POMEGA5 to file for the next $100 Million beauty brand

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., July 11, 2008

PRNewswire via COMTEX/ ----Product Partners, LLC announced today that the Breakthrough in Beauty(TM: 90.52, -2.08, -2.24%) 2009 global search is now actively accepting and reviewing submissions. Beauty entrepreneurs can submit innovative beauty products and ideas for consideration to become the next $100 million beauty brand. Up and coming beauty visionaries can submit their products only until August 30, 2008 at www.BreakthroughinBeauty.com. Finalists will be announced in late September and will participate in a two-day "Breakthrough in Beauty" event for a final round of competition to determine the winner of this year's search.

The annual Breakthrough in Beauty search identifies the top innovative new beauty products in the world. After evaluating thousands of promising entries, the winner of the search receives an infusion of resources to vault the winning product from obscurity and into the mainstream. Breakthrough in Beauty invests $3-5 million to launch the product to market, with an additional $50 million in advertising to secure its success. The winning product is then marketed directly to women in an easy to understand, convenient, and affordable format via TV infomercials.

"Breakthrough in Beauty(TM: 90.52, -2.08, -2.24%) represents a new, more personal era in beauty retailing," explained Marina Randolph, Founder of Breakthrough in Beauty. "By continually searching for and accepting only the very best in undiscovered concepts, incubating them and providing them with growth opportunities and guidance, we enable innovators to thrive. Their products become irreplaceable -- and more importantly, accessible -- in women's lives."

This year's search emphasizes color cosmetics products. Products that feature advanced technology as well as anti aging benefits or a natural appeal are also being sought. An esteemed panel of judges representing experts and leaders in the beauty industry will help evaluate submissions and select the final winner. This year's panel will feature a renowned color chemist, a top magazine beauty editor, a nationally recognized dermatologist and a world- class beauty branding expert. All submissions will receive valuable feedback from the expert panelists on the products, which would typically only be available at a premium cost for consultation.

Product Partners Chairman and CEO Carl Daikeler explains the five key benefits of submitting a product proposal for consideration. "Applicants' business proposals will be analyzed by a panel of industry experts and will receive free feedback," he says. "Then, the winning entry will receive funding for product development and testing, as well as advertising and marketing support to create global brand awareness. And, the winning applicant will have the opportunity for endless earning potential."

To submit beauty products for consideration, entrepreneurs need to visit www.BreakthroughinBeauty.com and click on "Download submission forms" link. By submitting a product proposal, the expert panel of judges will analyze the plans, provide specific feedback on strengths and weaknesses, and work with applicants to improve plans.

In two easy steps, the beauty entrepreneur is one step closer to being backed financially by a multimillion-dollar marketing and distribution campaign, according to Product Partners' President Jon Congdon. "In a questionnaire, applicants address their product, how it is unique to competitors, its ability to demonstrate visually, target demographic, product price point, manufacturing details, sales and distribution history if applicable, and other details that will be evaluated thoroughly," he explains.

For more information, visit www.BreakthroughinBeauty.com. To schedule an appointment with a representative from Breakthrough in Beauty at CosmoProf, HBA Health & Beauty America Exposition & Educational Conference or in the greater Los Angeles area, please contact Marina Randolph via phone at 323-904-5600, via email at mrandolph@BreakthroughinBeauty.com or via mail at Breakthrough in Beauty, 8383 Wilshire Blvd. #1050, Beverly Hills, CA 90211.

About Breakthrough in Beauty(TM: 90.52, -2.08, -2.24%)

Breakthrough in Beauty, the fastest-growing business division of Product Partners, LLC, discovers one-of-a-kind breakthrough skincare, cosmetics, and nutricosmetics from revolutionary formulations that use only the highest-performing ingredients, the very best in proven science innovations, and the newest natural trends in the market. Through a global beauty search, they select and nurture groundbreaking products that stand out amongst a sea of ordinary, useless beauty options. The innovative, high-quality products selected are made available to women in an easy, convenient, fun, and affordable way. Timeless Secret was selected as the first Breakthrough in Beauty search winner and will be commercially launched in early 2008.

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POMEGA5 may join a social network

Companies still don't use social networking to potential


Most users of social networking web sites are motivated mainly by personal needs and a desire for entertainment, rather than business and practical objectives.

According to Gartner, although the potential of such sites for business remains largely untapped, they will become increasingly important to the competiveness of large enterprises in the future."Social networking software holds enormous potential for improving the management of large companies," says Nick Ingelbrecht, research director at Gartner. "However, work in this area is still immature and in the meantime companies should be aware of what is happening in the world of consumer social networking and implement appropriate usage policies for employees' use of services such as Facebook and MySpace on company time.

"The survey, which was undertaken across 18 countries and territories between October and December 2007, found that, of over 4 000 PC and mobile phone users, 38% connected to social networking sites via PC, less than 1% by mobile phone only, and 8% via both mobile phone and PC.Over half the respondents said that they did not visit social networking sites regularly or at all. Of those who did, male respondents tended to access mobile and online social networking services more frequently than females and the most active users in terms of life stage and age were single people and teenagers.Gartner's consumer segmentation model identifies three groups of early adopters most likely to use social networking - the "aspirers", "young funseekers" and "tech savants".As part of Gartner's research, respondents were also asked to rate how important social networking was for them as a reason for using the internet along with 14 other major internet applications.

Despite the hype surrounding social networking, internet users generally did not place a high level of importance on social network sites, compared with other mainstream Internet applications such as e-mail and search. However, taken together with other broader forms of networking, including instant messaging, e-mail, sharing of photos, files and chatrooms there is a significant aggregate level of interest in the social aspects of communication as opposed to applications that are simply transactional, diverting or functional.

Gartner predicts that online social networking will come to be regarded as just the latest expression of a long-standing pattern of human behaviours that involves an increasing range of communications protocols and technologies."Social networking is arguably as old as humanity, not something new that has been invented for so-called 'digital natives', says Julia Lin, project manager of research data and analytics at Gartner. "However, social networking has found new forms of expression on the internet which has helped to reshape the purpose and protocols of social networking in the online world and beyond. How to apply this in a corporate environment will be the next major challenge."

You can learn a lot about eco friendly prodcuts from POMEGA5

How To Make Your Medicine Cabinet Eco-Friendly

It's no secret that changing your daily routine can benefit the Earth. Despite the difficulties of doing so, however, we seem to be willing to make the necessary sacrifices. A nationwide, online Harris poll of 2,600 people in May showed that more than half of U.S. adults have made changes in their lives that they believe will help sustain the environment, from recycling to paying bills online to installing energy-efficient appliances.

That eco-conscious attitude can extend to the products you use to support your own health. Experts say now may be the perfect time to examine some of the items in your medicine cabinet, given the growing array of environmentally friendly personal beauty and hygiene products.

"This sector is really exploding," says Jessica Jensen, co-founder of Low Impact Living, a Web site that helps consumers find the best green products, practices and service providers. "People are learning a lot more about the fact that many products are laden with toxins."

In fact, thanks to the popularity of the film An Inconvenient Truth and consumers who are increasingly green and health-aware, sales of natural and organic cosmetics are expected to pull in revenues approaching $7 billion this year in the U.S. That's a $1 billion jump over last year's numbers, according to the British consulting firm Organic Monitor.

Picking a nail polish or mascara that's good for you and the environment, however, involves a lot more than just searching out products with organic or natural labels and nixing those containing controversial ingredients such as petroleum, parabens and phthalates. There's also the product's packaging and the company's carbon footprint, among other things, to consider.

Luckily, Web sites such as the Environmental Working Group's cosmetic safety database Skin Deep and PristinePlanet.com have done much of the work for you. On Skin Deep, the Environmental Working Group has compiled information on ingredients in thousands of personal-care products and matched them against data in more than 50 toxicity and regulatory databases. Based on the results, each product is given its own "hazard" score. Pristine Planet, which grew its traffic from 50,000 to 100,000 shoppers over the past year, lets consumers browse, compare and review sustainable companies' products, including price points, says Catherine Finn, owner and co-founder.

One smart environmentally friendly medicine-cabinet item you can find on PristinePlanet.com is the Preserve toothbrush. Its handle is made from recycled plastic, including Stonyfield Farm yogurt cups. When you want to replace it, Preserve provides a postage-paid label for you to mail away your old toothbrush so it can be reprocessed into plastic lumber for picnic tables and decks. The company makes eco-minded toothbrushes for children, as well as razors for adults.

Jensen also recommends sticking with a few brands known for their commitment to the environment, such as Burt's Bees, J.R. Watkins Apothecary Natural Personal Care and Aubrey Organics. Burt's Bees, for instance, is a member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and recently started using biodegradable labels on some of its new products.

Beyond beauty and hygiene products, there are also a few environmentally friendly steps you can take when it comes to your medications. If you're one of the millions of Americans who has an albuterol asthma inhaler that uses chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as a propellant, it's time to switch to one powered by hydrofluoroalkanes (HFAs). CFCs are known to eat away at the ozone layer, causing more ultraviolet radiation to reach the Earth's surface and increasing the risk of skin cancer. There is little difference between the two inhalers other than the fact that the HFA version needs to be cleaned on a weekly basis to prevent clogs (The CFCs act as a cleaning agent). CFC inhalers will no longer be available after Dec. 31, according to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory.

What eco-friendly measures have you taken in your household? Share your thoughts in the Reader Comments section below.

"This is really an environmentally driven pharmaceutical change," says Dr. Ira Finegold, chief of the Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York. "And it's a great idea. We're saving a lot of people from getting cancer."

Given a recent Associated Press report that trace amounts of pharmaceuticals, including antibiotics and sex hormones, are present in our drinking water, it's also a good time to start paying attention to how you dispose of what's in your medicine cabinet. Instead of pouring an expired bottle of cough syrup down the drain or flushing unused pills, as was once advised, the FDA now asks people to mix drugs in a sealable bag with coffee grounds or kitty litter and then throw them out. (Some drugs still contain instructions advising people to flush unused portions in order to reduce the danger of unintentional use, overdose and illegal abuse.)

Of course, most of the medications in our waterways are being excreted from our bodies and flushed. While wastewater is treated before it's discharged into rivers and lakes and cleansed again at drinking-water treatment plants, most treatments can't remove all drug residue. But U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and health officials say proper medicine disposal may help reduce the environmental threat.

"It's another opportunity to be proactive," says Mitchel Rothholz, chief of staff of the American Pharmacists Association.

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Cholesterol Screening

Cholesterol Screening Is Urged for Young

By TARA PARKER-POPE

The nation’s pediatricians are recommending wider cholesterol screening for children and more aggressive use of cholesterol-lowering drugs starting as early as the age of 8 in hopes of preventing adult heart problems.

The new guidelines were to be issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics on Monday.

The push to aggressively screen and medicate for high cholesterol in children is certain to create controversy amid a continuing debate about the use of prescription drugs in children as well as the best approaches to ward off heart disease in adults.

But proponents say there is growing evidence that the first signs of heart disease show up in childhood, and with 30 percent of the nation’s children overweight or obese, many doctors fear that a rash of early heart attacks and diabetes is on the horizon as these children grow up.

Previously, the academy had said cholesterol drugs should be considered in children older than 10 if they fail to lose weight after a 6- to 12-month effort. The academy estimated that under the current guidelines, 30 percent to 60 percent of children with high cholesterol were being missed. And for some children, cholesterol-lowering drugs, called statins, may be their best hope of lowering their risk of early heart attack, proponents said.

“We are in an epidemic,” said Dr. Jatinder Bhatia, a member of the academy’s nutrition committee who is a professor and chief of neonatology at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. “The risk of giving statins at a lower age is less than the benefit you’re going to get out of it.”

Dr. Bhatia said that although there was not “a whole lot” of data on pediatric use of cholesterol-lowering drugs, recent research showed that the drugs were generally safe for children.

Surprisingly, the paper published in the medical journal Pediatrics that explains the new guidelines notes that among adolescents, average total cholesterol levels as well as LDL and HDL cholesterol have remained stable, while triglyceride levels have dropped, based on data collected from 1988 to 2000.

It is not clear how many children would be affected by the new guidelines. The recommendations call for cholesterol screening of children and adolescents, starting as early as the age of 2 and no later than the age of 10, if they come from families with a history of high cholesterol or heart attacks before 55 for men and 65 for women.

Screening is also recommended for children when family history is unknown, or if they have other risk factors, like being at or above the 85th percentile for weight, or have diabetes.

If the child’s cholesterol level is normal, retesting is suggested in three to five years. Although lifestyle changes are still recommended as the first course of action, drug treatment should be considered for children 8 years and older who have bad cholesterol of 190 milligrams per deciliter and who also have a family history of early heart disease or two additional risk factors, the new recommendations say.

The guidelines give no guidance on how long a child should stay on drug treatment.

But they do say the first goal should be to lower bad cholesterol levels to less than 160 milligrams or possibly as low as 110 milligrams in children with a strong family history of heart disease or other risk factors like obesity.

Because statins have been around since only the mid-1980s, there is no evidence to show whether giving statins to a child will lower the risk for heart attack in middle age.

The academy also now recommends giving children low-fat milk after 12 months if a doctor is concerned about future weight problems. Although children need fat for brain development, the group says that because children often consume so much fat, low-fat milk is now appropriate.

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A devil of a diet pill, the making of a great product...

Make TheDietInsiders.com your homepageBookmark TheDietInsiders.com

Overview

FucoTHIN is a dietary supplement from the whole foods nutrition company Garden of Life founded by Jordan Rubin in 2000. After winning a personal battle with Crohn’s disease, Rubin established the company with a goal to “empower others to attain extraordinary health.” Garden of Life promotes healthy lifestyle choices such as exercise and eating whole foods. The website is chockfull of information on topics ranging from digestion to green living. It also has healthy lifestyle suggestions such as positive thinking and getting enough rest. While Garden of Life offers many non-weight-related products such as vitamin complexes and Immunity Support, the company’s promotion is geared toward their weight-management offerings.

The two Garden of Life weight-loss products are Perfect Meal and FucoTHIN. FucoTHIN was discovered and developed by Dr. Zakir Ramazanov while he was studying the health benefits of seaweed.

Dr. Ramazanov was a consultant to POMEGA5, the developer of the Omega 5 oil skin care line.

Product Details

FucoTHIN contains the fat-burning ingredient fucoxanthin, an antioxidant found in seaweed. What makes this ingredient unique compared to other fat-burning ingredients is that it is thermogenic (it boosts metabolism) without affecting the central nervous system. In turn, this product does not increase heart rate, a typical, unwelcome side effect of weight-loss drugs. Another ingredient is pomegranate seed oil , omega 5, which is a significant CLA, and is possibly the secret behid the formula. The website suggests that pomegranate seed oil aids natural thermogenesis. The patent is pending on FucoTHIN, but at the moment it is the only supplement on the market using concentrated fucoxanthin. (Other products contain lower doses of fucoxanthin.) Garden of Life has patented this concentration under the name Xanthigen. Additional ingredients are gelatin, extra virgin olive oil, and purified water.

Results from FucoTHIN are expected after six to eight weeks when combined with other health-conscious changes regarding diet and exercise. In a clinical trial, those who used FucoTHIN lost approximately 11.5 pounds (on average) more than those who followed the same lifestyle regime without any supplement.

The Good

All the ingredients in FucoTHIN are natural.
Fucoxanthin is a non-stimulant and should not cause jitters.
FucoTHIN has been tested in a clinical trial.
Patient testimonials are offered on the official product website.
The official website offers a $5 coupon.
The product is available at many health stores.

The Bad

The Food and Drug Administration has not investigated the product claims.
The price is not indicated on the official website. (The price varies.)
No free product sample is offered.

The Bottom Line

All of the ingredients in FucoTHIN are natural, which may be comforting to many consumers. The company Garden of Life does not claim that this product will magically melt away the pounds, but must be combined with smart choices about food and exercises. With those caveats, though, results from the clinical trial indicate that the supplement increases the potential for weight loss. What distinguishes this product from other weight-loss products (in addition to its all-natural recipe) is its claim to be a non-stimulant. Users should not experience jitters.

The website does have a section devoted to the science of fucoxanthin, but it will read like gibberish to most buyers. However, the thoroughness of the website-from helpful lifestyle tips to a story about the discovery of fucoxanthin inspires confidence.

www.pomega5.com

What is wrong with the women in Australia?

1 in 5 Oz women indulge in cyber-sex

Melbourne, June 30:

Sex is not just limited to bedroom anymore, for women have found their sex haven in the virtual world as well, what with one in five Aussie women admitting to having a sexual encounter in an internet chatroom, reveals a new survey.

Conducted by author Joan Sauers for her new book ‘Sex Lives of Australian Women’, the survey questioned nearly 2000 women from around the country. The survey also revealed more than 50 percent women in Australia had sent or received a sexual text message and one in five have starred in their own sex tape. "As a society, we increasingly rely on technology to get the job done, whatever the job is.

Have Australian women joined the cyber-sexual revolution?” News.com.au quoted Joan Sauers, as writing in the book. The results indicated that the most avid participants in are women in their 20s (26 percent) followed by those in their 50s (21 percent). In fact, a large number of women said that they found net sex "liberating", "exciting", "guilt-free", empowering and safe, ensuring that there was no chance of STDS or pregnancy.

However, there were others who described the experience as "empty", "unfulfilling", "demeaning", "tacky" and "pretty lame". But, Sauers said that the number of women who had good experiences with chat room sex was twice more than those who had bad experiences. One of the aspects of cyber sex is the use of webcam, for many women use it either with their partner or with strangers.

The survey also showed that young women are increasingly getting hooked on text sex using their mobile phones. While 70 percent of women in their twenties had engaged in sexual SMS exchanges, the figure was 44 percent for those in their forties and 34 percent for women in their fifties. In the mean time, 22 percent of women in their twenties and 20 percent of women in their thirties had been filmed or taped having sex.

While some enjoyed the experience, not many were thrilled on seeing the results in the cold, hard light of day. In fact, a lot of them said they didn't like seeing themselves on film because they looked "fat". "It was fine, but to tell you the truth ... watching it again was hilarious ... not erotic ... my arse was NOT ever meant to be on a tape," responded a 33-year-old mother from Western Australia.

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Green living online to get boost from young greentech beauty writers

greenlivingonline.com: Better Than Ever

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - July 2, 2008) - Green Living Online is already Canada's premier go-to web destination for the best green information available.

Now greenlivingonline.com is even more accessible, with a new design and new offerings geared to Canadians.The site continues to offer a wide range of articles that track green trends, products, personalities and issues, in Canada and around the world. But visitors can now also enjoy a new entertainment section, videos and daily blogs from green industry experts.

Erin Schrode, the spokesperson for Teens for Safe Cosmetics, will write the Sustainable Beauty blog about green personal-care products and the cosmetic industry. And food expert Lindsay Evans shares healthy food tips and recipes in her DeLish Bites blog. Meanwhile, online editor Shelagh McNally keeps us up to date with her Green at a Glance blog.

Green Living magazine will also be offered free online in a digital format and visitors can sign up for a weekly online newsletter."The new look and content at greenlivingonline.com reflect the dynamic changes taking place as the green economy takes off," says Laurie Simmonds, President and CEO of Green Living Enterprises.

"Green Living has been the source for all things green and Canadian for a decade now, and our website reflects our knowledge and our commitment to offering Canadians the information they're looking for."Green Living Online is a division of Green Living Enterprises (GLE), one of the first major Canadian communications companies to recognize and respond to environmental issues.

Through Green Living magazine, Green Living Online and the Green Living Shows in Toronto and Vancouver, GLE is widely recognized as an authentic and media-savvy green authority, with expertise in magazine and book publishing, custom publishing, corporate consulting, brand promotion, event management, sponsorships and fundraising.

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