The Golden Gazette

Skin Care and the Effects of Aging

Cleopatra, it is believed, bathed in sour milk (lactic acid) to improve her complexion. In France, over 200 years ago, there is documentation of a “Youth Cream” made from aged wine. Lemon and fruits have been used in Hungary, and other parts of Europe for hundreds of years as skin toners. Alpha hydroxy acids (AHA) have been a part of skin treatment regimens since ancient times. This historic experience base has lead a to growing body of current research around the effects of photoaging. With this research, alpha hydroxy acids have become even more popular.

PHOTOAGING

Photoaging was first coined in 1986 and is a direct result of ultraviolet light exposure on the skin. On sun exposed skin, up to 90% of skin aging is due to the deleterious effects of the sun. The natural aging process is dependent on time and genetics, and is unchangeable. However, photoaging can be avoided with good sun protection habits.

THE BENEFITS OF AHA

Alpha hydroxy acids work mainly as an exfoliant. The cells in the outer layer of skin detach and slough off, making room for regrowth of new skin. Alpha hydroxy acids may even stimulate the production of collagen and elastin. Alpha hydroxy acids are reported to improve wrinkling, roughness, and mottled pigmentation of photo-damaged skin after months of daily application. AHA found in skin-care products works best in a concentration of 5% to 8% and at a pH of 3 to 4.

Read the ingredients of your skin care products carefully. Those with AHA in them are likely to help diminish some of the signs of aging, but AHA can also increase sensitivity to the sun by 50%. It appears that alpha hydroxy acids may be able to reverse some of the damage caused by photoaging, but at the same time may make the skin more susceptible to photoaging.

AHAs have side effects that can include redness, burning, itching, pain, and possibly scarring. People with darker colored skin are at a higher risk of scarring pigment changes with alpha hydroxy acids. When using AHA it is important to protect yourself from the sun. A tanning alternative, such as spray tanning, would better serve the desire for a golden tan, than laying out in the sun and risking exposure to damaging UV rays.

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Tips for Whole Skin Care for Imbalanced Skin

Are your clients having a skin imbalance issue? Here are some tips to balance your skin with a wholesome approach to your day to day life style.

1) Try and reduce stress from everyday life

2) Cut down how much caffeine you consume

3) Drink enough water according to your body weight – you can also accomplish this by incorporating water rich fruits and vegetables in your daily meals.

4) Eat balanced diet that includes vegetables, fruits, proteins and healthy fats

5) Good night sleep and happy thoughts

6) Any skin care products you choose, try and look for products that contain a combination of water and oil (especially oil that contain essential fatty acid)

Hope this helps!

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Preservatives in our skin care and sunless tanning products?

Preservatives are the ingredients that protect spray tanning solution or any cosmetic product from the growth of the microorganisms like bacteria, fungi and molds. A preservative also helps the product to protect itself against damage and degradation caused by exposure to oxygen. Without preservatives, cosmetic products can become contaminated, leading to product spoilage and if used on the skin possibly cause irritation or infections. Microbial contamination of products can cause significant problems.

Most people probably appreciate that it is an essential requirement for manufacturers to sell safe products that are hygienic when used according to the instructions and that the product retains its integrity during the required shelf life of the product.

Before we go further, one important things you should know that most spray tanning products and lotions and creams contains water (aqua) as one of the main ingredients and if those products are not properly preserved it will grow microorganism and product will be contaminated right away.

Preservative free products?

When we have a client ask us why so and so company says they have preservative free products our only answer we have is to carefully look at the ingredient list on those products, If they are using water (aqua) as one of their ingredient then their label is incomplete or they are just hiding the truth!

So how about Natural preservative?

Some companies claim that they use certain “natural” ingredients which they claim safely preserve their products. However, whether that is the case or not can only be proven by a microbiologist carrying out a challenge test on the product. A challenge test provides a standard test regime which establishes whether the product is safely preserved under normal conditions of use against the microorganisms that could be harmful to user and product stability. The fact that a particular “natural” ingredient has preservative properties does not necessarily mean that it is sufficient to provide adequate preservation to the finished product during the normal shelf life of the product. At AYU we are constantly looking at any “natural preservative” out in the market and do challange test and few different types of micro testing and we have not found any natural preservative that successfully preserves our products and keeps the products stable or fresh.

How we choose preservative system for our products?

At AYU, we are group of cosmetic chemists and we have considerable experience, a combined 80 years of experience in fact, with preserving cosmetics, skin care and sunless tanning/spray tanning products. The choice of a suitable preservative depends upon many issues, not the least of which is pH. Other considerations include compatibility with other ingredients in the product, as sometimes these will affect the preservation efficacy and the end result could potentially be an under-preserved product. There are many preservatives available for the cosmetic chemist to use, but not all are suitable or desirable for the type of products that we manufacture. For example, there are preservatives that work by releasing a small amount of formaldehyde in order to kill off any microorganisms. However, although highly effective as a preservative, there are issues with formaldehyde even in low doses, such as irritation and other health issues. Another family of preservatives are called parabens. Chemically, parabens are esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid. These are again highly effective and have had a long history of use in cosmetics. The issue here is that the parabens have received negative publicity whether justified or not and we have chosen not to use them purely for our customer’s peace of mind even though they are deemed safe for use in cosmetic products at the normal levels of usage.

At AYU, we keep abreast of all new ingredients and review very carefully all the safety and technical data applicable to an ingredient being considered for use in our products. Only when we are completely satisfied will we incorporate it into our products.

Do you have any questions regarding preservatives in cosmetics and skin care products or you have different views on preservatives in these products,If so feel free to leave us a comment.

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Beautifying your Knees, Ankles and Elbows before Spray Tanning :

This may be a strange title for my blog, but this step is really necessary because these areas can become super dark and orange and becomes a tell tail sign of spray tanning.

Most all of us suffer from dry skin around these areas on a regular basis and when you spray tan this becomes a huge problem. This is because these areas will absorb more DHA ( the active ingredient that gives skin a tan color) and the result is a dark color or orange appearing on the elbows, knees and ankles. I would like to suggest a few tips that you can do every day for smooth, soft elbows, knees and ankles.

1) Get into the habit of regularly exfoliating these areas with fine grain sugar scrubs. Look for scrubs that are rich in botanicals, oils and butters like Cocoa or Shea Butter. Wet your skin and apply gently in a circular motion. Do not use force because it can scratch or tear the skin then rinse off with warm water. This will help to soften these areas. After doing that apply a rich moisturizer like body butter. This daily 5 minute ritual will help keep these areas soft and hydrated in preparation for your tan.

2) Warm baths with some good bath oil or bath salt will do wonders. Just be sure to apply a little lemon juice and oil to those areas before you get in to the tub. Lemon juice will help to exfoliate and oil will help to keep skin soft.

3) Before going to bed apply AHA or BHA cream to these areas and that will help to exfoliate dry skin making it soft and smooth.

Only follow these tips when you are not wearing spray tan or preparing for spray tan

When you have a spray tan on you should avoid exfoliation until you are ready for the next spray tan application.

Do you have any suggestions or questions? please leave us a comments.

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Avoid Dry Skin while spray tanning

Hello there,
Hope this post finds you well!
I was answering an email that I received this morning and thought, why not share with everyone. How you can avoid getting dry skin when you spray tan?

When you are looking for spray tanning solution ask if it contains one of these ingredients: denatured alcohol, SD-40 or ethanol and if it does and it is listed within the first 4 ingredients , stay clear of the product… why?

1) DHA already has a drying effect on the skin and using this ingredient makes the skin even drier.
2) If you are using this type of product on a regular basis with your clients, and they have to leave this product on their skin for 6 to 8 hours before they can rinse off, sooner or later the client will develop dry skin

What are the results of dry skin? Dry skin leads to loss of tone and that can result in premature aging.

AYU Products are free of any of these ingredients and all products are formulated with hydrating and skin nourishing ingredients that combat the drying effect of the DHA so you and your clients can enjoy a beautiful healthy tan with flawless skin.

Hope this helps and should you have any questions regarding spray tanning products, or how they work, please do not hesitate to contact us vie email (info at ayusunless. com) call us at 888-298-8081 or 423 910 0577

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Lets help our Kids-hunger at home in USA!

Before I start this blog topic, I would admit, I am not a writer or not an avid blogger. I am working on that but proving hard to do but in the past two weeks something has been on my mind and I have to come to ask you all for help!

Since I watched the news about hunger at home which refers to hunger right here in USA I am just so sad. I have two boys and my husband and I work really hard to make sure they get life better than ours and it is so mind boggling that our neighbors might be going through a situation that they don’t have enough food for their kids even though both parents work?

Here is a link on ABC ‘s website if you are interested in watching:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/hunger_at_home/hunger-home-american-children-malnourished/story?id=14367230

I am a small business owner in Ooltewah, Tennessee and I just searched to see how I can help. Yes, I am guilty of not knowing these details as we have moved a few times including different states so I was not aware of how I can help as a small business. I want to help as much as I can to my local community and to lend a helping hand and my first goal is to deliver 100 food cans or $100 worth of food to Chattanooga food bank before the month of September ends. I am a manufacture of skin care products so I don’t have foot traffic to my facility and cannot host a “food drive” but I thought if you can help me and show me your support just by clicking “like” to our business page

http://www.facebook.com/AYUSunless

As soon as we hit the 200 mark we will deliver the food and then start a new goal. If you are based in the Ooltewah area and have another suggestion please feel free to leave a comment or if you are a business in Chattanooga and think we can join partnership to help with community food help for our kids who are not getting daily food.

Let’s help our kids, because they are our future – If we can’t have them healthy, nourished and educated how will we flourish as a nation?

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Rapid Tan That Works!

Rapid Tan = Celerity Tanning Solution

We are pleased to see that Celerity Tan has become very popular in such a short time. We launched the product in early March but wow, we have been so pleased at the response! If you have not given this solution a test-drive yet I suggest that you please drop by our sample page and order samples of Celerity Tan.

What is Celerity Tan? celerity means rapid so this is ayu’s version of rapid tan. Formulated with self tanning active ingredient DHA synergistically blended with unique amino acids and anti-oxidants that help to accelerate the browning reaction – not only that but it also closely replicates the tone of the natural tan.

Why is this better for you and your clients?

You as a technician now have the opportunity to help out clients who are looking to get a last minute tan but don’t have 6 to 8 hours to wait, for example someone is going dancing and going to be very active and doesn’t want to take a chance on sweating off the bronzer, Celerity Tan will work for that, they can jump in the shower rinse off the color guide, gently dry and get dressed and in 1, 2 or 3 hours, you can see that the tan has already started even after you completely rinsed off the product!

Why take my word for this? We are offering a sample of Celerity Tan so try it yourself!

Click here to go to our sample page

Another way to obtain a sample – join us in our daily contest and win different sample packs , right here on our FaceBook page

Give a high five by liking us and answering a question of the day to try our innovative product samples.

If you have any questions feel free to email, call or comment here and we will get back to you!

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We are Accredited by BBB:

Before purchasing anything I always look for the BBB (Better Business Bureau) logo on the website or even in the local phone directory. So when the BBB approached us to go through with their membership requirement and then the process of accreditation, we jumped at the opportunity. Since we started the business we have taken great pride in our customer service and we knew having a BBB accreditation would be like the “icing on the cake” for us. We want to give our clients confidence in our business and our customer service and BBB accreditation is a sure way to have piece of mind for our customer’s new or existing.

BBB accreditation is a huge accomplishment for us. We met their high standard of requirements as part of the accreditation process and we are continuously working towards staying on top of that. Their accreditation is built on BBB standard for the following company policies and philosophy:

Build Trust -Establish and maintain a positive track record in the marketplace.

Advertise Honestly – Adhere to established standards of advertising and selling.

Tell the Truth – Honestly represent products and services, including clear and adequate disclosures of all material terms.

Be Transparent -Openly identify the nature, location, and ownership of the business, and clearly disclose all policies, guarantees and procedures that bear on a customer’s decision to buy.

Honor Promises -Abide by all written agreements and verbal representations.

Be Responsive -Address marketplace disputes quickly, professionally, and in good faith.
Safeguard Privacy – Protect any data collected against mishandling and fraud, collect personal information only as needed, and respect the preferences of consumers regarding the use of their information.

Embody Integrity -Approach all business dealings, marketplace transactions and commitments with integrity.

We are holding an A+ rating, which is judged on 16 factors, from what type of business we have, to how long we have been in business, any complaint history and arbitration.

Why is this good for you our customer? This will assure you that you are doing business with a well established, verified company that is operating under code of ethics and principles. BBB is a free guarantee to all our customers that we work under these rules and regulations. We meet these obligations and in fact strive to exceed them!

We always thrive to help and our first question is “how can we help you” and this is a proof that our action says exactly what we believe in. We are proud to be rated and accredited by BBB. Click on the image you can see for your self our BBB accredited page.

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Should you use Pre Tan Prep Spray before spray tan session?

Let’s talk about a controversial product sometimes used as part of the sunless tanning session

Should you as a Spray Tan Artist use a prep spray or not?

Here is my opinion regarding this question:

Prep spray is an essential product for spray technicians. It helps to ensure that your client’s skin is clean and you have a smooth skin surface to work with and this will help stop solutions from beading on the skin and also helps the solution to adhere well so that application is even and smooth.

Don’t forget though-Prep spray does not replace manual exfoliation. Manual exfoliation is a most necessary step in sunless tanning sessions to promote a long lasting and even fading sunless tan.

Now, your question is “so my client has all ready exfoliated well, do I still need to go through with prep spray?” Here you have a choice, if client says they have not applied any lotion, make up, deodorant then you can omit the step but if they said that they exfoliated the day before, went to work and used the different products on the skin, you would want to go ahead and use the prep spray, just to make the skin surface clean.

I also hear from time to time clients asking whether prep spray balances the skin’s pH. My response is that I don’t think any product applied topically on the skin balances the skins pH but it becomes a buffer for the skin. Let me explain a little better – mostly DHA solution have a pH range of 3.0 to 4.5 for proper development of tan color and our skin’s pH is between 5.5 to 6, so what prep spray does is to help the skin adjust faster to the solution pH while you being sprayed with DHA solution.

Just recently one of my phone calls was about asking if they can use lemon juice in the jug of water and apply that as a prep spray? NO, please because that mix can irritate your skin and will make you very sensitive to sun. As a result, if you have any plans on going outside after your sunless session where they have used a lemon water mix on your skin, you can do more harm than good. Please always try and use professional products for any type of skin treatment you offer. Prep sprays are not lemon water – check out ingredients on a few of them, we also do not recommend that you need isopropyl alcohol or SD-alcohol in prep spray.

How you can use prep spray?

TO USE: Use before spray tanning session. Mist Pre tan prep spray on the body using any spray equipment or spray bottle and wash cloth. Let surface of the skin dry before starting with a spray tanning session.

Always keep this in mind: prep sprays are for external use only, if accidentally introduced into the eye, rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water. Discontinue use if any irritation occurs. Keep out of reach of children.

www.ayusunless.com has a prep spray called Smooth Glow Pre Tan Prep Spray …click on the image to locate the product.

AYU Smooth Glow Pre Tan Prep Spray is a mild, soap free and glycolic acid free spray on wash that gently exfoliates and cleans the skin surface by removing oils, make up and lotions and deodorant, helps your client with achieving optimal result from sunless tanning solutions As an airbrush technician you always want to be sure that your client’s skin is free of any oil, deodorant or make up.

Gently exfoliates and cleanses the skin
A very important step for clients with an oily skin
Clean skin surface helps to ensure optimum efficacy from tanning solutions
Helps prevent solution beading up during spray tanning sessions.
No longer necessary to turn down a client who has make up or lotion on their skin

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Hello and New products!

Visiting family in the Far East is a treat but coming back to a pile of work is another treat. However, I am getting caught up and ready to share some new things happening at AYU, LLC.

This coming month March – 2011 will be a whole year since we moved into our new facility and since then we have added a few more staff and working to serve our clients with dedication to provide new innovative products and services.

Some new products that are being launched by ayusunless.com in the next few weeks are

Vino Bronzing Mist (Grape Escape Therapy Collection)

Celerity Tan (Rapid Tan that develops quicker then traditional sunless tan)

Here are some images and detail about products:

1) Celerity Sunless Tan

Rapid Sunless tanning with anti aging boost

The secret about this product is that it works quickly, an action packed solution, so by leaving the solution on your skin for a 2, 3 or 4 hour time period it will develop the equivalent strength approximately of a 6%, 8% or 10 % concentration of DHA accordingly.

Key Ingredients:

Rapid DHA ( DHA + Troxerutin), Eco-Certified DHA, Panthenol (B5),Green Tea Extract,Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Algae Extract, Black Walnut Leaf Extract, Hyaluronic Acid

2) Vino Bronzing Mist: ( one of the product from our Grape Escape therapy collection)

Grape Escape treatment with muscadine grapes which are grapes that are naturally rich in antioxidants, vitamins and Polyphenols. The interesting fact about the grapes that we are using (muscadine grapes) is that they are grown locally in the southern part of the USA and contain a high level of resveratrol, which is an anti oxidant that is absorbed by the skin easily and works its magic to reduce inflammation and slows the oxidation process that most often causes pre mature aging of the skin.

Key Ingredients: Muscadine Grape Skin & Seed Extract, Muscadine Grape Juice, Grape Seed Oil, Hyaluronic Acid, Eco-Certified DHA, Panthenol (B5), Green Tea, Red wine Powder, Vitamin-E

If you are interested in trying out our products, please contact us at ayuchemist at gmail.com and mention this blog post about trying out our samples and also becoming a volunteer product tester to test new AYU products that we are launching ongoing.

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