A letter to all my Fans

This is a letter to all my Fans!!

Last night many of you joined me in a wonderful SOLD OUT debut on HSN of the first four products in my new line of skin care Raw Essentials! Thank you, thank you for your support….

As I realize some questions may arise from that debut I wish to take a moment out of my crazy schedule (I am packing for a 3 month job overseas!) to alleviate some concerns and to answer some questions….

My History in the beauty business is well documented. In fact, NOTHING is secret in this business….
that said, let me get to the meat of your questions:

Did I have a face lift?

NO! I have a problem with keyloiding in my skin. If I had a face lift, I would have scars- and any makeup artist would love to be the whistle blower who becomes famous from unveiling any improprieties…. I do have dermabrasion- every now and again- maybe twice this year. and maybe once last year for a deep clean….

I had no acid peel. I once tried a cool lazer…did not see much change…. My lids are not cut or tucked…. I had an injection of restyln when I made the mistake of injecting a pimple because it became a nagging problem and my girlfriend told me to get it injected- as much as I fought it, I could not see going on the “celebrity apprentice” with a big bump on my face that was not really quite a pimple…. well, the injection ate my skin and collagen… and you know what? The CAUSE of the pimple did not go away (a blocked pore that needed to be cleaned out!! simple problem- simple solution!! but NOOOOO! I had to deal with the symptom and cause my self other problems!! Sound familiar? Go to the cause of problems and save yourself more problems!!)

So I had to have the “hole” left by the injection-filled…. and as it already went against my philosophy to get anything chemical….I kicked myself the whole show and while watching it because you can see the “hole” on the left chin area all the way…. eventually my own collagen filled the spot and the filler-as I am told is normal- disappeared… So injections? Yes….

What else? Ask me by posting your questions on carolalt.com for anything I missed…

Le Mirador

Yes! I was under contract for Le mirador with QVC! Le Mirador was the homegrown QVC brand. I love QVC! They were great with me…. When my books came out, I decided to create my own line! Following the Philosophy of Raw! And QVC was very understanding of that…. I believe you can still get those products from the Spa in Switzerland.

My Raw calling!!

My line is as close as I can possibly get to how I eat! In fact, some of my ingredients are coconut oil and tamanu oil and Aloe Vera in their “purest” form possible and cold manufactured to keep all the integrity of these ingredients-or as much as humanly possible…

I know raw is a controversial subject, I know many people don’t think you get any benefit from raw…. Well, I am a walking bill board to the benefits of raw…. I changed my health…. Not a stomach/acid problem, not a headache, not a flu in 13 years!! (and I was ALWAYS sick with one thing or the other!!)

I had terrible allergies since I was a kid…oh my gosh!!! Terrible- no live Christmas tree for the Alt’s, Carol can’t handle the dust and pollen etc off a live tree…..my brother and sisters were so mad at me…
well, not any more, I have no more allergies!!

I feel better, I think I look better (although there was some debate about that, I will answer that below….) I am definitely healthier…..and I owe it all to the change in my diet… I went “cold turkey” with my diet changes….not everyone can do that!! I understand!! Believe me I have friends and family following in my foot steps and I went thru the changes with them all….. I wrote Eating in the Raw, my first book, as a response to people wanting know how to do it!! I took an non-raw foodie thru the process and we basically wrote about it! All his questions answered for you to read…. but I digress…..

The point is that you just need a little education on label reading and to understand how “normal” food is processed to change… and in fact, if weight is your problem (as it was mine) eating this way is the best way I know of to keep the weight off…and to find your most natural, healthiest weight! And man, I eat like a race horse now….Yum!

So I always suggest if you do not have access to your own “raw food” escort, find a doctor who knows this way of life and ask for help….you can’t believe the benefits and you can’t believe how easy…
I wrote Eating in the Raw to be a guide to helping you find the raw, and I wrote The Raw 50- (meant to be the Raw 50 Menus but hey even supermodels make mistakes…LOL) to help you remain healthy and safe while changing to the raw food way of life…

There has not been a person who has talked to me who has gone raw who regretted it…. And don’t forget, the first couple weeks, you may detoxify! you may feel worse first! Stick to it, follow your “escort’s” guidelines….and you will get thru it…and the “other side” of the detox experience is not like anything you have experienced before…funny, how after I detoxified….and I was feeling great…I then thought back to how I felt before I went raw and was astonished to think that I had THOUGHT I FELT GOOD BEFORE….BUT it was nothing like how good I felt after….

I did have cancer…in 1990 I had cervical and in 1999 I had uterine. I got help from both sides of the issue: conventional doctors and homeopathic. As I had gotten rid of all my “little” problems: allergies, sinus infections, colds, flu, headaches, stomach acid…with raw I called my homeopathic doctor who taught me raw and said: how can this be? I am raw 3 years…..he told me the following:

“Carol, I am surprised that is all you have!! When you came to me with your little aches and complaints, i knew you were in for a long haul. You had so many illnesses about to happen that i could not tell you because I did not want to scare you. But, I knew if you did not go raw, you would have had a very different future than you have now. you would have had many more problems than this and far more serious problems (more serious than cancer?? wow!!). Stay the course, and keep diligent, follow my Protocol for you and we can beat this!”

and I did- it was a roller coaster ride, but I followed my path of raw and supplements and enzymes and herbs, and I have had clean tests for the last 5.5 years. No surgery, chemo or radiation….This was my path….

Then I wanted to keep my environment clean, too, chemical free to help my healing and healthy process… Well, when it came to looking at all the things around me that had chemicals, the research that I did, in order to help save my own life, led me to understand that the air and water is polluted and that the body ends up trying to clean this…and it is taxing on the body…. And then I looked at skin care and realized that whatever we put on the skin goes into the bloodstream and becomes part of the body!! Scary!! Even more scary? THE FDA DOES NOT REGULATE SKIN CARE OR BEAUTY PRODUCTS!!!!

So, I decided that if I am putting it on my skin, I want the cleanest possible, most raw possible, most pure possible products…. Well, nothing that existed passed my test! So I made my own! In my home, in my blender!! And everyone loved them… And then I got the chance to make it for you! or as close to what I was making as possible! The biggest tests were the preservatives!! And the cold processing!! And we pioneered both. I believe this is the future… OH- and so does some of the other cosmetic companies… as they told me to my face, that in 5 years, they will be copying me… So draw your own conclusions!!

The before and after photo on HSN….

The before and after of me seemed to be of big debate online… Well here it is- first of all, the lightening in the photo was a yellow light and HSN has a more FLAT blue light! Better to show you FAB products!! But well, Yellow light is much more flattering for people and skin. I did the best with what i had….LOL

I had no foundation OR blush….I wanted to show you clean skin!!

I am 26 years older than that photo- so you need to separate the maturing of a “look” and the “quality” of the skin…. I was trying to show you that my skin quality is just about the same…as 26 years ago- as any makeup artist can tell you- I mean any artist who has been up close and personal with me that is!!

My raw line:

I will have another 7 products in the normal to sensitive line in January on the 27th…I will fly in from Europe and go right on air….so please be kind if i look stressed!! Listen to the message and stop picking apart the Human messenger…. We will have a melting scrub….I hope….I am working on it NOW!! We will have body moisture, masks, toners, scrubs….bath products…..what ever you need to start your Raw Skin Care Regime! I did the work for you…. join us and learn more!!

OK, OK…. I am not a scientist, but I hired the best, most unbelievable scientist!! One who loves natural ingredients and was up to the challenge of making a natural preservative and pioneering the cold process of mixing the line… In March, I will come out with my FAV line- as I have mature and ageing skin!! It is the Anti-aging line…

Do they Work? I aim for all the best results you need for skin, and then I work backwards to find the ingredients that are in nature that do this!! Then I work forward again to create a LUX, elegant, sexy line that is easy to use (no refrigeration!!) try it!! You will not go back……
AND JUST WAIT ’til you see my testimonials in January 27/28th! (most after two weeks of use only- some only 10 days of use!!) Even I was most pleasantly shocked at the results!!! I knew this line was good…..but THAT GOOD???? Wow!!

Feed your skin…. I am trying to educate you to make the right choices in your skin care and food regime…. Education is the beginning of change. it was for me…. and I do not force this philosophy on anyone….it is just that I had such amazing, incredible results from it, I cannot imagine that other women-IF THEY KNEW ABOUT IT- would not want those same changes…

Do I get too thin on raw, yup! I do- minor side effect….

I am happier, healthier, more aware, in less pain, more clear in my thinking and my spirituality than ever before….than even when I was 20!! I thank God for that… all I am doing is “Paying it Forward…”

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON STUDENT WINS CHANCE AT MODELING IN NEW YORK

University of Wisconsin-Madison junior Rianna Hardesty learned she won the national “Next Year’s Model” contest as she walked to her Introduction to Buddhism class, providing an unusual clash of information: Earning a much-sought pop-culture prize, then studying a religion developed in the 6th century.

“I was so excited,” says Hardesty, 20, “but I was trying to pay attention, too.”

The contest stems from veteran supermodel Carol Alt and other industry execs, who chose four contestants from thousands of entrants. Hardesty, a Columbus native, didn’t enter herself — her mother, Kristen, did. Then Kristen didn’t tell Rianna about it until she was picked as a finalist.

On Thursday, Hardesty heard about her win, chosen by online voters. She receives a trip for two in February to New York City, where she will participate in a photo shoot with her picture likely landing on the cover of Alt’s book “Model, Inc.” While in New York, she will meet with a top modeling agency and receive a $500 wardrobe package.

Hardesty, who studies communication arts, is an intern at International Learning Community in UW-Madison’s Adams Hall, a dorm with sections concentrating on different languages.

She has never done professional modeling, but she was interested in pursuing it. “I didn’t think I’d get anywhere with it,” said Hardesty, a 2006 graduate of Columbus High School. “I have a friend really into photography and she would use me as her model. But that’s it.”

Hardesty’s mother will join her daughter in New York. They’ll meet Alt, and Rianna will receive the chance to break into a highly competitive industry.

“It’s an amazing opportunity,” she says. “Whatever comes of it, either way, I’ll enjoy it.”

Posted in Wisconsin State Journal on Dec 14, 2008

CONGRATULATIONS TO RIANNA HARDESTY, ON BEING NAMED AVON A’S “NEXTYEAR’S MODEL” CONTEST WINNER!

Rianna was one of four finalists selected by supermodel/author Carol Alt, LaVelle Olexa (Lord & Taylor’s senior vice president of public relations), and Mumtaz Mustafa (art director of Avon). Many voted online, and this gorgeous young woman from Columbus, WI was selected as the winner of the “Next Year’s Model” cover model search!

The grand prize winner, Rianna (and a guest) will be flown to New York City, where Rianna will stay for two nights in a four-star hotel. She will also receive a professional photo shoot; HarperCollins will consider the images for the cover of Carol Alt’s next book. The prize also includes a Lord & Taylor wardrobe gift valued at $500.

CAROL ALT LAUNCHES NEW PRODUCT ON HOME SHOPPING NETWORK

Carol’s new skin care product Line is called Raw Essentials. Her skin care line ingredients include things you don’t recognize. Don’t worry, all ingredients are from nature and nothing is cooked or heated, just like the food Carol eats. Carol believes raw is the future.

She’ll have 11 products out by the end of January which will be selling on Home Shopping Network, and at Organic Avenue.

Relevant Home Shopping Network links where you can learn more about the products:

» The road to raw
» Beauty’s newest essential from Carol Alt

The Authors On Air interview on 8/26

Carol Alt was on AuthorsOnAir.com on August 26, talking with bestselling author Michael Tonello (”Bringing Home the Birkin”).

RAW ESSENTIALS - CAROL ALT’S NEW SKINCARE LINE BECOMES AVAILABLE ON HSN DECEMBER 12TH!

Knowing what we all do about Carol Alt’s devotion to the benefits of raw foods, is it any surprise that she has found a way to care for her outer self in the same manner? After many false starts and near hits over several years, Carol is launching a line of skincare products called RAW ESSENTIALS, made entirely from – you guessed it! – 100% raw active, natural and completely synthetic-free ingredients. That means no parabens, P.E.G.s, or lauryl sulfates. In fact, RAW ESSENTIALS is the only product line sold in the United States that is certified raw. Carol explains:

“I had been eating raw and was feeling so amazing, with such incredible results, that I realized I wanted to continue that thread throughout my life. I knew that I could feel better and better if I could cut more “bad” things out of my life. I had already “chemical-proofed” my immediate surroundings, with water filters, air filters, ozone machines, etc., for my home and office. Then I thought, ‘What about the things I put on my body?”

“The pharmaceutical companies and skincare companies try to tell us that skin acts as a barrier that will keep all the bad things from entering our systems, but that simply isn’t the truth. Skin does allow certain things to pass through it and into the blood stream. When I was battling cancer, the last thing I wanted was anything chemical or unhealthy passing through my skin, especially since I was being so careful about what I ate, and drank, and breathed. So, I became a label sleuth, reading the ingredients of every product I bought or already had on my shelves. From there, I began studying skincare and the various processes that were involved in making these products.

“I found some very troubling things. For example, the F.D.A. does not regulate skincare. That alone scared me, since it meant that manufacturers could legally put just about anything at all into my lipstick, or my mascara, or my hand lotion and who or what was there in place to protect me?

“So, I began making my own products at home, using nothing but raw ingredients. I tried out all types of herbs and liquids, in various combinations, until I hit on something that worked. Well, my skin started looking better than it had in years, which of course, was a great by-product of my quest for better health.”

Carol began sharing her discovery with her friends and family. One of her sisters had suffered for years from rosacea, but once she changed over to Carol’s homemade moisturizer, the rosacea became a thing of the past.

There was another consideration driving Carol’s quest for her own line of raw products:

“At the time I published my first book on eating raw, I realized I had a dilemma. Many people were looking to me as an expert on pure and clean, whether it was food, or skincare, or any other health-related entity. It became clear that I could not put my name on just any skincare line unless it was in keeping with my personal philosophy and principles. It was that philosophy that led me to create this line of skincare products, since nobody else could live up to the ideals I had set for my own skin. If I wasn’t using something myself, how could I possibly recommend that other people use it?!

“Sticking to my principles has, unfortunately, cost me a great deal of money over the years. In one instance, I had to fight to be released from a long-term contract as the spokeswoman for a cosmetics line after less than half of the term had elapsed. What a financial hit that was! But my values had changed dramatically and I have to live with myself. Since that time, I have turned down literally millions of dollars from advertisers of various skincare lines, because I cannot, in good conscience, promote those particular products.

“Since the raw movement is relatively new, it was virtually impossible to find a cosmetics company with a truly pure line that I, myself, would feel safe using. My guidelines and demands on this subject are so stringent, and I am not willing to compromise on them, that it made it very difficult for any company to be able to afford to work with me. You have to understand that it is very expensive to use raw ingredients in anything. When I say ‘raw’, I mean as found in nature - unadulterated, unheated ingredients. That is basically why I had to create my own products, which has taken me quite a while to accomplish. What I kept running into when trying to work with manufacturers was that, unfortunately, people tend to, shall we say, fib – telling you (meaning me!) what they think you want to hear. Time after time, I would discover that a so-called raw process or ingredient actually had been cooked, thus defeating completely the raw mandate.

“For example, one company had come up with a banana fragrance and a mango fragrance for my tropical line. Those two fruits do not produce a useable scent for this type of thing. Banana fragrance (mango, too) can only be produced by combining two other ingredients found in nature and fusing them together by cooking them, thus chemically altering them. The resulting banana-like fragrance may be a natural “aroma”, but it is not a raw, natural “ingredient”. That was totally unacceptable.

“By relying on these people who were assuring me that they were doing everything in a raw and natural manner, when they weren’t, it was delaying my ability to launch this line that I so firmly believed in. On more than one occasion, with more than one manufacturer, we had gotten all the way to the end of the process and were about to launch my line, when someone would say something offhandedly and I’d say, ‘What?!’ and discover that one item or another had been adulterated, either by heating it or chemically altering it from its natural state. Well, that, of course, put a screeching halt to that particular venture and it was on to the next manufacturer!

“One of the last guys I tried this with finally showed me that he simply didn’t get it. We happened to be in his office one day and I asked him to add a certain raw ingredient to one of the products. (The entire product line, by the way, was nearly complete at this point!) He said “I’ll be right back”. When he returned a few minutes later, he proudly handed me a beaker with the new formula in it (containing that ingredient) to inspect. ‘Wait! This stuff is hot!’, I said. ‘It’s not that hot’, he told me. ‘How hot is it?’, I asked. ‘Only about 97 degrees’, he replied. What he failed to mention was that he was talking about Celsius degrees, not Fahrenheit. That’s about 135 degrees Fahrenheit! ‘Are you kidding me?!’, I asked. ‘You’ve now denatured the vitamins and minerals and enzymes!’ In the raw food world, that is not raw, natural or unadulterated. I suddenly realized that this man had no idea that heating (cooking!) any ingredient was so wrong in terms of raw. I also knew that if he did it right in front of me, so to speak, he had probably been heating other ingredients along the way.” Needless to say, Carol ended that partnership.

Carol points out that there is ample scientific evidence identifying a number of ingredients in traditional cosmetics as culprits in certain common cancers, particularly breast cancer. She has no intention of permitting such ingredients to impact her life and health, and the fact that RAW ESSENTIALS can assist others in avoiding the consequences of those nasty chemicals (such as parabens) that are found in other cosmetics, has been paramount in giving her a great sense of satisfaction.

“You know…I simply cannot imagine that putting something synthetic on your skin can possibly improve it. All you have to do is look around. No matter how much expensive goop people put on their faces, are they looking younger? No! Not at all. If all of the synthetic products really worked, would we need botox and plastic surgery to the degree they’re now being used? Think about it…!”

“RAW ESSENTIALS will be sold exclusively on HSN (Home Shopping Network), beginning December 12th and 13th with a “soft launch”. At that time, there will be 4 products available containing raw active ingredients that go beyond “natural and organic”: A day moisturizer; an eye cream; a body wash and a face wash. Then, toward the end of January, we will present a “hard launch” and offer additional products, including a night cream; a bath salt; a toner; a facial scrub and two masques (one detoxifying, one nourishing).

“This is one of the most exciting projects I’ve ever been involved with”, Carol concludes. “There are so many benefits to be had from changing your lifestyle, even if it’s only little by little. As I’ve said before, if I can just touch one person’s life and change it for the better, it’ll be worth it.”

IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO VOTE! DEADLINE IS 12/11/08

We have chosen 4 terrific finalists in our search for the new cover model for the jacket of my new novel and we need your help!

Please go to http://www.harpercollins.com/Imprints/Avon/CommunityFeatures.aspx and vote for the young lady you feel has what it takes to become our next cover girl.

I want to thank everyone who was kind enough to send me suggestions for the title of this upcoming sequel to “This Year’s Model”. We have settled on “Model Incorporated”. It’s very apropos.

I love having your help and participation in this project. It’s a great way for us to be both proactive and interactive!

- Carol

CAROL’S PLAYBOY SHOOT IN THE DECEMBER ISSUE IS ON THE STANDS NOW!

12/1/08 Carol Alt’s long-anticipated Playboy layout has been shot, the December, 2008 issue in which she appears is available right now and Carol couldn’t be happier with the results.

As mentioned in a previous article on this site, Carol was very concerned about finding the best photographer – someone with the same artistic values as hers, as well as someone with whom she could feel completely comfortable.

“We searched out a lot of photographers – both fashion photographers and several that Playboy recommended. We had narrowed it down to three terrific people. What happened next was that Timothy White called me and said that this would be his first Playboy shoot. Well, that struck a chord with me – I love being “first” – and I understood him, because he was speaking to me in my language. So, I told him, ‘Look, Timothy, let me come and see your work’, which I did and it was fantastic!

“So that, coupled with the advice we received from Playboy, helped me decide on Timothy. Playboy had wanted to give him a chance, so it all worked out just perfectly for everyone involved.”

Being a fashion photographer, Timothy approached the shoot with the eye of someone accustomed to working in the world of high fashion. His shots are probably less explicit – and, as Carol says, “less in your face” – about the nudity than is typical of the genre. Everyone who has seen them so far thinks they are simply exquisite, artistic photos and Carol agrees.

“My goal, as I’ve said before, was to promote raw eating and to show women that they, too, can look their best at any age. I know that Playboy likes to retouch their photos, so that everyone looks absolutely perfect. I told Timothy that if he intended to retouch my photos, it really wasn’t what I wanted. Granted, you have to have the basic body to begin with, but come on – let’s get real. I’m really fed up with looking at models who are 20 years old touting skin creams that they’ve never used, telling older women that they can look like that, too.

“I want women to understand that I’m no different than anyone else out there. It’s just that I’m extremely careful about my diet and I don’t mean ‘dieting’. If you watch what you eat, as I do with the raw foods, your body will find it’s own ideal weight. As long as the food is processed in the right way, you won’t have to starve yourself with crappy little meals; you’ll be able to eat whatever you want whenever you want, and both your body and your health will reap the benefits!”

Timothy and the crew took Carol down to Ballast Key, near Key West, Florida - http://www.privateislandsonline.com/ballast-key.htm. It’s a gorgeous park-like little gem, part of the Key West National Wildlife Refuge, although ironically, prior to being designated as such, it had been a military bombing range.

“The water is only about chest-high leading to the island. We could have literally walked there! The place is stunning; everywhere you look, there’s something interesting to see, from the foliage to the rock formations. Timothy had such an amazing eye – he could take a tree and turn it into a shower. He knew exactly how to use the lighting during the various times of day and that is a sign of a great photographer.

“We shot the entire thing right on the beach and that’s exactly what I wanted to do. I know that shooting on a beach was expensive, but Playboy was so generous and open to my ideas, it was just wonderful. I think they were really intrigued, because this was the first time a woman had ever used Playboy as a platform for health and nutrition. But what better place could there be than Playboy, which, after all, is about beauty and the art, so to speak, of a woman.

“So it was a first for Playboy, a first for Timothy White and a first for me. How much more perfect a marriage could it be?!”

Now, in case you’re wondering how a shoot like this is staffed and handled, Carol says there were about 10 people there the entire time, including her personal manager, Scott Hart; a representative from Playboy: hair stylist Steven Knoll: makeup artist Sandy Littner: the overall stylist Maya and her assistant: and then there were the four gorgeous, hunky male assistants who were handling all of the heavy equipment…! “I told Timothy that the next time, he should bring 4 nerdy guys, especially for someone as shy about this kind of thing as I am!”, Carol laughs. Speaking of which, when asked how long it took her to become comfortable with the situation, Carol says point-blank, “I was never comfortable, per se. But because I was shown the shots as we went along and was allowed to veto the ones I didn’t like on the spot, I felt as if I was in control. That really helped. What also helped was how sweet Timothy was throughout the shoot in the way he handled me.

“We wound up with over 30 photos and Playboy is giving us a 12 page spread, as well as the cover. In every respect, this experience turned out better than I could ever have imagined it to be.

“I put a great deal of thought into doing this shoot and ultimately, it was the opportunity of possibly saving just one person’s life by opening his or her eyes to the benefits of the raw lifestyle (no pun intended!) that sealed the deal. How could I possibly reach a wider audience than this?”

Carol had another happy surprise when she met the writer for Playboy who was assigned to write the article that accompanies the photos. He had a story to share with Carol and he could hardly wait to tell her.

“A few years back,” Carol says, “he was standing on the street in front of the Playboy offices with his wife and little daughter. A white limo pulled up next to them, the window rolled down, and a hand reached out, clutching a whole bunch of balloons, which were then given to this man’s daughter. The person in the limo popped her head out of the car and said something to the effect of ‘I hope you love these balloons as much as I love giving them to you’. End of story. Except…not quite, since that person in the limo was me!”

Talk about wild coincidences and chance encounters. Carol remembers the event, but not why she had a car full of balloons on 5th Avenue! Needless to say, the interview was off to a great start and both Carol and the writer were able to hit all the right notes!

The DECEMBER 2008 issue of Playboy is on the stands now.