In an unprecedented trend shift over the last three years, grocery store shelves have displaced conventional products for natural alternatives. People voted with their wallets. The message is simple, don’t donate to lost causes, vote with your wallets. Money talks! [Read More]
In my book Chemical-Free Skin Health published in 2010, I pointed out the health risks of Triclosan including cancer, hormone disruption. Now it is time to look at the vast amount of other products that us Triclosan. EPA, your next! [Read More]
For the 10th year in a row, Keys Solar Rx Moisturizer with Sun Protection has been ranked 1 by the EWG 2016 Sunscreen Report. This year Keys KPRO Tinted Moisturizer with SPF joins Solar Rx in the top seat with an identical rating. [Read More]
DIY! Learn how to use Keys Avo Jel instead of petroleum jelly or food grade silicone grease around the house. [Read More]
Keys has had many inquires from customer who want to use Keys Tortuga for menopausal symptoms. Wendy elaborates on things for women to consider as it relates to dryness and how Tortuga can help. [Read More]
Safe Cosmetics has recently done a great job of updating their website and social media efforts. What we are especially pleased with is that they have come up with a great visual reference of what chemicals to avoid based on product function. [Read More]
Years of customer testimonials point to hair regrowth by using Keys Island Rx liquid soap as a shampoo. This article breaks down what might be the reason Island Rx works and explains some of the reasons Island Rx has a lot of fans. We are offering a discount code to try Island Rx…. [Read More]
Keys was born from a need for natural skin care products the likes of which did not exist before we started. Our founder, Wendy Steele, survived Melanoma and her story of her road to recovery was littered with prescription products that almost worked. The trauma showed her the clear vision need for products that really worked to solve skin problems. Because they are natural, they also made her feel good with a new youthful appearance and the resulting contentment showed her the way in creating Keys In the simplest of messages, Keys is ancient remedies employing modern technologies for people with skin disorders, those that want to be chemical-free, people who want their family to have natural alternatives and for post cancer recovery survivors. We are: Natural Beauty Natural Skin Care Natural Skin Therapies Natural Hair Care Natural Dog Care & Supplements Keys Purpose and Direction We are not just a natural [Read More]
New! KPRO Silkin Shampoo – Better Than Conventional and Salon Brands.
Finally, a natural shampoo that will clean and shine as well as conventional and salon brands, but without the junk.
Seven years in development, Silkin is the answer for those with thick, long and big hair. Color and perm safe, it is truly a revolution in hair care.
[Read More]
We have posted tips from the EWG regarding sunscreens. Keys Solar Rx was ranked as a top product in the 2014 sunscreen report under the moisturizers with SPF category. Keys received one of the highest ratings for safety and efficacy. [Read More]
“New data suggest that the risks associated with long-term, daily use of antibacterial soaps may outweigh the benefits,” Rogers says. There are indications that certain ingredients in these soaps may contribute to bacterial resistance to antibiotics, and may have unanticipated hormonal effects that are of concern to FDA. [Read More]
FDA to take a harder look at Triclosan claims made by manufacturers [Read More]
A group of the country’s leading consumer brands announced the formation of a new coalition to press Congress to modernize the nation’s out-of-date and ineffective chemical safety laws. [Read More]
In his book, Chemical-Free Skin Health, Bob Root covers many subjects designed to help people understand how to Stop, Challenge and Choose a healthier way of thinking by becoming chemical-free. [Read More]
A new video describing the Keys KPRO line by Bob Root, Keys Founder and Formulator [Read More]
Best Chemical-Free Insect Repellents. Keys RediCare featured a a best bet. Bob Root quoted from his Chemical-Free Skin Health book. [Read More]
What KODA products will do for you dog! [Read More]
Ever looked at the labels on your shampoos, moisturizers and cosmetics? Do you really know what chemicals you’re putting on your body? [Read More]
SpotClean Paw & Face Foaming Cleanser is a brewed wash with botanicals and herbs for quick cleaning of the paws and face or any spot area as an interim cleanser between baths. Removes road dirt and allergens as well many chemicals used on public parks and lawns. [Read More]
OmniClean is a natural Castile like therapeutic foaming shampoo and soap used for dogs with skin irritations, insect problems and to heal disorders. We add Neem and Karanja oil to the soap for their ayurvedic medicine healing and insect repellant properties. [Read More]
OmniShield is an intense therapeutic naturopathic insect repellent spray that uses OmniCare as its base adding high levels of Neem and Karanja oil, peppermint, red thyme and lemongrass to repel over 200 flying and crawling insects including fleas, ticks, flies, mosquitoes and lice. [Read More]
OmniCare is a naturopathic therapeutic spray designed to heal skin irritations, insect bites, cuts, scrapes and hot spots. It is a combination of botanical, herb and spice extract that are brewed and then distilled. [Read More]
As for that nagging feeling about the itching and scratching after your dog’s bath or after a grooming session? The most likely reason your dog is scratching and itching is directly related to the perfumes, artificial fragrance and harsh ingredients in dog shampoos! [Read More]
As for that nagging feeling about the itching and scratching after your dog’s bath or after a grooming session? The most likely reason your dog is scratching and itching is directly related to the perfumes, artificial fragrance and harsh ingredients in dog shampoos! [Read More]
I am raising a red flag when it comes to our pets and the environment. In my book, Chemical-Free Skin Health® I pointed out that about 50 years ago just about everything we put on our skin or came in contact with was naturally derived. Now nearly 95% is synthetic. There are now tens of thousands of chemicals that are in use that have never been tested for safety. Worse, our pets are exposed in direct contact to hundreds of more chemicals for the shear reason that they typically where no shoes, clothing and dogs tend to lead with their noses. This reality is played out in the article from the Environmental Working Group showing industrial chemical toxins at alarming high rates compare to humans. In 2007, I was a founding member of Pets for the Environment which was a spin-off of the EWG. It was just coming into vogue when the Melamine was [Read More]
The skin needs probiotics like we need for improved digestion. The problem is that the skin is a lot more susceptible to chemicals, allergens and pollution. Worse, the products we use are killing the skin’s probiome and the results are misdiagnosed skin disorders. Learn what to do and what not to do. [Read More]
Parabens…Good Guys or Bad Guys? As a part of my ongoing series of looking at the Dirty Dozen Chemicals shown to provide elevated cancer rates in people and animals, in this article, I outline why we do not use parabens leaving the judgmental diagnosis to the NGO’s attacking them. The Dirty Dozen Chemicals are a list of 12 developed originally by the Marin County Cancer Project which at the time, had the highest Cancer Rates in the US. Followed by Search For The Cause and Teens Turning Green the list is now designated the Dirty Thirty. To get started, parabens are chemical bactericides and germicides that are in 95% of pet skin care products. Said, there is a lot of debate whether they are good or bad for our pets. My take is that they are contributing to elevated cancer rates for our dogs. We think we are helping them, [Read More]
Close Shave? I am often asked why we do not make a shave cream or shaving soap. My answer? We already do! [Read More]
by Bob Root, Keys CTO There is another book on the horizon for us. The working title is simple, “SK!N”. After Chemical-Free Skin Health was published, I started to get so many questions that focused more on “what to do” than what is wrong. Yes, there will be a chapter about the negative effects of chemicals in products. The majority of the book are things that we should be doing to improve skin health which has a direct connection to youthful appearance and beauty. These articles are snippets from the book which are triggered by questions that I get that I think are important now! Books just have this tendency to stretch things out a bit too far. Like all good citizens, I have a disclaimer. For future reference, I once had a professor that said, “Ask Root the time of day and he will lecture you on [Read More]
I must admit that I have been CNN Free for nearly tens years. Really! I find myself working at looking at the world through positive lenses. I have found that watching things out of my control affects my overall health. This is not an “ignorance is bliss” approach to living as much as it is a focus on what I can effect, affect and control. For some time now, I have been afflicted with the belief that much of our health is not about doctors, prescription or even prevention. As I have studied, for my own life, I have found that health and specifically skin health, are directly relates to changing behaviors and realizing that it is not just about what we put into or on our body, it is how we do it and exercising the critical systems of the body. Simply, just eating right and going to the gym are [Read More]
It is summer and it is sunscreen season. Below is an article I recently wrote about the new welcomed changes from the FDA that will force manufacturers to reveal what is in their sunscreens. Please read it and the links to the FDA. This change has go a long way to help save lives through UVA and UVB dangers awareness. Also, since this new regulation, I thought it would be good to reprint the blog article herein. I encourage you to study to protect you and your family. My grandfather used to say to me, “make up your mind. Don’t let someone make up your mind for you!” It is more important than ever that you listen to facts based on studies and not opinion.
Bob Root in his new book Chemical-Free Skin Health outlined many of his concerns over the widespread use of Triclosan in foods, products and skin care. The article below was dated today in the Natural Products Manufacturers newsletter. From Natural Foods Merchandiser The Environmental Protection Agency is considering whether to ban the antibacterial chemical triclosan in consumer products, in response to a petition submitted by 82 environmental and public health groups led by Beyond Pesticidesand Food & Water Watch.
In an effort to bring relevant information to you, we occasionally find interesting reports. This one tags onto the EWG Fragrance Report and includes concerns we have had for a long time regarding unlisted chemicals in fragrance found in household products. This is a FYI for you! ____________________________________________________________ Scented Consumer Products Shown to Emit Many Unlisted Chemicals
Chemical-Free Skin Health! Bob announced the beginning of a book focused on skin health over two years ago at the Natural Products Expo West. His book will be published in early October and Bob will officially launch the book at the 2010 California Women’s Conference. Maria Shriver chose Keys Luminos for last years Women’s Conference for the speakers gift bag. This year, she chose Keys Solar Rx for the speakers gift bag. The book, titled “Chemical-Free Skin Health” with a subtitle of “Stop • Challenge • Choose” will be published by Orion’s M42 publishing company and will be sold on the show floor by Vroman’s bookstore. Bob will be at the show signing the books. Keys will be exhibiting in the newly created section called the “ECO Island” which features green sustainable products. For those attending, Bob and Wendy will be in the Keys booth along with Kathleen Beaton, Hollywood [Read More]
Comments of the personal care industry, by Bob Root, Keys CTO “The world is a changen,” is an old southern phrase. It generally means that new things continue to appear at a little to fast a pace. The concept of safe cosmetics does not fit into that phrase. I believe we are actually returning to the basics and our roots from not a too distant a past. Our first lotion was a refined version of one my grandmother created. She taught me to make a very fine lotion that she used to simmer on the pilot light (Google ‘pilot light’ if you are under 40) on the stove. She had long since passed-on by the time I started Keys, but I remembered the formula and process. Very emollient, Tortuga rivals the department store brands at a fraction of the price. Why, because it is all natural whole ingredients [Read More]
Triclosan: The Biocide that Creates Super Bugs? By Bob Root, Keys Technologist Chemical Warfare Chapter 12: Biocides: Indiscriminate killers that create super bugs? For almost two years, I have been working on a book draft titled, “Chemical Warfare.” It is a book focused on simplifying information about personal care and household products uses and concerns for public safety. As I studied, I realized how much hearsay there was in the industry. Taking a scientific approach, I turned to the research community for insights and facts…as best as they are. Part of my dedication was and is to release information that is important in real-time. Books, after all, are merely a snapshot in time and pale in comparison to real-time information gateways like our blog. FACT vs FUD is a chapter in this book as well as an article on this blog. In this overly inflammatory news based society of [Read More]
Bob Root, Keys CTO It is that time of year again when the various sunscreen reports come out. The Environmental Working Group 2010 Sunscreen Report is out a couple of months early. Once again, Keys Solar Rx receives great marks in the Moisturizer with SPF category. I offer the title above with a great deal of respect for this years EWG 2010 Sunscreen Report. I use the colloquial title because for the first time I feel there is a report that we can all read and understand. Good on ya EWG for making something that we can read and learn as well as drill down for the details. This year there are some interesting changes in the report that might not be very apparent, so I will try to hit some highlights to simplify it for you. Most notable is that the ranking system is gone and it is a very clear, concise easy [Read More]
Both? As a part of my ongoing series of looking at the Dirty Dozen Chemicals shown to provide elevated cancer rates in people and animals, in this article, I outline why we do not use parabens leaving the judgmental diagnosis to the NGO’s attacking them. The Dirty Dozen Chemicals are a list of 12 developed originally by the Marin County Cancer Project which at the time, had the highest Cancer Rates in the US. Followed by Search For The Cause and Teens Turning Green the list is now designated the Dirty Thirty. So, are parabens good guys or bad guys? Both it seems and there is a why we do not use them as well. Below is a scavenged description of parabens from Wikipedia. On the surface and from a chemical perspective they do their job. Many chemists and companies support their use based on a belief of safety. I [Read More]
Ingredients, Skin Deep Report and Everything Else… Musing from an interview with Bob Root, Keys Care CTO I recently took up Storm Chasing as a hobby… Just kidding although I feel like one of those guys chasing Tornado’s in the Midwest when it comes to the natural products industry. I was recently on a conference call with various members of the Natural Products Manufacturers Association enraged about a change that the EWG had made in the rating of Vegetable Emulsifying Wax from a 1 to a 4. The tone was angry because as Compact Signers, we were not given a why, who, what or a heads-up at all to the change. As of the time of the call, no one knew why the ranking was changed, who provoked it or the reason for the change. Normally, I would not address this here on our blog, but there has been so much [Read More]
The EWG just released a report on Fragrances. Below is a part of the report and links to read the entire report. What is important to understand is that these same secret ingredients are used in personal care and household products. That familiar brand fragrance of Tide, Dreft and dryer sheets come from fragrance developed in the same process as the cologne’s and perfumes listed in the EWG Report. This report is not startling to us, but it will be to you. It is clear and concise as well as very easy to understand. Simply if it has a long lasting smell, it is a good chance that your products have some of these secret ingredients that are talked about in the report. This morning our chief scientist, Bob Root, was a featured speaker on the industry call hosted by the Product Stewardship Institute.
Dirty Dozen Chemicals: SLS By Bob Root Keys Technologist Many people that I meet ask me to describe why I do not use certain chemicals. I tell them that my reasons are practical not political. I generally explain in three to five pragmatic reasons why I do not use certain ingredients. Most encourage me to offer my simplified reasons, so I am beginning to undertake why we do not use certain ingredients. In this series of article, I will start with the Dirty Dozen.
A new iPhone application promises to inform the consumer of which products should be avoided using a database of INCI names and the ingredients allotted safety profile. Cosmetifique can be used with both the iPhone and iPod Touch and claims to have a searchable database of over 5,000 ingredients, in INCI format. Results for ingredients searches come back highlighted as either red, orange or green, to denote whether the ingredient is good, acceptable or should be avoided. According to application designer Alfredo Delli Bovi, this can inform the consumer whether the cosmetics they have bought or are planning on purchasing are dangerous to their health or the environment. Cosmetifique also allows favourite products to be saved with the name, brand and colour, which can then be shared with friends via email, facebook or twitter. Delli Bovi explained that the ingredients suggested as good are natural and green ingredients. “We talked to make-up [Read More]
In keeping with our commitment to keep you informed about studies dealing with the Dirty Thirty chemicals, here is a synopsis and link to a recent article regarding phthalates in personal care products. Please note that we have tracked the use of phthalates in room fresheners, scented candles, dryer sheets, laundry detergents, cologne/perfumes and a high percentage of personal care products. The consumer simple rule that we suggest is that if a product has a strong fragrance that lasts for a long time, it is most likely synthetic and contains a form of phthalate. When in doubt inquire to a product manufacture for assurance that their products do not contain phthalates. Keys Engineering Personal care ingredient linked to ADHD A new study has linked phthalates, a substance used in some shampoos, lotions, air fresheners and children’s toys, with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Although research on the health effects of phthalates (pronounced “thalates”) [Read More]
At Keys, we have a core philosophy to not use any chemicals in our products that remotely have health concerns, known allergens or irritants. Like many, we started our business based on a need and we try to minimize negative marketing. If we were to list all the no’s, it would fill an entire web page. We chose to use the term chemical-free although it outrages the chemists of the world. All of our ingredients are on the labels and listed with the EWG Skin Deep Report. So the purpose of writing about the Dirty Thirty is to give you an education of what chemicals are typically used in skincare, what they are intended to do and why you do not want to have them in your products. Our own list of no no chemicals and natural ingredients tops 1100. Yes, some are natural and they are on our no-use [Read More]
By Bob Root, Keys Technologist One day when I was young, I was reading an issue of Popular Science Magazine with a story about a bold project to put man into space. I was so excited. Like many young people, I fantasized about flying in space. I became an avid follower of early rocket pioneers and awaited the day when the first manned rocket would launch. A few months before the first test launch was to fire, my mother, in sheer terror, headed for church to join other devoted to pray for the salvation of mankind. When I asked her what it was about, she exclaimed that “the world will come to an end when that damned rocket punctures the sky.” …”We have to prepare by praying for our salvation.” This was a defining moment for me because I did not believe her fears or the need to pray for [Read More]
Ideal Bite recently featured Keys RediCare in an article titled Chump mosquitoes got your kid down for the count? You can read the article by Clicking Here.
Airless Pumps versus Tubes By Bob Root Keys Technologist I am often asked the question of why I chose airless pumps for our products over traditional tubes. Well, there is no simple answer, but a series of reasons that we chose this very advanced technology developed in the Netherlands along with our design team. The most important reasons are health, safety and cleanliness of the product. True, tubes are less expensive, easier to fill and more common. The problem with tubes is that they were never designed for natural products.
by Bob Root Keys Technologist Clean, Caring, Concerned and Diligent! Everyone want to know these days what is in your products, what is not in your products and how does the making of your products effect the environment. I thought it might be lighter to use the title Green Piece with an ‘i’ because that is what the PR people call the eco statement that a company offers. Often these are full of $5 dollar words and platitudes. So, I have attempted to inform here without using too many words or big words that have no meaning. I am sure I have missed something, so make sure you use the comment box to ask me your questions. Keys is not just another natural products manufacturer. We design skin care solutions that solve problems. If there was a FDA category for Natural Medicines, you would find Keys there. What you will [Read More]
Copyright Keys 2018