“Lead in Lipsticks” hits the headlines again!
This issue has been popping up in “studies” since the 90’s, with a major “pop” hitting in ’07 when the FDA dubiously recognized 20 lipsticks for their high lead levels. Well, once again, this ugly “hidden” truth crops up as the FDA released its analytical results on the amount of lead (a known neurotoxin) found in up to 400 mainstream lipsticks. (YUM!!!) The biggest offender is L’Oreal. They make five of the top 10, including #1 and #2. (Well done, L’Oreal!) The list continues with Maybelline, NARS (Shiseido), Cover Girl (P&G), Stargazer, and…wait for it…Burt’s Bees, aka Clorox! (Oh, Burt – say it ain’t so! They were #17!) Incredulously, the FDA says they do not believe this poses a safety concern, and will decide if an “upper limit” recommendation is needed after evaluating the allowable levels of lead in lipsticks. (It’s kinda like the allowable levels of filth in processed foods. What’s the harm in a few rat droppings, mystery hairs and a little lead between friends, huh?!?) The EWG/Skin Deep did their own study back in 2007. They tested 33 red lipsticks and found two-thirds of them contained more lead than the amount allowed in candy. (Ok, does that “allowable lead in candy” part alarm anyone else?!?)
Bottom line…”They” are maintaining it is safe and that there is no concern. After all, the average content of lead in lipstick (1.11 ppm from a range found between 0.026 to 7.19 ppm) was an exposure rate 1,000 times less than that found in the daily consumption of water meeting EPA drinking water standards. (Oh good, now I feel comforted! Reminds me why I am a devoted filtered water drinker!!!)
Of course, no one is claiming companies are adding lead to lipsticks (or any other cosmetics) intentionally. Lead is a substance that naturally occurs in nature, just like arsenic, cadmium and other fun heavy metals. But sometimes things get a little “heavy” when there is a need for a desired effect. So, it can be the price you pay for getting that 24-hour stay power FD&C red dye lipstick; or the water-proof, wind-tunnel proof, wrap-to-the-back-of-your-head glamour lash look mascara, or the spray on paint foundation that also doubles as wall patch! I guess the point is…stay informed, read your labels, and if the color lasts for days (and glows in the dark!), you have to ask yourself…why? And you have to ask yourself is it worth it?!? Is it worth the accumulated body burden? Or is it a better choice to give your body a break, and go a little softer (and far less toxic) with (say, I don’t know)… DeVita’s absolute LIPS sheer natural flower wax lipsticks? (shameless plug!). They are on special this month at 20% off in honor of Lead Free Lips Month (ok – I just made that one up, but it might have merit!).
So, it really is all about choices. And on those (hopefully rare!) days when you feel that it is necessary to choose heavy metal hurricane-proof make-up that last for days, then just make sure that you don’t wear it on the same days that you plan to drink tap water or eat candy – cuz your head just might explode!
xo, DeVita
Been thinking about Valentine’s Day – It‘s coming up soon, and in my opinion, it has the honor of being the first official “fun” holiday of the New Year (MLK day is good too, however it lacks the festive decor & chocolate – but it sure rocks if you had it off -Thx Dr. King!).
SO – Valentine’s Day is named after a collection of ancient Christian martyrs all named “Saint Valentine”, one of whom was supposed to have been 86’d on February 14th. Flash forward to our Hallmark/Russell Stover cellophane-wrapped version of this “holy” remembrance and ponder with me at how we morphed from honoring dead saints, to sending glittery cards of love, candy hearts and boxes of chocolate turtles! It’s amazing…!
Anyway – as I was looking into all things Valentine-y, I found out that there is actually a Valentine, Arizona (I did not know this – but it’s true – It’s off the old Route 66). Valentine, Arizona is just a blip on the map, which is why you pass right on by as you head to Vegas (cha-ching!). But since we make DeVita here in Arizona, I thought it was of note (ok – not a big note). And, truth be told, I also thought it was a fairly cool segue into mentioning all the Valentine Specials we are offering, in honor of all those dead saints (who could probably really use some good skin care by now!!!). So click here http://bit.ly/yfo9ms to check out our special treats so you can remember all the “saints” in your life this Valentine’s. And I promise – you won’t have to worry about your waistline when you indulge in DeVita! (also no glitter or candy hearts either!). Speaking of candy hearts – there will be enough produced this year to stretch from Valentine, Arizona to Rome, Italy and back 20 times!!! Now that’s a big note – Happy Valentine’s Day!
xo, DeVita
(source: National Confectioners Association)
New Year, New Beginnings, New You! And what better way to reveal the new you than our High Performance Glycolic Acid Blend?!? Add this powerhouse product to your regular DeVita regime and reveal your best “New Year You” in just 7 days!
So, why Glycolic Acid? Glycolic acids have long been shown to promote rapid change in rough, listless skin by encouraging the rate of cellular turnover which can bring the appearance of smoother, younger looking skin, reduced pore size, and to give a “blushed”, healthy glow (ok – I’m in!). It can also help minimize break-outs, and milia bumps, reduce the appearance of fine lines, deeper wrinkles and darkened areas on the face. Our exclusive formula uses the latest in gel technology featuring our all-natural fruit acid blend (10% potency) imported from Italy. Our gentle blend works on the damaged upper layers of the skin and breaks down the cellular ‘glue’, which binds dead skin cells, like a dulling mask, to your face. As this dead skin is lifted, the skin surface is retexturized, resulting in a brighter, much-smoother complexion, and a more youthful appearance. A secondary benefit is glycolic acid’s ability to draw moisturizers into the newly-exfoliated skin surface. That is why It is always recommended to follow our High Performance Glycolic Acid Blend Evening Use Only product with a nourishing moisturizer, like our Perfecting Time or Evening Rich Nutritional Moisturizer. Your fresh “New You” face will deeply drink in the moisture and reward you with a dewy-soft brand-new you!
Click this Devitaskincare.com link and read all about this great product and receive our New Year New You 25% product discount – offer good thru 1.12.12.
Now that’s something to be Happy about!
fresh faced… Get glowing with complexion-clearing AHAs
Fruits and other naturally sweet treats are brimming with alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), powerful exfoliators proven to smooth skin texture. Sweeping dead cells from skin’s surface for a more vibrant complexion, AHAs also help rejuvenate your appearance by boosting production of skin-firming collagen. Here, our pick of AHA products.
1. DeVita High Performance Glycolic Acid Blend ($32.95/1.7 oz.; devita.net) reaps AHAs from sugarcane, apples, and molasses.
AHA Smarts
Widely used in chemical peels offered in doctors’ offices, AHAs are available in over-the-counter products at concentrations of 10 percent or less and pHs of 3 or greater to curtail such side effects as itchiness and irritation. “Since AHAs can thin the outermost layer of skin and make it more sensitive to ultraviolet light, you need to augment your skin care with a sunscreen that provides both UVA and UVB coverage,” says Washington-based dermatologist Lily Talakoub, MD. Also, limit yourself to just one AHA-based item (to avoid the redness and peeling that can accompany overuse of AHAs); for optimal effectiveness, opt for a product that absorbs into skin, such as a serum or mask, rather than a cleanser.
eco-beauty by Elizabeth Barker | Vegetarian Times
Just great, healthy coverage you can count on… absolutely!
DeVita’s road to |ab●so●lute|minerals™ has been a long one to be sure – longer than anticipated, but in all honesty, our goal was not to rush to market with “just another mineral make-up line.” We focused our concentration on creating the right mineral make-up line, rather than creating a mineral make-up line right now.
For over ten years now, DeVita has been dedicated to developing beautifully pure age defying skin care products. We now bring that care and expertise to our exclusive line of color cosmetics. We have worked tirelessly to create a mineral color cosmetic line that was worthy of the DeVita name and worthy of the trust that our loyal DeVita customers have placed in us.
We have not let you down – |ab●so●lute|minerals™ is truly the absolute in mineral color cosmetics.
Are your lifestyle choices sabotaging your skin?
Your skin is your largest organ and everything you do in your life eventually shows up there on display. All the imbalances, the fast food diet washed down with soda pop, the skipped veggies and fruits in favor of the donut and coffee, always being stressed and on the run after only a few hours of rest – this all translates into distressed skin. Top it all off with too much sun exposure, toxic tanning beds, smoking, and excessive alcohol use, and you have a recipe for unhealthy skin!
Here are five things to do (or never do!) to protect the skin you’re in!
1. Eat Your Veggies! Sorry, but your mom was right! Eating whole fresh fruits and vegetables (organic if possible) and limiting sweets and processed foods will definitely be appreciated by your skin. Think cherries, almonds, walnuts, citrus. If you have dry skin, eat more flaxseed oil, olive oil, and virgin coconut oil. Also enjoy avocados – very healthy and delicious!
2. Remember to exfoliate regularly. This helps to remove the dead outer skin layer so it can be replaced by fresh new skin cells. It also allows for better treatment and moisturizer penetration. Exfoliation is a forgotten step by most and it really makes a difference!
3. Always wear a full spectrum sunscreen (30 spf at least). Nothing ages you faster than the sun – so protect those fresh exfoliated skin cells every day!!! Even when the sun is behind the clouds – you get even more hostle exposure on cloudy days than clear. So put on your shot glass full of sunscreen and reapply about every 90 minutes if you are out and about having fun in the sun!
4. Get your ZZZ’s! The old saying “getting your beauty sleep” is 100% correct! Your skin does so much repair work at night, and if you cheat yourself on sleep you are cheating your skin on its down time to repair and detoxify. So try for 8 hours or as close as you can get – Sweet Dreams!
5. Stay hydrated with fresh water - not soda, not tea, not juice (of course you can have those things in moderation, but not in place of water!). Just think how your skin and hair would look if you only took a shower in soda pop – you would be a sticky, dirty mess very shortly. That is what your insides look like if you only drink sugary drinks and pop, and what is on your insides very quickly transfers to the outside. So drink plenty of fresh water all day long and your skin (and everything else!) will say “THANK YOU!”
These are my five top recommendations for skin rejuvenation and maintenance – there are many more such beauty tips, tricks, and techniques, and you can find them on our DeVita Style page under… you guessed it – Beauty Tips Tricks and Techniques (!) This feature section will have the latest and greatest of “How To’s”, so check it out soon and often to see what else you can do to protect the skin you’re in.
Vitamin C… It’s not just for breakfast.
Unlocking Photo-Aging…Beyond the Photo in the Attic
Photo-aging…it’s a word which conjures gothic images of hidden portraits in an attic which age in our stead. While this romantic notion is the fantasy of many women and men, the reality of our faces, the signature of our Self to another, changing with age, remains.
The truth is, our skin constantly evolves and our skin ages both 1) biologically, based upon inherited skin tendencies and 2) Photo-ages based on the effects of our lifestyle due to smoking, pollution, sun exposure, diet, and stress. Photo-aging damage includes but is not limited to: wrinkles, dark blotches, freckles, leathery texture, and loss of elasticity.
Recent studies show that it takes only eight relatively small dosages of UVA before changes are evident, and these changes are not even prevented by using a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 22!
Topical Vitamin C Can Be Targeted Directly to Skin to Combat Photo-Aging
Topical Vitamin C is an excellent antioxidant for skin protection and should be a useful adjunct to (but not replacement for) sunscreens. It is the process of oxidation that can destroy body tissues. (This is the same process that causes cars to rust, and rubber tires to crack.) In time, it is believed that these changes may result in connective tissue breakdown (aging and wrinkles) and skin cancer. The goal is to interfere with environmental ravages, including sunlight, smoking, and pollution. Vitamin C not only neutralizes free radicals destructive to the skin, but also actively regenerates Vitamin E, which serves to protect all cell membranes from the degenerative effects of these environmental offenders.
Topical Vitamin C Stimulates Collagen Growth
Vitamin C stimulates collagen synthesis. It is the only antioxidant that has been proven to increase collagen synthesis. Collagen is a protein which contributes to the skin’s firmness and elasticity and can be considered the structural steel of skin. The body’s ability to produce collagen slows dramatically as we get older. In addition, ascorbic acid is necessary for “crosslinking” one collagen molecule to another collagen molecule. This reaction is required for tissue strength.
Topical Vitamin C has a Reservoir Effect
Stabilized topical vitamin C becomes an inherent part of the skin. It cannot be washed or rubbed off. Testing shows that it is fully protective for as long as three days after application.
Topical Vitamin C Controls Inflammation and Promotes Healing
Topical vitamin C is capable of controlling the inflammatory response associated with ultraviolet light (sunburn). It is protective even when it is applied after sun exposure. It also is helpful in speeding the healing process. It is often recommended as a pre and post-operative regimen for laser resurfacing patients.
Important Note:
Not all topical Vitamin C products are effective. In order to be effective the product must meet certain criteria, including proper pH and stabilizing factors, and the source of the Vitamin C must be in a form the body can use, so select your products with care.
Putting on a healthy face.
It’s no secret that women are natural multi-taskers, but they are also innate “multi-maskers.” Whether a mother, daughter, grandmother, wife, secretary, or CEO of a large firm, women change masks throughout the day to perform specific roles. While many women do not realize this transformation occurs, most would probably agree they feel weighed down by the multi-masks and tasks of their daily lives. As a result, the ‘real you’ is often indistinguishable and in need of resources to strip away the build-up and burdens of the day.
As we grow through all of life’s experiences, we learn to gather bits of our personality and mold them into task “masks”…a group of facial expressions, emotions, body language, and verbal expression for a particular person in a particular situation to successfully accomplish a task.
It is important, then, to have a tool which we can use to strip away the burdens of the day, renewing and revealing our core self. The tool? The Beauty Facial Mask. Facial masks force us to deep clean our skin, stripping away all of the physical leftovers of the day. Chemical build-up from make-up, daily excreted internal toxins and oils, and most especially pollens, pollution, and chemicals from our environment, sticks to the very pores on our face where skin respiration takes place. Once physically cleansed, our skin can then be layered with a mud mask for a psychological cleansing. Here are a few suggestions for cleansing away the multi-masks of your day:
Step I: Wash your face with a natural facial cleanser to open pores and remove make-up.
Step II: Sprits toner on face and neck to close pores, freshen, and neutralize the skin.
Step III: Run a warm bath. While tub is filling, apply a mud mask to your face to deep clean skin, remove chemical buildup from make-up, pollens, pollution, and the internal toxins and oils our bodies excrete each day.
Step IV: Allow the mud mask and soothing warm water to work their magic and uncover your core self.
To live life more fully, a life that is purposeful, we first need to know who we are and make choices based on this wisdom to experience a strong sense of freedom, joy, and inner peace, and we can heal our life.
Guided by nature… driven by science.
DeVita Natural Skin Care – the most advanced, certified organic aloe vera based, 100% vegan, paraben free, all natural skin care line available. DeVita has answered the challenge of providing a synergy of quality and style on the outside, with the best of what nature and cosmetic science has to offer on the inside, especially now, with our newly repackaged and invigorated skin care line. On the inside DeVita features the most cutting-edge, results driven ingredients available, such as DMAE, Pentapeptides, Hyaluronic acid, and more, which provide the best in phyto-intensive skin nutrition. On the outside we have 100% recycled paper boxes in our striking black plum and gold color palette, with beautiful recyclable glass bottles and non-leaching #2 recyclable plastic tubes – proving that natural beauty does not have to come in a burlap bag! Offering a full line of skin specific products, DeVita answers a critical need for health conscious consumers searching to find a natural, clean, and effective skin care product line, because what you put on your skin can go into your body to affect your health and sense of well-being – either negatively or positively. You have the power to choose – so choose wisely – Choose DeVita.
The all new… all natural you.
Ladies, our time has come… For generations we have damaged, hindered, and all but ruined our complexions in the name of beauty. Harsh, even dangerous chemicals and compounds are the status quo in mainstream cosmetics. This reality has become a primary source of concern for women. We say this should not be. We should not have to sacrifice our health to enhance our beauty – we do not need to poison ourselves to be pretty!
It is this belief that has driven us to develop one of our greatest achievements – absolute minerals – DeVita’s all new, all natural, nature-inspired, health-infused alternative to common color cosmetics.
We feel every woman has her own beauty, and we want to enhance that, not cover it up. We don’t believe in a preconceived notion of “beauty” based on what the media shows us 24-7. Every woman holds claim to “beautiful” in her own right – we want to support that. Using natural pigments and botanicals, DeVita has created a full line of age defying color cosmetics in an absolutely stunning array of colors with endless possibilities. absolute minerals is an absolute must for today’s health conscious, beauty minded woman. Stop punishing your skin and start pampering it today with absolute minerals!
