Wisdom

Enter to Win our Eye Cream

11/2008  

 

We are getting some great reviews!

10/2008  

Our latest review for our chocolate masque!  Lake Champlain Chocolates Blog

 

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Hemloq products!

10/2008  

If you haven’t tried them yet, what are you waiting for?! As most of my friends know - I am a true product lady.. Yup.. tried them all! But I have to say using natural products like the Hemloq line feels fabulous!!! Who knew!? I’m hooked! I am using the facial cleanser, serum and daily moisturizer. Definitely give Hemloq a try - you won’t be disappointed!!!!!  - Juliane Levine

 

Links We Love

10/2008  

http://www.itsaglamthing.com
http://www.thegifttherapist.com
http://blog.lakechamplainchocolates.com/
http://www.makeuptalk.com

 

Check us out on Facebook!

10/2008  

Come join us on Facebook and be a fan of Hemloq!

 

What are you putting on your skin?

10/2008  

We all know how difficult it is to read an ingredient label.  And many of us just assume that the lotions and creams we use aren’t going to harm us.  But, that may not always be the case. 

One of the most controversial ingredients these days are Parabens (all of our products are paraben free).  These chemicals are widely used as preservatives in the cosmetics industry.  According to the FDA, parabens are considered safe at certain dosages.  But, there have also been links to parabens and cancer (although, no definitive results).

It is really important to spend time getting familiar with ingredients on label.  And don’t think you are safe just because you are buying “natural skin care”.  Because even natural and organic skin care lines need some kind of preservation system so the products don’t become rancid. 

So, educate yourself and ask questions!

 

October Magazines

10/2008  

Check us out in the following magazines for October:
LA Family
Las Vegas Family
San Gabriel Valley Family
Santa Clarita Valley Family
Ventura Family
South Bay Family
Buffalo Spree

 

Top 20 Gifts for 2008

10/2008  

Our chocolate masque was named one of the top 20 gifts for 2008 on thegifttherapist.com
Check it out

 

I received my Hemloq Citrus Scrub & I’m so excited!

10/2008  

The scrub arrived nicely packaged & in excellent condition. When I used it, the scrub made my skin really soft & the smell is absolutely delicious! I love the product!

Thank you,

Melany

 

Thank you for the ‘Antidote to Aging’ Daily Repair Serum

09/2008  

I love the fragrance and the smooth feel that the Hemloq anti-aging serum has on my skin.  Each day I use the serum, I see improvement in my skin getting smoother and softer. 
Angie Maas, Arizona

 

Enter to Win our Eye Cream

08/2008  

Follow the link below to enter to win our Eye Cream!
http://www.itsaglamthing.com/

 

How to repair your face after too much sun

08/2008  

http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/homestyle/07/20/sun.damage/index.html

By Ning Chao
InStyle.com
(InStyle)—Skin 101: How to treat and protect against sun damage.

The risk of rays

“Sunlight contains ultraviolet (UV) rays that heat up your skin, cooking the collagen and elastin,” explains Beverly Hills dermatologist Harold Lancer.
UVB rays (think B for burn) are short in length and hit the skin’s surface, resulting in redness and burning. Contrary to popular belief, sunburns alone aren’t the cause of skin damage; they’re an immediate indication that you’re hurting yourself—and a warning to get out of the sun.
UVA rays (think A for aging) are long and penetrate deep into the skin, damaging cells and producing wrinkles, uneven skin tone, dryness and other signs of aging.

What you can do about
Don’t Miss
InStyle: Sunscreens for your specific skin type
InStyle:  Summer beauty essentials
InStyle: 80 skin-saving sunscreens

Uneven Skin—Tone Pigment making cells go haywire, resulting in spots.
Solutions: Intense pulsed light (IPL), chemical peels, exfoliants and lasers.

Redness UV exposure causes broken capillaries and may lead to rosacea.
Solutions: Lasers and mineral makeup.

Fine lines and wrinkles Damage to collagen and elastin makes skin sag and crease.
Solutions: IPL, radio frequency, plasma skin resurfacing, Fraxel lasers and vitamin A.

Big pores Collagen loss enlarges pores.
Solutions: Exfoliants, Fraxel and vitamin A.

Thick skin The body tries to protect itself, so skin ends up leathery, “like beef jerky,” says Lancer.
Solutions: Exfoliants and chemical peels.

Dullness -- Damaged skin is drier and flakier.
Solutions: Exfoliants, vitamin A and antioxidants.

Seven Ways to Save Face

Chemical Peels use acids to remove dry, dull skin and even out tone and reduce pore size, says New York City dermatologist Dennis Gross. Cost: $200 or more per treatment; monthly sessions.
Our Experience: Spots are lighter but still visible. Pores look tighter; skin glows.

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) gets rid of dark spots and early wrinkling, says N.Y.C. Dermatologist Macrene Alexiades-Armenakas. Cost: $500 or more per treatment; 5--6 sessions.
Our Experience: IPL feels like static electricity on skin, which looked noticeably firmer.

Radio Frequency (Thermage, Refirme St) tightens skin to correct sagging, says N.Y.C. dermatologist Neil Sadick. Cost: $750--$2,000 per treatment; 1--5 sessions.
Our Experience: Skin feels hot during treatment and may be sensitive afterward, but there’s no redness. We noticed significant tightening and lifting.
Plasma Skin Resurfacing (PSR), which uses gas to heat up skin, can smooth wrinkles and lighten red and brown spots. Cost: $1,500 per treatment; 1--3 sessions.
Our Experience: Treated areas burn and feel raw for up to two weeks, then skin peels off. Results vary, and there is a risk of discoloration (dark or light patches).

V Beam Lasers target blood vessels and work best to reduce redness, says Alexiades. Cost: $600 and up per treatment; 1-5 sessions.
Our Experience: Great for broken capillaries; redness returns with sun exposure.

Q-Switched Lasers focus on darker pigment and can erase brown spots, says Alexiades. Cost: $300--
$1,000, depending on the size of the area treated; 1--2 sessions.
Our Experience: Spots darken for a week (and look burned), but then scabs fall off, leaving no trace; discoloration reappears if you don’t wear sunscreen.

Fraxel Lasers heat the lower layer of the skin to help generate new collagen and reduce pigment production. “Skin is smoother, less wide-pored and more even in tone,” says Sadick. Cost: $800--$1,500 per treatment; 3--5 sessions.
Our Experience: Skin burns, swells and may peel; results can vary and there may be discoloration.
Keep in mind: The effects of these in-office treatments last longer for some people than others. Length varies depending on the severity of your skin damage and your lifestyle (how well you protect your skin from the sun).

How to treat your skin at home

Sun damage speeds up the aging process. Exfoliants and skin-repair creams can slow the clock. Scrubs, exfoliant pads like Aveeno’s, and mild chemical peels help get rid of dull, flaky skin (a normal sign of aging that appears greatly magnified after UV exposure) and “improves the way skin looks tremendously,” says Lancer.

Vitamin A creams quicken cell turnover and can stimulate collagen and hyaluronic-acid production so skin is plumper and more moist. And new creams like Remergent DNA Repair Formula ($125; remergentskin.com) may even help prevent skin cancer. “Enzymes in the serum cut out damaged DNA,” says Alexiades, who also recommends products with vitamin C, which brightens skin by eliminating brown spots.

Prevent future damage

Broad-Spectrum Sunscreen
Look for a block that protects against both UVA and UVB rays, recommends Neil Sadick: New ingredients like Mexoryl and Helioplex (found in Neutrogena sunscreen) offer longer-lasting UVA protection.

Mineral Makeup
Minerals like titanium dioxide and zinc create a sheer physical block against the sun. Minerals also reflect light, so face gets less red and appears more radiant, says Macrene Alexiades-Armenakas.

Antioxidants
For extra protection, apply an antioxidant serum before sunscreen. “Antioxidants can prevent and reverse sun damage,” says Alexiades. Vitamin C, idebenone and green tea are among the most effective and proven to shield skin from harmful rays.

And don’t even consider:
Slacking off on sunscreen. Apply it all the way to your hairline or you’ll end up with a ring of damage (and darker skin) around your face.
Getting into a tanning bed. True, beds have less UVB, reducing burning. But you can’t escape UVA damage. “It’s like slow-roasting,” says Harold Lancer.
Believing you’re safe in the shade. UVA light reflects, leaving you susceptible to wrinkle-causing damage, even in a not-so-sunny spot.
Flying naked. Plane windows don’t filter out UVA. At high altitudes, the sun’s rays are three times stronger than on the ground. Wear sunblock. E-mail to a friend

Get a FREE TRIAL issue of InStyle - CLICK HERE!

 

Whatever I put on my body ends up IN my body

07/2008  

I have always used what I thought were the finest skin care products...you know, the fancy ones you can pay up to $200 for in department stores.  Then recently there was a lot of press about a chemical that manufacturers put in baby skin care products that is neuroligically damaging and a light went on.  I suddenly realized that whatever I put on my body ends up IN my body.  Have you read the ingredient list for some of these expensive products?  They read like a Russian novel.  I switched over to using Hemloq exclusively and not only has been face had a healthy glow, my skin doesn’t burn when I apply the creams, and I recognize the ingredients.—Sarah

 

Events

05/2008  

Check back soon for a list of upcoming events

 

(0) Comments •

Your face is glowing!

05/2008  

“When I was offered the chance to try Hemloq’s Chocolate Masque, I have to admit that I hesitated. There are so many different skincare products on the market, and I’m never quite sure how my skin is going to react to something new. After learning that Hemloq’s masque is made from all natural ingredients and hearing about how well it worked for my friend, I took a leap of faith. After only one application, I was amazed by how fresh and clean my skin looked. My favorite thing about the chocolate masque, aside from the fact that it’s chocolate, is that the masque doesn’t harden on your face. It’s light, easy to apply, and deeply penetrates the skin. Even my husband noticed the difference. He asked, ‘What did you do?  Your face is glowing!’ Thanks Hemloq!” – Ilana Bove

 

I saw results in only a few days

05/2008  

“I have used many products over the years and Hemloq is the only one that stopped the redness, peeling and flaking around my nose and lips. I use the cucumber cleanser, moisture rich cream and eye cream. I saw results in only a few days.” – Janet Millan

 

3 Proven Skin Care Ingredients

04/2008  

Link to full Article

Just because it’s pricey and comes in a pretty jar, it doesn’t necessarily mean a product has more effective skin care ingredients.

Often, “lower-priced products may work better than their more expensive counterparts,” says Arthur W. Perry, MD, author of the book Straight Talk About Cosmetic Surgery. Whether it’s $9 or $99, here are three key ingredients to consider…

3 Proven Ingredients
According to Dr. Perry, vitamin C (also known as L-ascorbic acid), alpha-hydroxy acids (also known as AHAs, fruit acids, and glycolic acid), and retinoids or retinol-like compounds (tretinoin, retinol, etc.) are a few of the handful of skin product ingredients backed by strong scientific evidence that they boost skin health and appearance.

What About the Rest?
That doesn’t mean other ingredients won’t benefit your skin; it’s just that the scientific proof isn’t as solid for them. The main reason some skin care ingredients fail to deliver? Their molecules are too big to penetrate your skin when applied topically.
(Find out which skin care items are best for your skin.)

Other useful ingredients: polyhydroxy acids, beta hydroxyl acids, hydroquinones, and certain antioxidants. For more on skin care ingredients that have scientific heft, check out Dr. Perry’s book.

 

Hyaluronic Acid Benefits

04/2008  

Hyaluronic acid is a part of the glycoconjugates and it is also added pure and concentrated to the formulation of the skin care products. It is a glycosaminoglycan found in the intracellular matrix of skin (between skin cells) where it has a protective, structure regulating and shock-absorbing role.

Hyaluronic Acid is commonly found in the joints, the lower layers of skin, the umbilical cord and in embryonic skin.

Medical grade Hyaluronic Acid is currently employed to minimize the formation of post-operative adhesions, as a viscoelastic agent in intra-ocular interventions, also as a synovial replacement fluid; and is used to facilitate the healing and regeneration of surgical wounds.

The special properties of Hyaluronic Acid make it an excellent moisturizer. Hyaluronic Acid plays a crucial role in tissue hydration, lubrication and cellular function, and is able to retain more water than any other biological substance. Its unmatched hydrating abilities result in increased smoothness, softening and decreased wrinkles.

Hyaluronic Acid has also shown wonderful results in the reduction of dryness, itching and burning of the skin. It offers a perfect environment for the growth of new cells and healing after skin peeling.

Hyaluronic Acid is an important constituent of the extra-cellular matrix that engulfs rapidly dividing cells. It has been shown to be an integral part in the rapid and perfect wound healing achieved in foetal and neonatal organisms. In addition to this, the cellular actions precipitated by Hyaluronic Acid are integral to the apparently miraculous biochemistry of fetal development.

It is well documented that foetal tissues contain important quantities of Hyaluronic Acid and that decreasing Hyaluronic Acid content correlates with aging and wrinkling. Therefore any practical efforts to prolong and recapture youth by revitalizing flawed tissue should include this molecule.

Within the Skin

Almost 15% of your body weight is attributed to the skin! About half of all the Hyaluronic Acid (HA) found in your body is in the skin. Young people possess a lot more HA in their skin than older people and therefore have less wrinkles. As we age, we don’t produce this element as much as younger people do so it is specially important to youthful looking skin to supply the skin with Hyaluronic Acid.

Today is well known that Hyaluronic Acid is just as important (if not more important) than Collagen. Collagen maintains the skin firm but HA maintains the Collagen healthy. Think of Collagen as a rubber band that can stretch much longer - like 1.000.000 times longer than its original length. Keep doing that and pretty soon that rubber band will will be deformed and won’t stretch anymore. This is what occurs to the Collagen in your skin if it isn’t nourished. Think of that rubber band being stretched in a balm of oil so that its capability to revert back to its size is helped. Then make that comparison to Hyaluronic Acid in the skin so that the Collagen is always bathed in this nutritious gel like substance - Hyaluronic Acid. Your skin can be young and smooth and elastic if it has high concentrations of Hyaluronic Acid.

 

Vitamin C can keep you healthy, looking younger

04/2008  

Remember when vitamin C was hailed as the best, and maybe only, cold remedy? Then it became the Rodney Dangerfield of vitamins: It didn’t get any respect.

Citrus and other sources of Vitamin C can help fend off cancer, strokes and Alzheimer’s disease.

The nutrient’s glory days of curing scurvy-riddled sailors via juicy citrus fruit seemed to be the only thing keeping its reputation afloat, particularly after a massive research review found C to be virtually useless for fighting colds. But don’t believe it.

The truth is that scientists have taken a fresh look at C—and have found lots of new ways it can help you stay healthy and look and feel younger. Here’s the latest on what C can really do for you.

Prevent wrinkles

You can’t pick up a beauty product these days without the label touting its antioxidants. There’s a good reason: Antioxidants—like vitamin C—help turn back the clock.

An October 2007 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who ate foods rich in vitamin C had fewer wrinkles and less age-related dry skin than those whose diets contained only small amounts of the vitamin. C helps form collagen, which smooths fine lines and wrinkles, according to Patricia Farris, MD, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Tulane University in New Orleans.

The key seems to be C’s ability to fight free radicals, a by-product of cell metabolism in your body. Free radicals are thought to attack proteins, fats, and DNA and break down collagen. C also seems to guard against ultraviolet rays from the sun, which can lead to freckles and a mottled complexion. “Vitamin C does some repair and firming on the skin,” Farris says.
Health.com: Can you guess her age?

What to do now: Use a topical vitamin C treatment daily after you wash your face and before you slather on moisturizer or sunscreen so it penetrates the skin. Farris recommends La Roche-Posay Active C facial moisturizer or SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic topical antioxidant treatment.

Protect your heart

Experts continue to argue about whether antioxidants like vitamin C can prevent heart disease. But some of the evidence is highly persuasive. When Finnish researchers looked at studies involving nearly 300,000 people over 10 years, they found that taking more than 700 milligrams of C supplements daily reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease by 25 percent. And a recent study from Harvard University researchers hints that women who take a combo of 500 milligrams of vitamin C daily and 600 IU of vitamin E (another antioxidant) can cut their risk of stroke by 30 percent.

It’s possible that people who take vitamin supplements simply have healthier lifestyles than those who don’t, which could explain this finding. It’s also possible, experts say, that C enhances the functioning of endothelial cells (which line the inside of all blood vessels), slowing artery clogging and lowering blood pressure.

What to do now: Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, which are full of vitamin C as well as other healthy nutrients, and consider taking C and E supplements. Experts say there are essentially no risks, but first check with your doctor. Health.com: Get your C’s here

Keep cancer at bay

A diet full of vitamin C--rich fruits and vegetables isn’t just good for your heart, it may also lower your risks of bladder, esophagus, stomach, and lung cancers. Even though more research is needed to find out which compounds in fruits and veggies do the trick, researchers say the association is strong.

Someday, C may also be used to treat cancer. High levels of C given intravenously seem to be toxic to cancer cells (studies on vitamin C taken orally showed no effect on cancerous cells). Intravenous C appears to trigger the formation of hydrogen peroxide, which kills some cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed, says lead study author Mark Levine, MD, chief of the molecular and clinical nutrition section and senior staff physician at the National Institutes of Health.

Levine says doctors at the University of Kansas Medical School and Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia are trying this therapy on cancer patients.

What to do now: “Strive for five or more fruits and vegetables daily, in a rainbow of colors,” Levine says. “It’s where the most benefit is.
Health.com: CAn C fight off a cold?

Boost brain power

Pairing vitamins C and E is smart for another reason: It may lessen your Alzheimer’s risks by as much as 64 percent, according to research in the Archives of Neurology. Just 500 milligrams of C and 400 IU of E appear to be enough.

The brain’s high fat content makes it especially vulnerable to free radicals, but these antioxidants may act as shields, says study author Peter Zandi, PhD, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. “Some studies suggest that vitamin E does its job reducing free radicals in the body, but then its capacity is depleted,” Zandi says. “Vitamin C may recharge E.”
Health.com: The best multivitamin for you

What to do now: Try taking C and E supplements, and talk to your doc about your risks for Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Save your eyesight

Vitamin C can’t prevent the need for reading glasses around age 45. But anti-oxidants, including C, help prevent one of the leading causes of blindness: age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

More than 3.5 million Americans are thought to be in the early stages, and the disease strikes more women than men. A major clinical trial sponsored by the National Eye Institute showed that a daily supplement of 500 milligrams of vitamin C, 400 IU of vitamin E, 15 milligrams of beta-carotene, 80 milligrams of zinc, and 2 milligrams of copper reduced the risk of moderate or severe AMD-related vision loss by up to 25 percent. The antioxidants neutralize damage to the retina caused by, you guessed it, free radicals.

What to do now: If you’re at high risk for AMD (you’re overweight or have a family history), check to see if your multi-vitamin contains the study’s amounts of C, E, beta-carotene/vitamin A, zinc, and copper. Chances are, its C and E levels fall short, but additional supplements will do the job. (Caveat: Don’t follow this advice if you smoke; this level of beta-carotene may up your lung-cancer risks.)

 

Proactive skincare doesn’t just happen.

Through the ages, remarkably beautiful and ageless women have adopted and followed good skincare practices that enhance their natural beauty and protect their skin from the relentless effects of the elements and other antioxidants that surround us daily.

These exceptional beauties have always known that natural products, made of pure organic ingredients are their preference.

Now, we’d like to pass some of their accumulated knowledge on to you so that you, too, can experience a youthful, healthy complexion your whole life long.


Recent Posts

Enter to Win our Eye Cream

We are getting some great reviews!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Hemloq products!

Links We Love

Check us out on Facebook!

What are you putting on your skin?

October Magazines

Top 20 Gifts for 2008

I received my Hemloq Citrus Scrub & I’m so excited!

Thank you for the ‘Antidote to Aging’ Daily Repair Serum


Categories