Posts Tagged ‘skin care’

Are You Choosing the Correct Product for Your Skin?

Monday, August 17th, 2009

Today, when you go to buy products for your skin your first consideration is your skin type – dry, oily normal or combination. However, creating the right daily skincare routine for you begins with you learning about your skin.

 To fully understand your skin you have to look at how it interacts with the rest of your body’s internal systems.

 “Given the skin’s intimate bonds with the nervous system, the role of the mind in skin disease should be small surprise; all the more so when you consider that psychologically as well as physically the skin is your boundary with the world outside, …”
Taken from Skin Deep by Ted A. Grossbart, Ph.D. http://grossbart.com/sd/Skin_Deep2.html

 The nervous system is the body’s control center and communications network and it controls the actions and reactions of the body and it’s adjustments to the environment. The nervous system has three main functions

  1. It senses change within the body and within the outside environment
  2. It interprets the changes
  3. It responds to the interpretation by initiating action in the form of muscular contractions or glandular secretions.

 Think about how your skin reacts to situations that influence your life.

 Stress

Some people may find that their skin reacts to emotional turmoil. Changes, even positive ones can cause stress – a new job, a new baby, a beautiful house, a new romantic relationship, a new and exciting phase of life, constant traveling.

All these things can influence how your skin behaves. Incidences that cause pressure, anxiety and tension, strain and hassle can affect the skin of some people. Glandular secretions of our various internal chemicals and hormones circulating within the bloodstream can show up and affect your skin.  While all of this is happening, you can still be in the category of oily, dry, combination or normal.

 Hormones

Your skin is a reflection of the internal harmony, strife or conflict that takes place inside of you. We have many hormones and chemical that reacts to bring balance in our circulatory, respiratory, reproductive, nervous, lymphatic, immune, and digestive functions, all to maintain the right chemical balance for our bodies. Our skin is subject to the various fluctuations of hormones in our bodies and some people are affected more directly than others.

For some people, a change in hormones can cause the breakout of acne. These can be influenced by adolescence, premenstrual, menstrual menopausal, pregnancy, breastfeeding phases or other change of life phases. The over production of oil (sebum) is triggered by an exaggerated response to normal hormone fluctuations.

 This type of skin response can change from day to day and tends to improves as you get older. Here too, you can be oily, dry, combination or normal.

 The Environment

Your skin can reacts to its surrounding environment.  You skin may change as a result of contact with many outside elements – perfumes, soaps, changes in the weather, to allergens, insect bites irritating fabrics, soaps, creams or cosmetics to name a few. Your environment is more than the air you breathe. It’s the food, water, and clothing, cleaning products, pollen, car exhaust, cigarette smoke and dust around you. Sometimes the sun and your skin don’t mix well. All these external factors can affect your skin..

 For you, less is better. The fewer fragrances, preservatives and additives in your skin products, the better it is for you. Sensitive skin needs careful attention in order for it to be radiant. Simple, uncomplicated care is your key to great skin.

Extrinsic Aging

Your skin has been damaged by the environment. This is not something that has happened overnight, but one that has developed over time. You skin has become damaged as a result of long term exposure to out door elements without any protection. Bare, uncovered and open to the damaging elements of the sun, wind, cold, pollution, and harsh chemicals.

 Skin shows signs of extrinsic aging in the form of fine lines and wrinkles, dark spots and spider veins, brown spots or freckles, and loss of bounce. You just start looking old. It seems to happen overnight but in reality these signs had their origins many years ago.

Signs of over exposed skin can begin around age 35 or younger. In general, people with damaged skin are not bothered by acne. Nor is their skin particularly sensitive. They may even have a thicker, coarser texture than that of other people their own age

If this is the condition of your skin you may want to consider visiting a dermatologist for options not available by over the counter skin care creams and lotions.

Good Healthy Skin

You are fortunate. Your skin looks great and you don’t need to spend much time taking care of it. You probably look better than most people your own age.

 Well balanced skin, that’s been protected and nourished through activity, good food and a balanced lifestyle.  That’s what we all want. And we can have it. You just have to understand that your skin type goes beyond dry, oily normal or combination. Creating the right daily skin care routine for you begins with you learning about your skin.

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Feeling Stressed? How Your Skin, Hair and Nails Can Show It.

Saturday, July 4th, 2009

Pending job cuts at the office.
Back-to-back final exams.
A messy divorce.
An unexpected surgery.

What do they all have in common? In a word – stress.

While everyone knows that stress can take a toll on a person physically and psychologically, it also can lead to dermatologic problems, such as acne, brittle nails or even hair loss.

Speaking November 8, at the American Academy of Dermatology’s SKIN academy (Academy), dermatologist Flor A. Mayoral, MD, FAAD, clinical instructor in the departments of dermatology and cutaneous surgery at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine in Miami, Fla., discussed the most common outward signs of stress on the skin, hair and nails, and offered stress management tips to control these symptoms.

“In treating hundreds of patients over the years with skin conditions such as eczema, rosacea, acne and psoriasis, I have seen firsthand how stress can aggravate the skin and trigger unexpected flare-ups that, in effect, create more stress for patients,” said Dr. Mayoral. “Learning how to manage the effects of stress on your skin can help alleviate some of the anxiety and symptoms.”

Stress and the Skin
When a person becomes stressed, the level of the body’s stress hormone (cortisol) rises. This in turn causes an increase in oil production, which can lead to oily skin, acne and other related skin problems. Dr. Mayoral noted that even patients with skin that is not affected by acne tend to develop temporary stress-related acne due to increased oil production.
In fact, a study in the January 2001 issue of the Archives of Dermatology entitled “Psychological Stress Perturbs Epidermal Permeability Barrier Homeostasis,” found that stress has a negative effect on the barrier function of the skin, resulting in water loss that inhibits the skin’s ability to repair itself after an injury.

Specifically, the study involving 27 medical, dental and pharmacy students examined how periods of higher stress (in this case, during final examinations) impacted the skin’s response to repeated stripping of cellophane tape on the subjects’ forearms vs. periods of lower stress (such as after returning from winter vacation). Researchers found that it took longer for the skin to recover from the minimally invasive tape stripping during periods of perceived higher stress than during less stressful periods.

“This study was the first of its kind to suggest what dermatologists anecdotally have known for years – that psychological stress adversely affects the normal functions of the skin,” said Dr. Mayoral. “While the subjects in this study did not have any pre-existing skin conditions, I would suspect that people with skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis would have been even more adversely affected by this experiment.”

Stressed-Out Hair
There are many reasons why men and women lose their hair, but Dr. Mayoral believes that stress may be the primary reason for unexplained hair loss. When someone is under stress, hair can go into the telogen (fall-out) phase. Telogen effluvium is a very common hair loss problem that can occur up to three months after a stressful event. After the initial hair loss, hair usually grows back in six to nine months.

Life-changing events such as childbirth or surgery also can cause hair loss. Dr. Mayoral explained that during these times, the body takes a “time-out” from growing hair to concentrate on recovery and healing. As such, hair does not grow as much and some could shed and not grow back right away.
“Stress affects people differently – some may develop an ulcer, or have a heart attack, or lose their hair,” said Dr. Mayoral. “Hair loss is a normal response to stress, but patients should see a dermatologist for a proper evaluation to rule out other medical causes. I also advise patients to avoid any strange diets where only one or two foods are allowed, as improper nutrition and extreme or rapid weight loss can result in hair loss.”

Effects of Stress on Nails
Nails are not immune to showing outward signs of stress, and some people develop the nervous habit of biting their nails or picking at them when they feel stressed. Another stress-related nail habit that Dr. Mayoral discussed is people who rub their fingers over their thumb nail, which can create a ridge across the nail. This rubbing causes a distortion of the nail plate, and when the nail grows, a raised ridge forms in the middle of the nail. In addition, physical or emotional stress, certain diseases, and chemotherapy can cause white horizontal lines to appear across the nails. Brittle, peeling nails also are a common side effect of stress.

“Sometimes patients with nail problems are not aware that their habits or tics from being stressed out or nervous are at the root of their problem,” said Dr. Mayoral. “There are instances where patients self-inflict skin, hair or nail problems that go beyond what we normally expect from stress, and these patients often need psychological help to modify their behavior.”

In her practice, Dr. Mayoral finds it beneficial to give patients the tools to help themselves cope with stress-related skin flares, particularly patients with eczema, acne, psoriasis, or seborrheic dermatitis where outward symptoms are obvious. For example, Dr. Mayoral teaches her acne patients how to modify their treatment regimen to deal with flare-ups from stress – which gives them control to help themselves during stressful periods.

“Being in control of your situation can help relieve stress,” said Dr. Mayoral. “For instance, I teach my acne patients who use a topical acne medication once a day how to safely use the medication more frequently to counter the effects of stress. If this doesn’t work, they know to call me or come in to the office so we can make further adjustments in their treatment. I find that initially giving them the power to fix the problem is very empowering to them.”

In addition, Dr. Mayoral offered tips to curb the effects of stress both internally and externally:

  • Learn to recognize the underlying problem that is triggering your symptoms and develop skills to help minimize the stress.
  • Exercise helps release endorphins in the body that can reduce stress.
  • Avoid very hot showers or baths and use detergent-free soaps. Moisturize as soon as possible after bathing.
  • Wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher daily to protect your skin from sun exposure.

Science Daily (Nov. 12, 2007)
Adapted from materials provided by American Academy of Dermatology.MLA American Academy of Dermatology (2007, November 12). Feeling Stressed? How Your Skin, Hair And Nails Can Show It. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 30, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2007/11/071109194053.htm

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The Effects of Simple Sugars on Your Skin

Saturday, July 4th, 2009

New research shows that sugar deposits may contribute to skin aging. Your sweet tooth may have more harmful long term effects than you realize.

Wrinkles, sagging skin, and pigment deposits may be caused from one-way sugar molecules that we make as part of the aging process but cannot be easily removed.

 Scientists call these wrong-way sugars ‘AGE molecules’ (the AGE stands for ‘Advanced Glycation End-products’). AGE molecules are all around us, and often taste pretty good: Any time we brown an onion or caramelize sugar, we are making AGE molecules.

 However, when you make these molecules under your skin, you’ll probably find much less to like about them. Unlike most other complex sugars, AGE molecules are not easily removed from the body Because they stay in place for years, the immune system can react to tissues they deposit in, causing inflammation, damage, and aging.

Yet there are natural products that can break up AGE molecules. To see more go to:

 http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2006/jan2006_report_carnosine_01.htm

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Controlling the Humidity Can Help Your Skin

Saturday, July 4th, 2009

Both extremes of humidity can harm the skin, so you may need to work on controlling your environment to get what is best for your skin. This can present a challenge, as many of us work in air conditioned / heated environments where we have no control.

If you have low humidity it simply means there is less moisture in the air. This not only dries out your skin, but also it makes your skin more susceptible to all other allergens. When the skin is very dry its barrier function is weaker.

This happens in the winter when heat systems dry out the air (i.e. forced hot air) or even in the summer when air conditioning can excessively dry the air. If you already have dry skin you may notice your scalp becomes flakier or if you are prone to eczema or psoriasis, the condition becomes worsened.

Even normal skin can be dried out by constant air conditioning and heating that found at many work places. Low humidity is an issue that we need to take into consideration when deciding what skin care products to buy.

In a study published by the British Journal of Dermatology in 2002, air conditioning was cited as one of the main causes of contact dermatitis- a common skin irritation from exposure to allergens or other irritants. 

Your skin works best when it is not overly dry. If you live in a very dry place or see your dry skin symptoms worsen seasonally you need to consider using a humidifier. You may have to experiment a little to get what feels right to you and see how it affects your skin. Stay well hydrated is also important. Drink water.

If you have high humidity it means there is too much moisture in the air. We control our body temperature by sweating. When there is excess humidity, our sweating does not cool us off as well. The air around us is already full of water, so it does not evaporate away our sweat, so we feel and get hotter. Our sweat also stays in contact with our skin longer and this is not good for the skin. It can develop red, irritated patches, and the sweat that stays there can irritate and clog pores and get itchy and rashy.

In very damp climates people often get weepy or oozing skin conditions, from all that excess dampness, showing up on your skin. This is why conditions like athlete’s foot or jock itch or even weepy rashes are often worse in humid weather.

So, when it is damp you need a dehumidifier. Trying to lower the humidity with the air conditioner  will cause the above problem.. Try to keep yourself cool by using a fan and dressing in fabrics that breathe and if you are still suffering, gently wipe away excess perspiration so it does not sit there and irritate your skin.

What you need  depends on where you live -a humidifier or a dehumidifier or both. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers recommend keeping humidity between 30% and 60%.

Most modern humidifiers and dehumidifiers have read-outs that will tell you the current humidity and allow you to set the desired humidity also.

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Healthy Skin Means Serious Skin Care

Saturday, July 4th, 2009

We are part of nature’s web of life. Our beauty and health is deeply interconnected with our environment. Today, we live in an ever changing and extremely demanding world. We have amazing technology leading to breakthrough and cutting edge achievements.

 Unfortunately, the downside has been a wide array of man-made chemicals and other pollutants that not only challenge our environment but our health as well. The food we choose to eat, as well as the products we use, will affect our health and quality of our life.

 When choosing skin care products, consider that everything we apply to our skin will most likely enter our body.

 At Faraya Skin care we believe that nature provides the balance – the interconnectedness between and within the animal and plant kingdoms – that has been around since the beginning of time. Technology gives us the means to isolate, extract, and put to use the beneficial properties of these natural substances.

 You only have one skin – it makes sense to care for it wisely. With today’s numerous environmental challenges affecting the health and beauty of our environment as well as our personal health and beauty, it is very important to carefully select the products we use. By shopping for high quality skin care products made with organic ingredients, you can ensure that you receive wholesome care that is good for your body, your skin and the environment.

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