Tag Archive for: Natural Beauty

Dr. G reports: how pollution causes premature aging + what you can do to stop it

Pollution is a daily reality for most of us. Whether from external or internal sources, we must protect ourselves. A 360 degree approach to overall health includes pollution protectio9n and repair.

Pollution + your skin + and aging

Pollution releases microscopic particles or free radicals that can go deep into the skin and cause damage to otherwise healthy cells. The outcome is loss of elasticity (wrinkles and sagging) and Hyperpigmentation (dark spots). Pollution can cause uneven skin tone, dehydration, dryness, dark spots, expedited aging, wrinkles, sagging and a deterioration of collagen

Protect + Shield with Lifestyle choices

First and foremost always wear an SPF! Look for anti-oxidant ingredients as they fight free radicals. A few of the most studied and effective anti-oxidants are Red Tea, Ferulic Acid, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Japonica flowers, Water Cress Sprouts, Retinol and Resveratrol. We have a serum launching very soon that incorporates Ferulic Acid, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Vitamin B- specifically for polluted skin protection! Lucky for us Dr.G recently introduced Brightening Elixir– an anti-pollution serum that contains Ferulic Acid, Vitamin C, Vitamin B and Vitamin E!

The Sun is the number one environmental damage for skin. Both UVA/UVB rays are harmful. Protect yourself by wearing a hat and sunglasses. Shielding your skin, head and eyes can help with sun damage and pollution-based aging. Always wash you face to remove the residue and makeup from the day. Remember all the pollution from car exhaust, factories and the weak ozone layer sits on the skin!

Eating healthy can also reduce pollution effects on the skin and the body. Eat a diet high in anti-oxidant rich foods such as leafy greens and berries and foods high in essential fatty acids (salmon and almonds). Stay away form foods that can encourage and cause Glycation. The Glycation process, which is basically, sugars (from food and alcohol) breaking down the collagen fibers in the skin and therefore speeding up the aging process. Foods that feed Glycation and cause inflammation in the body and the skin are carbohydrates, fried foods, sugar, fatty meats and alcohol.

Repair the damage

The best way to repair environmentally damaged skin is to introduce an anti-pollution based skin care regimen- Exfoliate (remove the dead and polluted skin cells), cleanse, treat (serum), seal (moisturizer) and protect (SPF).

Exfoliation is the best method for ridding pores of pollutants. Scrubs can get into the pores and clean them while also removing dead skin cells, bacteria and prior damage. Chemical peels are also a terrific way to exfoliate and remove damaged skin cells.

The most potent and highest regarded pollution fighting ingredients are: Red Tea, Ferulic Acid, Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Retinol and Resveratrol. Look for these in serums and moisturizers.

A few healthy choices can save you skin and keep you looking youthful and healthy for years to come!

 

by

Understanding The Science of Your Skin

The skin is the largest organ of the human body. Your skin does far more than serves as a fancy covering to make you look good. In fact, the list of job responsibilities it handles is actually quite impressive. Dr. Goldfaden breaks down what your skin in actually doing all the time!

screen-shot-2016-10-17-at-11-56-52-am
A bodyguard:

Your skin shields your insides from ultraviolet radiation and other forms of physical damage, it also carries a powerful defense system that seeks out and destroys any foreign invaders that manage to get through.

As a communicator:

Your skin is constantly sending you the latest news from the outside world. About 45 miles of nerves connected to heat and touch sensors located in your skin are always busy relaying vital information about your physical environment.

As a maintenance worker:

When the outside temperature gets too hot, your skin is in charge of regulating your interior thermostat. It automatically turns on the sprinkler system by activating close to 200 sweat glands per square inch. This helps cools you down because the perspiration evaporating on the skin surface lowers your body temperature. When the mercury dips too low, a tiny muscle at the base of every hair on your skin contracts and makes the hair stand up. This helps trap a layer of air on the surface that insulates you from the cold.

As a water conservationist:

On average, about 55% of a woman’s total body weight is water. This means that a 130 pound woman is made up of almost 36 quarts of water. What keeps all this moisture from evaporating and escaping into the air around you is your skin. The outer layer of your skin, although it’s thinner than a single coat of paint, is as water-tight as a plastic sheet of equal thickness. In fact, your skin is 1000 times more impermeable than the membrane of any other living organism.

As a waste management specialist:

Sweating does more than help regulate your body temperature. It actually takes out your garbage as well. Every day your body loses about two and a half quarts of water. A lot of this comes from your sweat glands that work overtime to rid your body of unwanted byproducts like urea and ammonia that are dissolved in your perspiration.

As a vitamin manufacturer:

Your skin houses all the necessary equipment to produce vitamin D from sunlight. Just 20-30 minutes of summer sun

can help generate 10,000 IU of vitamin D that your body needs to activate over 2000 genes responsible for controlling everything from bone growth to immune function.

Interesting qualities that make your skin truly unique:

  • 12% to 15% of your total body weight is made up of skin
  • By comparison, the second largest organ is the liver, weighing in at a little over 3 pounds
  • Your skin sheds somewhere in the neighborhood of 40,000 cells every minute and replaces them with other cells that rise to the surface

How to keep your skin fully functioning:

Your cell turnover slows down every single day. Ever wonder why a baby’s skin is so soft? It’s because babies naturally replace their skin cells every few days. As you grow older, however, the rate of skin cell turnover slows down dramatically. Dead cells on your skin’s surface hang around much longer, a fact that tends to accentuate those fine lines and make your complexion look dull, gray and lifeless. By removing these dead skin cells, exfoliation helps make up for the gradual slowing down of your natural skin renewal process, improving the tone, texture and brightness of your skin.

The process of exfoliation is a lot like peeling away the dry, crinkly skin of an onion to reveal the living supple layers beneath. Whether the exfoliation is done using mechanical abrasion (Scrub) or a controlled chemical reaction (acid peels), removing dead and damaged skin cells on the surface allows the fresh new skin underneath to become visible. This newly exposed layer of skin feels much softer and smoother. Its surface reflects light better, making fine lines and other small imperfections harder to see. Age spots and other areas of unwanted pigmentation are less noticeable because the dead skin cells containing the pigment have been removed. Exfoliation unplugs clogged pores and allows for the release of natural skin oils. Regular exfoliation also helps to maintain open pores, decreases pore size, and minimizes many types of superficial scarring. In addition, removing the top layer of dead and damaged cells allows other health-promoting agents such as moisturizers, antioxidants, and collagen-boosting ingredients to better penetrate the skin and work more effectively!

 

by
,

The benefits of using naturally-based products + Ingredients to avoid

What constitutes a “natural” beauty product? There’s still no universally accepted standard, even though the market is growing at a rapid rate. The skin is the body’s largest organ and research proves it capable of absorbing up to 60% of the ingredients in the products we apply – thats a large number and we’ve become more aware of what ingredients are found in our products for this reason. There is a large majority of bath and body products available today which contain commonly-used synthetic ingredients such as Parabens, detergents, preservatives and SLS; these synthetic ingredients have been recognised to cause irritation in some people and may have damaging effects longer-term. Here’s our list of what constitutes our “natural”.

CQJ_3299

The biggest advantage of using natural/organic over synthetic ingredients in bath and body products is that they enhance the skin’s natural function; working in synergy with the skin by utilising active ingredients that help optimise skin regeneration. Think of naturally-based ingredients in topical products very similarly to foods – we all strive to eat “organic” and fast-food free. It’s the same in topical products.

Avoid Chemically-Based Ingredients: by voiding these harmful ingredients (Mercury, alcohol and ammonium laureth sulfate) found in regular skincare products you will help decrease your chances of redness, irritation and breakouts, along with sever allergic reactions. In addition, you are putting fewer toxic chemicals ito the environment and water, con tributing to a safer and cleaner environment. Artificilal fragrances in many products often tend to cause headaches and sensitivity, while parabens can alter the function of the endocrine system in your body.

Ingredients to avoid – 

Parabens: Preservatives commonly used in makeup products. Talc: A cheap bulking agent that is dry, chalky and related to asbestos. It’s used in many mainstream mineral brands as a filler to lower manufacturing costs.

Artificial fragrances: Can cause skin allergies and skin reaction to light (photo allergy). Commonly used in pressed powders and causes irritation and clogged pores.

Lead: A known neurotoxin. Exposure to lead may result in brain damage, cancer, miscarriage and infertility. Often found in lipsticks — don’t poison your pucker!

Phthalates: Manmade substances that mimic the female sex hormone oestrogen. Past studies have linked them to birth defects, kidney problems and infertility. Trace elements are being absorbed through the skin and, because the body doesn’t know what to do with them, they accumulate over time. Commonly found in plastic but also present in perfumes and lip glosses.

Dimethicone: A manmade toxic synthetic pigment and silicone-based polymer. Dimethicone sits on the surface of the skin and doesn’t allow it to breathe, causing irritation. Using Silicone-based skincare products also inhibit the actives from penetrating into the skin which reduces the treatment amount in the actives. 

Manganese: A byproduct of lead and copper refining and almost chemically identical to toxic arsenic, manganese is used as a filler because it gives a pearlescent shimmer. Can cause itching and clogged pores.

Chemical dyes: Link directly to skin allergies. Studies have found a breast cancer link to red 04 dye.

Mineral oil: Petroleum-derived oil that suffocates the skin and clogs pores.

by