My 20 Year Journey to Feel Safer in a Hostile Environment
Wendy Steele, Keys CEO & Founder
Twenty years ago I learned everything I could about how to protect my skin from ultra-violet radiation. Because I am a Melanoma skin cancer survivor UV awareness is critically important to me. Thus, my mission was to discover how to feel safer in a hostile daily environment.
The sun’s rays are a formidable foe. For millions of high-risk and sun sensitive people the sun is public enemy #1.
Moreover, many years ago, my early stage Melanoma diagnosis served as a fork in the road. With education, I consciously changed all of my thinking about sun exposure. First, the California tan faded. I stayed the course, even when many others were skeptical and even opposed my thinking.
Sometimes I Just Get Angry
Reflecting now on this 20-year journey, I realize I was ribbed and sometimes even ridiculed by others. Many proclaimed that I must have daily sun exposure for healthy Vitamin D levels. And others lived by the ‘ignorance is bliss’ rule.
This was not an option for me. Based on my skin type and history, those behaviors were risky for me. Instead, I chose to supplement with a daily Vitamin D emulsion. In addition, I have my Vitamin D levels tested regularly.
Consequently, I redefined what I was willing to do to protect my skin and my life! Then I discovered my personal truth that ultimately made me feel safer.
You Have a Choice
Staying away from UV is the “trick” to Anti-Aging
I learned to change my habits. I shifted outdoor exercise to early morning or late in the day. I limited the amount of time I spent outside when the sun was at the highest UV index levels. Most importantly, I learned to keep my skin covered by wearing protective clothing. I researched and found the widest-brimmed hats with chin strings. I found the most comfortable fingerless gloves for driving and dog walking. I bought the best protective sunglasses I could find. And I applied zinc oxide to my face and neck.
Ultimately, I learned how to demonstrate daily what many should consciously practice. I have been told that I am a walking billboard for high-risk sun sensitive people. Therefore, I am not afraid to talk to people about why I do this.
Nevertheless, I know I am not super woman. I obviously cannot control the power of the sun. At the same time, the science of UV radiation is proven. The danger is ever-present. Also, I know all too well how easily UVA penetrates through clouds and even rain. UVA-UV Aging and UVB –UV Burning is part of my vocabulary.
I Am Done With Opinions
Simultaneously, I learned that there are hostile people who strongly opposed the use of sunscreen. This hostile group believes that sunscreen use is the cause of more instances of skin cancer. Moreover, I believe I understand why they may believe this. Because I also believe that applying ‘sunscreen’ may give people a false sense of security. However, I also believe that ‘sunscreen’ is just one small part of the protection equation. It is not the ‘end all be all’ answer to UV protection.
Finally the FDA agrees! Yes, the FDA has validated that in the US we live in a hostile UV environment. All sunscreen products now require the disclosure of UVA and UVB protection. The directive on all labels must be clearly stated. Exposure to sun should be limited. AND to avoid skin cancer, sunscreen is to be COMBINED WITH shade and other protective measures i.e. clothing, hats and sunglasses. The hostile ignore the data.
Saving Lives
Keys developed Solar Rx over 15 years ago. We pioneered Solar Rx as the best Moisturizer with Sunscreen. Solar Rx is for daily use on the face, neck and hands. At Keys we continue to educate about sun awareness. Also, we educate customers that our product is not for the beach or pool or for prolonged outside exercise activity.
It is self-evident that continued exposure to radiation from the sun is dangerous. Unfortunately, many have an acquaintance, a friend or a loved one who has been affected by Melanoma skin cancer. Early onset of skin cancer has been attributed to using tanning beds as teens. We read press stories about young adults whose melanoma diagnosis came too late to save their lives.
Moreover, personal experiences now serve as reminder of the horror stories of skin cancer surgery. Dermatology scars are the new normal while many are hidden as badges of stupidity.
As a result of my personal experience with Melanoma, I know so much more than I did 20 years ago. I believe adopting pro-active behaviors allow me to embrace a healthy and safe life. And even in the face of hostile adversity I am grateful and give thanks to everyday I can be outside and feel a little bit safer.
Most importantly, it is my hope that many more realize that knowing better can help you make better choices. With education you can also make better choices for yourself as well as your loved ones and help to save another life.
In closing, education, prevention and early detection are the gold standard to stamp out skin cancer. Listening to the opinions of the hostile minority could kill you!
Wendy’s Regimen – Easy Steps for Simplifying Your Daily Skin Care Routine
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
Wet your face
Apply 1 or 2 pumps of Island Rx Foaming Wash
Lather in hands
Wash face using fingers in a circular motion
Rinse with cool water
Pat dry
Spray Omni evenly over the face and neck with eyes closed. Air dry
Apply 3 or 5 drops of Reflex and spread evenly over the skin. More in dry areas. Let set to absorb
Apply 2 or 3 pumps of Solar Rx over the entire face and neck (more as needed) evenly. Let stand.
Apply makeup on top noting that many people do not use foundation because Solar Rx provides a luminescent finish
3.5.3226
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
The most powerful ingredient in Keys products is Love!
Keys products were born at the intersection of love and positive intention! I believe every product should be made with love and include the power of positive intention.
One of the best parts of my job as Keys CEO is to retell my story. It is a story of how and why this journey of creating clean, simple all natural skin care products actually began.
First, Keys is entirely my fault! Our products would not exist today were it not for my journey battling early stage Melanoma Skin Cancer and the pharmaceutical aftermath of treating my sensitive skin issues during my post cancer recovery.
I still feel I am one of the luckiest women on the planet. A very special man in my life, my then boyfriend, found the early stage Melanoma on the outside of my left ankle. Being tall with really long legs, I had a tough time actually seeing this particular spot on my lower leg. In fact I had no clue what it looked like until he held a mirror up to my skin and pointed to the suspicious spot. The spot was not a mole. Instead it looked like a piece of hot wax had dripped on my skin. This thing was clear, almost translucent, slightly raised and the size of the tip of my little finger. Now is was on our radar and we both vowed to regularly and visually check it for any changes.
A Defining Moment
About a month later that the waxy spot turned bright red! Time for a biopsy. My doctor at Scripps Clinic in San Diego called with the biopsy results confirming Melanoma skin cancer. Cleared my calendar and reported for surgery two days later. Wow, so many thoughts flashed through my mind. Initially, it was an immediate reminder that my dad had successfully battled deadly Melanoma.
He Saved My Life!
The day after my Mohs micro-surgery, I made the most fateful decision of my life. I decided to marry this very special man because he saved my life! ?
Amazingly, from day one KEYS products exist because real people designed them with a positive intention for skin health. Designed and produced naturally with love for real people to use and maybe just fall in love with over and over again.
Finally, this is dedicated with love to our formulator and the people that make Keys products every day. Here’s to the genius that saved my life. Here’s to the genius that believed that natural products could be made with less than 10 ingredients and with love and a positive intention. And to Matt, Marty and the entire team that realized that their positive intention goes into every product they make with love and caring. Here’s to the belief that these products could make a difference for Cancer survivors, for people with sensitive skin, for people who know more and care to learn more – because they did and they do!
With daily appreciation and my deep admiration and love!
Yes, there is love in every Keys product. Unfortunately, the EWG, USDA and the FDA refuse to allow it on our labels.
Where art meets science!
Wendy
You can read our entire story by clicking the image below.
Wendy’s interview with Rhonda-youthful looking, vibrant & active 45-year old. Fan of KEYS RediCare Healing Therapy Spray.
by Wendy Steele, Keys CEO
Last October, Rhonda started experiencing periodic trouble swallowing. There were sporadic times when she was gasping for air for no apparent reason. For several years she has lived at over 6,000 feet elevation and has been acclimated to high altitude living. While she did not have pain-she knew she did not feel normal.
Her first thought was to visit her chiropractor for a full alignment. After her chiropractic visits she realized the feeling in her neck had not improved. In February, Rhonda visited her regular doctor who theorized that she could be experiencing a side effect of her celiac condition or acid reflux. As a precaution, her doctor referred her to a thyroid specialist. Her thyroid doctor could physically feel lumps around her trachea. Ultra-sound revealed lots of little nodules and 3 substantially larger nodules.
Rhonda agreed to follow up with her thyroid doctor for needle biopsies to determine if the 3 larger nodules were cancerous or benign. The needle biopsies were deemed “inconclusive”. However, she was advised that there was a possibility that they could be cancerous. Her doctor recommended surgery to remove both sides of the thyroid to be sure. Rhonda scheduled her surgery for a Monday and stayed overnight in the hospital for routine observation of her vital signs.
Post surgery, Rhonda learned that the pathology report indicated there was a small cancerous area that had been completely removed. Her doctor indicated that she would need to follow up, by taking a radiation iodine pill, but only after her TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) levels were deemed adequate to begin that treatment.
In the meantime, post surgery, Rhonda wanted to immediately concentrate on assuring the best possible healing of the incision on her neck. She decided to use KEYS RediCare Spray Healing Therapy because she could simply spray on the lotion and she did not need to touch it to rub it in. This was critically important, as the incision was very tender and sore to touch. While still in the hospital Rhonda decided to take a selfie of her same day surgery-neck incision. Thereafter, every Monday, Rhonda took selfies for the next eight weeks. She thought that the results were remarkable and was very pleased with the scar healing she experienced while using RediCare. She contacted KEYS to let us know how happy she was with her healing experience with RediCare.
Click on the video below to see the nine-weeks animation of Rhonda’s healing process while using RediCare Healing Therapy Spray.
Did your mother every say to you, “Don’t make those faces, it may just freeze that way forever!” It’s true! This could be the greatest anti-aging advise of all time!
Our body language and facial expression do more than communicate our mood and intensity. The way we appear to others can be a lasting reminder on our face of our attitude toward things, our environment and people. Simply, if you frown all the time you might just end up with “Perma-Frown.” Those deep ruts in your forehead age your visual appearance. Perma-Frown makes you look older than you are by the very nature of the shadows those deep furrows create. Remember it is the shadows that our wrinkles create that makes them look older.
Laughter is an age old beauty secret because it raises our Oxytocin hormone levels which washes us with a feeling of wellbeing. This cuddle hormone is also created with a warm hug or even just being out with that someone special. The skin glows and a more youthful appearance accompanies the warm feeling. This can all be negated if our natural core state is negative. Could your cellphone be a contributing factor to your aging?
Today’s social society is way overloaded with smartphone interaction which maybe fun and warm, but generally does not release oxytocin. Worse, peering all day at your cellphone has two potentially negative results. The first is if you are reading bad news all day, aka CNN, that frown may probably become perma-frown. Secondly, if you are walking and reading and getting a little older, that squint could become perma-squint. Be careful watching too much CNN can also create the dreaded permanent aging look called perma-scowl.
There is no question that drinking lots of water, regulating hormones as we age and using natural skin care will be your best anti-aging secret for the skin. Those wrinkles, ruts and furrows are probably an indication of how happy you are or how much CNN you are exposed to.
So next time you are reading CNN, Fox News or one of the other negative press sources, take a quick selfie to check out how you are responding…Then try to laugh it off. Yoga has taught me to see a different way of life and create an internal smile. Being CNN-Free for the last ten years is priceless.
The predecessor to Tortuga lotion was born in my grandmothers kitchen 100 years ago. I grew up with this ancient remedy as a cure-all that saved me from cuts, bruises, dog bites, scrapes and even being jilted by a girlfriend or two.
My grandmother was an herbalist, naturopath and alchemist before Adele Davis was born. I remember her picking weeds (herbs) and making potions, concoctions, soups, salves and rubs. She was always experimenting with something that she would try on herself and us kids.
I am writing this article to explain the origin of Tortuga. Tortuga has always been one of our most popular products. Recently we have seen a real surge in interest. This has come mainly through social networks of people trying to find solutions to skin disorders that western medicine have not been able to solve. Many people have written to us telling of remarkable turn-arounds in their conditions. For me, the credit goes to my grandmother’s bubbling caldrons. I must pay homage to her for what she taught me.
In his book, Chemical-Free Skin Health, Bob Root covers many subjects designed to help people understand how to Stop, Challenge and Choose a healthier way of thinking by becoming chemical-free. In this video snapshot, Bob talks about the fact that the natural movement is not new, but a return to the not too distant past.
Bob asks us to Stop and read labels, then challenge them by reading ingredients and then to choose the best products for your own skin health.
Our skin is our largest organ and defends us from the elements. Chemicals, break down our defenses.
This is the first in a new series of online videos from Keys. New technology will permit us to create small and effective videos for you to help understand us, our products and our mission. This is also available on the new Keys YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/keysskindeep
[jwplayer player=”4″ mediaid=”2345″]
Below is the Snapshot version of the overview above and is designed for a quick look at Keys, our products and philosophy. It is design to be embedded, linked or downloaded for our resellers websites, blogs and forum. It may also be embedded form our YouTube Skin Deep Channel at the link above.
Natural Solutions for Beauty, Aging and Skin Problems
Keys Snapshot: What We Do
Keys designs, developed and manufactured 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 10 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.
Perhaps our most secret ingredient is our belief in our customers and what we have learned from them.
Keys Snapshot: Keys Story
What happens when a brainiac boyfriend discovers his smoking hot girlfriend has Melanoma. He fixes the problems! This begins the Keys Story, Keys Natural Skincare and the effort to naturally end skin disorders!
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!
Keys Snapshot: Keys Probiome® Products
Keys products solve skin problems and make people feel good. Skin care, skin therapies and anti-aging products come from whole natural ingredients known for their efficacy and safe performance. From the slightest itch or fine line to post-cancer skin disorders, each Keys product is a solution to a problem. Pure, clean, safe and effective, Keys facilitates skin health without chemicals. All of the products are Probiome® meaning they promote healthy skin by nurturing our skin’s natural microbiome. Our skin’s community.
Click To View
Performance:
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 fixed his girlfriend’s 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 human-made chemicals. Ergo Chemical-Free
All products use the highest quality whole natural ingredients
All products have the highest proportion of functional components with no scrimping or compromises
All products are priced reasonably well below chemical-laden pharmaceuticals because of the business systems Keys employs. They were the first 100% cloud-based company in the natural products industry.
All products are whole natural ingredients
All products are Vegan
All products are Gluten-Free
All products are Soy-Free
All products are Keto (carb-free, sugar-free_
All products are Paleo
All ingredients are non-GMO
All products use organic or wild-crafted ingredients
Bob 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 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 always refers to Wendy as his smoking hot girlfriend and her as her brainiac boyfriend. 20 years of solving problems and making people feel good together with chemical-free skin health products.
Read on for More of the History
Circa 1996 to Now!
Wendy Steele, Keys CEO. We are not just another natural products company. We feel and act as natural medicine and therapy products company that uses whole natural ingredients. I believe our Purpose and Direction statement says it all!”
“We believe that over 50% of all skin disorders in people and pets are misdiagnosed and are caused by chemicals in everyday products and the environment!
We offer you this backgrounder as insight into our reason for being, purpose, and direction.
Keys Care designs, develops and manufactures natural healing therapies for people and pets. The quality and quantity of our ingredients are what differentiate us. We use pharmaceutical grade whole ingredients in therapeutic proportions. We use ancient remedies, natural medicines, whole natural ingredients, aromatherapy and aboriginal homeopathy combined with modern technology to provide safe and effective products for people and pets with skin disorders, sensitive skin, post cancer recovery or those wanting to avoid chemicals in their lives. Our resellers are an extension of our core team and are experts and trusted advisors in their communities.
At our baseline, we believe that all of our products must solve problems and make people feel good. We also think that natural and organic are not features, they are the choice we make assuring purity of purpose.
How It Began
Wendy Steele and Bob Root are the founders and inventors of Keys Soap. They are both ex-corporate executives: Bob was a CEO of a Silicon Valley High Tech company and Wendy a VP at Coca-Cola.
The soap and skin care connection? Skin Cancer!
Wendy Steele, Keys Founder, was diagnosed with Melanoma and beat the deadly disease. She could not overcome the terrible reactions she had from prescription and expensive skincare products. Told she had eczema, psoriasis, acne, rosacea and dermatitis her condition deteriorated. Doctors kept prescribing more junk, steroids, and cortisones.
Wendy was struck with Skin Cancer multiple times. She has beaten Melanoma and other forms of the devastating skin disease. As an advocate of Skin Cancer prevention, and an Inner Circle Member of the Skin Cancer Foundation, Wendy has tried virtually every form of skin sun protection. From exotic 100 SPF swimwear to SPF 30 clothing, and every form of sunblock, she is an expert on taking skin protective measures to avoid sun damage. From her personal experience, the more products she put on her body, the more sensitive her skin became. Her use of lotions, sunscreens and exotic clothing cost thousands of dollars annually. The problem was that no matter what products she used, she did not feel free from itchy irritated skin that was exacerbated by that sticky feeling from lotions and sunscreens.
Wendy recalls: “Bob and I talked for years about creating a rejuvenating soap for my ultra-sensitive skin. Like many products, Keys Soap was born out of necessity. When we lived in Southern California, I was diagnosed with Melanoma Skin Cancer. After successful surgery to remove my cancer, I was using so much sunscreen that it started to block my pores and irritate my skin. My skin was becoming more fragile even though I used the very best lotions money could buy. I tried natural liquid soap, but it was not quite right. So, we decided to develop our own organic Castile body soap. The initial cleansing results and skin relief I experienced using Island Rx finally set me free from experimenting with the myriad of products that had previously smothered my skin.”
Keys Factoids:
Safest Sunscreen in the World, EWG 2008, 2009, 2010 Sunscreen Report. www.safecosmetics.org
Most effective cosmetic sunscreen. Consumer Reports Magazine, July 2007
Oscar Red Carpet Best Picks 2010, Kerry Malouf
Maria Shriver 2009 California Women’s Conference Speakers Gift Bag Pick.
Luminos, LA Daily Candy Best Moisturizer
Natural medicines that heal skin disorders. Dr. Elaine Carter
Truly natural beauty products that feel and look great!, Vert Venice Beach CA
Natural is better and not a compromise. LA Daily Candy
Finally, a natural shampoo that feels and looks better than salon brands. E K, Actress
Moisturizers that work in harmony with mineral makeups. K B, Makeup Artist
There are two facets to skin health and wellness for pets and people. It is a combination of what you use and what you avoid.
Skin disorders rank at the top of the list for veterinarian and dermatologist visits. We believe that over 50% of all skin disorders are misdiagnosed and are caused by chemicals in everyday products…many with the claim of natural, organic or botanical.
Longevity and Wellness are connected. The life expectancy in the United States for pets and people has been consistently dropping. Why? We believe the body burden from the dirty dozen chemicals in skin care and household products may be causing disorders, outbreaks and even contributing to elevated cancer rates.
This is why we use the term Chemical-Free. It means free of human-made chemicals. We are committed to leading the way for other manufacturers to disclose product ingredients fully. Keys created the Therapy Facts panel to help people to make healthier choices for their family and pets.
Ancient Remedies – Modern Technology – Green Science
Today, modern medicine treats symptoms and not the cause. Their products, therefore, focus on the symptom and not the cause. Aboriginal, eastern, holistic, herbal, naturopathy and ancient medicines treat the whole being and look for the cause. In many cases, it is an imbalance that causes disease and disorders.
We search the world for ancient remedies. We use modern technology, green science, and pharmaceutical grade ingredients. We create products that work in harmony to:
• Solve skin problems
• Soothe skin allergies
• Heal minor cuts, abrasions, and burns
• Act as natural insect repellents
Our affiliations include:
• University of Maryland School of Medicine
• Los Alamos National Labs
• National Institutes of Health
• Ohio State University
• Environmental Working Group
• Compact signer for The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
The Keys Difference –What We Use:
• Whole Natural ingredients to bring skin health back in balance
• Understanding of the causes and effect of various skin disorders,
allergies and problems
• Simple ingredients in use for over 1000 years in other parts of the world
• Safe ingredients for pets and people
Pharmaceutical Grade & Quality for Efficacy-Results
• Pharmaceutical Grade Ingredients is a term that defines the level of quality in the industry. It also establishes the efficacy of an ingredient
• Therapeutic Proportions – Keys Therapy Facts panel state the level of the number of ingredients that we use in our products
Why it Matters:
There is a direct relationship to the quality and grade ingredients in products and the results you get. Many products promote Aloe Vera and Shea Butter as ingredients. Pharma Grade ingredients are rated the best in quality, with the highest level of critical actions and values associated with them. When you read a label, you should ask: what grade ingredients and in what proportion? For example, our Aloe has a polysaccharide level of 10. Many Aloe’s we tested were not even Aloe. Our Shea Butter tests to a fatty acid level of >2.5. Many processed Shea’s are less than 0.8. There is a difference in even the same named ingredient.
The Keys Difference – What We Avoid:
• Fragrance – they are known skin irritants for pets and people, and many contain chemicals found on the Dirty Dozen list that you should avoid!
• Chemicals that are in 85%+ of skincare and household products
• The ‘Dirty Thirty’ list of chemicals – see the complete list on the back inside panel of this brochure
You Get What You Pay For!
• We develop chemical-free healing therapies that have a high degree of efficacy
• We don’t cut corners or use less expensive ingredients or market various scents or fragrances
• We use pharmaceutical grade ingredients in therapeutic proportions, so our products cost more. Ironically, in most cases, they are one-third to half the price of prescription products
Attaining healthy youthful skin is a lifetime journey. In this quest, people use soaps, scrubs, gels, toners, moisturizers, lotions, creams, lighteners and the list goes on! They also bathe their pets in shampoos for their armotharapy instead of the pet’s well being. Most of these products use chemicals that sensitize, irritate and weaken the skin. For example, 95% of all liquid soaps and shampoos contain SLS (sodium lauryl or laureth sulfates) that increase skin permeability and opens the door for other chemicals and irritants to penetrate deep into the skin. Parabens, petrolatum, propylene glycol, Cocamide DEA/lauramide DEA and triethanolamines are common ingredients in all kinds of soaps, shampoos, creams, and lotions. When on the skin or absorbed into the body, they can create susceptibility to allergic skin reactions, skin disorders and even worse are linked to diseases!
If you or your pets has irritated or affected skin, odds are good that it is caused by the shampoo, body and face soap you use, anti-bacterial hand products, or residue from your laundry detergent. The skin is our single biggest organ, and skin health is vitally important. Most of the soaps people use on their skin is a degreasing detergent; in fact, most of the liquid products using the term “soap” are not soaps at all. They are chemical detergents containing SLS that strip away oils and actually damage the skin. That is why there is very little difference between most bath gels, dishwashing liquid, shampoos and engine degreasers.
The Keys philosophy is to simplify skin care by carefully and naturally cleansing, restoring and protecting the most sensitive skin. We consciously act on that philosophy to improve skin health. We choose not to use chemicals in our products, on purpose!
Keys Soap, Island Rx, Show Promise in Helping with Common Skin Disorders
Keys Soap first announced the introduction of its new line of all-natural, chemical-free therapeutic liquid bath and hand soaps on March 29, 2005. Keys liquid soaps are holistic, soothing, therapeutic soaps for people with sensitive, allergic or affected skin. They contain only pure ingredients with no human-made chemicals or fragrances. Our soaps do not contain skin irritants like SLS, parabens, propylene glycol or DEA.
Since the release of our soap products, we have received considerable feedback from skin disorder sufferers offering qualitative results from their use of Island Rx on diagnosed common skin disorders like acne, eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea. We have many testimonials that would indicate the effectiveness of Island Rx. “Although these are testimonials in uncontrolled environments we believe they are early signs of the therapeutic properties of Island Rx,” said Bob Root, Keys Soap inventor. “In this period of time, medical estheticians have told us of results with their patients where prior medical methods did not help their conditions. We now believe that our products, including Island Rx, are tools in the growing movement of alternative chemical-free skin health”, continued Root.
What Keys Customers Value
People and pets with dry skin, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea and acneic conditions value the therapeutic results from using our clean products that contain no irritating or sensitizing chemicals. Our customers enthusiastically tell us in their testimonials how our products make a difference in treating skin disorders, and irritation for themselves, their children and their pets–when nothing else has worked.
After using our chemical-free therapeutic products, our customers tell us that the results they see and feel are remarkable and even life-changing! We call this creating chemical-free skin health, on purpose, with our products and customers.
Dermatologists use our Island Rx therapeutic soap and recommend it for sensitive skin for people with skin disorders that have not responded to other treatment. We even have customers who enthusiastically recommended our soaps to their dermatologists!
In 2009, we were told by movie and TV makeup artists that Keys products taught them that natural is no longer a compromise and that Island Rx Foaming Wash, Luminos, Solar Rx and Eye Butter have become a staple in their makeup routine calling them, “Clear Cosmetics!”
Medical estheticians use and recommend Island Rx for sensitive, irritated and acneic skin conditions to avoid any further irritation or sensitization of the skin. They love how it makes their skin feel and the results they see.
Master certified groomers use and recommend MetaClean (formerly Muttineer) for how the therapeutic pet shampoo stops animals’ itchy skin and for how it conditions the animals’ coat and skin.
Our customers are people who are interested in keeping their skin young looking and aging beautifully; people who are skin health conscious; and people who take serious sun precautions to avoid skin damage from solar radiation. Our customers also care about the skin health of their pets and want to avoid applying pesticides and chemicals on their pets’ sensitive or allergic skin.
Keys sees a link between common skin disorders and the many personal care products containing SLS
While developing Keys soaps, Bob Root authored an opinion whitepaper that raises the suspicion that some diagnosed common skin disorders are a reaction for some people to sodium laureth sulfate and other chemicals found in personal care and skin care products. This whitepaper can also be downloaded from the Keys Soap website at http://www.keys-soap.com/skindisorders.pdf In this whitepaper; Root points out that in many cases where people had been diagnosed with skin disorders by physicians, their disorders went away when people stopped using SLS products and started using Keys Soap. Included is the story of a woman diagnosed with psoriasis whose involuntary scratching at night led to bloodied bed sheets and a seven-month-old diagnosed with eczema who had scales from head to toe except where his disposable diapers covered. All went away in a matter of days after discontinuing SLS based laundry detergent and bath gels. Wendy Steele, the cause of the Keys Soap invention offered, “When Bob first developed Island Rx for me, most of the prescription gels and cleansers that I was told to use contained SLS. An article I read suggested that SLS may be a culprit and I stopped using everything with SLS in it. I was utterly amazed at how many things in my life contained SLS or one of its family of products. My shampoo, my bath gel, facial cleanser, all my laundry products and even my toothpaste all contained SLS. During this time, the doctor told me I had minor acne, minor eczema, minor psoriasis. I got tired of hearing the word minor—it was pretty major to me. I now believe that it was all SLS related.” Root added; “I am not sure if SLS itself is the cause of the irritation or the fact that it purportedly increases the permeability of the skin along with absorption by the skin of chemicals by a factor of 10 times that is the cause of the skin mimicking common skin disorders. What I know for sure is that our small sample of Island Rx users has seen a resulting change in a matter of a few days.”
The Technology behind Keys Islandceutical™ personal care products is a form of Quantum Science
Keys Islandceutical products merge holistics with herbal therapy and science to provide clean, chemical-free skin health, aromatherapy and a lift to the spirit. Our products are designed with ingredients to gently clean, restore and protect using advanced technologies that are safe and effective. Working with national labs and universities, we look for state of the art and “skip generation” technologies as a continuous learning and development model.
Essential Oils – We use the highest pharmaceutical grade ingredients that are known for their healing effect on the skin for burns, dry skin and skin afflictions.
Herbal Therapy Naturopathy – Our ingredients target skin problems at the cellular level. They are natural healing ingredients used by holistic dermatologists and estheticians.
Chemical-Free – Our ingredients are truly natural. Clean, chemical-free and 100% vegan, with no artificial color or fragrances, our products are all handcrafted to contribute to therapeutic skin health.
We have sought out aboriginal healers, dermatologists, estheticians and homeopathic practitioners to find out what they use to rejuvenate and protect the skin. Besides moisture, they prescribe natural oils and herbs to deep clean and open the pores to receive healing oxygen. Our experience with physicians educated at Scripps Institute and Johns Hopkins in our 10-year design quest has given us a broad-reaching knowledge of skin conditions and the required treatments. These guides helped us to find those ingredients that offer the greatest benefits to the skin.
Our processes are as unique as our ingredients. The adage that oil and water do not mix is no longer true because of the science developed by keys. Manufacturing techniques that include ultrasonics and infrasonics help blend the minimal number of ingredients to smooth lotions and soaps. The industry average for a skincare product is 38 ingredients/chemicals. At Keys, we average 8 whole ingredients that are simple and safe. This is why Keys natural products continue to rate the safest and most effective based on the www.safecosmetics.org Skin Deep report that ranks product safety.
Keys Islandceutical™ introduced new products at the Natural Products Expo East Show –
the new line adds a therapeutic lotion, healing serum and therapeutic chemical-free sunblock
Keys announces the release of three new products to the only skincare line that is both chemical-free and therapeutic to clean, restore and protect for real skin health.
Like the Keys soaps released in April 2005, our products contain only pure natural ingredients, no human-made chemicals or fragrances, and no Sodium Laureth Sulfate! The complete Keys line enables total skin care including cleaning the skin, restoring damaged or affected skin, and protecting the skin from solar radiation effects.
Keys Soap exhibited at the Natural Product Expo East trade show September 16-18, 2005 at the Washington DC Convention Center. An international audience of trend spotters, retailers, industry leaders, and media will gather at the Washington D.C. Convention Center to interact with more than 1,100 exhibitors of natural and organic finished products and ingredients this Sept. 15-18, 2005 at the 20th anniversary of Natural Products Expo East/Organic Products Expo-BioFach America. The tradeshow will pinpoint industry trends and offer unmatched opportunities to sample and learn about the finest natural and organic products from around the world. More than 20,000 industry members attended Natural Products Expo East in 2004.
Keys® Introduces Therapy Facts™ Product Labeling
Therapy FactsTM Panel added to product label fully discloses all ingredients and percentages of active ingredients and our New Keys Logo Affirms Medicinal Differentiation of Products
Here is the press release that changed how the industry looks at ingredients and disclosure. This marked the beginning of a trend and perhaps even a law regarding full-disclosure of ingredients for all skin care products.
Annapolis, MD: – March 29, 2007 – Keys Care CEO, Wendy Steele, revealed today at a press conference Keys new logo and Therapy FactsTM product labeling.
The new Keys logo is a stylized white cross on a circular red field that resembles an Internet icon. This new logo symbolizes the merging of high tech manufacturing and the medicinal properties. It also clearly differentiates Keys products from chemical-based fragranced products.
Keys also add a Therapy FactsTM Panel to every label that identifies the ingredients, their purpose and the percentages of active healing ingredients. The panel also indicates Keys use of pharmaceutical grade ingredients in therapeutic proportions versus the industry standard operating procedure of listing ingredients that are in minuscule levels only for label content.
Wendy Steele, Keys CEO, elaborated, “I developed my first pet care product Muttineer because of a severe life-threatening reaction my Bichon had after being shampooed at a groomer. Analyzing the shampoo, we found a sodium laureth sulfate (SLS) levels exceeding 30%; the National Institutes of Health comment that SLS levels greater than 18% can kill a small animal. As we developed more products, our customers asked for more disclosure of ingredients in plain English to make quick buying decisions. As we thought it through, it was obvious that people are used to the Nutrition Facts (USDA) label required on all food products. So, we adopted the format and modified it to make sense for end users of our products, retailers and other manufacturers.”
The Keys Therapy FactsTM panel is on all their new products labels and will eventually be on their entire line of personal and pet care products. The panel identifies critical decision points for buyers. Here is a list of the core sections of the panel.
• Standardized design and look
• Organic content of the product
• Affirmation of “100% Natural, Vegan and Biodegradable” contents
• Affirmation of Pharmaceutical Grade Ingredients in Therapeutic Proportions
• List of ingredients, their English name, the vitamins contained in the ingredient or their actions
• The actual percentages of active ingredients
• The Environmental Working Group ranking of the safety of the products
• A product purpose statement
• Instructions for use
• No Animal Testing affirmation
• Manufacturing country (USA)
• Contact information
Wendy Steele, Keys Founder, continued, “This Therapy FactsTM panel just speaks for itself. It is a response to numerous customer inquiries. We encourage other manufacturers to follow suit and fully disclose their ingredients and levels. We are discussing licensing of our Therapy FactsTM panel to other manufacturers and to those that we will be private labeling all natural chemical-free skin care products for them. Our purpose is full disclosure of all ingredients and an assurance from licensees that they will provide an honest description to their customers through this panel on their products. In turn, consumers and dealers will have a clear understanding of the purpose and actions of a product.”
Keys Soap Technology Background
Keys Soaps solve skin problems, stimulate the senses, and create positive emotions. Islandceutical™ is our term that assures people of these three criteria.
Bob Root, a former Silicon Valley CEO, and Wendy Steele, a former Coca-Cola executive, founded Keys Soap. Bob invented the soaps to help Wendy, the love of his life, a melanoma survivor. Her suffering and a desire to maintain her active, outdoor lifestyle drove him to give back her quality of life. Wendy said, “The Keys Soap story isn’t about starting a business or being an entrepreneur. It is about enjoying life with healthy skin. I am determined to live an active, healthy outdoor lifestyle after experiencing melanoma.”
“It was not my technology background that inspired the formulation of my soaps, it was my study as a chef that guided me,” said Bob. “Like creating a great culinary masterpiece, the ingredients have to work together, be of the highest quality and must be skillfully added in the proper order. More importantly, the meal must have a positive intention for the person savoring it. This is the way of Keys!”
Aromatherapy Benefits of Keys Soaps
All Keys Soaps are a form of aromatherapy. We have mapped the essential oils (EO) we use to provide a lift to the spirit and senses. Aromatherapy has proven to affect the mind and the moods of people. This is why we have chosen the spirit-lifting citrus blends combined with natural EO herbal extracts as a side purpose for our soaps. Keys handcrafts our products to lift the spirit as well as provide therapeutic benefits to the skin.
Whitepaper by Wendy Steele, Keys Founder (updated from 2007)
Your skin is the first thing that people notice about you—at every age! We often take it for granted. The fact is we rely on our skin health to protect us every day of our lives, as the body’s first defense from the damaging effects of the environment.
What you choose to do to your skin has everything to do with the skin results that you will get. Everyday, people use soaps, scrubs, gels, toners, lotions, creams, skin lighteners, brighteners, faders—and the list goes on! Most of these products contain chemicals that can sensitize, irritate and even weaken the skin.
The absolute worst culprit for lifetime damage and irritation of the skin is the relentless everyday effects of solar radiation. How much time you’ve spent on the beach blanket or at the pool in your lifetime does make a difference in how your skin looks today. In the case of melanoma skin cancer, if not detected early it can kill you.
It still astounds me when I hear someone say; “I’m just working on getting a base tan” as if it is good for you! How did an entire generation flock toward the beach with the belief that the sun was good for you and act as if tanning was healthy, attractive and desirable?
Circa 1960’s- 70’sTanning culture rides the wave
Picture a sun-drenched California beach with young muscle builders, beach babes and surfer dudes. Back then, the “Ho Daddy’s” were actually the want to be surfers that hung out on the beach, in hopes of cruising with the beach babes. The genuine surfers didn’t care about all of the beach hubbub; after all they really just wanted to catch the perfect wave and hang ten. Continue reading Solar Flare! What you don’t know can kill you!
Finally the FDA agrees! Yes, the FDA has validated that in the US we live in a hostile UV environment. All sunscreen products now require the disclosure of UVA and UVB protection. The directive on all labels must be clearly stated. Exposure to sun should be limited. AND to avoid skin cancer, sunscreen is to be COMBINED WITH shade and other protective measures i.e. clothing, hats and sunglasses. The hostile ignore the data.
Keys developed Solar Rx over 15 years ago. We pioneered Solar Rx as the best Moisturizer with Sunscreen. Solar Rx is for daily use on the face, neck and hands. At Keys we continue to educate about sun awareness. Also, we educate customers that our product is not for the beach or pool or for prolonged outside exercise activity.
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
The day after my Mohs micro-surgery, I made the most fateful decision of my life. I decided to marry this very special man because he saved my life! ?
love and a positive intention. And to Matt, Marty and the entire team that realized that their positive intention goes into every product they make with love and caring. Here’s to the belief that these products could make a difference for Cancer survivors, for people with sensitive skin, for people who know more and care to learn more – because they did and they do!
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.
Bob 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 related to him by loyal customers that believe in him. He does not take that lightly!
Your skin is the first thing that people notice about you—at every age! We often take it for granted. The fact is we rely on our skin health to protect us every day of our lives, as the body’s first defense from the damaging effects of the environment.
