Skincare Basics - Exfoliation

When Egyptians started an ancient method to exfoliate their skin using wine and tartaric acid as the active agent centuries ago, they were already trendsetters of their time. Although we don’t recommend their methods in modern times, they surely knew what they were doing if they wanted to achieve youthful and vibrant looking skin. But should we exfoliate? Is there really a necessity to? The truth is, even though exfoliators are 100% necessary, the wrong ones can do more harm than good. Harsher products can create micro-tears in your skin, weakening its protective barrier and encouraging bacteria which may cause break outs and spots. However, there are gentler products that contain weak acids that dissolve the sticky substance that binds pore-clogging dead skin cells together, leaving you with glowing skin.

There are 2 main types of skin-smoothing acids:

• alpha hydroxyl acids (AHAs)
• beta hydroxyl acids (BHAs)

AHAs (eg. mandelic acid, glycolic acid, tartaric acid or lactic acid) exfoliate while also hydrating, making them ideal for sensitive skin, dry skin or redness-prone skin.

BHAs (the most popular one is salicylic acid) dissolve dead skin cells on the surface but also deep clean the pores, breaking down any oil lodged inside

Exfoliating benefits - 5 crucial reasons

1. Exfoliating helps remove dead skin cell build-up

Our skin regenerates every 27 days. Which means there could be countless layers of old skin cells lying on top of newer, younger skin layers. When you exfoliate, you flush away these older skin cells and dirt that has accumulated in your pores will also be scrubbed away. This can help prevent acne or pimples that are caused by bacterial infection. Your pores can also appear to diminish in size as the dirt is removed from your pores.

2. Improved skin texture after exfoliation

Furthermore, exfoliating these dead cells away will help our skin renewal process to speed up and make way for newer skin cells below. The result is younger, softer, smoother, and more supple skin.

3. Exfoliating aids in skin hydration

After exfoliation, your skin is better able to absorb moisturisers as your pores are clear and more receptive to water molecules. Any water-based moisturisers or hydrators will be able to absorb into your skin much more easily, resulting in your skin looking more supple and smooth.

This also applies to your skincare products too; the benefits of your skincare products can be absorbed easier and deeper into your skin. Thus, you can get more from your products and be able to see the results easier.

4. Exfoliating helps fade acne scars

As mentioned before, scrubs and exfoliating helps in promoting skin cell turnover. Which means? Mild to moderate discolorations and acne scars can diminish over time as healthier skin resurfaces.

5. Maintain youthful skin

As much as we wish time could stand still, it unfortunately doesn’t. As we age, our skin ages as well – it becomes less supple and elastic. It will also become drier, causing lines and wrinkles to appear easier. When you exfoliate, you are clearing away the dead cells accumulated over the years, and your skin has a chance to look radiant, maintaining its youthful glow.

Summary

Knowing what exfoliation is about is important but knowing how to exfoliate is even more important. Try to exfoliate at least once a week, especially before you use any types of sheet masks or serums, so as to elevate your skin’s ability to absorb the active ingredients in your sheet masks and serums. Choosing a good exfoliator is important as a wrong one could cause disastrous reactions to your skin.

Exfoliate today – your skin will surely thank you for it!

The anti-ageing benefits of retinol

When it comes to “anti-ageing creams” and treating lines & wrinkles, there is one ingredient that is head & shoulders above the rest. Despite all the technological advances in skin care, Retinol is STILL the gold standard in anti-ageing!

Retinol is fantastic for treating lines & wrinkles no matter what your skin type or secondary skin concerns. Lines & wrinkles aren’t the only thing this wonder-ingredient can treat though. Retinol has the ability to correct all sorts of skin conditions and concerns including acne, eczema, pigmentation, enlarged pores.

What is Retinol?
Retinol is a form of Vitamin A and part of a family of ingredients known as Retinoids. Vitamin A is a potent antioxidant which has the ability to protect cells from free radical damage thus preventing collagen breakdown. It is also essential for cellular renewal and DNA repair.

Retinol acts like a hormone with the skin, normalising cell function. Therefore encouraging the skin to behave the way it did when it was younger.

Retinoid Skin Care Benefits
Aside from being an effective antioxidant, Vitamin A is essential for collagen synthesis and production. This is why it’s a fantastic ingredient to use when treating lines & wrinkles.

Retinol also normalises cellular turnover. As we age our cell turnover begins to slow down and become more sluggish. So by increasing it, it helps to give a more youthful complexion. By helping to normalise the way new cells are laid down forming the stratum corneum. Anyone who struggles with topical exfoliation should give Retinol a try. It has a similar exfoliating effect, but by stimulating the skins natural desquamation process.

For acne suffers where hyper-keratosis (excess of skin cells being produced) is an issue, Retinol helps to slow down cell production. In other words, helping to regulate or normalise cell turn over to a healthy rate.

Retinol also helps to normalise sebum production by reducing over-active sebaceous glands. So great for excessively oily skins. This regulation of oil production also helps to correct any secondary skin concerns such as acne or rosacea.

The Problem With Retinol
Whilst Retinol is a wonderful ingredient, it does have it’s drawbacks. There are good reasons why a lot of skin care brands do not use it in their formulations.

Firstly, it’s a highly unstable ingredient which deteriorates quickly when exposed to air and light. This is why it’s important to choose a product that uses encapsulated retinol and / or in airless packaging. This helps to ensure vulnerable ingredients are protected and thus remain active.

For example, imagine a product contains 0.5% pure Retinol. If the ingredient has not been protected, then the amount that is available to the skin will be much less. So therefore the results will be affected.

Secondly, it can be highly irritating and not easily tolerated by the skin. Using too much, too soon can cause irritation and over-stimulation. Which is why most over-the-counter skincare brands use such tiny concentrations so to avoid adverse reaction. However they also sacrifice the results from using retinoids.

It’s best to introduce Retinol slowly into your regime. This is another reason to choose a product that uses encapsulated Retinol, thus helping to deliver the Vitamin A to the deeper layers of skin without causing surface irritation.

Are All Retinoids Created Equal?
Vitamin A is such an effective ingredient because it’s recognised by the skin and has the ability to change the cell behaviour. Skin cells have receptor sites that recognise Vitamin A and can metabolise the ingredient. However it’s important to understand that in order for this to happen, Vitamin A has to be in a specific form known as Retinoic Acid. Therefore any retinoid that is applied topically to the skin goes through a conversion process before it can be utilised by the skin cell.

It is possible to apply Retinoic Acid topically in the form of a product called Retin-A (Isotretinoin). However this is a prescription drug and can only be prescribed by dermatologists. Whilst it’s the most effective form of Vitamin A, it’s also the most irritating and likely to cause irritation and over-stimulation.

The stages and order of Vitamin A conversion in the skin are;

• Retinyl Esters (Sometimes shown as Retinyl Palmitate on ingredients)
• Retinol
• Retinaldehyde
• Retinoic Acid

The further away from Retinoic Acid and the more conversion needed. The weaker the effect but also least irritating. The closer to Retinoic Acid and the less conversion needed. The stronger the effect but also the most irritating.

By this principle, in non-prescription skincare, then it’s best to choose a product that contains Retinol or Retinaldehyde (or a combination of the two).

Studies have shown that 0.5% Retinaldehyde is just as effective as 0.5% Retinoic Acid. Except Retinaldehyde is more easily tolerated by the skin and without the localised irritation of Retinoic Acid. [1]

How To Use Retinol Skincare
Choose a product that uses encapsulated Vitamin A and start off slowly. Introducing the product in small amounts with rest days until skin tolerance level is determined.

It’s completely normal to experience some initial dryness or flaking on the third day of using a Vitamin A product for the first time. This is because it takes 3 days for Retinol to be fully metabolise and converted to Retinoic Acid.

Due to the fact that Vitamin A is light sensitive, it’s best to use your Retinol products at night. This avoids the ingredient becoming unstable and therefore ineffective.

Always use a sunscreen whilst using Retinol products. This applies when using any stimulating ingredient on the skin that increases cell turnover and encourages desquamation.

Studies show by combining Retinol with AHA’s helps boost it’s effectiveness, particularly when treating sun damaged / photo damaged skin[2].

Reference:

1. Profilometric evaluation of photodamage after topical retinaldehyde and retinoic acid treatment. Creidi P, Vienne MP, Ochonisky S, Lauze C, Turlier V, Lagarde JM, Dupuy P, J Am Acad. Dermatol. 1998 Dec; 39(6):960-5.
2. Pharmacology of RALGA, a mixture of retinaldehyde and glycolic acid. Tran C1, Kasraee B, Grand D, Carraux P, Didierjean L, Sorg O, Saurat JH. Dermatol. 2005; 210 Suppl 1:6-13.
3. https://andymillward-skincare.co.uk/2015/03/retinol-the-gold-standard-in-anti-ageing-skincare/ 

Soap & Water vs Cleansers

FACT: Using a bar of soap on your face is bad for your skin.
But...... is washing your face with soap really bad for your skin?

In the past 25 years, bar soaps have received a lot competition from face washing liquids, gels, creams and foams which are formulated to be gentler on the skin by not disrupting the surface moisture barrier. Despite the popularity of these gentler alternatives, there are still a lot of people who prefer to use a bar of soap–probably due to ease and habit.


However, is washing your face with a bar of soap really that bad for your skin?
Well, it can be quite damaging to the skin to cleanse your face with a bar of facial soap, especially if it is not followed by adequate moisturising afterwards. Although many bar soaps are now better formulated and gentler (due to a lower pH that closely matches the normal skin level), they will still be more drying sulphate-free gels, foams, liquids and creams. (What does sulphate-free mean? Read about sulphate-free cleansers here.) The binders that hold a bar of soap together naturally have a higher pH than products that are formulated specifically for cleansing the face, so they will have a drying effect on the skin. Skin that is dry and parches is bad for the long-term health and look of the skin.


Why is it bad to dry out the skin? 
When you wash with a foaming cleanser or soap that is too drying, it pulls all the water out of the skin and creates dead, dry skin cell buildup. To compensate for the moisture you removed, your moisturiser not have to repair the dehydrated cells caused from cleansing. (not efficient at all!) Every product that  your face should be offering something beneficial and not something harmful or potentially damaging.

Are some bar soaps gentler than others?
Yes, there are bar soaps with moisturising agents to make them gentler, but they are still a no-no in my book. Foaming cleansers are fine, I just don’t suggest ones in a bar form. Here’s the rule when it comes to foaming cleansers: The more lather and larger bubbles a foaming cleansers produces, the more drying it will be. The less lather with smaller bubbles, the less drying it will be.

What if I use a bar of soap and it doesn’t dry out my skin? 
There’s a difference between dry skin and dehydrated skin. People associate dry skin with flaking. Although, people with combination and oily skin types might not ever experience flakiness associated with dryness because the built-in oils in their skin will prevent this from happening. Dehydration, on the other hand, is when there is a tight feeling, which indicates that water has been robbed from the skin. If you have been using bar soap to wash their face for a long time, you might think this tight feeling is normal because you have nothing to compare it to. However, if you use a gentle sulphate-free cleanser, you will definitely notice that your skin doesn’t have that tight, parched feel. Try using soaps that suit your skin type as it won't tend to dry out the skin and it won't make it feel harsh on especially sensitive skin. 

The verdict however is the user and soap and water has been used for centuries; many famous celebrities swear by it as the best cleanser of all time. But not all skin is equal, so choose your skin type here to see which cleanser is right for you.

Benefits of Soapless Skin Cleansers
Because soapless cleansers moisturise the skin and strengthen the stratum corneum, they're a good choice for people with sensitive skin. But soapless skin cleansers can also benefit people with dry or oily skin. If your skin is oily, a soapless cleanser with a low pH will clean your skin without drying it out; removing too much oil can actually cause oil glands to go into overdrive. People with dry skin have little oil to protect their skin therefore soapless cleansers are also a good choice; the added moisturisers will help the skin retain water instead of drying it like bar soap.


These cleansers are also less likely to produce soap scum ie the combination of soap and hard water. Water that's high in calcium (hard water supply in some areas) can create a soap scum that leaves a residue on your skin. Soapless cleansers also have a longer shelf life than soap and soap deteriorates easily when it comes in contact with water but soapless cleansers can last for years.

One of the greatest benefits of soapless skin cleansers is that they keep your skin moisturised. You can help your body retain that moisture by taking warm, short showers instead of hot, lengthy ones. Too much heat can dry out your skin therefore applying a moisturiser within three minutes of bathing or showering can also help you retain the moisture that the water and cleanser added to your skin.

Making the most of natural skincare products

The world is waking up to natural skin care. In recent years there's been resurgence in less-invasive treatments that revive skin, hair, and nails and make humans look human again. This new era of beauty focuses on the nude, the natural, and a high-tech, low-risk beauty, where organic products, science and technology intersect to deliver minimal-downtime results that are seemingly produced by nature.

Natural Balance
The skin produces its own natural moisturiser, called sebum, a mixture of fatty acids, alcohols and esters which keeps the skin from drying out. Sebum production is maximum around puberty, and decreases with age. It is important that the correct amount of sebum is produced: over-production creates what we call ‘oily skin’, while under-production creates ‘dry skin’. If the skin is -constantly dried out with overuse of soaps, it simply ¬stimulates the production of sebum, resulting in oily skin. Balance in all things please!

Hydrolats (Floral Waters) for Natural Toning
Hydrolats are the waters produced when you distil plant material. They contain many important and nourishing water-soluble plant compounds, and are safe, gentle and nourishing. Hydrolats have a pH value which is perfect for skin care, most being in the range 4-6. The combination of the nourishing plant compounds combined with a perfect pH value makes them a perfect natural skin toner.

Oils for Natural Moisturising
It is an unfortunate fact that if you put the two words ‘skin’ and ‘oil’ together, the reaction is not good. We think of oily, unsightly skin, pimples, acne, scars... Yet it is the oil in skin which keeps it soft, youthful, supple, moist, and healthy! Many vegetable oils contain a range of wonderful ¬nutritious compounds that help keep the skin healthy, vital and soft. They are an important source of vitamins, minerals, and the essential fatty acids which are so vital for general health and well-being, especially in skincare.
Vegetable Oils in Ancient Cultures
The value of vegetable oils has been recognised over centuries by traditional cultures. They have been used for skin hygiene, protection, and beautification in conditions and climates far harsher than our own, because of their superb regenerating qualities.

What are Essential Fatty Acids?
Despite a slightly unpromising name, essential fatty acids (EFAs) are wonderfully healthy compounds required by the body for a range of vital functions. Furthermore, they cannot be synthesised by the body, and therefore must be obtained externally. Examples of EFAs are linoleic and linolenic acid, and their metabolites such as GLA, and DGLA. The compounds known as omega-3, -6, -9 etc are all EFAs. Deficiency in these EFAs can lead to problems such as heart disease, stress, poor skin tone, liver ¬problems, susceptibility to infections, etc. Many of these vegetable oils are perfect natural sources of EFAs.

pH perfect
Did you know that your skin is naturally slightly acidic? Healthy skin has a pH value of between 4.5 and 6.8 (pH is a measure of acidity with 1 being very acid, 7 is neutral, and 14 highly alkaline). Any product which is ¬alkaline (and there are many on the market) will strip the skin of its acid mantle, leading to the possibility of -infection and over-production of sebum.

Your Skin is Incredible
Your skin is simply incredible! It is the largest organ in the body, performing a multitude of functions: it protects the body from dirt, minor injuries, bacteria, and chemicals; it absorbs helpful compounds and eliminates unhelpful ones; it regulates temperature, and provides sensation, responding to both pain and pleasure. Your skin continuously renews itself as well. New skin cells are constantly being created at the deepest level, and they gradually work their way out to the surface, changing their structure and function as they do so, before being shed. This whole cycle takes about a month — so each month you have a completely new skin!

There are many benefits associated with using all natural skincare products on your skin, from improving the health of your skin to contributing to a safer environment. By avoiding harmful ingredients found in regular skincare products you will help decrease your chances of redness, irritation and breakouts, along with severe allergic reactions. In addition, you are putting fewer toxic chemicals into the environment and water, contributing to a safer and cleaner environment.

A new way to test cosmetics?

L’Oreal, the renowned French cosmetic firm, is turning to 3D printing now to test out its products. The firm has partnered with Organovo, a bio-engineering startup, to 3D print human skin. This printed skin will be used in product testing. This will make the process affordable, quick, and easier. The design process will be easier as the reaction of the products will no longer be required to evaluate with real hair or bodies before the final phase of testing. Problems leading to failure of product development will be recognized earlier. L’Oreal has said that the opportunities of using the 3D printed skin will be “boundless.”

Although still an unfortunate necessity for the development of pharmaceuticals, animal testing within the cosmetics industry has thankfully witnessed a decline over the years. Following pressure from the public and animal rights groups, as well as an outright ban in the European Union and several other countries, various beauty product giants have announced they’ve stamped out the practice.

While these moves were certainly welcomed by many, not least of which consumers and campaigners, safety assessments on products and their ingredients still need to be carried out, so how are they doing it? French company L’Oreal actually started a human skin factory back in the ‘80s where they would grow and analyze hundreds of thousands of samples each year from plastic surgery leftovers, including different ages and ethnicities, which they would also sell on to competitors. But it seems they want to up their game and hasten the process, so they’ve now teamed up with a bioengineering company, Organovo, so they can start 3D printing skin samples en masse and use these instead.

“Some of the biggest potential advantages are the speed of production as well as the level of precision that 3D printing can achieve,” Guive Balooch, global vice president of L’Oreal’s technology incubator told The Washington Post. “L’Oreal’s focus right now is not to increase the quantity of skin we produce but instead to continue to build on the accuracy and consistent replication of the skin engineering process.”

3D printed skin isn't actually the brainchild of L’Oreal, or Organovo; it was already being investigated as a possible treatment avenue for those with serious injuries or burns who need grafts. An abundance of other organs and tissues can be created using this technique, such as bladders, muscles and blood vessels, although solid organs like the heart are much more challenging due to its complex architecture. The process involves adding layers of human cells to molds made out of a substance called hydrogel, which allows them to be seeded and grown in a precise manner. But Organovo has opted for a slightly different method and assembles the tissues directly, without using scaffolds.

Although a joint statement from the companies didn’t give an indication as to when we can expect these skin samples to be rolled out and put to use in cosmetic safety tests, it is reported that L’Oreal aims to automate 3D printed skin production by 2020. L’Oreal will cough up for the initial phase and donate their scientists’ knowledge and expertise on dermatology, whereas Organovo will offer use of their technology.

The program is still in its planning stages but should it come to market, the cosmetics company will retain exclusive rights to the samples for use in non-prescription skin care products. Organovo, on the other hand, will have the right to sell the tissues for prescription drug and toxicity testing as well as for future organ transplants. The bioprinter has already partnered with Merk to create liver and kidney tissues (the first samples of which should be ready by next year) but this reportedly is the first time the beauty industry has employed such technology.

SOURCE: Organovo