The Benefits Of Hemp

Hemp is quite simply, nature’s beauty secret - and the secret is in the seed. Hemp seed oil and extract offer many benefits useful in personal care products. The reason hemp is so effective is largely because of the essential fatty acids (EFAs) it contains. More than 75% of the EFAs in hemp seed oil are poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), known for their excellent emollient and lubricating properties.

Hemp seed oil contains what is considered to be an ideal ratio of Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids- 3:1, perfectly matching the needs of the human body. In addition to the EFAs hemp seed provides, it is also one of The Earth’s richest sources of amino acids. Along with the EFAs, these two components are responsible for keratin formation, the primary protein that gives your hair structural integrity.

Facts on hemp

The hulled hempseed does not contain any THC. (THC is normally stored in the fleshy parts of the plant, especially the leaves. None is contained in the seeds, flowers, or roots of the plant.)

Hemp seed can be processed, much like soy, into many nutritious foods and cosmetic ingredients. Hemp seed is far more nutritious than even soybean oil and though it contains less total protein, it is far more digestible to humans.

Hemp seed contains, on average: 25% protein, 30% carbohydrates, 15% insoluable fiber, 30% oil, the nutrients carotene, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron, zinc, and the vitamins E, C, B1, B2, B3, and B6. Hemp seed also is one of the few seeds to contain Omega-6 and Omega-3 Linoleic acid, comonally found in fish and useful to the immune system.

Hemp oil has been found to be a highly nutritious, essential hair and skin aid for protection, growth and anti-aging.

Hemp has excellent healing and moisturizing properties.

Because of its EFA profile, hemp seed oil instantly counteracts the effects of degreasing and dehydration, conditions that produce dry skin and hair.

In addition to improving the structural quality of the hair, hemp seed oil's high lipid content helps increase elasticity, volume, combability and shine.

Hemp is used as fiber for rope, twine, tough cloth, and paper as well as other products where wood pulp is currently used.

Hemp could help preserve natural resources. For instance, hemp used for paper would replenish itself in 90 days instead of the 20-40 years required to grow trees.

An acre of hemp can produce 4 times the amount of paper that an acre of trees can produce.

Hemp requires no herbicides or pesticides for cultivation and refertilizes soil naturally making the ground useful for future crops.

History of hemp
Hemp has been in continual use by human civilization for at least 10,000 years.

The first written record of cannabis was supposedly penned by one of the early Chinese emperors around 2700 B.C.

Islamic/Arabic empires created Europe's first paper mill utilizing hemp in about 1150 A.D.

In 1563 A.D., as part of the economic and military buildup of the time (80 years war), Queen Elizabeth I orders all land owners with 60 acres or more to grow Cannibus or face a £5 fine.

For centuries the fiber of the hemp plant has been used for rope, sails and other textiles.

Early drafts of The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution were written on hemp paper.

George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both farmed hemp crops – the colonists were legally bound to grow hemp as one of their crops and could use hemp to pay their taxes. During times of shortage, farmers were sent to jail for not growing hemp.

In 1941 Popular Mechanics introduced Henry Ford's new plastic car, manufactured from and fueled by hemp (an early biodiesel variant). Hoping to break the petroleum industries' monopoly of control on his company, Ford illegally grew hemp for over a year.

The 1942 Japanese invasion of the Philippines cut off the US supply of Manila hemp, among other vital resources. The US government distributed over 400,000 pounds of hempseed to farmers in order to limit the supply gap as much as possible, subsidizing hemp cultivation during WWII. American farmers grew about a million acres as part of that program.

The Canadian government legalized the growth of industrial hemp for commercial purposes in 1998, issuing a license to Health Canada.

By 2004, four U.S. states had passed legislation to permit production of industrial hemp for research and commercial purposes; Hawaii, Maryland, North Dakota, and Minnesota. Legislatures in 5 other states (Illinois, Montana, Vermont, Virginia, and California) have passed declarations asking for a change in federal policy on the issue. Hemp-based products are legally sold within the United States.

Why Use Tanning Stickers?

Tanning stickers are a great way to measure you tan. It is always hard to see your own tanning progress by looking in the mirror. Tanning is a somewhat gradual process and therefore your color changes throughout the day and from one day to the next. The only effective way to measure your tanning progress is to use a tanning sticker in the same spot each time you tan. Almost everyone is surprised by how tan they actually are once they have used a sticker for a few weeks.

Tanning stickers also have another benefit. They are used as a cool reverse-tattoo like mark that can be sweet or naughty as they can be used almost anywhere. With the recent craze towards tattoos and body art, many people have added daring designs to their skin. However, some people are leery about getting a permanent tattoo. The effects only last as long as your tan. They simply leave a design of lighter untanned skin wherever you choose to place them. These designs show up brilliantly under black light at night clubs. Just imagine a glowing "sexy" or peace sign on your shoulder or hip.

Tanning stickers can be used indoors, outdoors and even in sunless spray booths. These stickers come in a wide variety of styles and patterns. These can range from miniature a playboy bunny and a devil to short words or phrases. One popular sticker is the lightning bolt, while another is shaped like a heart. Hemp leaf, happy face, and the peace sign are also among the most popular. Tanning Stickers are also inexpensive; a pack of 100 stickers is only $4. If you find one you intend to keep for a long time, you can purchase a roll of 1000.

How To Apply Sunless Tanner

Things You’ll Need:

Exfoliating shower scrub.
Scrub brush
Towels
Damp cloth
Soap
Old clothes
Sunless tanning lotion

Step 1:
Exfoliating brush or sponge
Before you begin: Give yourself plenty of time, 2-3 hours of personal time or before bed. Take a shower and using your exfoliating shower scrub and scrub brush or sponge, thoroughly wash all areas of your body to remove dead skin cells. Focus on areas such as feet, knees, elbows, and hands. WARNING: Do not shave or scrub hard enough to cause irritation. This will cause inflammation or itching when lotion is applied.

Step 2:
After shower dry skin completely by patting lightly with a towel. Make sure a damp washcloth and soap are handy by the sink, along with towel and sunless tanning lotion.

Step 3:
This application process does not use gloves and should be completed in 5-8 minutes. Begin by placing a gumball sized amount of sunless tanning lotion in your hands, rub your hands together quickly to get an equal amount in each hand and begin applying to lotion to your legs. Thoroughly and quickly rub the lotion making sure it covers all large surfaces of the legs. Add extra lotion when needed. Then apply leftover lotion that is on your hands to the tops of the feet. Avoid bottoms of feet and rough areas.

Step 4:
Stop here! Wash hands thoroughly with scrub brush and soap. Scrub palms, in between fingers, and fingernails. Now take the damp rag and begin removing excess lotion from creases by barely patting ankles, sides of feet, toes, knee caps, behind knees, and anywhere you see a crease or uneven patch of sunless tanning lotion.

Step 5:
Repeat these steps of application for abdominal, buttock, back and chest. Be sure to wash hands again after application and use damp rag to lightly pat creases and uneven application.

Step 6:
Repeat these steps for arms and neck. Be sure to wash hands again after application of lotion and use damp rag to pat creases and uneven application, especially underarm area, arm crease, elbow, and wrist crease.

Step 7:
Next apply the sunless tanning lotion to your face, or apply a sunless tanning lotion specifically for faces to decrease chances of irritation. TIP: Apply regular lotion to hair line or areas you don't want sunless lotion to penetrate. Use a smaller amount of sunless lotion and apply to face, covering all surfaces, careful around eyes, and only applying barely to top of ears. Wash hands thoroughly. Take damp rag and pat around hair line, eyebrows, ears, back of ears and hairline at back, and creases around neck.

Step 8:
To give hands a sunless tan you can apply regular lotion to palms to protect that area from tanning. Then pat the backs of hands on areas of the body where sunless lotion is still wet. This is a light pat technique to prevent any streaks or patches on hands.

Step 9:
Finally put on old clothes and wait to dry. Be careful where you sit, sleep, or what you wear because the lotion may rub off when wet or dry and stain. You can sleep with lotion on if you like, but be prepared for stains that may or may not wash out depending on the brand/type of lotion you use.

Step 10:
Flawless sunless tan!
After 2-3 hours or overnight setting of sunless tanning lotion, then take a light shower washing off excess lotion and shave if desired. Look at new flawless application in mirror and congratulate yourself for a job well done with no risk of skin cancer. For a darker tan, repeat the process immediately, and to maintain the tan reapply 1-2 times a week.

Step 11:
Did you miss a step? Don't worry if you're not perfect yet! If you have blotches or streaks then there are things you can do. Exfoliate in the shower to remove dead skin cells and new color. You can also buy a sunless tanning lotion remover, and follow the directions on the bottle. Happy Tanning!

From eHow.com

Sun Exposure For Vitamin D?

What Is Vitamin D?
From The National Institutes Of Health - NIH.GOV

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that is found in food and can also be made in your body after exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun. Sunshine is a significant source of vitamin D because UV rays from sunlight trigger vitamin D synthesis in the skin. Vitamin D exists in several forms, each with a different level of activity. Calciferol is the most active form of vitamin D. Other forms are relatively inactive in the body. The liver and kidney help convert vitamin D to its active hormone form. Once vitamin D is produced in the skin or consumed in food, it requires chemical conversion in the liver and kidney to form 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D, the physiologically active form of vitamin D. Active vitamin D functions as a hormone because it sends a message to the intestines to increase the absorption of calcium and phosphorus. The major biologic function of vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. By promoting calcium absorption, vitamin D helps to form and maintain strong bones. Vitamin D also works in concert with a number of other vitamins, minerals, and hormones to promote bone mineralization. Without vitamin D, bones can become thin, brittle, or misshapen. Vitamin D sufficiency prevents rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults, two forms of skeletal diseases that weaken bones. Research also suggests that vitamin D may help maintain a healthy immune system and help regulate cell growth and differentiation, the process that determines what a cell is to become.

Sun Exposure

Sun exposure is perhaps the most important source of vitamin D because exposure to sunlight provides most humans with their vitamin D requirement. UV rays from the sun trigger vitamin D synthesis in skin. Season, geographic latitude, time of day, cloud cover, smog, and sunscreen affect UV ray exposure and vitamin D synthesis. For example, sunlight exposure from November through February in Boston is insufficient to produce significant vitamin D synthesis in the skin. Complete cloud cover halves the energy of UV rays, and shade reduces it by 60%. Industrial pollution, which increases shade, also decreases sun exposure and may contribute to the development of rickets in individuals with insufficient dietary intake of vitamin D. Sunscreens with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 8 or greater will block UV rays that produce vitamin D, but it is still important to routinely use sunscreen to help prevent skin cancer and other negative consequences of excessive sun exposure. An initial exposure to sunlight (10 -15 minutes) allows adequate time for Vitamin D synthesis and should be followed by application of a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 to protect the skin. Ten to fifteen minutes of sun exposure at least two times per week to the face, arms, hands, or back without sunscreen is usually sufficient to provide adequate vitamin D. It is very important for individuals with limited sun exposure to include good sources of vitamin D in their diet. recommended daily intake for adults between the ages of 51 and 70, and approximately 15% of the recommended daily intake for adults age 71 and over.



LOTION SOURCE COMMENT:
A great way to get the recommended amount of UV exposure is to tan in a regulated tanning bed for 20 minutes. In this controlled environment you can easily avoid overexposure by controlling your time. You also get the added benefits of UV eye protection by wearing tanning goggles. We also recommend taking care of your skin and accelerating your tan by using a great tanning lotion and a moisturizer for tanners.

The Darkest Tan Of Your Life!

Most people go to a tanning salon or lay outside for one simple reason, they want to be dark! There are many more things you need to do in order to achieve the darkest tan of your life other than simply buying the latest trendy lotion. Tanning should be thought of as a process, not just a 20 minute excursion a few times a week. It's vitally important to take good care of your skin all day long if you want to get and keep your dream tan.

The first step is to pick out a high quality tanning lotion with great acceleration and moisturization as well as a variety of skin care ingredients. Look for ingredients such as L-Tyrosine and Unipertan and apply lotion shortly before tanning. If you want instant color while you build your base tan, use a lotion with good bronzers.

There are many tanning lotions on the market, all claiming to be the best. You want to find a brand with a reputation for quality ingredients. Just because a brand is popular at any given time, doesn't mean that it will deliver past the fancy packaging. Lots of products make a big splash when released but people don't buy them twice.

Another aspect of the lotion that you want to pay attention to is the skin care ingredients such as Shea Butter, Hemp Seed Oil, Caffeine, Exotic Oils and many others that nurture and protect your skin while you tan. Read the descriptions and look for these ingredients.

Faces are harder to tan than the rest of the body. This is usually because faces are exposed to the sun more and therefore have more resistance to it. To solve this problem get an advanced facial tanning lotion with great skin care properties.

The next step is to find a high quality daily moisturizer for tanners. These typically contain L-Tyrosine, Vitamins & Anti-oxidants. Use after tanning, bathing and even at night before bed in order to promote healthy skin and increased melanin production.

One very good way to boost your tan is to take tan enhancer pills daily. These either 100% L-Tyrosine or a combination with anti-oxidants to promote healthy skin and dramatically boost your tan. Take these daily as directed and watch the dramatic results.

Along with avoiding overexposure, eye protection is extremely important when you are tanning. You must wear tanning eyewear when tanning because the damage done to your eyes from tanning without eyewear is cumulative over time and irreversible. Sunglasses or closing your eyes will not protect eyes from UV penetration.

Most people don't realize the damage they are doing until they go night blind, color blind or start getting inoperable cataracts at a young age. If you are worried about "raccoon eyes," try a different brand of goggles. Some are slimmer than others and contour to the shape of your eyes. Since everyone is different, certain brands may fit your eyes better. Alternatively you can use disposable tanning eyewear that stick on your eyelids when you tan. There is no chance of raccoon eyes while using those and you will save your vision!

Have you ever looked in the mirror and felt that you just weren't getting any darker? Tans are hardest to see on ourselves so it's important to have a way to measure your progress. One of the best ways to do this is with a tanning sticker applied in the same spot every time you tan. You will see the results with your own eyes and be much more satisfied with your tan.

Lips, nipples and other sensitive areas do not have melanin and therefore do not tan. It's best to protect and moisturize these areas with a good spf lip balm while tanning or out in the sun. There are several brands on the market that not only protect your lips but also keep them soft and supple.

Another very important part of tan maintenance is to use a gentle cleanser when bathing. Soaps can be harsh and drying to your skin and can dramatically reduce the life of your tan. Use a shower gel or body wash that is gentle and soothing.

Remember, healthy skin tans best!

Lotion Source Signs Hawaiian T-Shirt Deal

Lotion Source has signed a deal with the popular Sunrise Design Hawaii, T-Shirt Company to exclusively offer their beautiful T-Shirt product line on the web. We will be adding many designs over the spring season. SDH, Inc shirts are famous for their high quality heavy cotton shirts and beautiful Hawaiian designs.

SDH, Inc has been selling their popular T-Shirts for over 20 years and have a loyal following, not only in Hawaii but all over the US and in several other countries. Lotion Source is now the authorized online retailer of SDH, Inc T-Shirts.