Safe for Kids

"...And you thought you could keep your kids out of your cosmetics..."

When I started Astara Skin Care it was out of a desperate need for skin care that would help my own very dry, aging skin. Having always been what people referred to as a “health nut”, I didn’t want to use any non-healthy ingredients and I really wanted something that would make a difference to my skin. Because I wanted the most effective products I used raw botanical ingredients so their enzymes were active (heating anything above 118 degrees F. kills all the enzymes). The early products, while they worked wonderfully, sometimes grew mold. Not good. So we had to add preservatives. Back in 1996 the only preservatives available were parabens and we used the tiniest amount possible, often 1/10th of 1%. Years later a study came out that linked parabens to breast cancer and we started our search for a new kind of preservative, while thinking how bad can 1/10th of 1% be? Fortunately science has discovered new kinds of cosmetic preservatives with names too long to pronounce (phenoxyethanol, ethythexylglycerin) and we are thrilled to say that we have been able to remove parabens from all Astara products.

Now I have read a new study in Natural Radiance magazine that points out that cosmetics are being marketed to girls as young as 3, (think Hard Candy nail polish with little rings on the bottle) and by their teens these girls are using 15 to 20 cosmetic products a day – from shampoo to deodorant, hair spray, lotion, make up, etc. and these products added up, give them a daily dose of “more than two dozen hormone-disrupting chemicals such as parabens”. While cosmetic companies argue that each product contains only a tiny amount of any given chemical, continued exposure to multiple products has scientists worried. Natural Radiance quotes Maryann Donovan, PhD, MPH, science director at the Center of Environmental Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute who says: “For adolescents and young children, it’s really important to minimize the exposure to these chemicals because so much development is happening up until they are 18 or 19 years old.” Research has shown that girls in the US are entering puberty one to two years earlier than 40 years ago. What this means (and I am quoting the magazine here) is that “the brain, in order to accommodate new powers of abstract thinking and adult socialization behaviors, becomes less flexible. But as that happens, it becomes harder to learn complex skills such as playing a musical instrument, speaking a foreign language, or mastering a sport. Girls now have, on average, a year and a half less to learn these things.”
A group of teens in Marin County, California, has organized a group called Teens for Safe Cosmetics with the intention of shifting the beauty industry toward using safer ingredients. We, at Astara Skin Care, are thrilled to have been invited to make a face mask for their new product line called Teens Turning Green which meets the Whole Foods Premium Body Care Standard, the most stringent standard in our industry, and is available now at Whole Foods.

I am starting this blog to share thoughts on my favorite subjects: Beauty, Fashion and Fitness …. And if it gets a bit gossipy, well that’s okay too.

As the founder of Astara Skin Care it is really fun to hear how others like our products and get their tips on using them. For example, Camille, one of our training estheticians, calls the Activated Sea Mineral Mask the “Hot Date Mask” because when she has a “hot date” she uses that mask in the shower and her skin comes out glowing. Love the name!

I just got an email from my favorite makeup artist, Richard Dean, with a great tip I never thought of: “On our show (30 Rock), Jorge Nelson (makeup artist) started by having Salma Hyeck pat on the Antioxidant Infusion on top of her makeup when it feels dry. It
works perfectly, doesn't destroy the makeup yet moisture softens all the damage.”

Richard uses Astara products on Julia Roberts (he does all her movies) because she is very health conscious and while she was nursing her new baby she didn’t want any potentially bad ingredients to touch her skin and possibly get into her baby. I thought her makeup in “Charlie Wilson’s War” was incredible. Richard is such a talented genius.

I googled “anti-aging” and there were 3,130,000 listings!

Anti-aging doctors earn more money than any other new medical specialty according to the 15^th International Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine. Hmmmm

Good habits and good genes can only take you so far when competing against the biological clock – that can be delayed if you eat right, exercise, and guard against the sun.

My aim is not to look young – it’s to look fresh . That’s the badge of youth. The right skin care makes all the difference. When skin is healthy and radiant it can take 10 years off your looks.

Nothing looks worse than make-up piled on top of dry skin. Always start with a moisturizer. Very dry skin should start with a hydrating serum under moisturizer.

Our skin is assaulted with stress every day and antioxidants defend against environmental injury to the skin. Make sure both your diet and skin care products are filled with antioxidants.

As we get older cell turnover slows, more dead skin accumulates on the surface, pores get clogged, and the outer layer becomes irritated and coarse. The solution: EXFOLIATE!

To look really good in your 70’s and 80’s, start in your 20’s. It’s like saving for retirement.

Optimists appear younger. Positive attitude and happiness are associated with youth.

I just went to my High School 50^th reunion. I graduated in 1958 (yeah, I’m 68 and proud of it). Here are photos of my friends and me taken in 1968 and 50 years later in 2008.