Category: diy – How To

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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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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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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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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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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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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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Apple – The Next Revolution in Healthcare & Wellness…A Keys Perspective

Apple – The Next Revolution is….

By Bob Root, Keys Founder and Technologist

Being insiders in the medical and pharmaceutical industry, it is clear that there are many severe problems with our healthcare systems.  Young greedy new doctors flock to rich suburbs to make their fortunes. Many 65+ year old’s bilking the healthcare insurance systems by treating their doctor visits as a new-age hobby.  Healthcare, en-mass, using TV commercials creating FUD…Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt…to drive people to take pharmaceuticals feeding the cycle of doctor to hospital to drugs to the casket.

Today, self-aware medical practitioners realize that the healthcare system treats the 60+ as expendable.  While many doctors are disturbed by this flaw in the system, they admit privately that healthcare in America is set to find cancer and then get every last dollar out of insurances to either cure or kill the patient.

According to AARP (AARP Study) the vast majority of Americans age 50+ (85%) say they have taken a prescription drug in the past five years, and three-fourths (76%) say they are currently taking at least one prescription drug on a regular basis.  Just watch the Weather Channel to see an unbelievable amount of pharmaceutical commercials flanked by lawyer adverts asking if you have been harmed by a drug or medical device.

In researching this article, I must admit that I slipped into a cross between depression from all the sickening stories of peoples’ lives being ruined to a mild case of hypochondria where I took on the symptoms of various maladies.

What To Do

I guess the easiest answer of what to do appears to be only two choices.  Either you bitch about the system in hopes of some Washington politico changing it or, like Apple, you change the game.  This article is about once such game changer and a very simple example of how it can be changed overnight.

Melanoma

We started Keys Care because of my sweeties bout with Melanoma.  The Mohs surgery saved her and the prescriptions left her skin a total train wreck.  We fixed her skin.  Visits to Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic and Dermatologist are a way of life for Wendy.  Sometimes waiting 6 months for an appointment to have a 5 minute look by the doc to make sure that suspicious mole was benign.  Yes, it seems inhuman, but it is typical. Again, many docs are well intentioned, but they have no control over the required insurance process that rakes the patient over some hot sharp coals.

Patient?

Funny use of a term to describe people.  To see a doc you must be patient?  Seems so!

Apple To The Rescue

When I saw the first Apple Watch with built-in heart monitor 3 years ago, I clearly saw the revolution starting.  I saw the same sensor reported to also be a blood glucose monitor that was quickly turned off because of heat from the medical community.  Yes, a heart tracker was okay for fitness, but leave doctoring to the doctors was a cry heard down many halls including the FDA.

The War is All But Over and Apple is the Victor

The invention of the Apple Healthkit enabling software is the nuclear hand grenade with the healthcare system holding the pin.  Envision a software that would let developers create apps that use the sensors and cameras on Apple devises to alert,  diagnose and schedule immediate treatment for disorders they detect.  I know, it is hard to imagine, so during the launch of the new Apple Watch 3 and iPhone X, I decided to create such a hypothesis to show how such a bold move would be possible.  Some quick searches of the web and to my surprise, my hypothesis is already in play.  

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the Glue

Elon Musk says that AI can destroy humans faster than a world war.  Probably true, but it can also change lives and save them as well.  Ultimately, AI will give way to intelligent neural networks, but what Apple has created is nothing less than the first true revolution in healthcare.

A Simple Example

Before I detail this my example, it is important to realize a couple of things.

  1. Any systems based on a database like medicine or law will be replaced by AI in the next 10 years
  2. My simple example below is one of tens of thousands possible uses of AI
  3. Denial is futile

Herein is a simple hypothesis based on Wendy’s life after Melanoma.

To reiterate, here is a true story that happened to her not too long ago.  She had a mole removed from her breast about a year prior to this incident.  She visited the dermatologist who took a biopsy a few days before Wendy had to travel on customer visits.  The report is that it is suspicious and the doc recommends to take another biopsy.  Her skepticism is a learned trait and she questions the doc intensely.  Revealed, it turns out that it was not that the biopsy was suspicious, it was that the test sample was flawed and they could not get a good reading.  This is not how the doc sold the need for another biopsy.  After all, they have to protect their own, don’t they.  So, now it is a 6 month wait to see a competent dermatologist for an appointment.  She opts to travel across country to Mayo Clinic.  Greeted by a suited doc, he whips out his binocular magnifier and before looking her over he reads her medical record.  Reading the chart first…Hmmmm he says, this one looks suspicious.  Wendy says WHAT?  He says we should cut this one out.  She says, you are looking at a flawed biopsy and we need to take another biopsy, not cut my TIT up.  She says, can we have a look at it with a Molescope.  He says, we have one, but my eyes are better.  Wendy walks out. 

I realized that at one point there were six doctors, two assistants and Wendy in the room.  I said the the receptionist, “now that was a fair fight!”

Now for what I see will happen in the near future…like next year!

I will use my iPhone 7 plus to take closeup pictures of moles and any regularities using a Molescope ll which I purchased on Amazon for $299.  This is the fun part for me!   We will upload the images that we also mapped onto her body locations. An AI programs scans the images in real-time looking both at a visible light picture and the thermal image as well.  In real-time it looks for irregular shapes and ‘hot’ moles.  In real-time it pops up a window with green lettering that says “nothing suspicious.”  Recommends a reshoot of certain moles in 6 months. 

6 months later I get to reshoot and upload again.  In real-time, a red window pops up with four suspicious moles that are now ‘hot’ and has grown irregularly.  Immediately a window pops up asking her a zip code for where she is now because the AI software knows she is constantly traveling.  She types in 92102.  The AI software pops up a screen that looks like expedia.com.  It says in a Siri voice, “Choose a date and time to schedule a biopsy.”  She says, speaking to Siri, “I see tomorrow at 2pm is open.  Can you book that.”  Siri says, “I have scheduled your biopsy and forwarded your medical records with the images and location for the biopsies.”  Siri, “Would you like me to book a car to pick you up?”  “Yes,” Wendy says. 

The next day the car arrives at 1:30p and she arrives 5 minutes before her appointment.  She thinks, “Funny, the place has no waiting room, no disinterested receptionist behind a shut glass window and there is a man that has an iPad that greets her.  “Hello Ms. Steele.”  Wendy says, “How did you know it was me?”  He says, “Apples new face recognition software identified you and brought your records up on the iPad.”  “WOW” she says. 

Wendy asks if he is a nurse.  He answers, “no, I am an engineer.”  He leads her into a room and asks her to sit in a chair that looks like something in a SpaceX capsule.  She says, “When will the doctor be in to do the biopsy?” He laughs, and says’ “The doctor is here.” As he points to a robotic arm.  Wendy actually relaxes because she is no stranger to doctors, but also is relieved that this robot has no ego. 

“So what is going to happen now,” she says.  He says, “I see you have four suspicious areas from the initial scan.  The robot will scan these suspicious areas again to see if the more high powered sensors confirm the scanned irregularities.”  The what?  “Here, watch this 2 minute video and at the end you can ask me any questions you have.”  She watches and has no questions.  It is all covered and she is now curious to get started.

The robot begins to work by first positioning its arm in front of her face.  Siri’s voice says, “I am scanning to make sure that you are Wendy Steele and will map the locations of the irregularities.”  Siri says, “Welcome Wendy Steele, I will start now.”   Siri starts and says, “Hmmmm.”  Wendy says “WHAT?”  Siri says, “Haha a bit of Siri humor!”  “Now relax, this will take about a minute.”  The arm swings to the first mole.  Siri says, “this one is okay.”  The arm moves to the next mole.  Siri says, “This one is okay as well.”  The arm move to the third mole.  Siri says, “This one does not look right and we will come back to it for a closer look.”  On to the fourth, Siri says, “This one is okay as well.”  Back to the third, the robot moves in close and relooks at the mole.  Siri says, “This one looks like a basil cell carcinoma and I would like to do a Mohs style biopsy.  Do you agree to the biopsy?”  Wendy says, “Yes, do I need to sign something?”  Siri says, “No, I recognize your voice print and you only have to say, I agree.”  Wendy says “I agree.”  The robot swabs a topical anesthetic, waits for 60 seconds and then injects a subdermal anesthetic. 

On the screen in from of her, a 4k video of an undersea adventure pops up for her to enjoy while she waits the four minutes for the anesthetic to take effect.  See Siri knows Wendy is a swimmer and the undersea video relaxes her while her favorite chill artists, Thievery Corporation, plays “Lebonese Blonde.”

The video ends and the robot swings in on the mole.  It uses a new form of Mohs surgery.  Rather then taking a biopsy and checking for clear cancer-free margins and then a larger biopsy plug, Siri tells Wendy, “I am going to take a dozen small needle biopsies around the mole where I think clear margins should be. Then I will use a small robotic knife the remove the mole and test it in real-time.  If all is clear, I will glue the site closed and you will be done.”

The process begins as Wendy strains to look away as her curiosity peaks.  Two minute and it was done.  Siri says, “Wendy you are done.  I have posted your calendar with a reminder to take another picture of the area next week so I can see that everything is healing properly.

20 minute start to finish and Wendy steps into the waiting car for her return ride with only a small dot bandage on her arm.  She thinks, a glass of wine would be nice.  After all, no big bandage with instructions to keep the arm elevated.  Yes, wine sounds good and asks Siri on her Apple Watch 3, “Siri, where is a good wine bar near me with Tapas?”  Siri says, “I like the Vampire Lounge on Santa Monica Blvd.  Would you like to go there?”  Wendy says, “Yes!”  Siri says, “I have loaded the destination on the cars CarPlay Maps®.  You will be there in 5 minutes.”

Far fetched?  NO!  …and yes it is coming soon.

The simplest way to describe it is when check engine light comes on in Wendy’s Corvette Grand Sport, she takes it to the nearest Corvette dealership.  They greet her, take the car, fix it and return her on her way in a matter of minutes.  All day, everyday.   Shouldn’t healthcare be the same?

Impersonal?  No way.  I would choose Siri over an intern doctor that probably has not slept in 18 hours and is being trained using 25 year old techniques.

Lastly, they say medicine is an art.  That’s NICE! I believe it needs to be a science and Apple is on its way to making it so.

The FDA has given Apple a Fast Track allowance.  Seems as though it is a pretty tame and low-end allowance though. We will see if Apple will go rogue.

A Bit of Advise!  Run Out and Buy Apple Stock Now!

When Wall Street gets its head out of its own proverbial healthcare ass and realizes what Apple has created, they will bail like fleeing rats from the healthcare systems ship.

Authors Note:  I have a vested interest in Wendy’s health and safety.  Her example herein is our story of how Tim Cook’s Apple will affect us personally.  I sat down for 30 minutes and typed on my iPad non-stop listing industries and markets the iPhone cameras, sensors and Apple Watch will create and enable.  The current heart monitor in the Apple Watch WILL save lives world wide.  Add AI and we can turn painfully slow experiences into instant experiences.  Apple’s Augmented Reality, Siri and Sensors in its products will revolutionize many industries.  Apple is no longer an entertainment company with Tweets, Facebook and picture sharing.  It will be the largest medical device company in the world in five years or less.  After all, it only took 2.5 years for it to become the worlds largest producer of watches…and now those watches an Apple are on the FDA Fast Track medical device program.

Bob

_______________________________________

VaporJelAuthors Notes:  This article was inspired by Tim Cook at Apple.  During his keynote presentation introducing the Apple Watch 3 and iPhone X, there were numerous referrals to medical technology and health.  So, I decided to take a quick look at any and all advancements that related to our own healthcare scare.  Wendy’s Melanoma was a wakeup call that would not be forgotten.  I looked at the Apple Watch and iPhone technology as it relates to our skin.  It is a road to this article that was clear, wide, paved and well signaged.  It took me all of an hour to research and another hour to write. Imagine if I really dug deep into what is possible.  The next couple of years will be amazing!

Again, this is just one tiny segment of the medical market.  No brainer how impactful Apple will be.

Another fine point is how the Apple Watch has improved our daily health from just our Healthkit and Activity app mapping.  It is very interesting to monitor your heart and exercising.   Just beware the “Open Rings” syndrome…that in a future article.

Truth be told, I trust Apple with my medical information more then some local doctors office

 

Bob Root is a former Silicone Valley Tech CEO and is the founder of Keys Care and Applied Alchemy products companies.  He is a member of the World Future Society and has briefed military and business leaders on the use of mesh network nanobots, neural networks, AI drones and advanced AI medical systems.  He is an author and speaker of diverse futurist subjects.

Disclaimer:  Bob was affiliated with Apple in the early days of the Macintosh and was a vendor to Apple while in Silicon Valley.

As always, this article is the thoughts and view of Bob Root and not that of Keys or Orion Learning Intl., inc.

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Wendy’s Daily Keys Anti-Aging Regimen

Wendy’s Regimen – Easy Steps for Simplifying Your Daily Skin Care Routine

Wendy's Regimen
Wendy Steele, Keys CEO & Founder

You don’t have to be expert with an overflowing cabinet of miracle products to take good daily care of your skin. More specifically, when caring for your face it is much more desirable to keep it simple. Besides that you are more likely to be consistent with your facial care if you follow a few easy steps.

Consistency is the key to looking and feeling healthy and refreshed! For the past 5 years I continue to use this basic routine on my sensitive face with great results.

Here is what you will need for this step-by-step daily morning routine: Wendy’s Regimen

  • Island Rx Foaming Facial Cleanser
  • OMNI Skin Elixir Spray
  • Reflex ProBiome Anti-Aging Serum
  • Solar Rx Moisturizer SPF30+

Start with a clean face.   Wet your face and use 1-2 pumps of Island Rx Foaming Facial Cleanser.   Apply foam to wet skin. Using fingers, massage foam over face. Rinse thoroughly and lightly pat dry. Island Rx Foaming Facial Cleanser provides a deep and very gentle cleansing.

Follow with a light spritz (2-3 sprays) of OMNI Skin Elixir Spray. The multi-faceted botanical skin elixir is an herbal remedy. It is designed to refresh and soothe the skin.

While skin is still damp from spray, apply 3-5 drops of Reflex ProBiome Anti-Aging Serum. My sensitive facial skin sometimes requires more or less Reflex. Your skin type may vary. It also depends on the amount of dryness or humidity in your environment. Allow Reflex Serum to settle on your face and neck until absorbed. The combination of OMNI and Reflex Serum do a great job of soothing my skin while giving it a refreshed dewy look.

Finally, apply 1-3 pumps of Solar Rx Moisturizer SPF 30+ all over face and neck. I like that Reflex Serum provides a very smooth base for Solar Rx as my pre-makeup primer.

Besides the simplicity of these steps, using these products together reduces the redness in my skin. All provide a smooth clear foundation to start the day.

If you are going to apply make-up, it should be applied after Solar Rx Moisturizer SPF 30+

Wendy’s Regimen Recipe (Print or Save)

Wendy’s Daily Keys Anti-Aging Regimen
Recipe Type: Daytime Daily Anti-Aging Regimen
Author: Wendy Steele, Keys CEO
Prep time:
Total time:
This has been my daily recipe for youthful skin for the last five years.
Ingredients
  • Water
  • Keys Island Rx Foaming Face Wash
  • Keys Omni Skin Elixir Spray
  • Keys Reflex ProBiome
  • Keys Solar Rx Moisturizer SPF30+
Instructions
  1. Wet your face
  2. Apply 1 or 2 pumps of Island Rx Foaming Wash
  3. Lather in hands
  4. Wash face using fingers in a circular motion
  5. Rinse with cool water
  6. Pat dry
  7. Spray Omni evenly over the face and neck with eyes closed. Air dry
  8. Apply 3 or 5 drops of Reflex and spread evenly over the skin. More in dry areas. Let set to absorb
  9. Apply 2 or 3 pumps of Solar Rx over the entire face and neck (more as needed) evenly. Let stand.
  10. Apply makeup on top noting that many people do not use foundation because Solar Rx provides a luminescent finish

Buy all four products and get 10% off your entire order by using the code WENDY (case sensitive) at checkout!  Offer expires June 30, 2017

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Cold, Flu Bronchitis? Keys VaporJel To The Rescue!

VaporJelBronchitis Sucks. Keys VaporJel To The Rescue!

In the not so long ago past if you wanted some fast relief from congestion you took the vapors from Smelling Salts. The problem was that you would have been killing your lungs and smell nerve receptors.  Keys VaporJel is the updated natural solution!

Be Careful Using Old Remedies

Long long ago, people sought relief from chest and respiratory issues using a small bottle kept in the purse or pocket. They were called smelling salts. Often people would take a snort to clear their heads of the fuzzies as well as helping with the symptoms of colds, the flu and tough to solve bronchitis. Unfortunately these little bottles could kill you because they we made from ammonia.

It seems like all sorts of respiratory ailments are coming year round these days. Keys VaporJel may be the fast fix to recovery.   VaporJel is our avocado based jel with menthol, camphor and eucalyptus. Spread a little on your chest at night and a dab under the nose during the day to open up your air passages and release congestion.

My VaporJel Santa Fe Experience

For the holidays, I flew from sea level, 80% humidity and 80º F to Santa Fe which is at 7,000 feet, 20º F and nearly 0% humidity. I think the airplane introduced a bug and a few days into my trip, I thought that I was having altitude sickness.   It turned into an obvious bout with bronchitis. Vapor Jel to the rescue. I remember my grandparents and their little smelling salts bottle. So I tried the same thing with VaporJel. I opened the jar and took in a deep breath. I felt instant relief from the burning chest sensation.   I decided to put some on a wash cloth soaked with hot water. Better! Then I started to apply it under my nose and the relief was longer lasting. At night, I rubbed it on my chest which helped me sleep.  Relief!

Go VaporJel! You Rock!

Now, VaporJel will not cure bronchitis, but it sure helped with my symptoms.

Avocado oil based, natural stimulants that work without petrolatum and chemicals!  Providing natural relief.

VaporJel

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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

Jel-on-Oval

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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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Super Lice – RediCare Works!

bob_topaz
Bob Root Keys Scientist – Founder

There are reports all over the US of a resistant strain of super lice that are not controlled by convention lice treatments.  I have been aware of this for a couple of years, but without scientists raising the warning flag, my words have fallen short.

Our customers have reported that our RediCare is not only highly effective at repelling initial lice infestation, but also kills the lice.  Customer reports are that RediCare works where other treatments did not.  Frankly, we have not been able to find a study group where they are willing to test natural alternatives because most of the research is sponsored by large companies trying to prove their product works.  We have not been able to find any research project that is university internally sponsored.

My theory is unique of why RediCare kills lice.  Simply, it appears that because RediCare uses various oil types to mimic the skins own sebum that it actually suffocates the lice.  I am told and have researched that lice breath through their exoskeleton.  It is plausible that RediCare does clog the exoskeleton of lice leading to their extinction.

In short, RediCare works and our customers tell us that it rids lice and repels them.

What is also interesting is that it is not uncommon to hear that a product works with some mutations and not others.  So far, in the last three years, we have only heard positive results using RediCare for lice.  Important is that the reported states for the super lice are also states that we have heard of success using RediCare.

Below is the article from the Telegraph in the UK.  Once the study is released, you should hear more about this in the news.

Bob

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telegraph

Super head lice warning as scientists discover almost all species are resistant to treatments

Scientists report that lice in at least 25 American states have developed resistance to over-the-counter treatments still widely recommended by doctors and schools.

Doctor Kyong Yoon, of Southern Illinois University, said: “We are the first group to collect lice samples from a large number of populations across the United States.

“What we found was that 104 out of the 109 lice populations we tested had high levels of gene mutations, which have been linked to resistance to pyrethroids.”

licePyrethroids are a family of insecticides used widely indoors and outdoors to control mosquitoes and other insects. It includes permethrin, the active ingredient in some of the most common lice treatments sold over the counter.

Dr Yoon said that the momentum toward widespread pyrethroid-resistant lice has been building for years. The first report on the development came from Israel in the late 1990s.

He became one of the first to report the phenomenon in the US in 2000 when he was a graduate student at the University of Massachusetts.

Dr Yoon said: “I was working on insecticide metabolism in a potato beetle when my mentor, John Clark, suggested I look into the resurgence of head lice.

“I asked him in what country and was surprised when he said the US.”

Dr Yoon tested the pests for a trio of genetic mutations known collectively as kdr, which stands for “knock-down resistance” which were first found in house flies in the late 1970s after farmers began using pyrethroids rather than DDT.

He found many of the lice did indeed have kdr mutations, which affect an insect’s nervous system and desensitise them to pyrethroids. Since then, he has expanded his survey.

In the most recent study he gathered lice from 30 states and discovered that samples from 25, including California, Texas, Florida and Maine, had all three genetic mutations associated with kdr making them the most resistant to pyrethroids
Dr Yoon says that lice can still be controlled by using different chemicals, some of which are available only by prescription.Samples from four states – New York, New Jersey, New Mexico and Oregon – had one, two or three mutations. The only state with a population of lice still largely susceptible to the insecticide was Michigan. Dr Yoon said why lice haven’t developed resistance there is still under investigation.

But he added: “If you use a chemical over and over, these little creatures will eventually develop resistance.

“So we have to think before we use a treatment. The good news is head lice don’t carry disease. They’re more a nuisance than anything else.”’

The findings are due to be presented at the 250th National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society.

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Don’t Freak Out. Its Mostly Good Bacteria. Keys DIY

DIY Bacteria Handprint
Keys Bacteria Handprint

A Unique Keys DIY Way To Show How Your Childs Handprint Can Lead To Good Hygiene!

This is actually a great science project for kids to learn about bacteria in their environment.

Tasha Sturm at Cabrillo College posted this image on MicrobeWorld and I happened to see it.

Basically, Tasha took a sterile dinner plate and poured TSA (Tryptic Soy Agar) into it.  She then took her eight year old childs hand and pressed in onto the TSA.  She then let it culture.  I do not know for sure why she did this, but it impressed me that it was a great lesson for all of us why hand hygiene is so important.

Okay, here is the adult lesson we should learn from this.  The reason we do not use a bactericide like triclosan or parabens in our products is because this good bacteria keeps in check the bad bacteria like staph, MRSA etc.  If you kill off the good bacteria, science has shown that the bad comes back first.  Because the good returns fairly quickly, we often see redness and inflammation after people use hand sanitizes in stores and ones that they personally carry.  The redness disappears in a few days after the good bacteria has reclaimed its territory.  So, if you ever wondered why you should not use bactericide based hand sanitizers, here is the reason.

Keys Galleyon Antibacterial Soap
Keys Galleyon Antibacterial Soap

Our Galleyon uses a Castile base with Lakota Sioux spearmint essential oil to reduce overall bacteria levels without killing it.  Equally reducing bacteria levels also permits the good bacteria to ward off some viruses where totally eliminating bacteria offers a easy to invade environment.

We have about 10 times more bacteria on our skin than we have skin cells.  This friendly bacteria helps to protect our largest organ, the skin.

International agencies recognize that there are two forms of antibacterial properties.  A bactericide kills all bacteria indiscriminately and washing with soaps reduces bacteria significantly without killing it.  In other words, washing maintains the balance of good bacteria leading to proper hygiene.  Triclosan (antibacterial hand soap chemical) is like a nuclear weapon to both good and bad bacteria.  It is not a good thing.

This is really a big deal.  In my book, Chemical Free Skin Health®, the original draft had a paragraph about Triclosan.  By the time it was finished, I dedicated an entire chapter to how destructive Triclosan is to the skin.

So the moral of the story is, it is good to be clean, but not too clean.

You can Click Here to read an article I wrote a couple of years ago in association with our alliance to the Human Microbiome Project at the National Institutes of Health.  It is a not so nice story of a boy who was so void of bacteria that his skin, head-to-toe was in total disarray.  His pain was a wakeup call for many.

So, thanks to Tasha for such an interesting experiment to teach her child and us about bacteria in our environment.

So, as a Keys DIY, you can try this at home.  It is a great lesson to sound and old.

Bob

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Note:  Chemical-Free Skin Health is available on our store or on Amazon in either paperback or Kindle formats

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Keys DIY – Makeup Remover

tortuga-featured-imageThis is a simple Keys DIY to cleanse, remove makeup and moisturize in one-step.  My friend the Broadway actor told me that she uses Keys Tortuga Lotion as a makeup remover for her heavy stage makeup.  So, I figure that this will work for everyone else wanting to remove makeup on a daily basis.

Tortuga will not only remove even waterproof makeup, it cleanses the skin and moisturizes before bedtime.

This is fast and easy.

Keys DIY – Makeup Remover
Recipe Type: Cleanser Remover
Cuisine: Natural Skin Care
Author: Bob Root
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1tsp
Use Tortuga to remove makeup, cleanse the skin and to deep moisturize
Ingredients
  • 1 tsp Keys Tortuga Lotion
Instructions
  1. Pump Tortuga lotion into the palm of one hand
  2. spread evenly all over the face, lips and around the eyes.
  3. Let stand 1 to 2 minutes
  4. Wipe off with a soft tissue
  5. Rinse with cool water
  6. Let air dry or pat dry
Notes
You may have to use more Tortuga on eyelashes where a encapsulating mascara has been used. This includes mascara like Kiss-Me. For these, you can apply the Tortuga, let sit and then pull the tubes off of the lashes using very light pinch and pull technique.[br][br]You can reapply Tortuga to the lips after cleansing to help with chapped or chemically dried lips.
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Keys DIY – Non Abrasive Facial Exfolient

tortuga-featured-imageMany years ago a Broadway actor taught me a trick using our Tortuga.  In those early days I did not know that most actors prefer not to use abrasive facial scrubs.  She told me that she uses our Tortuga lotion to exfoliate her skin by slowly massaging the lotion into her skin, letting it sit for 30 minutes and then lightly rinsing it off with cool water.

Try this recipe to remove the outer layer of dead skin on your face by emulsifying it with Tortuga Lotion and a simple massage with your fingers.  It really works and your skin will look radiant.

Keys DIY – Non Abrasive Facial Exfolient
Recipe Type: Facial Emulsifier
Author: Bob Root
This is a simple recipe to liquify surface dead skin and deep moisturize your skin.
Ingredients
  • 2, pumps Tortuga Lotion
Instructions
  1. Wet you face
  2. Pump Keys Tortuga Lotion twice into the palm of your hand.
  3. Apply to your entire face using a circular massaging motion of your fingers.
  4. Massage the entire face spending extra time on dry areas.
  5. Keep massaging until you feel a buildup on your fingers. This is the dead skin emulsifying.
  6. Let sit on the skin for 30 minutes.
  7. Rinse with cool water.
  8. Air or pat dry.
  9. Done!
  10. No need to moisturize.
Notes
You may need more Tortuga if your face is extremely dry or you are in dry weather. You will start to feel the dead skin pill up under your fingers after a few minute of massaging.[br][br]Spread lightly around the eyes and avoid any deep massaging around sensitive delicate eye tissue.
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Keys DIY – Collagen Facial Scrub Exfolient

If there is one product that is the most asked for, it is an exfoliant scrub.  So, before I describe this DIY project, I first want to say that I do not like using abrasive scrubs on the skin.  To me, scratching off that dead layer of skin can be done easier and better using something like our Tortuga lotion which emulsifies the dead skin layer.  I will describe the non-abrasive version in another DIY snipet.

gelatinThe trick of this moisturizing collagen scrub is to mix and use the product quickly.  The blend of the gelatin (aka collagen) abates the dead skin  The Luminos acts as a moisturizer and will emulsify the collagen to allow it to sink deep into the skin tissue.  The trick is to use the mixture quickly to get the exfoliating action and then let the mixture set for 30 minutes to an hour to super moisturize the skin.

Below is a simple recipe that has the greatest benefits and the least amount of damage.  I must admit that if you follow the instructions below, your skin will radiate and glow for three or four days until another layer of dead skin builds up.

Try this early in the morning on a Monday and see if people don’t ask you what you did over the weekend to look so refreshed.

Keys DIY – Facial Collagen Scrub Exfolient
Recipe Type: Facial Scrub
Author: Bob Root
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1 TBS
Using dry gelatin creates a mild abrasive scrub that exfoliates the skin and deep moisturizes.
Ingredients
  • 2, pumps of Keys Luminos
  • 1/2 tsp of Great Lakes Unflavored Gelatin
Instructions
  1. Pump the Luminos into your palm.
  2. Pour the Great Lakes Gelatin over the Luminos.
  3. Quickly blend the gelatin into the Luminos.
  4. Immediately begin working the mixture into your facial skin using a circular motion.
  5. Make sure your face is evenly covered and then lightly massage your entire face for a few minutes.
  6. Let stay on the face for 30 minute to an hour.
  7. Rince off with cool water.
  8. air or pat dry.
  9. Go! You are done!
  10. No need to remoisturize.
Notes
Use this mixture around the eyes lightly and at the end of the application process. The collagen will be less abrasive and you will gain some tightening around the eyes making your eyes look refreshed.[br][br]As a trick, you can try to use this mixture on the inside of your elbow if you tend to have sensitive or allergic skin. Luminos and the gelatin are very mild, but it is always a good trick to test the skin inside the elbow anytime you are trying a new product.
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Keys diy – How To: Make an Omega Protein Facial Mask

Keys DIY or “Do It Yourself” for younger clearer looking skin

how-to-logoMany people have asked why we do not make a facial mask.  The simple answer is that the best mask for the skin has to be made fresh to have the greatest benefit.  As much as we try, there are somethings that you cannot bottle and are best when you make them yourself.

This recipe is great for the face, neck and hands.  The mixture reduces fine lines, fades skin spots, softens the skin and super hydrates to create a natural glow.

So here is a simple recipe using Keys Tortuga lotion and some fresh ingredients.

Omega Protein Facial Mask
Recipe Type: Facial Mask
Cuisine: Face, Neck and Hands
Author: Keys Geeks
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Mix all the ingredients together and use immediatley
Ingredients
  • 2 pumps Keys Tortuga Lotion
  • 1 egg (white only)
  • 1/8 avocado ripe
Instructions
  1. Place all the ingredients together in a small glass bowl.
  2. Muddle or mash them until the mixture is smooth and even color.
  3. Apply immediately.
  4. Let stay on for at least 30 minutes.
  5. Rinse with cool clear water.
  6. Let air dry
Notes
This recipe is great for the neck and backs of the hands to smooth and reduce spots. Adjust the recipe as needed to create an even smooth mask.[br][br]This recipe super hydrates the skin, shrinks pores and the Tortuga/Avocado will help to slowly fade skin age spots caused by the sun because of the natural form of retinol they contain.