The quality of your hand soap is not only determined by what it has, but also by what it lacks. Choose wisely, because what you wash your hands with can have a significant impact on your health and wellbeing. Discover the ingredients that we never use in our hand soap and learn why it's important for your health and safety. Formaldehyde: Formaldehyde is often present in soaps along with chemicals that release formaldehyde, known as Formaldehyde Releasing Preservatives (FRPs). FRPs, such as Quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, Imidazolidinyl urea, and Glyoxal, are commonly used as preservatives in h ..read more

Keratosis Pilaris (KP) is a common skin condition that causes hard, dry bumps around hair follicles. These bumps are usually seen on the upper arms but can occur anywhere there are hair follicles. Keratosis Pilaris is also commonly called chicken skin. KP is caused by excess keratin, a protein that is an essential part of hair, nails, and the skin's outermost layer, the epidermis. When keratin clogs the pores instead of flaking off, it results in the formation of bumps.   KP is most common in babies, children, and teenagers, and often worsens around puberty. It affects around 50-80% of t ..read more

We all know the importance of washing our face. We need to remove impurities that we encounter through out our day. Daily facial cleansing removes dirt, oil, pollution, and dead skin cells. Not washing your face can cause the pores to become clogged leading to acne. You will also experience redness, irritation, and drying significantly aging the skin. Here are some helpful tips for washing your face effectively! - Use lukewarm water: This temperature is ideal for washing your face because it balances your natural oils and helps your cleanser create foam. - Use a gentle cleanser: Choose a no ..read more

With sandal season just around the corner, I thought we could discuss the causes of dead skin on the feet and what to do about it because no one wants scaly feet on the beach or in that perfect pair of open-toed shoes. Dead skin build-up is linked closely to dryness.  Many internal and external factors contribute to the development of excessive dead skin on the feet: Common causes of dry feet and dead skin build-up include: ·       Weather – As the seasons change, our skin may react negatively. Cold weather can cause the feet on the skin to dry out.&nbs ..read more

Many body washes that are available in the market contain various ingredients that can cause eczema-prone skin to flare up. These body washes are loaded with chemical foaming agents, dyes, and artificial scents. If you have eczema, it's crucial to avoid specific ingredients in your body wash.   Common irritants in body wash that are known to cause eczema flare-ups are perfumes, which are common allergens that can further irritate your sensitive skin. Sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate are ingredients that help body wash foam but can also cause skin sensitivity. Cocamidoprop ..read more

Knowing how to deal with skin care for teens and tweens can be difficult especially now with social media bombarding them with ads for all types of products.  But it is best to not create complicated skincare routines for this age group.  Skincare for this age group should not include active ingredients such as retinols, acids, and peptides. Less is better.  A skincare routine should start somewhere between 9 and 13 years of age since this is most likely the time hormonal changes begin which can wreak havoc on the skin especially the face and leave young adolescents with possi ..read more

December is one of our favorite months! The weather in New England is usually cool and crisp. We are in the magic and mayhem of the holiday season! Unfortunately, December also means cold and flu season is upon us! Of course, we all want to stay healthy enough to enjoy the end of the year. One of the best immune boosters is vitamin C.  If your social media is anything like ours, you are bombarded with ads for health products including vitamins and supplements. Vitamins can be useful but it is most beneficial to get our nutrients straight from the source: our food! I (Janis) started a hea ..read more

Move over Black Friday, Small Business Saturday is the new(ish) after Thanksgiving tradition! In 2010, Small Business Saturday was started and promoted by American Express. Last year Small Business Saturday attracted more than 88 million American shoppers. This important shopping day always falls on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This year it will fall on November 25th. Venturing out on small business Saturday is practically guaranteed to be calmer and quieter than braving Black Friday! But are there other benefits of shopping small? Absolutely!! Here are some great reasons to shop small th ..read more

Dr. Seuss’s beloved classic The Grinch Who Stole Christmas was published in 1957. More than 60 years later, it would be difficult to find an American man, woman or child who can’t recall the Grinch’s change of heart as he declares,  “It came without ribbons, it came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, or bags.” Unfortunately, the season of giving remains a season of buying. In 2022, Americans spent nearly $7,000,000,000 on holiday gift wrap. This exorbitant amount of money translates into 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper, most of which ends up in landfills. While many type ..read more

We often hear companies use terms such as eco-friendly, sustainable, environmentally safe, etc. to describe themselves. All these buzz words are great but do you ever wonder what these companies are actually doing to label themselves good for the planet? We thought we would take a moment and go through what our small company does to be better for the environment. 1. Solar Panels: Yup! We currently have solar panels covering 50% of the power consumption used to operate our labs. And as of the date we our writing this, our solar panels have saved 140,566 pounds of Carbon Dioxide! 2. Formulas Th ..read more