From: InStyle Magazine 04/11 Issue page 239-246

By Patricia Tortolani

Sure, we all want to be more green – especially when it comes to what we’re slathering on our scalp, lids and lips. But despite the enormous bbost in what’s available these days (the beauty eco category is up by 11 percent since 2007), natural products that perform as well as our favorite standbys are hard to find. These new formulas, though, may make converts of us yet.

Chemical-Free Sunscreen:

Suntegrity All Natural Moisturizing Face Protection SPF 30 – available at: BeautyIntuition.com

The Claim: Unlike most natural physical blockers, Suntegrity’s 20 percent zinc oxide formulat won’t leave a white cast or tacky film on skin.

Expert Opinion: “I love everything about this sunscreen: It’s vegan and cruelty-free, and I can recommend it to patien ts with sensitive skin,” says Dr. Fusco.

Our Verdict: We were initially thrown by the ghostly pallor it left on our face, but it faded, leaving a smooth base for makeup application.

Suntegrity in InStyle Magazine 04/11

Suntegrity Skincare

Suntegrity Skin Care, the mineral sun care line that is making headlines due to its unique formulation that is both safe and effective, started as founder Tricia Trimble’s thesis project. It has since burgeoned into a top-rated, Environmental Working Group-recommended company that produces products that are natural, healthy and holistic. I spoke to Tricia about the ingredients she uses in her line, her personal encounter with skin cancer and the future of Suntegrity.

What were you doing prior to creating Suntegrity? How did you make the transition to developing a mineral sun care line?

I started my career as a CPA and absolutely hated it. I went to see a recruiter who actually recruited me to be a recruiter in the field of finance and accounting. I did that for 9 years; I co-owned a company, and we were doing quite well.

I’ve always been big into personal development. So, I asked myself, “Am I living life with passion?” And I thought, “No, not really!” The people I was recruiting wanted jobs, but weren’t really passionate about finance or accounting. I felt like I wasn’t being of service anymore. I knew this was no longer what called to my heart to do as a career. But, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do instead. What I did know is that I liked spas and nurturing people. So, I sold my shares of the company, along with my condo, and I decided to go back to school. I got my esthetician license and a Master’s degree in Spiritual Psychology with an Emphasis in Consciousness, Health, and Healing from the University of Santa Monica.

Part of my Masters Degree final project, similar to a thesis, was to evaluate opening a spa to see if it was something I really wanted to pursue as a career and to start by opening an online beauty boutique (Beauty Intuition), which features eco-chic, indie brands that help you look good, feel good and are good for you.

In the third year of my Master’s program, my final project was to develop my own sun care line: Suntegrity Skincare. The line officially launched in September 2010.

What exactly sparked the idea for Suntegrity?

My mom passed away from skin cancer, which left me with a lot of grief that I didn’t know how to process at the time. She moved away to Canada when I was 12, so I didn’t see her much – maybe a couple of times a year. Part of the goal of my final project at school was really to heal the grief that stemmed from my mom’s passing.

When I began working on Suntegrity, I put the same quote on each product and signed it: “Suntegrity was made in honor of my Mom and all of those who lost their lives to skin cancer. May you use this product and smile in their memory.” The quote is meant to be like one of those wristbands that people wear for the awareness of different causes.The goal is to have much more awareness about skin cancer so it can be prevented. Also, every time you apply the sunscreen, you’ll remember someone you love. Every time I put it on, I think of my mom. Even if my consciousness is of a loving nature for only the 15 seconds that it takes to put on Suntegrity, I know I’m spreading love.

After you had the idea for Suntegrity, what was the process like in making it happen? How long did it take to go from concept to reality?

It has taken me about 4 years to take this from concept to reality. I’ve wanted to create a sunscreen for a while, but finding a chemist to make it was difficult. The concept arose in 2006, but I didn’t really pull it off until 2010.

Did you reach out to scientific authorities in order to begin developing Suntegrity?

I talked to many chemists about my ideas and got nowhere at first. All of them kept saying they couldn’t do it with the specific ingredients I wanted to incorporate. I then met a formulator who helped me with the Sun Defense Dietary Supplement, and then introduced me to a chemist he had used in the past. We worked with him to develop a sunscreen that only used ingredients with low toxicity ratings by the EWG. Because we use water in our formula, we had to use preservatives and he said essential oils wouldn’t be enough. We chose preservatives with the lowest toxicity ratings by the EWG – no parabens and no phenoxyethenol.

Where does the name “Suntegrity” come from?

Suntegrity has a double meaning: Sunscreen made with integrity & Sunscreen that maintains the integrity of your skin.

Suntegrity received top ratings for it’s sunscreens by the Environmental Working Group. What makes your company special and different from other companies that focus on sun care?

The main difference is that Suntegrity is a holistic line, meaning that it treats the body as a whole, from both the outside-in and the inside-out. From the outside-in, we have topical face and body sunscreens with safe formulations, and for the inside-out, we have a dietary supplement that provides the body with beneficial antioxidants that help protect against UV damage and photoaging, along withVitamin D3 that your body can’t make if you are wearing sunscreen.

Another thing that separates us from other sun care lines is the uplifting scent of our sunscreens. Our face and body sunscreens use select essential oils for a light citrus scent without using artificial fragrances. A lot of other sunscreens tend to smell bad, especially a lot of the natural ones.

Suntegrity also absorbs into the skin without leaving a white residue and it also contains several antioxidants and hyaluronic acid, so it not only helps block out the sun’s damaging rays, but it also hydrates the skin.

Personally, I love pretty packaging because it makes me feel good and makes me excited to use a product. I took a lot of time collaborating with an amazing designer and we chose colors that are appealing universally to women, men and children and opted for a sophisticated airless pump for the face sunscreen to prevent oxidation.

Another unique thing about Suntegrity is the personal quote on every bottle. It is my hope that people will connect with their heart every time they read the quote on the bottle and move into the consciousness of loving as I do when I apply Suntegrity and think of my Mom.

One of the most unique things about the company is the Suntegrity Sharing Circles. Developing Suntegrity surfaced years of ungrieved emotions over the loss of my Mom and through sharing my story, I have slowly been able to feel through the emotions and heal the loss. Through this experience, I realized just how important sharing is to the healing process and I was inspired to create Suntegrity Sharing Circles to provide a loving space where honest and open sharing and caring can occur. If you know anyone who has lost their Mom and could benefit from our sharing circles, please have them email us and/or check our website for the next sharing circle. We are starting locally in Marina del Rey, but hope to expand to other cities as the brand grows.

Have you gotten other press, besides Truth in Aging and backing from the EWG?

So far, we’ve been featured in Campus Circle Magazine and several online blogs. We’re also slated to be featured in the April issue of InStyle Magazine and the June issue of Women’s Health where we’ve been nominated for the Best of Beauty Awards.

On your website, it says that Suntegrity is a “natural, healthy and holistic mineral sun care line.” How do you accomplish this?

We accomplish this by using non-toxic ingredients, avoiding chemical UV absorbers and treating the body as a whole by having products that work from the inside-out and outside-in.

There’s no legal definition for natural when applied to a cosmetic. Natural is a marketing term that means many different things to many different people. For me, natural means safe. That is my definition of the word. I think people buy natural products because they want something safe and non-toxic. Suntegrity sunscreens use ingredients originally derived from plants and minerals, in addition to using one of the safest preservatives on the planet (polyaminopropyl biguanide) which is used in eye wash solutions.

Why do you think there is so much controversy surrounding other sunscreens, especially in terms of ingredients? How have you been able to create a quality product with stellar ingredients, while other companies seem to be lagging behind?

Most of the well-known sunscreen brands use chemical UV absorbers because they’re cheaper and easier to formulate with. The companies using chemical UV absorbers also make a lot of high SPF claims. The controversy is about the toxicity of those types of ingredients, as well as the false sense of security that is given to the consumer when they are using high SPF sunscreens. No sunscreen protects you 100% which is why we recommend staying out of the sun during peak hours and wearing a hat and proper protective clothing when possible.

The sunscreen market is different than the regular skincare market because if a product makes an SPF claim like ours does, it is considered an over the counter drug (OTC) and regulated by the FDA. This involves a lot more work and costs due to special label and testing requirements. We work with an OTC certified lab and a very knowledgeable chemist and spend most of our money on the product and the packaging versus PR and marketing.

What ingredients will I find in Suntegrity that are particularly noteworthy?

In the Face Protection you’ll find red algae extract, which reduces irregular pigmentation and is rich in antioxidants, minerals, enzymes, phyto-hormones, and essential fatty acids. You’ll also find astaxanthin, which is a carotenoid found in algae and a powerful antioxidant with up to 500 times higher efficacy than vitamin E. In both the face and body sunscreens, you’ll find hyaluronic acid, pomegranate oil, tea oil, and cucumber extract which are all powerful antioxidants that are great for the skin.

Why did you choose zinc oxide as your active ingredient?

Zinc oxide has a reputation for being the best physical block ingredient that covers the full UVA/UVB spectrum, so it not only helps protect you from burning, but it also helps protect you from the sun’s damaging rays that cause wrinkles and skin cancer. I only wanted to use physical mineral block ingredients, not chemical UV absorbers, which made my only two choices zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. There is some research that shows that titanium dioxide may be photocatalytic and absorb UV radiation in its uncoated form. So I decided to go with zinc oxide, which is purely a physical block that reflects UV rays. Zinc oxide also covers a broader UV spectrum range, has anti-irritant properties and less opacity as compared to titanium dioxide.

What ingredients will I not find in Suntegrity products?

Chemical UV absorbers, nano-particles (under 100 nanometers), parabens, phenoxyethanol, phthalates, propylene glycol, mineral oils, synthetic dyes, and sulfates.

I find that a lot of sunscreens tend to be greasy or chalky, especially on darker skin tones. How does Suntegrity avoid this?

Some natural sunscreens use titanium dioxide or a combination of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide which leaves a whiter residue and more chalkiness than plain zinc oxide does. It also has to do with the size of the zinc particles being used. If you use particles that are smaller than 100 nanometers, then the consistency won’t be chalky at all, but it will be nano-sized, and there is some concern about nanoparticles being able to penetrate the blood stream. We use zinc oxide with a particle size of 220 nanometers so it’s small enough to blend into the skin, but it’s well above the 100 nanometer mark so it won’t penetrate the blood stream.

I assume that Suntegrity is your sunscreen of choice; what were you using before you created the line? Do you feel that any other sunscreens are on par with Suntegrity?

At first I used chemical sunscreens until I learned how bad they are for you. Then I tried a variety of natural sunscreens, but didn’t really love any of them. There always seems to be something off with either the consistency, the scent, or the use of nanotechnology. If I were going swimming, I’d probably use UV Natural Adult SPF 30 sunscreen since it is waterproof and uses a high zinc oxide content. With Suntegrity, I decided to create a sunscreen for everyday use, as opposed to a waterproof one. Most of the sunscreens that got top ratings from the EWG are waterproof because they are anhydrous (contain no water) and, therefore, don’t require preservatives. However, because they don’t use water in the formula, they often have a thick, greasy, and sticky consistency. I wanted to make something that people would feel comfortable wearing daily.

Tell me about the Sun Defense Dietary Supplement – how does the supplement work to keep people safe from the inside out?

I first got the idea for the Dietary Supplement when I was on vacation in Australia and saw a sun supplement with astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant with up to 500 times higher efficacy than vitamin E. I then met a formulator who had experience working with antioxidant formulas. I had done a lot of personal research on the ingredients known to aid in UV protection (polypodium extract, astaxanthin, lutein, beta carotene), so I combined my knowledge of these ingredients with his knowledge of antioxidants and Vitamin D3 and we came up with Suntegrity Sun Defense. It features a combination of ingredients that help strengthen the body’s ability to protect itself against sun damage and aging from harsh UV rays and it has 1000 IU’s of Vitamin D3 per capsule, so you get that critical vitamin you won’t be making if you are wearing sunscreen.

There are two main points of debate about wearing sunscreen. One is that most sunscreens contain harsh chemicals that do more harm than good. We’ve taken care of that issue with our zinc oxide based, non-toxic sunscreen formulas. The second issue is that if you wear sunscreen, it will prevent you from making Vitamin D3, which you normally make when you are in the sun. There is a significant amount of research showing a link between lack of vitamin D3 and increased cancer risk. So, it’s a catch 22. You need to go in the sun to make Vitamin D3, but then if you are in the sun, you risk getting skin cancer. When I found out you can take vitamin D3 internally, I decided to make a supplement with Vitamin D3 in addition to other UV protecting antioxidants to solve the whole dilemma.

What do you foresee as being the next big breakthrough in sun care?

I’ve read about new technologies that will allow you to detect skin cancer without having to have a doctor perform surgery to remove a sample of your skin. There’s also a laser on the market that can supposedly detect melanoma better than doctors can. And, most recently, they introduced an iPhone application that allows you to detect cancerous moles.

Certain ingredients that have been in the spotlight lately are watercress and tea tree oil that might have a role in protecting against skin cancer, but more research still needs to be done.

What does the future hold for Suntegrity? Any new products being introduced?

We are currently working on a lip balm that will hopefully be introduced sometime next year. We’re also thinking about making a tinted version of the face sunscreen, a self-tanner, and a powder sunscreen for the face, which would be great for reapplying throughout the day, particularly over makeup.

From: Campus Circle Magazine

By: Erica Carter

Date: 2/9/11

Sometimes it’s hard to find sunscreen protection for darker skin. Either it doesn’t absorb properly, leaving white streaks on the skin, or it really doesn’t provide the protection that sensitive skin needs. You may think the darker the skin, the harder it is for skin to burn, but for a lot of people, including me, the opposite is true. Another frustrating problem is that sometimes sunscreens can be insanely expensive when they are mineral-free and contain organic ingredients. But in this day and age of skin cancer dangers, it’s crucial to find a product to protect us.

There’s a new company that has taken all of these things into account: Suntegrity Skincare. Inspired by her mother’s skin cancer and others who had suffered from skin cancer, Tricia Trimble continues the fight against the disease by creating this organic, wholesome ingredient-filled line of products. Using the best scientifically known ingredient that blocks harmful UV rays, zinc oxide, Suntegrity also provides amino acids and super antioxidants that reverse any prior sun damage. Aloe, tea tree oil, grapefruit oil, cucumber fruit extract and an acid extracted from the starch of potatoes are just some of the elements that go into the cruelty-free produced line.

My go-to product so far has been the daily use of the face protector with an SPF of 30. After I wash my face and use toner, I put the all-natural sunscreen on, let it sit for about a minute and then use my normal moisturizer. My face looks hydrated, not greasy and without a streak in sight. A little goes a long way; you only really need a nice dollop for your face and neck.

Suntegrity offers a SPF 30 body sunscreen that also soaks right in with no streaks. And when you sweat, there’s no buildup. Suntegrity recommends using their Vitamin D supplement pills in your sun defense program, as it is a vitamin that our bodies are unable to produce when we are out in the sun. The vitamins support your immune system and strengthen your body’s ability to protect yourself from sun damage.

Finally, a fairly inexpensive way to protect our skin!

Suntegrity products can be found at amazon.com, the Detox Market in Venice and Beauty Loops in Redondo Beach. For more information, visit suntegrityskincare.com.

Karuna Face Masks Featured in C Weddings Magazine

Here at BeautyIntuition.com, we love Karuna Face Masks and are thrilled to see them getting some great press!

These do-it-yourself face masks are easy to use and don’t have the mess that typically follows with a face mask. They are perfect for a 20 minute relaxing break at the end of a crazy day and you can choose from anti-aging, anti-oxidant, brightening, hydrating and anti-blemish depending on your skin. And for those of you who have a hard time deciding which mask to choose, you can pick the Karma Kit which includes one face mask of each of the following – exfoliating, hydrating anti-oxidant, anti-aging. All Karuna face masks contain a custom blended beauty boost. Plant extracts, peptides and anti-oxidants help to renew, hydrate and nourish, bringing care and compassion to all skin types. Each mask is made of an all=-natural fiber cloth that retains 50% more moisture than syntehtic materials, helping pores fully dilate and drink in the paraben-free beneficial ingredients. Made from bio-degradable wood pulp, these cloth masks are truly a green and luxurious alternative. Enjoy a daily dose of self-pampering!

Engineered to work from both the inside-out and the outside-in to maintain healthy, youthful-looking skin, Suntegrity’s(TM) sunscreen lotion and supplement formulas are rich in antioxidants that support the body’s defense against free radical damage and aging from harsh UV rays. Key antioxidants contained in the topical zinc oxide sunscreens include astaxanthin, red algae, hyaluronic acid, pomegranate oil, cucumber extract, and tea oil. Suntegrity’s(TM) Sun Defense Dietary Supplement touts a propriety blend of ingredients containing well known antioxidants such as polypodium leucotomos extract, astaxanthin, lutein, and beta-carotene, which research suggests may reduce the severity of UV sun damage to the skin, thus helping to reduce photo-aging and skin cancer.

“Most people think they only need to wear sunscreen in summer, but the truth is protecting yourself from skin cancer and maintaining healthy, youthful looking skin requires sun protection 365 days a year. With skin cancer on the rise, sun protection isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity,” said Founder Tricia Trimble.

“After having lost my mother to melanoma skin cancer a number of years ago, my personal mission has been to educate men and women about the importance of proper sun protection and decrease the instances of skin cancer.” About Suntegrity Skincare After losing her Mother to melanoma skin cancer, which claims nearly 8,650 people each year, Founder Tricia Trimble recognized the importance of proper sun protection. More important, she learned that most sunscreens on the market use chemical UV blockers and contain several toxic ingredients. After several years of research and investigation, she developed her own natural, healthy, and holistic sun care line that works from both the inside-out and the outside-in.

With a heartfelt mission and the help of an extremely knowledgeable formulator and chemist, Suntegrity(TM) Skincare was born. For more information, visit www.SuntegritySkincare.com.

Seaweed is also known as Spirulina, green, red, brown, blue algae and kelp. Seaweed is packed with vitamins, minerals, trace elements, and amino acids that are essential in maintaining healthy and youthful skin. This natural marine wonder helps slow the aging skin process while protecting it from the harsh environmental elements in the air and water. Essential vitamins include: A1, B1, B2, B6, B12, C, E, K, pantothenic acid, folic acid, and niacin. As well as being rich with antioxidants such as beta-carotene and over 60 trace elements that include potassium, calcium, iodine, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc and manganese, seaweed is a major source of B12. Selenium and ascorbic acid protects the skin from damaging free radicals. Organic Iodine found in seaweed increases metabolism. Seaweed also contains fatty acids to combat skin irritation and inflammation.

Clinical trials have shown the ingredient to drastically reduce wrinkles and improve skin appearance. Both in vivo and in vitro tests were carried out on the ingredient, which was specifically developed for use in anti-ageing skin care applications. Targets glycation and preserves skin’s natural collagen In in-vitro tests, the ingredient was shown to inhibit skin degrading enzymes and the glycation process. Glycation is triggered when the naturally occurring sugar molecules in the skin bond to a protein or lipid molecule without the controlling action of an enzyme. The resulting glycation process impairs the functioning of biomolecules, which weakens the skin structure at a cellular level, leading to a less firm surface and a greater tendency towards wrinkling. In addition, it inhibits elastase and collagenase, two enzymes linked to the break down of the structural proteins elastin and collagen.

Seaweed improves skin appearance and proves to be effective in reducing skin aging, particularly in white Caucasian women, studies show. Subjects applied a formulation, at one per cent twice a day for 12 weeks, which resulted in a 9.45 per cent decrease in wrinkle depth. Expert grading carried out at the end of the study showed skin tone, firmness, and elasticity, showed an improvement of 67.6 per cent. Similarly, overall skin appearance improved 68.4 per cent. The expert grading also reported a 92.1 per cent improvement in skin dryness and roughness. Seaweed is a part of formulation of Sweetsation Therapy’s Aqua Tica Botanical Night Cream

Aqua Tica Organic Botanical Night Cream

Potentially arguing the case for people’s need for more vitamin D, a recent study has shown melanoma patients whose bodies contain higher levels of the vitamin typically have less severe forms of the cancer.

Higher levels of vitamin D are linked to less severe, less deadly melanoma lesions in people with skin cancer, new research suggests. The findings provide more support for the idea that vitamin D is crucial to skin health. Many Americans, however, don’t get enough of it, perhaps because they limit sun exposure and drink less milk than in the past.

“Although avoiding sunburn is very important in order to prevent melanoma, it is also important to avoid becoming deficient in vitamin D,” said Dr. Julia A. Newton-Bishop, a dermatology professor at the University of Leeds in England and a study co-author. “This is especially important for melanoma patients in whom low vitamin D levels appear to be harmful.”

Newton-Bishop and her research colleagues looked at the medical records of 872 people with melanoma and tried to link their vitamin D levels to the severity of their lesions and their likelihood of surviving without a relapse. Those with higher levels of vitamin D in their bodies had less severe lesions—the lesions were thinner—and a lower rate of relapse, the researchers found.

The results are reported in the Sept. 14 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. “The research suggests that low levels of vitamin D allow the melanoma tumors to grow better and, therefore, to be more of a threat to the patient,” Newton-Bishop said.

It’s not clear how food, sun exposure and supplements contributed to the higher levels of vitamin D in some people, although they did take more multivitamins and cod liver oil, she said.

Melanoma is the cause of most skin cancer deaths, even though it accounts for less than 5% of skin cancer cases. The best way to prevent melanoma is by avoiding excessive sun exposure. To boosts levels of vitamin D, people with melanoma should take daily supplements, the authors concluded, and consume foods that contain vitamin D, such as fatty fish and some fortified cereals.

The study is provocative and “somewhat contrary to traditional thinking,” said Dr. Adit Ginde, an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine. More work needs to be done to prove that vitamin D levels directly affect skin cancer development and to determine if increasing the levels will help people with melanoma, he said.

Vitamin D appears to be more than a cancer fighter. Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to a variety of health problems, including heart disease, infections and poor overall health. And adults with low levels may suffer from lower bone mineral density.

But researchers have noticed that vitamin D deficiency has been on the rise in recent decades. An earlier study led by Ginde found that more than 75% of Americans don’t have high enough vitamin D levels, with African-Americans and Latinos at especially high risk.

Vitamin D is naturally present in few foods, and some researchers recommend supplements containing as many as 2,000 International Units (IU) of vitamin D for many people, and even more for those who are obese. The current recommendations, however, are 200 to 600 units a day, depending on age.

More information

The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more on vitamin D.

HealthDay News, September 26, 2009

We took the following chart directly from the University of Washington’s page to show you exactly how this is divided up!

• Head, neck and face = 9%
• Left arm = 9%
• Right arm = 9%
• Upper back = 9%
• Lower back = 9%
• Upper front torso = 9%
• Lower front torso = 9%
• Right upper leg and thigh = 9%
• Left upper leg and thigh = 9%
• Right lower leg and foot = 9%
• Left lower leg and foot = 9%

If you are looking for a great sunscreen, you can find the Top Rated Safest Sunscreens by the EWG on our site BeautyIntuition.com