What Do Our Little Icons Mean?
The five little icons that appear under our Apicare branded products are not just there to look cute and pretty. They actually carry important messages about our products that can directly affect your health. Learn more about what these little icons mean to see why we emphasis the benefits of natural ingredients used in our products.

MADE IN NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand is notable for its geographic isolation, which produced a unique set of extraordinary flora and fauna. Until the arrival of humans, 80% of the land was forested.

New Zealand is renowned worldwide for its pristine environment, clean air, mountains, rushing rivers, green pastures and of course sheep. The southern part of New Zealand's South Island has been designated a World Heritage Area in recognition of its natural, unspoilt beauty. New Zealand has led the world in island restoration projects where offshore islands are cleared of introduced mammalian pests and native species are reintroduced. Several islands located near to the three main islands are wildlife reserves where common pests such as possums and rodents have been eradicated to allow the reintroduction of endangered species to the islands.

Our Apicare branded skin care products are proudly made in New Zealand. The major ingredients, such as UMF16+ active manuka honey, beeswax, and spring water, are all locally sourced to ensure the cleanest, most pristine products are made available to you.

NO PARABENS
Parabens-- such as propylparaben, ethylparaben and butylparaben--are synthetic preservatives commonly used in cosmetics and personal care products like shampoos, skin creams and deodorants.

For starters, parabens can mimic the hormone estrogen, which is known to play a role in the development of breast cancers. Furthermore, in the July 2002 issue of the Archives of Toxicology , Dr. S. Oishi of the Department of Toxicology, Tokyo Metropolitan Research Laboratory of Public Health reported that exposure of newborn male mammals to butylparaben "adversely affects the secretion of testosterone and the function of the male reproductive system."

There have been studies on both sides of the argument. The jury is still out, but there is no harm in being careful. Remember, lack of understanding and time to conduct long-term studies can make scientists deem products safe initially, then realize much later on that they actually caused all sorts of diseases (e.g. Teflon coating was recently discovered to be linked to cancers). If there’s a safe alternative available, why take the chance?

NO MINERAL OIL
Mineral oil or liquid petrolatum is a by-product in the distillation of petroleum to produce gasoline. It is a transparent, colorless oil composed mainly of alkanes (typically 15 to 40 carbons) and cyclic paraffins, related to white petrolatum. It has no scent and will not spoil. Because it’s a leftover product, it is abundantly available and is very inexpensive. In fact, it is more expensive to dispose of mineral oil than to buy it. It’s a common ingredient in commercial lotions, creams and baby care products.

When applied to the skin, mineral oil forms a thin layer that is difficult to absorb and clogs the pores, which slows the skin’s ability to eliminate toxins. Remember, the skin is the largest organ in the human body and plays an important role in maintaining overall health.

Once the oil is absorbed by the skin, it is broken down by the liver and passes through the intestinal tract, during which it will absorb all of the fat-soluble vitamins found there. Mineral oil is essentially stealing important vitamins from the body that can eventually lead to nutritional deficiencies. Studies have shown forms of pneumonia caused by mineral oil decreasing lung function, known as lipoid pneumonia.

Some might say that mineral oil is perfectly okay to use because it forms a film or barrier on the skin that seals in moisture and repels water. Bear in mind that your skin is a living organ, it is alive and must be allowed to function as nature intended. When foreign substances, in this case petroleum byproducts, are applied to the skin, there can be undesirable consequences. Those can range from a simple rash, to discolorations, to cysts and sores, or to worse. The body will react one way or another when it is not being cared for properly or fed bad “food” (skin care products). In some individuals reactions may be immediate, for others it may be over a period of years.

pH BALANCED
pH stands for power of hydrogen and is measured by using “litmus paper”. Acids have pH values under 7.0, and alkalis have pH values over 7.0. If a substance has a pH value of 7.0, it is neutral, neither acidic nor alkaline. The following is a generalized table of examples of pH:
1. pH 0 ­ battery acid
2. pH 1 ­ hydrochloric acid
3. pH 2 ­ lemon juice, vinegar
4. pH 3 ­ grapefruit
5. pH 4 ­ tomato juice
6. pH 5 ­ black coffee
7. pH 6 ­ urine/saliva
8. pH 7 ­ fresh water, milk
9. pH 8 ­ sea water
10. pH 9 ­ baking soda
11. pH 10 ­ Milk of Magnesia®
12. pH 11 ­ ammonia
13. pH 12 ­ soap
14. pH 13 ­ bleach
15. pH 14 ­ liquid drain cleaner

The body has its own specific pH value. In fact, each of the body fluids has a specific pH value. The blood, for example, has a more alkaline pH balance averaging between 7.1 and 7.4. The saliva and urine are more acidic, averaging between 6.4 and 6.6. The pH of normal skin ranges from 4 to 6.5, which is slightly acidic, this is sometimes called the "acid mantle".

The acid mantle is created by a combination of sebum, the oily substance that keeps the skin waterproof and lubricated, and sweat. One of the main functions of this acid mantle is to protect the skin and body from the absorption of bacteria. As bacteria cannot survive in an acidic environment, maintaining the correct level of acidity in your skin is vital.

If the acid mantle is disrupted, the skin also becomes more susceptible to damage. Over exposure to weather and sun can bring on dry skin in any season, whether the pH disruption is acid or alkaline in nature. To avoid getting dry skin or to treat dry skin, it is important to choose natural skin care treatment products that have the proper pH balance.

Alkaline conditions stronger than pH 8 are very irritating to the skin and, unbeknownst to most consumers, the majority of skin care products are too alkaline. Many commercial skin care products have a pH factor of 9 to 11, giving the skin a tight, super clean feel after usage. However, this disrupts the pH level of the skin, which can take up to 14 hours to return to normal. But by the time healing could take place, we've often used the products again so the skin never really gets a chance to repair. This cycle of damage upon damage could lead to chronic dry skin, and allow bacteria such as staphyloccus aureus to thrive that could contribute to skin conditions such as eczema and atopic dermatitis.

Fortunately, this cycle is changeable as soon as you start consistently using pH balanced natural skin care products. Naturenu's products are pH balanced, preserving the integrity of your skin's acid mantle, so they're safe to use every day and are safe for all skin types.

NO ANIMAL TESTING
Testing on animals is detestable and it is clear that it is often of little use for predicting the effect of chemicals on human beings - which further undermines its use as a method of assessing safety. Unfortunately, hundreds of thousands of animals are poisoned, blinded or killed every year in outdated ineffective product tests for personal care and household products. These are not required by law and often produce inaccurate and misleading results. And the worst part is, even if the product has harmed an animal, it can still be marketed to us.

*** WARNING: WHAT FOLLOWS IS NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED ***

The cosmetic and skin care industry uses four basic tests on animals.

The first test is for eye irritations, or the Draize test, in which shampoos and cosmetics are put into rabbit’s eyes. The rabbits are strapped into a contraption to keep them from moving and their eyes are fastened open. The chemical causes blistering, swelling and blindness. The pain often becomes so intense that the rabbit breaks its back trying to get away from it.

The second test is the skin irritation test in which the test animal has an area of its back stripped of fur and the test product repeatedly rubbed into the bare skin causing rash, pain and swelling.

The third test is the LD/50 test (Lethal Dose - 50% Die). In this test cosmetics are force fed to test animals to determine the amount necessary to cause 50% of them to die in severe agony from such things as organ blockage, toxic reaction, and convulsions.

Fourth is the inhalation test. In this test, animals are sprayed repeatedly in the face for a 2-1/2 hour period, and then killed and their tissues examined.

Remember this when you purchase and use cosmetics and skin care products of a brand that tests on live animals.