Revitalize4Life

Did you know that bottled water is not regulated!  I can pour swamp water through panty hose and call it “filtered”.  Okay, it wasn’t a very efficient filter but I can still say it was filtered and sell it as such.  As of July of this year, there has been talk on Capitol Hill about the regulation of bottled water. But, for now, we have to question if it as safe as tap water.  There are strict federal regulations on our tap water and even so, it contains contaminants that are toxic.  The list of contaminants varies according to each municipal community.  And, it is sometimes not just the individual contaminants as much as the combination of those contaminants that can lead to serious consequences when combined and heated.

So, if tap water may be better than bottled water but still is not the best, what must we do? Here are lists of effects of just  two of the known contaminants, chlorine and fluoride, which exist as water “treatments”  that are in most municipal water supplies.

Chlorine: Its Different Forms and Combinations

- Destroys the good bacteria in intestines thus compromising our immune system and leading to irital bowl syndrome (IBS)

- Has estrogenic activity

- Alters and destroys essential fatty acids, the building blocks for the brain and nervous system

- Destroys vitamin E

- Is a free radical initiator that elevates cholesterol by drilling holes in arterial walls (lipid peroxidation)

- Promotes arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)

- Is strongly implicated in increasing cancer rates

- Is found in one form or another in a huge number of herbicides, pesticides, PCB and chemicals used in warfare

- Linked to incidence of asthma

- Is highly reactive with other chemicals in the air and water making unfiltered showers unsafe

- Fades hair dye

- Dries out skin

- Promotes premature aging of tissue

Fluoride Facts:

- Does NOT prevent tooth decay

- IS A POISON-commonly used to kill rats and roaches!

- Requires calling a poison control center if more than a pea size of toothpaste is ingested (Just read the label on your tube!)

- Damages the immune system

- Causes genetic damage

- Destroys lysl-hydroxylase a key enzyme needed for collagen formation, thus contributing to premature aging

- Contributes to osteoporosis and increases risk of bone fractures

- Has neurotoxic effects producing low IQ levels in children especially those with low iodine levels

- Interferes with the metabolism of testosterone (contributing to the impotence epidemic)

- Causes excess calcification in arteries, joints and ligaments

Though bottled water makers may boast that their bottled water does not contain these contaminants due to the filtration systems used to produce the water, the water is still bottled in plastic which gives rise to a whole other set of toxic issues to our bodies and our environment. Read the rest of this entry »

I can say that during the summer, most people run outside to feel the warmth and the exhilaration of the sun.  It does feel good and we should get some sun daily for a healthy exposure to Vitamin D.  Did you know that 60% of people actively seek the sun and of those 30% don’t use any kind of skin protection?  Less than 20% ever put anything on their skin.   These are sad statistics and ones that need to be heeded as sun is the #1 cause for skin cancer and those lines of aging! 

Acutally, aging is a process and yes, 10% is intrinsic, which means it’s hereditary.  So if you have darker skin tones, you have more melanin and that helps with slowing down the aging process.  Of course if you have fair skin, then you all know you burn easily and this lesson number one that you must use protection ALL the time.  Actually, we all should be a sun protection product on our skin when outside doing any kind of activity.

There are 3 different kinds of rays from the sun:

UVC are deadly rays, but luckily they are stopped by the ozone layer.  That’s why so many people are concerned about it and we should be!  UVB rays are medium in length and can penetrate the ozone layer, thus able to burn our skin.  These rays can cause cancer, age spots and the like.  UVA rays are long rays that also penetrate the ozone layer but also penetrate our skin and destroy the elastin and collagen – therefore speeding up the aging process.  So why don’t people use protection?  One thing that most people don’t understand is that once you go into the sun without protection, you do the most damage to your skin within the first few minutes of exposure!  Yes, the first few.  So that means you MUST apply a good sunscreen at least 15-20 minutes prior to getting to the beach or wherever your sun travels take you in order to protect yourself.

So what does SPF mean anyway?  SPF or skin protection factor is just that.  The duration that you can stay in the sun without getting damaging effects from it.  SPF 15 means that you can be out 15 times longer than if you were not wearing protection.  SPF30 and SPF45, obviously for longer.  But that doesn’t mean that you can apply it once and forget it.  The smaller the number, the more often you need to apply it.  Many makeups and moisturizers are finally adding this component to their product as we are exposed even from running into the grocery store from our car or just walking the dog! 

It is imperative that if you want to keep your skin from aging prematurely, then you must use protection, no matter what shade your skin, but especially for fair skinned people.  90% of aging can be controlled!  So it is what environmental factors we expose ourselves to that determines the aging process, including smoke, pollution, cheap personal care products, and lack of protection.

So what do you chose when there are so many out there that claim to be good?  Some smell great and make you feel that “vacation sensation”, but do they really help?  Well, first of all, make sure the product that you choose doesn’t contain mineral oil.  See my previous blog post for the reasons!  Also, make sure it is botanically based as herbs have everything provided by nature for them to survive.  These natural products have the safest heaviest emolients to be water resistant.  But after sweating heavily or swimming, you must reapply your sunscreen.  The more often you reapply, the better off you will be.  Water resistant types usually use chemicals to help keep a barrier but be watchful of these types.  Again, botanically based ones use heavier natural oils to do the same job – not mineral oil.  A good line of product for suncare usually can’t be found on most store shelves.  Even “health food stores” don’t always have the best.  A great line of botanically based productshas everything from lip balm to sunless tanning (which is the best), to after care, to natural mineral bronzers and even haircare!  Yes, your hair needs protection too!  Most people don’t even think about that – probably only those with little to no hair actually do.

So bottom line, protect your skin all the time and often when you’re out and about for long periods. Enjoy the sun but be careful, the most harmful rays are from 10am to 2pm.  Use a wide brimmed hat or umbrella and use sunglasses.  Save your skin as your skin is what shows the visible signs of aging and who wants to look old?  Mother Nature will always play a part in the aging process, it’s up to you to be proactive about what products you use and being safe in the sun.  I hope you enjoy a great summer – without a burn!

Mineral oil is a common petroleum derivative that is colorless and odorless.  It is a widely used ingredient that is used in the cosmetic industry, personal care products and in baby products.  But where did it come from? Basically it is refined crude oil petrochemicals.  Hey, this is the same stuff you put in your car engine! It is a known carcinogen.  As a matter of fact, John Hopkins University named mineral oil in cosmetics and moisturizers as the number two cause of aging! The first being direct exposure to the sun.The result is premature aging and increased health risks. 98% of personal care products sold in the United States contain mineral oil and other petrochemicals. Why? Because it is cheap and does not spoil easily.  The FDA does not regulate this industry so it truly is “buyer beware”.

But here’s the scary part, you may not be able to find mineral oil on your label because it has hundreds of different names. Mineral oil forms a fine film on the surface of your skin that can not be absorbed  because its molecular structure is too big to be absorbed. It would be like wrapping your skin in Saran wrap! Therefore, it blocks the pores and the skin’s natural ability to breathe, which is what the skin is supposed to do.  It can then get clogged, trapping toxins inside and not allowing them to get to the surface to be eliminated. Our skin is a vital organ for maintaining temperature control as well.  So if your product contains mineral oil, the good ingredients will never be able to be absorbed into the skin where the vital moisture and vitamins that may be in the product will never be absorbed and used.  Ever use a lotion on your skin and it never really quite gets moisturized?  The mineral oil is practically stifling your skin causing things like irritation, clogged pores, acne, allergic reactions and dryness. It traps dirt, bacteria and blocks the absorption of vitamins/minerals/botanicals that may be in a product. Read the rest of this entry »

You may already be familiar with organic food labels. Most of the ones found here in the U.S. display the USDA Organic seal or sticker, others show other organic certifiers such as QAI (Quality Assurance International) or CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) and many more.

The food items displaying these labels earn a healthy toss into the grocery cart, leaving us with a reassurance that it’s clean, tasty, non-toxic and good for the earth. But, the questions arises, what about organic skin care products? Should we be looking for the same labels? Just how “organic” are the skin care products claiming to be organic, are the terms “natural” and “organic” the same, and, does it even matter?

Well if you’re from the school of thought of “you are what you eat”, then yes, it absolutely does matter. If you’re not so sure, then this might be an eye opener for you. First a little Skin Trivia – Studies have proven, time and time again, that nothing you apply on your skin stays on the surface unless you immediately rinse it off. Your skin, being your body’s largest organ, has over 1 billion pores. It is your body’s first line of defense against anything entering your body. Ironically, it is also a giant sponge, absorbing anything you put on it. It usually takes 10-15 minutes for a product to be completely absorbed into your skin, by this time, it is inside your body, “subcutaneously”, which means underneath your skin. By this time, you cannot rinse it off. Read the rest of this entry »