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Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

As we are all aware, one can spend massive amounts of money and time researching and purchasing anti aging skin care products that claim to be the ‘latest and greatest fountain of youth’ . The objective is to get you to believe that the newer claim is a vast improvement and worth the money you will inevitably spend on it. The quest for Natural skin care ingredients is an even greater obstacle.

The good news is effective natural skin care ingredients do exist. They can make a difference to your skin and are worth seeking out. Here are a few Natural anti aging skin care ingredients that are worth spending your money on because they live up to their promises.

1. Vitamin C – Vitamin C is one of the workhorse ingredients in skin care. It is backed up by a considerable amount of clinical research that demonstrate its benefits, which include:

An increase in collagen synthesis, which helps to thicken the skin and may help to diminish fine lines and wrinkles
Antioxidant activity, which reduces skin damage caused by free radicals (unstable molecules). It also helps us to withstand exposure to sunlight and boosts the effectiveness of sunscreen.
Boosts the effectiveness of Vitamin E, which is important in protecting our cell’s membranes.
An effective depigmenting agent at concentrations 5% or higher
An improvement in the appearance of sun damaged skin
Thickens the skin helping to keep it hydrated

2. Vitamin E – Like Vitamin C, Vitamin E is a highly effective antioxidant. It works to protect the membranes of cells, lipoproteins, and many other bodily structures considered to be “oily.” Vitamin E is effective when taken both orally or applied topically. It seems to help protect the skin, particularly from age spots and scarring and also boosts the skin’s natural moisture-retaining mechanisms.

Vitamin E is composed of tocopherols and tocotrienols, with the tocopherol components possessing more antioxidant activity.

3. Retinoids – Retinoids are derivatives of Vitamin A. There are several currently used in skin care preparations – retinol, retinyl palmitate, tretinoin, tazarotene. While retinol and retinyl palmitate may be found in over the counter preparations, the latter two require a doctor’s prescription.

Retinol’s benefits include:

An increase in cell turnover leading to smoother, brighter looking skin
Repair of cellular structure damage gradually in the epidermal cells as well as in the dermal collagen and small blood vessels resulting in tighter skin; fewer wrinkles.
Shrinkage of oil glands, which helps to reduce pore size and diminish scars.
Stimulates production of new collagen leading to a thicker, plumper epidermis.

The important thing in a retinol preparation is to look for a concentration high enough to be effective.

5. Vitamins B-3, B-5 – B Vitamins have been added as popular additions to skin products, mostly because they help hold moisture in. Well-hydrated skin is less likely to become irritated

Stimulates Exfoliation of the skin
Increases Hydration leading to less irritation and smoother pigmentation.

4. Salicylic Acid – Like AHAs, salicylic acid is an exfoliating agent for the outermost skin layer, the epidermis. Often referred to as a beta hydroxy acid, salicylic acid is different to AHAs in that it is lipid (oil) soluble as compared to AHAs which are water soluble. This characteristic allows salicylic acid to penetrate the oil in pores, helping to unclog and cleanse them of debris. It also possesses antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. These actions make it an ideal choice for individuals with oily skin battling with blackheads and acne.

5. Green Tea – The benefits of green tea may be attributed to their constituent polyphenols, a subclass of flavonoids, found in many plants. Green tea possesses powerful antioxidant activity, reduces inflammation, and can reduce the harmful effects of sun exposure.

Given their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, it’s likely that topically applied green tea polyphenols will have some effect on wrinkles or skin sag.

6. Peptides – Peptides are protein fragments that have been shown to have some beneficial effect on skin. Though a number of peptides have been shown to have skin beneficial effects, two in particular deserve further attention – copper peptides and palmitoyl pentapeptide 3 (also called Matrixyl).

Copper peptides were discovered to help heal tissue when applied to lesions and wounds. In addition, they’ve been shown to reduce the formation of scar tissue while also stimulating the production of more normal skin.

Studies have shown that peptides can be used to regulate the exchange and growth rates of skin layer cells, limit potentially harmful oxidation, and even create an anti-inflammatory environment that ensures optimal healing conditions.

Exposure to Chemicals in Personal Care Products

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In June 2004 The EWG and coalition of public interest and environmental health organizations conducted a survey of over 2,300 people. The survey showed that on an average a person will use 9 personal care products each day, contained in these products are 126 unique chemical ingredients.

Among the findings of this survey are the following:

12.2 million adults – one of every 13 women and one of every 23 men – are exposed to ingredients that are known or probable human carcinogens every day through their use of personal care products.
One of every 24 women, 4.3 million women altogether, are exposed daily to personal care product ingredients that are known or probable reproductive and developmental toxins, linked to impaired fertility or developmental harm for a baby in the womb or a child. These statistics do not account for exposures to phthalates that testing shows appear in an estimated three quarters of all personal care products but that, as components of fragrance, are not listed on product ingredient labels (EWG et al. 2002).
One of every five adults are potentially exposed every day to all of the top seven carcinogenic impurities common to personal care product ingredients — hydroquinone, ethylene dioxide, 1,4-dioxane, formaldehyde, nitrosamines, PAHs, and acrylamide. The top most common impurity ranked by number of people exposed is hydroquinone, which is a potential contaminant in products used daily by 94 percent of all women and 69 percent of all men.
Women use more products than men, and are exposed to more unique ingredients daily, but men use a surprisingly high number of products as well. The average woman uses 12 products containing 168 unique ingredients every day. Men, on the other hand, use 6 products daily with 85 unique ingredients, on average.

The results of this survey in combination with other studies show that people are exposed to hundreds of chemicals over the course of a day (CDC 2003, Thornton et al. 2002, EWG 2003), and that people face multiple sources of exposure from multiple consumer products for some of the common industrial chemicals used as cosmetic ingredients.

The bottom line is Exposure can add up! We can minimize what we expose our bodies to, by reading the ingredients in the products we put on our skin.

Why should I care what products I put on my skin?

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The main function of skin is to keep the important stuff (vital organs) in and the unuseful stuff (harmful chemicals) out. The Stratum Corneum is the outermost layer of the skin and acts like a shield against most harmful substances. And for the majority of people it does an excelent job. But one thing to consider is that the Stratum Corneum is permeable. That means that whatever you put on your skin, healthful or healthless, has the potential to get into your body. So why are people still rubbing the equivalent of twinkies all over their bodies?

Consider the recent research that linked the cosmetic preservative Parben to breast cancer http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/breastcancer090604.cfm. Thats pretty freaky stuff considering 1 in 3 women in the US diagnosed with cancer are diagnosed with breast cancer. The scientists said the most likely source of the parabens was from skin care products!

So if the bad stuff can permeate, can the good stuff permeate as well? The good news is the nutritious materials such as vitamins like E and C can permeate your skin. Once in the skin, these materials help to build your skin and fortify against pollutants that cause free radical damage. Do a little research. Find out what companies offer all natural skin care products with no Parabens. And when you go shopping, take some time and look at what you are about to smear all over yourself. Don’t just buy the least expensive or the most expensive product.

Consider what is really important to you–your health.