Merry Christmas and welcome to the maiden issue of GODIVA Skin Care Journal!

Enjoy an information-packed issue every week that's loaded with skin care tips, product updates, testimonials and everything you need to know about GODIVA's effective and trusted products.

What's more, you might be one of the 7 lucky winners per week* to receive 7% OFF on your next GODIVA purchase. So, tell your friends about this special subscription promo for their chance to win!

Get the best of skin care in your Inbox every week with GODIVA Skin Care Journal! Happy Reading!

r Skin Care Alert

Skin Protection during the Cold Season

For most individuals, Christmas ushers in the excitement and joy of shopping for gifts, renewing old ties and spending this very special occasion with those closest to our hearts.

But for others, the start of the winter season is a grim reminder of another bout with exremely dry skin. So for those living in colder climates, it's important that you take extra-special care of your skin.

As the temperature drops and Christmas air comes in, your skin will require hydration or the maintenance of constant levels of water in the skin's outer layers. When your skin's equilibrium is distributed because of excessive dry heat, or in this case, outdoor cold, dehydration occurs. Dehydration affects the health and elasticity of your skin. Even oily skin becomes drier during winter.

To maintain youthful and fresher-looking skin during the holidays, be sure to cleanse your face everyday with Godiva Green Tea Transparent Soap. Then apply Godiva Fruit Acid Revitalizing Complex to remove dead cells without irritating the skin. It works by ultra-gentle micro-exfoliation. Dead, dry cells are replaced by radiant, younger-looking skin.

If you have sensitive skin, start with once-a-day application preferably evenings. Use only a thin layer and avoid areas around the eyes. In about two weeks, your skin would have adjusted. You can then apply twice daily. If you have normal skin, apply twice a day, once in the morning and once before bedtime.

This Christmas season, be merry and bright . . . and enjoy fresher, more radiant skin with Godiva!

r In the News

Antiperspirants linked to breast cancer?

Antiperspirants cause breast cancer? No way! A few reports falsely claim that since antiperspirants suppress sweat, waste materials are also suppressed from exiting the pores. These toxins are then deposited in the breast area and become cysts, so goes the theory.

If you are one those who have heard the rumor on the harmful effects of antiperspirants, here�s an earful for you to clear those doubts: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which regulates food, cosmetics and medicine, does not have any evidence or research data to support the theory that aluminum salts in underarm antiperspirants cause cancer.

Similarly, the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the federal government�s major agency for cancer research, also reports that it is not aware of any research that supports a link between the use of underarm antiperspirants and breast cancer.

Moreover, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in its October 2002 issue reported the results of a study investigating the relationship between cancer and underarm antiperspirants. The findings did not show any increased risk for breast cancer in women who reported using antiperspirants. These conclusions were based on interviews with 813 women with breast cancer and 793 women with no history of breast cancer.

For more information, see this article from the United States National Cancer Institute's website.