LIKE ATTRACTS LIKE

When you think about washing your face with an oil based cleanser, it doesn't quite make sense. Why would I want to put additional oil on my face? Won't it clog my pores and cause breakouts? But there is a perfectly good explanation, if you remember the old chemistry rule: Like Attracts Like.

Oil production is actually healthy for your skin as it helps to lubricate and moisturize, but too much oil production can cause problems to occur. So an oil based cleanser like our KUKUIæ Moisturizing Cleanser with natural botanical kukui and macadamia oils, will actually emulsify dirt, oil and microorganisms on the skin's surface and rinse away, leaving no residue. Oil based cleansers leave your skin with a smooth, soft, healthy feeling. Skin feels cleansed, but never tight. The cleansing oil also nourishes sun-abused skin and lifts away left-over SPF after a day at the beach.

We would like to offer you a chance to sample our KUKUIæ Moisturizing Cleanser FREE with a purchase of $50 or more from our website. Just enter KMC Fragrance Free or KMC Sparkling Mango Fragrance in the Comments Section.

*Offer ends 4/01/09

SOAP MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR SKIN

"I must admit I gave up on bar soaps ages ago, even for my hands. I humbly and happily eat crow! The Kukui Glycerine Soap felt like silk, not like soap! I used it with my loofa mitt and it cleaned like a dream, but didn't leave my skin tight or dry."

Jessica Skropanic, Spa Review

Dec., 2004

If you are suffering from dry flaky skin despite the constant application of moisturizers and frequent bathing, it could be due to the nature of the soap you are using. Mass-produced commercial soap that is usually sitting on the shelves of your local grocery or department store is not actually soap - it's a form of detergent. Instead of natural vegetable oils, these " detergent soaps" are actually made fromh petroleum. In addition, these types of "soaps" may retain the caustic lye used in processing as well as potentially irritating perfumes.

GLYCERIN SOAP, however, is a sound choice for people with sensitive and/or delicate skin. Glycerin soap is known as a humectant - it actually attracts moisture, leaving your skin hydrated and supple. Beyond hydrating your skin, glycerin is also known to be a natural remedy for yeast and fungal infections, such as eczema and psoriasis. They also don't contain synthetic ingredients that cause skin irritations keeping your skin looking and feeling healthy and soft.

Glycerin can be animal, vegetable or synthetic. All of our KUKUI Glycerin Soaps are made with vegetable-based glycerin and have the added benefit of the moisturizing affect of kukui oil. Check them out at Oils of Aloha KUKUI Glycerin Soaps.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Everyone at the Oils of Aloha office has a different perception of what a beauty regime means to them and we are all probably right. We want to have beautiful skin and put our best face forward. After all, it's what makes our first impression on the world. But no matter how different our perceptions of beauty or what lengths we go to achieve it, we all can agree on one thing (when it comes to our beauty regimes, that is), Keep It Simple.

Here are some of our employee's techniques:

"Every morning I put about 3 drops of pure Kukui Oil in the palm of my hand and rub my hands together to warm up the oil. Then I "press" the oil onto my face. It doesn't leave a shine and it stays on until I wash it off at night and apply it again before bed. I use the 3 different fragrances of Kukui Oil Pacific Mist, Tropic Breeze and Paradise." Jean, TOP (The Office Person)

"I started having a beauty regime at the age of 10 when I received my first bottle of moisturizing face cream. I started applying it in the morning before school and haven't missed a day since. Of course, my skin needs have changed since then and now in my late twenties, I use a combination of three products: a gentle cleanser for my face in the mornings followed by our Kukui Moisturizing Cream. At the end of the day, I apply a clearing moisturizer that calms and soothes redness of the skin." Jessica, Sales & Marketing Assistant

"In the morning I use Kukui Moisturizing Cream on my face and neck. It absorbs quickly and completely. At the end of the day when I first get home, I wash my face with Kukui Cleanser and apply a few drops of Kukui Oil around my eyes and on my face. Before I go to bed I use the Moisturizing Cream again. My preference is the Pacific Mist fragrance." Barbara, Graphics and Advertising

"At bath time, I apply our Kukui Conditioning Shampoo to my hair. It brings out the body and leaves it very clean. Then, I wash my face and neck in an upwards circular motion with our Kukui Moisturizing Cleanser. I prefer the sparkling mango fragrance. It makes my skin feel smooth, clean and refreshed. At nighttime, I apply a cream. Every morning, I use three drops of Kukui Oil on my face and neck. I don't use makeup like most women do, but I finish with a simple color to my lips. It adds a new worth of self everyday." Melanie, Purchasing & Inventory Manager

"I have been fortunate with my skin. I never had any major skin irritations, but I do have extremely oily skin. To remove the residual oil from my face, every morning I use the Kukui Moisturizing Cleanser with the sparkling mango fragrance. I don't use any make up because I do not want to clog my pores. In the evenings, I like to use the Kukui Cream with the Paradise fragrance. I have never used specific cream for my face, but because I am beginning to see some fine lines, I started to use the Moisturizing Kukui Cream." Maria, Sales & Marketing Manager.

What is your beauty regime? What do you do to put your best face forward?

THE KUKUI LEI

The history of the Kukui nut lei dates back to the arrival of the early Polynesians to the Hawaiian Islands. The nuts from these trees had a special significance because of their many uses. The kukui tree is one of the most common trees seen in Hawaii's forests today. This beautiful tree has rightly become the State tree of Hawaii.

In ancient times kukui nut lei were only worn by royalty. The black and brown nuts are strung on ribbon to make a lei that is the traditional necklace given on many occasions in the Islands to express "Aloha" or welcome. Today they are worn by both men and women.

In 1988 our company (Oils of Aloha) started in business as the Hawaiian Kukui Nut Company. We were the only company in Hawaii making kukui jewelry. We had a great crew. The steps required to transform raw kukui nuts into beautiful jewelry was lengthy, but fascinating.

The nuts were gathered in the wild and brought to the factory where they were spread out on tables covered with mesh screens to dry and were sorted into black and brown tones. The nuts were then put into tumblers with coarse grit to begin the polishing process. They were drilled and the inside kernel was ground up, then blown out with high pressured air guns. The nuts were then polished by hand on small grinding wheels. The finished nuts were strung on ribbon to make a lei or made into ear rings or bracelets.

Unfortunately in the early 90's Hawaii was inundated with plastic and poor quality imports from numerous countries. At that time we had started to successfully produce bulk kukui and macadamia oils that were sold into the cosmetic industry. We also had started our own line of kukui skin care products and edible macadamia oils. So we decided to discontinue the jewelry and transition our employees into oil manufacturing.

The Kukui Lei Slide Show:

A TOUGH NUT TO CRACK...

...or squeze in our case. At Oils of Aloha, we practice minimal refining of our kukui and macadamia oils. This means all of our oils are expeller pressed(natural extraction without chemical solvents) from their kernels to maintain optimum quality and purity. The kernels are fed into the expeller press through a feed tube. The result of the pressure extraction of the oil is material called press cake. While continuous friction and pressure cause the temperature to rise and the oil to seep out through a small fibrous mesh screen. What remains is unrefined oil. At this point the oil is transported from out production facility to our factory where it is refined for either cosmetic or culinary use. We'll cover this interesting process at another time.

So what's the other side of the story? One alternative to expeller pressing is solvent extraction that uses harsh chemicals to draw out the oil. First, the oil is separated from nuts and seeds with a kind of petroleum solvent and then it's boiled to drive off the toxins from the petroleum. It is then usually refined, bleached and deodorized in heats of over 400º F reducing the amounts of many key vitamins and minerals. What's left behind is oil with a lack of flavor, nutrients and scent, but it will have a long shelf life, uniform color and texture.

ON THE LIFE OF VEGETABLE OILS

Have you ever wondered about the shelf life of our favorite cooking oil? We've had many questions on this subject as it relates to our Macadamia oil.

1. How long will oil last before it goes rancid?

2. What causes the oil to go bad?

3. How do I know the oil is still good to use?

Shelf Life:

All vegetable oils go through an aging cycle -- youth, middle age, old age and then they eventually die.  The enemies of stability in an oil are oxygen, light and temperature.

The method used for refining is important to shelf life.  Our Macadamia oil is minimally refined and then stored in a cool dark place.  When the oils are exposed to the enemies of stability they brea down shortening their shelf life.  Macadamia oil is a very stable oil high in monounsaturated fats with a shelf life of approximately two years or more.

Stability:

All natural fats are made from fat molecules that can be put into three categories: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated.  These all play an important role in the makeup of the oils and its shelf life.

Monounsaturated fats are basically more stable than polyunsaturated fats (corn, safflower, soy, peanut, etc.) because of their lack of free radicals which cause rancidity.  While many cooking salad oils made from polyunsaturated fats need to be protected from oxidation by refrigeration after the container is opened, Macadamia oil is stable for months after opening, even at room temperature.

Senses:

The best way to tell the condition of an oil is to smell and taste it.  Your nose is a very scientific instrument and is quite good at measuring.  The odor of fresh natural oils should be bland and neutral.  Unnatural or uncharacteristic odors are usually signs of rancid or bitter oils.

FYI:

All of our products have a Best Buy date on the bottom of our bottles.  Macadamia oil has been given a very conservative date of 20 months.  The only suggestion is not to store it in direct sunlight or in an extremely warm spot.