Absolutely Natural GENERAL PROPERTIES
Absolutely Natural formulations have eliminated Petro-Chemicals, artificial, synthetic, and all other chemical additives. This includes all fillers, dyes, bleaches, and chemical softeners found in standard skin care products. Absolutely Natural formulations have eliminated chemical and synthetic sunscreens, formaldehyde preservatives, and artificial fragrances found in standard skin care products. Absolutely Natural formulations have eliminated chemical thickeners, emulsion modifiers, combining agents and stabilizers necessary for emulsifying standard skin care products. Absolutely Natural formulations and blending processes have totally eliminated the use of petro-chemicals, chemical additives, toxin elements, and other cleverly disguised chemical by-products found in standard skin care products. This virtually eliminates the potential for carcinogenic, allergenic, and toxic side effects. Absolutely Natural formulations provide the most exotic, safe, and effective hypo-allergenic skin care line available. A product is available for every need, as Absolutely Natural features Protectors, Promoters, and after sun Prolongers. Absolutely Natural sunscreens have been tested against standard sunscreens and are MORE EFFECTIVE. Absolutely Natural oils and aloes are also superior to standard products.
In a world troubled by depleting ozone and rampant use of chemicals, Absolutely Natural's time has come. Additionally, with the FDA taking a hard look at chemical sunscreens and their potential negative effects on a long term basis, Absolutely Natural provides a safe, natural, and superior alternative. In addition to providing safe, chemical-free products for the skin, Absolutely Natural is environmentally friendly as well. Absolutely Natural packages its line in recyclable and environmentally safe containers. The company uses recycled paper for brochures and point-of-purchase materials. Also, there are NO chemical runoffs in the production of the product.

THE PRODUCT & THE PROCESS

Absolutely Natural skin care products are revolutionary in the industry. Absolutely Natural products are the only totally chemical-free oils, lotions, and after sun aloes on the market. Only the finest ingredients are used in our formulations. Natural sunscreens and high quality natural ingredients have been around for years. They are not widely used because of the expense compared to traditional chemical products. Prior to Absolutely Natural, no totally chemical-free lotions were on the market because there was no way to emulsify the natural ingredients. In fact, most products that claim to be 100% natural still use chemical emulsifiers. A special machine that has a United States Patent Pending was developed to help mix the fine natural ingredients together in a unique blending process. The machine utilizes four tanks, and forces the ingredients back and forth to allow emulsification. The product can only be made in small batches of 80 gallons at a time, compared to thousands of gallons at large traditional fill plants.

PROTECT, PROMOTE, & PROLONG
Everyone, despite their skin types, has three needs in the sun .... a Protector, a Promoter, and a Prolonger. These three components are essential for minimizing the risk of burning, and to achieve a rich, long-lasting, healthy tan.
The Protector: For sun-sensitive areas; anywhere the bone is close to the skin. Fair-skinned people and children should always use the SPF 15 or 25. For those with a base tan, the SPF 8, or even the SPF 4 are recommended. When applying lotions, DAB & LAY them on -- never rub them in -- they belong on the surface layers, not deep inside the skin. The Promoter: Product used in conjunction with the protector to promote a tan. Those with fair skin should use an SPF 8 or 4. With a good base tan, Professional Oil or Platinum Oil is recommended. Use these fine oils sparingly -- small amounts go a long way. The Prolonger: Both Absolutely Natural Aloes are recommended. Especially important is the Rosehip Aloe. This should be used daily, year round, and more frequently with increased sun exposure on vacation. EVERYONE nees a prolonger. Best results are obtained when the product is applied after a warm shower, because the warm water will open the pores of the skin and bring all the heat in the skin to the top.

SUN EXPOSURE FACTS & MYTHS
SUNTANS Tanning is the skin's response to injury from UV light. The skin attempts to shade itself from further damage with a screen of dark melanin cells. Exposure to sunlight increases the production of melanin, causing the skin to tan.
SUNSCREENS There are two types of sunscreens: Physical Blockers -- Reflect or scatter the harmful UV rays. Examples are Zinc Oxide or Titanium Oxide and Red Petroleum. These are usually thick, opaque creams, either white or colored. Their opacity blocks all light rays from the sun. Chemical Absorbers -- Aromatic compounds that absorb UV rays. The high-energy, short waves are absorbed by the lotion, and the remaining waves are converted into lower-energy long waves as they interact with the molecules of the sunscreen. Examples are salicylates, cinnamates, Para-aminobenoate (PABA) derivatives and benzophenones.
SUN-PROTECTION FACTOR (SPF) A numbering system assigned to sunscreens to assist consumers in selecting the correct sunscreen for their skin type. The higher the number, the greater the protection. The number indicates how much your time spent in the sun can be multiplied before burning. Example: If you use an SPF of 2, you can stay in the sun two times longer before burning as you would without protection. An SPF of 15 would allow you to stay in the sun 15 times as long. SPF only reflects the products screening ability for UVB rays. There is no FDA-approved rating system that identifies UVA protection. Consumers should check for sunscreen products that also screen UVA rays ("broad-spectrum" sunscreens). Absolutely Natural's sunscreens provide the broadest UV protection of any chemical-free product on the market today!

TANNING FACTORS TIME OF DAY Most intense between 11:00 A.M. and 2:00 P.M. TIME OF YEAR Sun more intense in summer months. LOCATION The closer to the equator, the stronger the rays, because they are more direct. Also, atmosphere screens less UV light at higher altitudes.

FAST FACTS SUMMARY On a cloudy day, 80% of Ultraviolet light passes through the clouds. The sun's reflective powers are great -- 17% on sand, 35% on water and 80% on snow. UVB is responsible for Vitamin D production in the skin. SPF numbers only pertain to a product's screening ability for UVB. SPF Myth: Many people believe that an SPF 2 means that 2 hours equals one in the sun; that an SPF 15 means 15 hours equals one in the sun. SPF numbers indicate how much your time in the sun can be multiplied before sunburning. A nanometer is the unit of measurement for Ultraviolet wavelengths. UVA intensity is consistent year-round and on cloudy days. UVA penetrates the epidermis; UVB does not. There were 400,000 cases of skin cancer in 1987, and the number is increasing annually. Deaths from Melanoma exceeded 6,700 in 1992, and that number is increasing as well. In the year 2000 projections indicated that ... There would be 1.3 million cases of Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer and 1900 people would die. There would be 48,000 new cases of Melanoma Cancer and 7700 people would die. In the year 2001, the American Academy of Dermatology estimated that ... There would be 51,400 Americans diagnosed with Melanoma - the deadliest form of skin cancer. It also projected that melanoma would cause 7,800 deaths in 2001.There will be 48,000 new cases of Melanoma Cancer and 7700 people will die. Please be smart, use protection and don't become a statistic.

CARDINAL RULES FOR SUNTANNING

REAPPLY SUNSCREENS FREQUENTLY! Sweating & swimming will dilute any sunscreen's effectiveness. Next to inadequate SPF (or a total lack of protection), the failure to reapply consistently is the single biggest cause of burning! Under intense sun conditions, reapply at least every hour. DON'T RUB IT IN! Research proves that the traditional method of rubbing suncare products quickly into the skin results in the rapid absorption of the lotion. This leaves the outermost layers of skin with far less SPF than you may require. For example, an SPF 15 suncare product can be quickly reduced to the effectiveness of an SPF 3 or 4 -- either by using too little lotion, or by rubbing it too quickly or deeply into the skin. DAB your sunscreen onto sun-sensitive areas, such as the nose and forehead -- anywhere the bone is close to thin skin -- and then LAY the sunscreen on the rest of your body with a light motion. Wait 60 seconds before you slowly stroke the sunscreen, spreading it evenly over and into the skin. TAKE FREQUENT SHADE BREAKS! Rather than sun-blasting your skin continuously for extended periods, take frequent shade breaks of 15 minutes or longer. Let your skin cool down & recover from the sun's bombardment, about once every hour -- you can handle more sun more safely this way! KEEP SKIN MOISTURIZED WHILE IN THE SUN! Dry skin is far more likely to burn than moist skin, and moist skin tans faster, deeper, and your tan will last much longer. Absolutely Natural's rich natural sunscreens are formulated to keep skin deeply moisturized while in the sun. NEVER EXPOSE BURNED SKIN TO MORE SUN! Heal your skin before resuming tanning. Burned skin will not tan -- it will only get worse. Use Absolutely Natural's Pure Aloe Gel to heal burns, and Absolutely Natural's Rosehip Aloe to rehydrate and revitalize the skin before going back in the sun. Keep burned skin cool, and try to minimize sweating through burned skin, to minimize chances of blistering. Never put waterproof sunscreens on sun-sensitive, pink, or burned skin -- the waxes in waterproof products will interfere with your skin's normal functions and with the healing process. DON'T TRY TO SLAM-DUNK A TAN! If you're starting off with fair skin, go easy for the first couple of days. Gradually get your skin accustomed to increased levels of UV light. A short time in the sun on the first day (with shade breaks), with progressively longer exposure on subsequent days works best. You're far more likely to burn with fair skin that hasn't seen strong sunlight for a while. When you have a base tan established, your skin is producing enough melanin to supplement the protection of your sunscreen. As you gradually get darker, you can extend your sun time, lower the SPF you're using, and even use one of Absolutely Natural's fine tanning oils to accelerate and deepen the tan. CONDITION YOUR SKIN BEFORE AND AFTER SUN EXPOSURE! Your skin should be hydrated, nourished, and healthy before any extensive sun exposure. During sun exposure, your skin works very hard defending itself, with melanin production being its primary biochemical weapon. After long sun exposure, you need to replenish the moisture and nutrients your skin has used while coping with the sun, which means that after-sun conditioning is critical, especially if planning more sun the next day. Absolutely Natural's Rosehip Aloe is formulated to do both jobs -- heal & revitalize your skin after sun exposure, and prepare it to handle more sun the next day in the best possible condition. If you've had extensive sun exposure & gained a lot of color (tan, pink, even red), then use Absolutely Natural's Pure Aloe Gel before using the Rosehip Aloe for best skin conditioning results. COOL IT! If your skin overheats, it frequently reacts with a classic heat rash (red bumbs & blotches -- itchy too). This can quickly lead to easy burning, and it can spoil whatever great tan you may already have. Take those occasional shade breaks! Cool off in the water frequently, and REAPPLY your sunscreen! Avoid waterproof, sport block, sweatproof, & baby block type sunscreens if spending extended periods in the sun. The petroleum bases in these products can contribute to skin overheating quickly! Use waxless products such as Absolutely Natural's natural sunscreens to allow your skin to function properly, and to help keep skin below that critical damaging temperature. Also avoid thick, heavy oils (like mineral oil), which can clog the pores & cause the same overheating problem as those waxy sunscreens. REMEMBER THE 3 P's: Protect - Use SPF's appropriate for your skin type, with specific emphasis on those bony thin-skinned places and on areas where you've had little previous sun exposure, using an SPF 15 or 25, and REAPPLY frequently & consistently! If you already have a good base tan, an SPF 8 may be a sufficient protector for these sun-sensitive areas. Promote - On the parts of the body with muscle or fat and thicker skin away from the bone (that's most of the body), promote a safe rate of tanning with an SPF 8, or with an SPF 4 if you have a relatively hardy skin type (naturally dark or olive skin) or if you know that those parts of your body rarely burn, even in intense conditions. Use Absolutely Natural's Professional or Platinum Oils on those hardy body parts to promote faster, deeper, richer tanning. Prolong - Use a rich rehydrator & conditioner, especially after any significant sun exposure, such as Absolutely Natural's Rosehip Aloe. This will heal & rejuvenate your skin, deepen your tan, and allow you to retain your tan far longer. Keep using the Rosehip Aloe several times daily after your vacation, when you're no longer getting any sun exposure, and your tan will persist deeper, darker, and longer than ever before! Continued use on a daily basis, even without a tan, will keep your skin soft, moist, smooth, and supple.