A New Sunscreen Product is Emerging – Celligent

April 22, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment 

An new German based skin care product is emerging on the sun care market called Celligent.Celligent, produced by Rahn contains three active agents: a UV absorber, an antioxidant and a nucleotide precursor to help DNA repair.

Ethyl ferulate absorbs UV rays therefore reducing their penetration into the skin, as well as having antioxidant properties.

The natural antioxidant properties of the ingredient are enhanced by the addition of carnosolic acid from extracted from Rosemary.

The third agent in the active, Uridine Monophosphate (UMP), has been added to help the DNA repair itself after UV-mediated damage.

The company investigated the ingredient in vitro using a 3D skin model, as well as looking at its effect on skin reddening in vivo.

Tests with the 3D skin models suggest that treatment with Celligent protects the DNA from UV damage 30 minutes after treatment; in contrast, the DNA in the untreated skin model suffered damage in the form of thymine dimers.

According to the company, in vivo tests show Celligent decreases UV mediated redness. After just one day following UV radiation the process of repair was twice as advanced as in untreated skin, it claims.

Rahn are not the first to realise the potential of naturally occurring UV absorbers and antioxidants in the fight against UV mediated skin damage.

Recent research from Spanish scientists suggests Rosemary extract, this time taken orally, could help protect against UV damage, and Brazilian scientists maintain flavanoids can be formulated with more traditional organic sunscreen to improve protection.

Using Organic Sunblock Can Help Your Skin

April 22, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment 

Sunscreen is quite effective in protecting the skin against the sun’s harmful UV rays when the proper SPF is used. Yet we see more and more sun damage and skin cancer mainly attributed to a lack of protection in early years of life. That is why it is very important to use sunscreen from the beginning.  It can be confusing because consumers have a such a choice between sun skin care – traditional sunscreen, organic sunscreen, natural sunblock that use all natural ingredients, and even sunless tanning lotions with SPF protection. 

Any time we hear the words “all natural,” we know that it is good for us. However, we also realize that there must be a reason why some of the same types of products do not contain all natural ingredients. Is it because they are better or because they are more cost-effective for the manufacturer to make? We have to take into consideration that there was a time in which our ancestors only had natural means to treat and prevent disease. Somewhere along the line we found more cost-effective ways to make products by creating man-made chemicals that got the job done. This happened with sunscreen.

People love to sunbathe and with the continuing reports that the sun is becoming more and more dangerous, the sunscreen market is booming. More people are protecting their children and themselves from the harmful rays that can cause skin cancer. No one wants to think of their children having to contend with such an awful disease, no matter how minor it may be if caught on time. But we love to go to the beach and we love to swim in our pools, so we have to take care of our skin in the process.

The truth is that you shouldn’t really have any more than 15 minutes of sun exposure each day in order to receive the necessary amount of Vitamin D. Any more than 15 minutes is what causes damage, so you need to use a sunscreen. A good organic sunscreen is going to be just as effective as a regular sunscreen and without any of the man-made ingredients. All of the ingredients are all natural, which means they are derived from plants. In other words, the ingredients are extracted from the wonders of nature that actually work.

The main difference between an organic sunblock and a regular sunblock aside from their ingredients is that organic sunblock will break down over time. However, if used consistently over the summer months, that shouldn’t matter because you’ll easily be able to use a majority of what is in the bottle if not all of it. However, when you look at the bottle of a regular sunscreen, you will notice that there are both organic and inorganic ingredients, so eventually regular sunscreen has to be disposed of anyway.

So if you want to spend more than 15 minutes in the sun, be sure to invest in a good organic sunscreen and apply it to all skin areas that are exposed to the sunlight. That way, you can still receive the benefits of the sun while protecting your skin from the harmful UV rays. You are also not putting inorganic ingredients on your skin. Everything that is inside a bottle of organic sunscreen is just as natural as you are.

Natural Sunscreen can Help Prevent Daily Sun Damage

April 21, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment 

Some experts claim over half of sun damage occurs during our every day activities – walking to the car, going in and out of buildings, walking along the street shopping, and so on – not while we’re sunbathing. Unfortunately, this means we should to wear sunscreen just about every time we leave the house. Most sunscreens are fairly toxic and organic sun care is blooming. More products are becoming available that are organic, natural and eliminate harmful toxins. This is great news for all of us especially our younger ones and babies.

Remeber organic sunblock is only one step you can take to protect yourself from the sun. Covering up can be just as important as the type of skin care or sun care product you use. The clothes we would prefer on a warm summer day – lightweight, light-colored clothing made with loosely-woven fabric – do not offer much protection. That’s why kids who swim with T-shirts over their bathing suit still get burned.

To completely block UV rays you need clothing with a ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of about 1700. A white T-shirt has a UPF of seven. The same T-shirt in green has a UPF of 10. A dark, thick fabric like velvet comes in at about 50. To reach 1700 you’d need a long-sleeved dark denim shirt. Not exactly anyone’s idea of fun in the sun.

The long and short of it is that while we may be willing and able to cover up with high UPF clothing in some circumstances, there’s no way that’s going to fly at the beach. So, you’re going to have to resort to sunscreen, and, to be safe, you’re going to need a skin care product that protects you from the suncreen’s dangerous chemical ingredients.

How do you do that? Your first line of defense is natural sunscreen – check your local health food store. However, not all these products are completely toxic free so you’ll still some additional protection. Your best bet for that is a shielding lotion: A good shielding lotion bonds with the outer layer of the skin to form a new protective layer that keeps out chemicals. It also locks in natural moisture – another thing you have to be concerned with when you’re out in the sun: sunburn equals dehydration.

Summer sun care can be complex but remeber its sunlight is good. Try to use organic sunscreen, appropriate clothing, and a natural after sun lotion. These natural skin care products can help you enjoy your summer without concern for your health.

Organic Sunblock Receipe, Use Avocado Oil and Zinc

April 21, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment 

Avocado oiled is renowned for its curative, unwilling-bacterial, and unwilling-rumple properties. Technically a fruit, loutish Avocado Oil is cold pressed from avocado pear and is grave green vaguely brownish in colour, while refined Avocado oil is pale blonde. Avocados are a great organic skin care ingredient.  Avocados are relatively mild so rarely cause any adverse allergies even in babies.

The usual variety of avocado oil with serious penetrating qualities has stanch scent and is ornate in vitamin A, D, lecithin, potassium and chlorophyll. This natural moisturizing oil is beneficial for rash, eczema, mature, gasping and aging skin. Refined avocado oiled is chosen because it is unscented and is used during intensive facial care for mature skin.

Rich in vitamin A, B1, B2, panthothenic acid and necessary greasy acids; thus its regenerative properties and restructuring powers keep the skin moisturized, and adaptable.

The lecithin and phytosterols make it superb oil for kneading: simply absorbed and silken. The penetrative powers of this oil is much more than other oils, thus it is belief massage oil for skin and body treatments. It stimulates the collagen metabolism, increasing the proportion of soluble collagen in the dermis, helps in section regeneration, retards evident symbols of aging and remarkably softens the skin. It is also very valuable when treating sun or climate dented skin that is dehydrated and under nourished. Avocado oiled is very prudent to use in powder because it fitting for all skin types, eliminating worry for allergic reactions. It’s also a good drink for fuzz.

The avocado fruit holds like qualities of avocado oil for organic skin care nourishment. Vitamin E provides moisturizing properties for easy silky skin. Vitamin E decreases damaging things of solar radiation, reduces UV induced wound and decreases skin glow after sun exposure. The fruit when rubbed topically on dry and sun injured skin moisturizes and soothes the precious spot. The skin of avocado fruit when rubbed like a loofah exfoliates the quiet skin.

For a natural sunscreen, pour some zinc oxide into a bottle half inclusive of avocado oil and shake well. Apply on skin that is exposed to the sun.

Mix 10 drops of lilac important oil to 1 oz of avocado oil. Massage this oil for a peaceful back rub for 15 – 20 report.

For Avocado facial mask, crush 1 developed avocado. For dry skin add 1 tsp of avocado oil. Mix well; apply the mask to face and throat region and deter out. Place a towel dipped in hot water over face safely to subtract the mask. Next spatter your face with the toner assorted with a seep of avocado oil.

For dry and lined skin, mingle 4 drops of frankincense, 2 drops each of rose and neroli oils and 20 ml of avocado oil. This blend is good for rejuvenation, induces relaxation and slumber if used at bed time.

Stay Healthy by Using Organic Sunblock and Getting Some Sunlight

April 21, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment 

Numerous studies have shown that sunlight prevents cancer and gives plenty of natural, non-toxic Vitamin D, which is good for the immune system and for bone density. The Vitamin D supplement found in milk and other food products is actually toxic and can cause liver failure and eventually death. The sun also acts as an anti-depressant; it is believed that places that receive the least amount of sunlight have a higher percentage of depressed people.

It is a necessity in our daily lives and not getting enough sunlight every once in a while has been linked to poor digestion, weight gain, high cholesterol, body odor and bad breath, poor sleep, lack of energy, and much, much more. Our skin is the largest organ of our body. Anything we put, spray, rub, or massage into is immediately absorbed into our bloodstream. So why is it that we are so willing to put chemicals on our skin? Take a look at the ingredients on the bottle you can’t even pronounce half of the ingredients listed on it!

There is a growing trend of conscious companies who are providing better products. Many natural and organic skin care products take into account the unique organic nature of human skin and develop products to interact without harm. Organic sunblock can help reduce damage caused by UV rays and other environmental toxins which could hurt a persons well being.

Ayurvedic Treatments for Different Skin Conditions

April 10, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment 

One of Ayurveda’s fundamental concepts is that health and disease are holistic-that is, whatever happens in one part of the body happens to the whole body. There are no isolated health problems. Any physical or psychological symptom of imbalance indicates an imbalance in the body-mind unit. Keep this holistic picture in mind as you look over the common skin problems below.Listed below are external remedies for the most common skin problems.

But please be aware, even a topical ointment or detoxification treatment is only a temporary remedy. If you continue with unhealthy lifestyle choices, new toxins will soon appear.

FRECKLES
Imbalance: Pitta.
Aggravated by: Sun.
Treatment:
• To bleach, rub on cottonseed oil or crushed pumpkin seed kernels + olive oil.
• Mix 1 tsp yogurt + 2-3 drops honey to make a natural bleach. Apply, leave on for 4 hours, then rinse.

W H I T E SPOTS AND LEUCODERMA
Imbalance: This condition is usually hereditary.
Aggravated by: Small white spots are caused by stress, excess salt. Leucoderma, or large white patches, is hereditary.
Treatment:
• Internal cleansing.
• Sunlight.
• Apply a few drops each neem & bakuchi herbal oils directly to spots to reduce external symptoms.

AGE SPOTS
Imbalance: Vata or Pitta.
Aggravated by: Old age, cold weather.
Treatment:
• Do internal cleansing treatment at change of season.
• Massage with Vata-pacifying oils or Tej Saffron Oil.

BLACKHEADS
Imbalance: Kapha.
Aggravated by: Excessive oil secretions.
Treatment:
• To loosen, add a pinch of Epsom salts to a cup water. Dip cotton ball in mixture and wash face.
• ‘Apply a mask of ground fresh parsley on oily area. Lie down for 10- 15 minutes, then cleanse, nourish, and moisturize as usual.

PSORIASIS
Desrription: Silvery flakes mostly on scalp but may appear on any part of body. Characterized by chronic and excessive dryness and irritation.
Imbalance: Vata 8c Pitta.
Aggravated by: Liver dysfunction, anxiety, stress, ungroundedness.
Treatment:
• Bathe with horsetail herbs wrapped in cheesecloth in your tub. After bath, apply neem oil + ghee or karanj oil twice a day.
• Do daily self-massage
• Do yoga or other non-aerobic exercise until you are sweating mildly (good for detoxification, stress reduction).
• Supplements: Take recommended daily dosage of primrose oil, cod liver oil, lecithin, vitamin E, and zinc.

ECZEMA
Description: There are three types of eczema: Dry patches (dry eczema) or moist, burning, inflamed red patches (burning eczema) typically appear around the joints but may appear anywhere on the body. Pussy, oozing patches (wet eczema) or dry itchy patches typically appear around eyes, brows, nose, or scalp, but also may be anywhere on the body.

DRY PATCHES
• Mix 10 drops sandalwood oil + 1 oz castor oil and apply to dry area.
Imbalance: Vata (dry). Pitta (moist, inflamed, red, burning). Kapha (pussy if moist, itchy if dry).
Aggravated by: Improper diet, blood toxicity, constipation, stress, undigested emotions, excessive sun, saltwater.
Treatment:
• Mix equal parts neem + brahmi + basil herbal oils (all available from Tej), and apply.
• Mix 1/2 tsp camphor + 2 tsp zinc oxide + 7-8 tsp corn or potato starch, and apply.
• Apply a light compress of rose petals + nettle + comfrey in water.
• Cut an aloe leaf and apply sap directly to skin.
• Add a few drops of chamomile, geranium, juniper, or lavender essential oil to coconut oil, and apply.
• Take baths with comfrey and nettle decoctions.
• Massage feet and scalp at night with brahmi oil.
• Supplements: Daily take 1-2 tsp cod liver oil or primrose oil, 800 units vitamin E, 30 mgs zinc, recommended daily dosage of vitamin B-complex and lecithin. Take 1/2 tsp triphala at bedtime as laxative. Avoid salt, sugar, fats, onions, garlic, radishes; eat carrots and musk melon.

Good Lifestlye Includes Eliminating Allergens and Chemicals

April 10, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment 

If you suffer from sensitive or dry, delicate skin, you already know how difficult it can be to find a skin care product that does not cause a negative reaction. However, have you considered many other kinds of chemicals you are exposed to every day? Many unsuspecting products, like household cleaners, air pollution and even industrial chemicals in your furniture can induce inflammation in susceptible individuals. If you suffer from dry or sensitive skin, you are more at risk for reactions, especially if you are already experiencing extreme dryness or eczema symptoms.

To repair your natural skin barrier, you must first take active steps to build it up by eating healthy fats – like olives, avocados and raw nuts or butters and engaging in a natural organic healthy diet to start. To further help your condition, review the dermatological list below to identify, and where possible, eliminate allergy-causing ingredients. Whether what you experience is merely a sensitivity or full-blown allergic reaction, try to eliminate anything that causes inflammation and can degrade your skin barrier – and its ability to protect you from harmful irritants. Give your skin a chance to heal by protecting it from things that may cause a reaction.

1. Eliminate chemical ingredients in skin care and perfumes – including parabens and all manner of chemical substances until you have narrowed down your reactions.

2. Eliminate problem ingredients in soaps, shampoo, bath, body care, dental, shaving, and conditioning products and medications. Avoid products that foam or contain detergents. Always rinse thoroughly after cleansing and shampooing. Protect your skin with moisturizer afterwards.

3. Avoid direct contact with dish and laundry detergents, household cleansing products, paints, strippers, furniture polishes, and other ingredients containing harsh chemicals. Wear gloves, moisturize, or avoid altogether. Studies show that residual detergent remaining in laundry clothing may be a prime contributor to eczema. Rinse your clothing twice if your washing machine allows.

4. Notice whether fabrics in clothing, furniture, or bedding are irritating your skin due to their rough texture or chemicals treating them. Use hypoallergenic protectors on mattresses and large furniture if this is the case.

5. Pay attention to contact allergies from jewelry, flatware, and coins or metals containing nickel, a common allergen. Some are allergic to gold, so always be aware of unsuspecting culprits.

6. Only use quality filtered water and avoid hard water when possible. Chlorinated water, excessively hot water, or long soaks in baths, showers, or hot tubs, can strip precious oils from your skin.

If you consider all these factors and use them diligently, your skin barrier can be restored and you may be able to withstand common irritants and practices. But for now, notice what chemicals irritate you and avoid contact with them at all costs in order to give your skin a chance to rebuild itself. If you are unable to address your symptom on your own, ask a professional dermatologist about patch testing, which can help you determine exactly what your allergies may be.

Natural Remedies You Can Do At Home For Sunburn

April 10, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment 

Home remedies may provide some relief from a mild sunburn. Remember a sun burn is a like any other burn from heat in which the cells become damaged. Be gentle and try not to further irritate the area.

Use cool cloths on sunburned areas, you should gently pat to allow the heat to disperse from the cloth after it absorbs the heat from the sun burn. You can try to take frequent cool showers or baths also.

Apply soothing lotions that contain aloe vera to sunburned areas. Topical steroids (such as 1% hydrocortisone cream) may also help with sunburn pain and swelling. Note: Do not use the cream on children younger than age 2 unless your doctor tells you to. Do not use in the rectal or vaginal area in children younger than age 12 unless your doctor tells you to.

There is little you can do to stop skin from peeling after a strong sunburn-it is part of the healing process. However application of a good natural or organic lotion may help because it will increase the antioxidants in the sunburned area and speed up the cell rejuvenation process. In addition lotion may help relieve the itching once the skin has started to peel.

A sunburn can cause a mild fever and a headache. Lie down in a cool, quiet room to relieve the headache. A headache may be caused by dehydration, so drinking fluids may help.

Other natural home treatments, such as essential oils like lavender, geranium, or calendula, may help relieve your sunburn symptoms.

You can try a nonprescription medicine to help treat your fever or pain, asprin is great for lessening the effects of a burn if taken soon enough.

  • Acetaminophen, such as Tylenol for pain and fever
  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for swelling from the burn
  • Ibuprofen, such as Advil or Motrin for pain and fever
  • Aspirin (also a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug), such as Bayer for pain, fever and to thin the blood which will help reduce the burn

Talk to your child’s doctor before switching back and forth between doses of acetaminophen and ibuprofen. When you switch between two medicines, there is a chance your child will get too much medicine

Skin Types 101

April 10, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment 

There are four dominant factors that determine your Skin Type. These factors are: oily vs. dry, sensitive vs. resistant, pigmented vs. non-pigmented, and wrinkled vs. tight. The key factors interact to determine the skin’s appearance, problems, needs, and vulnerabilities, and therefore dictate the kinds of products, ingredients, and tratments useful to address them. To get started, let me introduce you to some basics about the skin.

THE BIOLOGY OF THE SKIN

The top layer of the skin, called the epidermis, is made up of four distinct layers. When you look at someone’s skin, you see the very top layer, made up of cells that reflect light. When that top layer is smooth, it reflects light evenly so that the skin looks more uniform and radiant than it does when the surface is rougher.

At the lowest portion of the epidermis are “mother cells,” called basal cells, which produce all the other skin cells. They divide into “daughter cells,” which rise up to the higher levels of the epidermis. As they travel, they age and eventually die, so that the top layer consists of dead cells which naturally exfoliate off in a process called the “cell cycle,” which can take anywhere from twenty-six to forty-two days. Between the third and eighth decades of life, the cell cycle slows from 30 to 50 percent of its pace in youth. That means that older skin renews itself much more slowly, forming a rough surface of cells, rather than a smooth surface. The uppermost cells contain a natural moisturizing factor (NMF), which holds moisture. The body responds to a dry environment by producing more NMF, but it takes several days for production to rev up, so your skin may become quite dehydrated before help comes. That’s why it’s important to moisturize your skin in any dry environment. Substances released by the cells in the middle of the epidermis form a protective film made of lipids (fats) that surrounds skin cells and helps keep the skin hydrated. Your fingers and toes contain fewer lipids and are therefore not as “watertight” as your legs, which is why your fingers and toes look shriveled after immersion in water but your legs do not. Your skin cracks in cold weather because the chilled lipids become stiffer and less able to adjust to movement. The goal of the best moisturizers is to increase the amount of these important lipids, helping your skin to hold moisture.

Skin is Simple But Complex Too – Learn About What Your Skin Does

April 9, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment 

The skin serves numerous functions – detoxifying, protecting, regulating – but the primary protective or barrier function is the most obvious. The top layer of skin cells has the most important function in maintaining the effectiveness of the barrier. Here the individual cells overlie each other and are tightly packed, preventing bacteria from entering and maintaining the water-holding properties of the skin.Fatty substances (lipids) are secreted by the cells during the course of their journey from the base layer of the skin to the top. These lipid molecules join up and form a tough connecting network, in effect acting as the mortar between the bricks of a wall.

The cell wall barriers are simply layers of fats that surround the watery contents. Therefore, the communication mechanisms must operate through these fatty cell walls. In fact, many of the substances that are involved in this communication process are various fats since it is easiest for fats to move within the fatty layers that comprise the cell walls. Despite its bad reputation, proper fats and cellular fats are of major importance in our body’s biochemistry and physiology.

Damage to the skin barrier can result from a combination of genetic predisposion and exposure to sensitizing chemicals and other substances. That is why avoiding irritants is as important as using products that help. In skin care, the most common irritants are usually perfumes and preservatives.

Fatty substances control the majority of our body’s physiology through receptors that activate many important genes. Likewise, our skin barrier is comprised of a supporting structure of collagen, a protein that contains fats that serve a critical function. These fats prevent the excess loss of water through our skin and prevent the cells of our body from becoming dehydrated and dying.

A major sign of a defective skin is the dryness that results from excessive water loss. This water can not be applied topically but must be ingested. To prevent the excessive water loss and the resulting dry skin, we must repair the skin barrier. We find that the skin composition in individuals with dry skin is due to an improper mixture of the skin fats. This is commonly due to a deficiency in our diet of the correct fats, those contained in natural olive oils, avocados, and healthy nuts, etc. On a nutritional basis, we can provide these necessary fats through the skin sometimes through topical treatments containing natural butters or oils, like Shea, olive and cocoa butter. The epidermis is not a usual means to acquire nutrition but it can absorb enough fatty substances to correct the fat imbalances that are the cause of the defect in the skin’s barrier function and thus correct the dry, itchy skin or sensitive skin problem. Try to be aware of chemical preservatives in any topical products you do use, and remeber natural organic products are great!

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