Herbally Radiant has been highlighting many benefits of rosemary. This herb has been in use for thousands of years in different civilizations in skin therapy. It improves circulation to the scalp and all other parts of the body, besides deodorizing and relieving soreness.  It is taken both in food, along with other spices, and in cosmetic formulations, with other natural ingredients, to speed up skin cell regeneration process.

After testing effects of rosemary in beauty formulations, we have found amazing benefits of rosemary when combined with other complementary herbal ingredients in our new products: Glowing Silk Primer, and Body DayCream. We have mixed rosemary with other essential oils for added potency: Lavender, Olea Europea, Tea Tree, Camellia Sinesis, Rooibos tea extract along with Vitamin E and B complex. Making them aloe based and adding Zinc Dioxide and Titanium Dioxide, these products also provide excellent protection from sun damage or other pollutants, making them the most useful especially for summer.

SKIN CARE COMPANIES FACE FTC CHARGES FOR MISLEADING CONSUMERS

The news story in the latest issue of BBB News on “Dangers of ‘Free Trial’ Offers” reminds us about the increasingly misleading marketing campaigns in the skin care products.

The news story warns against such ads saying you can try a product out for free before committing to it. But please remember: “Free Trials” often come with hidden fees and other strings attached.  Many businesses of skin care products, including AuraVie, Dellure, LeOR Skincare, and Miracle Face Kit, have been charged by the FTC for deceiving people about their “risk-free” trials.

FTC has alleged that these companies asked for credit or debit card information to pay a small $ 4.95 shipping fee, but victims ended up with close to $ 100 in charges.  Not only that, such unscrupulous companies  illegally sign people up for recurring product shipments – meaning even more charges – without asking them. 

Such companies also make it extremely difficult to cancel and avoid charges, and project themselves as accredited by BBB with “A” rating which was denied by BBB, and announced that they had an “F” grade rating!

As the manufacturers of certified natural herbal beauty products, Herbally Radiant has been cautioning consumers about deceptive and misleading marketing campaigns with unverifiable claims or unbelievable promises. Such tactics are not limited to cosmetic products, but other consumer items as well. We would advise prospective consumers to exercise due diligence before falling victim to such selling tactics. Following tips might be useful :

1)  The word “Free” is one of the most overused slogans, the easiest trap to grab attention of potential customers. Similar phrases are:  “no investment”, “no obligation”. So please read the fine print and look for hidden fees and details.

2) “Guaranteed”, “Satisfaction Guaranteed”, “Money-Back Guarantee”, “Results Guaranteed”, “Results Promised” need to be carefully read.

3)  “Lowest Price” is yet another attractive feature, perhaps most overused, from the point of view of customers – after all who wouldn’t mind buying the stuff at lowest price. Please make sure that such pricing claims are clarified and quantified to make them believable.

4)    Another example of misleading slogan is: “Risk-free or no risk” which is also used so often by the marketers, hoping to create impression in the mind of their consumers that a purchase doesn’t have some risk associated with it.

5)    A note of caution to other businesses: it is far more profitable to     retain loyal         customers with credible marketing strategies than to follow the temptation of making any short-cut for increasing sales. 

AMAZING BENEFITS OF ESSENTIAL OILS IN NATURAL BEAUTY PRODUCTS

To make best organic skin care formulations, Herbally Radiant uses a combination of Essential Oils (EOs). Also known as volatile oils, the EOs are distilled, or pressed from plants, flowers, or food. Their fragrance travels through our nose into our breathing and eventually goes into our bloodstream. Their scent travels along a neurological pathway, bypassing the blood-brain barrier, and thus stimulating neurotransmitter production.

Humans are said to have an estimated ten million cells for detecting scents, for which nose is the gateway to the brain. Our sense of smell is our most primitive sense; what we smell affects our health and consciousness.

The EOs derived from flowers, plants, resins and roots, are the basic life force of organic flowers and plants, and are very effective in helping increase circulation and promote new cell growth, while eliminating toxins. As antispasmodic, analgesic, antibacterial, antiseptic, astringent, chologogue, febrifuge, sudorific, antidepressant, deodorant, anti-inflammatory, their therapeutic effect on body, mind and spirit is amazing, creating a calming and soothing effect, so helpful in organic beauty care.

The tiny aromatic molecules of EOs are liposoluble, and are able to penetrate the skin and travel through the bloodstream and interstitial fluids. These act quickly and are eliminated from the system within three to six hours. In breathing, these enter through the Cillia (the fine hairs lining the nose) to the limbic system which, when stimulated, releases endorphins, neurotransmitters and other 'feel-good' chemicals. These control our moods, emotions, state of skin and general appearance, memory and learning, heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, stress levels and hormonal balance. That is why EOs have such a powerful effect on our state of mind. Stress-free mind is essential for good health as well as for maintaining well hydrated , revitalized, wrinkle-free and shining skin.

Because of their special regenerative and  healing properties, EOs have been used very effectively for centuries to improve skin tone, reduce inflammation, increase blood circulation, relieve tension, stress and headaches, regulate hormones, relax muscles, stimulate the immune system and energize the whole system.

It requires special expertise and experience to choose most effective EOs in right proportion to make best beauty products. The procedure is meant to assist natural ability of skin to balance, regulate, heal and restore its natural glow. These penetrate skin via hair follicles and sweat glands, and get absorbed in body fluids. Minute molecules of EOs are immediately absorbed into the blood stream when inhaled as the drugs oxygenate the blood.

The mixing of EOs and base oil is done in incremental steps by professionally trained and experienced experts at Herbally Radiant. They ensure right blend of EOs with most compatible base or carrier oil. The special combination of EOs used in its anti-aging formulations thus create amazing longer lasting results.

In order to come out with the most effective skin-friendly formulations for sensitive skin disorders like acne, pimples, black spots and other break outs, the experts at Herbally Radiant experimented with Tea Tree EO, combining it with other ingredients. This led to the launching of exclusive CLEAN range, consisting of Cleanser,Toner, Serum and Scrub. The unique CLEAN range formulations have  received excellent customer reviews; for those ordering on line (shop.herballyradiant.com), shipping is free.

Different EOs are used in facial and body treatments, and different skin types react differently to EOs. Following are some useful tips :

1)      Extra care should be taken in use of EOs  during pregnancy. 

2)      Should be kept out of the reach of children.

3)      EOs should be stored away from light, heat, plastics and metals. Some oils can stain clothing and damage the finish on furniture.

4)      EOs are expensive; this has led to a great deal of counterfeiting by unscrupulous suppliers, especially operating through online. Many suppliers are diluting oils with synthetic elements.

5)      If you put a drop of EO on a scrap of paper and find that oil stain is still apparent two hours later, then be sure that it may have been diluted with vegetable oils.

6)      Those with high blood pressure should avoid following EOs: Hyssop, Rosemary, Sage and Thyme.

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HERBALLY RADIANT WELCOMES SAFETY STANDARDS FOR BEAUTY PRODUCTS

UL Environment, the business unit of UL (one of the oldest standards institution in US) has published a new white paper on safety of personal care products (http://bit.ly/1U9eGc0). It sets out the best practices that could form the basis of risk-based standards.

As has been highlighted by Herbally Radiant frequently, while the market for personal care products is expanding hugely, consumers feel the need for a unified standard so that quality of the product could be evaluated. This is becoming more important in the light of the fact that despite the current regulations and safety systems in place for cosmetics, questions remain about the safety of cosmetic ingredients and the standards associated with them.   

With the expansion of  personal care market, several new companies, many of them online, have joined together to market new cosmetics and personal care products with aggressive marketing and unverifiable claims. Such selling campaigns by most of these companies have been found to be less than ethical, and not always conforming to the established advertising guidelines for protecting consumers.

Interacting with large number of its customers regularly, Herbally Radiant finds that more and more consumers are becoming aware of the safety aspect of what they eat, and what they apply on their skin. They are, therefore, actively seeking information on the health impacts of the products they consume. They are increasingly interested in personal care products which they, and their families, have to use daily.  Under attack from constant promotional slogans of many businesses, consumers at times find themselves confused about the safety of the ingredients, and the claims being advertised.

As established manufacturer of natural herbal skin care products, Herbally Radiant welcomes the proposal of UL for a consensus-based set of voluntary risk-based standards designed to go beyond what is required by the existing personal care product regulations.  The best practices identified in the UL paper could form the basis of such risk-based standards, helping fair evaluation of the safety of the beauty product.

In the interest of the overall health of the consumers, such a standardization is needed now.

IS BEAUTIFUL APPEARANCE USEFUL TOOL FOR SUCCESS?

More and more studies now highlight the fact that facial features tell a great deal about the person. Even the subtle differences in appearances can be judged by others in split second to assess whether you are competent and trustworthy, or going to be a leader or a follower.

In an interesting study quoted by David Robson of BBC, Christopher Olivola at Carnegie Melon University says: “Although we like to think we make decisions in a rational way, we are often swayed by superficial cues. And appearances are a particularly superficial, yet very strong cue.”

Given our obsession with celebrity culture, physical beauty may appear the greatest source of face-ism. Some economists have estimated that more attractive people can earn 10 to 12% more. Honesty, in particular, is thought to show itself all over one’s face, and assessing positively for trustworthiness, one is likely to be lent money – just as another study highlights that given the same evidence, people who look more trustworthy are less likely to be found guilty!

Now with online profiles, we can form impressions before we talk to someone, before we even meet them. Suppose you are hiring a new assistant. You may have every intention of reviewing a CV objectively, but once a photo has planted a seed of bias in your mind, it may be too late. It can change the way we interpret the subsequent information. Bonnefon agrees that “It’s probably impossible to train people not to make the impressions – it’s an automatic behavior.”

In her book “Honey Money: The Power of Erotic Capital”, Catherine Hakim emphasized that physically attractive women and men earn more than average-looking ones. Beauty is naturally rewarded in jobs where physical attractiveness would seem to matter. It is true that  good-looking women seeking high-flying jobs in particularly male fields may be stymied by the “bimbo effect” until they prove their competence. But the importance of beauty in the labour market is far more pervasive than one might think.

A Chinese study confirms that the husbands of unappealing women earn about 10% less than those of their dishier counterparts. Attractive people also have an easier time getting a loan than plain folks, even as they are less likely to pay it back. They receive milder prison sentences and higher damages in simulated legal proceedings. Pretty people, it seems, have all the luck. Daniel Hamermesh, an economist at the University of Texas, has long written about “pulchronomics”. In “Beauty Pays” he reckons that, over a lifetime and assuming today's mean wages, a handsome worker in America might on average make $230,000 more than a very plain one. There is evidence that attractive workers bring in more business, so it often makes sense for firms to hire them.

In examining the case for legal protection for the ugly, Mr Hamermesh relies to a degree on the work of Deborah Rhode, a law professor at Stanford University and author of “The Beauty Bias”. She struggles to see why any woman would willingly embrace fashion (particularly high heels). She is outraged that virtually all females consider their looks as key to their self-image. She cites a survey in which over half of young women said they would prefer to be hit by a truck than be fat. Her indignation is mostly moral. Billions of dollars are now spent on cosmetic surgery—up to 90% of it by women. The more women focus on improving their looks, Ms Rhode argues, the less they think about others.

 Catherine Hakim's provocative book sees an opportunity for women to enhance their power “in the bedroom and the boardroom”. She argues that “erotic capital” is an underrated class of personal asset, to set beside economic capital (what you have), human capital (what you know) and social capital (who you know). Ms Hakim attempts to quantify a complex mix of physical and social assets, consisting of beauty, sex appeal, self-presentation, social skills, liveliness and sexual competence.

As social interactions keep evolving, we find sexualised images  everywhere, and the world that has emerged is one in which no one can afford to pretend beauty does not matter. Men too, having lost their monopoly of well-paid jobs, are investing in their appearance to enhance their appeal to mates and employers. They are marching off to gyms and discovering face cream in record numbers.

Our concern with these findings is from the point of the need to maintain beautiful appearance and healthy pleasant looks.  At Herbally Radiant we always recommend natural beauty products for enhancing beautiful looks in healthiest manner possible. In the competitive times, beautiful appearance is a very useful tool for navigating efficiently and successfully.

HOW TO IMPROVE BIOLOGICAL AGE WITH NATURAL BEAUTY FORMULATIONS

The business for ‘anti-aging’ skin care products runs into billions of dollars. Consumers are learning more about the aging process in order to prevent premature aging signs on face and skin. Cosmetic businesses are investing a great deal in the search of ideal products and the scientists are looking at it with new concepts.

Recently, scientists in Shanghai, created a 3D imaging system they claim can reliably predict a person’s biological age from the look of their face alone. They developed the technology after scanning the faces of more than 300 people aged 17-77 and building up a map that reveals how the human face shows signs of aging. Similar studies in New Zealand have shown different biological age of 38-yr olds from their chronological age.

In contrast to chronological age - simply the number of birthdays a person has had - biological age reflects how well (or not) a person’s body is getting older, reflected in the visible facial features like wider mouth, larger nose, drooping of eyes corners, plump face and whole lot sages as gravity triumphs over the collagen and elastin fabric of the skin.

The scientist found that most people’s chronological ages lay within six years of their “facial age” as predicted by the computer. So people who had facial ages of 30, were typically aged 24 to 36 years old.

Among the 332 people who took part in the study were a small number who, according to their facial ages, were growing old either much faster or much slower than average. Some of the people’s faces appeared more than ten years older or younger than their real, chronological ages.

Scientists now feel that detailed cell research could be used to test whether products touted for their anti-ageing effects make any difference. It could also help consumers to learn the right kind of facial care products that have healthy effect.

The new studies do not take into account the centuries old traditions of maintaining bright and young skin with the help of organic herbs and oils. It is already established fact that for thousands of years, people have relied on the bounty of plant preparations to feed, nourish, and cleanse their bodies.  The traditional formulations that are made in harmony with nature have a longer lasting effect. The new statistical studies do not tell how the flower essences are a type of energy or vibrational medicine that can have a subtle, yet beneficial effect on skin.

As the manufacturer of natural herbal beauty formulations, Herbally Radiant has been constantly looking for new herbs and plant essences for deriving best results out of their application on skin. The result has been astounding success. The signature series of its anti-aging formulations: Rejuvenating and Radiant, combine the most effective elements and essential oils in providing richest nutrients to the skin, stimulating cell regeneration and restoring the elasticity. The natural organic ingredients like Patchouli, Vetiver, Sweet Marjoram, Rosemary, Soliga Forest Honey, Lavender and Almond oil, to name only few, combine the best blended organic herbs and oils that do more than just erase the effects of parched skin,  thereby revitalizing, rejuvenating, and brightening facial skin, creating young impressive appearance.

HEALTH RISKS OF PARABENS IN SKIN CARE PRODUCTS

Most of the pharma-based beauty products contain parabens. According to FDA, cosmetics sold on retail basis to consumers are required by law to declare ingredients so as to help them determine whether a product contains an ingredient, including parabens, they wish to avoid. Parabens in cosmetics protect them against microbial growth, and are usually easy to identify by name, such as methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, or benzylparaben.

Manufacturers use parabens in personal care products as preservatives and antimicrobials. FDA says there’s no evidence so far that current exposures to parabens are a health hazard, but critics point out other factors which relate to ‘how much and for how long’ exposure can be safe. They also underline the fact that sometimes health effects in humans are not clear for compounds that have been studied in animals and cell culture.

There have been expert opinions that chemicals such as parabens and phthalates can interfere with body’s hormones. Consequently, possible health risks could include chronic diseases, cancers and a host of developmental disorders and fertility problems.

As Washington Post earlier reported, what is beyond doubt is: Phthalates and parabens are not inert substances; they have biological activity. They act on estrogen pathways, which in humans have been associated with such varied effects as decreased sperm count, endometriosis and insulin resistance.

The manufacturers using parabens in cosmetics admit that in smaller ratio, these pose no significant health risks. That makes it difficult to determine what dosage would pose potential health risks. If a product’s label says phthalate-free or paraben-free, that provides clarity. Otherwise, there’s no way to be sure, says John Meeker, an associate professor of environmental health sciences at the University of Michigan. “It could be in there under vague names like ‘fragrances.’ ”

So, to avoid these chemicals altogether, what should you do? Meeker says that, if given the option, he’ll choose a phthalate-free or paraben-free product. Another expert (Brody) advises using fragrance-free products. “That gets rid of a whole class of chemicals,” she says.

If parabens are used mainly as preservatives, in order to increase the product shelf life then the question arises: are there no safer substitute ingredients that could do the same?  As manufacturer of natural skin care products, Herbally Radiant has carried many tests of its own, and found that the Essential Oils in the beauty formulations serve the purpose far better : they (i) act as excellent preservatives, (ii) offer gentle soothing fragrances to customers, and (iii) provide immense advantages of aromatherapy. It was noticed that the customers who use Herbally Radiant’s signature series (anti-aging products) under the brand: Rejuvenating and Radiant, which contain fine combination of Essential Oils, have experienced, and testified, the unique calming effects of the Essential Oils in these products, which have transformed their skin. 

Parabens and such chemical ingredients are less expensive, and, therefore, might make better profit sense as a business, but these are potentially risky, whereas the plant-based Essential Oils, wonderful gift of nature, serve only one purpose: protection and revitalization of skin.