Innocent Skin & Mother Nature: May 2009

What a busy time its been here at casa Innocent.

First of all a totally new product from Innocent Oils. It made such good sense to include a natural body spray into the range. However, as we do not use water in any of our products due to our concerns about toxic preservatives, this had always been something we felt we would leave to others to produce.

So after much research and an existing love of the wonderfully holistic natural Himalayan Crystal Salt we couldn't resist marrying the the two.
The result is here Pure Himalayan Crystal Body Spray.

This is no ordinary crystal spray, we believe this product to be the most pure and natural crystal spray available on the market just now.

We use only the highest grade Himalayan Crystal Salts which contain 84 essential minerals, way more than any other salt. Harvested by hand from the mineral rich ocean waters that dried up and crystallised 250million years ago before modern pollutants existed, and is now found encapsulated deep in the Himalayan mountain region.

We then produce Sole pronounced So-Lay with the Himalayan Salt Crystals and purified water. This changes the geometric structure of the water and the salt, and creates something entirely new, a third dimension where the water is no longer water, and the salt no longer salt. The result is our Innocent Pure Himalayan Crystal Spray.

The spray mist leaves a microscopic fine layer of himalayan mineral salts on the surface of the skin, neutralising bacteria thus preventing odours for long lasting effectiveness in the most holistic way possible.
Leaves no white marks on your clothes, dries quickly and is not sticky.

It is contained in a glass bottle, with no added scent, no aluminium chlorohydrate, parabens, alcohols, or other toxic nasties.

Available in a handy 50ml travel size and 100ml bottle. We also offer a refill for 100ml bottles. From £3.29 Innocent Oils

Further new products will be added to Blog shortly.
Enjoy Innocent Oils and Namaste all. X

Its coming around to that time of year when we hope upon hopes that the sun will shine throughout August.

For those confident the sun will show itself, and others taking a trip to guaranteed sunshine this post may be of use to you.

A ray of sunshine not only uplifts the emotions, it’s physically beneficial to receive some sunlight on our skin too.
A lack of sunlight can lead to depression in some, and a lack of Vitamin D - which is naturally produced by the action of sunlight on the skin, can lead to rickets and other harmful physical conditions.
The key to being safer in the sun is moderation. Spending most of the year indoors at work then blasting ourselves for two weeks in a hot country during the summer months, is certainly a recipe for disaster.

Gradual exposure along with sun protection will help the skin to naturally produce which shows as a tan. The amount of melanin we can produce to protect the skin depends on our skin type.

There are products which can kick start melanin production, often labeled as a Tan Activator or Tan Accelerator.
The down side of relying on our own natural sun protection is that the suns rays are far stronger than our skin today can effectively cope with, and for that reason we require an added level of protection from the sun.
Clothing and hats can be used as a physical barrier from the rays, or more commonly use a sun screen product such as a cream, lotion or spray.

Many commercial skin care products available today are chock full of chemicals many of which can trigger allergies, hormone in balances and most worrying some of these chemicals have been linked to cancer. This is of great concern, especially when it is mostly skin cancer we are aiming to help protect from by using a sunscreen.

Some commonly used chemicals in Sunscreens to look out for and avoid
*4-Methyl-Benzylidencamphor(4-MBC),
*Oxybenzone,
*Benzophenone-3
*Homosalate(HMS),
*Octyl-methoyl-cinnamates(OMC)
*Octyl-Dimethyl-Para-Amino-Benzoic Acid(OD-PABA)

The EWG (Environmental Working Group) has spent 18 months researching sun creams. They found that 84% of 783 sunscreen products tested offer inadequate protection from the sun or contain ingredients that give rise to significant safety concerns.

If you would like to check particular products for yourself here is a link to the EWG Cosmetics Database: SKIN DEEP

The ideal sunscreen would be highly effective at blocking both UVA and UVB rays, contain active ingredients that do not break down in the sun (so that the product remains effective), and contain active and inactive ingredients that are proven to be safe for both adults and children. Unfortunately, there is no sunscreen that meets all of these criteria.
Recommendations for reducing the harmful effects of the suns rays:

Wearing light cotton clothing, a hat and glasses, to shield the skin from the rays is by far the most secure way of protecting the skin from harmful rays. There is a good reason why those living in very hot countries are often seen covered from head to toe in cloth.

*Avoid the sun when it is at its strongest between 11am and 3pm in Europe.
*Keep children under 6 months old out of the sun. Their skin is very fine and most vulnerable to long term damage.
*Light cotton clothing will help prevent over heating and provide valuable protection from the suns rays
*Ensure the child is not being exposed unprotected for long periods while in a pushchair or pram skin is quickly burned if they are sat immobile while in the suns glare.

That said it’s not always practical or possible to remain fully clothed when out and about in the sun.

HOW TO USE SUNSCREEN EFFECTIVELY AND HELP KEEP YOUR SKIN IN GOOD CONDITION

CONDITION SKIN BEFORE AND AFTER SUN EXPOSURE
Skin is healthiest when hydrated, nourished, and supple before any extensive sun exposure in order to reduce the damaging and aging effects of the suns rays.
During sun exposure, your skin works very hard at defending itself, with melanin production being its primary weapon.
After long sun exposure, replenish the moisture and nutrients your skin has used while exposed to the sun. Drink water to rehydrate from within and apply a cooling lotion or soothing botanical oil in the evening to help restore lost skin oils

REPLACE OLD CREAMS AND LOTIONS
The SPF in a sunscreen deteriorates quickly over time. As such what is left over from last years holiday will not provide the same level of protection as you might be expecting.
When purchasing sunscreen expect to use the entire bottle during your time in the sun, use liberally and regularly.

APPLY AND REAPPLY SUNSCREENS DURING THE DAY
Sweating and swimming will dilute any sunscreen's effectiveness next to NO SPF or a total lack of protection. The failure to reapply consistently is the single biggest cause of burning.
When in intense sun conditions, reapply at least once every hour.

DON'T RUB IT IN
Research shows that the traditional method of rubbing sun care products quickly into the skin results in the rapid absorption of the lotion. This leaves the outermost layers of skin with far less SPF than you may require.

For example, an SPF15 sunscreen can be quickly reduced to the effectiveness of an SPF3 or 4 either by using too little lotion, or by rubbing it too quickly or deeply into the skin.
Instead press your sunscreen onto exposed areas with a dabbing motion. Typical areas would be the nose and forehead, and anywhere the bone is close to thin skin. Then apply the sunscreen onto the rest of your body with a light motion. Wait 60 seconds before you slowly stroke the sunscreen, spreading it evenly over and into the skin. The majority of creamy sun lotions recommend waiting 20mins before going in the sun. Thorough application of sunscreen is really something to make part of the morning routine when going out in the sun, rather than left until you are already exposed to the suns rays.

TAKE FREQUENT SHADE BREAKS
Rather than sun-blasting your skin continuously for extended periods, breaks of 15 minutes or longer will allow the skin to cool a little in between times. Let your skin cool properly and recover from the sun's bombardment, about once every hour.

DON’T EXPOSE BURNED SKIN TO MORE SUN
Heal your skin before resuming tanning. Burned skin will not tan, it will only get worse and the resulting blistering or peeling will remove all traces of your tan and may have other serious implications for long term skin damage.
Keep burned skin cool, and try to minimise sweating through burned skin to reduce the chances of blistering.
AVOID waterproof sunscreens on sun-sensitive, pink, or burned skin. The waxes in waterproof products will interfere with your skin's normal functions and with the healing process. I can vouch for this from painful personal experience as a teenager.

Gently exfoliating the skin prior to and while on holiday, will help to ensure that your tan remains for as long as possible after your return.

DON'T OVER DO THE INITIAL UV RAY CATCHING
If you're starting off your tan with fair skin, go easy for the first couple of days. Gradually get your skin accustomed to increased levels of UV rays. You are far more likely to burn with fair skin that hasn't seen strong sunlight for a while. When you have a base tan established your skin is producing enough melanin to supplement the protection of your sunscreen. As your skin gradually becomes darker due to the melanin production, you can extend your sun time. But it is always advisable to use caution; a sun tan does not mean you will be protected from skin cancer

SO WHAT IS AN SPF AND HOW DO I KNOW WHICH ONE I NEED?

SPF - SUN PROTECTION FACTOR, there is usually a number associated with the SPF. Eg: SPF30

If you use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30, it will take 30 times longer to get burned than it would if you had no sunscreen on at all.

However, this only applies to UVB rays, the sun also has a lot of UVA, which is harder to block. Though many sunscreens now contain UVA blockers although there is no standardised measure for their effectiveness as yet

WHAT CAN I DO TO SOOTHE SUNBURN?

Cool Not Cold Bathing - will help to take the heat out of sunburned skin.
Optionally adding a drop or two of Peppermint Essential Oil and Chamomile Essential Oil to the water, can also help to ease the sting of sunburn and help reduce inflammation of the affected skin. Please note: always use Essential Oils with caution.

Lavender Oil - This is one of the few Essential Oils which may be used directly on the skin. A few drops of Lavender Essential Oil added to Hemp, Olive, Sunflower or similar botanical oil will help to relieve sunburn, as well as other minor burns and scalds with remarkable effectiveness.
The combination of using Lavender along with one of the botanical oils mentioned above can help to soothe heal and nourish the skin all in one.

Bicarbonate of Soda - Another common household product that can help soothe sunburned skin.
Dissolve a hand full of Bicarbonate of Soda in lukewarm water and soak in the bath for half an hour.

Botanical Oils - Sesame, Hemp Seed Oil, Sesame Seed Oil, Raspberry Seed Oil, Shea Butter and more are very useful for helping the skin to recover from sun damage.

They are emollient, lubricating, conditioning and many have anti-inflammatory properties very useful for calming sunburn and redness.

These plant based oils naturally absorb into the pores and hair follicles of the skin where they go to work assisting the development of healthy skin tissue. Unlike petroleum based oils which sit on the surface disrupting the normal functions of the skin.

In the case of sunburn this can be very serious and may worsen the effects of the burn, and can lead to far more skin peel as a result.

At Innocent Oils we can help you maintain healthy natural skin in preparation for your summer hols and for skin treats on your return.

Visit Innocent Oils for Vegan society registerd toxin free skin care, with no nasties just as Mother Nature intended.

Namaste x