Charles Bourns, Chairman of the National Farmers’ Union poultry committee, described Asda’s decision as “shameful”.   It is the latest blow for British turkey producers, who have not had the support they need from the big supermarkets over many years.   British turkey production has reduced from around 49 million birds a year ten years ago to about 17 million today.

If Follows Plums and Cheese

This follows my 2 previous BLOGS earlier this year – the first about Sainsbury’s importing plums, whilst beautiful British Victoria plums rotted in our own orchards and the second about the scandalous importation of large blocks of European cheddar being imported, chopped up and labelled as “packaged in Britain” and accompanied by the Union Jack.

Buying British is Important

Britain needs to make enormous efforts to revive our essential farming industry.   We support the Fair Trade initiative, that provides fair dealing for the unprotected small farmers of the Developing Countries, and we fully understand the benefits that global trade has brought to peoples worldwide; but when we have a plentiful supply of fresh turkeys grown on standards assured British farms, to import frozen mass produced birds from Brazil ignores all the woes which the recent Copenhagen Climate Change Talks sought to address, for the questionable benefit of a price that is apparently cheaper due to lower labour costs and cheaper feed – possibly produced on cleared Rain Forest.  Let us have confidence in all our home produce and work towards pride in our own self-sufficiency.   Buying British makes sense to reduce global warming and pollution and to support  independent and confident home food production.    We must support our own economy and farming heritage before it completely disappears.    

British Skincare Traditions

For similar reasons, it is just as important to buy Yin Yang, an entirely British beauty routine because it is good quality, supports our own heritage, comes without a cost to the environment and IT WORKS.   For almost 40 years Yin Yang has been the first choice of many loyal customers who tell us that it is an integral part of their healthy regime.   This consumer appreciation is the best encouragement for any producer, so let us give our support to as many British farmers and manufacturers as we can.   Let us be proud of our traditions and heritage to secure a good future for us all.

A Good Year for Yin Yang

This year has seen a new beginning for Yin Yang, with several awards and lots of positive press, which has reconnected us with Yin Yang fans as well as bringing us many new ones.   As I look after the  orders, which are  generated by the Website, I have been in touch with you all by telephone, letter or web and as ever, it is good to know that the products do a good job.  

The Website & The Blog

Thanks to our creative website team, we have a busy interactive website with lots of communicative technocology (Facebook and Twitter) and a busy BLOG looked after by Chrissie, who has a wonderful feel for finding just the right illustrations for each subject.   Our Skin Science reporter has a knack of investigating leading edge and current scientific issues that affect our health.   I have found it essential to defend our British farmers twice this year.   The first occasion was when our main supermarkets were importing plums from abroad as the British plums rotted in our farmer’s orchards and the second was when The Daily Mail reported that any imported cheddar cheese could be labelled British, as long as it is cut into pieces and repacked here.   I feel strongly that we should support our own farming industry, not just to reduce our carbon footprint and help our planet but to provide us with a flourishing future of good resources from our own land.   When our agricultural and engineering industries are neglected our economy suffers and traditions, once lost, will never recover.   So let us all determine to buy British in 2010.

Special Offer for The Festive Season

YinYang Skin Cleanser, Yin Yang Orange Flower Tonic, Yin Yang Kaolin Face Mask, Yin Yang pH-Amino Gold Defence Lotion 

For the Special Price of £40-50  -  Normal Price £56-50 including postage
You can purchase this directly from our website or place your order with me by telephone.

Enjoy Your Christmas and Very Best Wishes for a Good and Peaceful 2010

Last orders before Christmas will be sent out on Friday the 18th December and normal delivery service will resume on Tuesday the 5th January 2010.   Christmas is a time for good cheer and good will and also time for relaxation, reflection and planning for the year ahead.    It is a celebration, which is often much needed in the midst of the darkness of winter, so have an enjoyable time with your families and friends and look forward to a peaceful and positive 2010.

Five Winners:

1. Apple I POD Nano 8 GB in Pink – Stunning design: a brilliant polished anodised aluminium finish in girlie pink. And the 2.2-inch colour display for her viewing pleasure. Genius Mixes - a new feature that acts as her personal DJ, searching her iTunes library to find her favourite songs. £100. And for an extra touch throw in something from the New Moon soundtrack.

2. Lola By Marc Jacobs – If the scent alone doesn’t do the trick (and it will) the bottle will win you big marks. £59 for 100ml.

3. Tiffany 1837 Interlocking Circles Bangle in 18k Gold – just can’t go wrong with bling – but you had better have £2,900 spare for the bangle and another £100 to wrap it properly.

4. Christmas in the Churchill Suite Mandarin Oriental London - £1,300 and a tad more for Spa, champagne, dinner - but this is one really romantic gift.

5. Yin Yang Skincare – Skin Cleanser, Orange Flower Tonic & Rich Skin Food - £44.50. All the girl will need to keep her skin in tip top condition all through the party season. A pure botanical range of British skincare favoured by women “in the know”.

And if you really want to make a big impression combine any of these for maximum “brownies”.

With the Christmas Season well and truly upon us – again – it is certainly time to have a plan for the festive period. It is often lamented that the traditional Christian nature of Christmas has been lost, but in the days before Europe embraced Christianity, people still held a Winter Festival: no doubt to provide some respite from the cold short days of the Northern winter. Today winter does not hold the same dread as it no doubt did in pre-Christian Britain, and the festive season’s traditions may have more to do with getting away to a sunnier place, just having time off work, or spending a bit of time with the family. But Christmas still has much that is traditional about it – and in particular the celebration that we have passed the longest day and that the countdown to Spring can begin!

Winter Skincare

Whether you are planning a Winter Break or a Christmas at Home with your family and friends, you don’t have much time left to get everything organised, and amongst all the things you will need to take care of, don’t neglect your skincare. Winter can be tough on the skin with cold winds able to dry and crack dry skin, and centrally heated buildings and homes able to dry out normal skin. Then there is the partying: most of us put aside the rules of good nutrition and moderation in all things during this period with often noticeable impact on our skin. As a minimum you should ensure that you keep up your skincare routine, drink plenty of water and keep to “The 5 A Day” rule.

Vitamin E Packed Moisturising Lotion

To make it easier to keep up your skincare routine Yin Yang Skincare has a Christmas Essentials Offer: 200 ml Skin Cleanser; 200 ml Orange Flower Tonic; Kaolin Face Mask – 50 ml; and as our Christmas present to you - the 200 ml pH-Amino Gold Defence Lotion – our Vitamin E packed moisturising lotion, free of charge within the 4 product pack. Gold Defence Lotion is suitable for all skin types, including oily skins, is easily absorbed by the skin without leaving any oily residue and yet keeps the skin supple, glowing and healthy in even the worst weather conditions.

Yin Yang pH-Amino Gold Defence Lotion was one of the Green Beauty Bible’s 2009 award winners.

Every skin is different – subtly perhaps – but nevertheless different. What makes each skin different is down to six well documented factors. In a good news/bad news scenario, four of these influencing factors are very much under our control, but the bad news is that two are not.

1. Genes – we inherit the characteristics of our skin and we need to understand what these are because we cannot change them – they are part of our blueprint! We can do nothing about our genes except to understand what they have dealt us. This is where a skincare routine that suits our skin type is so important.
2. Hormones – our hormones are hugely influential to the condition of our skin: ask most adolescent boys and all women. Women do have some control over their hormones now with oral contraceptives: some are even prescribed for acne.
3. Diet – we are what we eat: a healthy diet will give us a healthy skin. A diet that includes a lot of fast food, snacks & fizzy drinks will not leave the skin looking great! This is entirely under our control – even if it does not always feel like that!
4. Environment – harsh climatic conditions, drying, dusty or humid working conditions, extreme cold, polluted air – these conditions will all impact the health and appearance of our skin. If we have to be in places that compromise our skin condition – then at least we can do something about.
5. Lifestyle – if you don’t get enough sleep, or your lifestyle includes excessive alcohol, or drugs and cigarettes – your skin will tell the story. Stress also reflects in skin condition. Good skin requires a healthy lifestyle.
6. Skincare Routine – a daily skincare routine will help to keep your skin in optimal condition. The old expression “don’t care was made to care” is very appropriate in the context of skincare. If you don’t take care of your skin it will eventually reflect your neglect.

What is my skin type?

Knowing your skin type and understanding your skin condition is the key to developing a skincare routine that is appropriate for your skin. When you have defined these things, it then becomes easy to choose the skincare products that will work most successfully to keep your skin in optimum condition.

Every Skin Is Different

At Yin Yang Skincare we have built up a directory of skin types and skin conditions to help you identify the features that best describe your skin and its condition. Please visit our website and see if you can identify your skin type or skin condition from our exhaustive list. If you have questions about your skincare routine or products that might be suitable for your skin we would be very happy to hear from you either by emailing Katie May at katie.may@yinyangskincare.co.uk or by telephoning Katie on 01 99 38 22 800.

Two little known facts: the first mobile phone call ever made was placed by Martin Cooper with a Motorola instrument in New York City Monday 3rd April 1973; two months earlier, in Surrey, Katie May produced a test run of Yin Yang Skin Cleanser. Mobile phones started out as unwieldy expensive bricks with desperately limited functionality, Yin Yang Skin Cleanser was launched perfect in every way: a thorough cleansing lotion formulated with pure botanical ingredients and spring water and without detergents. A cleanser without detergents was as revolutionary in 1973 as a mobile phone, and while both concepts have been copied the world over, Yin Yang Skin Cleanser – the original detergent free skin cleanser - remains a truly outstanding product in its category.

Just as Martin Cooper and his colleagues at Motorola knew a thing or two about wireless communications, so Katie May was already expert in formulating skincare. The communications technologists leading the early development of wireless telephony, were driven by the need to provide Americans living in the vast open spaces of the USA, with an effective on-the-move communications device; Katie May, who was a food technologist, was driven to create the Yin Yang range of pure botanical skincare by the desire to care for her own skin. Katie did not approve of the chemical based formulations that dominated the market, using petroleum based ingredients and lanolin from wool, instead of the gentle nourishing oils and extracts of plants that she used for Yin Yang Skincare formulations.

Thorough Effective Skin Cleanser

Cleanser was the obvious starting point for Katie because every skincare routine begins with thorough daily cleansing to remove surface grime, excess oil and dead skin cells. By keeping the surface of the skin clean and the pores unblocked, the skin is able to complete its delicate cycle of growing plump new skin cells and shedding the hardened flattened cells that are shed as part of the constant process of regeneration. Katie realised that Yin Yang Skin Cleanser had to remove surface grime and oil completely and not carry it deeper into the skin, and at the same time it was critical that the acid tone, the “acid mantle” of the skin was not damaged. The pH of the skin is typically between 4.5 and 5.0, although it varies from person to person, from one sex to the other, throughout the day and from one part of the skin to another – but importantly it has been shown that the friendly bacteria that inhabit our skin are happiest at 4.5 – 5.0.

Natural Balanced Skincare

“Less is More” is not only a core value for style gurus – it is also true for skin cleansers. Katie May understood that the balance of oil and water was critical for this product: just enough sanitising oil of coconut to gather up dirt, dead cells and surplus sebum, balanced with hydrating spring water to leave the skin fresh and absolutely clean. A hint of orange to invigorate and witch hazel to tighten and firm the skin, is completed by a tiny drop of organic apple cider vinegar to balance out the pH to 4.5 – 5.0. This gentle effective cleanser could not be formulated with simpler ingredients, and this is the secret of its success: it is perfectly balanced to cleanse the skin and leave it fresh, toned and firm.

36 Years After Launch And Yin Yang Skin Cleanser Is Still Winning Awards

In 2009 Natural Health Magazine included Yin Yang Skin Cleanser [now 36 years in the market] in its selection of winning natural skincare products, the Sunday Mirror featured it in a “reader tried and tested” selection where it was chosen for its “gorgeous smell and lovely texture”, while Prima listed the Cleanser in the August edition, as the “Best Cleanser for Sensitive Skin”. At £12.50 for 200ml, Yin Yang Skin Cleanser is not only one of the very best skin cleansers available today it is also one of the most affordable.

Katie May [KM]: For the past 36 years I have followed a simple daily routine of skincare…religiously! Once you develop a routine it is no different than an oral hygiene routine…

SSR: Can you tell me what is meant by a skincare routine…I have never been quite sure?

KM:  Oh that is very simple - mildly acidic cleansing is the corner stone of a daily routine and the secret to a lifetime of beautiful skin.   This should be followed with toning and hydration; I use the lovely soft Yin Yang Orange Flower Tonic spray, which softens and moisturises, including importantly, even the finest skin around the eyes.    Then it is simply a question of choosing the best cream to moisturise and feed the skin during the day. Some skins need more protein than others…this depends on lifestyle factors such as diet, environment and of course, if you are female, hormonal fluctuations.   

SSR: You do this every day without fail?

KM:  Of course! My day starts with a very thorough cleansing. Then (if sitting at my desk), I leave my skin to breathe, but if I go outside into the sunshine, I will use  Yin Yang pH-amino Gold Defence Lotion under a light liquid make-up, and cover up with light cotton clothes and a big floppy cotton hat.  

SSR: Katie, I know that you are outside every morning with horses doing dressage training, wouldn’t it be easier to just slap on a factor cream?

KM: There is nothing easier that using Ph-Amino Gold Defence Lotion, it is a lovely warm summery lotion and easily absorbed by the skin. And it is so good for the skin because it is rich in Vitamin E – one of the most powerful anti-oxidants in Nature and considered to be an effective weapon against cellular ageing. Did you know that high levels of vitamin E are found in sebum and in the skin lipid film in sebum-rich areas such as the face? The action of this important vitamin in oily skin types may be one reason why those skins age better than drier skin types. But getting back to factor creams, I doubt that I would be very happy with my skin if I were using them.

SSR: What is it about factor creams that you do not like?

KM: I do not like their ingredients, so I take the “cover up” option, although I make sure to get enough sunlight on my skin to keep my Vitamin D levels topped up. I don’t want osteoporosis.

SSR: What is pH-Amino Gold Defence Lotion, is it a moisturiser or a sun screening product?   

KM: pHamino-Gold Lotion is a superb moisturising lotion for all skin types. The formulation is centred on wheat germ oil and this has proved to be a great defence against drying of the skin in all weather conditions, whether hot summer sun or cold winter weather. Did you know that it was taken to the South Pole at the beginning of 2009 by the Southern Lights expedition? The team using p H-Amino Gold, was the only one not to suffer from frost bite!

SSR: I did hear about that expedition, Ben Fogle was also involved I think?

 KM: Yes that is right! Tess Burrows, an old Yin Yang customer, and a grandmother (imagine that?), went on the Amundsen Omega 3 South Pole Race, to raise awareness for issues ranging from climate change to human rights and multiple sclerosis. 

SSR: Katie, getting back to the skincare routine, has your routine changed over the last 40 years?

KM: When I was younger I only used the Yin Yang Kaolin Face Mask – then we called it Precious Earth Face Mask, twice a month, but nowadays I use it more regularly because it helps with the exfoliation.   Also I like to use a protein cream from time to time.   Sometimes this is Wild Yam & Soya Cream, especially if I feel in need of an energy boost, or I use Yin Yang Rich Skin Food, which suits my fine skin type.    The Yin Yang Joint Cream with MSM also makes a good all over body treatment, not only dealing with the odd “twinge” but moisturising and nourishing the skin at the same time.  

SSR: And what about in the evening Katie, does the routine get repeated or varied for the end of the day?

KM: I repeat the morning thorough cleanse and tone routine and (if I feel the need) will use a little Rich Skin Food.  My daily beauty treatment is simple, and yet it has made my skin feel both alive and pampered for almost 40 years.

SSR: Yin Yang Skincare has been a part of your life for nearly 40 years; what led you to get into this sector?

KM:  It was my interest in keeping my own skin “as young as possible for as long as possible” that led to the research and development of the Yin Yang Skincare health and beauty ranges.  

SSR: It is widely known that you came to develop Yin Yang Skincare after being trained in the food sector, what was the connection?

KM: In the early seventies – just as I was entering my thirties, I was curious to find the best way to condition my skin.  The training I had received in food (botanical protein) fermentation techniques, led me to conclude that edible botanical ingredients held the key.   

KM: At the very beginning I knew – instinctively that acidic plant oils, plant proteins and fruit juices and extracts, were ideal ingredients to work with for skincare.   I took a look at standard cosmetic ingredients, so often built around petroleum derivatives and lanolin, and the ubiquitous detergents and decided not to work with them. Common sense told me that if an ingredient was good to eat, it would not harm the skin. So I chose components for the Yin Yang formulations that were mildly acidic, like apple, orange and coconut.  There was also a cruelty free aspect (animal testing was still widely practised then), and increasingly there was also an important scientific facet to the formulations.   I had learned a natural (non chemical) way to make  soya protein acidic and developed a technique to blend (what is now Yin Yang’s signature ingredient) fermented soya protein together with botanical oils and extracts to formulate Yin Yang’s range of lotions, creams and masks.   That is how Yin Yang Skin Care was born, and how it has been developed ever since.

SSR: You are still as committed and involved with Yin Yang Skincare as you ever were, and yet you have time to devote to dressage training?

KM: My days are rather busy, and Yin Yang Skincare does take a big portion of my time – especially formulating – that is my first love!    But living here on the borders of the Cotswolds and Oxfordshire, I like to get outside into my herb gardens and walking with Amie (my terrier). Yin Yang Skincare has strong ties with the countryside – my herb gardens are a tremendous source of inspiration and of course many of our ingredients come from British organic and biodynamic farms.

SSR: Is that why you take up the cause of British Farmers (Plum Growers and British Cheddar)?

KM: Definitely! We have strong farming traditions in Britain and in the interests of reducing reliance on environmentally expensive importation of botanical goods, and at the same time supporting local growers, we do seek to champion British growers.

SSR: I guess you hope that consumers feel the same way about British Skincare?

KM: Women will only buy skincare products that they trust and know will work: that is why they buy Yin Yang, that is why I formulated the Yin Yang Skincare range and why I use it myself – every day of every year!

SSR: Thank you Katie.

9th November, 2009.

Skin Science Reporter recently interviewed Dr Hazel MacTavish-West, a senior phyto-chemist and advisor to Yin Yang Skincare, on her return from the 3rd International Symposium on Human Health Effects of Fruit and Vegetables, [http://favhealth2009.com/], held in Avignon, France, between 18th and 21st October.

Some 250 delegates attended and presented papers from more than 20 countries around the World, including from the US, Southern America, India and Europe.  Around 75% of delegates were academics, including economists, nutritionists, medical experts, phyto-chemists, physiologists and biochemists, with the other 25% representing industrial groups.

Topics covered included the value of fruit & vegetables in the human diet for disease prevention, the phyto-chemic properties to be found in fruit & vegetables and their associated benefits for human health, new technologies and food, agriculture & health policy.

More Than a Third of Cancers May be Preventable with Improvements to Diet

Skin Science Reporter (SSR): Dr MacTavish-West what important messages did you bring away from the Symposium?

Dr MacTavish-West (DRMT-W): Did you know that studies indicate that somewhere in the range of 27%-39% of cancers may be preventable simply by following a diet rich in fruit and vegetables?

SSR: It is not really surprising I guess, given that Humanity’s natural diet during our evolutionary period would have been very rich in fruits and vegetable components, and far lighter on processed carbohydrates, animal fats and proteins than the modern diet.

Simple Dietary Changes Could Make a Big Difference in Disease Prevention

DRMT-W:  Yes - and in fact a French study indicated that for around 50% of people nutritionally adequate diets could be achieved by changing less than 4 foods. The foods most often lacking and required were shown to be: unsalted nuts, dried fruits, legumes and oily fish. Red meats, processed meats, and cheese needed to be reduced.

DRMT-W: Research indicates that we should be eating around 600g of fruit & vegetables per day to make an impact on preventable diseases with the use of diet. That is in line with the “5 a day” message of the UK Health Authorities.

SSR: We weighed an apple, orange, banana, avocado and medium tomato, and the scales topped 700 grams, so it is not too difficult to hit this target.

UK Adult Consumption of “5 a Day” Falls Way Short of Guidance

DRMT-W: You say that, but the Symposium revealed that the average UK adult consumes only 2.8 portions of fruit & vegetables per day!

SSR: It is surprising that the fruit & vegetable message needs selling when these foods have the potential to make life both healthier and longer?

DRMT-W: You would think so, but it is complex. In the popular media there is so much conflicting evidence – people get confused. It was suggested by one delegate that the health message for fruit and vegetables in the diet might be usefully communicated in popular entertainment programmes – in formats that people are comfortable with and which they trust. But on a positive note, apparently children have a natural fondness for red berries, bananas, yellow fruits like peaches and apricots: any fruits which are energy dense, red in colour and sweet. Oh, and carrots as well.

SSR: Just as you commented about children liking sweet energy dense fruits, most adults have a liking for some fruits or fruit products?

DRMT-W: Yes, fruit juice is a good example …it is known to be intrinsically healthy and yet it is not subject to loads of health propaganda. Older people and women however, have been shown to be more likely to accept ‘healthier’ but less tasty juices in the presence of health guidance.

Potential Value of Cabbage Family in Cancer Prevention

SSR: Different times, different health concerns: we seem to be more concerned today about cancer than say heart disease. Was there any reference to the benefit of fruit & vegetables on the basis of specific health risks?

DRMT-W: Research carried out in the UK suggests that the data supporting fruit & vegetable consumption and an associated reduction in cardiovascular disease risk, is far stronger than for cancer prevention, except for cruciferous vegetables [brassicas: cabbages, brussel sprouts, broccoli for example]. Cruciferous vegetables are widely considered to be healthful foods as they are high in vitamin C and soluble fibre and are thought to contain multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties. There is evidence to suggest that eating broccoli more than once a week decreases the risk of prostate cancer risk by 50% as compared with eating it less than once per month.

Organic Versus Conventional Food Debate

SSR: You commented earlier that people get confused with all the conflicting evidence and opinion appearing in the media. Did the Symposium comment on the ongoing debate about the value of organic fruit and vegetables versus conventionally grown products?

DRMT-W:  Yes this did come up from time to time. Rigorous studies of conventionally versus organically produced tomatoes, showed year on year higher levels of ascorbic acid [vitamin C], and flavonoids in organic produce, and higher nitrates in conventional produce.

SSR: Hazel, what are your conclusions coming away from this Symposium?

DRMT-W:

1. Eat more fruit & vegetables
2. Eat 30g nuts per day
3.  A change in diet won’t cure existing health problems but it may prevent these occurring in the first place.
4. That cancer is less supported and discussed now in terms of effects of fruit & vegetable consumption than cardiovascular health, and perhaps more investigation should be done on the benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables for cancer prevention?

SSR: Thank you Hazel.

Fresh Fruit & Vegetables Should Form Part of The Skincare Routine

The evidence from the recent Symposium in Avignon is clear: a healthy diet is essential to maintain optimum health. The health of the skin, the body’s largest organ, will also reflect the benefits of a diet rich in fruit and vegetables. Diet needs to be a component of the skincare routine along with thorough daily cleansing, safeguarding the acid tone of the skin, and using a suitable moisturiser to protect your skin from dry environmental conditions

4th November, 2009

Yin Yang Skincare Scientific Advisory Panel Member Professor Desmond Tobin presented a paper to the 39th Annual Meeting of European Society for Dermatological Research in Budapest in September 2009, on a newly discovered mechanism controlling the transfer of melanin granules [our inbuilt colouring agent] from the pigment producing cells (melanocytes) to the recipient skin cells (keratinocytes). Prof. Tobin proposed that photo-protection would be increased if melanin distribution in skin could be optimised in order to shield the delicate DNA in skin cells from the damaging effects of sunlight.

Professor Tobin joined several research scientists from across Europe to present the latest research on the regulation of pigmentation in human skin at this tanning symposium.

Process of tanning is poorly understood

Tanning is the process whereby ultraviolet radiation from the sun stimulates pigmentation in our skin, but despite this being a process we have all experienced, the mechanisms by which melanin is increased in human skin upon exposure to sunlight remain poorly understood. This is surprising when you consider that we Britons spend around £3.00 per capita on sun care products every year – something close to £190m. And this in itself may be a problem, for despite a rising use of sun screening products, there is also a rise in skin cancers with a link to sun exposure. The manufacturers of sun screening products are careful to explain that their products cannot claim to prevent skin cancer, and within the “green lobby” there are many who argue that the screening agents in these products may not be good for the health of the skin. Our health depends on a sensible exposure to sun light – but whether hours of baking in fierce heat, in a slick of sun screen is sensible, is very open to question! Yin Yang Skincare recommends a maximum of 20 minutes full body sunbathing in midday summer sun to top up your levels of important Vitamin D and to protect the skin from drying with the use of Vitamin E rich face and body moisturising lotion Yin Yang pH-Amino Gold Defence Lotion.

“Ground-breaking” research

The symposium heard about some of the significant research investigation now taking place to better understand the tanning process:

Role of the peptide alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone;

•  It can have pro-pigmentary effects, anti oxidative effects and can reduce DNA damage on UVB exposure

The role of skin fibroblasts in regulating pigmentation;

•  Fibroblasts (the collagen-producing cells of the skin’s dermis) can influence the activity of the pigment-forming cells in the skin’s upper layer (epidermis).

The link between melanocytes and melanoma;

Objective determinants of tanning;

• Better ways to assess pigmentation change in the skin
• Distinguishing between skin reddening (erythema) on sun exposure and increased melanin production

Modulation of skin pigmentation by gene delivery systems;

The transfer of melanin in human skin cells (Prof Tobin).

• This mechanism involves a so-called “motor protein” not previously suspected to be involved in the tanning process.

The “motor protein” identified by Professor Tobin may ultimately be useful in the regulation of skin pigmentation for therapeutic purposes and possibly also for cosmetic uses.

It is said that there are two sides to every dispute: but in the dispute between the management of Royal Mail and Communications Workers Union [CWU], there appear to be at least four. According to the CWU leader, Billy Hayes, the Business Secretary Lord Mandelson is an important influence in the progress of the dispute. As the only shareholder in Royal Mail, it would be surprising if the Government were not an interested party, and with an election due by next spring, this dispute is a potentially explosive issue for election minded politicians. But the fourth side – albeit not actually a party to the dispute – is all of us, Royal Mail’s customers.

Sympathy For Our Posties,  But Timing Is The Issue

We British are a tenacious people – not lightly deterred from getting on with our lives in the face of adversity. Many of us are sympathetic to our wonderfully helpful and reliable “Posties”, who deliver the bills and junk mail 6 days a week throughout the year, even if we are not exactly convinced by the arguments of either their employer or their union: we have heard it all before! The real issue for all of us – the customers – is the timing of this dispute to coincide with the busiest mail period leading up to Christmas. This is a real pain for us all. Who wants to write out all those Christmas Cards if they are not going anywhere? And what a loss it will be if the dispute is not settled soon for all those people who maintain contact with distant friends and family via the Christmas greeting.

The Plight of Small Businesses

Business is also suffering, with invoices, payments and small packages now denied the usual reliable delivery platform of Royal Mail. Yin Yang Skincare is a typical Royal Mail business customer: we send out thousands of packages and letters every month via the postal service and have been doing so since 1973 when we first opened for business. But, with the Christmas trade entering its busiest period, we simply have to be able to supply our customers. We are fortunate to have available to us a superb courier service, from our long time partner in the distribution of our larger consignments, Flight Logistics Ltd. During the course of this dispute Flight Logistics will also deliver our smaller packages on a guaranteed next day delivery service.

Katie May “We can’t afford to let our customers down”

Speaking to the Oxford Mail this weekend, Katie May, a director of Yin Yang Natural Sciences Ltd [parent company of Yin Yang Skincare] commented “We can’t continue a business that relies on small parcels without making other arrangements…it means paying more, but it has to be worth it to maintain our service…the Christmas period is a big part of the business year and we can’t afford to let our customers down”.

Season of Good Sense

We all depend on an efficient reliable postal service, and the public has a genuine affection for the face we see of Royal Mail - the men and women who deliver our mail. For everyone’s sake, let us hope that the other three sides to this dispute come to their senses and reach a solution very soon indeed.