Weather conditions in the winter present unique challenges for your skin.

 With freezing temperatures outside and central heating cranked up to the max, chapped lips, sore red patches, cracked fingers and feet and flaky skin can become problematic. 

 Here’s what is actually happening in inclement weather according to Dr Susan Mayou. “When it's very cold, there is less moisture in the environment, and this lack of moisture is compounded by wind, which blows moisture away from the skin, and central heating.”

 In a dry environment, water is lost from the keratinocytes  -  or skin cells  -  leaving skin feeling sore and chapped. And, unfortunately, most moisturizers do very little to help.

 Per Dr. Mayou, the ideal moisturizer for winter works as a humectant and an occlusive. “Humectants draw water from the lower levels of the skin  -  this comes from the water we drink  -  to rehydrate the upper levels of the skin, while occlusives have a barrier function to help lock in this moisture.”

 Absolutely Natural’s moisturizers accomplish both.  In winter time, our butters, crèmes and oils are often chosen over the lotions for extra “prevention” and healing.

 Guide to Winter Skin

 LIPS can be the first part of the face to show an adverse reaction to cold weather, so use them as your early warning system. If your lips feel dry and damaged, treat them with Absolutely Natural’s lip moist. 

 The skin around the EYES is very thin, and when the air is cold and dry, you might well see an increase in fine lines in this area. Use our Vitamin C Eye Serum for proper care of crow’s feet and underneath eyes.

 CHEEKS and the rest of your face are so exposed, they are extremely susceptible to cold weather damage.  Use our night serum for repair and our Calming Facial Lotion for moisturizing. Of course, our new facial line will help keep skin healthy, hydrated, soft and smoot.  Don’t forget sunscreens especially when you are going to have extended exposure.  UV Rays are more powerful at high altitudes for those of you who like skiing and other outdoor activities.

 HANDS AND FEET often get very dry, can crack and even start to bleed.  Try one of our famous whipped body butters to super hydrate and heal. Our Peppermint Foot Crème is great for dry, damaged feet and gives an instant cooling affect.

 The rest of your BODY needs special attention as well.  The lotions are great, but in these harsh conditions, the Organic Oil or Organic Cream are even better.

 Finally, don’t forget your hair and scalp.  Absolutely Natural’s complete line of shampoos and conditioners will help prevent dry, frizzy hair and scalps.

 Winter’s tough on your skin, but Absolutely Natural will work wonders for you.

 Best regards,

Charley

Oh for that sun kissed skin.  Thoughts of beaches and lakes and long summer days.  That golden tan. 

That can  be hard to do when it is below freezing with snow and sleet and rain as the predominant weather patterns and dull, pale skin greeting you in the mirror.

Absolutely Natural has a solution. 

Our self-tanner will provide a natural tan with copious amounts of nutrient rich, super hydrating ingredients to keep skin soft and supple.  More on the features and benefits later.

A brief history of self-tanners:

Coppertone introduced the first consumer sunless tanning lotion into the marketplace in the 1960s. This product was called “Quick Tan” or “QT”. It was sold as an overnight tanning agent, but the results were not good.  Consumers complained about orange palms, streaking and poor coloration. Coppertone ceased production as they could not fix the problems that were occurring. Because of the QT experience, many people today still associate sunless tanning with fake-looking orange tans.

Nearly all self-tanners use Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) as the “tanning agent.”  DHA reacts chemically with the amino acids in the protein keratin, the major component of the skin surface. The resulting pigments are called melanoidins. These are similar in coloration to melanin, the natural substance in the deeper skin layers which brown or "tan", from exposure to UV rays.

Until recently, most DHA was synthetically manufactured and some researchers considered it ill advised to use because of the potential creation of free radicals during the early stages of the process.  Also, notoriously, DHA had a drying effect on the skin … exactly what you don’t want when trying to build and maintain a tan.

The last several years, researchers have worked with various natural DHA products from beet cane or sugar cane with varying degrees of success.  The biggest concern has been inconsistency from batch to batch.

AN uses Vegetan, which is an extract from rape seed, and provides the most efficient and effective DHA on  the market today.   The result is natural color and hydrated skin with none of the negatives of chemical or sugar DHA’s.

To properly use, ideally, you will exfoliate first with one of Absolutely Natural’s exfoliators and then apply evenly to clean, dry skin.  Color will develop in 2 to 4 hours and continue to build for 24 or more hours.  For a deeper color, apply more frequently.  Tan will last from 3 to 10 days and most of our customers refresh their tans with applications every few days.  Be sure to wash hands after application.

With Mother Nature taking a winter’s break and tanning salons on everyone’s “must miss” list, a self-tanner is a great alternative to maintain that healthy, youthful look year round.

And, with Absolutely Natural’s proprietary formula utilizing a safe, natural state-of-the-art DHA and a great aloe and argan oil base in a luxurious lotion, tanning without the sun will be easy and enjoyable.

Best regards,

Charley

Another year has practically come and gone and historically we take Thanksgiving to reflect and appreciate the times in which we live. Too bad that couldn’t be a daily mantra… we’d probably have happier lives.

Absolutely Natural is no exception and we have plenty to be thankful for. 2016 will be a record year for sales as our private branding division keeps expanding. We have launched several new products to great acclaim including new candles, an entire soap line and some innovative butters.

Product wise, I am most excited about our new facials line. Completely reformulated, repackaged and more effective than ever. We are getting rave reviews, which, of course, I am very thankful.

I believe we have the best crew from top to bottom that we have ever had and I appreciate their efforts, dedication and passion for making the best products ever. We truly do have a family atmosphere and I am so lucky to be able to enjoy working with these fine people.

Of course, the cornerstone of our business is our customer base some of whom who have purchased products from us for nearly 25 years. It has been the best part of the business developing relationships with many over the years, sharing stories of our kids growing up and looking ahead to grandchildren!

I am grateful to have been born in the United States and all the opportunities that affords. I don’t take that lightly as I really believe there is not another country in the world where I could have started this business, survived for many years and through many hardships and now enjoy watching it thrive.

I could go on and on but I hope those that contribute to our efforts know I am thankful for them on a daily basis.

On a personal note, I am thankful and thrilled that my son, Danny, and his beautiful wife, Kelsey, are expecting their first child. Little girl Zoey Elizabeth Richards will join us in late February and my wife and I are going to be grandparents for the first time. Plans are underway to spoil Zoey as much as humanly possible.

Danny and Kelsey are just one of three of the Absolutely Natural family expecting babies. Our own Lindsey Barber is having her third child, a son, in mid-January while Amanda Quattro’s first child is due the first week of February.

Finally, this is a bit out of left field, but I am thankful that babies are born without prejudice and toddlers develop with no hate in their hearts. I recently passed by the play area in our local mall and the little children were interacting with each other without thought of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, economic standing or social status. They were just playing with unadulterated joy … with each other.

Sometimes my heart breaks a little when I think that some, maybe many, will be taught hate and bullying and prejudice and bigotry. But I am thankful that we all can make a positive difference everyday.

Happy Thanksgiving 2016 from all of us at Absolutely Natural.

Sometimes when you start a small remodeling job, one thing leads to another and you end up redoing the entire house.

So it went with our new facial line.  When we first debuted the facials products in 2006, we thought we would never change anything; that it was perfect just the way it was.

But it turned out we needed to tweak a couple of products.

Then came Claudia.  Claudia Lawson is our cosmetic chemist and in the relatively short time she has been at Absolutely Natural, she has made a big impact.  Her passion is to make natural products as effective as possible and come up with unique formulas.  She tirelessly searches for new, innovative natural products to accomplish that.

And, because of her dedication to making natural formulas and her willingness to try new things, our suppliers love her.  The result is that we often get state of the art, natural and organic raw materials before other companies do.

That’s how our “tweak” of the facials products became an entirely new facials line with non-parallel features and benefits.  I am so excited about this line that I consider it to be the most important products we have done in many years.

Also, kudos to Lindsey Barber and Suzanne Clements for our new, great packaging.  We had a challenge with the old pumps and bottles and shared the frustration of our customers.  The new packaging is all easy to use tubes and redesigned bottles eliminating the annoying clogging that plagued the old line.

I think it is vital that you understand the new products so much so that following is a complete description of the product raw materials and their benefits for your face:

 Vitamin C Facial Cleanser

Hydrolyzed Soy Protein and Rice extract – The ingredient that cleanses and wash away dirt and grime

• Mild with superior skin conditioning and moisturizing properties
• Improves skin’s natural barrier functions

Pink Grapefruit Essential Oil

• Fights bacteria and greasiness that can cause acne
• Protects skin against pollution, UV damage, helps against skin infections

Cucumber Extract

• Soothes and comforts skin
• Anti-inflammatory, provides nourishment and a gentle softening of the skin

Sweet Orange Essential Oil

• Promotes detoxification
• Excellent skin tonic, orange oil is used to support clear skin

Orange Blossom Extract

• Soothes irritated, dry skin, anti-inflammatory
• Helps even skin tone

Lemon Essential Oil

• Improves your complexion and leaves your skin soft and supple
• Benefits skin by deeply nourishing
• Helps remove dead skin cells and creates a fresh clear complexion
• Detoxifying

Vitamin C

• Antioxidant properties and its role in collagen synthesis
• May reduce inflammation and irritation, helps prevent and treat ultraviolet (UV)-induced photodamage
• Fades post-breakout red marks by improving skin’s natural healing response

Balancing Facial Toner

Sea Salt

• Anti-inflammatory properties to soothe skin and calm breakouts and irritation. They also help to balance oil production and retain hydration in the layers of skin where it's needed most
• Salt helps to cleanse pores deeply, balance oil production and the bacteria that can instigate breakouts and acne
• Contains minerals to soften skin and restore hydration

Rose Extract

• Complex array of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins
• Helps reduce spots and discoloration
• Anti-inflammatory properties enable Rose Extract to help minimize redness and soothe irritation, cleanses skin and prevents blemishes
• Rehydrates
• Beneficial for dry, sensitive or aging skin
• Very gentle on the skin, and helps against very dry or tight skin

Rose Wood Essential Oil

• Tissue-regenerating properties that helps prevent wrinkles and premature aging
• Works well for preventing a variety of skin conditions

Deep Cleansing Astringent

Witch Hazel

• Strong antioxidant and astringent properties are perfect for killing bacteria that lives within skin’s pores, stopping cellular damage that can lead to skin cancer, preventing signs of aging, and speeding up healing

Orange Peel Extract

• Helps against cell damage
• Brightening
• Good for reducing blackheads

Wild Pansy Extract

• Healing, cleansing and soothing

Chamomile Extract

• Anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic
• Hypoallergenic with the ability to neutralize skin irritants

Willow Bark Extract

• Astringent, anti-inflammatory, soothing and conditioning properties

Tea Tree Oil

• Just as effective as benzoyl peroxide, but without the associated negative side effects that many people experience including red, dried and peeling skin
• Relieves any type of skin inflammation

Clary Sage Oil

• Reduces skin inflammation and heals rashes. I
• Balances and regulates the production of natural oils in the skin, reducing both oily and dry skin

Clove Oil

• Eliminates acne
• Natural anti-inflammatory
• Rejuvenating and stimulating properties, which can increase blood flow to unhealthy skin and make it look young again

Pore Refining Facial Scrub

Rice Bran Oil

• Full of anti-oxidants, vitamins B and E, and wonderful natural emollients. This ingredient not only hydrates skin, but protects from UV rays and helps ward off the signs of aging
• Helps to renew and improve skin’s surface
• Improves overall complexion and helps to even out skin tone
• Hydrates the skin and helps it to retain moisture, making your skin softer and smoother

Grapefruit Peel Scrub

• Adds Vitamin C to your skin, this helps break the bonds that dead skin can have with the living skin on your face.
• While the treatment has exfoliating properties, it is considered a gentle re-texturing peel that can help to improve your skin tone and appearance over time.

Adzuki Beans 

• Adzuki beans contain a natural foaming agent called saponin that helps cleanse pores by absorbing excess oils, removing dirt and dead skin cells, drawing out impurities and promoting circulation
• Promotes a soft, smooth texture and a radiant glow
• Exfoliates without damaging skin, safe for acne-prone skin

Orange Fruit Extract

• Reduces sunburn, blemishes, and dark spots or age spots. Any kind of skin discoloration is helped by orange as it has a mild bleaching property
• Orange has many anti-aging ingredients, is full of antioxidants and works to prevent wrinkles and lines.
• It’s gentle and reduces itching and irritation while also reducing acne and preventing scarring.

Grapefruit Essential Oil

• Fights bacteria and greasiness that can cause acne
• Protects skin against pollution, UV damage,
• Helps protect against skin infections

Peppermint Essential Oil          

• Contains Omega-3 fatty acids, Iron, Magnesium, Calcium, Vitamins A and C, minerals, Potassium, Manganese and Copper.

Renewing Lotion

Safflower Oil

• Prompts the skin to retain water and moisture
• Prevents dryness and roughness, and removes dirt and oil. Its contents make safflower oil a key treatment for issues including eczema, psoriasis and acne.
• Its hydrating properties lend skin a healthy glow, promote elasticity and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

Cetearyl Olivate and Sorbitan Olivate – Olive derived emulsifiers

• Non-comedogenic
• Hypoallergenic
• Deep moisturizing effect
• Biodegradable
• Ecocert

Shea Butter

• The concentration of natural vitamins and fatty acids in Shea butter makes it incredibly nourishing and moisturizing for skin. It is often used to remedy dry skin and to help protect the skin’s natural oils.
• reduces Inflammation, skin smoothing
• Non-comedogenic

Apricot Oil

• Moisturizer, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, anti-bacterial, and antioxidant

Water Lily Extract

• Provides instant hydration to the skin
• Antioxidant, soothing and anti-inflammatory properties
• Calms irritated skin

Jojoba Oil

• Powerful antioxidants, keeps your skin hydrated, and useful in lessening the appearance of skin wrinkles
• Anti-microbial properties and contains Iodine that prevents harmful bacteria growth, which otherwise causes pimples, blackheads, and acne breakouts
• Long-lasting moisture, anti-inflammatory, gentle, and reduces scarring

Avocado Oil

• Helps relieve dry and itchy skin. Once applied, avocado oil is deeply absorbed by the skin

Allantoin

• It comes from an extract from the root of the comfrey plant
• It is a soothing, non-irritating compound that can help heal the skin and stimulate the growth of healthy tissue
• It works as an effective skin softener

Rosehips Oil

• Contains antioxidants and has the ability to penetrate into deeper layers of skin and stimulate collagen production
• It also helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles, improves the skin’s moisture levels and reduces wrinkles and fine lines.

Mud Mask

Old Rose Clay Kaolinite (Rose Clay)

• Used for softness, it gently removes dirt and grime

Bentonite Clay

• Detoxifying

Sunflower Oil

• Helps retain moisture, strong anti-oxidant
• Contains a rich mixture of vitamins and other natural substances that have a healthy effect on your skin and its pores

Green Tea Extract

• Anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant

Plumeria Extract

• Helps in keeping skin supple and toned at the same time.
• Helps in anti-aging, anti-wrinkle, and skin toning. Growth stimulator and anti-bacterial.
• Oxygen scavenger and Anti-oxidant

 I urge you to try this new line and personally guarantee it will make a positive and significant difference on how your face feels ad looks.

Best regards,

Charley

Relax. Slip into a nice, hot tub. The mood is enhanced by several burning candles. Perfection!

Well, maybe not because you may be inhaling toxic chemicals. Kind of spoils the mood.

Researchers at South Carolina State University studied petroleum-based and vegetable-source candles to determine their emissions. They let candles from different manufacturers burn for up to six hours in a small box (8 inches x 8 inches x 26 inches), and then collected and analyzed substances released into the air.

They found that paraffin-based candles (the raw material most candles are made from) emitted toxic chemicals like toluene and benzene. Soybean and beeswax candles did not. Candles made of beeswax or soybean usually highlight their natural ingredients while a lot of paraffin candles will not list the ingredients.

Researchers concluded that frequently lighting many candles in an unventilated space could lead to problems, and may aggravate asthma, cause allergy-like symptoms, or irritate the respiratory tract.

There is some controversy on how badly the petroleum based candles can adversely affect you, but when there are alternatives, why not take them?

 Absolutely Natural candles are pure, natural soybean with fragrance oils or essential oils. They burn slowly and evenly and give off a beautiful fragrance. We have several varieties including:

• Warm, sugar cookie
• Spiced Pine
• Mandarin White Tea
• Pumpkin Brulee
• Blooming Jasmine and Rose Hip (new)
• Sweet Amber and Lavender (new)
• Meadow Woods (new)

We debuted these in last year’s catalog and they instantly became a huge hit. Now with three new fragrances, I am sure you will find several that can enhance your indoor living space and be confident they are perfectly safe for your family and pets.

Best regards,

Charley