DAYSPA Magazine Product Spotlight

Sustainable Sincerity

Our upcoming Green Scene ("Mayan Marvel," September 2010) contains helpful tips on how to detect greenwashing when perusing "organic" product labels. That's when companies try to unjustifiably tout a product's environmental virtues.

As John Vater, co-ower of Spa Adriana in Huntington, New York, warns, "The big print giveth and the small print taketh away."

Here's some information about avoiding this pitfall:

Read labels with a discriminating eye.
John and his wife, co-owner Adriana Vater, caution spa professionals against taking a product label at face value. "If the packaging claims it doesn't contain something, you should ask yourself what's there to do that ingredient's job," Adriana says. "Every component of a product has a purpose, and sometimes a so-called 'green' ingredient is just as offensive as the original."
Educate yourself.
The Vaters say it's important to develop an understanding of how product ingredients work. "With today's Internet access, you can quickly look up the chemical composition of any item," John says.

It's not always easy going green. How do you ensure that your spa's environmental initiatives result in real, positive change? Send your ideas to Katie O'Reilly, associate editor, at koreilly@creativeage.com.

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Spotlight: Acne Solutions

The complexion of adult acne is rapidly changing with treatments ranging from natural topicals to high-tech lasers.

The deepest scars are often the ones we can't see—especially with adult acne. The sometimes-devastating condition is on the rise, especially for women. The latest survey data shows that 55% of new acne dermatology visits are adult females, and clinical studies from 1997, 2004 and 2006 indicate a growing problem. The disease "is lasting longer and requiring treatment well into the mid-40s," noted a 2004 report in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science.

The condition usually manifests in males during the teen years when testosterone is running on turbo. But women find the condition lingers long after adolescence or appears for the first time in their 20s or even 40s. "Adult acne sufferers might not necessarily have breakouts as teens," says Annet King, director of global training and development for Dermalogica. "That's why it's so frustrating."

Once singular in their focus, acne treatments of the past concentrated on killing bacteria to stop the cascading inflammatory response. Today's treatments attack acne on all fronts. "It's now about using a combination of ingredients to help keep acne at bay, from stopping the bacteria and inflammation to slowing sebum and proliferation of skin cells," King says.

Under federal guidelines, manufacturers can only make an acne claim if a product contains one of four ingredients: salicylic acid, resorcinol, sulfur or benzoyl peroxide, according to Howard Murad, M.D., founder of Murad Skin Care.

However, there are many additional ingredients that have established a firm foothold in acne formulations, including retinols, nordihydroguaiaretic acid and natural ingredients such as cinnamon and willow tree bark, tea tree oil, and naturally exfoliating fruit enzymes such as papaya and pomegranate.

Saian Acne Spot Treatment features salicylic acid, zinc oxide, camphor, iron and magnesium to treat acne without leaving redness. 800.291.1130, saian.net

Spotlight: Acne Solutions

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