Make sure to read your sunscreen labels.

Last June, the FDA released some new sunscreen labeling guidelines that are scheduled to go into full effect this June (although manufacturers may have already begun implementing them). These guidelines are designed to provide consumers with the information they need to make the best choice in sun protection. Here’s what the new labels will tell you:

Broad Spectrum Protection

UV-B radiation causes sunburn, but recent research shows that UV-A radiation, which doesn’t cause visible signs of sun damage, is linked to an increased risk of skin cancer. As a result, sunscreens are starting to include protection against both types of UV radiation. Those that do will be labeled “broad spectrum” protection.

Sun Protection Factor (SPF)

What the sun protection factor is or how it’s determined is very complicated. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates SPF values, which require sophisticated phototesting to be determined. Interpretations of these values can be misleading, but essentially, SPF indicates the multiple amount of UV radiation that will cause sunburn with the sunscreen product compared to without.

For example, a product with SPF 15 means that it will take 15 times the UV radiation to cause sunburn on skin where the product has been applied as directed compared to skin where no product is used. SPF should not be translated as the number of minutes or hours someone wearing the sunscreen is able to be in the sun without experiencing burning or other sun damage.

For maximum SPF effectiveness, sunscreen must be as directed:

1. Applied in adequate amounts—approximately one full ounce to cover your body, and
2. Reapplied per label instructions—generally, every 40-80 minutes

Regardless of SPF, the actual effectiveness of any sunscreen product depends on many factors, including:

• Wearer’s skin type
• Intensity of sun exposure (maximum intensity is between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm, which varies slightly by altitude and proximity to the equator)
• Rate of degradation of sunscreen ingredients when exposed to UV

New labeling regulations state that no sunscreen can claim an SPF value over 50. No evidence convincingly shows that an SPF over 50 provides better protection.

Sunscreen Label Language

According to the new regulations, broad spectrum sunscreens with an SPF of 15 or higher may state on their label that they reduce the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging (when used as directed).

If a sunscreen product is not broad spectrum or provides an SPF lower than 15, labels must include a warning that the product has not been shown to reduce the risk of skin cancer and early aging.

Sunscreens are no longer able to use the words “sun block” on their labels, as no ingredient has been proven to block all UV spectrum radiation. Sunscreens can no longer claim to be “waterproof” or “sweatproof” but may use the terms “water resistant.”

Finding the Right Sunscreen

The new FDA sunscreen labeling guidelines are designed to inform consumers without misleading them. Essentially, read the labels to find a broad spectrum sun protection product with SPF 15 or higher.

Also consider:

• Avoiding sunscreen with parabens and PABA, common skin allergens and endocrine disruptors
• Sunscreens with moisturizers

If you’re looking for a new sunscreen product, check out our Surya SPF-35+ and Surya SPF-15 formulas.

Protect your skin this summer.

It’s no secret: overexposure to the sun causes skin damage, which can lead to the development of skin cancer. This you know. But fewer people are likely to understand how the sun damages skin. It all begins with UV radiation…

What is UV Radiation?

Light travels in waves—some light waves have frequencies that are visible to the human eye. When these rays hit an object, some frequencies are absorbed, others reflected. The reflected light creates the colors of everything you see (remember ROYGBIV?).

But with these visible light wave frequencies travel invisible light waves, ones that are absorbed or reflected without our seeing it. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is one type of invisible light, which travels at faster frequencies than light on the visible spectrum.

UV radiation is broken down further into ranges of wavelengths:

• UV-A rays
  • Used in tanning beds
  • Were thought to be “safe,” but recent research is showing long-term damage potential (including skin cancer risk)
  • Can  penetrate glass and clouds
• UV-B rays
  • Longest-known skin cancer risk factor
  • Cannot penetrate glass
• UV-C rays
  • Entirely absorbed by the earth’s ozone layer

UV-A and –B radiation penetrates the ozone layer and our skin, and that’s where the potential for sun damage arises.

What does UV Radiation Do to Your Skin?

UV radiation penetrates the epidermis layer of your skin and is absorbed by various dermis-layer components, like collagen, elastin, melanin, etc. Absorbing UV radiation essentially “energizes” the compounds, which isn’t all bad.

UV radiation stimulates melanocytes’ production of melanin, which can give your skin a healthy sun-kissed tan. At the same time, these cells are able to produce Vitamin D, an essential vitamin involved in several body processes.

However, overstimulation of the melanocytes can result in hyperpigmentation or sun spots.

Absorbed UV radiation energy is often a catalyst for other chemical reactions that may break down the molecular structure of the compounds in the skin matrix. Part of this chemical breakdown often involves the creation of free radicals: oxygen molecules that are missing an electron.

Free radicals are unstable and seek out a compound with a free electron or at least a compound with a weak enough molecular bond it can break to make an electron available…which may be a bond in healthy tissues or skin components.

Free radical damage is the major culprit in the breakdown of collagen and elastin. When these skin matrix components degrade, your skin loses its firmness and elasticity, resulting in sagging, wrinkled and dehydrated skin.

What is Overexposure?

Overexposure to the sun is known to cause sun damage and increase your risk for skin cancer. But just how much sun exposure is overexposure is impossible to know. The best protection is to wear sun protection whenever you’re exposed:

• Wear sunscreen daily (you may already! Many daily moisturizers and makeup formulas have an SPF)
• Reapply sunscreen as need (it’s always needed after you get wet, even if it says it’s waterproof)
• Wear protective clothing
• Wear UV-filtering sunglasses

For more sun protection tips, visit the Skin Cancer Foundation’s Prevention section: http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/sun-protection.

Sunday, April 22^nd was the 42^nd annual observation of Earth Day. Every Earth Day (and hopefully more frequently than that), we reflect on the state of our planet and resolve to take better care of our natural resources.

Moving toward sustainable living now requires more than just separating your plastics, glass and metal into their appropriate recycling bins. To really protect the planet, we need to constantly be aware of what we’re leaving behind or letting go down the drains. That makes your choice in beauty products and opportunity to be earth-friendly.

But among the thousands of skin care products, which ones are earth-friendly and still work? When products claim to be earth-friendly, what does that mean, anyway? While we can’t answer for anyone else, here’s how Hale Cosmeceuticals provides earth-friendly skin care:

Our Products are Plant-Based

Our active ingredients:

• The peptides…
• The Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids …
• The antioxidants…

…they’re all derived from plants! From grape seed extracts to sea vegetables, our products rely on renewable plant sources.

Our Products are Paraben-Free

You may know that parabens are bad for you—they are endocrine disruptors and have been linked so some cancers. But the same ill effects parabens have on humans are experienced by other animals.

When paraben-containing beauty products are washed down the drain, the parabens enter the water system, and they aren’t completely removed through wastewater treatment. That means that parabens are getting into freshwater streams and rivers, disrupting the systems of fish, frogs, and everything else that calls freshwater ecosystems home.

Our Products are Animal-Friendly

Part of being earth-friendly is being friendly with the other creatures who share the planet. Hale Cosmeceuticals is committed to being animal-friendly, so we never test our products on animals.

Our Commitment to Sustainability

Hale Cosmeceuticals is always looking for more way to make our business and our products more sustainable. Recently, we changed our shipping methods to reduce the amount of materials (especially cardboard) that could potentially end up in landfills.

If you have an idea for how we can be even more Earth-friendly, please let us know!

Hyaluronic acid is a promising anti-aging skin care technology. It’s what makes babies’ skin so plump and soft and supple. And in the right delivery mechanism, it can add softness and suppleness to aging skin, too.

The Extracellular Matrix

To tell you your skin is made up of layers is nothing new. The terms dermis and epidermis are fairly commonplace, especially among people who are savvy about their skin care. But there’s more to your skin than just layers of skin cells. There’s “stuff” between those cells—the extracellular matrix.

The Extracellular Matrix (ECM) lends support to skin cells, so it is largely responsible for giving skin its structure. The ECM is made up of fibers—collagen and elastin, primarily—which make skin a firm but stretchy barrier.

The ECM also contains other substances that provide nourishment and hydration for the cells and fibers. Hyaluronic acid is one of those substances.

The Function of Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid is essentially a lubricant and hydrator, locking water (moisture) where is it needed most. Hyaluronic acid is a major component of synovial fluid around the joints, lubricating the surrounding tissues and allowing them to move smoothly. It is also found in eye tissue and, of course, the skin.

In the skin, hyaluronic acid’s ability to lock in moisture helps combat dryness, flaking, scaling and scarring.

Hyaluronic Acid and Aging

Babies’ skin contains large amounts of hyaluronic acid. Unfortunately, the amount of hyaluronic acid in the skin diminishes with age. The decrease in the skin’s ability to hold moisture can cause it to sag and wrinkle.

However, restoring hyaluronic acid to the skin can combat the signs of aging. There are two possible ways of increasing hyaluronic acid:

1. Internally by taking a dietary supplement, or
2. Externally through hyaluronic acid-containing skin care products

The results of ingested hyaluronic acid on skin are not well documented. Hyaluronic acid doesn’t know where you need it most, so your body will likely distribute it to all the places it is normally present—your joints, your eyes as well as your skin. That means that if there are any noticeable benefits from hyaluronic acid, will likely you take you much longer to see them.

Topical delivery is much more likely to give you the anti-aging effects you desire. It is most effective in reducing the appearance of lines and wrinkles around the eyes, but it can be an all-over-face aid to soothe and regenerate skin after a chemical peel, sunburn or laser treatment.

If you are interested in reducing the signs of aging by giving your skin more of what it uses already, check out Dermist M3HA from Hale Cosmeceuticals.  Our Dermist M3HA contains medical-grade hyaluronic acid and is gentle enough for twice-daily application.

Don't let stress affect your skin.

April is National Stress Awareness Month. Perhaps it seems silly to have an entire month dedicated to stress awareness—who needs to be more aware of stress?

But the fact is that while people are likely very aware that they feel stressed, even aware of what may be causing stress, most people aren’t always aware of the ill effects chronic stress can have on their health—their physical health, emotional well-being and interpersonal relationships.

For instance, stress can significantly impact your skin’s health and appearance, and that can have a huge impact on how you feel about yourself.

Stress-Induced Chemical Reactions

Stress of any kind triggers the “fight or flight” reaction—a chemical reaction involving adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline is primarily responsible for “amping up” your cardiovascular and respiratory systems in preparation for a fight or a flight. Cortisol contributes to your body’s fight or flight response by temporarily allowing for an increase in energy, memory function and immunity and a decrease in pain sensitivity.

The stress reaction by itself is a good thing—it allows for our survival. The problem is that when stressors are prolonged, the stress reaction takes its toll on the mind and body.

Chronic Stress and Your Skin

When it comes to the skin, in particular, heighted cortisol levels trigger oil production in the sebaceous glands, often causing acne breakouts. Chronic stress has also been linked to flare ups of other skin conditions, including:

• Psoriasis
• Eczema and other rashes
• Rosacea
• Fever blisters (cold sores)

The fact that stress can often result in a haphazard skin care regimen may further exacerbate skin conditions.

Your Skin and Your Self-Esteem

Acne breakouts and rashes are bad enough during times of stress. But the blow to one’s self-confidence when these breakouts and flare ups occur is even worse.

When you wear your stress all over your face, it can make you feel self-conscious and make you want to avoid being seen—that takes a toll on your social life and your relationships, even the relationship with yourself. And this skin-self dynamic can be a vicious cycle:

Getting effective treatment for stressed-out skin is important because of the potential to drastically improve your emotional well-being. A 2008 study by Richard G. Fried, MD, PhD, FAA proved it. Dr. Fried found that patients who received cosmetic interventions (this study focused on Botox) for skin issues that made patients negatively perceive themselves experienced significant emotional benefits—they felt less anxious, more relaxed and more optimistic. ^{http://www.aad.org/media-resources/stats-and-facts/prevention-and-care/stress-and-skin}

Treatment for Stressed Out Skin

Many factors influence what will work to treat your stressed out skin, and you may need to consult with your doctor or dermatologist to get thetreatments that are right for you.

However, topical, and even some medicinal, treatments aimed at only working on the skin will be limited in their effectiveness. To really treat stressed-out skin, you need to get to the real cause—the stress.

Learning stress management techniques that are effective for you are vitally important to maintaining your skin and your overall health. You will need to find what fits into your lifestyle and what works for you, but everyone can help minimize the effects of stress on their skin and bodies by:

• Eating a balanced diet that includes lots of fresh fruits and vegetables
• Drinking plenty of water (eight 8-oz glasses per day)
• Deep breathing
• Getting seven to eight full hours of restful sleep each night

Your stress management can also be enhanced by pampering yourself every once in a while…and Hale Cosmeceuticals’ spa-quality skin care products can help!

The 411 on Hale Cosmeceuticals!

Have you ever called to order something you found online only to get lost in a phone system maze? Did you ever talk to a human?

And what about once the product arrived—was it broken or not what you thought? Did you have to press for option 2, then option 3, then option 1 only to have horrible “on hold” music blasting in your ear? How frustrating!

Hale Cosmeceuticals understands. We know how valuable your time is and how frustrating it is to get transferred and put on hold just to get what you already paid for. That’s why at Hale Cosmeceuticals, we do things the old-fashioned way: one-on-one, you talking to another human.

Your Order Experience

You might notice that www.halecosmeceuticals.com doesn’t have a shopping cart anywhere on the site. That’s because we want to talk to you!

Buying quality skin care products shouldn’t be a “sterile” experience—just a click and a credit card number field. It’s a chance for us to give you even more information the product you’re ordering, answer your questions and, if you want, to recommend other products that will enhance your skin care efforts.

As long as we receive your order by 3:30 pm Central Time, we’ll ship it the same day. If we receive your call after that, it will go out first thing the next morning! You’ll have your Hale Cosmeceuticals skin care products in 3-5 business days.

Your Order Mishap Experience

We do our best to explain our products function and benefits our website. And we do our best to package them carefully. But every once in a while, something goes awry. The product just isn’t what you expected or it arrived broken.

Call us!

A real live person is always waiting to take your call at Hale Cosmeceuticals. If your order is wrong, doesn’t work with your skin type, is broken, etc. we are happy to help. In most cases, we can get you the right product out the same day. If you need it in less than 3-5 business days, we’ll overnight it.

Your Follow-up

Whether you are a first-time customer or you regularly purchase quality Hale Cosmeceuticals products, we want to make sure you’re happy. We will follow-up with you a few days after your order to make sure it arrived and answer any new questions you may have.

If there’s every anything you need in the meantime, please call us! There’s no “press 1 for” options or extensions to remember…just a friendly real Hale Cosmeceuticals staffmember waiting to talk to you!

Understand how the skin ages.

Scientific jargon used on skin care product labeling and/or advertising can be just as intimidating as it is impressive. The word “peptide,” for instance, sounds like something you vaguely remember from an old biology text book, but what exactly is it? And how does it help you look younger?

How Skin Chemically Ages

To understand how peptides work in skin care products, you must first understand how the skin ages.

Skin is made of several layers, the outermost (epidermis) actually being dead skin cells. The layer just beneath (dermis) is composed of collagen and elastin, two substances that give skin its suppleness and elasticity.

Every day, you are exposed to a number of environmental threats: air pollution, harsh chemicals or other irritants (like parabens and dyes), ultraviolet radiation, free radicals, etc. These threats cause collagen and elastin to break down, chemically bond with other elements, which can then lead to them bonding with sugars (a process called glycosylation or glycation). The result: sagging skin, wrinkles and a dull complexion.

How Peptides Help

The body naturally produces 20 amino acids, which link together to form chains of varying lengths sequences. Chains over 50 amino acids long are called proteins. Chains under 50 amino acids long are called peptides.

Like proteins, peptides are chemical constituents of and/or messengers to cells. They “tell” cells (or molecular compounds inside or outside the cell) what to do or not do.

In the skin, some peptides (pentapeptides, in particular) “tell” collagen and elastin fibers not to link to sugar. By blocking the glycation process, collagen and elastin remain in their free form, which helps skin maintain its radiance, plumpness and elasticity.

But pentapeptides aren’t the only peptides helpful in your pursuit of younger, healthier looking skin. Other peptides perform various skin-enhancing functions. For instance:

• Acetylhexapeptide (also known as Argireline) is a relaxing peptide. It can inhibit muscle contraction, relaxing the skin and smoothing the appearance of wrinkles, much like Botox.
• Tego-Pep 4-17 is a filling peptide that reduces wrinkle depth and skin roughness.
• HBNP-1 is a repairing peptide that both inhibits the enzymatic breakdown of collagen and signals cells to produce more collagen

Dipeptides improve lymphatic circulation, which reduces the appearance of dark circles under your eyes, and other peptides reduce enzymatic breakdown of proteins that results in stretch marks.

Effective Peptide Skin Care Products

A lot of skin care products may claim to contain peptides, but not all peptide-containing products will yield the same results. There are two main factors in the effectiveness of peptide skin care product:

1. The stability of the peptide, and
2. The peptide delivery vehicle (i.e. the cream, lotion or serum)

Peptides are building blocks of proteins—they are ready to be combined with other peptides or molecules to make bigger chains of amino acids. If peptides are not properly stabilized, they may end up bonding to other chemicals (inactive ingredients) in the lotion or serum, making them essentially useless to your skin.

Also, to work properly, peptides must penetrate into the dermis where collagen and elastin production and breakdown is happening. But if a cream, lotion or serum is too thick, it may not penetrate below the epidermis, giving the peptides nothing to work on.

Peptide Skin Care That Works

Hale Cosmeceuticals’ peptide products are formulated for maximum effectiveness. Our products have been developed and tested by our own chemists—we don’t rely on anyone else’s research. And the formulas our peptides are in are designed to allow for deep skin penetration.

If you’d like to see if peptides can work for you, check out our pentapeptide line (available in trial sizes).

Affordable and quality skin care

The best-kept secret in skin care is coming out of its shell! Hale Cosmeceuticals!

Hale Cosmeceuticals has been developing high quality skin care products that apply the latest research and advances in science for over 20 years! We’re not new to the skin care industry…we’re just new to blogging (and Twitter and Facebook). But we’re ready to take how we share our knowledge of skin care to a whole new level!

About Us

Hale Cosmeceuticals is a small Midwestern company on a mission to make high quality, research-based skin care products…and keep them affordable.

We Do the Research

Based in Bloomington, Illinois, Hale Cosmeceuticals stays on the cutting edge of skin care science because we have our own Research and Development (R & D) team. We don’t rely on others’ research—we do our own to make sure that our products are the safest, most effective products available.

That’s why Hale Cosmeceuticals:

• Only uses L-Ascorbic Acid, the purest form of Vitamin C, in our formulas
• Uses higher concentrations of active ingredients than most other skin care product lines
• Are completely paraben free
• Are made using cold water processing techniques

We know our products work and that they’re safe to use because we’ve tested them…but not on animals. Hale Cosmeceuticals is committed to humane skin care.

We Make Quality Skin Care Affordable

We don’t think that quality should come at such a high price that the “average Joe” or “plain Jane” can’t afford it. Hale Cosmeceuticals keeps costs down by cutting out middlemen—we sell directly to our clients. We offer our products in trial sizes to give you time to compare the results you get from Hale Cosmeceuticals and the products you’re currently using. We also sell in bulk quantities for our professional clients.

About Our Products

Hale Cosmeceuticals brings you a full line of skin care products to help you restore and enhance your natural beauty, including:

• Cleansers and masques
• Moisturizers
• Skin brighteners
• Eye treatments
• Wrinkle reducers
• And more!

Our products use the latest skin care technologies, like pentapeptides, antioxidants and amino acids to naturally bring back the healthy glow and suppleness to your skin.

Where You Can Find Us

Like we said, we’ve been tucked deep in the heart of the Prairie State for over two decades, but now you can find us much more easily. With just a click of your mouse you can Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter…

…and you’ll be glad you did. We have special online-only deals for our Fans and Followers!

Hale Cosmeceuticals. Glad to meet you!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

25% Phytic Acid / 50% Glycolic 1pH

The Phytic Lightening Peel acts to block the synthesis of melanin in the epidermal layer of the skin. This is the layer that has been most damaged by environmental factors such as sun exposure, smoking, and pollution. This peel will refresh and brighten the skin by chelating the entrance of iron in the formation of melanin.  The combination of phytic acid and glycolic acid will provide a younger, healthier look in addition to lightening the skin to improve uneven skin tones.

Benefits:

• Lightens melasma
• Helps reduce acne
• Provides healthier, younger looking skin
• Reduces fine lines and wrinkles