HEALTHY SKIN AND INFLAMMATION

Inflammation describes the process by which our body heals itself.  Today, I’m going to discuss two different types of inflammation: Acute and Chronic.  And I’m going to define the role that inflammation plays in influencing the health of our body’s largest organ, the skin.

 

When your body is injured, an entire network of inner response “teams” is immediately triggered to help fix the injury, which is why you will notice swelling, tenderness and redness around the injury site.  This is the process known as Acute inflammation.  Acute inflammation is necessary to help the body heal its injury and protect against infection.  The pain response of acute inflammation is your body’s signal to stop what you are doing, to avoid further damage.

 

Then there is the process known as Chronic inflammation.  When constant injury or insult to our body is allowed to occur on a regular basis, our bodies are in an ongoing battle to combat the acute inflammatory process, which then becomes a chronic condition.  Chronic inflammation can be triggered by stress, being overweight, sun exposure, diet, exposure to pollution, smoking, hormones and disease, among other things.  Over time, excessive chronic inflammation also significantly increases your risk of several life-threatening or degenerative diseases such as arthritis, allergies, asthma, heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s (source: Reinagel, Monica. The Inflammation-Free Diet Plan, 2006. McGraw-Hill).

 

So what effect does inflammation have on the health of your skin?

 

We learned the importance of a healthy skin barrier (those outer protective layers of your skin) in my last blog.  Having a healthy skin barrier helps protect you from environmental elements that trigger the inflammatory response in the skin.  However, if left untreated an ongoing inflammatory response will break down a healthy skin barrier. Chronic inflammation in the skin manifests itself with visible skin aging and skin diseases.

 

Acute inflammation happens in the form of sunburn when your skin is exposed to excessive sun without any protection (your skin turns red, feels tender and swells slightly).  But chronic inflammation actually occurs on a daily basis from sun exposure – even if you are not in the sun long enough to sunburn.

 

Applying some topical products, like harsh prescriptions or facial scrubs, can trigger inflammation in the skin as well.  Microdermabrasion and chemical peels will also trigger an acute response in the skin.

 

Keep in mind that not all inflammation in the skin is a bad thing.  Microdermabrasion or chemical peel treatments help remove the superficial outer layers of stratum corneum (the skin barrier), and help move fresh cells to the skin surface.  At the same time, collagen and elastin are stimulated in the dermis, to help plump and support the skin.  But you couldn’t microderm or peel your skin every day, or you could be left with one very damaged skin barrier!  It’s also important to protect your skin after one of these types of treatments, since leaving your skin unprotected invites harmful exposure to environmental elements (sun, microbes and bacteria).

 

People who choose to exfoliate on a daily basis (men exfoliate every time they shave their faces) should consider taking steps to repair and fortify their skin barrier after exfoliation, when freshly exposed skin is most vulnerable to damage or bacteria. 

 

Choose skin care products that are fortified with anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredients that strengthen and protect your skin barrier, to help slow the chronic inflammatory process in the skin.  Make it a habit to wear sunscreen every day; preferably a sunscreen that provides at least SPF 30, and is fortified with antioxidants to help fight free radical damage (remember sun exposure is the number ONE element that causes inflammation and visible aging in our skin).

 

To sum up, some acute inflammation may be helpful to trigger cell turnover and stimulate collagen and elastin, which can help keep our skin looking good – but too much extended and prolonged inflammation creates a damaging chronic process, which contributes to visible skin aging and skin disease.

 

Detox – Day Two

Argh.  I have had this headache for two days now — I never get headaches! 😦

I don’t know if it’s from lack of caffeine or the detox herbs, or lack of sugar.  I feel like I don’t eat that much sugar every day!  And one cup of coffee every day shouldn’t cause this much reaction …

Anyway, we made it through one full day of eating restrictions.  Instead of Goodwood, we decided to eat sushi last night.  I know sushi is “meat” but it’s fish, so I felt like I could get away with it.

Breakfast: oatmeal mixed with rice milk, walnuts and bananas, plus a little sprinkle of cinnamon.  We had 12 herbal pills again this morning — I’m NOT liking that part at all.  At least the fiber hasn’t made me feel gassy, not any more than usual.

Lunch: organic black beans with salsa in a whole wheat tortilla.  That was very tasty; in fact, I want another one now (it’s 3:30).  I will settle for a couple more handfuls of barbeque soy nuts instead.  I’m working my way through my second quart of distilled water as I type this.

Dinner: I’m looking forward to organic tomato soup and steamed artichokes (with red wine vinegar dipping sauce) … also can’t wait to get home to some baby carrots and hummus too! 

Tomorrow, the fasting starts and we are on our lemon juice/pure maple syrup/distilled water for the next three days.  This will be interesting since Honey is playing golf on Saturday and we are supposed to watch the game at a friend’s house Saturday evening … Last time we were there we feasted on massive T-Bone steaks and salmon!  Too much temptation.

I want to take an ibuprofen for my headache, but I feel like that wouldn’t be a good thing during the detox.

Detox Experience – Day One

My SO and I have been a little “over-indulgent” over the summer, so we have decided to try a detox program to “clean” our systems before the holiday season.  We hope this will help kick-start our plans for a healthier lifestyle too!

 

Five years ago in esthetician school, I was trained and certified for M’lis, a health and wellness company that specializes in detoxification treatments, along with body wraps and skin care.  Their programs offer drug-free options for those suffering with fibromyalgia, candida (yeast), hormonal imbalance and weight issues.  M’lis was one of the exhibitors at the Medical Aesthetics Conference & Expo in New York a few weeks ago, so I picked up a couple of detox packages for honey and me to try together.

 

I’ve never tried to detox before, so this is going to be an interesting experience.  My sister, who is a veteran of different cleansing programs over the years, told me to report back if anything weird comes out of me.

 

Detox Day One

It doesn’t help that my honey snored most of the night last night, and I did not sleep very well.  I have been worried about the fasting (I really like food, and I’ve been lucky that I haven’t had many weight worries over the years), but I’m trying to keep a positive attitude. 

 

Today, we have to cut meat, dairy, refined sugars and flour from our diets in preparation for our fast in two days.  What does that leave us to eat?  We made a special trip last weekend to the downtown co-op, signed up for membership, and came home with a car load of organic foods.

 

Breakfast: I’m not a big coffee drinker, but I do like a cup in the morning while I check my email.  I went coffee-free this morning, opting for a steamy cup of lemon ginger tea instead.  We had to take a handful of herbal pills this morning: Cleanse, Detox and Fiber (12 total).  I had oatmeal (the long-cooking kind, because it has better fiber) mixed with brown rice, rice milk, cinnamon and chopped walnuts.  It’s held me over pretty well this morning.  I brought barbeque soy nuts and a banana to tide me over through the day.  I am supposed to drink 2 qts of distilled water throughout the day today as well.

 

Lunch: Tomato soup and distilled water.  Yum.

 

Dinner: We have plans to go to Goodwood tonight – yikes!  That’s going to be hard, but I think I’ll do a salad with oil and vinegar.  It’s going to be hard to resist refined bread.  I love bread!  I only have to do this for four more days …

 

I feel a little dizzy and a little head-achy today … I don’t know if it’s from lack of sleep, lack of caffeine, or just my mind feeling funky about fasting.

“Over-the-Counter” Skincare vs. “Cosmeceuticals” or “Pharmaceuticals” – What is the difference?

As a professional esthetician, we often hear these common questions from our clients: What is the difference between a “professional” skin care cosmeceutical vs. a brand you can find “over-the-counter” at a drug or department store?  Is there really a difference, or is it all a bunch of fancy marketing talk and pretty pictures?  Can you get nice results with drugstore cosmetic brands, or will your results be better with professional cosmeceuticals? Too often, consumers fall under the spell of cosmetic company marketing and advertising claims, and will spend a lot of money on expensive over-the-counter cosmetics that really don’t work in the skin.

 

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) divides skin care products into two distinct categories: pharmaceutical and cosmetic.  Topical pharmaceuticals penetrate through the layers of the epidermis and affect the structure and function of the skin (think of prescription topical steroids or Retin-A).  Cosmetics are defined as ” … articles intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled, or sprayed on, introduced into, or otherwise applied to the human body or any part thereof for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance …”  Pharmaceutical drugs may undergo more than 10 years of drug approval testing that may cost hundreds of millions of dollars — whereas, cosmetics do not have to prove their claims, but they can cite “scientific studies” of the ingredients used in their product formulations to validate the safety and efficacy of the ingredient formula.

 

Cosmeceuticals are the “happy medium” between a pharmaceutical and a cosmetic.  The word “cosmeceutical” really is not categorized by the FDA, but it is a word that is used in the professional skin care arena to describe a cosmetic that actually has biological action, but is regulated as a cosmetic — meaning, again, the formula does not technically have to prove efficacy or safety, but it does contain an ingredient that may have activity in the skin.

 

You will find many of the same catch phrases when you read an advertisement for skin care: “Dermatologist-Tested,” “Clinically Proven,” “Clinical Studies show that …,” “Clinically Tested.”  But interpret these phrases with caution, especially when trying to choose a skin care line that works best for your practice and clientele.  Since cosmetic companies really don’t have to prove efficacy claims, the special active ingredient touted in the formula only has to appear somewhere on the ingredient list — ingredients are listed in content order, from most to least, so if you see that “active” on the last half of the list (usually alphabetically) you can bet you are getting a tiny percentage (enough to be effective in the formulation?) of that specific ingredient. When you see these types of claims, start asking questions:

 

·     What was tested — an individual ingredient or the finished formulation?

·     How was it tested, in-vitro (in a test tube or petri dish, in an ideal environment), or was it tested in-vivo (on actual skin)?

·     Were the studies double-blinded (meaning, the person applying the product and the person evaluating the results each have no knowledge of what they are applying or evaluating; it is strictly objective)

·     Was the formula tested against placebo cream (like glycerin or petrolatum), or against nothing, or against another type of similar product?

·     How long was the test conducted?  On how many participants?

 

Because many consumers “self-diagnose” when choosing a skin care product to try from a drug or department store, these products must be made safely, meaning, big cosmetic companies cannot afford to have masses of consumers with issues from using very active products — so, that skin care product may feel good and smell good, but it likely won’t have a lot of activity in the formulation.

 

Over-the-counter cosmetics are also manufactured and distributed in very large batches, and are packed with almost as many preservatives as “active” ingredients!  In addition, many over-the-counter cosmetics simply do not penetrate the skin barrier, where the ingredient formula would have a therapeutic benefit to the health of the skin.   Remember too, it’s not just about one really fabulous ingredient — it’s the mixture of the right amounts of active ingredients working synergistically together that work best in the skin, similar to how oral multivitamins work internally in our bodies with a mixture of vitamins and minerals for best absorption.

 

It is important to note that many single ingredients that test very well in in-vitro testing actually have no function in human skin when mixed into a formulation — yet, we still believe the “clinical study” claims from in-vitro studies.  As well, many companies that cite clinical study results will not provide clinical study documentation.  Rare is the cosmeceutical company that tests their finished formulations and then offers full clinical study details for the public to see.  You will sometimes find peer-reviewed cosmetic formulation studies in dermatology or cosmetic surgery journals, which lends more credibility to the testing process.

 

Since licensed estheticians do not prescribe pharmaceutical products, offering a well formulated and tested cosmeceutical line is the next best option to pharmaceuticals.  Cosmeceuticals that are professionally recommended by a licensed esthetician, physician or other educated skin care professional generally have a higher amount of active ingredients with proven and safe formulations, and offer delivery systems that reach targeted cells in the skin.  In your search for safe and effective skincare for your clientele, try to find cosmeceutical companies that offer clinical testing information, and learn how to ask questions and interpret clinical study details.  As a licensed skin care professional, research is imperative to help make the best decision for your clients.