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Call our office if you do not see a question and answer here
you need regarding Living Nature skincare. If your seeking
beauty advice on how to use these products with a specific
condition, please see our page on Natural Beauty Advice
above.
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Living Nature Q&A
Here are
questions regarding Living Nature questions that Living
Nature and ourselves have found answers to. Enjoy!
HOW DOES
LIVING NATURE PRESERVE
THEIR PRODUCTS?
Living Nature uses a unique preservative system that took
five years to develop. It's based on several New Zealand
plant extracts and pure vitamin E, extracted from soy and
wheat, not genetically modified. The extracts are
bactericides and fungicides, and the vitamin E is an
antioxidant, which stops the oils from going rancid. Right
now, its a combination of Manuka Oil extract, Vitamin E, and
Gum Benzoin. This formula will change in the future with
various other extracts containing antiseptic qualities.
WHAT IS THE VITAMIN E DERIVED
FROM?
From Non GMO Soy.
WHAT IS THE XANTHUM GUM DERIVED
FROM?
It is from Non GMO Microbial derived carbohydrate.
CAN LIVING
NATURE PRODUCTS GO "OFF"?
It is true that Living Nature's preservative system is not
as effective as synthetic chemicals. Living Nature's
products have a shelf life between 1 and 4 years, which for
most customers is plenty of time. To keep the natural plant
extracts alive, Living Nature products should be stored in a
cool place, away from direct sunlight. We inspect every
Living Nature product that we get in and ship out, to make
sure it is fresh. If an item would get by us by accident,
you can be confident that we'll replace it without charge.
HOW DO I CONSERVE THE SHELF LIFE?
Living Nature has designed the products to last from 2 to 3
years but to ensure this, keep the product cool and away
from light. Keeping the product in the fridge is not
necessary unless you live in a hot climate. It is quite
important to keep the product under 25 degrees. Window-sills
are not a good place for skincare to sit because sunlight
will usually come into the window some time during the day.
Light will increase the speed of oxidisation and therefore,
disable the preservative system. It's important to realize
that because our products are natural, they will
deteriorate. Normal cosmetics bought these days are designed
to cope with these conditions by using synthetic chemically
based ingredients.
DOES LIVING
NATURE USE ANIMAL TESTING OR
ANIMAL PRODUCTS?
It has consistently been demonstrated that animal products
do not add benefit to a skin cream. They are basically DEAD
MEAT, which when added onto the skin putrefy. Putting
ingredients like collagen, taken from a dead animal, can in
no logical way create the production of collagen in our skin
tissue. The only way collagen can have an effect is by
being injected under the epidermal layer. It then gradually
breaks down over 6 months to a year and is removed by the
blood as toxins and waste product. As for animal testing,
NO. Not only is it unnecessary to animal test, it is also
unscientific, as many animals do not have similar immune
systems or skin tissue to humans. Now cells grown from
placental tissue is an excellent way to see any detrimental
effects of raw materials. Animal testing is not a
requirement for most cosmetics and is used more in the
medical field. Each product has a special "Bunny"
logo on the cosmetics certifying that they are opposed to
animal testing in any form and also that they are a member
of the International Society that sets standards and
monitors animal testing.
DOES LIVING
NATURE USE GENETICALLY MODIFIED
INGREDIENTS OR PETROCHEMICALS?
It’s pretty scary what is now happening to many vegetable
products. We have made it a policy to use no GM ingredients
and have requested proof from our suppliers that the raw
materials have not been modified. We do not use
petrochemicals either. Both petro-chemically derived
mineral oils, or synthetically made mineral oils, asphixiate
the skin, blocking pores. They are often used because they
are cheap and have a very nice initial skin feel. The
immediate feeling of a mineral oil, which allows the skin to
move more elastically, soothes many dry skin conditions but
they do not provide nutrients and just mask the condition.
DOES LIVING
NATURE USE RADIATED INGREDIENTS OR
HAVE HERBICIDE & PESTICIDE RESIDUES?
Radiation is a standard practice in many countries now, they
are trying to make sure no foreign bacteria, flora or fauna
enters the country. Unfortunately this kills off all enzyme
activity in a raw material, and leaves a residue of
radiation. All LN raw materials are verified to be free of
radiation, as this is their standard! As for herbicide and
pesticide residues, while not all of our extracts are
certified organic, most of them are wild crafted, and ALL
are tested for residues. We guarantee that they are free of
such contaminants.
HOW
NUTRITIOUS ARE LIVING NATURE
PRODUCTS?
Living Nature products contain over 80 plants that contain
unique blends of active molecules that benefit various skin
conditions. They are extracted and potentised using various
techniques to ensure constant levels of activity.
Particularly manuka oil , which is 20 times stronger than
Australian Tea Tree against gram-positive organisms! The
benefits of honey was discovered thousands of years ago.
Various medical research bodies have documented the added
benefits of Manuka Honey as an amazing healer of skin
tissue! It is good for cold sores, infections, ulcers, bad
breath, acne, and head lice.
I HAVE
ALLERGIES TO HONEY AND WHEAT. WOULD I
WANT TO USE THIS LINE?
It is up to you. But Living Nature suggests the following
for this customer: It does depend on the extreme of an
allergy to make this judgement - I know that your client
would definitly not be able to take these products
internally, although applying to the skin, products
containing honey,wheat or pollen the absorbtion rate is less
and does not pass through the digestive tract. I would
suggest to do a patch test on the inner part of the elbow or
on the side of the neck and see if there is any reaction.
This is the safest and easiest way of picking up an allergy
on the skin. The reaction will show up within 12 hours.
I WANT TO
KNOW IF LIVING NATURE USES
ORGANIC MATERIALS?
In an email dated 06/10/2003, the Living Nature company
wrote this to our office: "all our products are organic and
GE Free."
HOW DO I KNOW
THE PRODUCT WORKS?
Living Nature has written this regarding the question:
There are lots of different ways to test products at various
levels.
- customer testimonials (anecdotal)
- monitored customer trials and case studies
- Laboratory testing of raw materials eg. hydration
- Laboratory testing of finished products.
Testing of Raw Materials
" Example of batch analysis certificate, which confirms
which active ingredients are present.
" Example of hydration test on olive oil extract:
" Example of Rose Otto gas chromatograph. The graph is
basically the signature of an oil. It identifies which
molecules are present so if an oil has been contaminated or
adulterated, it will show on here:
Testing On Finished Products
" Flow Cytometry - leading technology for studying plant and
human cells
Flow cytometry is a unique, experimental cell measurement
technology for analysing and sorting plant and mammalian
cells. It is invaluable, for example, in finding out how
various products will affect human cells.
Some applications:
We are using flow cytometry:
- To study the effects of plant extracts on human cell
lines. With the flow cytometer we can measure DNA damage and
repair, oxidative stress, mitochondrial membrane potential,
intracellular pH and the immune response.
- To measure the efficacy of human health products.
" Example of bacteria/yeast/fungus analysis on finished
product - Rose and herb radiance oil.
WHAT KIND OF
STANDARDS DOES LIVING NATURE ADHERE
TO?
BDIH - Using natural cosmetics is one of the many ways in
which LN can apply a complete understanding of nature to the
everyday objects they use - and at the same time behave
responsibly in relation to our environment.
To this end, Living Nature is proud to be affiliated to BDIH,
having fulfilled all the requirements contained in their
'Standards Guideline' and allegeable to carry their
trade-mark. An independent control body from Europe ensures
that the quality seal criteria are fully complied with.
BDIH stands for Bundesverband Deutscher Industrie- und
Handelsunternehmen (Federation of Germany Industries and
Trading Firms) for pharmaceuticals, health care goods, food
supplements and personal hygiene products, registered
association.
In order for Living Nature to be affiliated with BDIH, they
have to meet strict criteria standards in order to term our
products "natural cosmetics". Some of theses standards
include :
- Take into account users' expectations with regards to safe
and ecological products.
- Definite standards how raw cosmetic products should be
extracted and/or created and how they should be processed.
- When raw products for cosmetics are extracted, measures
are taken to ensure that damage to nature is minimised and
that no living things are killed, particular attention is
paid to the protection of animals and species.
- Interference in the genetic make-up of plants through
genetic engineering is rejected.
- Raw materials should be produced in such a way as to
protect the environment and minimise the use of chemical
processes.
- Packaging should be both economical and environmentally
friendly.
- It is forbidden to disinfect organic raw materials and
completed cosmetic products using radioactive radiation.
The reason natural raw materials are preferred is their
ecological superiority, particularly when they are obtained
through controlled cultivation or other responsible means of
using natural resources. Moreover, natural substances have
evolved alongside mankind, which means that the potential
toxicological risk is low. Products containing raw materials
which are insufficiently transparent, are not given the
certification trademark.
WHAT IS THE
EXTRACTION METHOD USED?
The plant essences used by Living Nature are mostly
extracted by either of the following methods. The extraction
processes are used because, as closely as possible, they
capture the pure essence of nature without excessive heating
or other processes that may destroy the natural plant
properties.
Supercritical Extraction
Supercritical extraction is used extensively by us due to
the fact that it not only produces the purest natural plant
essences in a gentle way, but it is also extremely
environmentally friendly as there are no harmful solvents or
other products used during the extraction process. Another
advantage is that the entire process takes place at a very
low temperature, therefore essential oil properties are not
affected by heat in any way.
When a substance is brought above a critical combination of
temperature and pressure condition, it exists in what is
called the supercritical fluid (SF) state, neither a liquid
nor a gas, but rather both.
Either water or Carbon Dioxide is used in the process.
Carbon Dioxide is non-toxic and non-flammable, it has a near
ambient critical temperature of only 31.1oC and leaves no
residue or by-product in the extraction process.
Steam Distillation
Distillation is the process of converting a volatile liquid
into a vapour, condensing the vapour by cooling and
collecting the condensed liquid. Most essential oils are
extracted by the distillation process.
The oil bearing plant material is placed into a still. Steam
is passed through the still which causes the oil to vaporise.
The mixture of steam and oil vapour then passes through a
condenser, where it turns into a liquid in which the oil
separates spontaneously from the water.
Macerated / Infused Flower Oils
Some plants contain essential oils with excellent
properties, but the oils are extremely difficult to extract
from the plant via conventional methods. In order to benefit
from these properties, the plants are chopped up and put
into a vat of vegetable oil (i.e. pecan oil) and left for a
specific period of time. The vegetable oil acts as a
solvent, drawing out the soluble plant molecules. The plant
material is then filtered out.
Water Infusion
A very simple way of using herbs, an infusion is made in
much the same way as tea. The water is used just off the
boil, since vigorously boiling water disperses valuable
volatile oils in the steam. Living Nature uses this method
for flowers and the leafy parts of plants.
What is the
Cetearyl alcohol IN YOUR PRODUCTS?
The Cetearyl wheat straw glycosides and cetearyl alcohol
that we are using is not really an alcohol at all, it is an
emulsifier (cream base) and is very safe, it has no known
toxicity. It is a waxy substance resembling human sebum (oil
on the skin) and of vegetable origin (wheat straw). It is
extracted after the seed heads have been removed from the
wheat stalks. It is extremely nourishing and protecting on
the skin, which absorbs very well.
IS THERE PALM
OR COCONUT DERIVATIVES IN THE HAIR
PRODUCTS?
The Nourishing conditioner and shampoo's do have ingredients
derived from palm kernel and coconut extract. We would
advise that you not to use them if you are allergic to
coconut and cocoa butter. The ingredients concerned are
Lauryl glucoside, Cetrimonium and Cocamidopropyl betaine.
DOES THE
WHEAT STRAW IN YOUR PRODUCTS CONTAIN GLUTEN?
The wheat straw DOES NOT contain gluten.
WHEN I USE
THE SUNFILTER, MY FACE GETS
UNUSUALLY WHITE. WHAT DO I DO?
The Sunfilter has been like this for at least two years when
the formulation increased the Zinc Oxide Silica to achieve
the SPF15 Rating. We advise our clients to rub onto the hand
first for better application to the face.
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| Information |
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We urge
customers to purchase samples first, as not
all items are returnable. Customers wanting
priority mail shipments should order by
phone at 877-232-5359. Our shipping prices
are estimates for international orders and
are subject to change if need be. Every
person's skin is unique, and as with all
cosmetics we recommend that a person apply a
small amount of the product to the inner
wrist for 1-2 days before applying elsewhere
to ensure comfort and compatibility.
The
information on this website has not been
reviewed by the FDA. These products are not
intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or
prevent any disease.
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| Testimonial |
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I received my
order yesterday and I wanted to write and
tell you THANK YOU so much. The products are
just so wonderful and I really appreciate
the expediency of shipment and that there
are those people out there like yourself
that care about the health of others. Kudos
to you and everyone on staff at Be Well Stay
Well .... |
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