One of the aspects of living in the UK is that the weather is unpredictable. Last April and early May was warm and sunny (we picked roses) this year it was the wettest since records began in 1910.   Fourteen years ago I moved to Beechgrove Farm for the Cotswold location, the right habitat for a Mediterranean herb garden and the private pure spring water supply pumped up from a clear stream running 300 feet below the level of the farm.  Initially there was a lot to do to repair the system to give a continuous supply of the water.    It needed some fascinating detective work to find and mend numerous leaks but although it took time and effort, it was worth it, as the water tests clean and pure.

Product of the Month - Orange Flower Tonic

It is this water, which I use to make the concentrate for our Orange Flower Tonic, which is made in a gentle incubation process with acidophilus, apple, witch hazel and essential oils of Orange, Neroli and Geranium.    The result is one of my favourite products because it is so light and effective with a delicate aroma.   The fine spray moisturizes the entire face and neck and is particularly soothing for the delicate skin around the eyes.  Used after cleansing, it is simply left to dry on its own (just a minute or two) before using a moisturizer or skin food.   Not only is it a superb skin hydrator -  but it is so refreshing in very hot weather - a perfect summer product.

The Essential Oils

Geranium has been used in aromatherapy to look after broken capillaries and mature skin particularly during hormonal changes.  It is also recognised as a good mosquito repellent.  Neroli is also used for mature, sensitive skin, wrinkles and is considered to be relaxing and uplifting.  Orange is a very nutritious fruit containing vitamins A, B and C and is also valued for its relaxing properties.   These 3 essential oils marry together extremely well providing a light and refreshing fragrance.

Plant of the Month - Witch Hazel (Hamamelis Virginiana)

Witch Hazel is a shrub, native to eastern North America.  There is uncertainty about the derivation of the generic name – it is either an ancient Greek word, hamamelis meaning pear shaped fruit, while another source says that it is derived from two Greek words, hama (at the same time) and melis (a fruit) meaning that the flowers appear at the same time as the previous years fruits are ripening.  It has a long history of use among the American Indians, significantly to calm insect bites, burns, tired aching eyes and for treating varicose veins.  It is a dynamic ingredient because although it is known to tone and firm the skin it is also very fine and soothing.

A member of the British Association of Nutritional Therapists and the Naturopathic Nutrition Association, Anya always discusses skincare with the people who seek her advice on nutrition and well being: Anya is keen to insure that neither harmful chemicals such as petrochemicals nor hormone mimicking agents are contained in their skincare. Here, Anya’s approach resonates with the instincts which inspired Yin Yang Skincare’s founder Katie May to develop the pure botanical range of skincare products nearly 40 years ago.

Katie also understood that with proper care, the skin would maintain its protective acid mantle and defensive micro flora of healthy bacteria, to remain in the perfect condition to be able to deal with all environmental assaults. An ardent advocate of healthy eating as part of any skincare routine, Katie and Anya have similar philosophies. Yin Yang is the name of a school of philosophy that emerged in China some 3,000 years ago. It is based on the understanding that the perfect Universe is a result of the balance created by two great opposing, but complementary forces, Yin and Yang.  Katie May interpreted the skin’s endless cycle of cellular renewal against a background of challenge from environmental and lifestyle factors, in the context of this ancient philosophy.

All AnyaVo Nutrition Programmes are designed around an anti-inflammatory diet as well as lifestyle and exercise recommendations, whilst providing a wide array of beneficial nutrients including antioxidants, anti-inflammatory phyto-nutrients and fibre.

Katie May and the rest of the team at Yin Yang Skincare wish Anya every success in her work.

Anya Vosteen, Dipl CNM BANT NNA

As the Autumn term approaches, the uniforms are being pressed and homework is being organised in readiness, it is time to plan a renewed personal health and beauty routine.    After the time spent  on beaches and indulging in the after-sun-bathing leisure activities, it is time to enjoy some personal pampering.   Go for a good AFFORDABLE Yin Yang Facial Treatment, (taking advantage of those essential fatty acids from the coconut) in the serenity of your own home.     September is a good month for reassessing your health and beauty routine.

This Year’s Harvest

After a drought in April followed by fluctuating rainfall, sunny patches and some cloud, the long school holidays have provided challenges.    A balancing act  -   making the most of the bumper UK fruit harvest – and enjoying the happy family outings.   My orchards have been laden with plumbs, apples, figs and I am looking forward very soon to picking the walnuts.   This is always a bit of a race with the squirrels but usually I do manage to get the ones that I can reach because they are my favourite nut.    Using them is tricky as they stain the hands a deep tan colour, which every year makes me think that I should develop a natural hair dye.

Plant of the Month - Coconut for Skin Rejuvenation

Having used Coconut Oil as our “carrier oil” since 1973, I read with interest  the Press last week that

“THERE’S A REVOLUTION HAPPENING – from A-list celebs to super models, from marathon runners to premier league football players, coconut water and coconut oil are becoming mainstream  More and more people are opening their minds and mouths to the incredible hydration of pure coconut water and the wondrous benefits of virgin coconut oil. The prized secret of the tropics, coconut water and coconut oil are being embraced everywhere as the new natural alternatives to sports drinks, skin lotions and culinary oils.  COCONUT OIL is light, heals wounds, soothes itchy skin, can aid tanning and can block out 20% of the sun UV rays.  Pure coconut oil is one of nature’s richest sources of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) . The relatively small molecular structure of MCTs allows for easy absorption into your skin giving it a soft, smooth, and supple texture. It strengthens your skin’s underlying connective tissues warding off lines and wrinkles.”

It has always seemed simpler to me to describe the MCTs as “fatty acids” with the best natural pH for skin care.  These essential fatty acids are lauric (found in mother’s milk), capric and caprylic acids.  It also provides a good proportion of protein, as it contains some of the essential amino acids.   Perhaps almost more important than all the rest is that Coconut is a fruit and therefore does not present us with the worrying nut allergies that its name suggests.   We also appreciate that full gentle fruit acids are far superior to the harsh chemical acids so often used in skin care brands.

Product of the Month - pH-Amino Gold Defence Lotion

If your tan is fading, do not forget that pH-amino Gold Defence Lotion , which contains COCONUT OIL, also contains a good proportion of Wheat germ with the amino acid “methionine” which protects from radiation.   Great as a facial moisturise as well as an all over skin rehydration.

Dr Sarah Brewer is a highly respected doctor, health writer and nutritionist, she is also an important member of the Yin Yang Skincare Scientific Advisory Panel and a tireless supporter for healthier lifestyles. This October Sarah is taking part in the Peruvian Inca Trail Challenge to raise funds for Penny Brohn Cancer Care.

Penny Brohn Cancer Care

Penny Brohn Cancer Care is one of the few charities to offer advice on nutrition, self-help techniques and complementary therapies to support conventional cancer treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy. The charity’s unique approach helps people with cancer regain control of their lives whilst undergoing medical treatment. All the specialist advice, day and residential courses provided by Penny Brohn Cancer Care are free of charge.

Pledge to Raise at Least £10,000

Sarah is so impressed with the good work done by Penny Brohn Cancer Care that she has pledged to raise at least £10,000 for the charity. In October Sarah will trek along the original Peruvian mountain trail to Machu Pichu, the Lost City of the Incas, and in the process will have to negotiate three high mountain passes, including one at 4,200 metres!

We are encouraging our customers and site visitors to help Sarah reach her £10,000 target by visiting www.justgiving.com/Sarah-and-Richard and making a donation, no matter how big or how small. 

What sponsorship can do

 £600 funds a full course of therapy sessions
 £1250 funds 25 individual appointments 
 £1500 means someone can benefit from a two day residential therapy course
 £2000  means someone can benefit from a five day residential therapy course
 £4000 funds the training of two groups of volunteers to run the Helpline
 £5000 funds the running of the Helpline for two months
 £5000 funds answering over 1000 calls & sending out over 500 information packs.

We are also donating a box of 6x 200 ml bottles of Yin Yang’s renowned outdoor skin protection, Gold Defence Lotion, so that Sarah and her companions can protect their skin from the drying weather conditions they will experience on the trek to Machu Pichu by using this Vitamin E rich lotion. Regular Yin Yang Skincare watchers will recall that Tessa Burrows took Yin Yang Gold Defence Lotion with her to the South Pole in January 2009 when she and her crew were the only team not to be affected by frost bite.

Katie May and all the team at Yin Yang Skincare wish Sarah well in her fund raising and propose to cover the event and its preparations as part of our regular blog entries.

Fund Raising for SSAFA

The achievements of our forces are partly a result of indestructible team bonds and loyalty; Becky Hudson, Yin Yang Skincare’s Head of Sales, has drawn to our attention the fund raising programme organised by Sam Page and 29 of his colleagues from B Flight, 63 Squadron, RAF Regiment. They are taking part in a fund raising event for  The Soldiers, Sailors & Airman Families Association. Constrained government spending is not making life any easier for returning injured soldiers & airmen and this group of colleagues is determined to help out as best they can.

£3,000 Target!

The lads are each running a full marathon, carrying 30Ibs of kit: 30 Guys, 30 Marathons, Plus 30Ibs. Sam is running his marathon on the 10th July. They are aiming to raise £3,000 and Becky advises the team has only just under£1,000 to go! Yin Yang Skincare is donating a box of 6x 200ml bottles of our award winning Skin Cleanser with a retail value of £78 to support the fund raising event and we appeal to the visitors to our site to support these brave lads in this campaign to help provide desperately needed extra help for injured military personnel and their families. To make a donation just follow the link http://www.justgiving.com/B-Flight-63-Squadron-RAF-Regiment-Operational-Charity-Challenge.

A lot easier than running a marathon with 30lbs of weights on your back!

When Katie May founded Yin Yang Skincare back in 1973 she and her team carefully & lovingly manufactured every product that eventually became part of a customer’s skincare routine. As the business grew it became essential to scale up the manufacturing facilities until eventually in the 1990’s Katie established a factory in Oxfordshire. Yin Yang Skincare continued to be made in Katie’s Oxfordshire facilities until early 2010 when production had to be scaled up still further, and so Katie and the Yin Yang Skincare team began the search for a new production partner. The search led to the beautiful ancient market town of Halesworth in Suffolk and HERRCO Cosmetics.

HERRCO was founded in 1988 to service the cosmetics, toiletries and personal care markets, providing a full contract manufacture and development service, but its appeal to Yin Yang Skincare lay in HERRCO’s focus on ‘naturals’ technology – techniques and components to support the quality and performance of pure botanical products like Yin Yang’s. Katie and her team were also impressed by HERRCO’s ongoing investment in product research, manufacturing techniques and the most advanced mixing & filling machinery.

Today we consider ourselves fortunate to partner with this successful manufacturer of natural products whose customer base includes brands both large & small, department stores, hotels and specialist retailers – in the UK, across Europe and beyond. HERRCO has become the leading independent manufacturer of ‘natural’ products in Europe.

The Yin Yang Skincare team work closely with HERRCO’s manufacturing and development team to ensure that Yin Yang Skincare products remain pure and effective, yet meet all the highest standards for manufacture, filling, packaging and shelf life. This involves Katie of course and also Rebecca Hudson who heads up sales & support services to the critically important salon sector. Rebecca has an important dialogue with our manufacturing partner, ensuring that feedback from our professional customers who have such wide experience of skincare, are effectively reflected in product developments.

If you would like to talk to either Katie or Rebecca about your skincare routine or about Yin Yang Skincare products, please send an email to chrissie@yinyangskincare.co.uk with your contact details.

Yin Yang Skincare is delighted to announce that from this month our pure botanical skincare products are available in the UK’s largest fully certified organic supermarket, Planet Organic. These inspirational lifestyle shops can be found in four London locations:

Planet Organic Muswell Hill
111/117 Muswell Hill Road
N10 3HS | View map
Tel: 0208 442 2910

Planet Organic Islington
64 Essex Road
N1 8LR | View map
Tel: 0207 288 9460

Planet Organic Torrington Place
22 Torrington Place
WC1E 7HJ | View map
Tel: 020 7436 1929

Planet Organic Westbourne Grove
42 Westbourne Grove
W2 5SH | View map
Tel: 020 7727 2227

For the best of in season fruit & vegetables and the finest skincare, body care & natural remedies, these are destination shops; they also boast lovely cafe areas for delicious healthy drinks and food.

Regular visitors to the Yin Yang Skincare website & blog will know that we strive to support British farmers & growers. Our new partner shares our belief in ethical and sustainable farming and it has a “buy British” sourcing policy! Planet Organic looks to source merchandise from ethical producers and to have knowledge of the traceability of all ingredients and produce. Yin Yang Skincare feels very proud to be stocked in Planet Organic and pleased that consumers looking for our products will now have an additional reason to visit these four lovely shops.

Keep an eye on the Yin Yang Skincare website to see which days a Yin Yang Skincare representative will be in the Planet Organic store nearest to you in order to provide advice about our products and about your skincare routine.

We are ending 2010 very much as we started it, frozen in at Beechgrove Farm, 500 feet above sea level.   Looking out over the Cotswold Countryside, as I write at my desk, it is as close as one can come to looking out on fairyland.    As the telephone host for Yin Yang, it has been good to talk with lots of new customers as well as hearing from regular and loyal ones, who have used Yin Yang for many years.    Being able to communicate on a one to one basis with such a large family of users is so important for product development; the skincare issues that you have talked about with us have inspired the formulation of two new Yin Yang lines - one for acne and one for sensitive skin.

Plant of the Month - The Horse Chestnut

Again reflecting on the year, I receive a constant protection very close to the farmhouse, from a huge horse chestnut tree.   It is always doing something, either preparing for its wonderful flowers in May or its distinctive fruit in the Autumn.  Long have I been fascinated by its powers.   Native to Greece and Albania, it was introduced into Europe in the seventeenth Century, when it was recommended for circulation disorders including varicose veins.   We now know that the fruits contain two elements, aesculin and aescin –  saponins which affect capillary permeability and thus soothe thin sensitive skin where the blood is so close to the surface.   The skin is innervated with sensory fibres, whose ends detect various stimuli, such as heat, irritation and pressure which is transmitted to the skin causing “reactions”.  Consequently, I am very pleased to announce that the rather splendid horse chestnut is a key ingredient in our SO SENSITIVE products, which are due to be launched in 2011.

Packaging Developments

Early in 2010 we made changes to the packaging, which included the innovative and attractive airless pumps for our 50 ml products.   This resulted in numerous calls from customers, who had become used to the jars and wanted to know about the reasons for this change.   This was a positive move for Yin Yang, which is preserved without parabens, as these bottles prevent air from being introduced into the product, thus keeping it fresher, and preventing oxidation.    It is important therefore not to unscrew the top from the base but some, who could not resist it, discovered that the clever innovative bottle performs without a tube into the product.    This means that the product is drawn up from the bottom rather the top, keeping the sterile condition and whilst doing so provides a most attractive presentation.

Enjoy your Christmas and Very Best Wishes for a Good and Peaceful 2011

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 and peaceful time with your families and friends and I look forward to helping you with your telephone orders and questions throughout 2011.

A neat solution for today’s hectic lifestyles, Yin Yang’s Skincare To Go provides practical everyday beauty solutions at a truly affordable price. Three travel sized essential products of 10 ml each, in a convenient handbag proof zip-locked wallet, provide a skincare routine that is always within your reach. Perfect for work, travel, those nights when you just don’t make it home, or at this time of the year, as  Stocking Fillers!

New Skincare To Go

 
 •      Yin Yang Skin Cleanser: an award-winning light cleansing milk with a superb cleansing action. Gently clears away all surface dirt and grime to leave your skin feeling smooth and soft. Gently exfoliates, while thoroughly cleansing.

•       Yin Yang Natural Moisturiser: while supporting the skin’s optimum pH balance, this super hydrating moisturiser has been formulated to leave the skin looking beautifully healthy, energised, and radiant. Bio-active ingredients including witch hazel and sweet orange work to smooth lines and leave skin hydrated and glowing.

•        Yin Yang  Gold Defence Lotion: a multipurpose lotion boasting accolades under its belt, containing nutritious vitamin E-rich wheat germ oil, protective coconut oil, and essential oils of lavender and sweet orange. Ideal for skin exposed to drying sun, cold winds or low humidity interior environments. The lotion can also be used daily under make-up as a facial moisturiser, when extra environmental protection is needed.

- Starter kit - everything you need to get started on Yin Yang’s skincare regime in perfect trial sizes
- Gym kit - make sure you leave your face as well as body refreshed after a workout with Yin Yang’s signature botanical skincare
- Desk to dance floor - worry no more about after-work nights out; keep these products within arm’s reach so that you can be ready to hit the dance floor at all times, fresh faced and fabulous.
Fragranced with subtle natural essential oils, Yin Yang’s paraben and petro-chemical free formulations have been caring for British skins for nearly 40 years.

See our Christmas offers for a money saving 5 for 4 pack of Skincare To Go - perfect Christmas stocking fillers!

At 11.00hrs Monday 13th September, Yin Yang Skincare’s Katie May will take the brand on air with Ideal World, the flagship TV shopping channel operated by Ideal Shopping Direct (ISD). ISD is a leading digital retailer, selling products to consumers via its television shopping channels and the internet.

Freeview – Sky Digital – Freesat - Virgin

Due in part to the spread of digital TV, the television shopping market in the UK has grown dramatically; Ideal World is now available on Freeview, Sky Digital, Freesat and Virgin, for 17 hours a day to more than 23 million households.

Healthy, Youthful Looking Skin

Yin Yang Skincare is proud to have been invited to partner with Ideal World in bringing our pure botanical range of effective skincare to such a large, new audience. Katie May, who founded Yin Yang Skincare in 1973, formulated the range for herself, and the millions of women who, like her, wanted skincare products that would support the skin’s unique biochemistry with its capacity for healing and regeneration; “I formulated Yin Yang Skincare for myself, because I wanted to keep it healthy and looking youthful for as long as was possible…and today people frequently tell me I look much younger than my years”.

Katie May; Power In The Plants

For Katie, who lives in the midst of a lovely herb garden in rural Oxfordshire, it is “the power in the plants” that makes Yin Yang Skincare products so good to use and so effective. Switch on to Freeview, Sky Digital, Freesat or Virgin on Monday 13th September at 11.00hrs and meet Katie May and Yin Yang Skincare.