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VOCABULARY AND PRODUCT INGREDIENTS
What
Is Aloe ?
A natural
plant extract from the Aloe Vera plant which has a variety
of skin conditioning effects, including moisturizing; also
aids in healing. Commonly used in skin creams, lotions and
skin cleansers, as well as hand sanitizers and other skin
and hair care products.
Products
that contain Aloe: Cream
with Liposomes, Milk
of Aloe, |
Alpha
Hydroxy Acids - (AHA)
AHA is
hailed internationally as a 'wonder' ingredient originally
derived from fruits ( The original name 'Fruit Acids'), they
revolutionized the skincare industry worldwide when they were
introduced in products in 1990s as they could be utilized
in multiple ways . These substances are weak hygroscopic acids
that absorb moisture from the atmosphere and also help in
exfoliation (removal) of dead cells on the surface layer of
the skin. The result is dramatic, these products reduces fine
lines, smooths and firms skin, and removes blemishes, at the
same time moisturizing and protecting. Your skin immediately
looks fresher, radiant and more luminous. These products can
only remove superficial lines and wrinkles which appear at
a young age but cannot act as a cure at middle/advanced age
and hence cannot be called an anti-aging or age defying treatment.
Products
that contain AHA: |
Avocado
Oil (Persea americana)
Avocado
Oil is one of the most penetrating oils. Technically, the
avocado is a fruit; and the oil is mechanically pressed out
of the dehydrated, thinly sliced fruit. Avocado Oil, if unrefined,
is a pale or olive green. Clear Avocado Oil has been bleached;
pale yellow Avocado Oil has been refined. Unrefined Avocado
Oil will have a strong, green aroma and is rich in Vitamin
A and D as well as lecithin, potassium, and chlorophyll. It
is a very moisturizing oil and especially beneficial for rash,
eczema, mature skin, parched skin, and aging skin.
Products
that contain Avocado Oil: Daycream
Sensitive, Milk of
Avocado, Nightcream
Basic, |
Ceramides
Ceramides
make up the bulk of the lipid layer which holds the skin's
cells together in a firm, smooth structure. They maintain
the moisture retention ability of the skin. A drop in the
level of ceramides results in the skin becoming dry and hard,
leading in turn to fine lines and wrinkles. If the body loses
its ability to supply ceramides your skin looses its structure
& texture. Synthesized skin-identical ceramides became commercially
available in the 1990s. There are several types of ceramides,
and they visibly reverse the signs of aging even in severe
cases. |
Chamomile
A daisy
like plant. Extract from the white and yellow heads chamomile
flowers is used as an excellent skin soother and anti-inflammatory
agent. Reputed to bring down swelling and pain in the skin
and mucous membranes. Chamomile is used extensively in professional
skin care products for its essential oil called azulene. Also
calms eczema and allergic reactions. It is used in many hair
care products to enhance color. It acts as an emollient, anti-inflammatory,
skin soothing agent and provides antioxidation.
Products
that contain Chamomile: Cream
Effective, Cream
Sensitive, Treatment Cream
with AHA, |
Co-enzyme
Q10
Co-enzyme
Q10 has two important roles: it is an essential part of the
cellular respiration system located in the mitochondria, and
it is an antioxidant. CoQ10 improves both the rate and efficiency
of energy production in the cells, including the skin and
at the same time protects mitochondria from free radicals.
CoQ10 is sometimes called a "biomarker of aging" because its
level correlates so well with aging.
In most
people over thirty, levels of CoQ10 in the skin is below optimum,
resulting in a lesser ability to produce collagen, elastin
and other important skin molecules. CoQ10-depleted skin may
also be more prone to the damage by free radicals, which are
particularly abundant with exposure of the skin to the elements.
Thus, CoQ10 may boost skin repair and regeneration. Furthermore,
CoQ10 is a small molecule that can relatively easily penetrate
into skin cells.
Products
containing Co Q10: Day
Cream Multi-Active, Night
Cream Multi-Active, |
Collagen
A fibrous
protein found in skin, bone, cartilage, tendon, and other
connective tissues. Read more...
Products
that contain Collagen: Wrinkle
Cream, Cream Egalisante, |
Essential
Fatty Acids ( EFAs)
EFAs are
a part of the lipid layer, and help maintain the suppleness
and elasticity of skin. These fats have long been known to
be necessary for the body's functioning, their deficiency
results in the skin losing moisture and leading to hardening
and drying. Only recently, however, has their role in skincare
become clearly understood. Essential Fatty Acids along with
Ceramides, Oxidants, Alpha Hydroxy Acids and Vitamin A & E
work harmoniously to ensure that the skin is nourished from
deep within. They are now an important constituent of products
for intensive skincare. |
Essential
Oils
Essential
oils have a long tradition of providing a variety of therapeutic
benefits. Many of these traditionally known benefits, have
been confirmed through modern scientific research. The use
of essential oils in a cosmetic will have an antiseptic and
antimicrobial action, as well as a healing and soothing effect
on the skin. Essential oils help the skin and hair detoxify,
drain, heal and regenerate.
Essential
Oils are readily absorbed through the skin and hair follicles
and carried to all parts of the body, having an effect, which
can last from a few hours to a few days. |
Ginkgo
Biloba
Originally
from Asia, ginkgo biloba is known for its great revitalizing,
stimulating, and firming qualities. A powerful Antioxidant
that has detoxifying qualities. Found to improve circulation
by helping to increase healthy blood flow to skin. Known for
its anti-aging properties that give a healthier, rosy, younger
looking skin.
Products
containing Ginkgo Biloba: Cream
with Liposomes, Liposomes
Gel, |
Glycerin
An effective
natural moisturizer at low concentrations; glycerin is a humectant,
and at higher concentrations attracts moisture from the environment.
Commonly used in skin creams, lotions, skin cleansers. Helps
condition the skin. |
Horse
Chestnut Extract (HCE)
Horse
Chestnut Extract (HCE) and its primary active constituent,
escin, exert several beneficial affects on the circulatory
system. HCE is a veinotonic (tonifies the veins) and helps
reduce fluid accumulation in the tissues. It has been shown
to reduce leg circumference and volume in individuals with
excessive fluid accumulation in these tissues. HCE also helps
protect blood vessels from damaging free radicals.
Products
that contain Horse Chestnut Extract: Cream
Sensitive, |
Jasmine
A sensuous
and romantic fragrance that is prized by lovers for its intoxicating
and aphrodisiac properties. Jasmine fragrance is a very exotic,
sensual scent. It has been known to relieve melancholy. The
Jasmine plant comes from India though it initially originated
in China. It is cultivated from ancient times for its fragrant
flowers. Some species of jasmine shed their leaves during
autumn (deciduous) and some remain evergreen through out the
year. The Jasmine plant belongs to the olive family. |
Jojoba
Oil (Simmondsia chinensis)
Jojoba
Oil is very similar to the natural oil our skin produces,
though it is technically a liquid wax produced from the seed
of the Jojoba simmondsia chinensis shrub. Usually, it is pressed
but can be solvent extracted. Botantist H. F. Link recorded
the jojoba plant in 1822 in Baja California and named it after
a fellow British botanist/explorer, T. W. Simmonds. Jojoba
Oil is naturally moisturizing, healing, and beneficial for
all skin types; it is an excellent scalp treatment. The best
claim to fame for Jojoba Oil is that it has been accepted
as a substitute for sperm whale oil, formerly often used in
the manufacture of cosmetics (the U.S. Government banned whaling
in the early 1970's)!
Products
that contain Jojoba Oil: Daycream
Sensitive, Day Cream
Multi-Active, Cream
Egalisante, Miracle
Cream, Night
Cream Multi-Active, Treatment
Cream with AHA |
Karite
Butter
From out
of Africa comes karite butter (known as shea butter). Traditional
uses of shea butter include: treatments for dry skin, blemishes,
skin discoloration, scars and wrinkles, a relaxer for stiff
muscles, as an aid for pain from swelling and arthritis, even
as a sun screen. What makes shea butter so great for the skin
is its high content of non-saponifiable fatty acids (comprised
mostly of stearic and oleic acids.) These fatty acids are
indispensable for moisturizing and retaining the elasticity
of the skin. By making up for lipid (fat) deficiency in the
epidermal cells, shea butter provides the skin with all the
essential elements it needs for its good balance. Shea butter
contains up to 11% of unsaponifiables, making it a superior
super fatting material for soap making. Smooth on face, hands,
and body, the gentle qualities of shea butter are used by
the cosmetics and soap industries in such products as shampoos,
creams, and balsam for the hair, and soaps and other cleaning
products for the skin. Karite butter's healing, emollient,
anti-oxidant, soothing, moisturizing and re-generative properties,
make it an essential ingredient of numerous products.
Products
containing Karite Butter: Cream
Effective, Body Butter |
Liposomes
Most
useful for being able to transfer and deliver active ingredients
to the application site of cosmetics. The liposome wall is
very similar, physiologically, to the material of cell membranes.
When a cosmetic containing liposomes is applied to the skin,
for example, the liposomes are deposited on the skin and begin
to merge with the cellular membranes. In the process, the
liposomes release their payload of active materials into the
cells. As a consequence, not only is delivery of the actives
very specific--directly into the intended cells--but the delivery
takes place over a longer period of time. Liposomes are typically
manufactured from various fatty substances that are used to
encapsulate, or to create a sphere around, cosmetic materials.
They act as a delivery system.
Products
containing Liposomes: Cream
Liposome, Liposome
Gel |
Natural
Botanicals
The use
of plant extracts and herbs have their origins in ancient
times, with the earliest records originating from China and
Egypt. With the therapeutic properties of plants becoming
more known, cosmetics are including many plant extracts, herbs,
flowers, fruits and seed oleates into their ingredients, allowing
for a gentler, more organic approach to beauty. Natural botanicals
have the ability to detoxify, hydrate, strengthen, stimulate,
relax and balance the skin and hair. |
Passion
Fruit
Native
to Brazil, passion fruit is the edible fruit of the passion
flower. The name resulted after early Spanish missionaries
saw the passion flower during Lent and Easter. They named
it in honor of the passion of Christ. The fruit is small and
round, the size of a large egg, with red, yellow, or purple-brown
skin, yellow flesh and many small black edible seeds. The
pulp has an intense aromatic flavor, while the texture is
jelly-like and watery. It is a good source of vitamins A and
C, and potassium. |
Shea
Butter
Ultrapure
Shea Butter's oily qualities improve skin softness and suppleness
which make it ideal for dry or sensitive skin care, winter
sports products, and for body lotions and hand care products.
In addition Ultrapure Shea Butter can be formulated into capillary
preparations to prevent and treat scalp dryness, and provide
good lubrication for the hair, resulting in improved brilliance
and manageability. Ultrapure Shea Butter is the effective
natural additive for your skin and hair care products.
Products
that contain Shea Butter: Day
Cream Multi-Active, Night
Cream Multi-Active, Cream Egalisante, Body
Butter |
Sun
Filters
The active
ingredients for most sunscreens are one of the following:
PABA and PABA esters, Benzophenones, Cinnamates, Salicylates,
and Anthranilate. These products are useful in the prevention
of sunburns as well as in reducing the long term damage that
sun exposure can cause with its concomitant skin cancer and
wrinkle producing properties. Most sunscreens do an excellent
job of absorbing UVB rays, but do not do as good a job with
UVA rays. A combination agent which contains zinc oxide is
the best. Sunscreens come with a number called the sun protection
factor, or SPF. Recommendations in the 15 to 30 range are
ideal. If a sunscreen has a label of a 15 SPF, then with its
use over a 15-hour period, the skin will have absorbed only
1 hour’s worth of ultraviolet light. Other agents which block
the sun include zinc oxide, titanium oxide, magnesium silicate,
kalin, ferric oxide, red petrolatum, and magnesium oxide.
Sunscreen is particularly important in children, as 85% of
all sun exposure occurs before the age of 18. |
Sunflower
Oil (Helianthus annuus)
Sunflower
seeds are expressed to produce this light oil which is high
in linoleic acid, Vitamins A, B complex, D, and E, as well
as calcium, zinc, potassium, iron, and phosphorus. Externally,
it is used for bruises, dermatitis, and ulcers. The South
American native peoples ground sunflower seeds to make meal.
Products
that contain Sunflower Oil: Green
Clay Mask, |
Vitamin
A: (Beta Carotene)
Helps
maintain smooth, soft disease-free skin; helps protect the
mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, throat lungs, which helps
reduce our susceptibility to infections; protects against
air pollutants and contaminants; helps improve eye sight and
counteracts night-blindness; aids in bone and teeth formation;
improves skin elasticity, moisture content and suppleness;
and helps reverse the signs of photo-aging. A lack of vitamin
A can cause skin to become dry and hardened. Vitamin
A Products |
Vitamin
B5 - Pantothenic Acid
Participates
in the release of energy from carbohydrates, fats & protein,
aids in the utilization of vitamins; improves the body's resistance
to stress; helps in cell building & the development of the
central nervous system; helps the adrenal glands, fights infections
by building antibodies. Vitamin
B5 Products |
Vitamin
C: (Ascorbic Acid)
Vitamin
C is essential for healthy teeth, gums and bones. It helps
heal wounds and scar tissue, Fractures; prevents scurvy; builds
resistance to infection; aids in the prevention treatment
of the common cold; gives strength to blood vessels; aids
in the absorption of iron. It is required for the synthesis
of collagen, the intercellular cement which holds tissues
together. It is also one of the major antioxidant nutrients.
It prevents the conversion of nitrates (from tobacco smoke,
smog, bacon, lunchmeats, some vegetables) into cancer-causing
substances. Moreover, Vitamin C has been shown to help slow
the production of hyperpigmentation ( age spots ) while providing
some UV protection. Vitamin
C Procucts |
Vitamin
E
Vitamin
E is a major anti-oxidant nutrient that retards cellular aging
due to oxidation; supplies oxygen to the blood which is then
carried to the heart and other organs; thus alleviating fatigue;
aids in bringing nourishment to cells; strengthens the capillary
walls prevents the red blood cells from destructive poisons;
prevents dissolves blood clots; has also been used by doctors
in helping prevent sterility, muscular dystrophy, calcium
deposits in blood walls and heart conditions. Vitamin
E Products |
Wheatgerm
Oil (Triticum aestivum)
This oil
has a nutty aroma and is extracted by pressing or solvent
extraction from the wheat "germ." It is a valuable source
of Vitamin E, a natural antioxidant, and is more resistant
to light and heat than vegetable oils. It helps relieve dermatitis
symptoms, promotes skin cell formation, and improves blood
circulation. Wheatgerm Oil is used to prevent and reduce scarring
and speeds up healing of cuts and wounds. The wheat we know
today is from a hybrid wild wheat that grew 10,000 years ago
in the Middle East. The wheatgerm portion of wheat grain contains
25% of the protein along with many minerals and vitamins.
Unfortunately, this is the portion that is milled away to
produce white flour!
Products
that contain Wheatgerm Oil/Protein: Mask
Vitale, Vivifiante
Night Cream, Wheat
Germ Mask, |
888-426-5673
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