Yin Yang Returns to Holland & Barrett

First on the agenda was the return to the top 150 Holland & Barrett shops, the culmination of  many months of work, which has come to fruition in the Month of February.    Although Yin Yang has been back on these High Street shelves for only a few weeks, the products are already proving popular.    We are pleased to have four good well qualified in store trainers supporting the products.   These are Monica, Leila, Rebecca and Gina and they are all reporting not only sales but lots of interest in the science of plants, which is at the core of the Yin Yang balances.    This is good news and underlines the importance of communication and education to improve skin health and condition throughout life.   I am particularly pleased that Monica Savage is back on the team because she and I worked so closely and successfully together throughout the eighties.      Monica has been concentrating on the London area for the past few weeks, which has included visits to Knightsbridge, Oxford Street (Marble Arch end), Covent Garden and Holborn and she reports that customers and staff are pleased to see Yin Yang back on Holland & Barrett shelves. 

The New Look

For this launch and as a result of listening to our customer’s comments, Yin Yang has a new sleek look.   The entire range is now in bottles with pumps and sprays with the richer creams in airless pumps, To look after the products’ stability throughout their lifespan.   They are slim and elegant and deliver just enough product for each application without waste.  Once again our talented young designer, Ian Atkins, has created a stylish contemporary design and logo.

Plant of the Month – Comfrey (Symphytum Officinale)

Now that the snow has thawed and the temperatures are rising (at least during the day) my garden is showing signs of the optimism of spring – snowdrops in full bloom, daffodils and tulips well on their way and few if any fatalities during a most difficult winter.   I have fingers crossed that the delicate tarragon has survived.  Last year when I dug up the dreary looking but hefty plant to throw it away in April, I discovered healthy, sprouting roots.   This year I am resisting taking a look.  However, my plant for the month is COMFREY (SYMPHYTUM OFFICINALE) which grows in abundance in the wild and shady areas of my locality.  Recently we have been concentrating on some new products to relieve acne and are advised that allantoin is a useful constituent.   Further investigation into comfrey’s traditional uses for healing led to the finding of modern research, which shows that it contains the useful constituent allantoin.    It is always most heartening to discover that our plant kingdom can provide our ingredients, which when carefully researched and balanced with the oils and fluids can look after our skin gently but effectively.   

Monica’s 6 Point Plan For Keeping Your Skin In Optimal Condition

1. Cleanse 

The Yin Yang Skincare routine is built around thorough cleansing both night and morning, all over the face and neck
• Use only mildly acidic cleansers that are completely free of soaps and detergents- like Yin Yang Skin Cleanser - £12.50 200 ml
• Yin Yang Skin Cleanser is pH balanced in the range 4.5-5.0 so as to maintain the skin’s protective acid mantle
• Apply with cotton wool dampened in warm water and repeat until the skin is completely cleaned of surface grime, excess oils and dead skin cells
• After cleansing your skin will feel clean, fresh & revitalised.

2. Tone

• Follow Cleansing with a light spritz of hydrating mist that is pH balanced in the range 4.5-5.0 to top up the acid tone of your skin
• Orange Flower Tonic from Yin Yang - £12.50 200 ml – is a cool refining & hydrating mist
• A dash of Witch Hazel helps to refine the pores and support the fine tissues around the eyes
• This prepares your skin for a moisturiser suitable for your skin type

3. Mask

• Once a week or once a fortnight, depending on your skin type, use a gentle absorbent face mask to exfoliate and deep cleanse, especially around areas of open pores or greater oiliness.
• Yin Yang Kaolin Face Mask - £12.50 50 ml – is formulated with Kaolin Clay, a mineral earth from Cornwall
• Apply very lightly over all of face & neck area, after first spritzing with Orange Flower Tonic and leave for 10-20 minutes depending on your skin type; sensitive skins may feel more comfortable with only 10 minutes
• Remove with cotton wool lightly dampened in warm water
• This will leave your complexion brighter and refreshed
• Your skin is now ready for a quick spritz of Orange Flower Tonic
• Yin Yang Kaolin Face Mask can be used on individual spots daily as part of an acne or spot management routine

4. Moisturise

• Apply moisturiser to the face & neck with light upwardly massaging  action
• Like the rest of your skincare routine it is vital that your moisturiser is pH balanced in the range 4.5-5.0 for maximum benefit
• Try Yin Yang Natural Moisturiser - £13.50 50 ml – for dry to normal skins; Yin Yang pH-Amino Gold Defence Lotion - £16.00 200 ml – for all skins including oilier skin types; Yin Yang Rich Skin Food - £19.50 50 ml – for stressed skin, a lovely repairing cream; or Yin Yang Skin Renew - £15.00 50 ml for mature skins.

5. Diet & Lifestyle

• The skin requires a healthy balanced diet that can supply adequate levels of
o Proteins
o Essential Fatty Acids
o Vitamins
o Trace Elements
• Avoid cigarette smoke – it can prematurely age the skin, increasing wrinkling, thickening and yellowing of the skin, and it robs the skin of vitamins (Vitamins A & C) and water.
• Remember that high alcohol consumption can aggravate skin conditions such as psoriasis, rosacea, acne, & facial flushing.

6. Relaxation

• Avoid stress - it can exacerbate several skin disorders
• Sleep is important for our overall wellbeing and our skin - the skin’s barrier function is reduced with loss of sleep.

If you would like to talk to Monica about your skincare routine please ask at your local H&B or send your questions to Monica at Yin Yang Skincare.

Monica Savage

In 1973, Yin Yang Skincare was launched as the first range of natural botanical beauty products on the UK high street. In those days, ‘green’ was only a colour, still waiting to blossom into today’s life-style choice, but Yin Yang Skincare was already committed to providing the health-conscious consumer with a range of luscious products formulated with pure botanical ingredients, and free from petrochemicals, sulphates, detergents and parabens. Unsurprisingly, it was Holland & Barrett, a company with a long and respected history (since 1920) of bringing the best new products to its health-conscious customers, that became Yin Yang’s principal High Street stockist, forming a partnership that lasted for almost two decades, which is why we are so pleased that Yin Yang Skincare is available once again in Holland & Barrett outlets.
Caring for your health and caring for your skin are both components of managing your wellbeing. Pure, effective and affordable, Yin Yang Skincare provides a natural choice for health & beauty conscious consumers.

Visit a Holland & Barrett store near you for a free sample of Yin Yang’s nourishing & repairing Rich Skin Food.

Go to www.hollandandbarrett.com for store locations.

Holland & Barrett Baker Street 1973

(Tell us what you think and enter our free prize draw- see below.)

Our pure botanical products are lovingly made to feel great on your skin, and to do great things for your skin. We’ve used all our experience to make creams, masks, toners and cleansers that support your skin’s naturally balanced biochemistry to keep it looking youthful and beautiful.

But you’ve told us that it’s not just what comes in the pot that’s important – you also want environmentally friendly packaging that helps you get the very most from Yin Yang’s products. You said you’d like packaging that has a low environmental impact, so we’ve carefully researched the bottles that are most suitable for recycling, and chosen the ones we think are best. You said you don’t like waste, so we’ve found new airless pumps for our 50ml products that will squeeze out every last drop. And because they keep the air out, these pumps will help to stop the oxidation that sometimes happens with screw top pots, keeping your Yin Yang Skincare even fresher.

You’ve also told us that you want your products to look good on your shelves. We asked our design partner, Ian Atkins from design studio Kithkin, to create new labels that express the pure, botanical character of Yin Yang Skincare and also look great in your home. We love what he’s done, and we hope you’ll like it too.

As we all know, trends are always changing so Yin Yang Skincare looks very different today than when we first started in 1973. Over the years we’ve tried to stay faithful to the important symbols of our brand, while keeping our image fresh and dynamic.

Visit our website to see how we’ve changed our look over the years and we think you’ll agree that although the style has changed, the key elements are still the same. We hope you’ll like the new look, and we’d love to hear from you if you have any comments about the way the brand has evolved since 1973.  Add  your comments below and we’ll publish anything you tell us on the Yin Yang website and blog.  To say thank you, we’d like to send the authors of the three best descriptions of how the brand has evolved, selected by our founder, Katie May, a free Yin Yang Skincare product of their choice.

Good luck, and we look forward to hearing from you!

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.