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Merz Tea Time with Q-Brothers Webcast with Bob Root Keys CTO & Founder

Merz Tea Time is a new webcast by Merz Apothecary in Chicago IL.  Merz is a 145-year-old apothecary and online giant based in Chicago.  Keys and Merz have had a 12-year relationship that has grown even stronger in these tough times.  Merz Tea Time is a new live online webcast created by Merz to inform in a Joe Rogan style interaction with Merz vendors.  One of the first guests in this series was Bob Root, Keys founder, formulator, and head engineer.  Rogan style, the conversation bounces all over the gamut from skincare to the origin of Keys and why the company exists.  It is a funny, educational, and insightful podcast.

If you are offering podcast, webcasts or ZoomCasts to your customers, please contact us to book time with Bob

Below is the YouTube of the interview.



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Your Staff Better Be Smizing – It Could Make or Break Your Business

Smizing – Smiling with your eyes is the secret to business success moving forward.  It is the New Normal

by Wendy Steele, Keys CEO, Founder & Melanoma Survivor

Making sure that your staff knows how to Smize can make the difference between profit and loss or making it or not in these times. Here is how I learned to smize and why you should care.

Human ingenuity always amazes me, and I am seeing great things “here and there” now that our society is trying to move forward. Many things have changed and will never return to normal. The new normal is 2 meters of separation, avoiding crowds and wearing masks. Whether you agree or disagree with how things are being handled, change is inevitable, and growth is optional.  

Masks are probably one change that will stick with us and make sense in many ways. In Japan, if you have a cold, you wear a mask. In Bejing, if you are exposed to allergens, you wear a mask. In San Francisco, if you ride a bike through the industrial areas, you wear a mask. Now, if you shop at Costco or the grocery store, you should wear a mask. I get that.

Our friends at Jams World have some cool looking masks. Theirs is the one I am wearing. I have also seen some super fashion statement masks that are very cute, and some are very cool. If we have to wear them, we might as well have some FUN. I am taking life’s changes in stride because it is more comfortable.

I have to admit that I have worn buffs and neck gaters for years. I wear them to protect my neck from the sun, and occasionally I would pull it up over my face as a sort of joke for friends. Not much fun these days, but it is a good option as well. People would ask me what I was wearing and why in a sort of judgemental way. I wrote them off as muggles. What I do and what I wear is my business, and people’s insecurities are theirs. Not mine. Yesterday, I went to pick up lunch from my favorite Southwestern restaurant, and when Monica walked out to my car with our lunch, she was wearing a very cute “bandito” neckerchief hiked up over her mouth and nose. It was damned cute, and I knew that I had made the new order transition because I felt like asking her where she bought it. So, I am back to wearing my neck gaters because they are so much more fun than a surgical mask.

IMS – Get Over It.

I have seen some very terrifying masks, which is what inspired this article. Sometimes, it is not the mask that bothers me; it is the eyes of the wearer.

So the topic of this article is a kind of RBF story or to be more specific, IMS. Irritable Mask Syndrome is genuine and seems to be caused by various things. Some have told me that masks are an invasion of identity or uncomfortable. One said having to wear one is unconstitutional. Some feel self-conscious while others seem to like that they can hide behind one.

IMS Revealed

I was out walking, which I do a lot. Most of the time, I don’t see anyone, and sometimes, these days, when I do see people, they have their masks on. One day, just recently, I saw someone who was wearing a mask and stressed at having to wear it. Even though her mask covered most of her face, it was a clear case of IMS. I thought, how is that possible. How can her negative appearance scream out so much that I noticed her temperament wearing a big mask? We passed quite away from each other, and there was no attempt at a gesture or acknowledging of me. In some ways, it reminded me of being in New York City three weeks after 9.11. It stunned me a bit that this ‘no-no’ bothered me so much. Usually, I do not let people annoy me, but she did. I was mad at me for having the feelings, not her. About a mile down the road, I saw another masked woman headed toward me. As she passed, her eyes glistened and sparkled. Her eyes were smiling, and with my eyes, I smiled back and waved to acknowledge her. It suddenly dawned on me that the first woman had terror or anger in her eyes, which affected me, and this second woman made me feel good. All with their eyes only.

Oh No, I thought, do I have IMS? So when I got back home, I kept my mask on and looked into the bathroom mirror. Thankfully, I did not have IMS, but I wondered, “Could I practice smiling with my eyes?” What would that look like, and how hard could it be. Damned hard, I found out.

Smizing – The Duchenne Smile

The second woman started it with her smiling eyes, and I mirrored her. That was easy. It was automatic. What I discovered is that it is both an art and talent to be able to initiate smiling eyes. So, I grabbed my iPad and looked up “how to smile with your eyes” and surprise-surprise; there were many articles with most talking about something called a Duchenne smile.

Duchenne smile involves contraction of both the zygomatic major muscle (which raises the corners of the mouth) and the orbicularis oculi muscle (which raises the cheeks and forms crow’s feet around the eyes). The Duchenne smile has been described as “smizing,” as in “smiling with the eyes.”

So, I texted an actress friend of mine and asked her if she knew about the Duchenne smile. She laughed at me and told me she spent almost a year in an acting class trying to learn to smile with her eyes, and it was quite hard to master until she stopped trying. She said it comes from the soul, and when you smile naturally, your eyes squint and raise a bit. Little bags form under the eyes, and there you have it. She said it is the opposite of Instagram’s face because you don’t look perfect. You look happy and excited to be alive as opposed to trying to impress. Her best lesson for me was to be comfortable at smiling at everyone all the time. She said you would get better at it.

So, I tried it in the mirror, and it was true. That little squint made my eyes sparkle, and I was even happier feeling. So, I tried it with my mask, and it worked. I just made up that I did not have a mask, and my eyes do all the work since my face was covered.

So try smiling at your cellphone and do a bunch of selfies before and afters. You will be amazed. Now do the same thing with your mask on and notice how you feel. Then go out and practice on everyone you walk by to see what their reaction is.

So if you are like me, you have to believe that the world would be a better place if everyone smiled at each other. Now we have to wear masks, so we have to work a bit harder at it.

Lastly, here is a link to a great how-to article about how to master the Duchenne smile. https://www.wikihow.com/Smile-With-the-Eyes

Also, here is a good short video I found that describes the Duchenne smile that was a help for me.  Show it to all your people.    Wendy

 

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How Do Your Sunscreens Rate Against Keys Solar RX? – EWG 2020 Sunscreen Report

by Wendy Steele, Keys CEO Melanoma survivor, and Founder

So, how do the sunscreens you sell to your customers rank on Saftey and Efficacy?  Do they actually work and are they safe.  The controversy rages on whether sports sunscreen is safe.  The FDA says they should be reapplied every 15 minutes in high-stress conditions.  Our Solar Rx Moisturizer with sunscreen has the highest and best rating.  It can be worn all day as a foundation.  How do the ones you sell rate against Keys Solar Rx?   The results may surprise you.  Every year the Environmental Working Group publishes a sunscreen report.  Keys has been at the top of the list since the first report ten years ago.  This year the report is better to read in every aspect.  It is easy to read and figure out which is best for your customers.  They already read the report, it is time you compare what they know to what you sell.

First, there are fundamentally two types of sunscreens.  There are “go-to beach” sports screens and daily moisturizers with SPF.  Keys Solar RX is a daily sunscreen foundation with anti-aging moisturizing properties.  Having both types on your shelves is important and knowing when to recommend one of the other is essential.

Keys has received the highest ranking in the 2020 EWG sunscreen report for safety and efficacy. Keys Solar Rx and Keys KPRO SPF each received a 1 rating in this year’s EWG sunscreen report. The scale of 1 to 10 ranks safety based on ingredients and efficacy based on the type and concentration of sunscreen ingredients; 1 being the highest rating and 10 the worst.  As you can see from the chart to the right, there are very few #1 ranked sunscreens with the majority rated 3-6 on the EWG scale.

Keys uses a 20.5% level of its proprietary uncoated zinc oxide blend. The base moisturizer is our Luminos lotion formulation that focuses on avocado oil, black seed oil, carrot seed oil, agave aloe, and Shea butter for maximum hydration.

Spherical Zinc Oxide particles

Keys SPF products use a technique from high technology sputtering to process the particles for maximum UV blocking efficacy. Our zinc oxide blend uses a vapor deposition process to make our particles spherical and, therefore, transparent. The mixture maximizes UVB and UVA properties for perfect UV filtering.

Keys SPF products are the best moisturizers with UV protection. Solar Rx and KPRO SPF are for everyday use in non-sport applications. The products last all day and need not be reapplied, assuming the wearer does not sweat or do physical activity. Keys Solar Rx is perfect under makeup, acting as a clear luminescent foundation. KPRO adds sparkle from our OptiFx particles for special occasions.

How Do The Sunscreens You Are Selling Rate Against Keys

Click Here or the image above to access the Moisturizer with SPF EWG report and scroll down to Keys to read the reviews

Anti-Aging

Keys CEO, Wendy Steele, Melanoma survivor and reason for Solar Rx being developed

Both Solar Rx and KPRO SPF have anti-aging emollient properties because of the ingredient purity and quality. These are the most exquisite oils that money can buy blended into a formulation that hydrates, moisturizes, and effects fine lines. Avocado oil has skin clearing properties and, over time, will reduce dark spots and patches.

Therapeutic

Keys Solar Rx broadens its purpose as a skin ailment and disorder product because the zinc oxide is uncoated. This means that the wearer gains all the benefits of a zinc cream at even higher concentrations than over the counter skin disorder products. Most zinc creams contain 6%-8% uncoated zinc oxide. Solar Rx is at 20.5% uncoated zinc level. One major benefit is as a redness reduction solution. Many dermatologists prescribe zinc oxide cream and ointments. Solar Rx is a universal solution while also providing UVA and UVB blocking.

10 Years

This is the tenth year that Keys Solar Rx has received the highest rating from the EWG. Consumer Union thrust Keys Solar Rx into the limelight when it rated Solar Rx the highest and most effective sunscreen in its class. It has been the choice of Hollywood makeup artists and actors. It was featured two years in a row at Maria Shriver’s California Women’s Conference. Originally developed for Wendy Steele, Keys CEO, melanoma diagnosis, Solar Rx is Keys number one selling product.

 

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Melanoma Month – Keys Solar Rx – SPF, Safe & Therapeutic

There are two things about Keys Solar Rx Sunscreen that separate it from the pack

  • Cosmetically Transparent Sunscreen

  • Anti-Inflammatory Uncoated Therapeutic Zinc Oxide

And, May is Melanoma Awareness Month and the beginning of sunscreen season.

Solar Rx is an SPF moisturizer like none other. It is cosmetically transparent using a proprietary zinc oxide vapor deposition technique that uses uncoated zinc oxide with truly therapeutic properties. We know of no other SPF that offers both a broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection, natural moisturizer with avocado oil and Shea Butter, and anti-redness anti-inflammatory properties.

FDA SPF30 + Safest Sunscreen by EWG

Solar Rx was one of our first four products developed over 15 years ago for our founder, Wendy Steele, after her Melanoma diagnosis. Her orders were simple. I need a natural sunblock using zinc oxide that does not make me look like a mime. Her boyfriend engineer used a technique from silicon valley to vaporize the zinc oxide and turn the particles into perfect spherical shapes. Solar Rx is optically transparent while still providing industry-leading SPF UVA and UVB protection. An FDA Drug Facts panel and EWG safest rating make Solar Rx an unbeatable combination for those wanting a natural moisturizer with sunscreen.

Not Go To Beach

Solar Rx is not for going to the beach or sunbathing. It is an everyday moisturizer with SPF 30+ UVA and UVB ultraviolet radiation blocking. The transparent visible light zinc oxide is opaque to UV light. It works well under makeup and can be worn all day to work or when out and about. Not for sports, swimming or exercise. You will have to wear a sports-based sunscreen for that and look like a mime. Please avoid chemical sunscreens as they are full of very questionable chemicals.

Wash with Island Rx Foaming Cleanser and Apply Solar Rx as your moisturizer foundation for daily use. Apply makeup directly over the top for a flawless pallet and look.

May is Melanoma Month

Visit The Skin Cancer Foundation & Tell Them Keys Sent You. 😎

With over 5 million cases diagnosed in the United States each year, skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. Fortunately, skin cancer is also one of the most preventable forms of cancer. About 90 percent of nonmelanoma skin cancers and 85 percent of melanoma cases are associated with exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. By raising awareness of the dangers of unprotected exposure and encouraging sun-safe habits, we can change behaviors and save lives.

With the incidence of this disease reaching epidemic levels, we can’t do this work alone. We need your help. May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, the perfect time to get involved.


 

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Dr. Google is Up to Something Cool

Dr. Google at it again.  This Time with Apple as a partner.

After all this, there will be no industries untouched in some way or another. Perhaps the most impacted will be the medical industry. We have talked about Dr. Google for many years now and marvel at how over 95% of us consult Google first before going to the doctor. Contrary to some, people consult Google first because it is fast, efficient, and free. Now Google and Apple are taking another leap and may finally be integrating live doctors into the technology shift. Hopefully, as most doctors I know are, frankly, Luddites, I sincerely hope that everyday problems and illnesses will go online first. Cleary, in the next five years, the primary first contact will be an AI consultant the will screen and pass off patients to a live doctor.

Although this article in Apple News may seem to be C-19 focused, it is a wave of the future and one of the positive benefits for us all that will come out of this common disease.

Google starts showing virtual doctor options in Search and Maps

Some medical facilities are discouraging personal visits in response to C-19

As part of efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus, some medical facilities are currently discouraging visits in person. But pandemic or no pandemic, many ailments won’t merely disappear, and so sometimes we need to get help.

In such a scenario, Google wants to assist. The web giant recently announced it would begin highlighting health facilities that offer consultations over a video connection, enabling you to avoid a potentially busy waiting room, thereby reducing person-to-person contact.

“Over the coming week, we’re beginning to roll out two new features in Search and Maps that make it easier for people to connect to virtual health care options, whether it’s to a doctor’s office down the street, the hospital across town, or a national telehealth platform,” Julie Black, director of product management at Google Health, announced in an online post.

The features have been made possible after Google started allowing health care providers such as hospitals, doctors, and mental health professionals to add information for a virtual care service to their online business profile. It means that if you use Google Search or Maps to look for a local provider, you may see a “get online care” link in the results.

Clicking this link will take you to that provider’s virtual care website where you can find more information and perhaps set up a health care consultation that will take place online.

Black said Google Search will also start showing widely available virtual care platforms, giving people more options when it comes to making virtual visits.

“For example, when people search for ‘immediate care,’ we’ll be able to also present available virtual care options and related information such as the out-of-pocket price charged for a visit (for those without insurance) and an easy way for people to directly connect with the virtual care platform,” the executive said.

The update to Search and Maps is likely to prove popular as Black noted in her post that since the pandemic started, interest in virtual care and telehealth has risen dramatically.

The severity of the pandemic has even prompted a collaboration between Google and Apple, with the two companies planning a new opt-in system using Bluetooth technology on smartphones to track the spread of the coronavirus, officially known as C-19. Data collected through the new system will be shared with local public health authorities to help them make better-informed decisions on how to deal with the outbreak.

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Lights! Camera! Action! – Megan and the Teleconference Crisis

Just Another Beautiful Day in New Mexico

Bob Root, Keys CTO & Founder

Friday, April 10, 2020, 6:00am. My Friday started like all the rest of my days in week four of my sequester. In the high desert of New Mexico, mornings start crisp and cool with a bright sunrise over the Sangre De Cristo Mountains. Not a bad way to start the day. So, this Friday, I punched the Nespresso Machine and waited the moments for it to brew. Cat Isabel cruised by, and Jasper dog and Wendy were out an asleep in bed. I sort of like the solitude and rarely look at email until after the first espresso. I know you are saying, “poor baby.”

Today was different, and for some reason, I opened my email on my iPad. I never do that! Maybe it was a mistake or something Freudian.

The first thing I saw was an email from Megan, an old consulting client and long time friend in New York marked “Urgent”- Respond Immediately! She is an executive with a mega-company, and I worried that something was very wrong. So, I popped open the email and began to laugh out loud. Here was the first line. “Bob, holy shit, I need your help now. I am working from home and have to teleconference every day next week, and I look like shit on camera.” “What should I do?”

Before I go on, Megan knows me very well and my misspent youth. I spent many years involved with Hollywood mostly behind the camera in the early days of digital productions. Lots of tall tales, but I do know a few things about making people look good on camera. Keys KPRO line was developed in Hollywood with makeup artists. Today my Beta test team, Wendy calls them “Bob’s Possie,” are makeup artists, actors or makeup specialists. So, Megan is in trouble and needs some image guidance.

First, my days for the last month or so have been turbulent with lots of customer questions, manufacturing issues, and scrambling like most everyone. Most days are 12-14 hours. It may seem to pale in these times, but honestly, I welcomed the Saturday Night Live moment. So as I sipped my Nespresso, I decided to take the request seriously because I know her, and she was in distress over how she looks to her peers.   

Megan lives on the water in Connecticut. She has this beautiful porch that overlooks the sound. It is a very old New England style home and a perfect setting for an executive to have a conference call. She is a big dog, so people expect her to have a nice home. She does, and why not show it off.

It is crucial to recognize that Megan is quite pretty, thin, and self-assured. Said, nobody looks good on a cheap webcam in poor lighting. That is why the lighting people get paid whatever they ask for, followed quickly by the makeup artist. Lighting is everything!

Rather then paraphrasing herein is my email to Megan.


Megan, do not ever do that again. Do Not ever use urgent unless you or mark have been hit by a beer truck.

Here is what I want you to do in order:

    • Move your computer out onto the porch where people can see the water and boats going by. It will distract them from looking at just you with a bare white wall behind you.
    • Make a couple of reflector flats by taking cardboard and covering it with crinkled aluminum foil. Position these, so the outdoor light fill in so that it is not too bright behind you. A movie screen will do if you have one tucked away from 25 years ago in your basement.
    • Move your computer toward the back of the table so that you do not fill the screen of your webcam. They know what you look like, so you do not have to hover an inch away from the webcam.
    • I will FedEx you Our Luminos and KPRO tinted moisturizer. I developed Luminos as a means of tricking digital cameras into softening and diffuse the look on screen without looking like a soft-focus filter. I want you to Google “Strobing” and notice where they suggest to create a brighter area on your face. This is around the eyes and on your cheekbones. This is where you will use the KPRO tinted moisturizer.
    • I am going to order you a ring light from Amazon that I want you to hang over the camera on your computer. These light fill in your face with no shadows (Here is what I sent her).  I hope it will arrive Monday for you, but you can use most any light right above the camera to light your face.  
    • When you get the ring light, practice with it by not looking directly in the camera, but by sitting off angle a bit and looking slightly to the left or right of the camera.
    • Then when it comes to the teleconference, wear bright jewel tones like reds, blues, and greens. Dress up!
    • Do not stare at the camera, and do not stay still. You want people to believe you are still alive.
    • Consider using the stand that holds the ring light that I bought you and your iPhone. The iPhone camera is better than the one on your computer, and you can move it off-angle. You don’t need to see other people on the conference call. You will see what I mean. People on a webcam can be extremely distracting.

So, this is as important as dressing up going to the office for a big meeting. You do not want people to think you are on vacation and doing the frump thing. Get up and walk around once in a while. I know how much you hate sitting still. And do not hold up charts in front of the camera. People cannot see them. Send any presentation ahead of time, even though you like the art of surprise.

Lastly, Smile and keep your hands away from your face!

Bob


So, I heard back from her that the first call went off well, and everyone complimented her on how she looked, that she looked rested (Thank you, Luminos) and that she seemed like a Dover pro doing teleconferences. The ring light did not arrive on time, but she received it later on Monday. It will be an addition to the Tuesday call.

Now some of you might think that this is a sort of quirky subject at a time when there is lots of bad news. To me, there are a lot of people working from home, and the estimates are that video chatting is up 10,000% or an order of magnitude in geek terms. Keeping moving in tough times is not only necessary, but it is also something that can energize and console people. Clearly, there is no replacement for personal energy being with people. A well-lighted video call can be the next best thing.

Lights, Camera, Action!


“It is a serious time, but even in times of war you must laugh when you can.”  Churchhill


Seems like a lot of people want to know what ring light I bought for Megan.  Here is a link from Amazon.

 

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Jams World Making N95 Masks and They’re Cool.

Jams World
Click To Go To Jams World Site

Jams World N95 Mask with Attitude – Mahalo

I only collect one thing. They are Jams World Vintage Hawaiian shirts. Can you imagine my surprise when I got an email saying they were making and selling a mask to ward off viruses?

Before you jump to confusions, these masks are the real deal and look very cool. Let me explain!

Tight Weave and Carbon Fiber

Much of the principle of a good mask to ward off viruses is a tight weave. Jams World uses a rayon that is the tightest weave because they want to have the bright colors set and hold. On top of that, they have developed and inside the filter that includes a tight weave and a carbon layer.

Here is from Jams World (Link)


JAMS WORLD FACE MASK WITH A DISPOSABLE FILTER INSERT

  • Washable/Reusable Face Mask
  • Includes Two Insert Filters – PM2.5 N95 Made of 5-Layer Activated Carbon Filter, Non-Woven + Melt-Blown Cotton + Activated Carbon.
  • S – 2 1/2 inches x W 7 1/4 inches, Center Length is 3 3/4 inches (Children up to 12yrs)
  • M – 3 inches x W 8 inches, Center Length is 4 1/2 inches (Women’s)
  • L – 3 1/2 inches x W 9 inches, Center Length is 5 inches (Men’s)
  • 100% Spun Crushed Jams World® Rayon
  • Made in Hawaii

Jams World Filter Construction

Filter Specifications

Set of Two Disposable Insert Filters for Jams World Face Mask – PM2.5 N95 Made of 5-Layer Activated Carbon Filter, Non-Woven + Melt-Blown Cotton + Activated Carbon.

The Jams World Mask is $15.99 with Two Filters.  Extra Filters are available.


N95 Protection, But Not 100% Says Science

Jams World is quick to point out like all other mask makers are that no one is 100% sure that masks help.  Most are pretty sure and therefore cannot make 100% claims of prevention.  I put it in the “can’t hurt & probably helps category.”

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Frequently Asked Question In the C-19 Storm

Questions

It would be irrational if I did not say these are odd times. We are all in a turbulent storm.  A world dilemma has brought us lots of questions. Touchwood, our factory is still running, and we have been swamped. One of the busy areas is questions we are getting on our info email, customer service, and social media sites.

We started to notice a pattern, and we know that if we get a question on a topic, there are 100 who have the same issue but did not ask. So, we have created a composite FAQ section below that seems relevant to our times.

I must add that many of the answers may seem to be self-promoting. We don’t want to look tone-deaf, and at the same time, most of the question usual start off with “Which of your products can I use for-” We do try to offer some open suggestion, but we want to make sure that we are upfront in a time when there is lots of self-promotion.

Okay, some of these are very general and some very specific. Please try to keep that in mind as we answer the questions.

Mickey

Keys Customer Service


Here we go:

Question: I have been using hand sanitizers for a few weeks, and my hands are a wreck. What do I use?

Answer: Our Tortuga lotion is the most emollient lotion we make. It is chock full of avocado oil and Shea butter. The alcohol is drying, as is washing hands with detergent. Tortuga solves it right away and has not glycols to irritate further.


Question: I have been washing my hands with dishwashing soap, and they look and feel terrible. Anything I can use that will work.  

Answer: Our Galleyon antibacterial soap is designed to reduce bio-mass as antibacterial soap. It is Castile and has avocado and spearmint oil that leaves a monolithic coating of oil on the skin. So, it cleans and lubricates. Our Island Rx, Windsurfer, and MetaClean are equally as good. Galleyon contains spearmint oil, which does affect some types of bacteria and viruses.


Question: My hands are dry with cracking between the fingers. What can I use?

Answer: Guessing that you are washing with a soap that contains sulfates. These have been shown to create eczema and psoriasis type symptoms. Washing with Galleyon may help. If they are really cracked, our MetaCare ayurvedic lotion will help reverse the problems. MetaCare has Neem and Karanja oil. Google the benefits of these two oils.


Question: I have been locked up for three weeks and my diabetic skin has really flared up on my back. Do you have a lotion that will help?

Answer: We have a sprayable lotion called RediCare. It has Neem and Karanja oil and is sprayable. So, it does not have to be rubbed in. For years, diabetic skin suffers have used RediCare. My guess is that because you are3 in one place that seasonal allergies may be bothering you more. It seems like, on top of everything, allergies are more intense this season.


Question: I have heard that alkaline soaps are better for washing than neutral soaps. Are your soaps alkaline? What is their pH?

Answer: Yes, but we are not sure what you heard is true. Covid-19 is a lipid covered hydrophobic virus. The act of breaking down lipids is the main goal. Washing with detergent or our Castile-based soaps works equally as well with no real proof that higher pH helps. To answer your question specifically, our soaps range from alkalinity of 9.2pH to about 10.0pH.


Question: Your soaps talk about being micelle-based. Micelles seem to have a similar structure to some viruses. Do they help?

Answer: Wow, a really astute question! We don’t know, and yet, our scientists are asking the same thing because of the hydrophobic nature of micelles. I suggest you follow Dr. Rhonda Patrick in San Diego. She is involved with Salk Institue there.


Question: What do you recommend as far as a going ot regimen for your products? Do you do the same thing coming home.

Answer: The first obvious answer is to stay at home. I understand the question, and we have a unique reply.

Going out:  

  1. Wash your hands with detergent or Galleyon soap
  2. Wear a mask and gloves
  3. Spray sanitizer as needed on gloves and hands
  4. Avoid people

Coming Home:

  1. Strip and wash your clothes
  2. Spray hands with alcohol-based sanitizer
  3. Wash with Galleyon
  4. Use Tortuga lotion to moisturize

Question: Do I have to wash longer with Galleyon soap than if I use a conventional antibacterial soap.

Answer: Not really. Although most people do not wash long enough, most professionals recommend 20 seconds wash time. We recommend surgeons wash time regimen, which is fingertips to elbows for 5 minutes. Yes, 5 minutes. Some surgeons wash for 10 minutes before gowning up. Please wash at least one minute to make ‘me’ feel better.


Question: I love the scent of Island Rx Micelle Facial Cleanser. Can I use it to wash my hands?

Answer: It is not recommended because Island Rx Cleanser is diluted for the face. Use Island Rx liquid soap instead. It has the same scent, but stronger.


Question: What is the difference between your moisturizers/lotions? Not sure which one to buy.

Answer:

  • Luminos is a light facial moisturizer that adds luminescence to the skin and is great under makeup moisturizer.
  • Tortuga is our most emollient lotion and is for very dry skin. It can be used on spot areas on the face and all over the body. Perfect hand lotion because it absorbs fast and is not sticky
  • MetaCare is Tortuga with Neen and Karanja oil added. It is an ayurvedic therapy lotion for skin disorders. Google the benefits of Neem and Karanja for the skin.
  • AvoJel is an avocado oil-based jelly that seals the skin like petroleum jelly but without the petroleum side effect. It is for the most extremely dry skin or where chafing may occur.
  • Urban Shield is like AvoJel, but with ingredients designed to solve skin disorders on dehydrated skin and as a protectant trapping environmental issues. It is truly a shield against allergens and some pathogens.

Question: My doctor recommended that I cover my skin in a thin light lotion because I have severe itching, and I live in the desert southwest. What can I do?

Answer: Often, we find that the itching is a direct result of glycols in lotions and soaps. This is especially true of body washes that are designed as a moisturizer. So, there are a couple of tricks.  

  1. Mix a base oil like avocado or olive oil in with a Castile soap like our Island Rx or Dr. Bronner’s. These soaps will take about 1% to 3% without separating. When you wash, the oils cling to the skin, and only the soap washed away. You will notice the silky feel quickly and get hooked on the feel.
  2. Our MetaClean soap has about 6% oil level made up of avocado, Neem, and Karanja oils. It has the same effect as the DIY above, but with a medicinal bent.

Question: My doctor gave me a prescription for my dry cracked hands. It seems to have made them worse. What can I use?

Answer: This is a huge problem because most prescriptions contain huge amounts of glycols and parabens. Both are known to cause extreme skin conditions. I honestly do not understand it. I cannot legally tell you to stop, but I will not also tell you that we have anything that will overcome the effects of a paraben bacteriacide or glycols. It is up to you. If it was me, I would wash with our Island Rx or Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Castile and use lotion like Tortuga. You should feel and see the difference in a few minutes.

Also, please search for the cause. There may be something you are using on your hands that have glycols and parabens in them, which have been shown to cause the symptoms you describe.


Okay, these are just a few of the many questions we are receiving. We will amend them as we hear more unique problems.

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The Handshake is All Shook Up

The handshakeHandshake Ritual Seem Odd Now

A friend of a friend told me that the “Handshake” began in merry old England. It was supposed to show the other person that you were without a weapon. It seems to me that it might not have worked if your enemy was left-handed.  

Anyhow, I decided to look this up, thinking it might be right or just another urban myth. Well, it turned out to be partially true and interesting.

The Origin of the Handshake

The history of the handshake dates back to the 5th century B.C. in Greece. It was a symbol of peace, showing that neither person was carrying a weapon. During the Roman era, the handshake was actually more of an arm grab. It involved grabbing each other’s forearms to check that neither man had a knife hidden up his sleeve. Some say that the shaking gesture of the handshake started in Medieval Europe. Knights would shake the hand of others in an attempt to shake loose any hidden weapons.

Well after all these years, the handshake may be dead and gone. Not only does it not help us figure out whether someone is armed, but it also spreads germs and viruses. I can’t say that it bothers me as I am not real fond of touching people I do no know. Now I have an excuse.  😎

Frankly, I much prefer a wave and a smile! Hope this little ditty made you smile.

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Courageous or Just Smart? – Buying Direct is Smart

Having trouble getting products to sell? Stop buying from distribution!   Buying Direct is Just Plain Smart

It is time to get wise. Yes, stop buying through distribution because if you are a small business, they don’t want you anyhow. Maybe the writing is on the wall. Scrapping for inventory against Whole Foods, Sprouts, Trader Joes is not a win-win proposition for the small retailer. Pharmacies & Apothecaries learned long ago after Wal-Mart and Groceries got into their business, learning to differentiate and not sell the same things as big-box retailers.

Some Evidence

UNFI CEO, Steven Spiner said,(the) “Top 100 customers represent about 75% of UNFI’s total volume.”  ( As reported by Winsight Grocery Research – Read Article Here)

Groceries Flow Where Attention Goes! – The fable of the squeaky wheel.

The entire quote was, “Wholesale sales to our top 100 customers were up 4.3%. For customers two through 100, the increase was 2.2%.” Top 100 customers represent about 75% of UNFI’s total volume.” Even more telling.

The solution? Buy direct and get the products you need. Better yet, they are usually different and better products than those carried by distributors. Differentiated products mean that you are differentiated and unique in the eyes of your once loyal customers.

Change The Game

So, tear down your BOGO signs and replace them with signs about products that help your customers have better lives. Buy direct from small manufactures and became the trusted advisors in your community once again.

How can you expect to succeed in business if you are carrying the same products as everyone else? We know, we know, it is easy to buy through distribution. But why would you want to be just another lemonade stand littering a suburban corner? More than likely, being a commodity retailer is not how you started. How did you end up there?

So, for our sake, and the sake of all the cool little manufacturers out there, change the game and buy direct. It feels good, it helps us, and it helps you. So be the hero and break the distribution habit. Your customers will thank you.

Lastly, I always find it a bit disconcerting that the natural markets that I walk into promote the fact that they buy from local farms, ranches, and bakers, but the center of the store is full of distribution products.   

Bob Root


Bob Root, Keys CTO & Founder

Bob Root is a founder of Keys and its Chief Scientist. Bob is a former high tech Fortune 500 CEO and started in the photographic industry at Polaroid. He is the author of four books and is a former member of the Washington Speakers Bureau. This OpED article comes from his perspective, watching the destruction of the photographic industry and the total state change that the computer industry experience in the 90’s. He believes in the traditional grocery model growing up as the grandson of Root’s Grocery founder but admits that mom & pop retailers may not survive and that the industry is heading the wrong way.

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Grocery Shop Smart – Not Often!

Shopping Smart and Not Often Saves Lives

The Center for Disease Control, The President and State Health Organizations, are asking us to stay out of the grocery stores for the next two weeks. Why?

The reason we are being asked not to treat grocery shopping as entertainment is that smart people know that we can cap this virus by exposing fewer people to other people. So, where do we typically go when we are being asked to stay at home? Of course, we go grocery shopping. It is allowed, right!

We do not have to elaborate. They are asking us to stay at home for a reason. STAY HOME, and do your part!

When you do shop, shop smart and not often. A least for now, help out by trying to live off of what you have in your stockpile. When you do shop, buy all of what you need quickly and get the hell out of the store. The operative word is to buy all that you need, don’t hoard, and shop wisely.

Grocery shopping is not a family outing. Figure out a way to go it alone. Better yet, have someone shop for you like Instacart.com. Sprouts, Sams, and other grocery chains have Instacart accounts. (www.Instacart.com) It can indeed be as much fun unpacking what an Instacart shopper brought you as buying it in the first place.

It is time for innovation, ingenuity, and sucking it up. The life you save may be your own.

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“Blue Babies” Therapy May Help!

Some Good News – Nitric Oxide Therapy May Help The Suffering

FDA opens up Bellerophon’s (Nitric Oxide) gas therapy for COVID-19

nitric oxide
Bob Root, Keys Chief Scientist & Founder

Bob Root, Keys Scientist:   I have a core belief for my life when it comes to health.  The only person I hold responsible for my health is me.  Yes, me.  When I am confronted with a malady or this giant COVID dragon in front of us all, I turn to science to learn what I can.  Sometimes I don’t understand and sometimes one article leads to another.  When the path turns cold, I back up and take another path until I find what I am looking for.  It is just who I am.  Sometimes I find something so interesting I share it with my friends.  Not to proclaim something, but to entice them to study themselves.  Like my books, I try to inform and not convince. In these times, there is so much misinformation.  I never want to subtract but add something that may fuel a new way, a new path or some new thinking.  So is this bit of news:

There is some interesting and I feel, good news on the horizon that I am reading about in the scientific community about prevention, relief, and vaccines.  Please remember that scientists’ comments and findings are revised carefully by peers.  Yes, it slows the process but is a positive factor in weeding out BS.

First of all, my compliments to the FDA for opening up the emergency expanded access program for SARS-COVID.  “NO” is the chemical acronym for Nitric Oxide.  It is made in cells in our body but can be supplemented through nitric oxide mass inhalation.  More important is that is is a common therapy in “Blue Baby” syndrome and has been used for years to treat the newborn malady.  A doctor at UCLA Medical Center says he can watch blue babies with respiratory distress turn pink in front of his eyes.  So now, it seems that “NO” may be a tool, not the solution, but a tool, with SARS COVID-19.  Below is published verbatim and not my words.

Bob


Nitric Oxide

FDA opens up Bellerophon’s gas therapy for COVID-19

Using a regulatory pathway that allows patients with life-threatening conditions to use unapproved therapies, the FDA has granted “emergency expanded access” to Bellerophon Therapeutics’ inhaled nitric oxide delivery system for treating the novel coronavirus.

Also known as compassionate use, the agency’s policy is typically administered on a per-patient basis—at times when clinical trials are infeasible, the benefits are seen to outweigh the risks, and there are no available alternatives.

According to Bellerophon, the FDA’s decision now opens up its INOpulse system for use at high-doses in ventilated COVID-19 patients, immediately.

Inhaled nitric oxide acts as a vasodilator, relaxing the lungs’ muscles and blood vessels, and is used in hospitals worldwide. Bellerophon has been researching its use to combat potentially harmful high blood pressure in the lungs among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary fibrosis, interstitial lung disease and sarcoidosis.

The compound has also been tested as a potential treatment for the novel coronavirus’ closely related predecessor—the strain behind the SARS outbreak in the early 2000s. Previous studies showed that nitric oxide slowed down the replication of that virus and reduced the need for long-term ventilator support.

According to Bellerophon, the genetic similarities between the two coronaviruses “support the potential for [inhaled nitric oxide] to provide meaningful benefit for patients infected with COVID-19” and inhibit the progression of upper respiratory tract symptoms.

“Based on currently available data and its significant role in the immune response, we believe INOpulse has the potential to be a safe and effective treatment for COVID-19,” said CEO Fabian Tenenbaum. “INOpulse technology utilizes targeted pulsatile delivery of inhaled nitric oxide, providing important antiviral potential, as well as improved arterial oxygenation.”

“Importantly, INOpulse is designed to treat patients in the outpatient setting, which may be critical in helping combat the further spread of the virus and significantly alleviate the mounting impact on hospitals and intensive care units,” Tenenbaum added.

Prior to the outbreak, Bellerophon had been building up inventory of its INOpulse device for a planned, large phase 3 trial in pulmonary fibrosis—which the company is currently looking to divert to hospitals in need, Tenenbaum told FierceMedTech in an interview.

Additionally, about a month ago, Bellerophon completed a safety trial in healthy volunteers showing its high-dose paradigm could be tolerated, at levels similar to those used against the earlier SARS outbreak, he said. The FDA is also currently reviewing a research protocol for a new clinical trial against COVID-19 to explore the device’s next steps in development.

The FDA’s access decision comes less than 24 hours after President Donald Trump pointed to compassionate use as one of the ways the administration is responding to the spread of the virus.

“Disseminating information about promising off-label uses of drugs we already have, investigating their effectiveness, and pursuing other therapeutics will help give American healthcare providers the tools they need to save lives,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in an FDA statement on the agency’s work to facilitate development of investigational treatments such as the malaria drug chloroquine and Gilead’s remdesivir antiviral, which is also available under compassionate use.

“While there are no FDA-approved therapeutics or drugs to treat, cure or prevent COVID-19, there are several FDA-approved treatments that may help ease the symptoms from a supportive care perspective,” the agency said March 19.

The new emergency expanded access pathway allows doctors to request use of the INOpulse for multiple patients at once, without including their names or other personally identifying details, Tenenbaum said.

Inhaled nitric oxide has also been pursued as a COVID-19 therapy by several others, and is currently undergoing clinical trials in China—both as a potential treatment for patients and as a preventive measure for healthcare providers—with studies sponsored by Massachusetts General Hospital and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Mallinckrodt, for one, has been exploring its use against the disease in coordination with the FDA, NIH and BARDA, and previously markets the gas as a treatment for neonates suffering from respiratory failure.

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Tough Times Need Smart Leaders!

Bob Root, Keys CTO & Founder

Time To Get Wise – Covid Boom or Bust.  The grocery business has been around a long time, but there is no need to be arcane.

I have over 35 retailers that I regularly contact to get a feel for what is happening in the market. These are regularly scheduled connections, and I thought that with the Covid virus problem facing us all that I should back off the calls. Truthfully, Keys business has almost doubled in the last month, and I am plenty busy with Keys projects and orders. So I decided not to call and mistakingly forgot to tell my group I was not going to call.

To my surprise, some of them checked-in to make sure I was okay, and they really wanted to chat. So, I quickly got off a note to all that I was okay and busy, but honestly did not want to bother them. I did have a chance to chat with a few, and most are crazy busy finding that their business has almost doubled or tripled. Most have had to alter their grocery business more back to their roots closing off the freshly prepared food and salad bars and spending their days stocking shelves. Many are frustrated and adapting to the use of InstaCart.com and other delivery services.

This is a brief story of one traditionally stable grocer who was at wit’s end. The reason I share is that I can imagine that some simple solutions are staring you in the face that you might not see.

Let’s call my grocer friend Art. He has been in the natural food business for 35 years and inherited his business from his Mom & Dad. Art was very frustrated that his business grew overnight, and he claims he cannot higher qualified people to work in the store, prep packaged food, stock, or cook. He said that his local employment agency and temporary service companies were not of any help. Art pissed me off quite a bit because he was grousing more than doing. Meaning, he was bending my ear instead of thinking. When Art stopped his tirade, I offered him a simple solution that stunned him into silence. Here is what I said.

Art, you are a member of your local Chamber of Commerce. You need people that understand food, customers, and how to be clean. All the restaurants in your community are closed. Their food server, cleaning staff and “back of the house” are all out of work. Call your chamber president and have him or her offer to go to the restaurant owners and offer jobs to their idle people. Simple right?

So, he emailed me this morning to say thanks and let me know that within hours, he had staffed-up with qualified people. Now he said, I need an IT person to figure out this InstaCart thing. My answer, “Don’t make me slap you!” There are furloughed IT people out there as well, and there are freelancers that know this stuff like the back of their hands. Just ask for help and stop being the victim.

So, it is time to get wise and stop the grousing.  This will pass and it is your choice of how you will react and respond.

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DIY Hand Sanitizers – Formulas

Time for Hand Sanitizers.

It is important to be effective and know what you are putting on your hands.   There are a number of natural commercially available products that work.  Right now, they are hard to find in the stores.  So, it is time to make your own.  It is simple and done right, just as effective as the store-bought sanitizing products.

DIY Sanitizers Formulas

So here is a formula for creating the world’s best hand sanitizers.

Use 98% of 99% Isopropyl alcohol and 1% spearmint essential oil.
Can’t find Isopropyl Alcohol? Turn to white lightening. Yes, Grain Alcohol or 190 proof ethanol. Do not dilute or buy less than 190 proof.  This means the alcohol level is 95%.   It doesn’t matter the source; ethanol is alcohol. Also, mix it with spearmint essential oil for lubrication and positive microbiome effects.

Wash Hands

Washing your hands with Castile soap is best. Seriously, but when you cannot, alcohol sanitizer helps.

My suggestion is to put it into a spray bottle. A 1 ounce (30ml) size will do for your pocket or purse. Spray it on your hands or surface. Spray on hands liberally and rub until dry: just a moment or two.

Denatured Alcohol, But Be Careful

There is also another choice at Home Depot od Lowes in the paint aisle. It is denatured alcohol altered with Menthol. Warning! Denatured alcohol can have other additives like Methyl Ethyl Ketone (aka MEK). Avoid at all costs, and if it is not marked, do not buy it.

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Hand Sanitizers Debunked

Hand Sanitizers, The Right Way, and the Wrong Way.

Where to begin?

My article, “Just Wash Hands,” has brought a lot of comments. Lots of thank you’s, a few questions and some opinion. Cool, that is what is supposed to happen.

YES

Most comments address a short paragraph I wrote about “Hand Sanitizers.” There is a wrong way and a right way. Most of us do it the wrong way.

So, I cruised into a Wal-Mart to buy a pair of new windshield wiper blades. I noticed two sanitizer stations at the entrance. One was the right kind, and the other the wrong kind. One was an alcohol towelette, and the other a hand dispenser. One was designed to wipe down the cart and the other to disinfect hands. To my surprise, as I watched for a bit, people grabbed the towelette and wiped their hands with it. It seemed like most people were avoiding the dispenser.

Here are my facts. The dispenser, marked as a hand sanitizer, claimed to contain Triclosan and alcohol. Fact, this machine kills all the good and bad bacteria on the skin. I firmly believe, as studies point out, that pathogens populate faster than good colony bacteria. This means that when you indiscriminately kill off your microbiome bacteria, the good guys, the bad guys show up first, giving good bacteria almost no chance to defend. So, please keep this in mind when you enter a store and see a squirt dispenser. Said, I am still amazed that the one I saw said it included Triclosan, which is a banned substance. Perhaps they were refilling the old dispenser.

The towelette dispenser used on the hands is equally wrong. My story about the engineer on the airplane wiping down his seat area wearing Nitrile gloves is the right way. Those towelettes kill the bacteria, good and bad, the same way as the sanitizer dispenser. The difference is that the towelettes are designed to wipe down the cart and not your hands. So, it is perfectly proper to wipe down the things you touch with a bacteria killer and not your hands. Make sense?

NO! NO! NO!

In my trek around Wal-Mart, I saw one woman do it right. She wiped down her cart with the towelette and was wearing Nitrile gloves on her hands. She did not have a mask on, but I suspect that if and when a virus or the flu breaks out in New Mexico, she will be wearing a mask. For now, she was fending off germs the correct way.

So, there is a right and wrong way to keep safe. If you are going into public places, wash your hands, use gloves, and do not under any circumstances, rub your nose or face with your gloved hands. It is common sense that viruses are spread primarily through the nose, so keep your hands and fingers clear of your face.

To overly simplify, liquid hand sanitizers are not good, and sanitizer towelettes are for wiping down carts and things you touch. Disposable gloves are best.

Bob

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Mom Was Right! – Just Wash Hands

There is a Simple Way

by Bob Root, Keys CTO

Yes, it is flu season, and traveling is getting to be a more significant concern. It is the time of year to write about not only how to wash your hands, but why doing it the wrong way can hurt.

Many years ago, we researched the University of California Irvine on proper handwashing as a means to stay healthy during flu and virus outbreaks. The study formed our opinion, which I will share here.

The primary purpose of washing your hands is not to spread viruses to your face. The average person touches their face about 50 times a day. When I mentally checked in with how often I touch my face or nose with my hands, I quickly lost count—much more than 50 times a day.

So why wash your hands? The process of washing hands is to reduce the bacterial mass on your hands without harming the Microbiome. Our skin has friendly bacteria. Our Microbiome is occasionally invaded by bad gram-positive and gram-negative rods known as pathogens. These are the disease-carrying bacterial that infect us mostly through our noses and mouths. Was to remove them lowers the risk of infection.

Our Galleyon foaming soap helps to remove the bacterial mass because it is a Castile based soap that uses a high concentration of spearmint essential oil. Galleyon makes an excellent cleanser because Castile soaps are alkaline, and the spearmint aid in the cleaning process to reduce the overall bacterial count.

How to Wash with Galleyon

It is simple, and you might not be washing long enough.

  1. Wet your hands thoroughly with warm water. This will open the pores of the skin to let the soap get deep in.  
  2. Apply a few pumps of Galleyon Foam and wash all parts of your hands for at least 30 seconds. More if you like, but not less.
  3. Rinse with cool to warm water under flowing water. Rince longer than you think.
  4. Shake your hands over the sink rapidly to release the water.
  5. Use a paper towel to dry because a cloth towel used more than once is a home for the harmful bacteria to accumulate. Optionally air dry or use one of those clean air dry blowers like the Dyson Blade.
  6. You’re Done!

What Not to Do.

Antibacterial agents

Stop! The term antibacterial has two distinct meanings in the world of science. Reducing the biomass on your hands is the good antibacterial action, and killing the bacterial with bactericides like triclosan is terrible. Killing bactericides like triclosan indiscriminately kill good and bad bacteria at the same time. The grandmothers’ tale is accurate. If you kill all the bacterial, there is no defense for the bad guys to invade harder and faster. I read one article where someone said to use Lysol to sanitize. Nuts!

Hand Sanitizers

Okay, you can make your own hand sanitizer with Galleyon by mixing one part of the liquids soap with five parts water. Spraying it on parts or your hands will help, but not that much. Using most hand sanitizers can hurt because they are mostly ethanol alcohol—usually about 60%. Ethanol is a bacteriacide that also indiscriminately kill good and bad bacteria. I was just on a plane where I watched a guy, who looked like an engineer, put on rubber gloves, take what seemed like an alcohol wipe, and cleaned his entire seat area. Then he carefully captured the wipe by removing his glove in a way to make it into a baggy. This was good because he sanitized the area as opposed to his skin. A+ The message is to sanitize your surroundings and not your hands. Keep that good bacteria working for you.

Gloves?

Wearing gloves is a good thing, but it is hard to do and uncomfortable. Those Nitrile blue or black gloves work, but they can get hot, and your hands can get sweaty wearing them. Bacterial needs oxygen (air) and water to propagate. So, unless you change them out and wash between, they are not that good. Cloth or porous gloves do nothing!

Don’t Touch Your Face.

One of the best deterrents is not to touch public things and not touch your hands/fingers to your face. I recently had a meeting in Las Vegas and had to fly through Phoenix to get there. The areas I was in were very low humidity, and most people were not sick. Said Wendy warned me not to touch anything and never touch my face. That was hard, but I made a conscious effort. I did watch most people as they grabbed handrails, pushed open doors on trash containers, and washing in the bathroom to little and without soap. They were continually touching their faces, and I could quickly see Wendy’s point. Research it if you want, but touching public fixtures and then your face is a disaster.

Okay, that is it. Wash your hands a lot with a Castile soap like Galleyon, and you have a pretty good chance at warding off a bacterial or virus attacks.

Bob

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Keys Wholesale Dealer Registration

Our new wholesale website is chocked full of simple innovations making your buying experience quick, easy, and 24/7.

RegistrationCurrent Dealer/Reseller Registration/Log In

If you buy from Keys already using Text, Email, Vmail or through your Rep, you can add online ordering easily by going to the box to the left and click “Lost Password,” or click on the Sign-Up tab in the menu above. Scroll down to the “Reset Password” box and enter your email address. You will be redirected to a page where you can reset your password from the one we made up for you. Once you have put your email address in, click the reset password button. The go back to the login using your email address used for the password reset as your username and enter the password you just created. You are in! Buy away.

New Dealer/Reseller Sign-Up

I the top menu, there is a tab titled “Sign-Up.” Click and scroll down to the application form. It is simple, easy, and quick. Once approved, you will be able to log in and see wholesale pricing and enter orders yourself.

Login

Register

Register for Keys Wholesale

Keys Wholesale Registration

Reset Password?

Please enter your email. The password reset link will be provided in your email.

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Chemical-Free Skin Health Book, Anniversary Sale -Kindle $4.95

It is the tenth anniversary of Bob’s book, “Chemical-Free Skin Health.” That does not mean it is ten years old. It has been remastered a number of times to keep it current. Ironically, our collective amnesia will make much of the book new to first-time readers.

In 2008, Bob announced the beginning of a book focused on skin health over two years ago at the Natural Products Expo West. His book was published in early October 2009 and Bob will officially launch the book at the 2010 California Women’s Conference. Maria Shriver chose Keys Luminos for her California Women’s Conference for the speaker’s gift bag. In 2010, she wanted Keys Solar Rx for the speaker’s gift bag.

The book, titled “Chemical-Free Skin Health” with a subtitle of “Stop • Challenge • Choose,” was published by Orion’s M42 publishing company and was sold on the show floor by Roman’s bookstore next to Dr. Oz. Bob, Mehmet, and others were signing their books. Chemical-Free Skin Health sold out the first day.

Keys exhibited in the newly created section called the “ECO Island,” which features green sustainable products. For those attending, Bob and Wendy were in the Keys booth along with Kathleen Beaton, Hollywood makeup artist, and writer of the Foreword for Bob’s book. Kerry Malouf, motion picture makeup artist and beauty editor for Malibu Magazine, was also in the Keys booth in the ECO Island.

Bob and Wendy opened the ECO Island with a speech on the Mind, Body Soul stage for the conference at the Night at the Village on October 25th. Bob and Wendy also lead what Maria calls the “Kitchen Table” sessions within the ECO Island. These were 25 minute Q&A sessions where each will offer information and answer questions.

Oprah, Jane Fonda, Caroline Kennedy, and over 100 other celebrity women with a few men like Sir Richard Branson talked to over 35,000 women at the Long Beach California Convention Center.

Since then, Chemical-Free Skin Health has been published four times and is on Amazon Kindle. In celebration of the tenth anniversary, Chemical-Free Skin Health is on sale on Amazon Kindle for $4.95. That is a $15.00 savings.  Well worth the original $19.95 list price. It makes this timeless book a super-value.

Click Here to go to Amazon Kindle or Click on the book cover image above.

The paperback is available here at 40% off published SRP:

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Micelle Cleansers – Not New and Beware Petroleum Versions

Micelle Cleansing

Everywhere you read, people are introducing micellar water, micellar cleansers, and micellar tonics. Funny, when we launched our Island Rx Micellar cleanser 16 years ago, not many listened or cared. What did happen, though, is that it became one of our top selling products because of our vegan micellar structure. The reason for that is that micelle in the soap makes it clean deeper and leaves the skin not harmed like chemical-based detergent facial cleansers.

Micelle is Not a Chemical

Over the years, the general first question we get about Island Rx, MetaClean, and Windsurfer is, “Are Micelle a chemical?” No, it is an ionic structure created by the soap making process that both loves and hate water at the same time. We use this principle of science to allow the micelle to like water on one side of the ionic bond, and it loves oil on the other side of the ion. Micelle is why we can deliver ayurvedic oils or moisturizing oil via the soap. This functionality is a huge deal, while the micelle also offers the ability to remove grime from the skin without stripping oils. All said scientists in school take a long time to understand how and what a micelle does. What is right for you, is that we know it.

Continue reading Micelle Cleansers – Not New and Beware Petroleum Versions

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Keys Urban Shield – Super Ointment

Urban Shield – Product of the week

Urban Shield Jel is one of our best selling products because universally, it does so many things for the skin. Urban Shield is based on our Avo Jel replacement for petroleum jelly. Rather than being made from petroleum, our base is an identical jelly made from avocado oil. We add strategic Ayurvedic and homeopathic ingredients to turn it into a universal ointment that achieves multiple results for skin problems.

The history of Urban Shield and its name was based on a request from friends that lived in New York City and Los Angeles that complained that their skin was being bombarded with chemicals in the cities that included hydrocarbon pollution and a just plain dirty environment. Our solution was a barrier (shield) that they could apply that would capture these pollutants on the surface of their skin. Initial tests proved that it was successful, but like most customers, they wanted more. As we added ingredients based on their observations, the Urban Shield of today was born.

It is all in the ingredients that tell the story about Urban Shield Jel.

  Avocado Oil Jel

  • Using a gel on the skin seals it from the external environment. Like an invisible bandaid, the gel protects the skin while acting as a carrier for the rest of the purpose-based ingredients.
  • Avocado oil is super emollient and hydrating.
  • Avocado oil has whole natural Omega-3 properties that rejuvenate.

Continue reading Keys Urban Shield – Super Ointment

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About Keys

Melanoma Was The Keys Beginnings

Bob Root – Keys Founder & Scientist

I have never told my story. Most of everything we have written is about Wendy’s fight with Cancer and stupidity in the skincare market intermixed with how I created our products. So, since it is 15 years in business this year, I just felt like writing down my perspective of who we are.

In 1994, I met the woman of my dreams. In 1997, I nearly lost her to Melanoma cancer. Dr. Hugh Greenway at Scripps in LaJolla, CA saved her life. The prescriptions so severely hurt her that the experience became the basis for the invention of our products. The experience changed my life and my purpose. Read our book, “Defining Moments” and will get a tiny glimpse….tiny… of our lives together.

Keys was born was out of strife and conflict. It was a confusing time where any action was better than no action. Everything on the market was full of junk and even the “natural” brands had parabens and sulfates. It was 2004 when the first four products debuted at the Natural Products Expo and the years since have been full of change, innovation, and staying true to our purpose. It shocked the industry when our newly minted sunscreen, Solar Rx, was featured as the most effective by Consumer Reports Magazine, and the EWG ranked it the safest out there.

Click To See On Amazon

Another Defining Moment for us is when Maria Shriver as the first lady of California invited us to exhibit at her California Women’s Conference.  Not only did she give us this great opportunity, she asked us to place products in the speaker’s gift bags.  She also helped me to launch my book, “Chemical-Free Skin Health®” next to Dr. Oz.  It was amazing with over 30,000 women mixed with 126 celebrity speakers including Jane Fonda, Oprah, and Caroline Kennedy.  She refers to our products as, “So Pure.”

What has not changed is our dedication to the basic principles that I defined to design and build our authentic niche products. While big brands flex to the market trends to be more natural, they tended to be of a marketing effort than a reformulation. At Keys then and now, our principles and dedication to functional products have not wavered. It is simple yet hard.

Continue reading About Keys

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Keys Vanity Pro Makeup Artist Team Application

Keys Vanity Pro Makeup Artist Team

Keys Vanity Pro Team entitles the professional makeup artist to unique benefits, including product discounts and exclusive access to tips and techniques. …and the most exciting is a free membership in our Beta testing team where you will see new products and be able to test them before they are in production.

What You Get?

If you qualify for the program, you will receive a 40% product discount online at www.KeysPure.com and receive an industry insider newsletter sent out to your email on a periodic basis.

What We Get.

Our benefit is a discrete group of professionals that help guide us to develop better more effective products for you and consumers.

What Can You Do for Us?

Talk us up and get more makeup artists to signup for this program.  The more artists that are signed up, the more we can learn from you and your peers.  That is priceless for us.

DO YOU QUALIFY? 

The Pro requirements are as follows:

  • Completed application with credentials

AND

  • Two pieces of professional makeup artist criteria uploaded within the application form. (valid within the past 2 years):
    • Composite Card
    • Business card with name and specific Makeup Artist profession
    • Editorial page with name credit
    • Union card
    • Professional valid license
    • Crew Call list on production company letterhead
    • Reference letter from employer or director

So, When You Are Ready…Here is the Application

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FDA Set to Ban Chemical Sunscreen Ingredients

 

FDA Study Reports Chemical Sunscreens Enter Bloodstream in One-Day

In a recent report and study by the FDA, it appears they are on a path to ban all chemical sunscreen ingredients used in most sunscreens on the market. Keys Solar Rx is a clear physical sunscreen using zinc oxide.

The four chemicals studied avobenzone, oxybenzone, ecamsule and octocrylene — are part of a dozen that the FDA recently said needed to be researched by manufacturers before they could be considered “generally regarded as safe and effective.”

Excerpt: Wired Magazine

Today, researchers at the FDA revealed the results of a small clinical trial designed to test how four of the most common sun-filtering molecules on the market behave after they’ve been sprayed on and rubbed in. The results, published in the journal JAMA, show that contrary to what sunscreen manufacturers have been saying, UV-blocking chemicals do seep into circulation. Now, don’t panic and toss your tubes. There’s no evidence yet that they’re doing anything harmful inside the body. But the revelation will have serious impacts on sunscreen manufacturers going forward, and may change what options you’ll find on drugstore shelves before the year is out.

“Everyone had always thought that because these are intended to work on the surface of the skin that they wouldn’t be absorbed, but they are,” says Theresa Michele, director of the FDA’s division of nonprescription drug products, and coauthor on the FDA-funded study. Her team found that it took only a few hours after the application of sunscreen for the photoprotective chemicals to infiltrate the bloodstream and shoot up to concentrations above the FDA’s toxicology threshold that triggers further safety testing.

Read the entire article Here.

If you have trouble opening the article copy the following into your browser.   https://www.wired.com/story/sunscreen-chemicals-soak-all-the-way-into-your-bloodstream/

Click Here to goto the Keys Solar Rx store page.

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Keto Diet & Keys – Skin Is In The Game

Keto and Skin – Carb-Free, Sugar-Free, Sodium-Free, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free Anti-Aging

The revelation that some skin care products have sugars, carbs gluten and salt is stupefying and scary!  Clean products are not that hard to make if you know what you are doing.

The Keto diet is sweeping the world and at Keys as well. In its purest form, we are switching our bodies from sugar burners to fat burning. Yes, the body runs on fat as well as sugar. There are lots of benefits to the switch, cutting out ALL sugar and limiting carbohydrates to under 20 gram a day. Yes, it will melt the weight off your body quickly, but what it does for your health is even more critical. Not the least of which is your skin.

Funny as it sounds, Keys products are ketogenic. No carbs and no sugar and they are mostly good fats like avocado oil, black seed oil, olive oil, etc. etc. Besides being gluten-free (carbs), we are sugar-free.

The exciting part is that those of us at Keys that have been on a Keto diet for three months now have noticed how good our skin looks and how fewer products we have to use to have great looking skin. Our skin universally seems smooth and cleans easier as if the grime is riding on top of our skin. Lotions and creams require less to get more. I have personally cut my Reflex and Luminos usage by about a third (33%), and my skin loves the nourishment.

There were some ironies like when I tried to use a sugar scrub, and my skin reacted almost as it dropped out of ketosis. Yes, and I will never do that again. One person tried a bar soap that turned out to have a raft of gluten and carbs used for thickeners, filler, and grains as an abrasive. Gluten = Carbs. And yes, we now believe the skin reacts to sugar and carbs the same way as our gut does.

So, most of us will never go back to sugar and carbs because of how the Keto diet has made us feel. Life changing is about the only description I can offer. Knowing that some skin care brands use carbohydrates and sugars, as well as artificial sweeteners, was stupefying to all of us. It is a central message for all of us that have noticed how much better or skin looks, feels and acts since going Keto.

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InfoGram™ – New Keys ‘Quick-Reads’ Mini-Blog

In keeping with the times, we created a new area of Clean Green Cafe blog for quick informational bites. Infograms™ is focused on helping you understand our product applications. Infograms will offer tips and tricks as well as educational information. We will bring you industry news and our perspective on various important subjects. Clean Green Cafe will continue to have in-depth content while Infograms will be quick short bits of information. Often there will be crossover content where Infograms will link to a larger more profound article on the Clean Green Cafe Side.

An InfoGram is a bit like Twitter with a few exceptions.

  • Like Twitter the messages are short and to the point.
  • They are quick reads at mostly under one minute and never more than two minutes
  • Messages are straightforward.
  • No flowery words our comments that are up in the air.
  • You can choose to subscribe to Infograms separately from Clean Green Cafe for quick bites.
  • Infograms a frank and friendly…you know where we stand

Important to note is that the InfoGram blog is independent of Clean Green Cafe. That means that you need to subscribe to Infograms knowing that there will be more, but shorter content coming your way in the form of emails. We invite you to click on the links in emails to get to the main article, but please know that 100% of the content of the Infogram will be in the body of the email you receive. So, it is essential to subscribe so that you do not have to bookmark Inforgram to read the content.

Hope this makes sense, but, you need to subscribe to Infograms on the Infogram site at this link to get more frequent short information content

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Dear Dr. Google

96% of educated internet users consult Dr. Google first when they have a health concern. It is easy to understand why. It takes a matter of seconds to access an answer to your symptom on Google Search. You instantly get opinions from people and reputable sources like WebMD, Mayo, et al. ..and it does not cost anything. More often than not, Dr. Google offers many solutions that you can decide to try or not.

Keys business is skin health. Our customers’ issues can range from an itch or rash to Melanoma. Our products are designed to solve skin problems, so understanding quickly what might be bothering you helps you to make quick decisions and try things that might or should help. The reality is that Google offers many options versus waiting months for a dermatologist appointment. Your health is your responsibility and understanding what might cause your symptoms is something you want to know fast.

Often a trip to the emergency room for a simple skin disorder gets escalated out of control. Often simple natural skin health solutions will help quickly. Google often helps to identify the cause so you can eliminate what might be bothering you.

Speed is wellness!

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Keys Infograms

Keys designs, develops and manufactures whole natural skincare and skin therapies that solve problems and make people feel good. Born from Wendy Steele’s brush with Melanoma, Bob Root used first principle physics to develop functional natural medicines using ancient remedies merged with modern pure science and technology. The therapeutic proportions with world class grade ingredients created a line of products that work to solve problems and because they are natural, are simple, reassuring and make people feel good about the company and products.

The line consists of:
• Natural Skincare
• Natural Auyervedic Skin Therapies
• Alternative Natural Petroleum Jelly Replacements
• KPRO Hollywood Makeup Artist Inspired Foundation & Solutions
• PurPlay – Functional Personal Lubricants
• KODA – Topical and Functional Supplements for Dogs

Keys has some of the top products listed on the EWG Skin Deep database. For the last ten years, Solar Rx has ranked as one of the top moisturizer sunscreens on the annual EWG Sunscreen Report.

Solar Rx was rated #1 by Consumer Reports Magazine for safety and efficacy.

The Keys products are handcrafted in Oregon by highly skilled artisans. All products are functional by design. They are aboriginal medicines by nature. University and research affiliations make the company as science-based as they are focused on the integral wellness of their followers.


After 15 years of making natural products that help people with skin disorders and making them look young, we amassed a huge list of tips, tricks, and solutions that people have shared with us. Imagine a huge wall full of sticky notes with things people have shared with us. The problem has always been that the notes are too short for blog articles. Because they are ideas, thoughts, and things we learned, our lovable geeks created a new section of Clean Green Cafe for short blurbs. Herein is stuff we have learned summarized. Simple words and diagrams that we hope help you!

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Why Daily SPF and Moisturizing?

SPF Daily for Your Health & Youthful Appearance

by Ashley Parker

In the summer virtually, everyone gets a bottle of sunscreen for a long day outside whether it be at a beach, lake or pool etc.  It’s important to protect your skin from UV rays.  However, applying sunscreen should not be restricted to the summer.  The need for shielding your skin from the sun is a necessity all year round.  In addition, it’s important to moisturize your skin on a daily basis.

Because of the need to moisturize and protect from the sun on a daily basis, the popularity of products that meet multiple needs has skyrocketed.

With so many products on the market today, it’s hard to know which to buy and how they can benefit us. That’s why we created this article with tips on what to look for and avoid when selecting a daily moisturizer/SPF.

One of the markets top moisturizers is Solar RX Moisturizer SPF due to its UVA-UVB protection minimizing the chemical burden on the skin. In addition, its lack of additives such as biocides and paraben which kill the microbiome of the skin causing disorders that are chemically driven.

UVA-UVB SPF Protection

The sunlight that reaches has two parts to its rays.  These two parts of rays are made up from UVA and UVB rays.

UVA rays penetrate deep into the dermis of the skin, which is the skins thickest layer. The dermis, if unprotected, can lead to premature skin aging and wrinkling, even suppression of the immune system.

UVB rays typically burn the superficial layers of your skin.  This plays a key role in the development of cancer.  The intensity of UVB rays can vary depending on the season of the year.  With that said it’s important to wear a moisturizer SPF that block both UVA and UVB rays. Remember that sunburn skin does not just feel awful, it can cause permanent damage to your skin.

Avoid SPF Products with Parabens

Most often products can contain parabens. Parabens are often used in products as preservatives. Parabens have been used since the 50’s and are often used in beauty products.  Some of the most commonly found are lotions, lipstick, shampoos, deodorants and more.

Some studies have shown that parabens can mimic the activity of the hormone estrogen, parabens have been found present in breast cancer tumors.  Parabens are additives that kill the microbiome of the skin and can lead to disorders that are chemically driven.  Solar RX does not contain parabens!

Zinc Oxide for SPF

Solar RX contains uncoated zinc oxide.  Let’s talk about just a few benefits from zinc oxide.

  • Helps lower skin inflammation caused by allergies, irritation, and rashes
  • Keeps moisture locked into dry skin
  • Treats pigment disorders
  • Provides broad-spectrum sun protection that prevents burns
  • Helps prevent aging of the skin.

Why Use a Moisturizer with an SPF in it?

Why would anyone buy a moisturizer that has SPF in it?  The list of benefits goes on, but the short answer would be to save time and money.  Buying an SPF and moisturizer separately can be costly.  Add in the fact that you have to apply them separately, it’s a no-brainer.


Ashley Bio

“Hi! I am Ashley and I love writing about beauty related topics. When I am not writing about skincare and beauty products you will probably find me reading a book. Through work experience, I have been able to craft excellent writing skills in a number of different styles and tones. in addition a deep understanding of consumers and what motivates them online and of course grammar skills.

Ashley Parker is a freelance journalist and writer.  She is a non-paid contributor to Clean Green Cafe.  Although her opinions and views are her own, we believe they fully align with our philosophies.  She runs the SkinStore blog

 

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Galleyon Antibacterial Foaming Soap is Now Supercharged

Antibacterial Foaming SoapGalleyon Natural Antibacterial Foaming Soap has been a cornerstone of Keys for near 15 years. Galleyon is an alternative to soaps that contained Triclosan. Unlike antibacterial soaps, it is not a biocide, so it does not kill our skin’s natural Probiome. It reduces the levels of harmful bacteria without harming the natural colonies of bacteria on our skin.

Antibacterial Foaming Soap & More

Over the years, Galleyon has become much more. Surgeons and medical workers have been known to wash with a clinical bacteriacide and then wash with Galleyon to protect their skin from the bactericidal soaps and gloves they have to wear. A car mechanic reports how great Galleyon was at removing automotive grease and grime. Teens like to shower with Galleyon because it tingles, smells good and makes them feel good. Runners and athletes love it as a whole body soap, and even surfers use it to get rid of the crud they surf through. All the interesting stuff.

The secret to Galleyon is the Lakota Sioux Spearmint Essential oil and the blood orange essential oils we use. The spearmint is off the scale for quality and bacteria reducing properties. The blood orange essential oil is cleansing, deep cleaning and very friendly to the skin. Our base Castile soap was designed to be low alkalinity and brags to be the mildest Castile available. Put them together with avocado oil, and you have Galleyon.

So What Is New?

To the naturally cleansing Castile base soap, we add the spearmint blood orange and avocado oil. What is different is that we have figured out how to get more of the spearmint and blood orange into the soap base without separating. More is better, right? The main benefit is that all the benefits of the essential oils are now in higher concentration without affecting the gentleness of the product. Galleyon’s pH is the same as it was, but the intensity and cleansing properties are better now.

What you will notice is a stronger scent of spearmint and a bit of a raspberry scent coming from the California Blood Orange essential oil.

For our cult full body users, you will notice more tingle and a softer feel. All without a price increase!

Enjoy Galleyon Antibacterial Foaming Soap.

Antibacterial Foaming Soap


Avoid Triclosan

Read Our Position

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PurPlay Classic – A Personal Lubricant For Dryness

personal lubricant for drynessPurPlay Classic Has Suprised Us!  A Very Pleasant Surprise.

We have learned a great deal very quickly after launching PurPlay just a month ago.  One thing that is clear is that it is much more.  It is also a personal lubricant for dryness.

We began to think about the PurPlay product line nearly five years ago when women would ask what they could use for vagina personal lubricant for dryness, chafing and minor discomfort from the weather, traveling, etc. Our initial answer was Tortuga lotion and then later AvoJel.

We love to hear from our friends and Keys customers are particularly vocal about what they want and what they like. Over the years, we heard lots of suggestions, and one that was lingering along was the area of a personal lubricant for dryness.  About two years ago, the low rumble of voices became a loud chorus asking us to do something. Customers complained that personal lubricants were full of chemicals. They complained that some reduced sensitivity because they were too thick. Others complained that water-based lubes only lasted a few minutes. Our customers got louder and louder asking for a Keys style of product that was natural, functional, vegan and gluten-free.

PurPlay Classic

Classic was our first experimental personal lubricant product. We looked for oils that when combined mirrored and mimicked natural sexual lubricant produced by men and women. Viscosity and slip were critical to match while sensitivity was a very close third. It was both easy and hard to figure out the right oils because only a few oils are near-water in viscosity, produce good slip with heightened sensitivity, and that would last without reapplying. We discovered that if we refined coconut oil to remove the aggressive properties and blended in, at temperature, organic avocado oil that it nearly resembled the lubricants we all naturally produce. It worked, and beta testers roared.

You learn a lot in Beta Testing

All Keys products are reviewed a tried by people before we productize them. They testers are called Alpha and Beta. Alpha testers test a product before the ingredients and formulation are complete. Beta testers are a different group that examines the final formulations before the product launches and test for precise questions. Sharing this is important to recognize that during Beta, you learn the answers to your specific questions and can re4fine the product based on that premise. When you launch, you learn about many things that you could not envision from actual customers. Often what you learn are revolutionary and exciting features. The critical thing for a designer, you have to listen carefully.

PurPlay Classic – Personal Lubricant For Dryness

Some of our team predicted that PurPlay Classic would be the top seller right out of the gate. They were right, but not for the reasons they gave. All said that Classic would be first because it was pure, chemical-free and so heightened sensitivity for both men and women that it would be a hit. It was and is a hit, but for other reasons.  Yes, it is a world-class personal lubricant, but much more as we are learning.  It is truly a world class personal lubricant for dryness.

personal lubricant for drynessWe harken back to our original customers from nearly five years ago that asked for a personal lubricant that would help with daily vaginal dryness and the associated discomfort that includes chafing. Little did we realize how big a deal this was for many women. So, more than half of the sales of PurPlay Classic seem to be from women seeking a daily lubricant that is comforting. Classic is just that, and you can feel it by spraying a little on your fingers.

Bob and I have a rule in our lives that products that come into our home have to have more than one purpose. PurPlay Classic is probably the best sexual, personal lubricant available. It is also functional in helping women to find daily comfort. Adding to the feelings of safety by being chemical-free, vegan and gluten-free increase the value of PurPlay Classic.

We are just one month into a great and exciting product for us. I am confident I will be hearing and learning more from our customers about how and why they use our PurPlay products. I will be sure to share with you as the list builds.

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Keys PurPlay Now Available! PurPlay Personal Lubricants

PurPlay Now!PurPlay Now  

A new Line of Revolutionary

Natural Personal Lubricants from Keys

Three Unique Personal Lubricants Combine Herbal Extracts and Pure Oils to Stimulate and Calm. 

Spray & Play™

PurPlay Now
Wendy Steele, Keys CEO

PurPlay Now for Sale!  We are so happy to announcee that Purplay is now available!…Wendy Steele, Keys CEO

“The PurPlay products use herbal extract blends along with natural oils to create personal lubricants that either stimulate, relax or heighten the sexual experience.  Specifically formulated based on the science of stimulating a woman’s pleasure receptors, PurPlay also enhances the intimate play experience for men.  PurPlay for sale now on the Keys Store and at select resellers.”

 

 

 

PurPlay now comes in three versions:

  • PurPlay Classicprovides superior lubrication improving intimate experiences for both women and men.
  • PurPlay Surfrelaxes and calms so women can enjoy intimate play.
  • PurPlay Astrastimulates her pleasure receptors for erotic play.

The Three PurPlay Products:

PurPlay Astra™

For sultry intimate play.  Stimulating herbal oil blend provides her with ultra exhilarating sensual experiences.  Her choice for euphoric play.  His choice for silky smooth heightened enjoyment.  Long lasting for “climactic maximus.”

PurPlay for Sale
PurPlay Astra – Click to Buy

Stimulating Euphoric Herbal Lubricant

SRP $24.95

PurPlay Surf™

Like magic waves of pleasure, rainforest herbal oil blend stimulates feelings of intimacy and arousal so she can relax and enjoy romantic play.  Soothing herbs send subtle messages calming both mind and body while heightening the senses.  Women and men enjoy a silky smooth sensual experience. For waves of erotic sensory play.

PurPlay for Sale
PurPlay Surf – Click to Buy

Sensual Herbal Lubricant

SRP $24.95

PurPlay Classic™

Natural alternative to synthetic personal lubricants.  Specially formulated organic coconut and avocado oil blend supplements natural lubricants made by the body to maximize intimate play.  Simply your natural choice for silky smooth pure pleasure!

PurPlay for Sale
PurPlay Classic – Click to Buy

Natural Pure Pleasure Lubricant

SRP $24.95


Potential Side Effects

Wendy Steele offered, “PurPlay testers did expose some interesting side effects.  PurPlay Astra testers offered that they sometimes got the “giggles.”  PurPlay Surf users found that they wanted more cuddle time and PurPlay Classic users coined the phrase “Affectionitus” or wanting more!”

Wendy Steele, Keys CEO, said, “Over the years, we have had many requests from our female customers to produce a natural personal lubricant for sex.  Four years of research lead us to the conclusion that one product does NOT fit all.  Hectic lifestyles, personal preferences and different perceptions around intimacy revealed a need for three distinct types of lubricants for women.  So we challenged our engineers to discover natural ways to heighten the sexual experience, provide a version that calms and relaxes and develop a third product that provides an extremely stimulating erotic experience.”

PurPlay Now – Its Only Natural!

Bob Root – Formulator & Scientist

Recent trends in the personal lubricant market use unpleasant menthol or numbing chemicals to desensitize or stimulate.  Bob Root, Keys CTO offered, “Major brands of personal lubricants are anything but natural and often use menthol and lidocaine to either stimulate or desensitize.  Many women experience pain, burning or lose total sensation with those products.  We (Keys) first had to study female pleasure nerve receptors to understand the effect we wanted to create.  Making adjustments based on feedback from our alpha testers, we created whole herb extracts using modern extraction techniques.  With just the right combination and proportion of ancient aboriginal herbs, we believe we have the right formulas to create the basis for experiences women want.  They are added to a blend of a specially refined coconut oil and avocado oil.  All are 100% natural, vegan and gluten-free.”

Bob continued, “We created a base oil blend that lasts long and is very lubricating while heightening the sexual experience.  For the relaxing formula, we add an herbal extract blend that offers overall calming and relaxation to enjoy intimacy without desensitizing.  The third formula offers an erotic stimulation that can last through multiple orgasms.”

“We have tested our PurPlay lubricants on materials used in the manufacturing of condoms with no notable problems.  Urban myth or a generalization that oils do not play well with condoms does not seem to be an issue with PurPlay”, Bob said.  “We recommend testing your condom of choice with PurPlay to be sure.”  We are offering free evaluation samples to condom manufacturers for their own certification.

PurPlay Now for Sale – Spray & Play™

PurPlay for Sale
Click to Buy

PurPlay comes in a 30ml airless sprayer.  Wendy Steele added, “Most personal lubricants are liquid, in a tube, need to be warmed and are messy.  Not only did we create three functional personal lubricants, we revolutionized how they are applied and feel.  We employ an airless spray mist bottle to dispense a lubricant that feels warm, no cold shock.  Because it is airless, it can spray at any angle.  It fits comfortably in the hand and is intuitive to use even in the dark.  PurPlay™ is long lasting and can be sprayed as often as desired.  The ingredients are compatible with all sorts of sex toy play.”

For Women…and for Men

Both men and women who tested PurPlay reported that using PurPlay lead to more playful and fulfilling sexual experiences.

For optimal results, incorporate PurPlay Surf or Astra into your foreplay allowing 5 minutes for herbal effects to take place before intense play.  As the anticipation builds, so does the effects of the herbs.  Testers found that they like the choice of three different products.  After a hectic day, PurPlay Surf relaxes and calms.  PurPlay Astra offers her an erotic experience when a planned encounter or spontaneous play presents itself.  PurPlay Classic provides long-lasting superior lubrication for extended intimate play.

PurPlay for Sale – Go To PurPlay Product Page for More Information

Learn More About Keys

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Keys Tortuga Exfoliates, Moisturizes and Removes Makeup

Keys Tortuga To Exfoliate The Skin and More

In the 1950’s virtually every woman owned a jar of Pond’s Cold Cream.  They removed makeup, washed their face, moisturized and exfoliated with it.  The problem was that it was full of chemicals and today’s natural woman wants something safer and healthier.  Keys Tortuga to the rescue!

Tortuga Exfoliates

The petrochemicals in cold creams simply dissolved dead skin.  Many women today use salt and sugar scrubs to exfoliate.  Yes, they make the skin feel smoother, but like sandpaper, they can damage the alive part of the skin.   With Keys Tortuga, the avocado oil we use contains natural retinol’s that will nicely exfoliate the skin, moisturize it and leave it clean and fresh without a sub or harsh soap.

The process is simple.  Just wet your face with warm clear water.   Take a pea size dollop of Tortuga and begin to massage it into the skin.  You can start with the forehead and work down adding more Tortuga creating a light coat.  Then start where you began and massage with your fingers.  You will notice that the skin begins to slough off.  If needed, add more Tortuga.   When you have completed the process, since your face with cool clear water and pat dry.  You’re done!

Tortuga Removes Makeup

Even stage makeup is no match to Keys Tortuga.  For years stage and screen actors have used Tortuga to remove stubborn and waterproof makeup.   They spread Tortuga thinly all over their face and use a tissue or washcloth to remove makeup.  Using more Tortuga for a hard area, they remove all the makeup and then rinse with cool clear water and pat dry.

Tortuga As A Moisturizer

Like exfoliation, you can wet the face and lightly massage Tortuga into the skin.  Keep the face wet and lightly massage Tortuga on the face, neck and décolletage.   Let the thin and water air dry.  You want a very thin layer and let it dry.   Why it is a preferred moisturizing method is because you are trapping moisture from the water in the skin.  Also, the natural retinol in avocado oil helps smooth and fade spots and dark patches.  Carrot seed oil and black seed oils deep moisturize and have an effect on skin elasticity.   The idea is to really dilute the Keys Tortuga using the water.

That’s It!

Last point.  In all cases, you can use Keys Tortuga around the eyes and it will not burn or cause tearing.  It does everything that cold cream does and better because it has no harsh chemicals and the ingredients are probiomme…meaning good for the skin health.

Click Here to Buy Tortuga

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Tips – Thinning Lotions

Keys TipsThinning Keys Lotions

We get lots of questions on our customer service system.  This week the dominant question has to do with thinning Keys lotions in cold weather.  We generally get very unique questions which is why we don’t have a FAQ page.  We answer each question individually.  Sometime we do get a burst of questions that are similar.  In the future, as we receive similar questions we will post them here as well.

Over the last couple of weeks we have had a number of questions regarding the viscosity (thinning) of some of our lotions.

We think the question is coming up because of cold weather around the country.  So, first thing, Keys does not use glycols in our products.  Glycols keep a product viscosity consistent over a wide range of temperatures.  Thinning can be done by raising the temperature or adding water.

Most of the question circle around how to go about thinning our lotions.  Some request us to make a thinner lotion.  Thinning our products in the manufacturing process lessen the quality, so we won’t do that.

There are some tricks that include heating the bottle to around 90 degrees F.  Some people place the bottle near a window to catch some sunlight.  Add water as you apply to thin the lotion.  As the water evaporates on the skin, the lotion will be more even on the skin and deeper in the pores.

The reality is that if we made our lotions by thinning, we would lose some of the emollience.

So here are the tricks:

  • Heat the lotion to nearly skin temperature which is typically 90 degrees F
  • Put a drop of a lotion in the palm of your hand and add a few drops of water.  Be your own judge of how much water to add.
  • Apply lotions to a wet face after washing.  Again, the lotion will thin and go into the pores.  Allow your face to air dry.

Do not use these tricks with Solar Rx Sunscreen/Moisturizer as thinning it will reduce the efficacy on the SPF.

Keys does not use preservatives and all of our lotions are water soluble.  Do not dilute the lotion in the bottle as you may expose the contents to airborne bacteria.

Hope this helps!

Mickey

If you would like to purchase our lotions you can go to our store by clicking here.

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New Keys Eye Butter Airless Pump

A Keys Top Selling Product Now in a New Airless Pump

Eye Butter is a wildly successful product for us.  In fact, Eye Butter has been a top selling Keys product since it was introduced almost 15 years ago.  The anti-aging properties, anti-allergenics, soothing, anti-puffies and makeup friendly properties are Hollywood and everyday proven.  Just as popular for men as it is for women, Eye Butter has been ranked the finest most effective eye cream by Hollywood makeup artists.  ..and it is all natural whole ingredients.

So, how could we make it better.  We can’t improve Eye Butter itself, but we can improve how it is packaged.  It was now about 4 years ago that our customers asked us to create an airless pump so people could travel with a more compact container.  We found a airless pump that worked and the pump version of Eye Butter became the most popular container almost overnight.  People still buy the Eye Butter in the jar because it is more traditional and it was easier to get a small amount.

As quickly as the Eye Butter airless pump became popular, we started to get suggestions.

What People Asked For

  • Could you make the pump more precise?
  • Could you make the container body transparent so you can see how much product is left?
  • Could you make the container easier to hold

So, we did it and we are pleased to introduce the new Eye Butter 15ml Airless Pump today.  Ant order from today on will come in the new container.

Same great Eye Butter in a New Travel Container!

Eye Butter also makes a great lip balm to make lipstick look bolder and brighter, eliminate chapped lips quickly and for its anti-allergy properties.  Like all Keys products, it is Vegan, Gluten-Free, Free of manmade chemicals, soy-free and non-GMO


Eye Butter – Refreshing Anit-Aging Eye Cream

NEW! Airless Travel Pump.  Smoother & Silkier

Natural Eye & Lip Cream with Cucumber, Avocado Oil and Shea

  • Keys Whole Natural Cucumber Extract
  • Softens & Hydrates
  • Aloe Vera Conditions & Conceals
  • For Sensitive Skin
  • Deep Penetrating
  • Makeup Friendly
  • Moistuizing
  • Reduces fine lines
  • Will not sting eyes

The Secret

Eye Butter combines an age old secret to eye care with pharmaceutical grade ingredients to soften eye tissue, reduce fine lines and tighten the skin. The glowing effect brightens the skin around the eyes, enhances skin color and is a great natural foundation for mineral eye makeup. Eye Butter like all Keys products is first and foremost skin therapy.

The secret to Eye Butter is naturally distilled organic cucumbers. We distill our own cucumber to create an extract that is high in the ingredients that have been known for years to tighten and tone eye tissue. Actor and models have placed cucumber slices on their eyes to reduce puffiness and to tighten eye tissue. Our cucumber extract has all of those natural features in a concentration you can feel and see.

The secrets to eye butter does not stop with our cucumber extract. We combine a natural filtered and unprocessed Shea Butter from Ghana that has the highest fatty acid levels we have been able to find with pharmaceutical grade oils in therapeutic proportions. Avocado, Black Cumin and Carrot Seed oil hydrate, rejuvenate, tighten and create a soft glow around the eyes. Aloe Vera creates a prismatic effect similar to Luminos and creates a natural clinging action to gently hold eye makeup.

There is More!

Eye Butter has natural anti allergen features as well. Eyes that are irritated by pollen, danader and other allergens receive an interesting barrier when you apply Eye Butter around the eyes. These natural and made allergens cling to the surface of Eye Butter providing a shield protecting sensitive eye tissue from itching. This has a great natural anti aging benefit because rubbing the eyes causes skin to sag and look older, tired and irritated. With Eye Butter you get younger looking skin without the itching during allergy season.

Keys Eye Butter is featured on the Environmental Working Group Skin Deep Report as one of the safest around the eye products on the market.

”Eye Butter was created to be our first product for Hollywood. In 2006 we were invited by the Environmental Working Group to attend a presentation in Santa Monica California to 300 Hollywood makeup artists. Eye Butter was a natural for the group because all of our researched showed that most of the hard work by makeup artists was around the eyes. We put our Eye Butter in the goody bag and when they opened our oversized sample, the room filled with the smell of fresh cucumber. It was an overnight hit and many of our makeup artist advisors today were in that room.” Wendy Steele , Key CEO and Founder

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Get Wise! – A New Skin Health Book by Bob Root – Well, sort of…

Get Wise!

A skin health series eBook by Bob Root, Keys Scientist & Founder

skin healthWith all the things that can effect our skin everyday, it truly is time to Get Wise about our skin health.  The number one question I was asked from day one when my book Chemical-Free Skin Health® was introduced at Maria Shriver’s California Women’s Conference was “How can I protect my skin and make sure it is as healthy as it can be?” To this day, when I give speeches and talks, the question is still number one.

This is a serial sequential book that I am writing. It will be released in chapters as I finish writing them. So, make sure you signup to get notices.

Get WiseThe catalyst for eBook sequel series was my book, Chemical-Free Skin Health®. You taking action to nourish the microbiome of your skin propagates skin health.  Avoiding chemicals in skincare and household products will teach you to protect your microbiome.   Yes, choosing the right skincare products will help to nourish, restore and repair damaged skin.  Avoiding products and your environment will help to minimize damage to your skin’s microbiome.

About This eBook – Get Wise

eBook
Click To Read – Get Wise!

The format of the book is important to understand so that you are not disappointed that the book is “incomplete.”  It may never be complete!

Clearly, there have been some revolutions in the publishing of books. For centuries, books were available in paper form only. Over twenty years ago a revolution in printing called ‘on-demand’ allowed authors to self-publish and only print what had been ordered by readers and book stores. Then along came the eBook with the most notable, Kindle, where paper was no longer necessary. An author, without having a publisher, could upload their work to Kindle and then people could buy and read on their smartphones or pad devices.   This was perhaps the biggest innovation in writing and may be for a long time to come.

The Next Iteration

Blogs are a real-time version of books and magazines. On a whim, a author or editor can write something short or long and publish it in a matter of minutes. A good connection to Google and it can go worldwide in just a few minutes. The problem is that each ‘post’ stands alone. Sure, you can create various categories for people to inspect writings by topic, but the main webpage still adds article sequentially. I have thought for years on how to create a book within a blog so that the chapters come in sequence.

The Rub

Okay, you could say, why don’t you just publish all the chapters at once. Besides that being what Kindle is, writers don’t usually write that way. The chapters come in sequence and are written sequentially. The rub is that if you want to publish a book as it is written, it becomes a Serial and the chapters become episodes. Blog are just not structured that way. So, how to publish.   Well some innovative people figured it out and that is what this book is. It is a serial and episodes that develop as the book is being written and guided by real-time events. For example, my paper and Kindle book, Chemical-Free Skin Health® talked about a chemical called Triclosan. Whether the book influenced the FDA or not, they band the chemical just last year. With this new technique, I can add a chapter as the world of change unfolds.

The Next New Thing

So this eBook could be a book without an ending. Theoretically, it could just go on and on. Episode after episode, it more resembles a movie series like Star Wars or an even better example would be a long run TV series like Star Trek where each episode is sort of a stand alone story within the framework of the Star Trek mission to explore the universe.

Get Wise the eBook

This eBook/Series/Sequel/Episodes titled, Get Wise, is a book that is about the health of our skin. I can envision hundreds of chapters. Some small and some large. The central theme is focused on teaching people how to manage their own skin health. It was born from the many questions and continued communication I have received since publishing Chemical-Free Skin Health. People of all ages ask me how can they take car of their aging skin. Understanding, learning, observing, orienting and deciding what to do requires a guide. Like a Sherpa guiding climbers up Mount Everest, a guide to skin health is smart. The problem is that most companies want to use their guidance to promote their own products. In fact, I will tell you right now that I will tell you which of my products I use to circumvent something from harming my skin. The difference is that I am going to tell you what I know and the facts behind what I know so that you can make your own decisions. In short, I plan to give you the knowledge so that you can build and orchestrate your own skincare regimen. The spoiler alert if that it is not about products to use, but lifestyle decisions you must make.

The Timeline

The timeline for the chapters is totally unknown to me. I have an idea of how I will write the first few chapters. I also know for sure that some chapters will come easily and others will not. Some will be short and some will be long. They will simply, be published when they are published.

What I do promise is that if you signup to receive timely notices of things we publish, we will notify you when a new chapter is out.

Bob Root

Keys Scientist & Founder

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Keys Valentines Day Love Story

A Keys Love Valentine Story

This is a brief show about how Keys was started first as a love story before it ever became the idea for products.  This is the Keys Love Story

Watch on YouTube

Keys Love

Keys Love – Our Story

What happens when a brainiac boyfriend discovers his smokin hot girlfriend has Melanoma.  He fixes the problems!

Keys LoveWendy Steele, Keys CEO and Founder, fondly says that Keys is all her fault. The reality is that she survived deadly Melanoma but could not beat the chemicals in prescription and skincare products that left her skin a train-wreck. Wendy experienced just about every type of skin disorder imaginable and all we traced back to the Dirty Dozen chemicals in about 98% of the skin care and prescription products available OTC and from doctors.

Wendy’s boyfriend, Bob Root, a former Silicon Valley CEO/Engineer undertook the project to develop products to help Wendy. He gathered information from Harvard MD’s turned naturopaths to aboriginal healers. He realized that there was a pattern and scheme to skin health. It was to be Chemical-Free. Thus the Keys tagline of Chemical-Free Skin Health®.

Bob’s products worked and worked quickly for Wendy.   Friends with similar disorders, their family members with something as simple as dry skin, through acne and skin cancer suffers found relief using Bob’s products that he gifted them. Creating the Keys line was not a decision, it was market demand that brought out the initial four products and stunned the burgeoning natural products industry. Why, they all still had some chemicals and Bob’s did not!

Functionality is paramount at Keys. Coming from Silicon Valley, to Bob, products have to do something. Great if they make people feel good, but in his mind, they have to solve problems. He solved his girlfriends problems and the precursor for anything Keys makes is that it has to solve problems people are experiencing without using any chemicals.

So, in a snapshot, here is what you can expect from everything Keys makes:

  • All products solve problems and make people (and their pets) feel good
  • All products are free of man-made chemicals. Ergo Chemical-Free
  • All products use the highest quality whole natural ingredients
  • All products have the highest proportion of functional ingredients with no scrimping or compromises
  • All products are priced fairly well below chemical-laden pharmaceuticals because of the very high tech low overhead business systems Keys employs. They were the first 100% cloud-based company in the natural products industry.
  • All products are natural whole ingredients
  • All products are Vegan
  • All products are Gluten-Free
  • All products are non-GMO
  • All products use organic or wild-crafted ingredients

Keys LoveBob in his top selling book, Chemical-Free Skin Health®, points out that it was a lot of trial and error to develop those first four products for Wendy. My incentive was that Wendy was in trouble because of western medicine and I was determined to figure out how to solve her problems naturally. The other 45+ products in the Keys line were all inspired by skin disorders and problems related to him by loyal customers that believe in him. He does not take that lightly!

Now Bob & Wendy are married and still developing products, giving speeches, writing books and listening to what customers have to say. Funny, Bob still refers to Wendy as his smoking hot girlfriend and she as her brainiac boyfriend. 20 years solving problems and making people feel good together with chemical-free skin health products.

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A 20 Year Anniversary – Bob and Wendy Back In Santa Fe

This January 1st marked the 2oth anniversary for Bob and Wendy.  What began as a chance meeting at Larry Wilson’s Ranch in Santa Fe New Mexico turned into a lifelong passion for each other and their projects.  This is one of those stories about how Keys started.

20 Years in a Snapshot

What happens when a brainiac boyfriend discovers his smokin hot girlfriend has Melanoma.  He fixes the problems!

Wendy Steele, Keys CEO and Founder, fondly says that Keys is all her fault. The reality is that she survived deadly Melanoma but could not beat the chemicals in prescription and skincare products that left her skin a train-wreck. Wendy experienced just about every type of skin disorder imaginable and all we traced back to the Dirty Dozen chemicals in about 98% of the skin care and prescription products available OTC and from doctors.

Wendy’s boyfriend, Bob Root, a former Silicon Valley CEO/Engineer undertook the project to develop products to help Wendy. He gathered information from Harvard MD’s turned naturopaths to aboriginal healers. He realized that there was a pattern and scheme to skin health. It was to be Chemical-Free. Thus the Keys tagline of Chemical-Free Skin Health®.

Bob’s products worked and worked quickly for Wendy.   Friends with similar disorders, their family members with something as simple as dry skin, through acne and skin cancer suffers found relief using Bob’s products that he gifted them. Creating the Keys line was not a decision, it was market demand that brought out the initial four products and stunned the burgeoning natural products industry. Why, they all still had some chemicals and Bob’s did not!

Functionality is paramount at Keys. Coming from Silicon Valley, to Bob, products have to do something. Great if they make people feel good, but in his mind, they have to solve problems. He solved his girlfriends problems and the precursor for anything Keys makes is that it has to solve problems people are experiencing without using any chemicals.

So, in a snapshot, here is what you can expect from everything Keys makes:

  • All products solve problems and make people (and their pets) feel good
  • All products are free of man-made chemicals. Ergo Chemical-Free
  • All products use the highest quality whole natural ingredients
  • All products have the highest proportion of functional ingredients with no scrimping or compromises
  • All products are priced fairly well below chemical-laden pharmaceuticals because of the very high tech low overhead business systems Keys employs. They were the first 100% cloud-based company in the natural products industry.
  • All products are natural whole ingredients
  • All products are Vegan
  • All products are Gluten-Free
  • All products are non-GMO
  • All products use organic or wild-crafted ingredients

Bob and WendyBob in his top selling book, Chemical-Free Skin Health®, points out that it was a lot of trial and error to develop those first four products for Wendy. My incentive was that Wendy was in trouble because of western medicine and I was determined to figure out how to solve her problems naturally. The other 45+ products in the Keys line were all inspired by skin disorders and problems related to him by loyal customers that believe in him. He does not take that lightly!

You can read more of the story in detail below. Now Bob & Wendy are married and still developing products, giving speeches, writing books and listening to what customers have to say. Funny, Bob still refers to Wendy as his smoking hot girlfriend and she as her brainiac boyfriend. 20 years solving problems and making people feel good together with chemical-free skin health products.

Read More History Here

You can read Bob and Wendy’s personal story in their book, “Defining Moments” on Amazon

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The Winner Is….Fiona – August KODA Dog of the Month

…And the Winner is!

Winner! Our KODA Dog Bandana Photo Contest has been a huge hit and lots of fun.  The contest will run through the end of September, so there is still time to enter and win.  Click Here to read more about the contest.

WinnerThe August Winner is Fiona.  Our judges picked Fiona based on her story and picture.  Here she is:

Here is what Fiona’s mom, Donna, wrote:

I have tried numerous “organic” or “natural” shampoos on Fiona. Every single one (including shampoos the vet prescribed), Fiona had a severe allergic reaction. I was at a loss. Since I have been using your products for many years, I decided to try the Koda line. I was thrilled to find that Fiona did not have any allergic reactions to your shampoo. Yeah! She is a happy little girl and so is her mom!! I am thankful you have such a wonderful line of people and “furry friend” products that are natural and safe.

 

Fiona’s Winner’s package is on the way to her to enjoy.

Don’t Give Up!

Koda-logo

Photo contest continues and you still have a chance to enter and win the September prize.  If you have already submitted your picture, your entry is still in play to win in September.  You still have a chance.

The contest rules are simple.  Request a bandana using the online form.  When you receive your KODA Bandana, take a picture of your pup wearing it.  Then upload it for a chance to win.   Click Here to see the contest and to access the online forms.

To view the KODA products click the Buy Button.

Winner

 

 

 

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FDA Bans Triclosan – EPA, Your Turn

Triclosan and 18 Other Chemicals Banned In Antibacterial Soaps and Hand Sanitizers

TriclosanBy Bob Root

Keys CTO and Author of Chemical-Free Skin Health®

I must first admit that I have little use for Non Governmental Organizations (NGO’s), industry consultants and individuals who gain income, notoriety or donations based on creating fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) in the minds of consumers.  I believe that the best path to information is data.  A point-of-view or opinion that is not based in facts wastes everyone’s time.

What is Triclosan?

Triclosan is a chemical developed by a Swiss group called Ciba.  They were acquired by BASF in April 2009.  Triclosan is a broad spectrum bactericide that kills all forms of bacteria.  This includes the good and the bad.  For more background on why our good bacteria being killed off affects our skin’s eco system, please read an article I wrote in February of 2011 titled, “ARE WE KILLING OUR SKIN’S ECOSYSTEM? ”

The FDA Ban of Triclosan!

TriclosanSo, the facts!  The US FDA has banned Triclosan and 18 other chemicals being used in soaps and hand sanitizers.  They have not stated just their lack of efficacy, they have been banned because of concerns to humans!  Banned!   Do not take my word for it, read here what the FDA said in the public filing.  Evidence shows that not only are they non-affective, they can cause damage to human and animals who have been and continue to be exposed to Triclosan.  These include concerns over propagating Staph, hormone disruption, cancer and destruction of the human microbiome.

The good news is that the FDA has stepped in and banned Triclosan’s use.  Many leading consumer products companies have already announce removal of the chemicals including Triclosan.

Triclosan – I Told You So in 2010

TriclosanIn my book, Chemical-Free Skin Health®, I dedicated a chapter to Triclosan and other biocides.  My original thoughts was to right a few word in a much more all encompassing chapter.  As I studied the chemical Triclosan more, it ultimately became an entire chapter because even in 2010, evidence was already huge that Triclosan was detrimental to human life.  Below is the chapter from my book for you to read.  I ask you to read it because the FDA ruling is just the tip of the iceberg.

Triclosan – EPA, It is Your Turn to Weigh-In

I write this article, not to reinforce what I wrote 6 years ago, it is to make you aware that Triclosan is used in much more than soaps and hand sanitizers.  It is in our food, other personal care products, clothing and food preparation products.  Again, read the chapter from my book below.  As I said, it became a chapter because the threat is broader and it is the EPA’s turn to also ban the use of Triclosan and some parabens being used in food wrap, antibacterial clothing, sporting goods, toys, children’s car seats and many animal products.  The same cause and effect the FDA details in their announcement also applies to products that are under the control of the EPA.

Do Better When You Know Better

There is even a bigger message in the Triclosan ban.  Become aware so that you do better for yourself and your family by knowing better.   The reality is that it has taken some advocates of reform nearly ten years to get the FDA to act.  The good news is that they did.  The bad news is that their are hundreds of other chemicals in use today that advocates have presented data showing their detrimental effects on humans and animals.  Yet their is a very simple solution and it is back to the future.

You have two choices.  Burden yourself with self-study to find out what all the chemicals are that could cause potential harm or merely switch to natural products that have simple whole natural ingredients.  Whether it is Haagen Daz Five ice cream with only five ingredients, my products  and those of others who offer simple man-made chemical-free ingredients, you can simplify your life by embracing trusted brands.  Then you will also send a pocketbook message to the big brands that people want to return to the simpler past where everything is natural that we put into and on our bodies.  Back to the future?  Simply, 60 years ago nearly everything we ate and put in or on our bodies was naturally derived.  My hallucination is that in the not too distant future, we will return to natural products that are chemical-free.

Congrats FDA!  EPA, your turn!  People, it is time to get wise and go natural!

You can also read more by purchasing my book on Amazon  It is available in paperback or Kindle.  Chemical-Free Skin Health is also available from the Keys Online store by Clicking Here

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Excerpt from Chemical-Free Skin Health® by Bob Root

Copyright 2010-2016 by Orion Learning International Inc.  M42 Publishing

Just as a note, I have also attached the chapter as a PDF document if you want to send it to your friends. Click the image to download

[bsk-pdf-manager-pdf id=”4″ featuredimage=”yes”]

Chapter 12: My Two Worst Public Enemies! Triclosan and Parabens

TriclosanEarly on I told you about how the skin works. Overly simplifying a particular facet of the skin, the bacteria that exist on it keep our skin in balance. Washing our skin and particularly the face removes the remnants of the bacteria, dirt, pollutants and dead skin. No matter how hard we try to remove the bacteria, it is nearly impossible unless we use germicides or bactericides like parabens and triclosan.

Here is my simple concern. If I can put a paraben in a product to kill off bacteria and germs in the container, what does it do to the good bacteria on my skin? If I wash my hands with a hand sanitizer that contains the broad spectrum bactericide, triclosan, what does it do to my good bacteria?

Search as I might, I have not found any evidence that parabens and triclosan are tuned killers. Meaning that they waste the bad guys and protect the good. Everything that I have read supports the contrary.

I have talked to dermatologists, doctors and scientists asking their concerns about what is going on in personal care and cosmetics that concern them. Over 90% express concern over parabens and triclosan because of the long term health effects. Not from the chemicals, but from the effect it has on killing the probiotics of our skin. All express an even greater concern about these chemicals being used in our food, toothpaste and mouth washes.

You can choose to read this chapter or not. It is somewhat geeky, but necessary to explain my perceptions.

What I believe is that the only thing known to man that kills the good bacteria on our skin are parabens and triclosan. Remove the good bacteria and our balance is disrupted. Disrupt the balance and those bacteria that come at us first are the worst kind and literally attack unprotected skin.

I personally believe that these two chemical types are responsible for many of the skin disorders that doctors see.

Also, it took western medicine a long time to buy into the fact that we need probiotics to help our gut perform. I believe it is also time that we start to explore probiotics for our skin.

Finally, I do believe that the people that have link MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) outbreaks to parabens and triclosan are probably correct. Only time and research will prove them right or wrong. Indications are they are correct and it is probably time to eliminate parabens and triclosan from your life.

So read on if you want!

Triclosan: The Biocide that Creates Super Bugs?

FACT vs FUD is a chapter in this book as well as an article on our blog. In this overly inflammatory news based society of ours, my resistance is to publish anything that is not based in research that is a bit beyond a theory.

Some History:

One of the inspirations for this book and this article was an experience I had while in a store outside of Dayton Ohio. I was not too far from the headquarters of Proctor & Gamble (Cincinnati) delivering a speech about the Dirty Dozen at an annual event the store promotes. Probably 200 in attendance, I went through the Dirty Dozen chemicals created by the Marin County Cancer Project. At the end, I provided some chemicals of concern, so I went back through my “most feared” list. In the book, I describe that some of the Dirty Dozen are much more damaging than others, but tend to be used in only discrete segments and in only some products. Some ingredients like parabens are much more widely used often in multiple doses during the manufacturing process elevating their concentrations in products to well beyond the called for percentages by the chemical maker. During my speech, I invited questions as we went along and there were plenty.

At the end, I voiced my concern that triclosan was perhaps my greatest fear because it is so powerful a biocide. I had explained earlier that triclosan is the main ingredient in hand sanitizers and antibacterial soaps. A biocide, by design, kills gram positive and gram negative bacteria as well as most all bacteria. My concern all along has been two very important concerns:

  1. If it indiscriminately kills all bacteria, then what does it do to the flora-probiotic on our skin?
  2. Will the destruction of all bacteria on the skin create super-bugs that morph and become resistant to both the biocide and antibiotics?

As I always do when speaking to a group, I try to connect with the eyes of people in my audience. It is my way of trying to figure out if I am connecting with them. In my corporate life, I received training on how to read an audience as well. As I call it, ‘Squirming Around’ is a big flag that I have touched a nerve. As a CEO of a publicly traded company, you better believe that I experienced this at every shareholder meeting. So, this day, I was thrust back to my corporate life by a gentleman that had asked no questions, been very polite and had friendly eyes. When I lumped triclosan in with parabens as my major concern, his hand shot skyward as to immediately interrupt me. I obliged by stopping to acknowledge his question.

He asked, “Why would you add the main ingredient in hand sanitizers with that of preservatives used in almost every product made from personal care, to toothpaste, to food?”

First things first, I knew immediately that this person was from the industry because the question was one I would have expected in a meeting inside a research and development process. Not being ever deterred by confrontation, I answered both technically and emotionally. Here is my initial response.

“I am more concerned with Triclosan than a Methyl Paraben for four primary reasons:

  1. Triclosan has been used in hospital and scientific environments for many years because it is the most effect biocide.
  2. The concentration of Triclosan in a function specific product like antibacterial soaps is much higher and therefore of greater concern to me because it does a much more wide reaching job of killing all bacteria on the skin including the good bugs!
  3. The destruction from Triclosan is so powerful and long lived compare to parabens that I have more than a subtle concern that what bacteria arrive back on the scene will be the worst kind like staph, e. Coli etc.
  4. I also worry that these strains of bacteria will grow back with a vengeance and become resistant to both Triclosan and known antibiotics.”

The man stood straight up as if to confront me. I could also tell that I had just scared the hell out of the rest of the audience. Before I could temper my comments with the fact that this was my personal concern and that I had not gathered all the facts, he spoke.

He said, “I am a scientist that works down the road. First, I am a parent and father. I do not care that we have the best health insurance; I worry about what we expose our kids to. We have had an outbreak of Staph in the middle schools in this area and what you are saying is that because we require our kids to wash with antibacterial soap containing Triclosan that we are exposing them to the potential of transmitted staph infections like the ones we are experiencing now?”

My only answer had to be from the heart and not my corporate training to dodge the question. I said, Yes!”

He shook his head and sat down. Honestly, you could have heard a mouse burp in that room! I tried to interject some humor and my time was up. The people filed out of the room as the other speaker got set up. The man approached as did the sponsors from the store.

The sponsor thanked me for the informative talk and quickly said, can you send me something about this. She offered that she was a Cancer survivor and had a more than passing concern.

The man also echoed by adding that he was privileged to be able to read many documents about uses of chemicals. He said that what he always noticed is that most have warnings of irritation when used in high percentages and that antibacterial soap using Triclosan actually exceeded the minimum percentages. I asked if he could provide me with percentage data and he said; “No! I am not allowed to do that!” I got the message. I walked back to my team that was exhibiting at the health fare and told them of the experience. I shared, that I only wish I had a study to hand to everyone that at least echoed my fears.

Over the last two years, I have shared the story with colleagues. This morning in July of 2010, I received an email with a copy of the Opinion from the EU Scientific Directorate! Being a geek, I read all 56 pages and decided to sit down to finish this chapter of the book.

Remember this is an opinion and I would encourage you to read the entire document. There must be additional testing. We do know that bacteria exposed to destructive agents does morph into “super bugs” in many cases. This opinion echoes much of that concern. In one sense, I am pleased that this concern of mine and others has now taken another step up in the process of science.

My opinion! For what it is worth, science generally follows an orderly path. The Mandelbrot theory says that, if that what we see occurs in a large scale, it will occur in a small scale. If we can kill bacteria…good and bad… with a large dose of a chemical, then small doses delivered more frequently and repeatedly will have the same effect. The other scientific principle that comes to mind here is Occam’s Razor which is the principle that “entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity” or that the simplest explanation is usually the correct one. So, to me it makes sense from a logical perspective that using a chemical like Triclosan everyday in large does will have a long term adverse effect on the flora of the skin. Only the test of time and scientific studies will bring the concern to even higher levels.

What I can share is that I personally avoid anything on or in my body designed to kill something like germs, bacteria and microbes. Like all of us, I have had to take antibiotics and we know from the warnings that sustained use can make them ineffective. Following Occam’s Razor, I also believe that is true of these chemicals under various names that are designed to make my life more pure…Purity at the sake of what?

So, my mother may not have been right that eating dirt was all that bad for me ☺

Triclosan: The Biocide that keeps on giving!

Most of the free world including the US requires that Triclosan be listed somewhere on the label if it is used in a product. But how about if it is used in product packaging or molded into materials. Unregulated therefore no requirement for listing. Herein is the fallacy of confusing consequence with sequence.

Have you ever wondered why cheese seems to last longer than it used to? Have you wondered how companies can claim that if you buy their storage products that food will last longer? Have you wondered how a manufacturer could claim that their running socks are antibacterial?

We know that Triclosan is used in sanitizers and toothpaste as well as antibacterial soaps. Did you ever wonder what chemical they use in making utensils, cooking equipment, cutting boards and even sport clothing to make them antibacterial. You guessed it, Triclosan. The white powdery substance can be molded into products to make virtually antibacterial. Many food packages are molded with Triclosan to make them antibacterial to preserve the food longer.

If there was any reason to buy organic and local at the farmers market, this is a darned good one for me.

So, like phthalates, Triclosan is not just in personal care. They found phthalates in children’s toys and car dashboards. Triclosan is in much more than antibacterial soap. So here is a partial list of products that use Triclosan:

  • Sanitizers
  • Antibacterial soap (really a detergent)
  • Deodorant
  • Toothpaste
  • Shaving Cream
  • Mouthwash
  • Skin Care
  • Makeup
  • Acne Products
  • Antimicrobial Creams
  • Cleaning Supplies
  • Kitchen Utensils
  • Food Storage
  • Plastic Wrap
  • Trash Bags
  • Toys
  • Bedding (People and Pets)
  • Socks
  • Sports Clothing
  • Child Car Seats

Someone asked me if I could link a direct connection to MRSA (Methicillin Resistent Staphylococcus Aureus) and Triclosan. I said, “Honestly, I do not know!” Do I believe that it is connected? Yes! So you can imagine my surprise when I read an article in a medical journal prescribe sits baths for MRSA suffers in a solution of 2% Tricolsan!

Triclosan is used in many common household products that you would not expect.

OK, I am starting to sound like a radical working at an NGO! Environmental issues are big as well.

Parabens!

Parabens…Good Guys or Bad Guys?

As a part of my ongoing series of looking at the Dirty Dozen Chemicals shown to provide elevated Cancer rates in people and animals, in this article, I outline why we do not use parabens leaving the judgmental diagnosis to the NGO’s attacking them. The Dirty Dozen Chemicals are a list of 12 developed originally by the Marin County Cancer Project which at the time, had the highest Cancer Rates in the US. Followed by Search For The Cause and Teens Turning Green the list is now designated the Dirty Thirty.

 

So, are parabens good guys or bad guys? Both it seems and there is a reason why we do not use them as well.

Below is a scavenged description of parabens from Wikipedia.   On the surface and from a chemical perspective they do their job. Many chemists and companies support their use based on a belief of safety. I believe that they are looking at the wrong reasons for safety.

Our society seems to primarily look at safety as, “will what we put on our skin hurt us directly?” I believe that we should be looking at whether it hurts us based on contact and will it cause something else to hurt us because of it.

So first let’s try to understand what parabens are and why some manufacturers use them. Here is that Wikipedia description:

Parabens are a class of chemicals widely used as preservatives in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Parabens are effective preservatives in many types of formulas. These compounds, and their salts, are used primarily for their bactericidal and fungicidal properties. They can be found in shampoos, commercial moisturizers, shaving gels, personal lubricants, topical/parenteral pharmaceuticals, spray tanning solution and toothpaste. They are also used as food additives.

Their efficacy as preservatives, in combination with their low cost, their long history of safe use and the inefficacy of natural alternatives like grapefruit seed extract (GSE), probably explains why parabens are so commonplace. They are becoming increasingly controversial, however, and some organizations which adhere to the precautionary principle object to their everyday use.

Chemistry

Parabens are esters of para-hydroxybenzoic acid, from which the name is derived. Common parabens include methylparaben (E number E218), ethylparaben (E214), propylparaben (E216) and butylparaben. Less common parabens include isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben, benzylparaben and their sodium salts.

Occurrence

Some parabens are found naturally in plant sources. For example, methylparaben is found in blueberries,  where it acts as an antimicrobial agent. However, when parabens are eaten, they are metabolized and lose the ester group, making them less strongly estrogen-mimicking.

( Bob Comment) Part of the rub here is a number of studies that link parabens to breast Cancer because of these properties, but let’s not get too off track!

Synthesis

All commercially used parabens are synthetically produced, although some are identical to those found in nature. They are produced by the esterification of para-hydroxybenzoic acid with the appropriate alcohol. para-Hydroxybenzoic acid is in turn produced industrially from a modification of the Kolbe-Schmitt reaction, using potassium phenoxide and carbon dioxide.

Now that you are an expert on parabens, I think it is fair to talk about the pros and cons of them.

Remember that I believe that it is an indirect result of the parabens that is as important to look at as well as the direct result of their actions.

The pros of parabens or grapefruit seed extract are that they kill bacteria and fungus inside products. It is very difficult to sterilize containers and apparatus without using chemicals. The technique we use is super-heated steam on our equipment, but those parabens do a really good job of killing microbes, gram positive and gram negative rods. The con is that they do a good job of killing bacteria on our skin as well.

You might say that is good, but much research shows that what we want to do is inhibit bacteria growth on our skin while permitting flora bacteria to exist as it does in nature. To me, it is sort of like drinking parabens in hope they will kill diseased bacteria in our gut in hopes that they will leave all that good bacteria we want alone. If science could figure that out, it would be major… just has not happened yet.

Frankly, when I developed our first products, I did not know what parabens were. So it was simple…ignorance was bliss. I did know that I needed a preservative and my aboriginal friends suggested rosemary. Turns out it is also a natural high grade antioxidant, but for me, it minimized bacteria growth in our natural products.

When a contract manufacturer approached me to make our products, I politely listened as the salesperson told me why I had to use parabens. My silence forced him to exasperation and he blurted out, “What would you do if the FDA said you have to use parabens?” My answer? I would mark the products refrigerate after opening! He was not amused and yet that is exactly what I would do.

It turns out that we have traced part of Wendy’s reaction to prescription products after her Melanoma to a paraben reaction. Admittedly rare, I personally believe that it is more common than we think.

I will let our friends at the Breast Cancer Fund fight the paraben battle on their own front. I would encourage you to research that more for yourself. 

Why We Do Not Use Parabens

Simply, I have done enough research and read enough that parabens in our personal care, household products and mouth care kill all forms of bacteria on our skin and in our gut. Like studies have shown with triclosan and germicides used in household products, my own studies have shown these same agents kill the natural flora on the skin and in the gut. What I believe happens next is that the really bad bacteria including gram positive rods like e. Coli and Staph (MRSA) have an opportunity to come back with a vengeance and attack our systems freely.

For example, it is common in our microbiology lab to take an agar petri dish and smear a natural ingredient on it to see if colony, gram positive or gram negative rods (bacteria) show up in an accelerated 72 hour test. What is not common, but we have done it, are to take a sample of “bugs” and kill them and then watch what grows back first in an open air environment. More than not, we see some harmless colony bacteria show up first, but then some really nasty bacteria take over and on most occasions we see fungus appear to feed on the bacteria. Can’t prove it, but I have to wonder if all this MRSA staph that has shown up in our middle schools is not a direct link to the triclosan in antibacterial soaps and the parabens in all of our products.

Okay, now that I have you flipped out a bit, I did a test of ten products at one of my labs and measured the cumulative amount of parabens in them. What I mean is that I know that the providers of parabens suggest a range or percentage to use. Let’s say it is 0.5% of the total solution. When I tested the products all showed excessive amounts of parabens well beyond the recommended dose. Knowing that chemists strive for economy, I began to wonder why the levels were so high…high enough to kill anything.   I could not figure out why until I was giving a speech on the Dirty Dozen near Dayton Ohio and one chemist from P&G asked how many ingredients were typically in natural products. I answered, “probably 10 to 15.” He laughed and said our average is 45. It suddenly dawned on me how the paraben levels could be so high in the products I tested. The answer, the ingredient/chemical suppliers were also using parabens to preserve their raw material. Think it through! The manufacturer puts 0.5% into the product and each of the suppliers of those 40+ chemicals put 0.5% into the raw materials. Simply, we are being overdosed with parabens and every product we use adds to the equation. Ten products times the 1.6% average we tested is a daily dose of 16% on our skin. I think the most recent statistics I heard from the EWG is that the average woman uses 12 products a day containing parabens and men average 6 products. That means that if I am correct with my average that women are getting ~19.2% paraben contact. We have always joked that “chemists add and engineers subtract, but maybe it is not a joke.

Our Simple View

To overly simplify the reason we do not use parabens is that we believe that what comes out of the bottle designed to kill bacteria in the packaging also kills the flora on our skin and our gut facilitating bad super-bug bacteria to grow in its place that also facilitates fungal growth and imbalance.

Right now, this is a tested theory long from scientific fact. What if I am right!

See, I told my mother eating dirt was good!

BTW, The Mayo Clinic states, “Most MRSA infections occur in hospitals or other health care settings, such as nursing homes and dialysis centers. It’s known as health care-associated MRSA, or HA-MRSA. Older adults and people with weakened immune systems are at most risk of HA-MRSA. More recently, another type of MRSA has occurred among otherwise healthy people in the wider community. This form, community-associated MRSA, or CA-MRSA, is responsible for serious skin and soft tissue infections and for a serious form of pneumonia.”

I personally believe that people are walking in with the MRSA and when surgery is performed that is when it invades. Maybe hospitals should pretest for MRSA and an incoming inspection….Do you think?

 Chapter Quick Notes:

  1. Parabens and Triclosan are bactericides and germicides. That means they kill all bacteria indiscriminately. Good or bad bacteria alike, it they just kill.
  1. Parabens and Triclosan indiscriminately kill the good probiotic bacteria on the skin. My belief is that this permits bad bacteria attacking the undefended skin.
  2. Washing the skin does not remove our probiotic good bacteria from the skin.
  3. Bactericides cause an imbalance on the skin possibly leading to many skin disorders.

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Keys Saves You Time and Money – Buy Direct or From Our Resellers

keys-newsBuy Direct or Buy From Resellers

Buying From Dealers

Its your choice to buy direct or buy from one of our resellers.  We have a large list of retailers that you can buy from at their establishments or online.  It is convenient to be able to buy Keys while you are shopping for other products.  You can find a dealer near you using our “Dealer Locator.”  The reality is that not all dealers stock all of our products all of the time.  So, it is important that you call them to make sure they have the products in stock.

Buying Direct

The other reality is that when you buy direct, we always have all of our products in stock.  Ordering direct saves you time, fuel, money and no tax.

Discounts & Promotions

There are many ways to save at Keys.  We have created a series of ongoing promotions and discounts to help you save.  These are consumer programs that are automatic when you fulfill certain requirements.

Below are some of the ongoing promotions and discounts that have no expiration date.

Buy Direct

If you are a domestic US customer and buy direct from us spending $75 or more, you will receive free USPS Priority Mail Shipping.  When the net amount of your order exceeds $75 and you are shipping into a US address, your shipping is free

Buy Direct

Our rewards program gives you points that can be used like money to purchase products on future orders.  Every time you buy, you will get 5% of your gross purchase minus shipping charges in the form of usable money that you can apply to future orders or stockpile.  At checkout, you can choose to apply the amount available to you.  The system automatically keeps a record and calculates the rewards points available for you to use.

Buy Direct

For many years we had a “Wendy’s Regime” that required you buy five (5) specific products.  You asked to be able to build your own regimen and we listened.  Now when you buy five (5) uniquely different products or more, you will receive a 10% discount on those products.  Remember they all have to be different and if you buy more then one of a particular product, it will be at the regular price.  This build your own DIY kit rewards buying five unique products at a time.

Buy Direct

A few years ago, we started to receive requests for volume purchases from some of our Cancer survivors.  They had to use a lot of our products like Tortuga and they requested that if they would buy more at one time, would we give them a discount.  The answer is yes and we have had this program where you buy three (3) of a product at one time and you will automatically receive a 5% discount.

Buy Direct

This program is similar to the one above where you buy 6 of a single product, you will get a 10% discount on those products.  You can buy multiples of six of different products and get 10% off on each.  This is not a mix and match program.  You must buy six each of any product to get the discount.

Lastly

Keys products are very rich and emollient.  They go a long way and last a long time.  Less is more!

We also believe our products out perform products sold that can cost 5 to 6 times as much because we do not layer in huge margins for marketing and advertising.  Our brand is one of the best there is, we solve problems with solutions and we are 100% natural, gluten-free, chemical-free and non-GMO…Nothing synthetic!

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Solar Rx Daily Sunscreen – Anti-Aging, Sun Protection, BB Cream and More!

Solar Rx Anti-Aging and More!

BW_wideBob Root, Keys Technologist

When Wendy Steele asked me to develop a sunscreen for her after beating Melanoma, she needed UVA and UVB blocking.  What she wanted was a cosmetically clear anti-aging moisturizer that would prevent aging.  The product, Solar Rx was heralded as innovative with design awards, product of the year and acknowledgement by the EWG and Consumer Reports Magazine.  It is much more then a moisturizer and sun protection. It is a simple and inexpensive anti-aging tool.

“If you are age 10 to 80+, wearing a sunscreen everyday will protect you from skin cancer.  What you might not know is that our Solar Rx is the number one anti-aging tool in your arsenal.”, Wendy Steele Keys founder and CEO

Today, you mostly see products that do just one thing.  There are sunscreens, anti-aging creams, rosacea treatments, BB creams, foundations, moisturizers and anti-redness products.  Keys Solar Rx is all these in one product.  If simplicity and saving money is interesting to you, I will explain the what’s, why’s and how Solar Rx does all these things and more.

What, Why & How!

Solar-Rx-cap-off-800pxBelow is a list of what you can expect from Solar Rx.   Important is that Solar Rx is in a special category acknowledged by the US Food & Drug Administration and The Environmental Working Group Skin Deep database and Sunscreen Report.  The category is Moisturizer with Sunscreen which fits more into the skincare and beauty market then sunscreens.  Still, it has to undergo the same rigors as “go to beach” sunscreens.  The simple fundamental difference is that moisturizers with sunscreen are water soluble and not designed to be used in direct sun white exercising, swimming or perspiring.  Why make it then….

Solar Rx does much more then sunscreens and often repairs damage from chemical sunscreens.  If you understand the features, benefits and advantages of any product, you can make informed decisions.  Solar Rx is much more then just a anti-aging moisturizer with sun protection.

So here goes:

Solar Rx the Anti-Aging Moisturizer

blog-avoThe base lotion of Solar Rx is Keys Luminos intense moisturizer.  It is made from pure virgin avocado oil, black seed oil and carrot seed oil with Shea butter from Ghana and our own freeze dried aloe vera.  There is very little water in the product so it is very concentrated.  There is more concentration of oil in one Solar Rx bottle then is a half-gallon of big-box-store lotions.  Plus, there are no chemicals like PEG, glycols or parabens.  This alone makes Solar Rx more economical because you only need a little to get the moisturizing benefits.

Solar Rx the UV Anti-Aging Protection

There are three forms of measured UV.  UVA, UVB and UVC.  UVC is rare, so we will not talk about it other then to say, that there are artificial sources of UVC like exotic metal welders experience and they use Solar Rx because it works.

For the rest of us, UVA and UVB rays cause burning and skin cancer.  The FDA requires us to use language that talks about this for a reason.  It is because the evidence says that skin cancer comes from overexposure to UV radiation with the emphasis on the word radiation.

Solar Rx the Anti-Aging Innovation

4Think of UVB rays as the burning rays because that is what happens.  UVA are the aging rays because the deep penetrating UVA rays break down the fundamental building block of youthful skin…collagen. These springy components deep in the skin is what makes our young skin look youthful and clear.

UVA radiation takes a lifetime to show its damage, but at about the age of 10, it starts working to destroy our skins collagen and other components.  What we notice is that wrinkles start appearing at about age 15 and sooner for sports and athletic people.  At about 25, people start to notice that they look tired because of fine lines and some sagging.  At 35, we feel older because we look older.  Tanning freaks look 45 at 35 because the collagen is almost unrepairable because of UVA damage.  It gets worse as we get older and older.  Just look around and compare.

UVA is often talked about as the burning and tanning rays.  These rays cause the brown spots, discoloration and weird patches that seem to sneak up on us around 40.  Weird looking discolored and tired skin come from these UVB rays

Skin Layers
Skin Layers

Solar Rx prevents both UVA and UVB damage by blocking these rays using spherical zinc oxide particles.  It block them unlike chemical sunscreen that convert UVA and UVB into heat deep in skin tissue.  Simplicity is understated because Solar Rx uses just Zinc Oxide where chemical sunscreens have to use multiple types of chemicals to achieve similar protection

Solar Rx the Skin Clearing & Brightener Innovation

Above we are talking about how zinc oxide protects from UVA and UVB damage as an anti-aging secret.  Did you know that uncoated zinc oxide like the type used in Solar Rx will help fade sun spots, brown spots, weird patches and discoloration.  Further, the natural whole avocado oil that we use has natural fading properties which work with the uncoated zinc oxide to fade these discolorations.  Yes, it take time, but it is not harsh like chemical whiteners and you do not have the additional cost of another product.  It works slowly everyday to clear the skin.  If you are observant, you will see changes in two weeks that become noticeable to friend in just a few months.  Anti-aging is not just keeping the skin from getting leathery, it is making sure that it is clear and even.  No Spots! Really!

You would pay over $100 for the products that would do just these three things!

Solar Rx the Anti-Redness Innovation

skin bacteriaInflammation equal redness on the skin.  Redness often comes from skin treatments that burn and chemically peel the skin…inflammation.  Redness comes from exposure to wind and the sun…inflammation.  Redness comes from products that contain dirty dozen and the dirty 30 chemicals…inflammation.  Redness comes from bacteria that is overpopulated on the skin because of antibacterial agents like parabens and triclosan.  parabens are in 95%+ of skincare products.  I think you get it.  No inflammation is anti-aging.  Solar Rx uses uncoated zinc oxide which renowned for reducing inflammation aka redness

Solar Rx the Rosacea Innovation

Rosacea seem to be a big mystery to doctors.  Probably because it is cosmetic and not exciting to them.  To those that suffer from the redness, blotchiness and irritation caused by rosacea, it is a very real problem.  Solar Rx customers have told us for the last ten years that it helps and even eliminates the redness.  We suspect that the majority of rosacea is redness caused by overgrowth of unfriendly bacteria affecting the skins’ microbiome.  Simplified, most rosacea treatments use uncoated zinc oxide like what we use in Solar Rx.  Simple!

Solar Rx the BB Cream

Luminos_LeftAnti-aging is coverage as much as it is therapeutic. We started working with makeup artist over 14 years ago using Solar Rx as a beauty balm that fills imperfections.  Simply, the uncoated zinc oxide is a microfine particle that fill in pores and fine lines.  The zinc is a filler and mixed with the Luminos base lotion and moisturizer acts like a beauty balm and filler combined.  Solar Rx works better then most of the beauty balms on the market because the particles are spherical instead of jagged and they are uniform size.

Just as a note, BB Creams sell for up to $135 for 1.7 ounces at Sephora.  Solar Rx is $26.95 for 3.4 ounces.  As a personal note, one of the things I miss about the high tech industry is the magazine shootouts that compare one product against another based on performance.  Can you imagine if the skincare and beauty industry had to undergo shootouts.  I ready!

Solar Rx the Clear Foundation

Much of how Solar Rx works to help with fine lines is that it is a world-class moisturizer and the zinc oxide particles fill.  Imagine that Solar Rx also accomplishes this be the shape of the zinc oxide particle transmitting and diffusing light.  A very famous Hollywood makeup artist once told me that our wrinkles and fine lines are not the problem, it is the shadows they create that amplify them.  I thought about this from an optical physics standpoint many years ago and realized that the shape of the Solar Rx spherical particles created an optical illusion reducing shadows on the skin.  These little lenses help mute variations on the skin and also transmit texture, color and illumination giving the skin a glowing soft focus effect that is not just visible to the high definition cameras, but the naked eye.  This is so true that if you apply Solar Rx to just half of your face, you will see the difference in the mirror.  Apply it to the neck and it will actually provide fill light for under the chin… a super secret Hollywood lighting technique.

Products from Makeup Forever® and others do a similar job at nearly $100.  The effect comes for free with Solar Rx

Solar Rx Instead of $300

All toll, if you were to purchase separate products based on what Solar Rx does, it would cost you somewhere north of $300.  If you like the simplicity of one product and the low cost of $26.95, then Solar Rx is the answer.

Beauty cream, sun protection, redness prevention, moisturizer etc. in one product

Try it and if I am wrong, we will refund your purchase.

To buy Solar Rx, click the buy button below

Anti-Aging

To learn more, you can buy Bob Root’s book, Chemical Free Skin Health by below.

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Avo Jel vs. Petroleum Jelly for Sports

Avo jel

Avo Jel – The Alternative To Petroleum Jelly!

When we designed Avo Jel to be a vegan replacement for petroleum jelly, we quickly realized that it would not only replace petroleum jelly, but would add more things that is could do because it is avocado oil jelly.  Yes, you can replace your petroleum jelly with Avo Jel and you can use it for many more uses because it does not have the impurities associated with crude oil based jellies.  So, it is better and better for you!

Below are some uses for the sports enthusiast.  Runners, bikers, swimmers and surfers have all been telling us how they use Avo Jel.  Here are just a few.

So the first main benefit to keep in mind with Avo Jel is that it is made from the highest grade avocado oil available.  So, no impurities, no petroleum and all the added benefits of this vegan alternative.

Sports Uses for Avo Jel:

Here are a few uses that our customers have shared with us.  Find your own uses and let us know.

  • Lips
    • Avo Jel is very effective in quickly reducing chapping.  Petroleum jelly is good at coating the lips to prevent windburn, dryness and will not sweat off.  Avo Jel does the same, but adds the Omega fatty acids and oil that helps to repair the lips as well.  So, it is great before, during and after a race.
  • Eyes
    • Avocado Oil is a mild sunscreen and will not sting the eyes like chemical sunscreens.  Rub it lightly around the eye lids and you will gain some protection and the softening effect of avocado oil.  You can layer Avo Jel over a zinc based sunscreen as well to gain even more protection.
  • Chaffing
    • Chafing during an event and afterwards is a huge problem.  Layering AvoJel on these areas before going out prevents chafing, but unlike petroleum jelly, Avo Jel is a true moisturizer
  • Rash Guard
    • Avo JelAvo Jel will not harm clothing or melt certain fabrics like petroleum jelly does.  So, you can rub it on both the skin and clothing to eliminate rash.  Don’t forget areas like the nipples to make sure that rubbing is minimized.
  • Pollution Protection
    • Surfers know that there is a lot of bacteria and pollutants in many popular surf spots warranting a dowse of a bleach mixture to prevent disease.  Runners in places like New York City come back from a run and when the wipe their face, see black suit on the washcloth.  Sorry to say that these are not extreme occurrences or one-off’s.  Hydrocarbons and other pollutants are everywhere, so dabbing Avo Jel around the face and soft skin areas will help act as a barrier to pollutants.
  • Allergies
    • A high percentage of outdoors enthusiasts have allergies and run with drugs like Zyrtec and Claratin.  These are effective, but also raise the question of drowsiness and performance inhibiting.  Runners and bikers have told us that they dab a Q-Tip with Avo Jel and gently swab it inside each nostril.  The AvoJel collects pollen and other allergens before they enter the upper nose.  The theory is maximum performance using a simple concept.
    • Some people are just plain allergic to petroleum jelly because it is crude oil based.  Not true with Avo Jel because is is avocado oil based.  Plus, you get the Omega fatty acids benefits as well.
  • Water Repellent
    • Avo Jel is as water repellant as petroleum jelly, but without the petroleum.
  • Goggles – Seal
    • One great irritation in triathlons are leaking goggles.  Petroleum jelly can degrade the soft plastic on some higher end goggles.  Layering a thin layer on the soft mantle of the goggles will help prevent leaking without harming the goggles themselves.
    • The secondary benefit is the irritation that sometimes occurs from the goggle rubbing against the soft tissue around the eyes.  Often people complain that their eye tissue becomes inflamed.  AvoJel soothes.
  • Leash Strap
    • A lot of work goes into the design of a surfers leash strap to hold tight and not chafe.  Holding tight is much more important, but by using Avo Jel, it will help to minimize chaffing around the ankle while also acting as a barrier for bacteria and pollutants.
  • Chemical barrier
    • Chemical sunscreens work by converting UVB (burning) and UVA (aging) rays into heat.  By using Avo Jel over top, we have found empirical evidence that it helps chemical based sunscreens last longer.  Conversely, if you are being exposed to chemicals on your equipment, AvoJel will also act as a barrier.
  • Chap Guard
    • It is fairly obvious that dryness, the sun, air and other environmental effects will quickly chap your lips.  Other areas of soft tissue can also chap.  Avo Jel offers superior protection and the Omega fatty acids will help to keep soft tissue youthful looking.
  • Feet
    • Runners and bikers tell us that they layer Avo Jel on their feet two days before a race by slipping on socks after a good coating.  This make the skin soft and if you have calluses, it will soften them reducing cracking and bleeding.
    • Deter blisters by rubbing Avo Jel inside shoes or on feet before using compression socks.
    • Consider Keys Feet & Hands as an alternative to Avo Jel.  It contains menthol which is stimulating and has some indications that it effects acupressure points.

Avo Jel and Feet and Hands

  • Hair
    • Avocado oil is a natural hair conditioner and styler.  In Jel form, it also protects the hair from drying from the sun and cracking from pollutants.  Slick your hair back and look fast standing still.

The uses for Avo Jel in the sports world keep adding daily.  These are just a few of the uses that we have heard from fans.  If you can use petroleum jelly for something, you can use Avo Jel.  Plus, it is better for you because it is made from Avocado oil and not petroleum.  Avo Jel is just one of six avocado oil based jellies designed to replace drug store petrolatum based products.  To learn more about all the Keys Alternative Naturals™ products, Click Here!

For more information about Avo Jel, Click Here

Click the buy button to go to our store.  $9.95 for 60ml

Avo Jel

Use the CODE*: GOAVO (case sensitive) to get 10% off at Checkout

*Offer expires September 30, 2016

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The Triathlete & Keys New Jel Products

Triathlete and Keys Alternative Naturals

TriathleteOne of the main reason we developed the entire line of Keys Alternative Naturals was for triathlete and strenuous sports fans.  We attended Surf Expo last year in hopes of gaining insight into the competitive performance market and we were not disappointed at the results of our visit.  The trade show clearly pointed out the need for alternatives to conventional petroleum jelly based products.  The attendees we met ranged in age from 12 to 60.  All were engaged in some form of strenuous exercise and sports.  We fronted the idea of various products that would replace Vaseline®, Begay® and IcyHot® with products made from a jellied avocado oil.  The response was 100% positive and fueled our continual development of our Alternative Naturals line.

Along the way we have talked to many people in different market segments.  By far, our Alternative Naturals line has the broadest reach across many market sectors and age groups.  We knew that many of the jel based products would have an impact on sports.  This is one account:

The Triathlete!

AvojelWe met a surfer and triathlete in Florida who was about to compete in a national triathlon.  We met him a few weeks before the race and deep into his training period.  He had lots of rashes and chafing, so we offered him our AvoJel.  We saw him again a week later and he showed us that the rash on his neck was gone and he said that all the chafing was almost gone as well.  He asked how this was possible in that he had used petrolatum based products and the irritations only went away when he stopped training.  Avocado oil is a very positive ingredient on the skin and we had hoped that he wold see fast results.  We also knew that the AvoJel would act and perform the same as Vaseline® and we believed it would out perform it in the areas of fast results.

So, we asked our triathlete what he used before and after a race.  He gave us a list, so we gave him AvoJel, Heat Cool and Feet & Hands as well as Urban Shield for fungus.

We saw him again a week after the race and he exclaimed that he had won his age group.  Then he proceeded to tell us about how all the products performed.What he told us was that he used AvoJel on areas that got chafed and rubbed from clothing etc.  He had no rashes or chafing even after the swim.  AvoJel stayed on and resisted the water.

He applied Feet & hands to his feet before and after the race.  No blisters or cracking.  He said that the cooling menthol stimulated his feet and soothed them after the race.

He used Heat Cool on his muscles.  First he commented that it felt like it was not working because there was no intense smell like Bengay®.  He told us that what he really noticed quickly is that the aches went away making him appreciate the lighter scent with what he felt was more action.  He said his wife and kids really appreciated the lighter scent ?

heat-coolHe shared that he would always get a bought of athletes foot shortly after a race and the Urban Shield seemed to be working (two weeks later, still no athletes foot).  He noted that his cracking fingers and dry patchy skin had also disappeared.

So, our products succeeded in helping him and affirming that we were on the right track.

As we learn more about other uses for our products, we will let you know.  Simply, we know, that if there is a use for petroleum jelly, our Alternative Naturals will match and exceed their use!  Not only do we believe they work better, they are better for you because there is no petroleum.

Check out Keys Alternative Naturals by Clicking Here for more detailed product information.

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Keys Avo Jel Instead Of Silicone Grease – DIY

Need Grease?  A little dab of Avo Jel will do.

Aco Jel Instead Of GreaseMany devices around the home often call for lubrication with food grade silicone grease or petroleum jelly.  If you are like me, the idea of using silicone or petrolatum that comes in contact with my food or water is not desirable.  Enter Keys Avo Jel as a great substitute.

Recently, I needed to replace a water filter for my sink drinking water tap.  I ordered the filters and when they arrived, the instructions said that it was very important to minimize the possibility of leaking to put “food grade silicone” on the O-rings where the filters came in contact with the housing.  I thought for a moment and grabbed the Avo Jel.  A couple of quick dollops on the O-rings and the new filters were on with no leaks.  Because Avo Jel is pure avocado oil, using it offers a clean alternative to grease and petrolatum.

As you can see from the image below, the arrows point out where I put the Avo Jel.

I know that not everyone has to replace filters, but this is a good example where Avo Jel serves as a lubricant and seal instead of using conventional petroleum or silicone grease.  Make things slide easier, lubricate water bottle tops and improve any seal safely using Avo Jel.

Let us know how you use Avo Jel as an alternative to chemical and petroleum based grease?  If you want to learn about other uses, just Google “uses for petroleum jelly” or “uses for petroleum jelly around the home” and you will be amazed.  Then realize that you can use Avo Jel for all the same purposes.  Keeping in mind, Avo Jel is petroleum-free, silicone-free and chemical-free.

Lubricate Those O-rings with Avo Jel

Avo Jel Instead of Grease

Buy Avo Jel on the Keys Online Store

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Dynamic Duo – Keys RediCare and Urban Shield

Urban Shield

Urban Shield a New Keys Star!

Just a few weeks ago we introduced our new line called Alternative Naturals™.  Among the inductees was a new product called Urban Shield.  Urban Shield has been in development for over five years and is a very close kin to Keys Super Star RediCare.  In fact, think of Urban Shield as a gel version of RediCare and you will be more right than you know.

As history goes, RediCare was first developed for the search and rescue teams that were returning from Hurricane Katrina.  Both dogs and people were covered with sores and skin disorders from the chemicals in the high waters around New Orleans.  It was designed as a sprayable lotion to cover large areas quickly to provide relief without rubbing.  It also worked on both long and short hair dogs to get to the skin quickly.  Both dogs and handlers quickly realized how fast and effective it was.  Bonus!  Because of the Neem and Karanja oil as well as other essential oils, it was also an incredibly effective insect repellant.  RediCare started its life as a sprayable therapy and quickly became known as a single universal go to product for people and dogs for all of its wonderful properties.

Not long after RediCare was introduced, the diabetic community discovered how quickly it would help with skin issues.  Customers reported to us that the itching, pain and disruptions began to disappear.

Not far after the diabetics discovered RediCare, so did those going through radiation treatment and chemotherapy.

Then, moms discovered that RediCare killed head lice.  We are still not sure how it does it, but reports continue that it works for lice and bed bugs.

Repelling more than 200 flying and drawling insect was a bonus for us and our customers with strong reports of high efficacy against fleas, ticks and mosquitoes as well as all sorts of a creepy crawlers.

Well, no surprise that Urban Shield contains most of the key ingredients that are contained in RediCare.  Those being, Neem, Karanja, Avocado Oil, Black Seed Oil and Carrot Seed Oil.  Envision a jelly with all the goodness of RediCare and you now know and understand Urban Shield.  Urban Shield has the same properties of RediCare in a gel form that has even more intensity.

If you love RediCare, you will really love Urban Shield.

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Click Here to got to Urban Shield on the Keys Online Store

Herein are some of the benefits of the key ingredients in Urban Shield.

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blog-avoAvocado oil –  valued for its skin regenerative and moisturizing properties.

Avocado contains oils which are similar to human skin oils – sebum.  Avocado offers the skin moisture. Avocado oil has both Vitamin A and a natural form of Retinol.  The Vitamin A component helps promote a healthy skin microbiome to reduce skin blemishes (acne).  The retinol component is whole and not esthered like synthetic Vitamin A.  It provides natural skin lightening, uniformity of texture and color as well as acting as a natural exfoliant without the use of abrasives or salts.  Avocado oil is also helpful in treating dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, acne and dry skin conditions.  Keys uses both a virgin expeller pressed avocado oil and a filtered pharmaceutical grade in therapeutic proportions.

  • Proteins and Fatty Acids. Avocado oil contains a high amount of proteins and unsaturated fats, both of which are strong skin agents. Avocado oil contains omega-3 fatty acids like those found in fish oil
  • Sterolin. Avocado oil is high in a substance called sterolin, which case studies have shown softening of the skin and reduce the incidence of age spots
  • Antioxidants. Avocado oil is rich in antioxidants, making it useful for healing sun or chemical damaged skin. Antioxidants like vitamins A, D and E in avocado cause the skin to be suppler, and are thus particularly good for dry or aged skin.
  • Lecithin and Potassium. Avocado oil contains lecithin and potassium, which are all highly beneficial for the skin as well as the hair.

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blog-carrotCarrot Seed Oil –  is an essential oil for treating dry skin and can provide a good level of protection against wrinkles and aging or liver spots.  It has many therapeutic values that are antiseptic, and cytophylactic,(stimulates cellular regeneration).

Carrot seed oil highly valued for skin care. It is used in skin creams to nourish, tighten, revitalize, and rejuvenate skin. It visibly improves skin tone, elasticity, and general skin health.  It is claimed to slow the progression of visible wrinkles. Carrot Seed Oil is calming and appropriate for irritated skin. It is a good, essential oil for anyone who spends time outdoors. Carrot seed oil has high activity antioxidant properties.

Carrot seed oil may be found in many formulas dealing with skin conditions ranging from revitalizing and toning to eczema and ageing.

Carrot Oil has chemicals with these properties – analgesic, androgenic, anti-acne, anti-aging and anti-asthmatic activity.  Carrot seed oil also assists in removing toxin and water build up in the skin giving it a fresher more firmer appearance. The aroma is earthy with a medium note.

At Keys, carrot seed oil makes up our base triangle of ingredients for the skin.  It is used in conjunction with Avocado oil and Black Cumin (black seed) oil

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blog-blackseedBlack Seed Oil aka Black Cumin – Nigella sativa is one the most revered medicinal seeds in history. Black cumin seeds were found in the tomb of Tutankhamun.  The oil is used externally, for beauty as well as for treating skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.   We seek out the finest grade for our products.

  • Black Seed Oil Benefits for Eczema

Black seed oil has lots of positive benefits for the entire body, but especially for the skin. The vitamins, antioxidants and amino acids are just a few of the advantages. Taking black seed oil can improve skin overall, but it can also do much more than just give skin a healthy glow. For more extreme issues, like eczema, black seed oil can offer much-needed relief. The symptoms of eczema can be uncomfortable and often painful, but there is hope.

  • Soothing Properties of Black Seed Oil

People who suffer from eczema experience a sore, red rash that can show up all over the body. The rash is often accompanied by swelling and inflammation. Black seed oil has natural anti-inflammatory properties and is known to help with swelling. The fatty acids and Omega-3 in black seed oil help with moisturizing; therefore, rubbing the oil on the affected skin can help immediately lessen the pain and itching caused by the eczema. It also softens skin and helps with the dryness that often accompanies eczema. The benefits from topical use often provide instant relief.

  • Black Seed Oil Benefits for Your Skin

While ingesting black seed oil can have amazing overall benefits for your health, using black seed oil can also have huge benefits for your skin. Black seed oil promotes overall health, so obviously the skin will get some benefits as well. But for specific skin problems black seed oil could be the right herbal remedy for you. The oil can be used in a product or directly applied onto the skin. Here just a few of the benefits black seed oil has for your skin.

  • Using Black Seed Oil as a Moisturizer

Essential fatty acids maintain skin nourishment and hydration. Black seed oil can certainly help in this department. The body cannot recreate these fatty acids; they have to be replenished from an outside source. Oils help maintain the lipid barrier that protects the skin from day-to-day oxidation as well as harsher elements such as acne, scarring and overall aging. Black seed oil contains both amino and fatty acids that help shield the skin.

  • Antioxidants to Prevent Aging

Antioxidants are the number one way to fight aging. Oxidation degrades the skin’s cellular structure which gives the appearance of lines, wrinkles and discoloration. Black seed oil’s major component is thymoquinone, which is filled with antioxidants to prevent this kind of break down. Using the oil on your skin regularly can prevent the long term effects of aging, but can also immediately add a healthy glow to your face.

  • Other Vitamins and Benefits

The benefits of black seed oil don’t stop there. Black seed oil contains Vitamin A, which is known to reduce wrinkles and also shadows under the eyes. Vitamin A can also make skin sensitive to sunlight, so best to use it in the evenings before bed. Black seed oil also has antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties. This stops certain skin infections as well as the spreading of acne. The anti-inflammation reduces overall puffiness in the face and skin.

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blog-neemNeem – In India, the tree is variously known as “Divine Tree”, “Heal All”, “Nature’s Drugstore”, “Village Pharmacy” and “Panacea for all diseases”. It is considered a major component in Ayurvedic medicine and is particularly prescribed for skin disease.  Neem oil is used for skin care such as acne, and keeping skin elasticity.  Neem has many skin healing properties and acts as a broad-spectrum insect repellent.

Neem oil is used for preparing cosmetics (soap, hair products, body hygiene creams, hand creams) and in Ayurvedic, Unani and folklore traditional medicine, in the treatment of a wide range of afflictions. The most frequently reported indications in ancient Ayurvedic writings are skin diseases, inflammations and fevers, and more recently rheumatic disorders, insect repellent and insecticide effects.

Traditional Ayurvedic uses of neem include the treatment of acne, fever, leprosy, malaria, ophthalmia and tuberculosis. Various folk remedies for neem include use as ananthelmintic, antifeedant, antiseptic, diuretic, emmenagogue, contraceptive, febrifuge, parasiticide, pediculocide and insecticide. It has been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of tetanus, urticaria, eczema, scrofula and erysipelas. Traditional routes of administration of neem extracts included oral, vaginal and topical use. Neem oil has an extensive history of human use in India and surrounding regions for a variety of therapeutic purposes. Puri (1999) has given an account of traditional uses and therapeutic indications and pharmacological studies of this oil, in his book on neem.

 Neem oil is a vegetable oil pressed from the fruits and seeds of the neem (Azadirachta indica), an evergreen tree which is endemic to the Indian subcontinent and has been introduced to many other areas in the tropics. It is the most important of the commercially available products of neem for organic farming and medicines.

Neem oil varies in color; it can be golden yellow, yellowish brown, reddish brown, dark brown, greenish brown, or bright red. It has a rather strong odor that is said to combine the odours of peanut and garlic. It is composed mainly of triglycerides and contains manytriterpenoid compounds, which are responsible for the bitter taste. It is hydrophobic in nature; in order to emulsify it in water for application purposes, it must be formulated with appropriate surfactants.

Azadirachtin is the most well known and studied triterpenoid in neem oil. The azadirachtin content of neem oil varies from 300ppm to over 2500ppm depending on the extraction technology and quality of the neem seeds crushed. Neem oil also contains steroids(campesterol, beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol).

 

Average composition of neem oil fatty acids
Common Name Acid Name Composition range
Omega-6 Linoleic acid  6-16%
Omega-9 Oleic acid 25-54%
Palmitic acid Hexadecanoic acid 16-33%
Stearic acid Octadecanoic acid  9-24%
Omega-3 Alpha-linolenic acid  ?%
Palmitoleic acid 9-Hexadecenoic acid  ?%

 

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blog-karanjaKaranja – Karanja oil is popular in Ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of biliousness, eye ailments, leucoderma, worms, wounds, sores, scabies, eczema, psoriasis. itches, herpes viral infection, ulcers, and other skin diseases as well as for skin protection, as it is believed to enhance the UV absorbing properties of conventional sunscreens.

Karanja oil, like Neem oil, has been widely tested for its insecticidal, nematicidal, antiseptic, bactericidal, and cleansing properties. The oil has a high content of triglycerides.

According to Hartwell (1967–1971), the fruits and sprouts are used in folk remedies for abdominal tumors in India, the seeds for keloid tumors in Sri Lanka, and a powder derived from the plant for tumors in Vietnam. In sanskritic India, seeds were used for skin ailments. Today the oil is used as a liniment for rheumatism. Leaves are active against Micrococcus; their juice is used for colds, coughs, diarrhea, dyspepsia, flatulence, gonorrhea, and leprosy. Roots are used for cleaning gums, teeth, and ulcers. Bark is used internally for bleeding piles. Juices from the plant, as well as the oil, are antiseptic. It is said to be an excellent remedy for itch, herpes, and pityriasis versicolor. Powdered seeds are valued as a febrifuge, tonic and in bronchitis and whooping cough. Flowers are used for diabetes. Bark has been used for beriberi. Juice of the root is used for cleansing foul ulcers and closing fistulous sores. Young shoots have been recommended for rheumatism. Ayurvedic medicine described the root and bark as alexipharmic, anthelmintic, and useful in abdominal enlargement, ascites, biliousness, diseases of the eye, skin, and vagina, itch, piles, splenomegaly, tumors, ulcers, and wounds; the sprouts, considered alexeteric, anthelmintic, apertif, and stomachic, for inflammation, piles and skin diseases; the leaves, anthelmintic, digestive, and laxative, for inflammations, piles and wounds; the flowers for biliousness and diabetes; the fruit and seed for keratitis, piles, urinary discharges, and diseases of the brain, eye, head, and skin, the oil for biliousness, eye ailments, itch, leucoderma, rheumatism, skin diseases, worms, and wounds. Yunani use the ash to strengthen the teeth, the seed, carminative and depurative, for chest complaints, chronic fevers, earache, hydrocele, and lumbago; the oil, styptic and vermifuge, for fever, hepatalgia, leprosy, lumbago, piles, scabies, and ulcers.

Chemistry

Reported to contain alkaloids demethoxy-kanugin, gamatay, glabrin, glabrosaponin, kaempferol, kanjone, kanugin, karangin, neoglabrin, pinnatin, pongamol, pongapin, quercitin, saponin, -sitosterol, and tannin. Air-dry kernels have 19.0% moisture, 27.5% fatty oil, 17.4% protein, 6.6% starch, 7.3% crude fiber, and 2.4% ash. Fatty acid composition: palmitic, 3.7–7.9%, stearic 2.4–8.9, arachidic 2.2–4.7, behenic 4.2–5.3, lignoceric 1.1–3.5, oleic, 44.5–71.3, linoleic 10.8–18.3, and eicosenoic 9.5–12.4%. Destructive distillation of the wood yields, on a dry weight basis: charcoal 31.0%, pyroligneous acid 36.69, acid 4.3%, ester 3.4%, acetone 1.9%, methanol 1.1%, tar 9.0%, pitch and losses 4.4%, and gas 0.12 cu m/kg. Manurial values of leaves and twigs are respectively: nitrogen 1.16, 0.71; phosphorus (P2O5), 0.14, 0.11; potash (K2O), 0.49, 0.62; and lime (CaO), 1.54, 1.58%. Such manure reduces the incidence of Meloidogyne javanica.

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Avo Jel – Not Just a Vegan Alternative to Petroleum Jelly

Avojel - petroleum jellyKeys products are always 180º from ordinary.  They are extraordinary.  Our products always have more then one purpose and are always focused on solving problems and making our customers feel good. Yes, Avo Jel is a vegan alternative to petroleum jelly, but it is much much more.

When we recently introduced our Alternative Naturals™ brand, it was clear what each product does and what you can expect.  Because of a number of questions we have received about Avo Jel I think we guessed wrong.   Avo Jel is a jelly similar to petroleum jelly, but the similarity ends there.  Much more.  It is ‘On Purpose!’ and functional in every sense.

Because we use pharmaceutical grade avocado oil to make Avo Jel, you can expect all the benefits of any other Keys product that uses avocado oil.   We have published the features, benefits and advantages of our oils and extracts before in an article titled, Keys Prime Ingredients and Actions, but here is the information about avocado oil again.

blog-avoAvocado oil –  valued for its skin regenerative and moisturizing properties.

Avocado contains oils which are similar to human skin oils – sebum.  Avocado offers the skin moisture. Avocado oil has both Vitamin A and a natural form of Retinol.  The Vitamin A component helps promote a healthy skin microbiome to reduce skin blemishes (acne).  The retinol component is whole and not esthered like synthetic Vitamin A.  It provides natural skin lightening, uniformity of texture and color as well as acting as a natural exfoliant without the use of abrasives or salts.  Avocado oil is also helpful in treating dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, acne and dry skin conditions.  Keys uses both a virgin expeller pressed avocado oil and a filtered pharmaceutical grade in therapeutic proportions.

  • Proteins and Fatty Acids. Avocado oil contains a high amount of proteins and unsaturated fats, both of which are strong skin agents. Avocado oil contains omega-3 fatty acids like those found in fish oil
  • Sterolin. Avocado oil is high in a substance called sterolin, which case studies have shown softening of the skin and reduce the incidence of age spots
  • Antioxidants. Avocado oil is rich in antioxidants, making it useful for healing sun or chemical damaged skin. Antioxidants like vitamins A, D and E in avocado cause the skin to be suppler, and are thus particularly good for dry or aged skin.
  • Lecithin and Potassium. Avocado oil contains lecithin and potassium, which are all highly beneficial for the skin as well as the hair.

So when you think about Avo Jel, think beyond the fact that it is a vegan replacement for petroleum jelly.  You can expect all the value of the avocado oil in a jelly as well.

Only time will tell all the uses people find for Avo Jel.  Even this early since its introduction, we have a real sense that it will be a Keys Super-Star.

Click Here to see Avo Jel on the Keys Online Store.

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Alternative Naturals™ New Functional Line From Keys – REVOLUTIONARY

Alternative Naturals™

The Alternative Naturals™ challenge began over 6 years ago.  When Keys founder Bob Root learned of significant skin disorders afflicting the astronauts on the US International Space Station, he thought there must be a way.  Lotions and liquids just do not work well in zero-gravity.  The challenge was to create a jelly, but not from petroleum.  Starting with organic pure avocado oil, Bob began experimenting. The end result was a proprietary production process where the oil is altered to form a jelly similar in consistency to petrolatum, but with none of the impurities or petroleum.  This is a mechanical and not chemical process where the properties are altered to a higher viscosity and the jelly-like properties of petrolatum.  The next challenge was to use the same process to develop jellies from other oils and to be able to add natural ingredients that would make more functional natural vegan products for daily use.

Today marks the point where Keys is pleased to introduce 8 new products into a new functional line called Alternative Naturals™.  The line consists of 6 avocado oil based “Jels” and 2 spray botanical products.

alternative-naturals

These products using a process that jellies oil have No Petroleum, No Petrolatum, No Wax, No preservatives and No Water.  Like all Keys products, they are free of man-made chemicals, gluten-free and vegan.  The ingredients are the highest quality available and are in full strength proportions.  The line is designed to offer individuals wanting to be chemical-free an alternative to household brands using petrolatum.  The two spray based products are based on a Keys exclusively designed and extracted botanical extract with essential and special oils added to offer functionality to people.

Take a look!

You can click on the product you are interested in and it will take you to it on the Keys Store

Alternative Naturals

 

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vapor-jel

 

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Our two spray products were developed from a extract we call Botanica™ and are designed to solve problems experienced by people and dogs.  The first is a skin aid product designed to mimic store brands using chemicals.  The second is a insect repellent that is designed to repel both flying and crawling insect for people and dogs that has many of the same ingredients as our RediCare, but with a botanical extract base that also softens the skin.

 

Take a look!

skin-aid

 

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