Your skin is the largest organ of your body. It is
naturally designed to release and defend against toxins. Sadly, in
the name of beauty and vanity, most of us are unknowingly immersing
our skin in potentially harmful ingredients. Believe it or not, many
industrial chemicals are used in personal care products. These are
chemicals that are scientifically proven to be toxic and/or
detrimental to our health.
At ForeverGreen all of our personal care products are designed using
whole food or botanical ingredients; ingredients that are clean
and/or organic. Our natural aromas use ingredients such as pure
essential oils.
Remember spending those days on the beach soaking up the ocean and
then noticing in the mirror the next morning how beautiful your skin
looks? Is it the salts? Sea minerals? Sunshine? Or Marine
Phytoplankton? Or option ‘D’: All of the Above?
We are proud to introduce to the world the topical companion to
FrequenSea™… SecreSea™.
Imagine feeding your skin what it already knows, but never receives…
every day. SecreSea™ with Marine Phytoplankton is a five-step system
for youthful, vibrant, healthy skin. Watch the appearance of
wrinkles diminish.
Beauty secrets since the dawn of mankind. Creating the highest
standard for health and beauty inside and out for both men and
women.
SecreSea pH Toner - Step 2
purify, balance and hydrate
This invigorating blend tones, purifies, hydrates and balances your
skin's pH for a healthy blemish-free complexion.
To use: After cleansing, dampen a cotton pad with toner, and gently
wipe face and neck. Do not rinse. Avoid contact with eyes.
Ingredients: Purified Water, Glycerin
(Vegetable), Stabilized Concentrated Oxygenated Molecules, Ionic
Mineral Blend, Ubiquinone (COQ10), Vegetable Cellulose, Rose
Essence, Emollient From Vegetable Glycerin.
SecreSea Youth Serum - Step 3
cellular rejuvenation and antioxidant
With rose essence highlighting a total botanical formulation, this
is our highest quality offering, empowering health via your skin.
Infused with Marine Phytoplankton exclusively from ForeverGreenTM.
To use: After cleansing and toning, tap several drops onto
fingertips and sweep over face and neck.
SecreSea Hydrating Cream - Step 4
revitalize, nourish and repair
Make your moisturizing experiences pleasurable with an Aloe Vera
base and the essence of lavender. Infused with Marine Phytoplankton
exclusively from ForeverGreenTM.
To use: Apply daily to clean face and neck. Avoid contact with eyes.
SecreSea Mineral Mask - Specialty
smooth, lift and purify
This deep cleansing mask gently draws out impurities and excess oil
that can clog pores, leaving your skin smooth and refreshed. Infused
with Marine Phytoplankton exclusively from ForeverGreenTM.
To use: Use 2-3 times a week. After cleansing, apply a thin layer on
face and neck. Avoid delicate eye area. Leave on for 5 minutes and
rinse.
#1 ALBUMIN - The chief ingredient
in artificial face lifts. It is being touted
as a wrinkle treatment. The last time a serious case concerning
consumer claims came up was in the 1960's. Both of these products
were temporary wrinkle removers. The formulas contained a bovine
serum albumin in that, when dried, formed a film over wrinkles thus
making wrinkles less obvious. (Brumberg)
#2 BIOTIN - (Vitamin H) An exotic
ingredient promoted as being necessary and beneficial for skin and
hair care. A deficiency of this vitamin has
been associated with greasy scalps and baldness in rats and other
experimental animals. Fur-bearing animals, however, have a very
different hair growth from Human Beings. Biotin deficiency in man is
extremely rare. Biotin is considered a worthless additive in
cosmetic products. (Chase)
#3 COLLAGEN - Some companies imply
that collagen can support the skin’s own collagen network Others
claim it can be absorbed to moisturize skin.
The collagen in creams and lotions acts like any protein ingredient
in that it merely provides a coating on the skin’s surface. (Chase)
The collagen molecule cannot penetrate your skin
because it is much too large to be absorbed by the epidermis. (Brumberg)
. . Collagen, elastin, or other proteins and amino acids cannot get
into the skin through topical application. The molecules of these
substances are simply too large to penetrate your skin. (Novick)
Cosmetics manufacturers have heralded it as a new
wonder ingredient, but according to medical experts, it cannot
effect the skin’s own collagen when applied topically. (Winter)
#4 ELASTlN - Another ingredient
promoted as being beneficial for skin and hair care.
Elastin is included in some skin care products, but nowhere near as
much as collagen. It too, cannot be absorbed by the epidermis. (Brumberg)
In a cosmetic product, they cannot restore tone to skin. When used
in such products as moisturizers, they act like all other commercial
proteins-- by forming a film that holds moisture. (Chase)
#5 GLYCERIN - Promoted as being a
beneficial humectant. This is a clear, syrupy
liquid made by chemically combining water and fat. The wafer splits
the fat into smaller components-glycerol and fatty acids. It
improves the spreading qualities of creams and lotions and prevents
them from losing water through evaporation. Glycerin, however, has a
tendency to draw water out of the skin and so can make dry skin
dryer. (Chase)
A solvent, humectant and emollient in many
cosmetics, it absorbs moisture from the air and; therefore, helps
keep moisture in creams and other products, even if the consumer
leaves the cap off the container. (Winter) SEE HUMECTANTS
#6 HUMAN PLACENTAL EXTRACT -
Promoted for rejuvenating and nourishing aging skin.
Placental extracts are another big hype. In moisturizers, these
ingredients allegedly supplement the vitamin and hormone content The
manufacturers of these products take advantage of the belief that
since the placenta nourishes the developing embryo, an extract of it
can nourish and rejuvenate aging skin. Placental extracts can do no
such thing. (Novick)
The value of a cosmetic depends on its active
ingredients and with cosmetics containing ‘placental extract it is
impossible to tell what you are getting. (Chase)
Temporary means temporary, but it’s still nice,
every now and then, to be able to get a smoother look. Some
ingredients include sodium silicate, bovine serum albumin and human
placental protein. (Brumberg)
#7 HUMECTANTS - Ingredients which
draw moisture to and aid in moisturizing skin.
Most moisturizers contain humectants that act as water attractors...
They actually pull moisture out of your skin. (Valmy)
The problem with humectants, including propylene
glycol and glycerin is that; although they are most effective when
you are in areas with high humidity, if you are going to be in an
extremely low humidity atmosphere, such as in an airplane or even a
dry room, they can actually take moisture from your skin. Here’s
why: Humectants are on the search for moisture that can be absorbed
from the environment. If the environment is so drying that there is
no moisture to be had, they till get it from the next best source -
your skin. When this happens, the ingredient, which is supposed to
help your skin retain moisture, instead does the opposite. (Brumberg)
A substance used to preserve the moisture content
of materials, especially in hand creams and lotions. (Winter) SEE
GLYCERIN, PROPYLENE GLYCOL
#8 HYPOALLERGENIC - A product to
which you are not allergic. Hypoallergenic
means "less than" and the word hypoallergenic tells the consumer
that the manufacturer believes the product fewer allergens than
other products. There are no federal regulations defining allergens,
nor are there any guidelines. So ‘hypoallergenic" has little
meaning. (Brumberg)
#9 LANOLIN - A beneficial
moisturizer. Advertisers have found that the
words "contain Lanolin" help to sell a product and have promoted it
as being able to "penetrate the skin better than other oils,"
although there is little scientific proof of this. Lanolin has been
found to be a common skin sensitizer causing allergic contact skin
rashes. (Winter)
#10 LIPOSOMES - Ultimate
anti-aging agent Liposomes are one of the newest entries in the
Fountain-of-Youth arena. According to one
recent theory, cellular aging involves the edification of skin cell
membranes. Liposomes, which are tiny bags of fat and thymus gland
extract suspended in a gel, are supposed to merge with your aging
skin cells, revive them and add moisture to them. Current scientific
understanding does not support the rigidification theory. The cell
membranes of young and old persons are alike. As a result, it is
likely that liposome-containing moisturizers represent nothing more
than another expensive allure. (Novick)
#11 MINERAL OIL - A beneficial
moisturizer. Has tendency to dissolve the
skin’s own natural oil and thereby increase dehydration. Mineral
oils have been found to be probably the single greatest cause of
breakouts in women who use a new product. (Chase)
#12 NATURAL COSMETICS - No
Artificial ingredients Pure or from nature. In
cosmetic terminology, the term ‘natural" usually means anything the
manufacturer wishes. There are no legal boundaries for the term. As
a whole, natural cosmetics are purely an advertising gimmick (Chase)
There are no guidelines surrounding what can or cannot be inside a
"natural" product. Cosmetics called ‘natural" still contain
preservatives, coloring agents and all the other things you can
think of that sound very unnatural. (Begoun)
#13 PROPYLENE GLYCOL - Being
promoted as being a beneficial humectant. It
is the most common moisturizing vehicle, other than water, in
cosmetics. It has better permeation through the skin than glycerin
and is less expensive; although it has been linked to more
sensitivity reactions. Its use is being reduced and it is being
replaced by safer glycols such as butylene and polyethylene glycol.
(Winter) A moisturizer that has been shown to provoke acne
eruptions. (Chase) SEE HUMECTANTS
#14 ROYAL BEE JELLY - Promoted to
nourish and moisturize the skin. This
substance is found in beehives. It is secreted from the digestive
tubes of worker bees. The male bees and the workers eat royal jelly
for only a few days after they are born, but the Queen Bee eats
royal jelly all of her life. Because royal jelly is associated with
the health and long life of the Queen Bee, it was believed that this
substance could have some age-retarding properties. It does not.
There has been extensive research done on the value of royal jelly
and the scientific consensus is that it is worthless for humans.
Anyone who claims that it has special powers is a fraud. (Chase)
Eggs, milk, honey and royal bee jelly are other favorites of some
moisturizer manufacturers. Without question, eggs are nourishing for
the embryo, milk nourishing and life-sustaining for infants, and
honey and royal bee jelly nectar for bees. When applied to the skin,
however, they do little for you, although they may give a
moisturizer a smoother Consistency or a lush look. (Novick) Highly
touted as a magical ingredient in cosmetics to restore one’s skin to
youthfulness. If stored, royal jelly loses its capacity to develop
Queen Bees. Even when fresh, there is no proven value in a cosmetic
preparation. (Winter)
#15 SEAWEED - Promoted to nourish
and moisturize the skin. This plant has
gelatinous properties. It is the major ingredient of the thin, clear
masks that peel off in one piece. These masks allow the skin to
build up a supply of water. Seaweed is also used in face creams and
lotions where it gives body and substance to the products, not to
the skin. (Chase)
#16 SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE- No
claims made. Sodium fatty acid soap, a
relatively weak surfactant. Used as a wetting agent in the textile
industry. Irritating to scalp and may cause hair loss. (Wright) SEE
SODIUM LAUREL SULFATE
#17 SODIUM LAUREL SULFATE - No one
making any claims about this one and for good reason.
We examined an anionic detergent, sodium laureth sulfate, which is
commonly found in soaps and shampoos, that would penetrate into the
eyes, as well as systemic tissues (brain, heart, liver, etc.). SLS
also showed long-term retention in tissues. Because SLS and related
substances are widely used in many populations on a daily basis in
soaps and shampoos, there is an immediate concern relating to the
penetration of these chemicals into the eyes and other tissues. This
is especially important in infants, where considerable growth is
occurring, because a much greater uptake occurs by tissues of
younger eyes and SLS changes the amounts of some proteins in cells
from eye tissues. Tissues of young eyes may be more susceptible to
alteration by SLS.
#18 TYROSINE - An amino acid which
can help you attain a deep, dark tan. Some tanning accelerator
lotions do contain tyrosine. You can be sure
they’ll advertise it if they do - an amino acid that’s essential to
melanization (darkening) of the skin. But, melanization is an
internal process and spreading lotion on the skin’s surface does
nothing to fuel it. Similar logic would have us trying to rub food
through our pores to satisfy hunger. (Matarasso) Manufacturer’s
claims for the efficacy of tan accelerators remain unproven; a
recent, independent study of these products failed to demonstrate
any augmentation of tanning. Indeed it is doubtful that sufficient
amounts of tyrosine can penetrate to the level of the skin where it
could enhance melanin production. (Novick)
So what is the
right choice? What can we do?
The answer is to Read the
labels on any product you are going to purchase. and when ever
possible choose natural products.
