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’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

It’s a great thing to see a trend toward something positive. It’s empowering that we can make dirty companies do their best to look clean and green. But it’s crucial that the movement doesn’t let up. And it’s important to be sure that clean and green is more than a tagline.

Quotes like (do your best Pepe Le Pew accent for this) “If the consumer wants organic products, we will give them organic products…” leave one to wonder how deep the commitment lies.

Are these companies that are built on sustainable, green principles? Who knows. But we say keep up the pressure. Use your purchasing power. Eventually, sustainable, responsible corporate practices will be the normal course of business. Some day, it’ll be “we give them organic because it’s better for people and better for the planet.”

But what about that extra step from natural to organic. Necessary, or just branding?

Let’s look at the four legs of the table (we love our food imagery!):

Safety: In order to be certified organic by the USDA, an ingredient must comply with a whole range of safety and sustainability standards far above conventional standards. Common pesticides with documented toxic or carcinogenic properties frequently make their way into our food and personal care products. A recent study showed the average baby has over 200 industrial synthetics in their system at birth. Even where present in trace amounts, many of these pesticides bio-accumulate , meaning they can add up to cause more serious problems. Organic ingredients are, by definition, produced without dangerous pesticides.

Quality: Greater care is taken in organic farming and it generally shows in the quality. There is not a separate certification process for skin care, so in order to be used in Sana’s products, ingredients must meet food grade organic quality. Which, frankly, is how it should be. Skin care and food both become part of you!

Environment: Organics are grown in a far more environmentally friendly manner. Agro-business is a major contributor to soil, water and air contamination, as well as to global warming. Studies have shown people growing up near agro-farms have far greater concentrations of toxic industrial synthetics. The energy used to produce pesticides and conduct large scale conventional farming consumes as much energy each year as all the cars in America. Organics are another way.

Philosophy: Supporting organic farming means supporting small family-based farms rather than huge conglomerates. It means healthier products and a healthier Earth. It promotes a culture of sustainability and respect for the land. It’s what Sana chooses.

Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. The US system puts most of the burden on consumers to inform themselves about risks. Of course, accessing relevant information is next to impossible, let alone practical. The system of regulation is lax, under-enforced, painfully slow, and ultimately insufficient. Is the Government forcing manufacturers to adhere to strict labeling guidelines so consumers can make informed decisions? Is it monitoring the packaging coming from China or analyzing products before they hit the shelves? Is it banning ingredients that have some evidence of toxicity or carcinogenicity, even where banned the world over? No, no, and in many cases, no.

There are independent sources out there that are helping. Visit the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database of cosmetics or go to the NRDC’s site for environmental and health issues. Sana has condensed relevant information about the most commonly found risk items: Phthalates, Parabens, Bisphenol A (BPA), Endocrine Disrupting Sunscreen agents, as well as related issues like bio-accumulation, infant susceptibility, and nanotechnology. Hope it helps.

Sana does not use Parabens, or, for that matter, any other synthetic preservative.