Vivesana » Products

Form and Function – Vivesana’s Two Newest Partners

Dan — Fri, 28 May 2010 13:44:03 +0000

What do the Studio and the Takoma Park Co-op have in common? They don’t share a style or a coast, but they do share an overarching, all-consuming drive to carry the best quality products they can find. As it happens, they also began carrying Vivesana yesterday afternoon. We’re thrilled to be working with both of them, and love what the variety of approach says about Vivesana – stores from across the spectrum meet when it comes to strong, safe, stylish and effective sun care. Hurray!

Green + Style = Ecofabulous

Dan — Mon, 03 May 2010 03:34:38 +0000

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…

The Company You Keep

Dan — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:11:04 +0000

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!

Haiti Relief Effort

Dan — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:27:18 +0000

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.

The Reviews Are In!

Dan — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:55:01 +0000

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

Lakey Peterson. Santa Barbara, CA

Dan — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 18:09:39 +0000

She took some convincing – but not by us. By mom.

I sat down with Lakey and her parents on a sunny Santa Barbara afternoon. We talked about our approach to things. We were on the same page with just about everything – from the importance of organics and sustainability, to being a responsible corporate citizen, to reasons why a moisturizing, all-natural formulation is ideal for active, prolonged exposure to sun, wind, water and salt.

Lakey was a hesitant. She liked the tinted sun stick she had always used. Mom pointed out how good Solar to Polar made her skin look, and why it’s better to use nourishing natural ingredients. Lakey tried it, flashed a bright smile, and ran off to guitar lesson.

The Petersons seem like a wonderful family, which helps explain why Lakey is such a funny, energetic, charismatic young lady. She also happens to be one of, if not the, top young women surfers in America. She just won the national NSSA open women’s surfing championship. Read more here. And, we’re happy to report, she just joined the Vivesana family.

UVA Ages and UVB Burns; Breaking Down What They Do.

admin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:02:03 +0000

It’s a handy little mnemonic, but there’s a lot more to it. In the spectrum of light waves, visible light is longer than UV light. Generally, the shorter the wave, the more energy it has…and the more trouble it has penetrating the atmosphere, or for that matter, skin. UVA waves are the longest type of UV light, and just shorter than visible light. Almost all UV light is in the UVA range. UVB rays come next. They’re stronger but less penetrating: indeed, the vast majority of UVB light gets trapped in the outer atmosphere. Thanks to ozone depletion, of course, a lot more gets through than in the past. UVC light is by far the strongest, most dangerous and shortest wavelength. Fortunately, it generally can’t get through the outer atmosphere.

So what do they do to our skin? UVA penetrates deeper into the skin than UVB light but doesn’t fry the surface like UVB light. Although less potent, UVA is more dangerous than UVB light in some respects. Its effects are not immediately visible and many sunscreens don’t do a good job of blocking it (the FDA has no labeling requirements in place to illustrate the degree of UVA protection…all those sunscreens that purport to offer UVA protection don’t have to give specifics). It’s like drinking spiked punch – without even realizing what’s happening, you can get yourself in trouble. UVA degrades elastin and collagen – the stuff that holds skin together and gives its pliability and smoothness. UVA light makes skin sag and wrinkle. Newer studies are also showing that it can cause skin cancer and degrade the skin’s barrier function. It deoxidizes corneocytes and impairs peptide functioning. It degrades corneodesmones, which compromises skin integrity, and can even affect our immune systems. Hopefully, the FDA’s proposals to establish a UVA metric will eventually take effect. Until then, tread carefully. Take a look at the EPA’s list of strong UVA blocks. And then take a look at Sana’s ingredients!

UVB light, on the other hand, wreaks more immediate damage at the skin’s surface but does not penetrate to the deeper levels (although it has its benefits, too). Since SPF is tied to UVB light, and because UVB leaves direct evidence on the skin, most sunscreens block UVB light.

One other tip – just like a marshmallow, don’t get too close to the flame! Your skin produces melanin in response to UVB light, but it takes several hours for the process to effectively kick in. Melanin is what makes you tan and helps protect you from UV rays and sunburn. So, if you’re going somewhere sunny, be especially careful the first day!

Why Babies are at Greater Risk for Topical and Systemic Reactions

admin — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:46:33 +0000

You are what you eat. And what you put on your skin. Many skin care products are designed to permeate the deeper layers of the skin, meaning they can have not just topical effect, but also systemic impact. This is especially worrisome for infants and fetuses.

The EPA recently found that babies are 10 times more vulnerable to carcinogens, and up to 65 times more vulnerable to some synthetics. Why? In 1993, the National Academy of Sciences listed the main reasons children are more vulnerable to synthetics than adults:

(1) more exposure pound for pound (literally, more surface area to volume)
(2) immature, porous blood-brain barrier allows greater chemical exposure to the developing brain
(3) lower levels of chemical binding proteins (chelating agents) – again meaning chemicals have a clearer path to the brain
(4) organs in the development stage
(5) processing, filtering and disposal systems (like livers and kidneys) that are less developed. Babies, therefore, can’t flush their systems and detoxify as well as adults
(6) longer future life span.

Newer research also points to the fact that babies and children have far thinner, more sensitive skin, and that they are more prone to chemical absorption.

Unfortunately, not only is impact to infants and fetuses more likely, it can also be more permanent. There is evidence that exposure to various synthetics (like various endocrine disrupters commonly found in skin care) and even some naturals (like lavender and tea tree oil) can have permanent systemic impact. The Environmental Working Group has found that 82% of children are exposed to neurotoxins every week and 68% are exposed to endocrine disrupters. Meanwhile, rates of breast cancer are increasing and the age of menstruation and breast growth is decreasing. Even common packaging poses risks to babies.

What you put on your skin, and your child’s skin, might have lasting effects. Don’t be scared, just be aware. Don’t rely on marketing campaigns – read ingredient labels top to bottom. There are good guys out there, too…

The Case for a Hydrating Sunscreen: Sun does not just Burn, It Dries

admin — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 19:41:54 +0000

Why? Because sun does more than create free radicals, cause painful reddening, and attack collagen and internectin (causing skin to age)…it also degrades NMF, the humectant water magnet that draws water to the skin’s surface. When that natural humectant is impaired, the skin starts to dry out.

Avoid the double whammy of burning and drying. Look for a sunscreen that has moisturizing impact, ideally with glycerin or another humectant, and keep moisturizing after you come out of the sun.

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Pick your poison…or don’t: the case for synthetic-free sunscreen

admin — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 19:21:01 +0000

Skin care is tough.
The first priority has to be protecting against UV radiation. But more so than in other areas of skin care, that function comes with a cost. The overwhelming majority of sunscreens on the market have synthetics that raise concern (and that goes double for mothers and babies), and use a new, unlabeled and understudied technology.
What are the synthetics and what do they do? A bunch of them, like Benzophenone, Homosalate, and Octyl-methocycinnamate (aka Occinate) are endocrine disrupters. Broadly, that means they affect the normal flow of hormones from glands; in this case, those synthetics have been shown to have estrogenic effect and to bio-accumulate. Bio-accumulation, which means a given material sticks in the body, accumulating over time, is particularly worrisome for babies and children.

Sunscreens also frequently use nanotechnology, an approach that allows particles to permeate the skin barrier and enter the bloodstream. It’s an area we know little about.

Finally, like most skin care products, most sunscreen are full of any number of synthetic preservatives, like parabens, and other “inactive” chemicals, like phthalates. And of course, many are packaged in materials that leach BPA.

Sana, in case you haven’t noticed, has none of those chemicals, doesn’t employ nanotechnology, and provides the best protection on the market. It doesn’t have to be a give and take…