Ask the Expert

Have a question about a Trivani product or Trivani’s Do No Harm Philosophy™? Simply email your name and question to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Dan Miser, Trivani's Chief Science Officer, will then choose one question per week to answer, and the response will be posted on this page. 

Responses

Here is a list of distributors’ questions about Trivani’s products and the Trivani Do No Harm Philosophy™. The questions were answered by Trivani’s team of experienced scientists.

{slide=Parabens and Phthalates} Question:

Can you please explain why parabens and phthalates can be so bad for the body and children in particular and how Trivani products lead the way in the industry without these potentially harmful substances?

Answer #1: Parabens

Parabens commonly used in personal care products as preservatives are weak environmental estrogens. They can also support the growth of estrogen-dependent breast cancer cells grown in tissue culture (Byford et al., J. Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 80(1):49-60, 2002; Gomez et al., J. of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A, 68:239-251, 2005).

Both in vitro and in vivo studies conclusively establish that parabens are able to penetrate human skin intact and have also been isolated from human breast cancer tissue.

Parabens have also been identified as being endocrine disrupting substances (EDS). While animal studies reveal EDS to adversely affect male reproductive systems, it is adolescent females that are most at risk. Young women are exposed to parabens more frequently than males due to their higher rate of use of cosmetic products. Health risks to adolescents using products containing EDS is many times higher than for adults because young people’s biologies are under constant change and are more susceptible to the adverse effects of EDS.

Answer #2: Phthalates

Phthalates are used to make plastics flexible and sometimes used to stabilize fragrances. People come into contact with phthalates every day. Look at the bottom of your water bottle. If it has the letters PET or PETE or PETG then you’re holding plastic containing phthalates. PET is an acronym for Polyethylene Terephthalate. Many fingernail products contain phthalates, as well as many packages containing products that we either ingest or apply to our bodies.

The problem with phthalates is similar to parabens with the exception that males are more affected with issues such as low sperm count, testicular cancer, and genital deformities.


Fortunately, there is no reason today why parabens or phthalates need be used in our consumable products. Preservatives are a necessary safety feature for topical products meant to be used over a lengthy period of time, but there are many effective alternatives available today. They are a little more expensive, but the added cost is worth the safety.
Word of Caution: even though parabens may not appear on a product’s ingredient listing, they may still be in the product. Many ingredients used to make creams, lotions, gels, etc. use parabens as preservatives, but because they are a part of the ingredient they are, under U.S. FDA definitions, considered processing aids and are not required to be listed in the ingredient panel. Many countries follow this rule.

Regarding phthalates, Trivani avoids these by using HDPE (high density polyethylene) and LDPE (low density polyethylene) for its topical products and glass for liquid supplements.{/slide}

{slide=Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)} Question:

Hello, experts on the field of alternative health. I’d like to know your opinion on the discussions surrounding hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Some say that this natural or synthetic is not appropriate to use because you are artificially providing it for your body and therefore telling your system not to produce it naturally.

Answer:

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is typically a combination of steroid hormones (estrogens) and the synthetic hormone progestin taken orally to help reduce the undesirable effects associated with menopause. Progestin is used because natural progesterone administered orally does not survive well during its first pass through the liver.

Trivani’s Provani™ Cream uses USP Progesterone derived from natural sources. Topical application removes concerns of liver metabolism breaking down the progesterone.

I recommend that you go to http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/S/SexHormones.html and view the section entitled “Regulation of Estrogen and Progesterone” to better understand how these hormones are regulated. The last line in this section is important in answering the question posed this week. It says, “Elevated levels of progesterone control themselves by the same negative feedback loop used by estrogen.”

Women using Trivani’s Provani Cream are doing so because their bodies are deficient in this important hormone. Because of the limits and controls already in place in the human body, it is possible to use Provani without worrying about getting too much progesterone (when used as indicated on the package) or shutting down the body’s own ability to produce this hormone. {/slide}

{slide=Rakan and Catacade} Question:

If I am already taking Rakan daily, how would taking Catacade at the same time make a difference in my health? 

Answer:

Although Rakan is a good antioxidant source, this is not its primary function. Catacade, because it is a uniquely potent antioxidant, should be a daily part of everyone’s supplementation regimen. By combining Rakan and Catacade in your daily health routine, we expect a synergistic health effect.

Rakan is a complex multifaceted supplement providing substances that support important nutritional needs at a cellular level. Not only does Rakan provide antioxidant elements, but it also contains complex polysaccharides derived from the Luo Han Guo fruit, Maitake Mushroom, Shitake Mushroom, Reishi Mushroom, and Cordyceps Mushroom. In addition to this, Rakan delivers eight important monosaccharides (xylose, glucose, mannose, galactose, fucose, n-acetylglucosamine, n-acetylgalactosamine, n-acetylneuraminic acid) that are not indicated on the ingredient label because they are contained within the combination of the four mushrooms plus chondroitin sulfate and whey protein. These monosaccharides are used by the body to form substances known as glycoproteins, which are vital to important cellular and protein functions.

The complexity of Rakan continues even beyond this. Did you know that the medicinal mushrooms in Rakan are far beyond ordinary? The four mushrooms are all grown on a black corn substrate. Black corn is very rich in polyphenolic substances, giving it extremely potent antioxidant characteristics. When used as a substrate to grow mushrooms on, the antioxidant characteristics of the black corn are infused into the mushrooms, changing them from a “super-food” into a “super-super-food.”

By combining Catacade with Rakan on a daily basis, we add Catacade’s unparalleled antioxidant ingredients and technology to Rakan’s unmatched nutritional qualities, for a winning combination we consider a vital part of anyone’s daily health regimen. As you probably already know, Catacade—like Rakan and most other Trivani products—is a powerful blend of ingredients used at efficacious levels in combination with the latest technologies to enhance bioavailability of its ingredients. For example, the Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) contained in Catacade is coated with a special complex to ensure that it survives the digestive processes of the stomach. Unprotected, SOD is mostly destroyed in the stomach. SOD is used because it complements the body’s natural production of SOD and actually encourages or acts as a catalyst for the body to produce more of its own SOD. This catalytic action is where the “CAT” in Catacade comes from. Another example of Catacade’s technological superiority is the use of Vitamin E in the form of Tocotrienol instead of the traditional tocopherol. Because of Tocotrienol’s unsaturated character, its bioavailability to the body’s fatty tissues is significantly increased over that of tocopherol.
{/slide}

{slide=What are Capispheres™?} Question:

What are Capispheres™? 

Answer:

Capispheres™ are contained in Trivani’s Nourishing Shampoo. They are multilamellar vesicles, which means they are small spheres made up of many concentric layers (like an onion). Inside each of these layers is contained a reparative complex of fatty acids, avocado oil, and wheat flour lipids.

The Capispheres are one femto in size, which means they are 0.000000000000001 meters in diameter (really small). They are too small to be seen with the naked eye. Capispheres carry a positive charge and firmly attach to negatively charged hair and cannot be washed, brushed, or combed off.

Sebum naturally released from the hair follicles travels up the hair shaft and slowly melts off the many layers of the Capisphere, resulting in a slow-timed release of its beneficial ingredients to the cuticle (surface) of the hair. The end result is hair that is moisturized, softer feeling, and healthier looking.
 {/slide}

{slide=Can I drink Rakan and Suvan while pregnant?} Question:

Can you drink Rakan and/or Suvan while pregnant and/or nursing? 

Answer:

If you are pregnant, and if there is ever any concern, always check with your physician first. However, Trivani believes that both Rakan and Suvan are safe to use, as directed, for pregnant and/or nursing women. In fact, Rakan and Suvan would be a healthy addition to a nursing mother's diet.

The omegas in Suvan are great because of their known benefits of promoting cognitive development in children. Rakan, with its superfoods (mushrooms) and immune-enhancing properties, will help to keep Mom healthy during this important stage of life.
 {/slide}

{slide=Are all Trivani product ingredients all natural?} Question:

 
Are all Trivani product ingredients all natural?

Answer:

Many Trivani product ingredients are all natural, but even the term “all natural” doesn’t necessarily mean the product is both safe and effective. When we create a new product, we adhere to the Trivani Do No Harm Philosophy™ in the strictest terms. All of Trivani’s topical products must successfully pass third-party clinical studies referred to as HRIPTs (Human Repeat Insult Patch Tests). This testing is performed to evaluate the products for allergenicity and irritation potential. Dr. Devra Davis (www.devradavis.com/about.php) has also personally reviewed all of the MSDSs for Trivani ingredients and concluded there are no concerns for toxicity/carcinogenicity.

Some ingredients found on Trivani labels may be presumed to be harmful; however, we can assure you that Trivani has taken the steps necessary to find ingredients that are without any potentially harmful components. Here are two examples.

Fragrance
Some cosmetic safety databases list fragrance as a “High Hazard.” The reason is mainly due to allergenicity/immunotoxicity. Trivani products use fragrance, but our fragrance consists of individually-custom-formulated components void of allergens and carcinogens. If these fragrance components were listed on cosmetic safety databases, they would receive a “No Hazard” rating. Trivani goes to great expense and effort to ensure its fragrances are free of the 26 allergens defined in the European Union’s Cosmetic Directive. Any Trivani ingredients that appear with a hazard rating are there because they have been rated out of context in regards to (1) how they were manufactured, (2) the concentrations in which they are used, or (3) the types of products in which they are used.

Laureth-7
Laureth-7 is a substance found in certain personal care ingredients. It is often found on harmful ingredient lists because it has been known to introduce dioxins to the skin and body. Normally Trivani would not be allowed to use laureth-7 in our products, based on our Do No Harm Philosophy. However, we have found a form of laureth-7 that is certified dioxin-free, so it makes a great addition to our Provani™ Cream.  

There is a lot of good information about potentially harmful ingredients online. If you ever come across a Trivani ingredient that is listed as potentially harmful, however, remember that we have made the effort to ensure that our ingredient is 100% safe. Trivani products combine only the highest-quality natural and scientific ingredients to provide the most effective products possible—ones that will not harm your body. When you try them for yourself, you can feel the difference.

{/slide}