Wednesday, March 3, 2010 in , , , ,

Natural Skincare product shelf life - Part 2 - Nutrients!


Did you know that the nutrients present in any skincare product have a shelf life? You won't be getting much benefit from a 2 or 3 year old product since most of the nutrients and actives have long since degraded and lost their maximum efficacy. Some can even even become completely different compounds over time - yikes! Which means if you are still using such old items you may not even know what you are putting on yourself anymore.

It is relatively common knowledge these days that Vitamin C is very valuable as an antioxidant and anti-aging active. It can lighten skin and helps synthesize collagen. But did you know that raw Vitamin C in its regular form as Ascorbic Acid is highly unstable in liquid formulas? By liquid I mean anything with water content as well, so even creams and liquid soaps qualify. There is a 50% loss in quantity of Vitamin C after just 4 hours in solution! This means that if a skincare formula is using Ascorbic Acid as an ingredient you should think and shop carefully. It is possible to buffer the solution so that the vitamin loss is slowed, but generally after about 6 months most products with Vitamin C have lost their efficacy completely. If you see a yellowish or brownish color in the product don't even bother putting it on - color change is a sign of the vitamin's decay.

Ester based and oil soluble versions of vitamin C like Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Ascorbyl Palmitate offer vitamin C in a more stable form.  This makes them good for products like creams and serums where some water will be a part of the recipe.  Some natural skincare products may use anhydrous (waterless) formulations to deliver you ascorbic acid that is only activated once you are using the product.  This is one good way around this tricky formulation issue.

Natural source vitamin C may come from sources like Camu Camu, Acerola Cherry, Amla Berry, and Rosehips.  Even with natural source vitamin C you should still stay aware that it will degrade in water based products.  If you want to get the benefit of this nutrient with no stability concerns consider making a strong tea (infusion) with any of these fruits and then apply to your face as a compress or splash. 

C is just one of the vitamins your skin needs and each has to be considered according to its own shelf life. Other ingredients like oils also must be as fresh as possible to truly benefit your skin.

Antioxidants age and degrade over time as well.  Their very nature is that they are active enough to neutralize free radicals. As a product ages free radicals develop due to ingredient decay.  Some of the activity of the antioxidants gets used up as a part of this process.  That means they are less potent for your skin as the product ages. Vitamin E is one ingredient that notably is added partly for antioxidant and healing skin benefit and partly to help keep other oils fresher.  Its value to your skin drops significantly as it works to keep the base oils stable over time.

Most natural plant oils like sunflower oil and pumpkin oil have very definite shelf lives. The reason they don't last forever is a process called oxidation. When the oil is stored in a bottle the surface of the oil is exposed to air. The Oxygen in the air reacts gradually with the oil, causing it to go rancid. A rancid oil smells sharp and can actually be detrimental to your health. The rancidity is actually a sign that the oil is no longer the same type of compound that it first was. It becomes stickier and more resinous when it dries. 

Many skincare manufacturers deal with this problem by using only extremely stable oils like coconut and jojoba in their products, or worse - petrochemical oils that have no set shelf life. But so many of the oils that offer the best nutrients and essential fatty acids are the ones that are the least stable. Rosehip, evening primrose, and hemp are all oils that are heat sensitive and have a short shelf life of between 6 to 12 months. These are also some of the most nutrient-packed oils available.

To use these more finicky oils the formulator has to consider their sensitivities in the making of the product AND in the total recipe. Including antioxidants like Vitamin E and Rosemary Oleoresin Extract helps considerably, as does combining them synergistically with the more stable oils. But you still want to use your products promptly, as even a deft blend will only last a maximum of a year and a half. After that, kiss those essential fatty acids goodbye - they are no longer present in a form you want. 

Skincare formulation, when done with a real consideration of total health benefit, is no easy feat. That is why it is such a good thing to have someone you trust behind the line you choose to use.  The issue of shelf life is also a bright and shiny reason to consider shopping *small* and shopping through independent companies for your products.  The items for sale on the shelves of big box retailers are first produced, then are warehoused at a distributor, and then finally make their way to the shelves where they may sit for numerous more months.  Even if the skincare was good to start with by the time it reaches you a chunk of time later it is already aged significantly.  This is a big reason why large lines often don't choose to use nutritious, but short shelf life oils - by the time their product reaches market the oils would already be partly degraded. 

When you shop direct or through small retailers you are more assured your products are fresh from the manufacturer.  Because small producers craft in small batches more frequently new items are constantly being made.  You, the customer, receive the items perhaps only weeks after production and use it promptly.  The results are much better overall for you and the producing companies get more freedom to use creative and effective ingredients that simply don't fit in the big box model.

Another factor is to purchase only what you really need when you need it.  Don't buy 6 products when you can only use 2 in the next month.  Buy what you can consume in a timely fashion, use it, and then make your next purchase.  Skincare is not something to stockpile.  Buy quality products and avoid getting sucked in by big buy deals if they aren't well suited to your real needs.  Even a miracle product is useless if you are using it too late when it has broken down.  

If you treat your skincare more like fresh food you'll find your overall results will be better and your cabinets less cluttered with confusing excess.  Find items you truly love, purchase reasonable amounts, use them, and throw away anything that is more than 2 years old.  It can be hard to edit but it is truly worthwhile.  Fresh skincare will earn you fresh skin, it's as simple as that.


Wednesday, January 6, 2010 in , , , , , ,

A primer on Blissoma skincare shelf-life - Part 1

Do you know the shelf life of your skincare?
Natural products have a much shorter shelf life than conventional products that are loaded with petrochemicals and synthetic preservatives. We think that is a good thing! After all, you should be treating your face to the best and freshest products possible.

Blissoma skincare uses enzymes and plant extracts to keep our products free from contamination. Even with this preservation, however, you can expect our products to generally last just about a year to a year and a half from the date of production. This varies by product and the stresses to which the item has been exposed.

A shelf life of just a year and a half is dramatically different from many conventional commercial cosmetics which are tested to last 3 to 5 years. Even those need to be tended to and weeded out periodically, though. Remember that lonely bottle of foundation, moisturizer, or any other item in your medicine cabinet that has been there since the dawn of time? Allow me to be your friendly reminder to discard old product and avoid exposing yourself to the hidden bacterial or fungal dangers that may be lurking there. 

My general rule is if I haven't used a particular item for a whole year I discard it. Any items not part of your regular routine are superfluous. While going unused they will just sit and breed trouble. Not to mention that a streamlined medicine cabinet makes morning and evening bodycare routines SO much easier! 

Our Blissoma line generally packages products in containers that keep fingers out of the product and minimize the air to which the product is exposed. One exception to this is our clay mask, which is in a wide mouth jar. The thicker quality of this product just would not allow it to be pumped well, so it had to be placed in a container where it could be scooped out. Because it will be repeatedly exposed to air and any bacteria present on fingers whenever the mask is used we recommend that you use it completely within 4 months of initial opening.

We have insitituted a batch labeling system in accordance with good manufacturing practices. On the bottom of each product will be a sticker noting the batch number for the product and our recommended expiration date. As an example for one of our deodorants the number may read like this:
101509005589A
exp 4/2/011
 
The first portion of the number tells you when the batch was produced. This item was made 10/15/2009.
Here is the shelf life of each of our product types from the date of production:
Moisturizers, Toners, Fresh Mild Rice Cleanser, Amend Antioxidant Lotion, Deodorants, and Backyard Bliss - 1 1/2 years
Refine Clay Renewal Treatment - 1 year, best if used within 4 months from date of opening

I'll be back with Part 2 of our Skincare Shelf-life Primer soon. Until then, be fresh - be beautiful!


Thursday, December 10, 2009 in , , , , , , , ,

Free Food - an Ode to Nourishment


Funny that the place I now visit
for donations of government cheese
bread
and frozen blueberries
is also a place that provides
sustenance of an entirely different sort.
Like a trail of crumbs
followed through the forest
scratched knees
fingers bleeding
and each crumb I put on my tongue
dissolved quickly
only to lead me to the next.
But not now...

The first visits were humbling
on levels I had never reached before.Tears of desperation gracing my cheeks
like pilgrims
wandering through the arid landscape
seeking and seeking -
A glance of kindness
asylum
and a safe place
to strip off the artifice of the outside world
and just ask -
Ask for help.
Garments of pride and prejudice
fall off like lettuce leaves past their prime
and mix in with the moldy vegetables
hamburger buns
kind, worn hands
and government paperwork.
Sign here - X
To receive service.

The hours spent waiting
amidst others also seeking
As if we are all on a subway train
that departs from an old church basement
between 9-11 AM every Thursday.
Enter the underground
and have a seat.
Your turn will come soon enough.
Look carefully at faces in this lobby -
the antechamber on the way to who-knows-where,
but it must be better, right?
Eyes filled with misty, lost thoughts
quickened by deliveries of spoiled apples
and the scurry that ensues to
snare a share.
Piles of men's shirts
boxes of shoes
they all spur the pace of the room
then return to sit
and wait some more.

I become half-visible
when I enter the doors of the station.
Anonymous and among the mounting ranks
of middle class Americans
hungry
for something more.
This Thursday morning journey has a hidden gift
that goes beyond the groceries.
Watch travelers joke and talk.
Stop and look
at the light falling on faces.
Try to see beyond the skin
to the internal clickings and clackings
of the tracks going by -
the crumbs hitting tongues
just a little more softly.

The time I fill with open thoughts
exposed to something I never would have seen
except I needed this -
for whatever reason -
I needed this.
Needed the cans
the bags
the bundles
and the time.
A year-long journey on this side street
to seek
to see
beyond the temptation of food
to being truly fed
to sit and read "Trout Fishing In America" one more time
and laugh at stories of trout flashing in streams
caught cold from the waterFor that was dinner in a different time -
a more self-sufficient time for all of us.
And now I sit
and instead of tears I can giggle a little
as I wait for my bags
and know that my journey is nearly through.
At home the frozen berries, blue and sweet
taste strangely like gratitude
spreading their sugar on my tongue.
Thank You

Dear Friends,
For the last year my family has been receiving assistance from our local food pantry. The journey of the past year, including this particular experience, has been nothing short of transformative for me. I could not be more grateful not only for the assistance but for what I have seen and felt during this time in my life.

I think it is important to remember as food stamp enrollment is soaring and food pantries are having difficulty maintaining food supplies that this can happen to anyone. It isn't just the downtrodden, the homeless, the mentally ill... it can be any of us. There is no shame in wanting to provide for your family and there is no shame in asking for help when it is needed.

My family's food budget was hit drastically at the beginning of this year as we struggled to make our mortgage payment. For 6 months now we have been waiting on news of a mortgage adjustment that was promised through the Home Affordable program. That program has now been denounced by the New York Times as having helped perhaps only a few tens of thousands of the 650,000 applicants who have requested adjustments due to hardship. Our lender, Coldwell Banker, has offered nothing but empty promises. Our government should be ashamed. This program is an utter failure and I can only assume that so many other families like ours are holding on, paying what they can, and seeking other assistance to make it through.

Through the amazing grace of our local pantry system, the generosity of my neighbors, and some very creative side work we have forged ahead. I just wanted to write a bit to the world this holiday and remind those that can to please donate and do what you can. But for grace and good fortune in your own life you could be here too.

It was in high school choir, taught by Claude Westfall, that I learned one of the most important life lessons I could have ever received.

"We are only as good as our weakest member."

This is true not only for a choir but for American society and the world as a whole. It is time to lift each other up a bit, to offer a hand to someone struggling, to think a little less about self and a little more about all. There could be nothing more important at a time of year dedicated to sharing and giving. Sometimes all it takes is a smile, so if you have nothing else to give right now perhaps just give that.

A little Good Will goes a long way. I'm proof, and I hope to share a little of my own and pay it forward.

Friday, October 9, 2009 in , , , , , ,

Bringing midwestern natural beauty to NYC

I'm a city girl by nature. Now there's an oxymoron! But it is true. I love the beat of urban environments, but I also love my natural world. When I have a chance to merge those two interests it's even better.


I was all about the chance to visit New York City to speak to members of the media about my Blissoma skincare line - made from local Midwestern and global botanicals! Nature, meet the big city....

 It was a short trip but a busy one. I cruised like any NYC pedestrian, enjoying the efficiency of the subway and my own bipedal skills. I wandered the parks, popped in boutiques, and bought Indian food from a hole-in-the-wall on 3rd Ave.

The big event was on Tuesday night at Rouge Tomate, a trendy eco-restaurant in Midtown just a few blocks off of Central Park. It was a stylish soiree and editors from major national publications were in attendance to see 40 of the country's premiere eco-luxury brands and learn about their offerings for fall 2009. I represented some of the forward-thinking ideas we are generating in the heartland. St. Louis may be smaller, but we have some pretty hip stuff happening these days...

Editors from Brides, Zink, More Magazine and many blogs and newspapers stopped to learn about Blissoma. I saw eco fashion designers, eco art, and sampled sustainable cuisine. What a night!I had the pleasure of meeting Allyson Shapiro Zarin, daughter of Jill Zarin of "Real Housewives of New York City". She is the Co-President of Teens Turning Green and offered us the chance to participate in some of their pre-prom parties. Teens Turning Green is a safe and sustainable cosmetic line designed for Whole Foods Market and aimed at young women to replace many of the more synthetic options available through conventional retailers.

I also met Allison Parris, owner of the Allison Parris eco clothing line and she asked us to participate with her fashion shows backstage. Allison was wearing a gorgeous silk skirt from her own line. Their clothing is is smooth, sexy, and sophisticated. I'm looking forward to working with them.

The next day I dropped samples off at C.O. Bigelow, the 168 year old apothecary in New York's West Village. Their team was friendly and we are hoping to work with them in the future. They already carry lines like Hauschka, Pangea Organics, Tsi La perfumes, This Works, Weleda, and many more unique and niche brands. Hopefully you will want to be able to find Blissoma there as well.

 It was a whirlwind trip. Just 2 1/2 days to take it all in! But you know I'll be back for more. For now I 've got to be here holding down the fort, making more skincare, and sharing with you.


Thursday, September 3, 2009 in , , , , , , , ,

Whole, local harvest for your face and body


The Midwest has had a ridiculously mild summer. St. Louis is usually a sweaty, humid mess by the time June rolls around but this year we had week after week of mild, breezy weather. By late July I was really starting to think I was in the Twilight Zone. With temperatures only barely topping 80 degrees it was getting a little freaky.
Not that I'm not thankful for the break in the air conditioning bills, but the weather has effects on many things. One of those things is the growth of local crops. Because of the mild weather many crops didn't mature as fast as usual.

Summer is usually filled with fresh produce coming from all directions, but I definitely began to notice the squeeze when we began calling around for Organic Cucumbers. Our main wholesale supplier was (and still seems to be) out for a month and a half. Not that there weren't any tasty organic cukes in the bigger natural grocery stores. But perhaps there wasn't enough supply to then filter some over to the little guys.

Once the shortage continued for weeks on end I started calling around to local growers. With the fact that St. Louis has a good, solid, cold winter there are many months where we can't buy local - there just isn't anything available. Plus many of our local farms are not Certified Organic as they don't want to mess with the paperwork. They may be growing cleanly but without the certification we can't buy from them and honestly support the claims on our labels.

After a few calls I was able to locate Biver Farms, a lovely certified organic farm in Edwardsville, IL just 20 minutes from us. The first week I called in mid August there were still no slicing cucumbers available. So we waited on pins and needles.

Last week, hallelujah, the harvest is in! I picked up 100 pounds of fresh, beautiful, locally grown organic cucumbers from their booth at the Tower Grove Farmer's Market. The weather was heavenly again and the veggies were plentiful at all the booths - in fact I had trouble not walking home with bushels of other produce as well.

Now we are cleaning, peeling, and slicing our local cukes to make them into the fresh infusion for our Tone Intense Hydration Tonique and juicing them for our Natural Deodorant sprays. And here are the pics to prove it. Gorgeous, green, and great for your skin! 

Not many companies are willing to go this kind of distance to offer true botanical benefit in their products. Most companies buy preprocessed ingredients from giant suppliers who load them down with preservatives, propylene glycol, carbomer, and dimethicone. Not Blissoma. 

We prefer to put in the bit of extra work to ensure that you aren't getting anything but clean, raw, nutritious plants in our products. Sure, it makes our supply chain work a bit trickier. Sure, I stand for hours on end slicing, peeling, and straining. But our integrity is worth it, and so is your skin.So, for all you Locavores it doesn't get any better than this. Get your Blissoma crisp off the vine, cause it is!

 

Wednesday, August 12, 2009 in , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Making Amends with your Sun-Damaged skin


Frolic in the outdoors has its cost.  Day by day that sun builds up on any exposed skin, even if you aren't big on tanning.

For a relatively pale person and sunscreen junky I even have a little color on my arms and face from the hours I have spent out in the backyard. Some of this summer's activities for me have included stripping and refinishing my bathroom door and one of my 100+ year old windows. All the paint removal and sanding was done outdoors to prevent mess and contamination of the house. Some of those days out on the parking pad were hot, hot, hot and directly in the sun for the whole day! Despite use of sunscreen of 30 and higher I still have the telltale freckles and peachy color that are my body's version of a tan.

Though you may not be in situations of extreme exposure like that sun damage can build up gradually just from walking to and from your car or other brief activities like that. Anything counts. Your skin doesn't play, and UV exposure is UV exposure no matter how you slice it.

If you value your skin (and it is your largest organ!) you should be taking pro-active measures to keep your skin in top condition. Over time that UV exposure will cause the elastin in your skin to degrade, causing loss of firmness and wrinkling. Discoloration and uneven pigmentation is another long term result of overexposure. The big C (cancer) can result as well.

On a trip to Colorado earlier this year several estheticians in the area advised me that the incidence of skin cancer is very high among residents in their area of the country due to the outdoor lifestyle and higher elevations. Thinner air and close proximity to the sun means increased exposure. 

Sunscreen is not the only way to help skin protect itself. Antioxidants play a key role in keeping skin healthy much as they do the same internally. In particular an extract from Pomegranate containing a fraction known as Punicalagins helps protect cells against UV damage and degradation. This extract was previously used internally, but now is available as an external application. The science-backed research proving it's ability to decrease UV induced cell death, reactive oxygen species, and collagenases that cause collagen deterioration is the reason Blissoma has chosen to include this extract in a new antioxidant sprayable lotion called Amend.


Amend is a super lightweight, intensive body treatment designed to prevent, soothe, and repair sun damage. It not only contains Pomegranate but a host of other antioxidant ingredients like organic Rooibos tea and Acai oil, plus soothing and reparative herbs like organic Linden flower, Heather flowers, and Comfrey. All these help build and repair collagen as well as minimizing long-term damage from daily or intense exposure. It can be applied before sunscreen because of it's non-greasy consistency. It has a fresh, delicious smell beloved by men, women, and children alike. Should you get a little pink it takes the sting right out and can be applied as often as desired while healing. And yes, it contains organic Aloe as well, so all the bases are covered.

The ingredients list is cleaner than most plain aloe gels. No green color, no carbomer, no TEA, and no synthetic preservatives. I'm pretty picky about what goes on my skin and yours.

There is no time like the present to start taking care of your skin. Just because it's August doesn't mean it is too late, lazybones! Get some Amend and feel the heal. When your arms are looking cute in 20 years you'll thank yourself for the bit of extra care you took now.

Monday, June 23, 2008 in , , , ,

Pro-Active Natural Sun Protection (or else!)

Ah, summer!
Swimming pools, barbecues, and sunbathing.... oh, wait that last part is maybe a little outdated. Try 1989 outdated.

 What I won't do for my readers.... The lovely photo you are gazing upon is me at age 12, enjoying my new, trendy 2 piece suit and a book - likely a fantasy novel from the used book store down the hill. The scrunchy, the sunglasses, the stripes, the sunbathing.... so eighties!

 I have seriously pale skin. I really don't tan but at the time of this photo I was still discovering that fact. All the pre-teens in my school were going to tanning salons by the ripe old age of 11 . My family being the budget type I had to use the free tanning salon - the sun. I spent hours laying out, feeling hot and sweaty. My prize? Some very faint swimsuit lines and some likely skin damage. Fortunately it didn't take too long before I decided that laying out was real pain and not very productive for me. I resigned myself to the fact that I am just pale.

Fortunately for me I was way ahead of the real trend - skipping the suntan. As we embark upon the coming holiday week I just wanted to take a moment to offer a few suggestions that are totally 2008.

 1. Sun exposure is dangerous. Not only can you end up with a really uncomfortable burn but that burn could someday give you cancer. Sunscreen should be your very first thought if you are going to be spending any more than 15 minutes in the sun. When really desperate even I would choose a Franken-chemical sunscreen from Walgreens over a sunburn. But if you have the option check out your local health food store for their natural sunscreens. California Baby has a great, water resistant sunscreen that works for kids and adults and smells really good. It uses micronized titanium dioxide, which is a physical sunscreen rather than chemical like oxybenzone. It reflects the suns rays like a million tiny mirrors.

2. Did you know that citrus essential oils can be photo-toxic? That means that if you use a product with any significant concentration of orange, lemon, grapefruit or other citrus essential oil before heading out to sun exposure your skin can be discolored and can burn much worse than normally. Skip citrus body oils and don't dribble any of these in your bath water. Bergamot FCF is one of the only citrus oils that is safe to use. FCF means that the components of the essential oil that would otherwise be phototoxic have been removed.

 3. Your face will be with you forever. Invest in a hat. It will help save you thousands in cosmetic surgery later on.

 4. Your face also receives more exposure than any other body part besides your hands. Wear daily sunscreen. No ifs, ands, or buts.  When I'm going to be out and about I use Lavera's facial sun protection. I have yet to find a product in the Lavera line that doesn't meet my requirements for purity and quality. The texture of their products is amazing, scent great, and they are all approved by the BDIH standard in Germany, the strictest standard for natural personal care products.

(update!)
5. Since this article was first written Blissoma has added 2 incredible antioxidant products that can help fortify your skin naturally to better defend itself.  Amend Antioxidant Soothing Lotion is incredible for your body and you can read up on it on another blog entry here. 
As of December 2012 to complement our Amend for the body we have now added an Amend specifically designed for your face packed with 3 times as much Pomella pomegranate extract, Coenzyme Q10, and more Acai and Cranberry seed oils.  Amend Facial Solar Repair Anti-aging Serum is a daily use serum with long term benefits and your new BFF for damage prevention.  Let's just say you'll thank us in 10 years when you're still looking firm, fresh, and with less buildup of those fine lines.

So do yourself a favor and protect! Otherwise people will soon be able to see you were alive for the eighties. I know that's a secret you'd rather keep to yourself (along with all the photos of you with your mall bangs and Z. Cavaricci pants). Don't worry, I'll never tell. 
 

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