There are no bad questions. The floor is open. Ask whatever you want. Tell us what we’re doing right or wrong. You’ll learn from us, we’ll learn from you, and we’ll both be better for it. Live Healthy!
1. I hear stuff about “broad spectrum” protection now and then, and I have an inkling that it has to do with different kinds of UV light. What does it really mean?

“Broad spectrum” is a term of art that generally refers to the range of light that is emitted from the sun including both UVA and UVB light. The easiest way to remember what each does? UVA is for Aging and UVB is for Burning. UVB is the stronger, shorter rays that burn the skin’s surface and induce burning and/or tanning. The Sun Protection Factor “SPF” relates only to UVB light. Sana’s Solar to Polar is broad spectrum because it protects from both UVA and UVB lights.

2. Is tanning bad? Really? I know the skin purists say any kind of sun is bad, but I practically never burn. Should I worry?

Yes and no. Tanning itself – the production of melanin – is not damaging, but many argue that simultaneous skin damage (at least UVA damage) always accompanies tanning. Those of us with darker skin actually may be at greater risk for skin cancer- largely because UVA damage leaves no immediate signs. In other words, deeper damage may be occurring for those who feel impervious to the sun. You’ve seen the deep brown leather skin sported by longtime beach goers – those are people who may not have burned, but UVA rays have taken their toll. It’s fun to play in the sun, and its effects aren’t all bad when you protect yourself!

3. What is the difference between synthetic active ingredients in sunscreen vs. minerals in sunscreen? There are many reasons synthetics could be a no-no. It is believed that synthetics in skin care products can do anything from disrupting the body’s hormones to causing allergic reactions due to how absorbable they are. Learn more at Save with Green

4. Why are physical sunscreens better for tattoos? Physical sunscreens aren’t just better; they’re the only thing that works. Short of wearing a burka, that is. 

There are two types of sunscreens: physical and chemical. Physical sunscreens repel the UVA and UVB rays . The two FDA-recognized physical screens – zinc and titanium – do not have negative impact on skin in appropriate doses. Chemical sunscreens, meanwhile, protect your skin by absorbing UVA and UVB radiation and mitigating its effects. The rub? Chemical sunscreens might help your skin, but they don’t protect your tattoos from fading. Not even a little. Further, several chemical screens are known endocrine disrupters, meaning they’re not good for you or your skin. Vivesana sunscreens use exclusively physical sunscreens, making them better for you and your tattoos than any chemical screens out there. They also have two dramatic advantages over other natural screens. First, Solar to Polar Ultra has the strongest natural spf on the planet, providing a higher level of protection. Second, Vivesana screens rub in completely clear – an entirely unique innovation in a field filled with white, pasty, grainy natural screens. Unless you’re looking for an opaque white finish to your ink, Vivesana is the best there is. But now we’re bragging.

5. If water is so great for your skin, why are Sana products water-free?Sana doesn’t include waterin its products for a number of reasons. First, topically applied water has no benefit to your skin. It’s not absorbed by the skin in any meaningful quantity. Second, water is the perfect place for microbes to grow. Other skin care products counteract this by using harmful synthetics to inhibit microbe growth. Lastly, water is a filler, allowing other companies stretch their product.

6. What’s the deal with aluminum? I’ve heard it causes Alzheimer’s.There are studies showing a mild link between Alzheimer’s and aluminum, and many others showing none. There also is an issue with the liners in some aluminum and plastic containers containing a nasty substance called BPA, or Bisphenol A . The concern stems from research showing that BPA leeches into everything from the water inside the bottle to the cosmetics in the container. Plastics have their own issues, including the use of phthalates and the fact that the overwhelming majority of plastic containers come from China. Whether there is in fact a link with aluminum – and we threw out our aluminum pans some time ago just to be safe - Vivesana tubes have BPA-free liner, which means our products do not touch the aluminum. The tubes are local, more sustainable, and more safely manufactured.

7. What are Parabens? I hear about them everywhere. Parabens are low molecular weight synthetic preservatives used in a wide range of personal care products. They are endocrine disrupters, which means they can interrupt and/or disrupt the flow of hormones in the body. Their primary impact appears to be as an estrogen-mimic with mild carcinogenic properties. Unfortunately, recent studies have shown that parabens can permeate the skin, enter the body and bio-accumulate. Parabens appear to be most troublesome in areas where absorption is most likely (e.g., in deodorants and shaving cream). Some studies have found a connection between parabens and breast cancer. Sana does not use Parabens, or, for that matter, any other synthetic preservative.

The lovely people at Ecofabulous just made us blush.  Read what they had to say about the Vivesana approach to sun care.  We think they’re doing great work, too!

And read on, to see what scores of other reviewers have had to say…

Vivesana announces its newest retail partner, the Hippocrates Health Institute of West Palm Beach.

Standing apart as one of the most prominent wellness centers in the country, the Institute embodies many of ideals Vivesana strives to meet. Live Healthy!

We encourage all to give what they can to help. For our part, Vivesana will donate at least 50% of online sales to Haiti relief via Doctors without Borders from January 14-20.

Basking in Sunny Praise: Where to Begin?

We’re blushing.  We’ve received scores – possibly hundreds – of reviews those with the most discerning eyes of all – the bloggers.

Here are just a few notable examples of the blogs and websites that have given their thoughts.

We’ll keep posting the reviews as we find ‘em.  Click on any of the links below to see what the experts have to say…

Ideal Bite, The Style Page, Livestrong, Beauty News NYC, The Greenists, Babble, Baby Gadget, Mamaista, Cool Mom Picks, Treehugger, Quiskaeya, Mogul Baby, Nonchalant Mom, Totsnob, Smorgasbite, Beauty Snob, Re-Nest, DKmommyspot, Green Blog, Sustainability Digest, This Full House, Green Goddess Dressing, FindBuzz.com

Good question. Better answer. Sana removed water from its formulations for two giant reasons. First, topically applied water as a skin care treatment is a red herring…see how long it lasts on your skin without a proper barrier. Fact is, topically applied water does not provide any lasting benefit to your skin. But practically every other skin care product out there is mostly water. What gives? Not our business, but here’s a tip: check the latest price for water. Sana does not believe in cutting corners with fillers. Water needs to be in your skin, not on it.

Second, water is where microbes live. It’s true. Water is a wonderful, vital element that we would not last long without. But it’s filled with bacteria, germs and other critters. Especially standing water. Anytime it sits for a period of time, the little guys are going to find it. It’s not so different in skin care. Water may be an excellent way to stretch a product, but it’s also the main reason synthetic preservatives (and synthetic emulsifiers) are necessary. Take the filler out, and suddenly there’s nowhere for microbes to grow.didn’t stop there, but removing water is the single biggest leap.

It’s just like cooking – once you start cutting corners with unnecessary ingredients, you need to start balancing them, and before you know it, the “recipe” has gotten away from you. It’s first principles for Sana: stick with ingredients that directly benefit skin. What does it mean for you? 100% natural, synthetic-free products that go all the way toward beautiful, healthy skin.

Warning: tanning is not fully understood, so take the following with a grain of salt. Wearing sunglasses makes sunburns more likely. Why? Light hitting the optic nerve signals the pituitary gland to produce melanin – the body’s main defense against burning. It’s also what makes you look tan. Sunglasses, in effect, trick our bodies. The optic nerve registers less light and thus the pituitary gland produces less melanin…meaning less of a defense, less of a tan, and more vulnerability to burning.Of course, it’s also theorized that melanin production is triggered by UV rays hitting deeper layers of the skin….and it may be a combination of the causes.
In any case, it’s important to protect your eyes from UV radiation. Don’t discard the glasses, just think about taking them off for a minute or two every once in while. You might get the best of both worlds: a better tan and better protection.

BPA is all over the American marketplace. It makes plastic clear, strong and shatter-proof. You’ll find it in the liners of most metal soda and food cans, as well as polycarbonate bottles (including baby and water bottles).

BPA is an endocrine disrupter. It mimics estrogen and may result in adverse, long term reactions and reproductive damage. Studies have shown negative impact on thyroid glands, the brain, the pancreas and prostate glands in animals, even in low doses.

Unfortunately, babies are particularly at risk, due to a variety of factors including their developmental vulnerability, BPA’s presence in baby bottles and infant formula containers, and the fact that BPA bio-accumulates. It leaches out of containers and can collect in fetal and placental tissue.

Responsible companies like Whole Foods and Patagonia have removed BPA from their packaging. New companies should avoid it in the first place. Sana does.

Start with a remarkable architecture of bricks and mortar. The bricks are cells at the skin’s surface. They’re filled with a water-loving amino acid cocktail that acts like a magnet to pull water up from deep in the skin, and sometimes out of thin air. The bricks swell with water, and the skin surface becomes soft and pliable. This reverse irrigation system ensures that every skin layer is well-hydrated.
The bricks are held together by mortar, a bunch of natural lipid layers that provide softness and smoothness. The mortar, unlike the bricks, is relatively water-tight. It’s a team effort: the bricks bring the water to the surface and the mortar keeps it there.

Is the FDA doing its job? Depends on your view of what its job is, we suppose. If you think it’s analyzing skin care products before they hit the shelves, getting out front on suspect ingredients, or setting up an enforceable system for accurate labeling of naturals, chemicals and organics, then no, they’re not doing their job. You can’t really blame them. IOHO, they’re under-funded and under-authorized.

phthalates and elements of packaging (e.g., BPA) that are widely used in the US that are banned in other industrialized countries. In fact, the Environmental Working Group has found that more than 750 personal care products would violate safety standards in other industrialized countries. There is no pre-approval for cosmetics or even over-the-counter drugs. There is gross non-compliance in the industry on labeling standards, and less than aggressive labeling requirements.

Where does that leave us? It means the consumer has to be particularly vigilant and informed. Fortunately, there are sites out there to help. Sana has taken upon itself to create products that would meet the standards we’d all like to see…standards that put health, safety and the environment above commercial concerns. We’ve also tried to provide as much information as we can about things to look for and things to avoid. Please let us know if you have questions or things to add…

Phthalates are everywhere. Phthalates are plasticizers. In case you couldn’t guess, that means they’re used in plastics to make them pliable – everything from pvc tubing, to straws to baby toys and pacifiers. They also find their way into some skin care products, since they alter the “feel” of products. Three quarters of off-the-shelf cosmetic products have phthalates. Virtually everyone of us, at this point, has some level of phthalates in our system (the CDC tested the urine of 2,790 people, and found phthalates in all but 12 of them).

So how bad are they? Most of the rest of the industrialized world has banned them: some variation of phthalates has been banned in baby products in the EU, Japan, Norway, Argentina and Mexico, and Canada, among other places. Oh, and California has taken it upon itself to impose a ban on phthalates in baby products starting in 2009, with several other states thinking about following suit. The FDA, on the other hand, neither bans nor restricts them, and hasn’t shown any inclination to do a thing going forward.

What exactly do they do? Phthalates are endocrine disrupters, which means they can alter the normal flow of hormones in the body. They are anti-androgenic chemicals, generally meaning they impact estrogen levels in the body. Numerous studies have shown that they may cause permanent reproductive damage of various kinds, particularly for boys. Phthalates also bio-accumulate, so small dosages can add up over time. Several studies, summarized by the Environmental Working Group, show the increased risk from additive exposure – the so called “synergistic” effect of combining two forms of phthalates: DBP and DEHP. Further, the manufacturing process associated with phthalates is not without harms: furons and dioxins are released, which carry health and environmental risks for everyone.

Needless to say, Sana does not use phthalates.