Over 95% of babies enter into this world with near perfect skin. But then over time, our chemical filled environment starts to eat into our skin causing a multitude of blemishes.
I've always applied naturals onto my skin and avoided these four key points in any skincare product:
1. Parabens (methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, butyl prefixes don't matter, if you see the word parabens, don't put it. But it contains rose hips or vitamin C ... it doesn't matter what else it contains if it isn't made right).
2. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, sodium lauroyl sulfate (once again, there are lots of names for the 'L' portion of the word, but if it contains this in the ingredients, say no regardless of what else it may contain).
3. Where is it made? Just like real estate: location, location, location! If it is made in China or certain parts of Asia, the fact is no matter how many filters they use, it is still going to contain by-products from industrial facilities (I won't even listen to the 'what else is in there', just say NO).
4. No animal (four legged by-products, these don't have good storage/shelf-life compared to plant sources)
Over the years, I've consulted for a vast number of skincare product companies on the how-to's in making products. It is certainly lots of fun, full of glamour and excitement seeing major marketing dollars thrown in so many directions. I've seen personalities from founders of major brands that remind me of Snow White's step mother ... but that's a whole other topic. =D
My friend Michael put together this spoof vid of some engagements, I've been allowed to publicly share. It is quite a sight and his song selection of "Beautiful Girls" makes it all the more amusing. It may allow you to have insight into the vast beauty industry (behind the scenes). This may help explain why every woman keeps searching/changing products once they realize its no longer working. Some argue that it never really did.
As a professional, I would say loading of chemicals have definitely compromised the any good intentions on performance. And for the pure natural products, the ingredients are often mismatched with an obsession towards the word natural. Just like making a dish, you need balance, you can't just throw wild pineapples, wild pork and a wonderful natural gelato together and mix it up for dinner. The ingredients needs to work together but because that takes the longest time in learning, it is the least sexy or attractive.
I am very glad to help them but goliath like companies and their sheer size just don't allow certain methodological approaches to be applied. I've also done talks on the diets and the tummy's and while there is a product for everything ... the real secret is in the quality of what you buy, knowing the parameters of how to choose and living out some not so basic rules!
Here's one not so basic rule:
Profits and beauty just don't go well together!
Over a decade ago, I visited thee impeccable pristine locations in the Caribbean Islands and in the Himalayan mountains. This left a lasting philosophical impact on me with regards to natural beauty. The reasons you don't think of your local farmers as being beautiful is because of all the chemical fertilizers being pumped into the soils. They end up getting very high levels of exposure and the bacteria are not friendly but instead aggressive. Even organically grown doesn't compare to the waters from an untouched tropical island or the heart of a rainforest.
My earlier years in
dermatology research with Dr. Huachen Wei encountered another valuable lesson. We were after a compound called
alpha santalol derived from Sandalwood oil. My colleagues had run out of this material but the findings were so intriguing because our data indicated that rat skin tumors were reversible with alpha santalol. Our original batch was from Indonesia but the costs to extract, distill under vacuum (to not damage the compound) and then purify had driven the material costs to > $100,000 USD/oz. In attempts to get a faster and more reliable source, we had purchased batches that would be sold to retailers i.e. Bath & Body Works. The end product had barely any alpha santalol. If we proceeded, this would end up costing >> $5,000,000 USD/oz due to wastage from overlapping compounds with no therapeutic value towards cancer.
It has definitely been a journey of appreciation and growth. Understanding that the vast secrets in beauty lie within the natural minimally touched resources of the Earth. Take
naturally carbonated mineral waters, how many realize that big brands can no longer possibly be naturally carbonated at the source? The sheer size of the demand and the willingness to meet this demand has compromised a once natural source by making derivative products for the masses. And so in the marketing approach, we can only say the source is a naturally carbonated mineral location.
So in answering the topic of attaining beautiful skin, one chief component is what you put on your skin and your surroundings plays a substantial role. When I formulated I.G.B. (Inspired Green Beauty), I wasn't going for a mass product. I even chose the name from the lesssons I had learned:
Wholesome ingredients that work well together (sometimes really good ingredients are not necessarily complimentary and you don't want to combine them) and express the following unique qualities:
1. Improve elasticity
2. Antioxidant protection
3. Increase circulation & bloodflow
4. Offer 3 levels of effect to balance color during the day
5. Avoid chemicals
6. Use artesian water instead of distilled municipal water
7. The combination must offer resistance to harmful germ growth
So that's my secret and now its in a bottle! =D
Recently, 2 buyers, one from Neiman Marcus and another from Saks Fifth Avenue commented, "Dr. Chiu, this is like a miracle in a bottle!"
Is it a miracle in a bottle?
I'd like to think of it as reminding us about the few places on Earth that have the bluest skies, clearest waters and light pink sandy beaches with wild coconuts and vegetation. Every morning and evening with every application on our skin, it will trigger beneficiaries to embrace a greater cause for beauty beyond the self and to embrace our planet.
Like the surface of our skin that erodes with pollution, the surface of the Earth is dying too. But there are a few good spots left and while it will take thousands of years to fix the entire planet, perhaps it can start with these bottles of Inspired Green Beauties!
And just like every morning I have a large fresh bowl of antioxidant rich fruits instead of a glass of pasteurized orange juice, you can't have a good diet if everywhere is being polluted. And this is the reasons I've been writing about for so many years, the fountain of youth is possible and can start with us!
There are a total of 11 Big Steps that I follow. And each of those 11 Steps have a series of techniques that are found in the Harper Collin's Book: Rejuvenating 50's, The 21st Century Guide to No Plastic Surgery. But I am not for the botox that my other colleagues talk about as the alternative to plastic surgery. Hmm, that sure sounds real natural. We always learned that when you impede blood flow you can have infection and gangrene. And so on the face, when you botox, there is less movement and an increased impedence. While this is not enough to cause gangrene it negatively impacts on color and reduces blood flow to the skin's surface.
I made my statement very tactfully and avoided deletion of those sentences. But in the full version of my book, I actually describe facial exercises that will beat out botox any day !!!
