Anger Management.

This song has been looping around my brain for the last two weeks as it strikes a chord in me. One that tells me that to find beauty one must learn to deal with anger. The video is confronting at best as it portrays the complexity of a toxic yet  passionate relationship between a young couple, their emotional stability and addiction. While I can’t say that I have been in a relationship like this myself, I’ve had enough front row seats in my life to empathise with the situation. This is one powerful piece of street philosophy.
What I like best about Eminem’s latest offering is the way in which he so eloquently articulates his relationship with his emotions:
“I can’t tell you what it really is, I can only tell you what it feels like”
The song perfectly captures the moment, the time when anger is bubbling up from within, ready to explode. You have a second to decide, your fight or flight response is paused ready to act and your veins are pumping. What will you do?
And then there is the other perspective, the partner played by Rihanna who ‘loves the way you lie’. It is the story of an addiction, an intense love, a thirst for drama, a need for an adrenalin-filled release. It is a story of torture, of pain, of loss but ultimately of hope.
I recently purchased a recording of a philosophy lecture which contained a Q&A session. One of the FAQ’s in philosophy is ‘how can there be a God if there is so much suffering in the world”, a classic question and one which we (believers or not) ponder over in times of crisis. Before that question was answered another point was raised in defence of life as is: “Without suffering we would not know peace, without hurt we would not know great love”. Again, a fair and commonly made point but is it true? The philosophy lecturer threw it right back (as they do) saying “just how much pain and suffering would you recommend?” and that’s when things got tricky because there is no easy way of answering that, living where we do, knowing what we know and watching You Tube videos like this one.
The answer is annoyingly simple and is in two parts. Firstly we have one real choice to make in life, and that is the choice over how to respond to any given situation. Second is that we are often not in a position to judge what is good or bad, suffering or luxury. Confronting stuff.
Anger is an emotion that comes loaded with suffering as this video shows. It can be destructive, dangerous and wasteful. However, anger can also lead us to a place of higher understanding, of personal growth and eventually inner peace.
The Eminem video shows us that surrendering to anger can be a highway to hell while accepting and listening to those angry voices can propel us towards resolution. The sad part for me is the portrayal of alcohol – something that I am not adverse to but which can complicate a situation. Dealing with anger sober is one thing, trying to deal with it through a mental health problem is something else entirely.
I take the view that the emotion of anger,just like that of happiness, joy, sadness and love should be recognised and accepted for what it is. We should neither seek or avoid it and nor should we judge ourselves badly for feeling it. We should let all of these things come and go unhindered as it is only when we take them as we find them that we allow ourselves to realize beauty.
I think that by describing how anger feels in both words and pictures Eminem has unblocked one of the last modern emotional holes. We are often made to feel weak when we express anger “Don’t let it get the better of you”. Well, no we won’t let it get the better of us but we will let it come and go as we observe, articulate and learn its lessons.
Manage your anger gently, don’t deny its presence.

Mental health issues can seriously impeded your ability to manage emotions. There are many people who can help including: Beyond Blue, SANE,  Alcoholics Anonymous and Wesley Mission.

Diet Coke Dolls

I can’t be the only savvy, sophisticated and witty (in my own universe) girl who read “Living Dolls” by Natasha Walter.  A book that warned us about the growing objectification of female beauty, the way that our value is tied up in our looks rather than our substance. A book that warned us of the ‘doll’ effect.  Well,  you can imagine my surprise when I saw the newish ads for Diet Coke in the Sydney CBD this week.  Here is the you tube video to go along with their BRATZ doll theme plus a link to the Guardian UK write up on the ad campaign.

I won’t be buying any.

Women are not toys.

The Ugly Side of Beauty – Off the Hook

It’s official, you can get away with anything if your one of the BEAUTIFUL people. Just keep turning on that designer smile, rubbing oil into those bronzed biceps and showing up in all the right places. The world is your oyster. Even if you are an addict. 

Well, that was my ‘take home’ message from this weeks Ben Cousins ‘documentary’ which won the ratings battle twice this week in Australia.  Right about now I should point out to all of those who don’t give a damn that Ben Cousins is one of footballs “GOLDEN BOYS”  (or golden balls if you are that way inclined). His code is AFL which is popular in Australia and his past was drug fuelled. Indeed he caused a degree of outrage among AFL officials when he (rather embarrassingly) admitted to taking drugs through much of his highly successful playing career. Needless to say, he got banned, then un-banned, sidelined and then captained before recently retiring. 

OK, so another sports star gone bad story?  Not quite, Ben was a (his own words) ‘high functioning’ drug addict that rewarded himself with a drug fuelled binge after a big day in the office.  He was (and still is) an extremely good footballer and remains a very handsome man. He never got caught on the job, always put on a good show and turned up to any training session that didn’t include a drug test. Text book player if you ignore the detail.

 And that is why I am telling you Ben is a living example of where beauty blinds the public to the beast.  The ugly detail was just too easy to ignore and to inconvenient to acknowledge.  The beast in this piece is the addiction by the way, not the person as he is clearly sick.

So, what happened here?

Well, this story could be about any one of a number of beautiful people, think Naomi Campbell or Kate Moss, Tiger Woods or Amy Winehouse.  Most people would agree that it was obvious that they had some private-life dramas going on but while they were busy working hard,  becoming popular icons and churning out top dollar results it was easy to turn the other cheek.  I remember the headlines when Amy’s ‘troubles’ became a little too obvious, miles and miles of column inches about her weight, her skin, her hair not being washed and her dirty clothes – all signals of a deeper problem that was acknowledged but only after we’d all had our ‘celeb gone ugly’ fix.  Eugh…. She would have probably lost her record deal or been locked up in celeb rehab way earlier had she not had the ‘whole package’.  Sad. 

Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss both got off lightly with their misdemeanors because of the ‘something that pretty can’t be bad’ mentality (or is it a ‘something that pretty can make us money mindset)  You choose….

Good looks can get you a better job, can win you friends and can save your ass in a tricky situation. It’s true and it sucks for those of us whose behaviour and looks are less than modelesque.  We can’t help ourself, we are hard-wired from birth to love, trust and desire beauty. But at some point we have to get real.

Ben Cousins will continue to do well in life until his former ‘habits’ catch up with him and take the shine off his outer perfection.  Even then he could do well if he changes his tune from ‘It was just a bit of fun-gone-bad’  to ‘If you do what I did you’ll end up like this’.  It’ll never happen.

I fear that the ugly side of beauty  will be the undoing of Ben Cousins and his army of young supporters as the real damage of such a toxic life has been hidden beneath a veneer of perfection.  There was little evidence of remorse or reform during the recent documentary and many found that fact a little hard to stomach. I just hope that after some MORE quiet reflection Ben and the other troubled beauties recognise the need to get beyond their looks and connect with their adoring fans on a deeper and more personal level. 

So, if you believe that it is time to open the book then join with me and let the world know that while being beautiful helps you get what you want, it doesn’t always give you what you need.

Real beauty comes from within not without.

Lipsmakingly good cause – Liptember

It’s news time people, I’ve been sent this interesting press release from the guys at Burt Bees.  In case you were wondering the BEES have been buzzing around the world of personal care since 1984. The company was built on a philosophy that supports the production of earth friendly natural personal care for the greater good.  After rocking the USA for a lifetime they swam over to Australialand and started pollenating our people  a couple of years ago. In fact, they loved it so much that they installed a Queen Bee right here and started taking over the world. Naturally!

Burt Bees are quite vocal on all things natural and were key in the production of the Natural Products Council, all very lovely BUT not always very scientific. While the Realize Beauty team do support the efforts to produce safer, cleaner and more sustainable cosmetics we do not share some of the concerns of this brand.  Still, each to their own and anyway, it’s always good to support a worthy cause and great products.

Here is their press release:

Burt’s Bees is proud to announce its partnership with new social initiative, Liptember. Throughout September,Liptember aims to increase awareness about women’s health issues and raise money to fund research and programs to achieve optimal health outcomes for women.

Liptember encourages women to buy the official Liptember lip colour and get sponsored by family, friends and coworkers to wear the shade every day during the month. And the shade on every woman’s lips, throughout Liptember, will be Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer in Rhubarb.

As the official lip colour of the campaign, all profits from sales of the shade purchased at Priceline will go to Liptember’s first beneficiary, the Royal Women’s Hospital (Melbourne). Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer is a 100% natural lip colour that conditions, smoothes and gently colours your lips with luminescent earth pigments.

Burt’s Bees Marketing Manager, Emma Sykes says, “We’re really proud to be part of Liptember and help raise money for important research on the lifestyle choices and issues women face. It’s a fantastic initiative for such a worthy cause that sits perfectly with the Burt’s Bees philosophy of striving for The Greater Good™.”

Liptember is also supported by a number of Australian celebrities, including official ambassadors, presenter Kelly Landry, media personality Molly Meldrum and model Alyse Co’Cliff.

Of the month-long campaign, Kelly Landry says, “Taking care of yourself first and foremost is the most important thing you can do for your loved ones. Our priority is to improve the health of grandmothers, mothers, sisters, daughters, wives and partners – and thus improve the health of the whole community.”

Registration is via the Liptember website (www.liptember.com.au) with information updated daily at the Liptember and Burt’s Bees Australia facebook and twitter sites.

So purchase Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer in Rhubarb from Priceline, pucker up and support the word on every woman’s lips this Liptember.

The lipbalms come with a RRP of $10 and are available to purhase through Priceline pharmacies.

Enjoy!

Toxins In, Toxins Out – The Campaign for Scaring the pants off us

OK, so I am about to have a coronary because I just saw the most cringeworthy ‘we only did it to SAVE you’ video clip from the champions of “SAFE AND LOVELY” the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. I almost don’t want to share it with you but that would just be selfish – come and take a dip in the toxic ocean by watching it here.

The Story Of Stuff is not all false but it is not even 1/3rd true either and that’s what bugs me. You have CHEMICALS in the BAD corner, poor helpless parent in the CONFUSED AND EXPLOITED corner and the campaign for safe cosmetics in the SUPER HERO corner – it is a triangle of doom based on moral panic and outrage.

If you can’t be bothered to watch the short cartoon (cartoons are great aren’t they, family viewing, innocent etc) then I will explain it in a nutshell here. The cosmetics industry (personified by (hope they sue) Proctor and Gamble) are filling up our bottles of baby shampoo and our lipstick twisties with toxic chemicals that will mutify our sperm (if we have any), give us breast cancer and make us feel sad.   This is an American film and so it goes on to say that the FDA is doing Sweet FA to save us and is basically allowing the industry to pollute and kill us while it counts the dollars.  After all, the industry is self-regulated and it can therefore choose the laws and then choose to ignore them. Nice!  Lastly the film tells us that thanks to the Campaign for Safe cosmetics we will all be safe as long as we log onto their website and ignore everyone else. COOL!

So why do I want to tip a giant vat of Pantene over these people’s heads and see them swim in it? Here we go….

• The Environmental Working Group (nice name) and their friends the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (like we need them) act like a tabloid paper. They jump on the big headlines and don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story. YES some of the ingredients used in cosmetics are irritating and dangerous for health if used in high enough volumes but that isn’t what happens in your average product.   Firstly it is about DOSE.
• These guys LOVE to talk about LEAD in our lipsticks. Haven’t they been keeping up????  There is lead all over this 100% green and natural planet. Lead is probably in that lovely cauliflower that you are about to eat. The reason that there is a legal limit set for how much lead is in lipsticks is because we can now detect minute amounts, way below anything that would cause health problems. Lead is an environmental reality and this is just silly.  Secondly it is about being REALISTIC.
• Then we have to think about where our cosmetics end up.  Our skin is very good at keeping things out, to give us cancer something has to be able not only to penetrate into the body but to remain in their. Yes we are full of chemicals, yes some get through and NO nobody wants that but much of what is found in our bodies comes from things such as paints, building materials, foods, air pollution from factories and cars and other industrial products.  That is not to say that we should think that everything is rosy with cosmetics as they could be cleaner but blaming cancer on cosmetics when we live in a chemical world is a little far-fetched. THIRD is about BIOACCUMULATION.
• Next we have the bashing of the big boys. It is always fashionable to blame big companies about the state of the world and in many cases they have played their part in creating problems. While that is as true in cosmetics as it is for any industry – blaze the trail, note the consequenses and clean up – it doesn’t mean that the big boys are just sitting back and counting the money. More often that not the planet needs large companies to fund research into safer alternatives, fund testing and fund advertising to tell people about it. I don’t know a single company that isn’t taking safety seriously both large and small. It is easy for smaller, newer companies to take the moral high ground and bask in their greener status and bash the big players when it was the big guys that made most of it possible  FORTH is about RESPONSIBILITY.
• Finally we have the environmental issue. It is also true that the cosmetics industry has promoted the use of more and more products by a more segmented consumer base over the years. This rampant consumerism is not helping with environmental issues and our sense of beauty and self. I am all for pushing sustainability but that big issue is glossed over in this cartoon in favour of the much sexier FEAR and CANCER angle. FIFTH is about SUSTAINABILITY.

In a nutshell.

Anyone that knows me will know that I am a campaigner for better cosmetics, for more traceability in the supply chain, for more sustainable products, for product that support real beauty and for products that don’t bio-accumulate.

BUT

I am also an advocate for scientific information reported in a fair, balanced and scientific way. YES some cosmetic ingredients should be addressed and replaced in favour of safer alternatives but NO your shampoo is probably not going to give you cancer.

I am also not a fan of this interpretation of the precautionary principle as should I apply it to my life I would lead a boring, un-caffinated, un-alcoholed, un-sexed (very dangerous that) and un-excited life.  

Fear is NOT a good way to sell ANYTHING. EVER. THANK YOU.

What do you think?

Let’s NOT Boycott Palm Oil

The pure, untouched virgin rainforests of South East Asia are the lungs of the world and home to plant and animal species that we haven’t even discovered yet. Oh, and did I mention that the Orang Utans also call this place home? Well, not for much longer if we (and that means you too) keep on wanting stuff.

You see, since the 1960′s this area has been home to a growing number of palm plantations, palm trees that yield the oil that greases the cosmetics (and other) industries. Growing demand has led to growing concern for the environment as palm farmers and local governments struggle to balance competing needs.

Meanwhile Orang Utans are not the only species loosing out in this rush to keep world business turning.

So why shouldn’t we boycott Palm Oil? Let’s have a look at the facts:

1. Palm oil is one of the highest yielding oil crops suitable for food and industrial use.  Average figures show that it produces in the region of 4MT of oil per hectare farmed.  Another popular oil Canola only yields between 1.5-2MT per hectare.
2. Palm oil is one of the most chemically rich and diverse oils on offer yielding vitamin E, a wide range of fatty acids, glycerine and oils that contain many other trace nutrients.  It stands head and shoulders above its competitors of soy, canola and sunflower oil.
3. Palm is relatively healthy as it contains no trans-fat and is rich in tocotrienols which help keep the body healthy.
4. Palm is a very cost-effective crop to grow as it is hardy, fast growing and water efficient.
5. Palm is 100% natural and can be grown sustainably.

With all of these benefits listed you may either be sitting there fuming and saying “BUT ANIMALS ARE SUFFERING”  or you may be thinking “What is all the fuss about?”   Whatever camp you are in it is important to think about the detail as that is where the solution is hiding.

The detail is this,  palm oil is a good oil BUT irresponsible farming,  short-sighted land management practices, the re-zoning of land and unbridled demand is BAD and is causing problems.

SO we can choose our solution:

• BOYCOTT PALM.  This action, without further lifestyle modification will mean that we shift the problem from a high-yielding crop to another possibly less economic crop that has to grow somewhere. We feel ‘clean’ but somewhere in the world, the problem still exists.  Also Palm doesn’t just get listed as ‘palm’ on labels of products as it is one of the key feedstocks in the non-petroleum surfactant industry – difficult, expensive and mostly pointless to try to avoid.
• CHANGE YOUR HABITS. This may be quite a radical move but the main way that you can avoid increasing demand for this or any other oil is to buy less. You could make your own food, cosmetics and cleaning products and cut back on convenience. This could really have a difference to both your health and the health of the planet. 

BUT that is a bit tricky for most so.

• Support efforts for a sustainable palm oil industry and greater supply chain transparency.  Efforts to clean up palm oil farming are growing and it makes sense to support this.  The Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil Farming is an organisation spanning  industry, government and consumer groups to look at creating a more environmental responsible industry. It is early days yet and sustainable palm still only accounts for a minority of the palm farmed BUT this can and is changing.

So, my message is simple. Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water on this issue. We can make a difference by either changing our habits and buying NOTHING or by supporting a move to sustainable farming. Boycotting palm in favour of another crop is a bit like cleaning up by shoving stuff under your bed.

Let’s play our part in moving this industry forward.

I like this piece by Taronga Zoo, this is the link to the Round Table and the World Wildlife Fund.

Zinc Hunting – The Nano Sunscreen Diaries

Last year I was one of the guinea pigs in a study looking at Nano zinc in sunscreens and skin penetration (you can read more about that here).   After the preliminary results were presented at a nanotechnology conference in Sydney earlier this year showing that small amounts of zinc had penetrated the skin interest in this area has been growing.  Government bodies, regulators, product developers and the public  want to know if the use of nanoparticulate zinc in sunscreens is safe – after all, the guys in Europe recently ruled that nanoparticles should be declared on labels as part of a ‘precautionary principal’ approach.  This labelling is not a requirement in Australia currently.

Anyway, in light of the growing interest in this are the Macquarie University published a statement recently aimed at re-iterating the findings and drawing a line under what we currently know and don’t know. 

Here is the unchanged statement (or read it on their website here):

————————————–

A technique developed by Macquarie University has proven for the first time that a tiny amount of zinc from sunscreens is absorbed through the skin into the human body, but is not yet able to discern whether the zinc is in nanoparticle form.

Professor Brian Gulson of Macquarie University conducted the research – published online in the current edition of the journal Toxicological Sciences – with collaborators in CSIRO and the Australian National University and the Australian Photobiology Testing Facility. The research was widely reported on in February 2010 following a presentation by Gulson at a scientific conference.

The team traced the skin absorption of a highly purified and stable isotope which allowed them to distinguish the zinc from the sunscreen from that which is naturally present in the body or environment. Zinc is absolutely essential to bodily functions.  

To simulate real life conditions, the team carried out the study outdoors over five days in March 2009. Two groups of males and females had sunscreen applied twice daily and blood and urine samples were collected and analysed for their zinc isotopic signature.

For the first time, the team found zinc from the sunscreens in the blood and urine of all volunteers, but one of the most interesting findings was that there was an increase in the tracer in the blood six days after the trial finished. The other important findings were that there was a linear increase in the zinc tracer with the amount of sunscreen applied to the backs of volunteers over the five days of the trial and there was slightly more tracer zinc in females who had a sunscreen with nanoparticles applied to those who had a bulk sunscreen applied.

In spite of these findings of definite penetration, Gulson said that: “the amounts of tracer zinc found in the blood were quite small (<0.001% of the applied dose) and would not add appreciably to the levels of zinc in the body, especially in light of the tight controls of zinc in people”.

At this stage, Gulson says that “the critical question of whether the zinc is present as nanoparticles or soluble Zn is unknown but under investigation”.

The researchers suggest that follow-up studies from the scientific community with different formulations over longer periods of time are essential, but that until evidence to the contrary is obtained, people spending time outdoors should continue to use sunscreens.

———————————–

So what does that mean for product developers?

Well, it is important that we (as a scientific community) carry out further work to find out what form the zinc that penetrates through the skin is in as that makes all of the difference.  The worry that surrounds nanoparticles comes from the fact that these ultra-small particles may  act very differently from their big brothers and sisters and may therefore need to be treated as different entities (they are often  more energetic and therefore catalyse reactions, something that is not desirable in this type of sunscreen).  However, I must emphasise that it is not currently known what form the zinc that penetrated during this study was in.

It is possible (and even very likely) that nanoparticles  form aggregates in the sunscreen meaning that zinc that penetrated in the nano-zinc suncreen may not actually be nano-sized any more.  This may sound like a long shot but it isn’t really. It is extremely difficult for a formulator to suspend nanoparticles into a sunscreen in such a way as to prevent ANY agglomeration.  What usually happens is that you end up with a suspension of small and uniform aggregates that are still fine enough as to be invisible to the naked eye but not small enough to cause cell damage. These primary aggregates may still be small enough though to penetrate the skin under certain circumstances.

Another probability is that the zinc that penetrated is in a soluble form. The solubility of zinc depends on a number of factors including pH (acidity or alkalinity) of the environment and temperature. Further, the zinc could end up in many different forms depending on the environment that it finds its self in.  The fact that the zinc found in the body could be in a soluble form is highly significant as that means that it is no longer a nanoparticle in the sense that everyone is raving about.

The fact that only tiny amounts got through in BOTH the nano and bulk sunscreen means that the advice to maintain sunscreen use is still valid.  If we are to talk precautionary principles I would be weighing up the number of people that I know who’ve had skin cancers removed VS the number that have been made sick by their sunscreen.

And what does it mean for beach bums?

Same thing really, keep using your sun cream, listen to your body and if in doubt, don’t go out (which sounds awfully boring and a tad unhealthy).  If you really DON”T want nanoparticles near you you can always opt for the old-style zinc sticks OR go for the chemical rather than physical sunscreen products.

I am sure that there will be more to come and when there is, I’ll tell you all about it.

Stay sun safe.

 

Why Not Vote For Fun Tomorrow?

Tomorrow is decision day in Australia, a day where we will all hop out of bed early in a celebration of democracy, freedom and fine-avoidance.  Yes, it is the general election and my advice is to get the official voting over and done with as quickly as you can so that you can get down to some serious business.

The deal is this, the guys at NADS are running a competition to find the sexiest legs in the history of anthropology and I think that it is about time that we showed them what we’ve got, naturally of course!

There are good and bad ways of removing hairs from our lovely bodies as I discovered the other night when I tried shaving my legs in the dark. Suffice to say we ended up with a thin trail of blood over the hallway carpet  AND patchy legs to boot, not good.  A more sensible option would have been for me to A) turn on the light, B) not bother (except that I actually like smooth legs) or C) opt for professional help.  Now I’m not the kind of person that likes to outsource my personal business so I went searching for something safe, sassy and a little more sensible than my chain saw massacre episode.  Time for wax strips.

People have been removing hairs with hot sticky stuff for centuries. I have talked about sugaring before on this blog and recommend it as a great all-natural way to de-hair self-sufficiently. However,  home sugaring does have its down side as it can be messy, hard to get the temperature right (too hot and you either turn the sugar to caramel or burn yourself, too cool and it doesn’t stick enough) and tricky to apply so many people give up after a couple of goes. Well, if you are one of those people the next best thing is a natural hair removing gel such as the NADS natural range.

NADS is an Australian owned and  company specialising in producing naturally inspired hair removal solutions. Their facial range utilises actives such as honey, vinegar, glucose and fructose for a sugar-full experience while their body wax strips bring in the big guns thanks to the hardier modified resin duo -  triethylene glycol rosinate and glyceryl rosinate  in a beeswax base. 

Worth a try and a dam sight safer than shaving in the dark.

BUT WAIT, there’s the competition…..

Take it all off with NADS

The team at NADS want you to take a picture of your sexy legs and send it in to them via their facebook page for your chance to win a share in the booty:

• First prize is  a US$150 American Express gift card PLUS a gift basket of NADS products worth US$100
• Second prize is a US $75 gift card PLUS $75 worth of products.
• Third prize is a US $50 gift card PLUS a $50 product basket.

You have until August 31st to get your leg shots in and the winners will be announced on September 7th so get snapping and remember that beautiful legs come in all shapes, sizes and colours – this should be a no photo shop zone!

Celebrate smoothness and VOTE for real beauty and Australian manufacturing.

It’s just for fun.

Join the Rat Race?

There is something strangely compelling about the rat race. We may feel the need to get away, enjoy the silence and dance to our own drum but something always makes us take another peep and get right back with it, well maybe not RIGHT back with it…….

Line up, line up!

Humans are pack animals and as such it is natural for us to want to feel like we belong.  This also makes us seek out people who think the same as we do, hold similar values and aspire to the same goals.  The down side to this natural tendency though is to be a bit scared of anything that looks a bit odd or different, a fear of being ridiculed and worries about being left like a shag on a rock. Alone. 

Freedom  and confidence come from understanding and embracing this, accepting our sometimes conflicting instincts for wanting to be part of something bigger yet needing personal space. It is confusing but it is normal and you will find your ZONE.

So, don’t feel scared about being different,  don’t feel weak for wanting to fit in and don’t feel lost in the crowd. There is ALWAYS room for one more so bring your spark of genius and sense of self and prepare to PARTY. Lego style….

Beauty is understanding happiness together and happiness alone and not being afraid to live your choice.

Find your crew and live large.

Acerola – Packing A Cherryfull Punch

Everybody knows that cosmetics don’t just make you look good, they also make you feel great and nothing says passion, vitality and abundance quite like  the colour red with its bold “look-at-me” confidence and its warm and juicy personality.  So when you are looking for a cosmetic range that makes you feel as good as you are going to look, it pays to see life as a bowl of fresh red cherries!

Prepare to get your juice on as you indulge your senses in cherry power!

Cherry Skin Care. Tasty, Sweet and a little bit Special

In the world of cherries the Acerola reigns supreme thanks to a vitamin C content some thirty-two times higher than orange juice and another 15 skin-friendly antioxidants to nurture your skin back to health. So, if you are looking for some anti-ageing inspiration why not take a seat and prepare for some face food loving.

Vitamin C is the key ‘active’ within the Acerola and the fact that it is present in a mega-concentrated dose is great news for anti-ageing fans. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant which means that it can mop up free radicals and boost the skins healing capacity – it also boosts collagen production which is why it is a must-add ingredient in any cosmaceutical cream or serum.   The only down side with this vitamin is the fact that it is very sensitive to heat, light and air, breaking down very quickly to less potent dehydroascorbic acid which has a far lower bio-activity – the formulator has to work smart to maintain efficacy.

In addition to the vitamin C boost the Acerola also contains a hefty dose of polyphenols which also help to clean up free radicals and we must not forget the Vitamin E – great for skin repair plus the trace minerals which help to re-mineralise tired skin.

So where can you get your hands on some cherry loving cosmetics?

If you are looking for something ready-to-wear you can try either DHC corp of Japan , Tarte Cosmetics  or Helena Rubenstein.  If you are looking to have a little play with this ingredient yourself,  head to New Directions and give their herbal extract a try!