 This is the website of Quintessentials New Zealand Limited. Quintessentials Natural Sunscreen is an innovative New Zealand product that in 2009 was awarded Tech NZ support for its development through the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology. State-of-the-art processes and knowledge have been utilised to create a natural and organic sunscreen incorporating raw materials that are as close to nature as possible - many of which are New Zealand sourced. Photograph on Facebook as Quintessentials 100% Natural Sunscreen NEWSFLASH - DECEMBER 2011 UPDATE
Introducing Our Two Natural Sunscreens for This Season
New Zealand's South Pacific Summer of 2011 - 2012
Quintessentials Natural Sunscreen is made up of naturally derived ingredients many of which are New Zealand sourced. This year we are providing two formulation – Traditional and Lite. Both contain similar base ingredients (see below). Quintessentials Traditional sunscreen gives a richer, oilier texture than the Lite due to the special combination of New Zealand seed oils that contain a balanced proportion of the essential fatty acids, Omegas 3, 6 and 9, to give maximum anti-inflammatory and moisturising benefit. The Traditional also contains a number of botanical extracts that have been selected from “the four utopias” of the world for their anti-oxidant, anti-microbial and healing effects on the skin. Because of these ingredients the heavier sunscreen is slightly tinted and has an oily application (good for water sports) with some whitening effect. Quintessentials Lite, on the other hand, is a non-oily, hypo-allergenic cream without the addition of extra carrier oils and botanicals. It is white in colour, has a smooth texture and is recommended for sensitive skins or wearing under make-up. 1. List of Ingredients with Certifications and Sourcing
Base Ingredients (found in both sunscreens) D.I. Water (Aqua), Zinc oxide 22.5% (ECOCERT organic certification), Caprylic / Capric Triglyceride (ECOCERT organic certification), Jojoba Seed Oil, Vitamin E (d-Alpha tocopheryl acetate) oil (100% Pure Natural), Shea (Butyrospermum parkii) butter extract (Pure Natural), Cetearyl alcohol (ECOCERT organic certification), Cocoglucoside (ECOCERT Organic Certification), Cetearyl Glucoside (ECOCERT Organic Certification), glycerol stearate, Xanthan gum, Radiata pine (NZ Pinus radiata) bark extract, Potassium sorbate (natural) as stabiliser. Quintessentials Traditional (formulation 1) Includes Base Ingredients plus …. Hemp (Cannabis sativa) and/or Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum) seed oils (N.Z. Spray-Free / GMO Free), Star Flower (Borago officinalis) and/or Carrot (Daucus carota) seed oils (both N.Z. Spray-Free / GMO Free), Kumerahou (Pomaderris kumerahou) leaf extract (N.Z. Wild Crafted), Makomako (Aristotelia serrata) plant extract (N.Z. Wild Crafted), Pohutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa) leaf extract (N.Z. Wild Crafted), Olive (Olea europea) leaf extract (GMP Compliant Australia What is GMP | ISPE), Ningxia Wolfberry (Lycium barbarum) fruit extract (GMP Compliant Australia), Sarsarparilla (Smilax ornata) root extract (GMP Compliant Australia), Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) root extract (GMP Compliant Australia), Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) plant extract (GMP Compliant Australia), Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) fruit extract (GMP Compliant Australia), Totara (Podocarpus totara) bark extract (IFOAM Accred.//N.Z. BioGro Organic Cert No. 5033), Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) oleoresin (Certified 100% Pure), Rose Geranium (Pelargonium roseum) essential oil (100% Pure), Ylang Ylang (Cananga odorata) essential oil (100% Pure). Quintessentials Lite (formulation 2) Includes Base Ingredients plus … Lavender officinalis essential oil (as fragrance) and Geogard Natural (an Ecocert approved natural preservative). See www.materiamedica.co.nz for further description of each ingredient and mission statement.
2. List of Stockists PURCHASE FROM OUR STOCKISTS NATIONWIDE: Village Organics (Frankton/Hamilton), The Herbal Shop Hamilton, Naturally Healthy Hamilton, Hardys Chartwell, Health 2000 Cambridge, Natures Pantry Te Awamutu, Positive Health Te Awamutu, Health 2000 Matamata, Health 2000 Morrinsville, Health 2000 Whitianga, Whangamata Wellness, Waihi Beach Natural Health, Health 2000 Rotorua, Hardys Taupo, Nature Zone Whakatane, Michelles Health & Nutrition Whakatane, Natural Therapies Te Puke, City Markets Tauranga, Health Haven Brookfield Tauranga, Palm Beach Health Papamoa, The Good Earth Tauranga, Health 2000 Greerton, Bethlehem Health & Tea Shop, Hardys Bethlehem, Vitality Foods Gisborne, Katikati Health Shop, Hardys Papakura, Hardys St Lukes, IE Produce Takapuna, Kohi Health 2000 Auckland, Total Health Mt Eden, Eden Health & Beauty Mt Eden, Huckleberry Farms Stores, Harvest Wholefood GreyLynn, Naturally Organic Albany, Nature Storeroom Orewa, Northcote Health Food Store, Lifesense Stores Auckland, Waiheke Organic Food, Hardys Downtown Auckland, Hardys Whangaparaoa, Warkworth Health Shop, Natural Health Shop Kerikeri, Hardys Kerikeri, Avalon Health Whangarei, PutiPuti Ra Whangarei, Calico Health 2000 Masterton, Self Heal Greytown, EverWell Living Limited, Cornucopia (Hastings), Chantal Foods Napier, Health 2000 New Plymouth, The Herb Farm Palmerston North, Commonsense Organics Wellington / Lower Hutt / Kilbirnie / Kapiti, Curds N Whey Blenheim, BodyWise Nelson, Organic Green Grocer Nelson, Golden Bay Wines Takaka, Healthpost Collingwood, Riverton Organic Co-Op Southland, Quintessentials on-line at office@quintessentialsnz.co.nz 3. Frequently Asked Questions * What is the SPF of your sunscreen? A well-dispersed Zinc oxide level of 22.5% (our only active ingredient) gives an SPF of between 20 to 30+. * Does the sunscreen meet the A/NZS2604: 1998 Standard? Yes it does, this has been unofficially indicated by the testing laboratory. We have not completed the SPF testing because of pending changes to compliance regulations and the cost involved. But the Critical Wavelength has been tested and determined which gives it its broad spectrum coverage. * What is the Critical Wavelength of your sunscreen? The Critical Wavelength of Quintessentials Sunscreen has been scientifically tested to be 375 - giving full broad-spectrum protection. * How do you apply the sunscreen? The sunscreen should be applied to all areas of the skin that are exposed to the sun. It is commonly advised that sunscreen should be applied every 2-3 hours no matter what the SPF. Some research has shown that the best protection is achieved by application 15-30 minutes before exposure, followed by another application 15-30 minutes after the sun exposure begins. Further reapplication is necessary every 2-3 hours and after swimming, sweating, rubbing / wiping. * Is it safe to apply your sunscreen during the winter months or under my make-up all year round? We strongly recommend that you do NOT apply sunscreen all year round ( see Skin Cancer/Sunscreen- the Dilemma ).Your body needs to be exposed to the sun every day for it to manufacture Vitamin D, a major nutrient essential for the health of the immune system. Depleting yourself of sun can encourage deficiencies in Vitamin D thus causing many health problems from the common cold to cancer. We recommend sun exposure for 10-20 minutes every day with care so as not to burn. * Is Quintessentials natural sunscreen safe for babies? Yes, our sunscreen can be used for babies (preferably the Lite formulation), as long as you patch test first. Apply to only the exposed areas of babies' skin and keep babies well covered and out of the hot sun to prevent their growing cells from being damaged that causes sun related problems later in life. However, babies and children do need some light sun exposure, away from the middle hours of the day, in order to obtain their Vitamin D for their growing bones. * Do you list all your ingredients on the tube? Yes. * Do you use synthetic preservatives?In Quintessentials Traditional we use a unique preservative system derived from natural sources that are cultivated and processed entirely in New Zealand. In Quintessentials Lite we use a unique natural preservative from Europe. * Do you use any synthetic emulsifier? No. Many of the emulsifiers we use have organic certification. * Do you use any synthetic fragrances? No, our sunscreens use only essential oils for their fragrances. * Do you use palm oil in your formulation? No, we do not. * Does your sunscreen contain any antioxidants? Yes, the Base contains Vitam E oil and the Traditional contains many anti-oxidant botanicals. * Are your sunscreen ingredients obtained from sustainable sources? We believe so. * Does Quintessentials sunscreen use nano zinc oxide? No. The small particle Zinc oxide is not used in our sunscreen. The use of nano zinc oxide in sunscreens is controversial and there is growing evidence to show that this form of zinc oxide is dangerous for both humans and the environment. Some research shows that nano particles pass through the skin barrier into the bloodstream. Other research shows that these particles are getting in to the world’s waterways and earth’s ecosystem where they may have a congestive effect on plant and animal micro-organisms at the cellular level. It is because of this dual concern that we prefer to avoid the use of nano zinc oxide in our sunscreen. * Does Quintessentials sunscreen use microfine zinc oxide? We use micron-sized zinc oxide, also known as "microfine" zinc oxide. This larger particle zinc oxide does not penetrate the epidermis of the skin and stays on the surface, where it should be. The unique feature of our Zinc oxide is the high transparency due to breakthrough technology that makes larger micron-sized particles of zinc oxide transparent. * What is the particle size of the zinc oxide you use? The particle size of the Zinc oxide in Quintessentials natural sunscreen is greater than one micron. One micron is made up of 1000 nano particles, which means that one-micron is one thousand times larger than a nano particle. * Why do you prefer to use Zinc oxide than Titanium dioxide? Titanium dioxide primarily provides protection against UVB and short-wave UVA radiation. It does not protect you from long-wave UVA radiation that is the kind of radiation that promotes ageing, DNA damage and cancers. Only two sunscreen ingredients provide protection against long wave UVA rays. They are the physical or inorganic Zinc oxide and the chemical or organic ingredient Avobenzone (Parsol 1789). Recent European legislation on the UVA filtration capacity of sunscreens demands that a level of UVA protection be achieved and that this protection be at least one third of the capacity of its SPF rating for UVB protection. This has meant that a number of European companies providing natural sunscreens that use only titanium dioxide in their formulations have had to withdraw their present sunscreen product from the market as, according to the new legislation, these sunscreens do not give adequate protection from UVA radiation. American legislation is more lax and many American sunscreens give inadequate UVA protection and only protect you from sunburn. • titanium dioxide: * Why do you not use traditional UV absorbers such as Avobenzone? Avobenzone (Butyl-methyoxydibenzoylmethane / Parsol 1789) is a chemical absorber and thus it is not a choice for us as an active ingredient in our natural sunscreen. This chemical has a number of disadvantages and these have been well documented on the Internet. www.skinbiology.com/toxicsunscreens.html Some of the problems with this ingredient are that it is not photo-stable and is highly reactive being a powerful free-radical generator. It has been know to degrade in the presence of sunlight rendering it ineffective within just one hour and has been found to degrade other sunscreen ingredients. Although it is considered to be relatively non-toxic and non-irritating to the skin, it is easily absorbed through the epidermis and it does not protect against UVA shortwave radiation. * What is meant by Critical Wavelength? Critical Wavelenght indicates the amount of UVB and UVA protection that a sunscreen gives. It is measured in terms of nanometres (nm) of radiation. If a sunscreen protects you from radiation that is up to 370nm in length, allowing no more than 10% penetration of radiation over this spectrum (ie. 90% of the rays are blocked), it is considered to have a Critical Wavelength of 370. Any sunscreen giving this amount of protection and above is considered to be a broad-spectrum sunscreen as it protects you from cancer causing UVA radiation that has a longer wavelength, as well as the sunburn causing UVB radiation that has a shorter wavelength. Quintessentials Natural Sunscreen has a very high Critical Wavelength and protects you from radiation of up to 375nm in lengths. * What does SPF mean? SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. It is the system used world wide to determine how much protection from sunburn a sunscreen provides when applied to the skin at a thickness of 2mg/cm2. The test works out how much UVB radiation it takes to cause a barely detectable sunburn on a given person with and without sunscreen applied. For example if it takes 10 minutes to burn without a sunscreen and 100 minutes to burn with a sunscreen then the SPF of that sunscreen is 10 (100/10). A sunscreen with an SPF15 provides 92% protection against UVB. Protection against UVB is increased to 97% with SPF 30+. The difference between SPF 15 and SPF 30 may not be a noticeable difference in actual use as the effectiveness of a sunscreen has more to do with how much of it is applied, how often it is applied, whether the person is sweating heavily or is exposed to water. Hence a sunscreen of SPF 15 should provide adequate protection as long as it is being used correctly (summarised from Derm Net NZ website). * Why does Quintessentials advocate that Critical Wavelength is more important than SPF and more safe as an indicator of protection? Critical Wavelength indicates the amount of overall protection you will achieve from UVA as well as UVB radiation, whereas SPF only indicates the amount of protection you will receive from sunburn. An SPF 65 may stop you from burning in the sun for a long period of time but it is not necessarily going to protect you from the insidious and lethal UVA radiation that causes the deadly melanomas, other cancers, DNA damage and skin ageing. Also a high SPF may encourage you to stay out in the sun longer thinking that you are being protected when in fact you are exposing yourself to extra quantities of harmful UVA radiation. However, Critical Wavelength does not indicate how long you can stay out in the sun until you get sunburnt and this is why we advocate no more than 90-120 minutes exposure to the sun before reapply the sunscreen or, better still, moving out of the sun. * Why do you advocate testing for Critical Wavelength over and above testing for SPF? Critical wavelength gives a specific measurement of broad-spectrum coverage whilst SPF does not. Also, we are against the methods of SPF testing as we are against animal testing of all kinds, including testing on human animals. All sunscreens with an official SPF rating are tested on animals – specifically the human animal. SPF can only be determined after the skin of humans (and other lower order animals in earlier tests before them) have been subjected to harmful levels of radiation in the laboratory where in vivo tests are carried out so as to cause sunburn. Critical wavelength is an in vitro test and does not require human or other animal subjects to test on. * Why does Quintessentials maintain that an SPF15 is healthier for consumers than higher SPF sunscreens? It is very hard to achieve an SPF above 30 using safe and natural active ingredients. By ‘safe and natural’ we mean by using micron-sized Zinc oxide alone. An SPF30+ can be achieved by using micron-sized zinc oxide, but the sunscreen is likely to be quite oily and thick and will lack the finer texture that is found in a slightly lower SPF using micron-sized zinc oxide. Sunscreens that do not use micron-sized Zinc oxide can achieve a high SPF with a finer texture by using nano-sized zinc oxide, but these tiny particles penetrate through the skin and enter the bloodstream and are therefore, in our estimation, not healthy. The very high SPF’s include chemical absorbers and these have varying toxic side effects, which are unhealthy. Tripling SPF from 15 to 45 provides only 4.5% more protection yet demands up to 300% more toxic chemical exposure. These economics simply do not make sense in terms of reducing skin cancer rates, which are not surprisingly increasing. Quintessentials uses only micron-sized Zinc oxide as it does not penetrate through the epidermis and is thus better for you. * What are "the Four Utopias"? The four Utopias are El-Dorado (Central and South America), Shangri-La (the Asiatic Continent), Utopia (the European and African Continents) and Aotearoa (New Zealand and Australia). These are the pristine regions of the world where our ingredients have been sourced. * What is meant by "broad spectrum"? This means that Quintessentials Natural Sunscreen is a broad-spectrum sunscreen that has an active ingredient in it that protects you from two types of Ultra Violet (UV) radiation – UVB and UVA. Both of these kinds of radiation enter the earth’s atmosphere and can harm your skin. With the inclusion of 22.5% Zinc oxide our sunscreen has been formulated to protect you from both of these kinds of harmful radiation and thus has a broad-spectrum coverage. * What is UVB and UVA radiation? UV radiation is one form of radiation from the sun. The sun radiates energy in a wide range of wavelengths most of which are invisible to the human eye. There are three types of radiation that differ in wavelength, frequency and energy. First there is visible light that can be seen by the eye and has a wavelength between 400 – 700 nanometres. A nanometer is one billionth of a metre. We see visible light rays as the colours of the rainbow. Each colour has a different wavelength. Red has the longest wavelength and violet has the shortest wavelength. When all the waves are seen together they make white light. Secondly, there is infrared light, which has a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measuring between 750 – 1000 nanometres. The name means “beyond red”, the red being the visible light with the longest wavelength. Thirdly, there is ultra violet light, which has a wavelength shorter than that of visible light. Violet or purple being the visible light with the shortest wavelength. The name means “beyond violet”, violet being the colour of the shortest wave of visible light. Ultra-violet (UV) light has a shorter wavelength than that of violet light. It ranges between 280 – 400 nanometres. Scientists have found that the shorter the wavelength, the more energetic the radiation and the greater the potential for harm. * How does UVB and UVA radiation damage the skin? Rays from UVB radiation has a wavelength between 290 – 320 nanometres. They are mostly absorbed by the ozone layer but some do reach the earth’s surface. They are strongest at the equator and during summer months and in areas that are more affected by reduced ozone density. They primarily affect the top most layer of the skin where they stimulate the production of new melanin leading to a heavy increase in the dark coloured pigment within a few days. A darkened skin may last a relatively long time and provides some protection against sunburn and on a white skin offers a sun protection factor of between 2 and 4. UVB also stimulates the cells to produce a thicker epidermis. The rays are thus responsible for the darkening and thickening of the outer layers. This is the body’s defense against further UV damage. High doses of UVB rays also cause acute photo damage mainly as sunburn that manifests as redness and pain. Most of the skin cells in the upper skin layer are killed and cells that are not killed get damaged. A strong sunburn may cause the skin to blister and peel which is not only painful but also leaves a very white and new skin underneath unprotected and even more prone to UV damage. UVA radiation has a wavelength between 320 – 400 nanometres. It is not absorbed by the ozone layer in any way. In more recent years, researchers have discovered that UVA has two wavelengths. There are short wave UVA1 rays (320-340 nm), and long wave UVA2 rays (340-400 nm). It is the existence of these two lengths of UVA rays and their powerful ability to penetrate to the deeper living cells of the dermis that causes us a lot of concern. UVA are the longest waves and are a hundred times more prevalent that UVBs occurring more constantly throughout the year and having harmful effects during any season. They activate melanin pigment already present in the upper skin layer creating a tan that appears quickly but is also lost quickly. Their damage is insidious and invisible because they do not cause reddening or pain and we are usually not aware of our exposure to it. They even penetrate glass, subjecting us to exposure at home, work and in the car. UVA rays penetrate more deeply into the skin than UVBs and work more efficiently, affecting the connective tissue and blood vessels. Recent research strongly suggests that UVA radiation directly interacts with the skin’s DNA. Its primary weapon of destruction is the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), a destructive molecule known as a “free radical” which causes cumulative damage to the healthy molecules within the range of its action. This causes damage to the skin’s immune system and reduces the body’s ability to defend itself against certain diseases. UVA is also the primary cause of premature ageing in the body. Ageing is seen as the thinning of the epidermis, wrinkles and roughness, a leather-like appearance of the skin, deep crevice-type rhytids and dark spots or hyper-pigmentation and loss of collagen and elastic tissue damage, which gives a sagging, drooping look to the skin. Scientists believe that 90% of perceived skin ageing is due to broad-spectrum ultra violet damage. But more importantly, these UVA rays are thought to be the cause of more aggressive skin cancers, including deadly melanomas. * Is there a message in the colours you use on the sunscreen tube? Yes, the tube is symbolic of earth, sand and life. The first colour is “sand”. It represents the sand of the beaches that we all enjoy during the summer months. Although we welcome the sunshine when it returns to us and when we are at the beach on holiday, it is a time we must remember to protect ourselves from the damage that the sun can do. When you are enjoying the sea and the sand remember to always cover up well with cotton clothes and a hat and apply lots of sunscreen before and after swimming. The second colour is “Pohutukawa Red”. It is a colour that reflects our Christmas time in New Zealand and our summer holidays – a time we are forgetting all our worries and chilling out at the bach or in the boat or at the beach. But it is a time we must remember to protect ourselves from the sun – for Pohutukawa Red can also represent the sunburn we want to avoid. The last colour is “Earth”. This is the deep rich colour of our planet that gives us the seeds and the plants that keep us protected from the damage that the sun can do. It is representative of the four utopias – the pristine regions of the world that we must protect, just as the fruits from these soils protect us. * What is your Mission Statement? See www.materiamedica.co.nz for our poem on our company philosophy.
4. About Us: The Quest for a Quintessential Sunscreen
Defining the Mission: In Harmony with Nature In November 2007, Hamilton naturopath / medical herbalist Zoe Aitchison-Windeler ( www.naturaltherapypages.co.nz/therapist/1689 and also on Facebook) set out on what would become a two year quest to develop a quintessential natural sunscreen. Aware of an increasing consumer demand for clearly labeled natural body care products www.sunscreencoverup.co.nz , she was determined to create a sunscreen based on naturopathic and environmentalist principles that advocated an ethic of accurate disclosure of all ingredients used in the formulation. Such a sunscreen would be free of nano particles, and would contain no titanium dioxide or chemical UV absorbers, no synthetic preservatives or emulsifiers and no artificial colours or fragrances. It would use only “raw” naturally processed ingredients that were as close to nature as possible and that had been produced from sustainable resources. These ingredients would be listed on the tube and in a brochure available with the sunscreen. As well as being focused on issues of quality and integrity of ingredients, the company’s mission was to also perfect a cosmetic product that would have a texture and consistency that would appeal to most consumers. It would be a non-oily, but richly moisturising and anti-oxidant high quality cream giving a matt finish and having no whitening effect. In essence, a quintessential sunscreen would embody a dual purpose: it would be both a highly effective broad-spectrum sun block and an easy to apply silky smooth body cream.
Refining the Theory: Towards an Ethical Sunscreen The company’s mission was to select only raw materials of vegetable origin that were of the highest quality, and sourced from pristine regions of the world where they were cultivated using sustainable farming practices and processed without the addition of synthetic or toxic chemicals, fertilizers or additives / preservatives. The focus was on using as many New Zealand ingredients as possible www.materiamedica.co.nz . The formulation comprises a high percentage of pure New Zealand ingredients that are grown, cultivated and processed in strict GE / GMO free conditions as well as a number of organic raw materials from outside sources that are ECO Cert approved (France’s Organic Certification). All of the botanical extracts are either naturally or organically grown or wild harvested and processed in strict conditions without the use of excipients for extraction.
In February 2009 Quintessentials New Zealand Limited was awarded TechNZ support through the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (www.frst.govt.nz) for the continued development of this innovative product. Over the first year samples were submitted to the laboratory for efficacity testing of the unique natural preservative system. These microbiological challenge tests achieved excellent results giving the product a two year shelf life. Stability testing was also carried out on the emulsion with only slight changes being made to the original formulation prior to the launching of the sunscreen in December 2009. Since then, work has continued at Quintessentials to further enhance the product. First the fragrance was improved with the addition of our south-pacific essential oil blend and then the emulsion was adjusted to enhance the texture for a lighter cream. The product has been scientifically tested in vitro at an Australian laboratory for its Critical Wavelength and has been given a rating of 375. 5. Company Contact Details Quintessentials New Zealand Limited, P.O. Box 12-490 Hamilton 3248, New Zealand Email: office@quintessentialsnz.co.nz . If office doesn't get through try quintessentials@vodafone.co.nz Websites: www.materiamedica.co.nz www.sunscreencoverup.co.nz www.absolutelynatural.co.nz www.naturaltherapypages.co.nz/therapist/1689 www.tutorshome.co.nz MIQuest/C.V.
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