I learned early on how important the sun is - without it there would be no life on Earth.

So no life on Earth, huh? That means us, right? So why does the sun get such a bad rap? I hear that we need exposure to the sun to produces Vitamin D, and we need that vitamin D to promote bone health. Plus it improves mood.

So if we're outside getting the sunlight and fresh air that our bodies and minds so dearly need, what happens if we stay out a little too long and we find that we start to feel bad. Could it be an allergy to the sun??.... It's possible. As I started to do the research to find out more about sun allergies, I thought I'd include some pictures of what these different reactions look like. Well, I changed my mind after spending about 10 minutes looking at some pretty messed up skin. I'll let you click on the links below- if you've got the stomach for it!

Here are a couple different types of sun allergies - Polymorphous Light Eruption, Actinic Prurigo, Chronic Actinic Dermatitis, Solar urticaria and Photoallergic Eruption.

Since Polymorphous Light Eruption is the most common and least severe of the three, I'll start there. It usually occurs during the early stages of summer after just a few hours of sun exposure. It's caused by the UVA and/or UVB rays and takes the shape of an itchy, red rash on the skin. It's sometimes also referred to as sun poisoning.

Next up is Actinic Prurigo. These symptoms include red, raised patches of skin and itchy bumps that may extend onto the skin that wasn't exposed to sunlight. Fluid filled bumps form and crack open. Actinic prurigo often causes chapped and split lips, and can affect the cheeks, neck, ears, arms and hands. In some people, actinic prurigo leaves scars. Symptoms generally start in the summer months and improve by late autumn.

Another type of allergy is Chronic Actinic Dermatitis, which can cause thick patches of dry, itchy and inflamed skin on the face, scalp, back and sides of the neck, upper chest, and backs of the arms and hands. Large affected areas may have areas of exposed skin that aren't affected.

Fourth in line is Solar Urticaria, whose symptoms start within minutes of exposure to sunlight and can include hives, itching and blisters. Solar urticaria can affect both exposed areas and areas covered by clothes. It occurs most often in older adults. Symptoms usually improve within an hour after covering exposed skin.

Finally a Photoallergic Reaction is caused by a chemical reaction of sun's rays and a sunscreen or the makeup brand which doesn't suit your skin type. Usually a rash will occur on the skin.

Now, I'm sure you're asking yourself - can Lucidia help? And the answer is yes to a certain degree. It will help internally to calm the release of histamines, but when you've got a sunburn, what you're longing for most is to soothe your skin. So try this home remedy... take a cucumber and mash it up to create a paste and apply it to the irritated area. You should feel it cool your skin within minutes. Best of luck to you this summer and don't forget your SUNSCREEN!

Thanks to the Mayo Clinic for helping me find out more about sun allergies.

I went camping with my family this weekend at Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. I'd have to say that it was the most relaxing camping trip I've ever been on. So many times when we've gone camping, we went with other families OR our kids were too young to be ok with weathering the elements and it made it... well, let's just say, a little less relaxing.

When you go with other families, it's really fun, but it seems like you're always on-duty - fixing a meals, cleaning up after a meal, making a fire, fixing a bicycle, making trips to the potty, applying sunscreen to someone, making a trip to the general store to get fire wood - ohhh, the list can go on... But for some reason, this weekend was just us, just peaceful, just taking hikes when we wanted, just riding bikes when we wanted, just playing games when we wanted, just us being there enjoying each other and the gifts of Mother Earth.

It's no coincidence that we took our camping trip over the May Day holiday (May 1). May Day is not a holiday that we put a lot of effort into celebrating here in the United States - which is unfortunate. May Day has been around for thousands of years and part of its celebration is in honoring trees and flowers. With all the trees and flowers radiating and proud to be vibrant and fertile, it's a wonderful time to take a moment to honor that which gives us life here on Earth.



Happy May Day to you, from your friends at Lucidia.

I was listening to KPBS, the local NPR station here in San Diego the other day. It was a bit of a miracle in and of itself that I got to listen to this one interview. I was in the car with my kids on the way to school last Wednesday morning and typically if I'm in the car with them we're either rocking out to Justin Bieber or Taylor Swift. So as it happened last Wednesday, we got in the car and my daughter says, "can you put on kids music?", so I obliged and turned on the radio. I must have been listening to KPBS the day before (sans kids - of course) because the first thing I hear is the commentator talking about counting pollen. So this really peeked my interest and before I knew it we were at my kids school and unfortunately for them, they didn't get to have their morning dose of Justin or Taylor.

Here's the full interview below. This whole counting pollen thing seems old school, but sometimes good ol' fashion human observation is the best way to go.

LucidiaLife.com

Living here in California, we get quite a few earthquakes. And more so lately in Southern California - fortunately they're just the ones that get your attention and start your heart racing a little. So it's been on my mind lately that we should have some things stowed away just in case we don't have power or water for a few days.

Back in 2008, I lived in Houston during the last big hurricane - Hurricane Ike, where we didn't have power for 8 days. I don't care what time of year it is in Houston - if you don't have power to run some kind of air conditioning in your house, you'll end up with hot, humid, sticky mess of a house after a couple of days. Living through that made me think about being prepared also.

So you might be asking, "what do Southern California earthquakes and Houston hurricanes have to do with Lucidia?" Well allergies can take you by surprise just like an earthquake or they can subtly build and either fade into something benign or consume you with misery like a hurricane and no power for 8 days. Either way, what do you do when allergies hit? What kind of "emergency goods" should you buy when it's allergy season?

For starters... tissues are a must! Just this last week alone, I had two strangers come up and ask me if I had a tissue because their allergies were acting up. Weird, huh? Why ask me? I don't know if it's the fact that I carry a huge purse that's bursting at the seems and overflowing with all sorts of random "must-haves", or that I'm a mother of two small kids, or if it was just the universes' way of having me talk to people about the great benefits of Lucidia. Regardless, having a package of tissues in your pocket or purse for the next couple of months is a good idea. I mean really, who wants to see a grown woman (or man) wipe their nose with their sleeve!? haha

Ok, so what else to carry along with you? ... maybe a good lotion. If you're anything like my husband who suffers from eczema, then a lotion with calendula in it is usually very helpful. In addition to dry skin, dry eyes can be really painful, so carrying a travel size bottle of saline solution would be good too.

And, of course, Lucidia!

So this allergy season, be prepared for when your nose starts to run, or for when you're sneezing uncontrollably or your skin starts crawling and your razor-like nails just aren't gonna cut it for that dry patch of skin on the inside of your elbow. Yikes! Anyway, my hope is that you can enjoy this beautiful time of year and live in it to it's fullest. It's a gift to us... Enjoy it!

To learn more about Lucidia and its health benefits during the allergy season, visit www.lucidialife.com

At Artemis Therapeutics, 2009 will bring about Lucidia, our herbal allergy relief formula. We're very excited! The website, www.LucidiaLife.com went live just this past week. If you haven't done so already, please check it out. You'll notice that we can't take orders at this time, but look for Lucidia to hit the market in March.

I continually read and research the topic of allergies and the effects they have on people. In the midst of doing this, I realized this information may be better shared with people suffering with allergies. As they say... Knowledge is Power. So as I read or find informative websites, I'll post them here.

To start, a nice overall comprehensive website about allergies is American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. More specifically, they have an article about 'what is an allergic reaction'.

Here's to your health in 2009!

My name is Kacey and I'm a part of a creative, dynamic partnership with two other people that I'm sure you'll get to know along the way. This is my first blog installment for our company, Artemis Therapeutics.

We've spent many hours in the making of Artemis Therapeutics. The first product you'll see on the market is called Lucidia. Lucidia is an herbal allergy relief supplement composed of reishi mushroom, stinging nettles, quercetin, bromelain and n-acetyl cysteine. The way we came up with this formula is based on scientific research, clinical experience and traditional herbalism.

Through research we discovered that...
Reishi mushroom enhances immune support, reduces allergic reactions, supports the lungs in asthma and bronchial disease and prevents viral infections.
Stinging nettles help purify the blood, fortify the blood with minerals, iron and chlorophyll to strengthen the body's resistance and moisturize dry skin; it is a natural antihistimine for immediate relief and it cleanses the kidneys.
Querectin reduces inflammation in the sinus cavities, inhibits release and production of histimine, has anti-viral properties, protects against oxidative and free radical damage, and breaks down mucous.
Bromelain exerts anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic activity, potentiates the benefits of quercetin, breaks down mucous in the sinus passages and the bloodstream, and it breaks down metabolic waste from undigested food or food allergies.
N-acetyl cysteine protects the liver and detoxifies it from chemical exposure and oxidation by increasing glutathione levels.

Look for Lucidia to hit the market early 2009. The website where Lucidia can be ordered is www.LucidiaLife.com. In the mean time, check back with the blog, as I will update our progress, give current event information on the latest allergy research and give tips on how to better improve your health, naturally.