Sunscreen:
Place Summer Survivor on before sunscreen. Summer Survivor will not reduce the effectiveness of any sunscreens, however, some sunscreens may reduce the efficacy of Summer Survivor. The ellagic acid in Pomegranate Fruit Extract (PFE, which is present in Summer Survivor XS formulas) has potent polyphenols that stimulate an increase in the body's own built-in antioxidant, glutathione and increases the topical SPF of sunscreens. Summer Survivor is dependant on Lipid interaction to work properly and for that reason it should be applied to the skin first. Then it is recommended that an inorganically based sunscreen be used, e.g. those based upon Titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, or octyl methoxycinnamate (OCM). There are pros and cons to each choice. Titanium dioxide, a compound whose toxicity remains unclear, is an ingredient found in many sunscreens. Researchers now say the chemical can be absorbed by human skin. Titanium dioxide is a fine, white powder, used in sunscreens because of its ability to reflect and scatter ultraviolet light. The compound's full effects on human health are still under investigation. OCS,OMC,PABA and octocrylene all cover UVB but not UVA at all. Many sunscreen manufacturers mix these chemicals to try and achieve something approaching the effectiveness of zinc oxide. The commonest mixture is that of methoxycinnamate and oxybenzone. These combinations are useful and quite effective. Zinc oxide remains the most effective sunscreen available to date. If you presently have a sunscreen that you favor, the good news is you can test it yourself with Summer Survivor to see if it diminishes Summer Survivor's effectiveness.

Sweat and waterproofing:
The original Swiss processing instructions call for the addition of liquid paraffin to make the product more sweatproof and waterproof. Although liquid paraffin is in common use in cosmetics, many health conscious consumers prefer not to use it as it forms a film on the surface of your skin and cannot be absorbed (think of it like a liquid form of plastic wrap you use to cover your food). It can block the pores and the skin's natural respiration, so therefore we left it out of this formulation even though it may diminish the efficacy. However, people who plan to travel to environments that are malarial, hot, humid and will be perspiring heavily or will be spending a lot of time in the water may need this form of added protection. Therefore we have added Emu Oil. Emu oil has very non-comodogenic, meaning it will not block pores. It also penetrates skin better than most other oils, meaning it will not wash away easily, and this very property also assists the swiss formula interact with skin lipids, which is exactly wat it wants to do.

Suitability for children:
Generally suitable for all ages. A person afflicted with severe eczema reported itchiness after using Summer Survivor on affected skin. Summer Survivor contains Essential oils. Essential oils can cause skin irritation to some individuals with sensitive skin or who may be allergic to it. Therefore as is recommended with all essential oils, individuals are cautioned to follow the directions carefully, and patch testing the product on a small area of skin prior to liberal use is always a good idea. If irritation, itching or redness occur, bathe the area with cold water and discontinue use. Extra precautions must be used with small children. The mist should not be applied to their hands, and it should be kept out of their reach because they should not be given the opportunity to ingest it. Having said that, we have numerous clients who use this product for their children and if you read all the available scientific literature you will find a marked difference in the pathologies employed by Summer Survivor and other similar products. Pregnant women and those with medical conditions should consult their doctor before using.

General Safety Information on essential oils:
Do not take any oils internally without consultation from a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Do not apply undiluted essential oils, absolutes, CO2s or other concentrated essences onto the skin. If you are pregnant, epileptic, have liver damage, have cancer, or have any other medical problem, use oils only under the proper guidance of a qualified practitioner. Use extreme caution when using oils with children and give children only the gentlest oils at extremely low doses. It is safest to consult a qualified practitioner before using oils with children. A skin patch test should be conducted prior to using an oil that you've never used before. Instructions on conducting a skin patch test and more safety information can be found by visiting the Safety Information page here: (http://www.aromaweb.com/articles/safety.asp) . For very in-depth information on oil safety issues, read Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand (http://www.aromaweb.com/articles/safety.asp).

Do not use this product if you have a previous history of any sort of anaphylactic reactions, even if the causal agent of those reactions is not known to be due to exposure to one of the ingredients in Summer Survivor.

Expiry dates:
Essential oils that go into the formulations do not carry expiry dates. Expiry dates of 2 years on soybean oil that is labeled for internal human consumption is common. Subjective tests on product that have not been opened do not exhibit a diminished efficacy after spending a winter on the shelf, probably because no nascent oxygen had been reintroduced to the bottle cavity. Organic oils are subject to oxidization which lead to free radicals. Free radicals are often associated with cancer cell formation and aging. Yet free radical reactions are critical to many animal and plant biological processes, including formation of pigments in insects, cell walls in algae and fungi, as well as several biosynthetic pathways in vascular plants. The implications of understanding free-radical coupling, then, extend far beyond their role in the bioprocessed form of coconut, castor, and essential oils that are present in the Summer Survivor formulations. It is known however that the ‘magic' of the formulations are due to the patented bioprocessing of the active ingredient, and hinge upon the volatility of the reaction of the resultant fatty acids with skin lipids. Because this product is not consumed, an expiry date would only relate to the relative degree of efficacy, and those benchmarks do not exist at this time. Therefore common sense would dictate that any used bottles be discarded at the end of the season, and all bottles of the product should be discarded after 2 years if the wearer wants to enjoy the benefits of maximum efficacy with it, although it will still work beyond that point. All product is bottled just before the sell date, and the bottle cavities are filled with an inert gas (difluoroethane CAS #75-37-6).