EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – December 17, 2009 – For the second consecutive year, Murad, Inc. has announced it will host an all-employee toy drive to benefit local underprivileged children. The toy drive is just one of many philanthropic activities the company’s employees and management will engage in this season. While the holidays may be considered the season of giving, philanthropic and charitable behavior is an all-year, deep rooted element of Murad’s corporate culture.
      “Murad’s founder, Howard Murad, M.D., has always been a strong advocate for his employees, looking at the company as a family,” added Richard Murad, General Manager for Murad, Inc. “With an overall commitment to the health of our customers, our community and our world, Dr. Murad is a strong believer in supporting the philanthropic efforts of his staff as they relate to their own personal charitable passions. The holiday season is no exception.”
To distribute toys and gifts to local needy children, Murad has partnered with Torrance, Calif. based New Challenge Ministries at the suggestion of Laura Hernandez, who is Director of Customer Care for Murad and volunteers regularly at the New Challenge Food Bank.
      Besides the toy drive, the diverse list of other charitable donations and activities Murad and its employees are participating in this season includes donations of product, services and volunteer hours to Planet Hope; the FIDM Scholarship Foundation’s 2nd Annual Los Angeles Alumni Holiday Dinner; Torrance Memorial Medical Center’s Holiday Festival Auction; Randal D. Simmons Outreach Foundation’s 2nd Annual Legacy of Love Holiday Celebration Silent Auction; The Annual Breakfast with Santa event benefiting APLA Family; and the United/Chicago Bears “Making Holiday Wishes Come True” event benefiting underprivileged families in the Chicago area, as well as many other causes close the hearts of Murad employees. Murad is even placing product in 200 care packages being sent to the troops in the Middle East.
     Murad, Inc. was founded in 1989 by Howard Murad. M.D., one of the world’s foremost authorities on skin health and a pioneer of the clinical skincare movement. All Murad products are based in The Science of Cellular Water, Dr. Murad’s unified theory of health and aging.
     The Murad brand includes 88 consumer products and 45 professional products sold in 45 countries. Murad is the #1 selling clinical skin care brand at many locations including Sephora and Ulta. Known globally for high performance topical and internal skincare, Murad has grown by producing innovative products that meet the needs of its customers.





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LOS ANGELES, Calif. – December 9, 2009 – Tracey Sameyah, President, Murad Inclusive Health, addressed the latest trends and issues pertaining to Health Tourism and Spas at the second annual World Medical Tourism & Global Health Congress™, the official international convention for the Medical Tourism Association, held October 26-28 in Los Angeles. As one of the quickest growing segments of the Medical Tourism industry, Health Tourism refers to the millions of patients who travel around the country to benefit from alternative medicine and spa treatments.
     Sameyah, a health tourism industry expert, shared with the audience of industry professionals and advocates Murad’s company philosophy of Inclusive Health, which focuses on supporting the need for internal, external and emotional self-care as a lifestyle approach. She projected that Inclusive Health will soon be incorporated in hospitals, corporate sites, alternative practitioners, spa service providers, healthcare providers and hotels.
      Sameyah also explained the concept of Cultural Stress™ and its relevance to the Health Tourism industry. Cultural Stress, as defined by Howard Murad, M.D., Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA and founder of Murad Inc., is the pervasive, cumulative stress of modern living with over-taxed schedules, conflicting demands and lack of downtime. This in turn leads to chronic conditions that cost billions of dollars annually, with most money being spent on disease treatment rather than prevention.
     “With the high cost of treatment in the United States, many people are traveling to destinations such as Mexico, Costa Rica, India, Thailand, and Korea for cheaper procedures,” said Sameyah. “Looking forward, the medical, spa and hotel industries will overlap to address beauty, wellness, health and medical concerns.”
Sameyah demonstrated how Inclusive Health Centers can work synergistically to support medical centers by citing Murad’s partnership with CHRISTUS Health.
     CHRISTUS has aligned with Murad to create CHRISUTS Healthy Living Spas, Murad Inclusive Health Centers that use Murad’s Inclusive Health philosophy to promote overall health and help optimize the healing of hospital clinic patients.
“With consumers moving beyond the traditional health care model,” Sameyah concluded, “Inclusive Health, along with Health Tourism, will clearly play a more significant role in the medical industry.”
For Sameyah’s full presentation, visit the Medical Tourism Congress website at http://www.medicaltourismcongress.com/presentations/presentations.php.
     The Medical Tourism Association (MTA) is the first international non-profit association comprised of top organizations in the field of health with the common goal of promoting the highest level of quality care to patients in a global environment. The World Medical Tourism & Global Health Congress is the official international medical tourism conference for the MTA.
     Murad, Inc. was founded in 1989 by Howard Murad. M.D., one of the world’s foremost authorities on skin health and a pioneer of the clinical skincare movement. All Murad products are based in The Science of Cellular Water™, Dr. Murad’s unified theory of health and aging.
     The Murad brand includes 88 consumer products and 45 professional products sold in 45 countries. Murad is the #1 selling clinical skincare brand at many locations including Sephora and Ulta. Known globally for high performance topical and internal skincare, Murad has grown by producing innovative products that meet the needs of its customers.



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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – December 8, 2009 – Murad has announced that it has reached a new milestone with the sale of its 3 millionth Acne Complex® Kit. The kit, which has now successfully helped millions take control of their acne, features Murad’s Clarifying Cleanser, Exfoliating Acne Treatment Gel, Skin Perfecting Lotion and Acne Spot Treatment.
With ninety percent of all users reporting a reduction in blemishes in just 4 weeks of using the daily regimen, Murad’s Acne Complex Kit remains one of Murad’s most sought after and effective product lines.
     “Acne is the most common skin disease, affecting people of all races and ages,” said Howard Murad, M.D., Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA and founder of Murad, Inc. “Whether a single blemish or multiple lesions, it is not only physically disabling but psychologically as well. While acne is not curable, more than 35 years of research has provided us with the means to help patients manage and control the effects of acne with a commitment to proper topical skincare, good nutritional habits and lifestyle modifications. It is gratifying to have been able to pass along this philosophy to so many beyond our medical practice.”
     Acne affects nearly everyone at some time in his or her life, with an estimated eighty-five percent of people experiencing recurring breakouts. Applying Dr. Murad’s research and philosophies, Murad acne products address factors involved in the causes of acne, including excess dead skin cell build-up, excess oil, and bacteria, while simultaneously reducing redness and inflammation.
     Murad, Inc. was founded in 1989 by Howard Murad. M.D., one of the world’s foremost authorities on skin health and a pioneer of the clinical skincare movement. All Murad products are based in The Science of Cellular Water™, Dr. Murad’s unified theory of health and aging.
     The Murad brand includes 88 consumer products and 45 professional products sold in 45 countries. Murad is the #1 selling clinical skincare brand at many locations including Sephora and Ulta. Known globally for high performance topical and internal skincare, Murad has grown by producing innovative products that meet the needs of its customers.




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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – December 7, 2009 – Murad, Inc. has announced that it is sponsoring the Heads to Tails Foundation, a rescue group that works in conjunction with Mary’s Little Lambs to find homes for displaced cats and dogs from the streets of Los Angeles.
      In support of Murad employee Cathy Borrego, a rescue partner and adoption coordinator with Heads to Tails, Murad chose to financially sponsor the organization, in keeping with the company’s stated values, which include protecting animals and being good citizens of the community and the world. Long a supporter of animal-related causes, Murad only produces products that are cruelty free and never tested on animals. Further, Murad only works with vendors who pledge that they too are cruelty free. Murad is also a proud supporter of the Roundhouse Aquarium in Manhattan Beach.
Murad’s support of Heads to Tails will help with the adoption process, as animals are vaccinated, neutered/spayed, micro-chipped, and groomed before being placed. On average, Borrego, along with two rescue partners, successfully finds homes for 300 cats and 120 dogs each year.
      “After learning about Cathy’s charity work with the Heads to Tails Foundation, we were excited to contribute to such a worthy organization,” said Richard Murad, Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel for Murad. “Murad’s founder, Howard Murad, M.D., has always been a strong advocate for his employees, looking at the company as a family. With an overall commitment to the health of our customers, our community and our world, Dr. Murad is also strong believer in supporting the philanthropic efforts of his staff as they relate to their own personal charitable passions.”
      “Murad’s generous sponsorship will help support our continued efforts to prepare pets for long-term placement, as well as help pay for veterinarian bills for animals that come to the organization sick or injured,” said Borrego. “We attempt to find original owners, but since this process is rarely successful, Heads to Tails utilizes donations to help prepare the pets for permanent adoption.”
     Founded in 2000, Heads to Tails works to place all animals with secure foster families until adopted. Pets are available for adoption via Adoptapet.com and Petfinder.com. The organization also hosts pet fairs every Saturday at Centinela Feed and Pet Store in Culver City, CA.
     Murad, Inc. was founded in 1989 by Howard Murad. M.D., one of the world’s foremost authorities on skin health and a pioneer of the clinical skincare movement. All of Murad’s 88 consumer products and 45 professional products are based in The Science of Cellular Water™, Dr. Murad’s unified theory of health and aging. Murad is sold in 45 countries and is the #1 selling clinical skincare brand at many locations including Sephora and Ulta.




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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – December 2, 2009 – Michelle Calvarese, Ph. D., Associate Professor at California State University Fresno and recipient of the International SPA Association Foundation’s Dr. Howard Murad Research Grant on Cultural Stress, has announced that the first research project funded by the grant has been completed.
      The grant, named for Howard Murad, M.D., Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA and founder of Murad, Inc., is awarded via the ISPA Foundation to an academic researcher interested in exploring methods for reducing Cultural Stress.
“I chose to endow a research grant through the ISPA Foundation because its management and members share my passion for providing regular therapeutic spa experiences -- perhaps the most effective antidote for Cultural Stress I have encountered,” said Dr. Murad.
      Dr. Calvarese, who earned her Ph.D. in medical geography from Texas A & M University, based her research project, titled “Job Satisfaction, Stress and Health: A Microanalysis of California State University, Fresno Students” specifically on the correlation between general health and job satisfaction. After surveying 500 university students between the age of 18 and 35, she concluded that there is indeed a correlation between health and job satisfaction in that the vast majority of respondents who were generally satisfied with their work were also in generally good health.
      “What I found particularly interesting was that the vast number of students were juggling multiple responsibilities (10-50 hour work week, full class schedule and families),” said Dr. Calvarese. “While many may not necessarily be showing the effects of this chronic stressful lifestyle yet, due to their younger age; it could quite possibly show up later in life. I believe this segment of the population may be an untapped demographic in regards to the need for stress reduction techniques such as massage, facials and other spa services.”
     Dr. Murad coined the term “Cultural Stress” based on observing the effects that living a maxed-out, multi-tasking life has had on thousands of his patients. Observing
that the modern “always on the go” lifestyle exposes individuals to an unrelenting stress that damages cells and accelerates aging, Dr. Murad began developing treatments and further research initiatives pertaining to the phenomenon, including the grant in his name that he established with the ISPA Foundation in April of last year.
      “Cultural Stress ages us dramatically,” said Dr, Murad. “It keeps our stress hormone levels in a constant state of elevation - which damages the skin, as well as every other system in the body. The results of this new research study help to underscore the fact that Cultural Stress levels relate to job satisfaction and therefore do have an impact on health.”
For those living in a constant state of stress, Dr. Murad encourages an extra focus on self-care as part of an Inclusive approach to health – an approach that Dr. Murad sees as central to the new science of disease and aging.

About Murad Inc.
Murad, Inc. was founded in 1989 by Howard Murad. M.D., one of the world’s foremost authorities on skin health and a pioneer of the clinical skincare movement. All of Murad’s 88 consumer products and 45 professional products are based in The Science of Cellular Water™, Dr. Murad’s unified theory of health and aging. Murad is sold in 45 countries and is the #1 selling clinical skincare brand at many locations including Sephora and Ulta.

About the ISPA Foundation
The ISPA Foundation is the nonprofit 501(c) 3 arm of ISPA and was created in 1999 to serve the educational and research needs of the spa industry. The ISPA Foundation’s mission is to improve and enhance the value of the spa experience; its vision is to advance spa culture to sustain health and well-being. The ISPA Foundation’s objectives include being the educational source for the spa industry, establishing definitive research that validates spa industry related topics and creating an endowment that sustains the ISPA Foundation in perpetuity.




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